Lightning Harvest Ambush
"Kyaaak, there's a place like this!"
The Poison Moth clan's woman let out a cheer at the sight unfolding before her eyes. And who could blame her? The wide clearing was littered with countless leaves, stems, and even the occasional fruit from the thunder trees, scattered all around.
This spot wasn't far from the thunder trees themselves. It faced away from the northwest winds that predominantly blew toward them—the perfect landing zone for stems, leaves, and the rare fruit carried by gusts.
Well, it was always a bountiful spot back then, so it must be even better now.
I surveyed the clearing with a satisfied expression, my eyes suddenly sharpening.
"Oh, Aleck! Isn't that the thunder tree fruit you've been looking for? Hahaha! Talk about striking gold today!"
The Dung Beetle clan's man had spotted it too. A thunder tree fruit—the very reason I'd come here—had luckily fallen right there.
Today's my lucky day for sure.
A stroke of good fortune. No doubt about it.
"Heh heh, Garek! Open the collection bags! Let's sweep it all up!"
"Wahaha, already open! That kid Aleck really is our lucky charm. I said it earlier, didn't I?"
"Aww, I didn't say it out loud, but yeah, that's what I was thinking."
"Ugh, look at Soph flipping her attitude! She looked so reluctant before."
"What? Don't let Aleck misunderstand—I never—"
"Whoa... now it's our Aleck."
"Hey! You lot, quit bickering and start picking. What if the primal species swarm us?"
"Captain, why jinx it? Primals swarming? But if we take it all, how much share do we give Aleck?"
"The thunder tree fruit goes to Aleck, obviously... maybe settle 20% of the leaves and stems?"
"Nah, at least 30%! We never would've found this spot without him."
"Yeah, fair enough. Just thinking out loud."
They seemed thrilled at the jackpot before them, chattering more animatedly and rapidly than usual.
"Forget the shares. Just take the thunder tree fruit—that's enough for me."
"No way! You have to take 30%."
Even after my refusal, they insisted on giving me 30% of the haul. Honestly, selling it all wouldn't even net a full gold coin. Maybe fifty silvers at best? A decent sum, sure, but nothing I needed. It was payment enough for the fun company on the way here. And above all, I had more than enough wealth already.
"First, let's bag it all..."
The House Spider clan's man said, then suddenly froze, his face hardening.
"Mekai, what's wrong?"
Garek from the Dung Beetle clan called out at the sight.
"F-Fuck... p-primal species... they're swarming!"
"What?"
Mekai's hand trembled violently as he gripped the spider silk, letting out a scream. Those were the surveillance webs he'd scattered everywhere upon arriving at the clearing. The spider clans could monitor their surroundings through them like that.
"Kiririririt!"
"Kiririririt!"
Rough cries echoed from all directions!
"Wh-What the... what is it?!"
"A-Ants! A swarm of thunder ants!"
"What? Shit!"
Their faces drained of color.
Thunder ants. The common name for the ants in this Thunder Forest that had absorbed lightning ether from the thunder trees. Not just tree ants—various ant species—but all of them spewed lightning, so they got lumped together under that name.
"Back to the trees! Battle formation!"
Their response was more seasoned than I'd expected. No panic despite the shock. They calmly backed against a large tree, formed up, and chose the best option available.
Not bad.
I nodded inwardly in admiration.
"Aleck! Stay right behind us and don't move a muscle!"
They shoved me fully to the rear, forming a defensive line like they were guarding a queen.
Truth be told, I didn't need their protection. If I wanted, I could wipe out the ants in front in an instant.
A massacre. With my current power, entirely feasible.
But...
I narrowed my eyes, staring into the darkness beyond the thunder ant swarm.
The real terror lurked there. I could sense it in the battlefield's tension—the enemy was aware of me too.
A standoff like two ferocious beasts sizing each other up.
"Kiririririt!"
"Damn! Incoming—brace!"
"Mekai! Don't hold back on the spider silk bombs—blow 'em all!"
"Already got 'em out!"
As I stared into the shadows, the clash between the wild insect soldiers and thunder ants began.
Thwack—!
Spider silk bombs shot from Mekai of the House Spider clan's hand. Like the ones Motenson had ambushed me with before. The difference? Those were low-grade; these looked mid-to-high at least.
Boom-boom-boom!
"Ki-kiririt!"
"Kiririt."
The difference was huge. The mid-to-high-grade bombs were tougher, stronger, spreading wide sticky webs everywhere. The front line of thunder ants got tangled and piled up.
"Kiriririt!"
Zzzzap!
Sizzle—.
But the thunder ants weren't pushovers. They channeled group lightning from their bodies to burn the webs, then ripped through the charred silk with brute force.
Impressive grip strength. The webs couldn't hold them long.
"Soph! Ready yet?"
"Now! Here it goes—hold your breath, everyone!"
Then Soph from the Poison Moth clan finished her prep and hurled bead bundles at the thunder ants.
Pop, boom-boom-boom!
Fist-sized beads burst midair, scattering yellow powder everywhere. It rained straight down on the ants.
"Ki-kiriririririt!"
"Kkiriririt."
Most hadn't escaped the webs yet; they foamed at the mouth, convulsing.
CBRN warfare, huh.
Soph's powder was the Poison Moth clan's signature—a respiratory paralytic perfect for mass battles like this. And it packed lethal punch beyond just paralysis. The kind of scene that screamed "gas, gas, gas."
"Kuhahaha, that's our Soph!"
"My turn! Raaah!"
Next, big-jawed ant Garek stepped up. He unslung two spear shafts crossed on his back, combined them into one—longer than himself.
"Haaah!"
He swung the great spear at the thunder ants closing in.
Splat!
Green ant blood sprayed. One swing took out nearly ten.
Astonishing raw power! The fearsome might of every ant's "Ant Strength" skill.
"Not done yet!"
Garek leveled the spear straight ahead like a raging fire ant and charged.
"Raaah!"
Thud-thud-thud!
Frontline thunder ants skewered and shoved back in a flash.
"Kiririririt!"
Enraged thunder ants tried to surround him. In this dire pinch...
"Raaah!"
Garam from the Centipede clan dashed to Garek's side.
Whirr!
Thud-thud-thud!
He wielded two broad cleavers.
"Ki-kiriririt!"
"Kki...riririt."
Thunder ants grazed by his blades showed symptoms: foaming and rolling, or stiffening up.
Centipede clan's specialties—paralytic and lethal venom—coated on Garam's cleavers.
Wow, impressive.
I was genuinely awed by their prowess again. All at early Maturity Stage 1. As wild insect soldiers, no formal training, but battle-hardened practical skills on full display.
And they can't even do partial primalization yet...
Partial primalization. A power to partially access primal form before Complete Body—exclusive to those at Maturity Stage.
Some awaken it early in Stage 1 via insight; others in 2 or 3.
But none here seemed capable.
Which makes it even more amazing. They synergize their traits perfectly—combined attacks on another level.
That's how they held against the swarm.
But...
"Kiririririt!"
Zzzzap!
Splatter!
Frenzied thunder ants focused lightning and formic acid on Garam and Garek.
No escaping the barrage.
"Ngh!"
"Fall back!"
Garek swung wide to block briefly. They rejoined the line.
"Huff... huff."
"Damn... how many are there? No end in sight!"
They fought well. Over 50 thunder ants down via seamless teamwork.
Still, ants' numbers overwhelmed. Trampling their dead, endless waves like a black tsunami. Their morale plummeted at the violence.
That's ants' terror.
Human wave tactics. Nothing beats sheer numbers like them. Individually weak vs. higher species, but self-destructing with formic acid explosions—they'd felled adult longhorn beetles and stag beetle primals before.
Thousands or tens of thousands clinging on, barely.
"Haha... this the end?"
Soph muttered hollowly, glimpsing their doom.
"Damn it! Don't give up till the last!"
"We can make it! See that side path by our entry? Break through there, side route out. Escape that way!"
Garam and Garek raised voices, refusing surrender despite wounds.
"Yeah! Even if we don't make it, we gotta save this kid, right?"
Mekai pointed at me, prepping his last spider silk bombs on his vest.
Final blaze of defiance.
"Yeah... fuck it, let's do this!"
They gnashed teeth at the black swarm. Deep down, they knew. Morale aside, odds sucked.
Breaking to that side path? Minimum 100 more down. Assuming no reinforcements.
Zero chance with just them.
If it was just them.
Time for me.
I quietly drew my sword from my waist.
Shing.
"Aleck?"
Soph beside me looked puzzled, but I stepped forward without reply.
"What? Aleck! Get back!"
"Dangerous! You'll just—"
I shook my head at their pleas to retreat.
Positioned beside frontline Garek and Garam, I spoke softly.
"You've done enough. Leave this to me."
With that, one more step.
"Hey, what're you doing! Get back!"
Ignoring Garam's shout, I assumed guard stance toward the ants.
Zzt, zzzzap.
"Right n—huh?"
Garek's follow-up trailed off in shock.
My blade surged with lightning fiercer than theirs.
Infuse Wind White Swordsmanship's first form, One Breeze Clearing, with thunder ether.
Wind White Swordsmanship. First form: One Breeze Clearing.
Transform wind path to thunder path.
New variant: First Variant Form, One Lightning Gale.
Zzzzzzap—!
Unprecedented thunder erupted from me.
"F-Fuck...!"
Gasps from behind.
Rumble—!
Bolts like from the heavens poured toward the ants ahead.