Giant Hornet (3)
The next day.
A chilling storm swept through Vestiger's camp.
"Three division commanders vanished overnight?"
"Y-yes, that's correct."
Ku-gu-gu-gu-gu!
A massive surge of mana rippled outward in concentric circles, centered on Vestiger.
"Kuhk!"
"Guhhh."
Crash! Thud! Clang!
The subordinates standing before her tumbled across the ground.
"Huk..."
"Kek..."
Vice Legion Commander Kardas.
First Division Commander Zartan.
Both trembled violently under the overwhelming pressure bearing down on them.
They could barely breathe, gasping desperately for air.
The mana oppression was that intense.
Just a little more time, and they might suffocate under it.
"Pathetic worms!"
Vestiger withdrew her mana with those words.
"Cough."
"Guhhh..."
Even after it ended, they drooled and heaved for breath.
The shock had been that profound.
"I warned you to be cautious. Do you want to end up like Karmarks?"
"N-no, absolutely not! Forgive us. I'll resolve this somehow. Truly, forgive us, Legion Commander."
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Vice Legion Commander Kardas slammed his forehead against the ground, body shaking.
Blood streamed from his brow, but he felt no pain.
"Get out of my sight. I don't even want to look at you. I'll handle it myself later—prepare for deployment."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Kardas and Zartan rose on trembling legs and fled the scene.
Vestiger watched them go with icy eyes.
Pathetic.
And that one.
The bastard who took Arachne.
Not ordinary.
She had to admit it.
Why Karmarks lost his entire army.
Why Arachne fell.
It finally made sense.
Grind.
I held back.
She hadn't planned to rush in so hastily.
Cautiously.
Like cornering a cockroach.
That was the plan.
But Legionix, that damned fool, had provoked her.
I didn't want to step in personally for the sake of face.
One of the insect world's overlords.
The tyrant of the skies, Vestiger.
She began to move.
"Hm?"
Azkai suddenly lifted his head.
"What's up?"
"The mana in the air is surging."
Seojun scanned the atmosphere at Azkai's words.
Mana particles trembled faintly, unlike usual.
Especially far off, beyond the ridge—a massive mana wave faintly rose into the sky.
Huh.
Gave him chills.
It resembled the mana pulse when Azkai obliterated Arachne.
"Looks like a big one's on the move."
A big one.
Here, that meant only the legion commander.
"They've caught on, huh?"
"Yeah, seems so."
The three division commanders they'd kidnapped.
She'd noticed their disappearance.
Well, they'd half-expected this.
Three high commanders gone in a day—if she hadn't noticed, that would be weird.
He'd hoped otherwise, but no such luck.
"Lulu, we can't use these guys in combat, right?"
『No... sorry. They're higher level than me, so combat's impossible.』
Right. No choice.
Seojun stroked the dejected Lulumiel's head as she failed to meet his expectations.
"Then let's clean them up here."
A day had passed—his daily growth limit was lifted.
He could level up again.
They promptly executed the three in turn.
"Gahk!"
"Kek..."
"Huuuk..."
They let out brief screams at the end, showing no hostility toward them.
They died with honored expressions.
Whoa.
This Puppet Master skill was terrifying.
It only worked on fully subdued targets, but once caught, their lives were Lulumiel's to command.
Anyway.
After slaying them simultaneously, power boiled up through his body.
Oh...!
A whopping seven levels up.
He shot straight to level 97.
Instinct told him levels past 90 would be tougher, yet here he was.
Jackpot.
And it wasn't just him.
Both Azkai and Lulumiel leveled up too.
Azkai hit 404, Lulumiel 357.
As the level-ups finished, ▲ fragments rose from the corpses like falling leaves.
Oh.
No ★ gems—pity—but how many ▲?
Twelve.
▲ bumper crop.
With the one he had, total thirteen ▲.
Ah, that's a shame.
Bittersweet.
Because seven ▲ made one ★.
One more, and he'd have two ★.
Still...
One division commander and vice legion left.
Take them down, snag at least two ★ here.
Not bad.
And if they toppled the legion commander too...
Heh.
Just imagining it made his mouth water.
『Master, I learned a new skill!』
Oh? And good news didn't end there.
New skill acquired?
『Yes! Starlight's Grace!』
It created a 50-meter AoE buff field.
Allies inside gained massive boosts to attack, defense, speed, HP regen, and mana regen.
Pretty solid.
Especially with ranged guardians—it'd shine.
Enemies wouldn't even need to enter; enhanced power could strike from outside.
And as a mage, he'd benefit hugely later.
"Excellent. Keep growing like this."
『Hehe.』
He stroked her head in praise.
Lulumiel smiled with crescent eyes, delighted.
This Lulu—more catlike by the day.
Alright then.
He synthesized one more ★.
Now two ★ in hand.
How to use them.
One to Azkai.
Big fight coming.
Boosting Azkai's power would help.
Azkai was already 7-star.
So he tried for 8-star.
This guardian has reached 7 stars.
More ★ required for 8-star promotion.
Can't promote to 8-star with one.
Figured as much.
Two won't...
More ★ required for 8-star promotion.
Dang. Not even two.
Something big changes at 8-star?
Promotion got trickier.
No helping it.
Tsking, he used one on himself.
Overflowing power surges through the body!
The moment his stars hit two, a dragon silhouette flickered before his eyes.
Thump—
His heart raced, a storm raged in his mind.
Ah!
Within the change, his Dragon Heart shed a layer, growing.
The path to perfect Dragon Heart.
Further, to Dragon God Body.
It's the stars.
He'd found the key.
His eyes gleamed.
Potential rises—Thunder Qi deepens further.
Crackle! Zzzzt! Bzzzt!
His soft blue lightning shifted to violet.
Thunder power intensified.
This should...
Now he could affect those giant hornets a bit.
Confidence welled up.
Then...
Time to test it.
Vroooom!!
His eyes sparkled at a giant hornet passing near the barrier.
"Again."
Vestiger, marching out, fixed cold eyes ahead.
Just now, a few scouts vanished.
She'd sensed it with her expanded senses—the workers vanishing.
"There."
Beyond the ridge before her.
Workers passing there suddenly disappeared.
Yet no enemy presence pinpointed.
Fearsome stealth.
Or magic, sorcery.
Fooling her senses with supernatural power.
"Let's see that ugly mug."
Grrrrr.
Fierce beastly aura poured from her.
All nearby creatures held their breath under it.
"Entire army, follow me!"
Vrooooom!
She shot forward like a beam.
Target:
The clearing beyond the ridge.
Where Seojun's group had deployed the Veil of Illusion.
A moment earlier.
"Kiriririt!!"
Giant hornet sucked into the Veil of Illusion.
"Thunder Bind."
His usual Thunder Bind.
Normally, it'd shatter on contact with its mana structure.
Not this time.
Kra-zzt!
"Kiri—"
Violet lightning bound the hornet like ropes, if only briefly.
Crack!
"Kiriririt!"
Of course.
Just a fleeting moment.
Less than a second.
But.
No effect at all versus even a brief bind—heaven and earth apart.
"Ooh! Master! You broke through their mana resistance at last!"
『Whoa! A bit more, and it'll be perfect!』
Azkai and Lulumiel clapped like seals at his Thunder Bind.
More thrilled than for themselves.
Seojun grinned ear-to-ear, clenching his fist.
In that shared joy.
"Kirarararat!"
One entity fumed to its horns.
The giant hornet.
It charged him in rage.
Vroooom!!
Tremendous speed.
Yet he stayed calm.
"How dare you!"
Bam!!
Azkai's pound slammed it into the dirt.
He snapped its neck clean off.
Oh.
He felt it.
More growth power flooding in than before.
Less than a second, but the bind's success netted extra EXP.
"Let's snag a few more."
"Yep!"
『Ready!』
They hunted three more that way.
Confirmed.
EXP—growth power—increased.
At this rate, just worker hornets could hit level 100 today.
Not easy, though.
Because.
"Master! Suspected legion commander approaching fast."
This hornet legion's commander.
Finally setting foot here.
But.
Within expected scenario.
If she brought her horde, he'd prepared a trap.
Time to spring it.
And soon after.
The giant hornet legion commander arrived.
"Hiding like cockroaches, eh."
Before activating the trap, a brief face-off.
My god...
Checking her level, Seojun was stunned.