Chapter 74
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 74
Chapter Title: Insect Zapper
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"What the hell is that?"
I hurriedly tossed Lilith, who I'd been carrying in my arms, to the side and bolted toward the entrance.
On the way, I checked the [Main Quest] tab, and the [Contamination Level] was shooting up steeply.
A bug or two flying in from outside wasn't all that unusual, but a massive black swarm like that? No way that was normal. Wait a second...
"Erzsebet! Didn't you just say something about the Insect Demon Tribe?"
"That bug we caught earlier... I sensed faint demonic energy from it. Demonic energy that controls bugs! From what I know, the only demons with that kind of power over insects are the Insect Demon Tribe!"
"What's the Insect Demon Tribe?"
"They're demons who have insect features like compound eyes or wings. As a racial trait, they can manipulate bugs. They mainly feed on tree sap, rotting flesh, and blood, so they've clashed with the Blood Demon Tribe now and then..."
"So that swarm out there is their doing?"
I was about to use [Quick Movement] to teleport but decided against popping right into the middle of that bug horde, so I ran on foot instead, pointing at the distant cloud of swarming insects.
"...But this is weird. Even a powerful Insect Demon couldn't handle that many bugs... Multiple ones working together? No, the demonic energy I'm sensing doesn't feel like it's from several beings... Unless...?"
"So, bottom line, someone’s controlling these bugs?"
Just when things finally felt peaceful for a bit, it never lasted even a week. First humans, then demons... now bugs were invading.
"Master!"
"Daddy!"
As I raced toward the entrance swarming with bugs, I spotted the employees desperately fighting them off.
Rio was blasting incoming bugs with her [High-Pressure Cleaner], igniting flames to burn them.
The elves were picking off the dog-sized ones with arrows, shooting them down.
"Grrrng...!!"
The golems were pitching in too, but their heavy attacks mostly missed the nimble bugs.
"Kieeeek! Kieeek!"
The goblins helping with farming weren't even properly clothed, making them easy prey. In seconds, a few bugs latched onto them, burrowing into their skin and tearing off chunks of flesh.
"What the...?"
"Daddy..."
"Dry?"
The gruesome sight made me grimace in disgust when Dry came rushing over, face full of tears, clinging to me. And Lil, who always trailed after Dry, hurried up too.
"Father! Those bugs are gnawing at the sacred tree's roots!"
"Don't call me Father... What?!"
At Lil's frantic shout, I whipped around to look deeper into the forest. Sure enough, bugs that had slipped inside were shoving their mouths into Dry's roots scattered throughout, chewing them up and slurping the sap.
"You crazy bastards!"
Seeing that flipped a switch in me. I yanked [Insecticide] from my inventory and sprayed wildly.
Since I'd maxed the range setting while catching bugs the day before, every insect within dozens of meters convulsed and dropped dead the instant I sprayed. But it was short-lived—fresh swarms from the surroundings surged in to fill the gaps.
"Yes... devour it all. Erase every trace of that horrific thing!"
In the heart of the Dungeon 'Cradle of Solitude'.
Belje, linked to her core elite bugs, pushed her abilities to the max, commanding an enormous horde. Thanks to the dozens of elite bugs she'd personally nurtured with solitude spells—each leading hundreds more—she could direct over ten thousand insects.
"...! There! That's him!"
Through the linked bugs' vision, she spotted the elves she'd seen days ago, followed by that unidentified mixed-blood.
As the bugs mindlessly devoured nearby plants, the mixed-blood pulled out that terrifying something again, wiping them out in droves.
"Not this time... it won't work!"
That unidentified horror still terrified her, but she'd ordered her directly controlled bugs to avoid the man at all costs, sacrificing disposable common ones instead.
That kept the horrific sensation from reaching her through the link.
"Die... you have to vanish! Something that abominable doesn't belong in this world!"
She and that thing—or rather, the bugs—could never coexist. Convinced of that strange certainty, she sent the horde charging. No matter how many that horror erased, a mere mixed-blood couldn't overcome their numbers.
-Aaaang! Aaaang!!!
"What's with them?"
"Looks like they're gunning for the boss?"
The moment I sprayed [Insecticide] and cleared some bugs, they went berserk, swarming straight at me.
'This is fucking gross...'
I'd never been scared of bugs before, but staring at that writhing mass, I felt entomophobia kicking in hard.
Multicolored, squirming horrors unlike any Earth bugs, oozing green fluids as they thrust their proboscises... it was nauseating.
"Master!"
As they lunged at me en masse, Erzsebet called out urgently, drawing blood to raise a barrier. I raised a hand to stop her.
It was hell on my nerves, but my body was fine. Because...
"I told you, bugs don't bite me."
-Whoosh! Whirr! Whoosh!
-Aang...??
The bugs hurtling toward me slipped, their trajectories twisting uselessly without even grazing me. Just like how undead attacks had missed me before.
[Janitor's Clothes (lv.max)]
What else could it mean that [Insecticide]—a bug-clearing tool—existed separately in the Cleaning Game? Those bugs were all treated as contaminants.
-Plop, plop...!!
Toxic-looking bug fluids splattered on me now and then, but the green goo didn't soak into my clothes at all. It just slid down the [Janitor's Clothes] and seeped into the ground.
-Sizzle...!!
Damn, there were a ton. Even spraying [Insecticide] nonstop, hundreds died only for thousands more to pile on.
Fine... time for something else.
[Insect Zapper (lv.max)]
Lures bugs with light, then fries them with electricity! Beware of shocks!
-Thud!!
I pulled the [Insect Zapper]—a dedicated tool beyond [Insecticide]—from my [Inventory].
It looked just like those purple fluorescent lamps at campsites for zapping mosquitoes. Think electric fly swatter on steroids.
'I didn't use this one much myself.'
Bugs appeared in the Cleaning Game, but players hated the sound so much that maps with actual bug encounters were rare. And they never swarmed like this, so [Insecticide] sufficed.
Thus, the [Insect Zapper]—which required setup and waiting—got sidelined for the handier spray. Sure, I maxed it since I had points and mats to spare.
Even maxed, repositioning meant reinstalling every time, and its power matched [Insecticide], so I barely touched it. But it had unique perks.
'First: set it and forget it. It auto-catches regenerating bugs.'
Some maps had infinite bug respawns; sticking a zapper there farmed points passively. Back when my gear wasn't maxed, I'd AFK like that... good times.
And second.
'Way bigger range than [Insecticide].'
In-game, maxed spray range was plenty, but here? Zapper would shine.
I ignored the clinging bugs, trusting my [Janitor's Clothes], and finished setup. Flicked the switch, and purple light poured from the [Insect Zapper].
-Halt!
The relentless horde froze in unison. Then...
-Aaaaaaaaang!!!!
Even fiercer than their charge at me, they surged toward the [Insect Zapper].
Meanwhile.
"Wh-what?! Where are you going?! You're supposed to control the bugs from the sky!"
Belje freaked as her elite bugs broke formation, ignoring her orders and chasing that bewitching light from the magic tool. The link's feedback made no sense—why were they all drawn to it?
Just moments ago, her bugs had veered wildly despite commands, attacks missing like they were drunk.
What the hell was that being...?
'...Hold on.'
Her reason, paralyzed since spotting that horror, flickered back for a moment.
The nameless forest where the 4-star hero had invaded. The mixed-blood demon spotted there.
...No way, that thing is...!
The instant Belje realized something, the clustered bugs hit the zapper's electrified grid.
-Crackle!
'Oh. That nostalgic sound.'
First came the childhood zap of flies on an electric swatter. A few frying... then...
-Krarrr rumble!!!!!!
"....?!?!?!"
Lightning struck indoors.