Reinforcement (3)
A little while ago.
The place Deputy Commander Velgram of the mantis legion headed to was a massive cavern pierced into the cliffside.
"What brings the mantis deputy commander to this humble place?"
Pristine white threads woven throughout the cavern.
A woman lounging on a spiderweb bed spun from those threads poked her head out.
"Deputy Commander Velgram pays respects to the Spider Queen."
Velgram dropped to one knee and bowed politely.
The being known as the Spider Queen.
Her name was Arachne, a hauntingly beautiful fusion of human and spider forms.
She was the third commander of Vermith's forces, leading the spider legion.
"I've come seeking your cooperation on a certain matter."
"Hmm. It's been ages since the mantis legion asked for help. Speak."
"It's like this..."
With Arachne's permission, Velgram got straight to the point.
A mantis platoon and their division commander had been slaughtered.
Karmarks had not only failed to catch the culprit but had even been wounded.
There was no need to hide it.
The news would reach Arachne's ears soon enough anyway.
"Ho. Interesting."
Arachne, who had maintained a languid expression throughout, twisted her lips slightly.
To think something powerful enough to injure Karmarks was wandering around.
It couldn't be another outer god, thanks to the pact.
Which meant it had to be a native of this land.
This place really was fun.
Like an onion, peeling back layers revealed something new every time.
"Very well. I'll cooperate."
Most of her forces had left to search the Dragon's Lair.
But she still had enough troops left to set a trap.
Arachne decided to lend them out.
"My thanks. Commander Karmarks will be overjoyed at the Spider Queen's aid."
And so began the alliance between mantis and spider.
The trap to capture Archeron began to spread through the eastern forest.
Shh, shh-shh-shh-shh.
Beings crossing through the forest.
At an incredible speed.
『Keron. Combat readiness.』
Groooowl.
Red haze rippled from Archeron's new core.
Giant Wolf Spider, Lv192
Giant Wolf Spider, Lv195
Giant Wolf Spider, Lv188
Beings bursting from the underbrush.
Agile, muscular spiders.
Their name: Giant Wolf Spiders.
Bodies covered in short fur with gray, brown, and black camouflage patterns, eight large eyes in two rows granting superior vision.
"Whoa! Sp-spiders!"
"Eek! Gross!"
The sudden spider appearance made me and Bellerin grimace in horror.
Mantises at least looked somewhat elegant.
But spiders were creepy from the start.
"Zzaaak!"
"Zzuzik!"
Over twenty Giant Wolf Spiders surrounded Archeron, snapping their jaws.
Ziiing.
Archeron didn't flinch at the threat.
『Combat Stance Lv3. Mid-combat mode activated.』
Kiiik.
Clank.
Ziiing.
Grrrrr!
Intense mana surged from its body.
Adamantium panels on its limbs thickened.
『Commencing enemy extermination.』
Just as Archeron moved to sweep the spiders away.
"Zzaaaah!"
"Zzaak!!"
The wolf spiders changed tactics.
Zigzagging in and out.
Then vanishing in all directions at high speed.
『Keron...?』
Even Archeron hadn't anticipated this, sounding puzzled.
"What the?"
"I have no idea what they're after..."
Something felt off.
'Have the shadow wolves hold back farther away.'
『Keron. Understood.』
They'd stationed the shadow wolves far from the eastern forest to transport any discovered Lili tribe members.
Still, that nagging unease prompted the order to pull them back further.
『Keron. Resuming search.』
'Yeah. Proceed with extra caution.'
Archeron resumed scouting.
This time, heading in the direction the rescued Lili chieftain said the queen might be.
After some time, they reached a place with Lili tribe traces.
『Keron. Barrier detected. Confirmed as Lili tribe barrier.』
"Oh, found it?"
"Whoa, that's a sizable tribe. The queen might really be there!"
『Attempting contact...』
The moment Archeron tried reaching the Lili inside the barrier.
An ominous wind stirred around them.
Shh-shh-shh.
The forest background suddenly warped.
Then.
Tzzt-tzzt.
Mantises materialized from thin air.
Giant King Mantis, Lv191
Giant Broad-bellied Mantis, Lv189
Giant Shield Mantis, Lv195
All mantises.
"M-mantis stealth technique...!"
Bellerin's shocked voice rang out.
"Kehheheh. To run into you here—talk about luck. A chance to earn merits!"
One figure stepped forward from the mantises.
Jalares
2nd Division Commander, Mantis Legion
Lv251
A mantis-human hybrid.
Much higher level than Cresaar, the one Archeron had caught before.
Around Archeron's level before its upgrade.
Plus a title and heavy armament.
Charr, charrung.
A pair of antennae sprouting from its head swayed toward Archeron.
"Hm? Stronger than I heard. But... it changes nothing."
It bared its teeth in a grin.
Shark-like jagged fangs gleamed sharply in the sunlight.
"Silvaner!"
At Jalares's call, a spider-human hybrid appeared.
Silvaner
4th Division Commander, Spider Legion
Lv241
"No worries. I was just about to start."
The spider-human snapped their fingers.
"Eternal Snare activated."
Then.
"Zzaak!"
"Zzaaaah!"
"Zzuzik!"
Spiders burst from the ground, spewing webs from their tails in unison.
Giant House Spider, Lv181
Giant House Spider, Lv185
House spiders.
Their webs blanketed everything, forming a dome-shaped prison.
This was the house spiders' famed Eternal Snare.
An impregnable jail no one could escape once trapped.
"Hahaha! Yes! This is it!"
Jalares burst into roaring laughter.
A perfect ambush.
No way it could break out with its power.
"Just watch out for its Intimidation."
Jalares passed on the advice he'd gotten from Velgram.
Nod.
They checked the mucus on their faces again.
A special mucus that reinforced Mental Barrier.
"Th-this is bad, isn't it?"
I stared at the scouting feed, unable to hide my anxiety.
"Chuchu!"
"Poooh."
Chuchu and Popo felt the same, fidgeting restlessly.
But Dania was different.
『Dania believes in Archeron! It'll punish the spiders and mantises!』
What had she seen to say that?
Then.
The battle began.
"Maaantiiiis!"
"Mantis!!"
"Zzuzik!"
"Zzaaak!"
Mantises and spiders surged like a tidal wave.
"Kyahahaha! Capture it alive!!"
Jalares leaped into the fray with mad laughter.
"If we take it alive, we split the credit half and half."
Silvaner, already tallying merits in assured victory.
In that overwhelming crisis.
Archeron's eyes blazed fiercely.
『Archeron. Enemy combat analysis complete.』
『Combat Stance Lv4 activated.』
Ziiiiing.
Grrrrrr.
Red light poured from the magic circuits etched into its outer armor.
Rough exhaust roared from the energy core as red energy surged wildly.
Kwaaaaa!
As if engulfed in flames.
Ziiing.
Clank.
Barrels in shoulders and arms extended outward, mounting.
Powerful magic energy emitters revealed on hands and feet.
『Artillery ready.』
The red glow in Archeron's eyes shifted to purple.
And simultaneously.
Flash-!
Kwaaaaa—!!
Purple flames erupted from the barrels like an explosion.
Kwagagagagagagaga—
Kwaaaaaang!!
The straight-line purple laser beam vaporized everything in its path, slamming into the Eternal Snare wall.
Kuuuung—
A massive quake shook the area, a crushing pressure like dread descending on all.
"Wha..."
Jalares froze mid-charge.
Not just him.
Silvaner, mantis and spider soldiers—all frozen in place.
"What nonsense is..."
A groan of shock escaped Silvaner.
One strike had erased a fifth of the mantis and spider soldiers.
Everyone was speechless that this tiny golem displayed prowess worthy of their legion commander.
"Tch, j-just once! It must've been a one-shot kill technique...!"
Thud, kwaaaaa-!!
Denying reality, Jalares shouted—
Archeron's barrel fired again.
Kwagagagaga.
Kwaaaaaang!!
The laser engulfed Jalares, exploding against the Eternal Snare wall again.
And the result.
"Ah..."
Silvaner's legs gave out, collapsing.
Jalares in her eyes—upper body erased like rubber off paper.
Even the unbreakable Eternal Snare wall had a massive hole punched through one side.
Unbelievable destructive power.
'What... the hell...'
That was her last thought.
Purple filled her vision.
Her consciousness flew away.
"Naaice!!"
"As expected of Archeron!!"
『Archeron strong!!』
"Popo!"
"Chuchuchuu!"
We all jumped up, cheering in unison.
Contrary to my worries.
Archeron clearly demonstrated what wushuang—peerless—meant.
It erased the mantis hybrid and spider hybrid in one blow.
Not a single one of the hundreds of giant mantises and spiders escaped slaughter.
Overwhelming combat prowess.
"A 20-level gap makes this much difference?"
"Levels matter, but swapping the core boosted output even more!"
Mana-driven combat golem Archeron.
New core meant higher power, drastically increased combat strength.
'If Lv4 is this strong... Lv5 could take on that legion commander.'
Archeron's words weren't empty bravado.
It had solid reason to scout confidently.
As we basked in victory's joy.
Spoils began appearing one after another.
Archeron's level has risen.
Archeron's level has risen.