The Walking Swarm

The mere mention of a "bug swarm" might sound trivial. Like some insignificant mob you could squash in no time. But the Walking Bug Swarm in Dungeon Overseer was no pushover. Its stats hovered around Level 5–6. Armed with various debuffs, dark-attribute attacks, and the ability to control insects, this monster was nothing to take lightly. Once again, complacency was fatal in a roguelike. Now that we'd found traces of the Walking Bug Swarm, we had to stay alert and ready to fight at any moment.

Under the pale moonlight of a rural night, Noman and I tracked the swarm by the glow of his Seer Lantern. "Hajun! This road leads straight to the village!" Noman called out, his voice tight with worry.

The Walking Bug Swarm was moving far faster than we'd expected. The writhing insects on the ground were growing in number—an unmistakable sign it was fleeing without even bothering to collect the bugs spilling from its body. I crushed them underfoot as we sprinted through the dark forest. There were so many that we could follow the trail even without the lantern.

"Smart. At least it knows about explorers."

Instead of hiding in the woods, the swarm had chosen the village as its escape route. A wild monster might have instinctively burrowed into dense trees or a deep cave. That would have made tracking it easier—after all, explorers spent their days hunting monsters through dungeons. Classes with detection skills, like Dungeon Seekers, could find prey even in the most complex labyrinths. But fleeing into a village changed everything. A Seer Lantern wouldn't function properly amid crowds. Villages and cities weren't a Dungeon Seeker's stage.

"Let's hope the Striders handled it properly!"

Striders. Those who wielded magic, swords, and bows alike. A class that felt like a blend of magic swordsman and assassin. Alongside Guardians and Mystics, they claimed the title of Mystic Guardians, well-versed in ancient knowledge and capable of various magical feats. According to Jangcheok, Wiseville was under the Strider Guild's exclusive control. If they had any sense, they'd be able to deal with something like the Walking Bug Swarm.

"The trail's gone cold."

The lantern's blue light faded, returning to its usual white glow. A single ragged cloth lay abandoned on the ground. So that was the "person" Sion had mentioned. The insects had draped it over themselves to mimic a human. And the fact that the swarm had discarded it meant...

"We keep moving."

It had likely already infiltrated the village. The Walking Bug Swarm possessed the ability to temporarily disassemble into smaller insects before regrouping into its original form. The skill was called Bug's Stride, treated as a teleportation effect in Dungeon Overseer. Using that, slipping into the village wouldn't be difficult—though evading the Striders' watch was another matter.

Noman and I approached the village together. A guard on patrol blocked our path. "Halt! Who are you?"

I held out my explorer's badge. "Explorer Hajun, affiliated with an expedition team. This is urgent. Open the gate."

"Night passage is forbidden! If you want in, wait quietly until morning!"

Noman shot me an anxious glance. We hadn't expected this kind of delay. "We've found traces of the Walking Bug Swarm. It definitely entered the village."

"What? Don't spout nonsense! We've been guarding this place the whole time. There were no monsters!"

The guards weren't quick to believe me. From their perspective, some stranger suddenly appearing and ranting about monsters would seem suspicious. Still, the frustration was real. "You think it walked through the main gate? Obviously it crawled underground."

"So what exactly are you trying to say?"

"Contact the Strider Guild. They need to strengthen their defenses and increase patrols immediately."

The guard's expression darkened the moment he heard me. "I don't know what you're scheming, but if you want to contact the guild, come back tomorrow morning and do it properly."

Suddenly, Noman stepped forward. "No, a monster appeared! The Walking Bug Swarm! People have been attacked! And you're doing nothing?"

"Tch! Then bring proof that a monster exists!"

"W-what? What kind of person are you?"

Proof? I could bring as much as they wanted. The problem was that the Walking Bug Swarm could vanish in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠meantime. "What's going on?"

"Ah. Captain."

As the commotion grew, a man who appeared to be the outpost commander poked his head out from the side gate. "Apparently this guy claims to be an explorer and says a monster got into the village..."

"A monster?"

The commander gestured for us to enter. We'd finally made it inside. "Explain in detail. What about this monster?"

"It's called the Walking Bug Swarm. It likely crossed the wall in a dispersed state and has probably reformed by now." I gave a brief account of everything that had happened. "The important part is this: how dangerous is it?"

"It's a powerful monster. And for some reason, it attacked people. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠guards alone won't be enough to stop it. We need the Strider Guild's help."

"If that's true, this is serious."

The commander nodded, grasping the gravity of the situation. "Wait here for now. I'll report to the guild."

Noman blinked in confusion. "Wait?"

"Can't be helped. We haven't confirmed your story yet, and even in an emergency, letting outsiders in at night means I can't allow free movement."

Noman tried to protest, but I stopped him. "Stay put."

"But..."

"He's not wrong. They told us to wait, so we'll do as we're told."

The commander looked at me, gave a small smile, and nodded. "Thanks for cooperating. I'll be back shortly."

Once the commander left, Noman fidgeted restlessly while the remaining guard glared at us. "Be grateful the captain let you in! If you cause any trouble..."

I stared out at the dark village. The commander had gone, right? Right. I kicked the guard without warning.

"Agh!"

Then I grabbed a leather glove from the table and shoved it into his mouth. Noman stared at me in horror. "Noman. Your whip."

"Huh? Huh?!"

"We need to tie him up."

"Oh my god. Lady Angela, have mercy!"

With trembling hands, Noman swung his whip. Crack! It coiled tightly around the guard's body.

"Mmph! Mmmph!"

The guard groaned, thoroughly bound. I dragged him into a corner of the outpost and stepped outside. "Wow, I thought you were the quiet type, but you've got a violent streak."

"Situation's urgent."

The guards had told us to wait quietly, but we didn't have time. Sorry to that guy, but catching the Walking Bug Swarm came first. His shift change would bring colleagues to free him eventually. "Let's go!"

Noman and I sprinted through the nighttime village. He kept adjusting the Seer Lantern, trying to pinpoint the swarm's location. As expected, it had likely regrouped somewhere and resumed activity. The Walking Bug Swarm had failed to attack Sion and Isol. There was no rule saying a monster that had attacked once couldn't do it again. If a creature harmed people, eliminating it immediately was an explorer's duty. Who knew—we might even earn some money and experience points.

"Noman."

"It's not working well. Too many people interfering, and since it has no intention of attacking us, it's hard to detect through hostile reactions."

A Dungeon Seeker's weakness: they struggled to perform outside dungeons. A Guardian's future sight would've been more useful here. But the detection problem resolved itself unexpectedly.

"Kyaaaaah!"

"...That way."

If someone was attacked by the Walking Bug Swarm, they'd naturally scream. Whether the screamer would survive was... another question. A small rural house with its own yard. From behind a crude wooden fence came a woman's scream.

"Hajun! There's a fence..."

"Follow me!"

I slammed my shoulder into the fence. The wooden barrier shattered into splinters.

"Whoa, seriously!" Noman yelped, hurrying after me.

"Kyaaaaah!"

We rushed to the house door. Through the gap, a swarm of maggots crawled out. Most were grotesquely swollen, coated in brown liquid that gave off an indescribable stench. I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠swung my saw-sword and sliced through the door.

Thud!

A horrific sight greeted us. A human body covered in hundreds of insects. Maggots, leeches, and earthworm-like annelids clung to the person in a writhing black mass. The body bulged like a massive dung heap, twitching and undulating. Beside it, a woman sat collapsed, screaming.

...If the victims were a couple, the person buried under the swarm was probably the husband.

"Ugh!" Noman retched at the sight of the swarm. The revolting scene was too much to bear.

Our arrival made the swarm pause momentarily. Then the insects began writhing like a wave, stuffing themselves back under the travel robe. Soon, something unnaturally swollen took on a human shape.

I swung my saw-sword at the Walking Bug Swarm. When dispersed, it was nothing more than a clump of bugs. But once gathered like this, it became a Level 5 mage monster wielding magic and psychic abilities. A mage was far more threatening than a bug pile. To counter its magic, the best option was to tear its body apart with a blade.

"Hah!"

The sharp corpse-saw struck the swarm. The serrated edge ripped through the insects like a living beast. Foul green liquid splattered as severed bug clusters tumbled to the ground.

「Kreeeeaaah!」

The Walking Bug Swarm let out a psychic scream. I swung the saw-sword without pause. Once more, the blade tore through its torso. Dozens of insects died. Green fluid oozed from the holes in the swarm.

「This... this is!」

The swarm swung its arm. The insect-formed limb was flexible, threatening, and above all, annoying. I ducked to avoid its fist and cast Poison Arrow at close range.

"Poison Arrow!"

The venomous arrow slammed into the swarm. Insects touched ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by the toxin vomited black blood and died. Bugs rained down, thinning the monster's body.

「Kaaah!」

The Walking Bug Swarm staggered backward. I continued carving into it. The massive saw-sword sliced left and right, quartering it in an instant. Even as it reformed, many insects had perished. If we kept killing them this way, its intelligence would eventually fade, reducing it to a mindless bug pile. Then we'd just crush the rest one by one.

「Ugh... ugh. It hurts! It hurts!」

"Bugs can talk now."

I raised the saw-sword again, then hesitated. I'd been hacking away enthusiastically, but something felt off. The Walking Bug Swarm was supposed to be a Level 5–6 monster. Level 6 was on par with a Cockatrice. Yet... why was it so weak? Because I'd succeeded in melee against a mage? No, that couldn't be it. After years in the roguelike world, I knew better. A high-level monster wouldn't be this much of a pushover.

With Poison Arrow loaded in my hand, I approached the swarm. "What are you?"

「Hah... hah...」

"Answer me. Where did you come from? You're a mage, right?"

「Mage, my ass... I'm just a porter.」

"A porter?"

I checked the status window again. As always, it didn't lie. The creature was magically created. But it claimed it wasn't a mage?

「P-please, spare me. I didn't want to die... I'm sorry for attacking people. I was just... so hungry...」

"You son of a bitch."

I drove the saw-sword into the Walking Bug Swarm's stomach.

「Kreeeeaaah!」

"What? You're sorry? Then what about the person you ate?"

I pointed at the grotesque human corpse—the one the swarm had been devouring before I arrived. Just an ordinary couple living in a small house. It had attacked and eaten them. Sion and Isol could easily have been next.

「P-please don't kill me!」

The Walking Bug Swarm spoke desperately. 「The guild... let me contact the guild. Please!」

"The guild?"

This thing had said it was a porter. In Wiseville, there was only one guild porter. "Are you with the Strider Guild?"

「Yeah! I'm... I'm a victim too. It was the relic! I just got hit by an ancient relic!」

"..."

Things had taken a strange turn. An ancient relic—as if there were one that turned people into Walking Bug Swarms...

「If I can just contact the guild...」

At that moment, I felt intense heat from behind me.

"Hajun!"

Noman yanked my hand. When I came to, I was sitting on the floor.

「Aaaaaah! Hot! It's hot!」

The Walking Bug Swarm was engulfed in flames, burning fiercely. A woman approached, a fireball floating in her hand.

"So the Walking Bug Swarm really appeared. Looks like it was true."

The Strider Guild had arrived.