Ch.61The Forest of Beasts? The Forest of Insects! (3)

Kuuuung—

The giant insect in the Forest of Demonic Beasts moved its massive body, creating a thunderous echo throughout the forest. With just one step, it generated vibrations and roaring sounds in the forest as it contemplated the recent anomalies.

Lately, the number of subordinates following it had noticeably decreased. And not just at the forest’s outermost regions, but even close to the central areas.

The battle with the forest’s master would soon begin, yet this was happening. It needed to eat as much as possible to store energy… If the numbers decreased any further, the confrontation with the forest’s master would become even more distant. With this in mind, it made a decision.

…!!!!

The giant insect emitted a sound only other insects could hear. Five insects responded to that sound. Following the giant insect’s orders, they moved toward the territory of the most recently vanished subordinate.

* * * * *

A week had passed since we killed the spider. During that time, we encountered creatures like the Explosion Moth that released gas causing massive explosions, giant dragonflies, and strange bugs that attacked us while we were drinking water near a lake.

Besides these, we met countless bugs and were thoroughly sick of insects by now. We’d heard it was the Forest of Demonic Beasts and dreamed of a paradise where we could eat while gaining combat experience.

We certainly gained plenty of combat experience as expected, but our meals consisted of insects.

At the forest’s entrance and outer regions, there were demonic beasts, so we could at least eat animals. But the closer we got to the center, the more depressing reality became as we could only eat insects.

Green fluid bursting with every bite, the unpleasant feeling when the tiny hairs on insect legs occasionally got caught between teeth. Even goblin meat tasted better than this… I never imagined I’d be complaining about food after becoming like this.

After spending about a week fighting and eating insects while advancing, we laid down in a clearing.

“Mmmmm… (As the spider said, insects have completely taken over…)”

“Yeah… I never dreamed there would be so few demonic beasts… It seems they’re trying to challenge the master at the forest’s center.”

“Mmm? (Why would they need to take over the forest to challenge the master?)”

“No! According to the spider, this challenger controls insect monsters as subordinates… They probably captured all the demonic beasts while hunting for food.”

“Mmmmm. (Then if the challenger notices their subordinates are disappearing, they’ll send more after us… We should be careful.)”

“Yes! I’ll set up alarm magic for when we sleep!”

We’d take turns standing watch, but having magic to detect approaching enemies would reduce our fatigue.

I nodded and closed my eyes as drowsiness overcame me.

* * * * *

Beeeep—

My eyes snapped open at the alarm sound in my ears. I quickly turned my head to check my surroundings, but…

I only saw Mary flying in the sky.

“Mmmmm? (What’s happening?)”

“Enemies. Seems like… one? Two? Yes, two of them. My alarm magic covers a 100-meter radius, one of the specialties of fairies. We excel at escaping, hiding, and healing abilities beyond compare. But since I’ve grown, my alarm magic works over a wider range… They seem to be approaching from about 200 meters away.”

Hearing this, I picked up my axe from the ground and stretched to loosen my stiff body. Though the battle was sudden… we’d been fighting continuously for nearly ten days, and my body was originally born as a monster made for combat.

My stiffened body quickly transformed into one ready for battle, while Mary watched from the sky in the direction the enemies were approaching.

“A tree not far from here just fell. They’ll arrive soon.”

Just as Mary said, I saw a tree falling not far away. Wanting to greet these creatures first, I created a lightning spear.

The spear made of black lightning scattered electricity around as if about to burst, and I took a throwing stance to fulfill its wish.

My right arm muscles instantly swelled. As I applied force, my arm, which had been the size of a log, bulged even more impressively.

“Muu!”

I hurled the lightning spear in the direction Mary pointed.

The spear crossed through the dark forest, illuminating the space as it advanced, and instantly struck the enemy approaching me.

Kishiiit!!!

That sound was definitely from an insect monster. It must have been quite large, since I threw somewhat low but still hit something about 5 meters high.

“Mmmmm— (I’ll handle it from now on.)”

“Okay! Do your best! I’ll heal you from a distance, and if things look dangerous, I’ll emit light to distract the enemy!”

Nodding at her words, I prepared to meet the approaching enemy. The enemy, apparently enraged after being hit first, was charging toward me with thundering steps. I swung my chain in circles to greet it.

Boong boong boong boong—!!!

With a whooshing sound, strong winds kicked up dust, and the ground cracked in a straight line from the force of my spinning axe.

Kugugugugung—!!!

The enemy revealed itself. An insect with a round body, curled up like a pangolin, rolling toward me. In my previous life, I knew this kind of bug as a pill bug.

As it rolled toward me like a heavy tank, leaking green blood, I threw my spinning axe at it. I hoped the lightning wrapped around the blade would penetrate its armor, but…

Contrary to my expectations, it bounced off without affecting the pill bug’s charge at all. It barely left a scratch, showing just how hard the creature was.

I dodged the rolling pill bug and thought.

My axe had only damaged the chain part during the battle with the Titanium Mantis. The blade part remained perfectly intact, so its hardness must be titanium-grade or higher, yet it barely scratched this tank’s body.

Realizing I couldn’t handle this with my axe and thinking about stopping the charge with pure strength—

Kaaang—!!!

My body moved on its own, using the axe to block something aiming for my neck. It must be the second creature Mary mentioned.

With the tank distracting my vision and setting up this perfect combination attack, I became even more cautious.

Once again, my senses detected something. This time, being focused, I didn’t miss it and reached out to break the weapon of the creature trying to ambush me.

Ppudeuk—!!

With a cracking sound, the creature’s weapon broke. I raised my hand to examine it.

A long tube.

A tube seemingly designed to suck something was in my hand. What creature uses such a long tube besides a mosquito?

Ppeoeoeoek—!!

But my thoughts lasted too long, and I had ignored the pill bug rolling toward me from the front.

Colliding with the pill bug, I was briefly airborne before falling to the ground. The pill bug that instantly pounced on me disappeared back into the darkness.

Lassis once told me I think too much during battle… and she was clearly right.

I slapped both my cheeks to focus on the battle, and in that moment, the creature with the long tube flew in stealthily.

But my body possessed the trait “Beast’s Instinct.” This cheating ability forced my body to move and counter attacks even when I wasn’t consciously aware of them.

Thanks to this, I was able to catch the creature trying to ambush me.

A mosquito.

A three-striped mosquito—not with white stripes but green ones—was struggling to escape my grasp. About 4 meters in size, it didn’t make the typical whining mosquito sound.

I squeezed my hand and burst the mosquito.

Throwing aside the mosquito with its burst abdomen hanging limply, I prepared for the pill bug.

Hearing a rumbling sound, I turned to see the pill bug already in front of me, rolling its body.

This time, not missing the opportunity, I spread my arms to prepare for it.

The mosquito corpse I had thrown was instantly crushed under the pill bug, which continued rolling toward me without caring that it had crushed its comrade.

Kwagagaga—!!!!

I caught the side of the pill bug with both hands. The pill bug continued spinning in my hands.

It spun so fast that the friction burned my hands, and even my tough skin began to tear slightly.

Finally, the pill bug’s rotation stopped, and I lifted it and slammed it into the ground.

Kwaaang—!!!

Embedded in the ground, the pill bug exposed its vulnerable body rather than its armored parts.

I pulled the chain of my axe from the ground, gripped the handle, and struck down at the pill bug.

Kwaaang—!!

Kiiiik—!!!

Despite its pain-filled scream, this creature without hands couldn’t extract its body from the ground.

It tried to curl up, but with its waist firmly embedded, it couldn’t curl and exposed vulnerable flesh. My axe targeted these weak spots.

My axe, powered by my strength, didn’t just slice but pulverized, becoming covered in the pill bug’s green fluid… The pill bug soon ceased its struggles and met its end.

As I left the pill bug’s corpse and looked for Mary—

“Watch out!!!”

Mary’s warning came from somewhere. My senses also alerted me, forcing my body to drop to the ground.

Shiiik—!!

Something black passed by instantly. My muscles screamed from the sudden drop, but with another creature joining the fight and targeting me, I remained vigilant.

Huuung…

I heard a wind sound. Preparing for something flying from above, as it sounded like wingbeats—

Kwagagaga—!!!

A whirlwind formed where I stood. Trapped inside, my skin was gradually torn by the blade-like winds until I forcibly escaped.

“Muu—!”

Hearing my cry, Mary’s healing magic restored my skin, but…

Something heavy flew directly at me. I swung my lightning-wrapped axe forcefully.

Kaaang—!!!

But my attack was blocked by the creature’s body. Pure white semicircular wings with black spots like human pupils. Light gathered in those black spots and shot toward me.

Hwaaaa—!!

The light began burning my body, and with another sound of wingbeats, I was engulfed in a whirlwind.

With light from the black spots setting me on fire, and the wind turning it into a pillar of flame burning my body—

My senses activated again. Though I wanted to escape the fire pillar, my senses forcibly laid my body on the ground.

Chaang—!!!

A clear metallic sound rang out. I rolled out of the fire pillar and could see the creatures attacking me.

A creature with gray exoskeleton, no visible eyes or nose.

Its six limbs were thin compared to its body size, but the hooks at their ends were threatening. Wings peeked out from behind its exoskeleton.

And most threatening… the scissors on its face. Not actual scissors but jaws, yet the gray jaws of this stag beetle were extremely menacing.

And what had been creating wind was a butterfly dancing in the sky beneath the red and blue moons.

Winds whirled from its wings, creating gales with each flap.

Finally, the creature that had been burning me. With pure white semicircular wings covered in black spots like human eyes, when it folded its wings, its true form was revealed… a perfect ladybug.

It seemed the mosquito and pill bug were advance scouts. These creatures, apparently drawn by the sounds of battle, glared at me with killing intent.

The stag beetle made threatening sounds with its trembling jaws, while the butterfly floated gracefully in the sky, continuously sending blade-like winds.

And the ladybug… leaning against a tree, spread its wings again, pointing its black eye-like spots at me in a threatening display.