57. Sensing the Omen (2)
‘Queen Ant?’
S-rank monster! The colossal queen ant, known as an extinction-level threat, was practically a god to the ant monsters.
Such a queen was staring right at Wayne.
‘But why the hell am I here?’
He had clearly just grabbed a worker ant monster and unleashed an electric attack. Yet somehow, in the blink of an eye, he was standing in some unknown cave.
“Huh?”
The queen ant was speaking directly into his mind. The sensation felt eerily similar to when he used his red Odd to telepathize with Eleven.
But he couldn’t fathom how this was possible. The creature wasn’t anywhere nearby—or rather, there was no explanation for how he’d been transported to this place in the first place.
‘Teleportation? No way—is this the queen ant’s ability?’
Wayne suspected the queen ant might have teleported him here.
⟨ The sole ruler of the Great Forest and the world! ⟩
“Ugh! Is this a mental attack right now?”
Wayne struggled to keep his wits about him amid the queen ant’s psychic transmission. Queen Velokina was relentlessly assaulting and interfering with his mind as she spoke.
⟨ Humans are inferior beings. Resistance is futile! ⟩
“Kuh! What the hell do you want from me?”
⟨ Kneel obediently and offer your body to the great legion! ⟩
“What kind of bullshit is that? You just want me to die? Ugh!”
The queen’s demand was simple: kneel and die quietly.
⟨ Behold! Humans will soon vanish before my legion! ⟩
At that moment, the cave lit up, revealing thousands, tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of ant monsters.
⟨ You humans are nothing but fodder to feed my children! ⟩
⟨ Children! Devour all the humans in this land! ⟩
“Kikik!”
“Sasasak!”
At the queen’s command, the surrounding ants swarmed and overwhelmed Wayne.
“Argh! Stop!”
Giant ant monsters lunged at him, biting into his arms and legs. Wayne was defenseless, unable to fight back. His body was immobilized, he had no Gigant, and no human could face monsters barehanded.
At this rate, the ants would devour even his soul.
‘Ah! I’ve got white Odd!’
Suddenly, Mririk’s white Odd flashed in Wayne’s mind. He had no weapon in hand, but he possessed electric attacks. Wayne hastily scattered white Odd around him and accelerated the Odd within his body.
But by then, the ants had already consumed his arms, legs, and torso. Only his head remained.
In that instant, his Odd accelerated sixteenfold, and Wayne unleashed white Odd at the ants.
“Die!”
Pajijijik!
Boom!
“Huff! Huff! What the hell?”
A worker ant monster’s body had exploded before his eyes, and Wayne was still piloting the Predator. Touching the ant had shattered the illusion.
Wayne released his grip.
‘Damn ant bastard!’
Thud!
Crunch!
Now he understood. When Queen Velokina attacked his mind, he had inadvertently read fragments of her memories—a unique ability of his alone.
The moment he grabbed the worker ant, their Odd had linked him mentally to the queen. She distributed her Odd to her offspring ants, allowing her to command them even from dozens of kilometers away.
In short, her Odd ability was communication. That’s how she issued synchronized orders to hundreds of thousands of ants at once, truly leading her legion. And her current command was singular: expand territory eastward, toward human lands.
‘Holy shit! This is bad!’
The situation was far graver than he’d imagined. The monster waves were troubling enough, but the ant legion advancing behind them was the real catastrophe.
The queen aimed to dominate the Great Forest. The problem was that other S-rank monsters lurked throughout the forest, each as powerful as her and commanding their own forces.
To drive them all out and claim true queenship, she needed a larger legion. And legions required food—more than what the forest’s own monsters could provide. Hence, her expansion eastward.
‘Damn it! No time to waste here.’
Instead of dawdling, he needed to return and warn the humans immediately.
And...
‘I should practice channeling electricity through my ironclad gauntlets.’
Gigants channeled a mech warrior’s Odd through their hands. Blindly grabbing ant monsters risked mental attacks via the queen’s Odd. So, he had to either smash them thoroughly with weapons or block Odd at points of contact.
“Everyone, pack up! We’re heading back to the forward base.”
Wayne pondered defenses for his territory on the way back.
Patton Outpost
Wayne’s group returned to the forward base in wretched shape. Their Gigants and golems were caked in filth, and the Predator bore clear bite marks from monster teeth on its legs.
“Curtis, is withdrawal prep done?”
“Already finished, sir.”
“We’re falling back to Westline Fortress!”
The Lorenne Outpost began withdrawing too, forcing the Grint Outpost—which couldn’t stand alone—to retreat to its rear fortress.
Westline Garrison
“A queen ant and ant legion... plus monster waves on top?”
Lord Robb Stardem, Westline’s commander and the emperor’s father-in-law, shook his head at Wayne’s report.
“Ha! You expect me to believe this?”
“You have to. I saw it myself. The queen commands hundreds of thousands of ants, driving monsters from the Great Forest straight here. We need to prepare—”
“One question. You say you saw it firsthand—how’d you escape a legion that size?”
“Well...”
Wayne couldn’t tell the truth. Admitting he touched an ant, saw the queen’s illusion, and read her memories? They’d call him insane.
Odd abilities in monsters were still largely unknown.
“You probably saw a few hundred ants—normal numbers. Grint Territory hunts hundreds yearly. No need to panic.”
“But with forces pulled to the Estel front, we can’t handle an influx. You’ve noticed the recent surge yourself, right?”
“Of course. Forward bases emptied to Estel, so fewer monsters hunted—naturally more show up.”
Despite Wayne’s arguments, the commander just kept shaking his head, clearly unwilling to believe.
“By the time monsters hit, it’ll be too late. So—”
“Enough! I granted this audience for Frank Marquis’s sake, but you’re being insolent! Even if you’re 100% right, Westline’s stood unbroken for 150 years. Eight hundred super-heavy cannons, His Majesty’s legions, and five grand territory fortresses hold it. Go home and don’t worry.”
Words falling on deaf ears, Wayne bit his lip.
“Fine, we’ll leave then. But as a last request, send a scouting party into the Great Forest. You’ll see I’m telling the truth.”
“Alright, we’ll do that.”
Wayne turned and exited. Baron Alex, aide to Lord Robb Stardem, spoke up.
“Commander, shall I organize a scouting party?”
“Nah. The kid went to the forest edge, got spooked by some ants, and ran. Focus on security till frontline troops return.”
“Yes, sir!”
Leaving the command post, Wayne couldn’t shake his bitterness.
‘We might stop the waves, but the queen ant’s legion? Impossible.’
He gazed at Westline’s massive walls.
‘If these fall, what happens?’
The barren lands and surrounding territories would face immediate peril—including his own, now withdrawing.
“Captain Wayne, what did Commander Robb Stardem say?”
Curtis asked. Wayne shook his head.
“He doesn’t believe me.”
“What now?”
“Unless the war ends soon and grand territory troops return, Westline Fortress itself is at risk.”
“Gasp! If it falls, Lorenne Territory’s next.”
Alicia Taylor and Bowga Taylor paled.
They trusted Wayne implicitly.
“Sir Wayne, what should we do?”
“Head back to your territory, fortify walls, and prepare against ant monsters as best you can. Hopefully Westline holds, but if it breaks, frontline troops will rush back—hold out till then.”
“Whew! Gotta pour every coin from the outpost into this.”
“You must. No territory, no gold.”
“We’ll return and prepare thoroughly.”
Alicia and Bowga bowed to Wayne.
“Let’s go, Sabina.”
“No, I’m sticking with Wayne.”
“What?”
Wayne turned in surprise at the unexpected words.
“Auntie, what do you mean?”
“I couldn’t help much in the Great Forest this time. I want to assist him.”
“Huh? You don’t mean...?”
Alicia glanced shocked between Sabina and Wayne.
“Not like that—don’t worry.”
“Phew! Captain Wayne’s reliable. But what if you’re a liability instead?”
“I’ve adapted to Artemis now. If monsters come, I’ll be useful.”
Alicia looked to Wayne, who nodded.
Every Gigant and fighter counted. He needed forces to defend his territory, and Sabina had proven her archery slaying Mririk.
No reason to refuse.
“Fine. But return to the territory at the first sign of trouble.”
“Got it.”
Alicia and Bowga led their troops back to Lorenne Territory.
“Captain, we heading to Dresden Territory now?”
“First, Enok Fortress.”
“Enok?”
Wayne headed for Enok Fortress, garrisoned by Dresden troops.
Enok Fortress
“Isn’t that Count Boltain’s Predator?”
“Yeah!”
“How’s Young Lord Wayne piloting it?”
“Beats me.”
“That means he’s already in a 2nd class Gigant!”
Enok Fortress’s mech warriors and soldiers buzzed with excitement.
“Third Young Lord Pike only got his two years ago.”
“Nearly ten years faster!”
“Shh! Don’t let Third Young Lord hear.”
“And Curtis the ex-captain’s with him?”
“He was a Gigant academy instructor. What’s he doing here?”
Descending from his Gigant, Wayne surveyed the fortress en route to the commander’s office. With 1st and 2nd Divisions at the Estel front, the 3rd Division here felt sparse.
‘They closed forward bases and consolidated—but only three divisions?’
Three 2nd class Gigants and about thirty 3rd class ones—that was the entire garrison. At least fifty cannons aimed at the Great Forest from the walls, and hundreds of musketeers drilled in the parade ground, so defenses were decent.
Wayne couldn’t help thinking of a tower defense game.
‘Gotta have the dwarves prep cannons for our territory too.’
Curtis asked, “Young Lord, why Enok?”
“Call it insurance.”
“Insurance?”
Knock knock!
Wayne entered the commander’s office alone.
“Greetings, Commander Shuyen Abes.”
“The youngest young lord visits even here. Welcome.”
Count Shuyen Abes, 3rd Armored Division commander and Enok Fortress lord, greeted Wayne warmly.
‘One of the four counts upholding Dresden—right-hand to the lord, Count Boltain; Patrick Count following Adam Stein; then Shuyen Abes Count.’
He’d guarded Enok Fortress for a decade, lower in politics but vital for slaying monsters and sending vast gold yearly to the territory.
“Ah! Introduce yourselves. This is...”
“You Wayne?”
A burly man beside Count Shuyen bellowed rudely.
‘The guy who fled from Adam’s scary ass has a booming voice!’
Wayne bowed promptly.
“Pike, Third Brother, I greet you.”
It was the first meeting between the youngest, Wayne, and third son Pike Stein.