Galileo Farm's Desperate Stand
‘Just what the hell is causing this sudden explosion?’
Gaondal, the farm lord of Galileo Farm, couldn’t wrap his head around it.
‘It wasn’t anything like this just a little while ago.’
Dung beetle raids had always happened occasionally. They were annoying every time, sure.
‘Yeah, you guys gotta eat too. All’s well that ends well, right?’
Dung beetles were key decomposers in the ecosystem alongside earthworms. He’d always viewed them positively for their role in nutrient cycling.
But there were limits!
Lately, crops were getting hit three or four times a week at minimum. Farming was becoming impossible.
“Farm lord!”
“What! Again! What now!”
Gaondal snapped at Jeonho, who’d come in to report. They said some people smiled at falling leaves, but Gaondal was so on edge that even falling leaves set him off.
“Again, those damn bastards dug up and ate everything? Where this time! Lettuce? Tomatoes? Watermelon? No, fuck! Not the watermelons. Those are gold this year!”
Gaondal clawed at his hair, yelling. He could practically hear gold coins melting away before his eyes.
‘How much have we lost these past few days?’
It was the worst damage in history. Thinking about the total made him dizzy enough to faint.
‘At this rate, we’ll be in the red this year!’
He’d bought a ton of new farming equipment. At this pace, he couldn’t even pay it off.
Not bankruptcy yet, but the farm’s operations were teetering.
The workers had no choice but to put up with Gaondal’s razor-sharp temper.
“N-no, it’s not that…… The search teams we requested have gathered and are ready to report……”
“Good! Then why are you standing there? Lead them in!”
Even good news got a bark from Gaondal.
‘I didn’t even get a chance to speak……’
Jeonho felt wronged, but he knew the farm lord was hypersensitive lately, so he held his tongue. Long experience had taught him avoidance was best.
……Not out of fear of cockroaches, or disgust, of course……
“Hurry up already!”
Jeonho let Gaondal’s words go in one ear and out the other as he guided him to where the search teams waited.
* * *
I arrived at Galileo Farm.
It wasn’t far from Chung Hak Gwan.
After ID check at the entrance, vast fields stretching tens of thousands of pyeong unfolded before me. Chatter nearby revealed it was more like hundreds of thousands—befitting the largest farm around.
‘Damn, it’s huge.’
It was a good trek from the gate to the farmstead. Walking through, I saw crops divided by sections.
The endless farmlands left me speechless.
‘They’ve been hit hard, alright.’
Dung beetle traces everywhere. The churned earth showed massive scale. Even with night guards and ritual wards, it must’ve been tough.
They tunneled up from underground.
Spotting raids early enough to repel required Ultimate Body guards. Covering hundreds of thousands of pyeong with barriers? Even Kun might struggle.
Finally reaching the farmstead, I spotted about a hundred others gathered besides me.
‘Mostly nightcrawler beetle troops.’
The search teams seemed nightcrawler beetle-led. Mostly Maturity Stage 1 to 2.
As I scanned them, two middle-aged green-haired men with leafcutter ant markings entered.
‘Figures—a farm this size would be leafcutter ants.’
Leafcutter ants were the gods of agriculture. Most big farm lords hailed from their clan.
“Greetings. I’m Gaondal, farm lord of Galileo Farm.”
The burlier one with sharper features was the lord. His companion introduced himself as the steward.
“Thank you all for coming to our aid in this dire time.”
Another bow from the farm lord. Exhaustion laced his voice, hinting at the immense stress lately.
He explained team formation after greetings: three per team, about thirty teams from the hundred.
Urgency made him and the steward divvy us up briskly. They hesitated at my turn.
Then they stepped back, whispering.
“Why’d we get a Growth Stage kid?”
“Uh…… Oh! Probably from Chung Hak Gwan.”
“Chung Hak Gwan? Why would……”
“……They have that cooperative request system, right? Ours must’ve synced there.”
“Ah, that explains it.”
Gaondal scowled. Clearly unhappy with a mere Growth Stage like me on a search team.
“No choice! Damn it, just have him patrol the edges and send him back!”
He muttered angrily to the steward.
‘I can hear you, uncles……’
My sharp ears caught it all, thanks to overly keen hearing. Annoying, but I got it.
Gaondal looked frantic enough. In his shoes, I’d be edgy too.
Broad-minded me would let it slide.
‘But I can’t just slack on perimeter patrol.’
I wasn’t here to half-ass a request.
As I planned routes mentally, teams finalized. The steward stepped forward.
“Before the search, a few reminders. If you find a dung beetle nest, return here immediately to report. Once located, our extermination squad will wipe it out.”
I nodded. These nightcrawler beetle troops couldn’t handle nests—this scale might wipe them out.
Dung beetles weren’t huge threats alone, but nests crawled with venomous bugs.
Amateurs stirring it up could unleash a poison frenzy.
‘Wonder who they brought for extermination.’
“As announced, the first team to find a nest gets extra rewards. Also……”
The steward’s lengthy briefing and instructions droned on. Finally, he bowed deeply, voice earnest.
“Please, find the nests of those bastards devastating our farm.”
“Leave it to us!”
“We’ve got the chops—finding nests is child’s play. Don’t worry!”
The nightcrawler beetles responded enthusiastically. Touched, the steward’s eyes welled up.
Tsk…… Must’ve been hell.
Thus, the thirty-odd teams scattered for all-around searches.
* * *
My team was 31.
“Bro, this right? Feels like we’re just patrolling the farm edges.”
“Hm, the darkest shadow’s under the lamp, yeah? Might be closer than we think.”
“Maybe?”
My teammates were cockroaches. True to form, they were slow and oblivious.
Their search attitude was laid-back.
‘That’s just how they are.’
I kept distance from their stink-emitting stink glands, pondering.
Cockroaches’ sluggishness? Tough exoskeletons and insane vitality.
Especially those stink glands—reeking so badly predators gave up.
Top predators caught them but balked at the stench, hesitating to eat.
Mantises caught one, then licked their forelegs desperately from the smell.
Spiders bit web-caught ones, then spat them out in horror.
‘In a way, those stink glands are genius survival tools.’
I pinched my nose, sincerely impressed.
I wanted to split off, but couldn’t. Stepping up, I spoke.
“No sign around here, probably. They like damp spots, as you know. None visible.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Smart mantis buddy.”
“……”
They went quiet.
‘This is basic knowledge……’
Was it the stench? Or taking a job without basics? Hard to tell.
“Anyway, I think they’re…… that way. Shall we check?”
“What say you, bro?”
“……Let’s go. Seems smarter than us. Honestly, nothing here anyway.”
“Right? Bro’s sharp too!”
“Heh, just common sense.”
“……”
I gave up replying, leading them along.
Main raid direction was east—where juicy crops like watermelons grew. Most headed there.
Not me.
‘West instead.’
West, damper from highlands. Some teams realized, heading that way.
My goal wasn’t first find anyway.
Kill dung beetles for Exoskeleton Destruction skill.
So I coaxed them west leisurely.
“Traces here.”
En route, dung beetle signs. Excrement everywhere.
I poked hardened piles with a twig. Watermelon seeds—crop remnants.
“Whoa, for real?”
“Ooh…… Bro, he’s the real deal.”
“Looks smart from the start. Knew it at first glance.”
“Bro’s eye for talent is spot-on!”
“Haha……”
Dry laugh at their self-congratulations. I stood.
“Direction seems right. Let’s keep going.”
“Yeah!”
Leading on.
* * *
Dark chamber.
“Kya-reut, kya-rreut.”
Ferocious cries echoed from deep within.
“Kya-rreureut!”
Peaking, something tore—crunch, craaaack!
A new organ sprouted from a primal’s upper body. Scorpion-like pincers.
“Kya-rreureut!”
It spread simultaneously to huddled primordials.
* * *
Heading to highland foothills.
Passed other teams. They approached warmly, then pinched noses and fled.
Cockroach stench, no doubt.
Even nose-numbed me got hit occasionally. Fresh noses? Dizzying.
How long wandering? Joy escaped my lips.
“Found ‘em.”
These guys. Hiding here, huh?