“Hurry! Hurry up, everyone!
“Those at the back, keep up with the ones in front and don’t fall behind!”
Bam!
A series of rustling sounds suddenly rang out from an area ahead of them at that moment. The mercenaries hastily stopped in their tracks and watched in worry and trepidation the area in front of them.
Captain Luxican shouted in a low voice, “Wesley, go and take a look at what has happened in front!”
“Yes... Captain!”
A small, skinny mercenary dressed in black robes responded especially unwillingly and went to investigate what had happened at the front. However, a brief moment later, they heard a shrill scream coming from the front.
“T-that’s Wesley’s voice!”
“What happened to Wesley? What has happened?”
“Is he...”
His scream sounded as if an owl’s cry. The mercenaries, who were already fearful and tense, to begin with, were scared even more out of their wits and incredibly frightened.
Captain Luxican hastily shouted, “There’s danger at the front! Hurry, switch to a different direction!”
After he spoke, he led the way and rushed toward another direction.
“Yes, Captain!”
The mercenaries followed after him one by one.
However, before they could go far, all of them doubled back to the same spot. They then switched to another direction and began to flee in that direction instead. It was just a shame that, just like before, they ended up returning to where they’d originally been again before they’d gone far.
Then, they switched directions once more, only to return again.
The rustling sounds coming from every direction were like terrifying, dreadful obstacles blocking the mercenaries’ way.
Rustle, rustle!
As trees swayed and shrubs shook, the culprits blocking their way started to emerge one after another. It was a group of Magical Beast ants that were as large as calves and blood-red in color throughout.
They had razor-sharp, sickle-shaped teeth and tough, solid hard exoskeletons.
Barbed thorns covered their legs and their heads were terrifying and savage-looking.
They were the Sixth-Grade Magical Beasts, Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants!
“W-why are there so many Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants?!”
“We’re surrounded!”
“We’ve been surrounded by Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants!”
“Captain! Hurry and think of something!”
The mercenaries’ faces were ghastly pale as they drew back fearfully.
“I... What can I do?!”
Captain Luxican was as pale as a sheet as he gazed at the endless stream of Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants surging toward them like tidal waves. There wasn’t even the slightest bit of rosiness in his complexion!
Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants were just Sixth-Grade Magical Beasts and weren’t much to be afraid of, however, what made them fearsome were their terrifying numbers!
,000 Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants could bulldoze through everything when they moved out together. Even a large majority of Magical Beasts would have to make a detour upon the sight of them.
Once their numbers went beyond 100,000, they were no different from a catastrophe. Everywhere they went through, lands turned barren, no lives were spared, and nothing was left behind!
How many Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants were there in front of them at this moment?
,000? 100,000? Or... Even more than that?
Captain Luxican didn’t know. All he could see was a densely packed multitude of Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants that formed an infinite, boundless ant tide surrounding them on all sides.
“Aren’t Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants underground Magical Beasts? Why are there so many of them here?”
Luxican couldn’t understand why. However, whether or not he understood was already no longer something of importance because the densely packed ant tide was already surging toward them. They pounced onto them, brandishing their sharp teeth as they did so.
“Get lost!”
“Leave me alone, you ugly freaks!”
“Ahhh!”
Against the raging, torrential ant tide, the Lucivia Mercenaries were as if an isolated island in the vast ocean. They didn’t last long before all of them disappeared without a trace, drowned by the waves.
Rustle, rustle!
The Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants were expressionless, as though what they had done was merely something trivial and inconsequential. They continued to surge forward while waving their sharp teeth.
Not a single person knew that the famed Lucivia Mercenaries had been annihilated just like that. The incident didn’t create even a ripple in the sea.
...
Meng Lei didn’t know about the Lucivia Mercenaries’ tragic fate. He steered the magic carpet and continued flying toward the outside of the forest. Now that they’d gone a far ways off, the Saint Domain Magical Beasts’ roars were no longer audible. It was only then that his heart settled a little.
“Ol’ President, why exactly are those Saint Domain Magical Beasts rampaging?” Meng Lei couldn’t figure it out. “It’s impossible to even catch a glimpse of them usually, so why did all of them suddenly come to life today?”
Ol’ Amos shook his head lightly. “There’s no smoke without fire. I can’t be sure what exactly has happened in the forest’s central region, but it’s probably nothing good.
“Saint Domain Magical Beasts are existences that already stand at the pinnacle of Magical Beast Forest. What else is there that’s capable of mass-inciting them?”
Meng Lei’s eyes swiveled as he asked, “Could some kind of treasure have emerged in the forest’s central region? Thereby causing all of them to make a move for it?”
“Not impossible, but it’s not very likely.” Ol’ Amos shook his head and said, “A king exists in Magical Beast Forest, and all the Saint Domain Magical Beasts are its subjects. Even if a treasure has really emerged, they don’t have a chance of getting it at all.”
“The king of Magical Beast Forest?” Meng Lei was taken aback. He hastily asked, “Ol’ President, Magical Beast Forest has a king?”
“Humans have kings, too. Why can’t Magical Beasts have one?” Ol’ Amos cast
