episode_0087

“Ugh! They’re disgusting!”

“Why are there so many?!”

We Violets felt like losing our minds at the shimmering chitinous wave. It was Irene who pulled us back to reality from our dizzying state.

“We’re trapped!”

“We’ll be able to get out soon. A dungeon connected to the outside world can never be completely sealed. Structurally, it’ll open again someday.”

“I know that, but look over there. There are so many!”

“The gate stabilization work will begin soon, and the clan’s strike force will enter. Let’s go to the shelter.”

Looking where she pointed, I saw a sign marked and a pictogram.

Workers in jumpsuits ran in the direction the arrow indicated.

“It’s standard practice to build a shelter in dungeons where workers operate for long hours.”

We followed the arrow to a corner of the safe zone. And we were horrified by the state of the shelter.

“Is that really a shelter?”

The Violets doubted the scene before their eyes. Expecting a thick concrete bunker or steel structure for a shelter, all they saw was a dug-out covered by a flimsy camouflage net. Containers, buried diagonally underground, poked their doors out of the ground.

“Are dungeon shelters usually built like that?”

“Of course not! No way. By principle, what is that?”

Irene reacted like a resident who just discovered there was no rebar in her apartment building. Seeing her reaction, I knew something was seriously wrong.

“Crazy! This is a shelter? Are you kidding me?”

“Hey, Mister Hunter! Do you think we’re idiots just because we’re laborers? You want us to hide in this dug-out? Are you trying to get us all killed?”

“Why are you asking me?! I’m also dispatched personnel, I wasn’t told about this! I didn’t know!”

Seeing the reactions of the regular workers arguing with the hunters, I confirmed that something was indeed abnormal. This dug-out would never be able to stop the monsters. It was too shallow, easily discovered, and those flimsy metal doors would be ripped apart in an instant.

As the wave of bugs drew closer, the workers stopped arguing and ran back towards the shelter. They looked resigned.

Irene pressed a button on a square device attached to her clothing, then approached the hunters.

“What’s that?”

“A black box.”

She walked closer to the hunters. When a young girl spoke to them, the men looked back at us with skeptical expressions.

“Excuse me! I’d like to speak with the security manager here.”

“Who are you, young lady…? Oh, a student on a field trip, perhaps? An intern from Helios, then.”

“…Let’s say that.”

As Irene immediately pulled out her student ID and Helios ID card, the five dispatched hunters nodded slightly, as if understanding.

“Hey, who was our supervisor again?”

“The manager? He left early, didn’t he? All the headquarters staff went on vacation.”

“Saying he left early is just an excuse, he’s slacking off!”

One of the troubled hunters stepped forward and answered Irene.

“So, I’m technically in charge right now… Young lady, is there something you want to ask?”

“I’d like to know about the status of the defense facilities here.”

“I don’t know either. Don’t ask me! I was only assigned here the day before yesterday.”

“This is ridiculous…”

Listening to them talk, it seemed these people were all subcontractors of subcontractors, so they knew nothing. The rustling sound of wings beating grew closer. The gnashing of teeth, the sound of hairy brown legs scuttling across the ground and up trees, tormented our ears like the buzzing of mosquitoes. It was unsettling.

“…Irene! Looking at their speed, they’ll be here in about one to two minutes!”

I tugged at her sleeve. Seeing my anxiousness, the dispatched hunter pointed towards the shelter for her.

“Young lady, go into the shelter. You’re an intern, right? You need to survive to become a full-time employee. We’ll somehow try to stop those things!”

“That shelter?”

“We have no choice. Get inside. I’ll lure those bugs away.”

Finishing his words, he took one of his colleagues and headed for the helicopter. The small helicopter they had ridden from the outpost flew into the dungeon’s sky and headed towards the forest. The helicopter flew precariously, almost touching the dense treetops.

-Flares ignited!

Flares were deployed in quick succession from the helicopter’s body. Loud music blared from the attached speakers. The Crawltyde swarm’s attention was drawn to the helicopter. They began climbing the trees.

-Rat-a-tat-tat!

“Haha! We’re saved!”

“Easier than I thought?”

Thanks to the helicopter, the wave of cockroaches changed direction and headed the other way. The dispatched hunters cheered as they watched the creatures turn back.

The insect monsters targeted the helicopter, flapping and flying up from the treetops. The machine gun mounted on the helicopter spat fire, shooting down the monsters.

“The luring operation worked. They’re not coming this way?”

No sooner had I spoken while watching, than large white spikes, resembling arrows, shot up through the trees.

“Huh?”

The helicopter’s tail rotor was overwhelmed by a barrage of spikes and broke. The helicopter spun in the air like a drunkard dancing. The wave of bugs, sensing an opportunity, surged like a fountain and clung to the helicopter.

-Bang!

Covered in monsters, the helicopter disappeared into the forest. Only the sound of an explosion was the final signal proving the helicopter’s presence in the woods.

“…It crashed? We’re doomed. Let’s run!”

“Ughhh!”

The remaining three dispatched hunters guarding the entrance screamed as they watched the helicopter crash. They ran away without a moment’s hesitation.

“We’re screwed.”

“It seems we have no choice but to fight.”

The wave of bugs that had swarmed towards the helicopter lost interest and approached the safe zone again.

Irene took out the spear she had been carrying, and I summoned clones.

“Violet Temporary Command announces. Prepare for battle, prepare for battle…”

It looks like we’re going to have to fight a bloody battle.

***

Numerically, our situation was bleak.

On site were dozens of workers who couldn’t help in a fight, and two Awakener female students. The enemy’s scale was unknown. They were all insect monsters, stronger than humans. Even one large, intermediate-class individual with long-range attack capabilities was detected.

“Violet, what’s the status of the facilities here?”

Perhaps thanks to the helicopter buying time, the bugs approached more slowly than before. This gave us enough time to roughly survey the surroundings.

The hastily generated Violets moved in all directions under Irene’s guidance.

“I’ve checked everything. There are scaffolds on the wall, so you can climb them. And it’s an electric barbed wire fence.”

“Other defense facilities? The map shows turrets.”

“There are a total of five remote-controlled machine gun turrets. One in the center, two on the right and two on the left. But…”

“But?”

“One has a broken wire, another is rusted. The others have no bullets! Only the one in the center is intact.”

“This is insane. Insane. Why is security in such a state?”

Irene sighed and clutched her head. A map, taken from the temporary office building in the safe zone, lay in front of her. She scribbled various symbols on the map with a pencil.

“Violet, what do you think?”

“Shouldn’t we fight with the wall as cover? The numbers are ready.”

She lifted her head. A black crowd was reflected in her troubled golden eyes.

Irene put down the map, lightly slapped her cheeks a few times, and regained her confident demeanor.

“Alright, this many should be enough to try. Violets, is everyone ready?”

“Yes!”

The quiet open space of the safe zone was now bustling. A temporary company of ‘Killer Violets’ had been hastily deployed.

Now there were a hundred and twenty-two heavily armed Awakener female students here.

“The shelter entrance?”

“Completely buried.”

After explaining the situation to the workers huddled inside the cramped container, we sealed the entrance with dirt and furniture.

“Crawltydes are dumb bugs, but they detect human locations well. To make that kind of thing a shelter is insane. Helios would never have allowed such a disgrace!”

Since these people couldn’t help in a fight, hiding them was the best option. Dozens of Violets rushed in with shovels, and burying the entrance, leaving only a breathing hole, was done in an instant.

“The central passage… right, what should we call it?”

“Call us 1st Platoon Leader and 2nd Platoon Leader! That’ll be more convenient for you than numbers, right?”

The 1st and 2nd Platoon Leaders of the Violet company nodded, and she scribbled symbols on the map with a pencil.

“Alright, 1st Platoon and 2nd Platoon, take the central entrance with me. Geographically, this passage is the widest, so they’ll swarm here. 3rd Platoon and 4th Platoon, intercept enemy forces bypassing us from the surrounding walls. Understood?”

“Understood!”

“Then. Let’s move.”

We quickly moved to our positions. At the entrance, we rapidly gathered nearby vehicles and equipment to set up a barricade.

Seeing us deployed on the wall, a classic sci-fi movie about fighting alien monsters came to mind.

We drew our weapons and let out a cheer.

“Let’s go! Violets! We’re not going to live long anyway!”

“Yaaahhh!”

“Violet, what was that…?”

Irene was puzzled. Not knowing a masterpiece, how unfortunate!

The Crawltyde swarm drew closer through the trees. Now we could clearly see their disgusting forms.

“They’re coming! All units, open fire!”

“Open fire!”

As they approached the firing line, we pulled our triggers. Over a hundred muzzles spat fire simultaneously. Holes were torn into the bodies of the Crawltydes as they were engulfed in the barrage.

“Pour everything on them!”

The machine gun turrets also spat fire in succession. When they approached within a hundred meters, we threw Molotov cocktails, covering their path in flames.

-Sizzle!

Even with their bodies on fire, the monsters ignored it, climbed over the barricades, and scaled the walls. Some even flew. Despite being showered with artillery fire, they continued to swarm endlessly.

-Bang! Boom!

Multiple holes were torn into the bodies of the Crawltydes flapping and flying towards the wall.

“Taste some buckshot!”

“There aren’t many bullets for that! Conserve them!”

The brown tide swarmed forward, indifferent to the deaths of their kin. Mountains of insect corpses piled up everywhere. The Violets firing from atop the central barricade retreated. The Crawltydes, by now, were lightly leaping over the barricade, stepping on the high piles of bodies.

Now it was Irene’s turn.

“1st Platoon, 2nd Platoon! Ready?”

“Ready!”

She slammed the butt of her spear onto the ground. Sunlight’s Guidance activated, engulfing the surrounding Violets in a golden glow. The greedy brown wave, pushing through the barrage like a tide, entered the central entrance only to be met with a counterattack and driven back out. A shimmering wave of golden light, followed by a red tide, resealed the entrance.

The Violets, armed with spears and riot shields, charged into the creatures, trusting the golden magic enveloping their bodies.

The monsters fell backward. The spear in their right hand was replaced with a rifle. Point-blank shots tore holes in the bodies of the Crawltydes trying to stand up. The monsters relentlessly lunged forward. A round of close-quarters combat ensued.

As a threatening foreleg attack came flying, Number 121 angled her round shield and swung it. The attack was deflected. While the monster flinched, a red sword strike vertically split its head in two.

From the left, a Crawltyde tried to bite Number 65’s leg. Number 65, trusting her increased defense and strength from her friend’s support, kicked the monster’s snout. The monster, its face caved in, thrashed and fell over. Suddenly, a dozen or so flapping sounds were heard in the air. Number 65’s face contorted.

“Watch out!”

Irene rushed between the Violets and drew a golden arc above her head. In a brief moment, multiple golden lines appeared.

-Swish!

Shredded pieces of the monster rained down from above.

In that critical moment, Irene saved us.

“Thank you!”

“Get up! More are still coming.”

Irene grabbed my hand and helped me up.

While the Violets held the line, Irene acted as a firefighter. Just moments ago, she was a shield blocking the entrance, but whenever she saw the Violets in the greatest danger, she would rush like cavalry and block the most perilous spots with her body. Thanks to her, several opportunities for counterattacks arose.

Behind us, the endlessly swarming bugs were visible.

“I’ll use the bombs!”

“Alright. Pull back for now!”

We adjusted the fuses of the makeshift bombs and threw them in front of the creatures rushing towards the central entrance. The moment the monsters swarmed, the bombs exploded.

-Boom!

Debris shot into the sky. The Violet platoon, unconcerned, continued their fierce battle with the creatures. Despite Irene’s buffs, the terrible smell of burning protein and sticky yellow bodily fluids plagued us.

And so, for 30 minutes.

“Hey, we might actually win this?”

The Crawltyde swarm’s attack, which had seemed endless, gradually began to subside.

“No. The intermediate-class individual hasn’t arrived yet. It’s the core of this attack.”

Irene warned.

“Look there!”

A monster larger than a bus walked through the passage between the giant trees.

“It’s a Crawltyde Nest! It’s the leader of this swarm. We have to take that thing down to end the offensive.”

I saw it, then let out a short scream and ducked my head.

-Thwip!

Because white spike attacks flew repeatedly, pounding against the wall.

***

The Crawltyde Nest was the leader of the swarm and served as the queen ant. As its name suggested, the monster’s body was enormous. It was the size of two double-decker buses put together.

Unusually, its large head had no eyes. Instead, large and small antennae, like hair, twitched constantly. Its belly was greatly distended, and its back was covered in various lengths of appendages that grew backward, like branches, sprouting everywhere. Each appendage tip had a long tube from which white spikes emerged, or a scythe-shaped claw attached. All of these were covered in thick carapaces.

Legs as thick as tree trunks supported its body.

Other bugs were mounted on the Nest’s back like a mobile fortress, guarding the surroundings.

The Violets opened fire. The bullets ricocheted off uselessly. We pulled out enchanted crossbows and battle rifles and shot, but they had little effect on its massive body.

“Those minor attacks won’t work. That monster’s defense isn’t low. Most importantly, its brain isn’t in its head. It’s in the center of its body.”

“Then what should we do?”

“If you stab deeply into the side or lower center of the Nest’s body, you can incapacitate it. Its brain is in that part. Or… do you have a weapon that can blow its whole body away?”

I shook my head. We had explosives, but not enough to take that thing down.

“Its belly looks soft, shouldn’t we stab it? It’s so big.”

“It’s probably tougher than it looks. And there are no vital organs in its abdomen. Just an egg sac.”

As I focused my gaze, I saw the Nest’s distended belly sloshing. If we burst it, something bad would likely happen.

“Because of that egg sac, we absolutely must take it down. Stabbing its weak point in close combat is our only method right now.”

“It’s disgusting, but… we have no choice. Let’s go!”

As the wave of cockroaches continued to approach, we prepared for our desperate charge. Irene stood at the very front, followed by the 1st and 2nd platoons.

“Additional personnel deployed!”

Fearing the charge wouldn’t be effective, I generated more personnel.

The rest of the platoons quickly moved to block the central entrance and provide covering fire.

“Permission to use the Blazing Blade!”

“Equipped.”

One of the Violets mixed in the ranks drew a red rapier. This was no easy opponent, so we had to bring out proper weapons.

-Whoosh!

Golden magic enveloped the Violets’ bodies.

“This should be enough to break through, right?”

“Violet, don’t let your guard down. Just follow my back and run. Understood?”

Preparing for the charge were a hundred and one girls. All they had to do was follow the girl with shimmering purple hair. Anything in sight would be smashed and torn apart.

We became a single giant spearhead, running and breaking through the ranks of the swarming bugs.

“Advance! Advance! Advance!”

Like cavalry, we smashed through the hordes of monsters. Wielding swords, hammers, and axes in a unified stance, we severed the limbs of the bugs. Like seasoned rowing athletes paddling in unison, we crushed the Crawltydes like a ship cutting through waves.

-Hiss!

Sensing danger, the monsters retreated and converged near the Nest. It was to protect their leader.

Recognizing us, the Nest turned its body and faced us head-on.

-Thwip! Thwip-thwip!

The tube-shaped appendages on its back aimed at us. White spikes rained down. It was the same attack that shot down the helicopter earlier.

“Kyaaak!”

Several Violets were hit by the flying spikes and fell. Aware of our casualties, Irene swung her spear, deflecting the incoming spikes one after another.

-Whoosh!

We broke through the Crawltyde swarm’s protection and reached the very front of the Nest. The appendages on its back lashed at us like whips.

“Watch out for the scythe-like ones!”

The Nest thrashed its body around, shot spikes, and resisted. The sharp appendages on its back struck us, knocking us down as we approached the Nest. Seeing this, golden magic erupted from Irene’s body once more. She cut off the appendages.

“Groan!”

The Nest’s massive leg kicked Irene. She blocked the attack with her spear shaft, but the impact sent her flying. Just before colliding with a distant tree, she spun half a rotation in mid-air. Her toes pushed off the tree. She sprang forward like a spring and lunged at the Nest again.

-Crunch!

Irene stabbed the Nest’s side-center. Her long spear pierced its carapace and sank deep. However, the creature continued to move, even as its body violently trembled from pain.

“Huh? Irene, why isn’t it dying?”

“It seems the central nervous system isn’t here! In that case, we need to aim for its belly…”

“Then, let’s cut off its legs! We’ll flip it over!”

We surrounded the Nest and furiously attacked it. The bugs rushed to protect their nest, but we also charged relentlessly, undeterred.

“Cut it off!”

“Well done! I’ll hold them off, so take care of the rest!”

While Irene moved freely, drawing the attention of other creatures, glowing red swords and axes struck down and severed the Nest’s leg joints. Starting with that, like an ant colony disassembling an insect larger than itself, the Violets completely dismembered the monster’s limbs and appendages.

“Flip it!”

“Heave-ho! Heave-ho!”

The Violets rushed in, using their enhanced bodies to easily flip over the limbless bug. Once its vulnerable abdomen was exposed, they immediately plunged the Blazing Blade into its center. They stabbed with all their might, until it sank in up to the wrist.

“Eat fire!”

The moment the magic was activated for the coup de grâce, intense flames erupted from within. The Crawltyde Nest’s body exploded.

-Splatter!

“Ugh!”

Number 176, who was holding the Blazing Blade, had her arm blown off by the impact.

“It’s done. The monsters are scattering!”

Irene pointed forward. As its nest was destroyed, the Crawltyde swarm, which had been moving in perfect unison moments ago, suddenly stopped. Soon after, their ranks scattered in all directions.

“Did we… win?”

“Not yet, the egg sac remains. We need to deal with that too!”

Its abdominal area could be seen moving. Irene quickly stabbed each egg sac with her spear. The startled Violets took out oil and poured it over the corpse.

-Whoosh!

A terrible smell wafted. The unborn bugs turned to ashes. There were still bugs fearlessly attacking the Violets, but their numbers were greatly reduced compared to before.

Soon, the platoon cleared out the remaining enemies and tended to the wounded. The danger was eliminated.

“The gate has stabilized!”

The Violet remaining at the rear witnessed the gate turning a stable blue.

The surrounding monsters were also rapidly fleeing. The Violet, having confirmed safety, looked at Irene. She nodded.

“Then, I’ll disappear now!”

Most of the company’s personnel de-generated and disappeared.

-Rumble!

Armored vehicles bearing the logo of an unknown clan slowly entered through the gate. The hunters quickly disembarked.

Several armored vehicles didn’t stop, passing through the central passage piled with insect corpses and entering the forest. The armored vehicles’ machine guns spat fire, and the hunters used flame magic and swung their swords, confirming the monsters’ kills.

“They sure took their sweet time getting here!”

“Still, it’s over now.”

Irene gasped for breath and wiped her forehead. She plopped down under a nearby tree. I sat beside her and took out two water bottles, chugging them down.

“Good work, Violet… I don’t know how things ended up like this, but I’m glad it worked out.”

“I’m hungry! You’re buying me food, right?”

“Yeah, I’ll buy you anything!”

Irene took the water bottle I offered and, feeling a sudden thirst, quickly emptied one bottle.

It was truly an exhausting and tiring day.

Later, I’ll have to ask her to buy dozens of pizzas.