บท 134: Chapter 134: The Insect Disaster, Suicidal Attacks
Lake U City.
In the wide open area in front of the city gates, countless golems were arrayed in formation.
In the center stood thousands of stone golems, flanked by groups of Twin-Blade Spiders.
Massive steel golems and elite stone golems stood at the forefront of the formation, as immovable as rocks in the sea.
On the city walls, Karolaina looked down at the golem army, marveling inwardly.
The Master, as expected, had single-handedly created such a powerful and terrifying army!
It was simply incredible!
Behind Karolaina, the manticores were equally awestruck, their gazes at Sunan's back filled with reverence.
Manticores inherently respected the law of the jungle. Over the year of Sunan's control of Lake U City, witnessing its rapid growth, their initial resentment had turned to awe.
A powerful figure who could command such a formidable army was certainly worth following.
Unaware of the manticores' thoughts, Sunan's gaze went beyond the island and lake, focusing on the distant darkness.
Using his mental power, he could vaguely sense a large number of creatures rapidly approaching from that direction.
Karolaina and the manticores seemed to sense something too, all looking towards the distance with trepidation.
Soon, a strange rustling sound came from the darkness, like countless legs scuttling across the ground.
The next moment, bizarre creatures burst forth from the darkness.
These creatures resembled jellyfish with legs, their semi-transparent, pale white bodies billowing like curtains as their legs moved swiftly.
They reached the shore, leaping into the water without hesitation. Their bodies floated on the lake, spreading across the water like lily pads, forming a white "bridge" between the shore and the island at the lake's center.
Following closely, countless insect beasts swarmed from the darkness, scrambling onto the "bridge" and rushing towards the island.
These insect beasts resembled massively enlarged centipedes, but with heads replaced by gaping, toothed maws that emitted eerie, low growls.
"They're Jellyfish Worms and Bigmouth Sandworms!"
Karolaina said solemnly, her brow furrowing tightly.
"Master, something's not right. The swarm's numbers seem excessive."
Looking out, the view was filled with a dense mass of insects.
This was just the first wave of the swarm, with the main force—the Deathbell Beetles—yet to appear. The swarm's numbers already matched or exceeded the most intense previous attacks, which was definitely unusual.
Sunan, having heard Karolaina's accounts of past insect disasters, also recognized that the situation was clearly abnormal.
But he said nothing, his gaze calm as he observed the scene below.
Seeing the Master's unwavering demeanor, Karolaina calmed herself, focusing intently on the unfolding events.
The charging swarm crashed into the golem army's formation like a raging tsunami.
From an aerial view, the insect tide resembled waves smashing against immovable rocks. The leading Bigmouth Sandworms were instantly shattered into a mist of blood.
Meanwhile, the steel and elite stone golems at the forefront remained unharmed, their massive fists smashing down on the insect beasts.
Unable to breach the steel and elite stone golems' blockade, the swarm began to spread to the sides, engaging with stone golems and Twin-Blade Spiders.
In an instant, the plain before Lake U City turned into a bloody battlefield!
The war quickly reached a fever pitch!
The sheer number of Bigmouth Sandworms was immense, nearly covering the stretch from the lakeshore to the city gate's plain. Estimated at two to three thousand, more continued to pour from the opposite shore.
In terms of numbers, the swarm dwarfed the golem army.
However, Bigmouth Sandworms were even less formidable than Deathbell Beetles, let alone compared to the golems.
Facing the swarm's assault, the golems stood firm, like a solid wall, halting the insect tide's advance.
The Twin-Blade Spiders charged into the swarm, their sharp limbs slicing through flesh, leaving carnage in their wake.
For a moment, the more numerous swarm was pinned at the city gate, unable to penetrate the golem army's defenses.
In the distance, atop a large stalactite hanging from the cave ceiling, the Red Widow and Black Duke watched the distant battle, their expressions solemn.
"Such powerful golems!" the Black Duke said with apprehension. "I didn't expect golems in such numbers to be so formidable!"
He had previously sent subordinates to test the golems guarding the mines. Though surprised then, he hadn't been alarmed.
But now he realized that when gathered by the hundreds or thousands on a battlefield, these golems' combat power was far from a mere sum of their parts.
They were an obedient, fearless, and powerful army!
With such a force, it was no wonder the wizard had no interest in cooperating with them and even contemplated counterattacking Kasham.
The wizard indeed had the confidence and strength!
"Truly remarkable!"
The Red Widow nodded slightly, her alluring face devoid of its usual playful smile, her scarlet eyes filled with gravity.
"We thought we had adequately assessed Lake U City's military strength, but clearly, we underestimated them."
The Red Widow took a deep breath, gazing across the lake into the dark depths.
"It seems cooperating with Kasham was the right call. We can't let Lake U City continue to grow unchecked, or Matu and Osen will eventually be annexed!"
Following her gaze, the Black Duke's black flames flickered violently in his eyes.
Though Lake U City currently held the upper hand, they weren't overly concerned.
This year's insect disaster was unlike any before.
Previously, the swarm split into three, simultaneously attacking Lake U City, Matu, and Osen, dispersing their strength.
But this year, the entire swarm converged on Lake U City, roughly three times the size of previous years.
The Bigmouth Sandworms were merely an appetizer.
The main course was yet to come!
As if responding to the Red Widow and Black Duke's thoughts, a humming sound emerged from the darkness across the lake, like countless wings beating in unison.
The next moment, a swarm of insects resembling oversized bees with six wings, giant pincers, and sharp stingers burst from the darkness, buzzing towards the city gate.
"They're Six-winged Insects!" Karolaina whispered timely. "Their pincers and stingers are venomous!"
Sunan nodded indifferently.
Venom was useless against golems, which were naturally immune to biological toxins.
The Six-winged Insects' flight posed a threat to the golem army.
After all, stone golems and Twin-Blade Spiders couldn't fly, making it difficult to deal with the airborne insects.
Fortunately, Sunan was prepared.
With a thought, an elite Twin-Blade Spider appeared on the city wall.
Under the astonished gazes of Karolaina and the manticores, the elite Twin-Blade Spider shimmered, its massive body rising into the air, becoming a black streak as it shot towards the Six-winged Insects!
Swoosh!
Several Six-winged Insects barely had time to evade before being sliced into pieces by the charging elite Twin-Blade Spider.
The elite Twin-Blade Spider continued its relentless assault, a black lightning bolt slicing through the air, cutting down insect after insect.
In moments, the battlefield's sky was littered with falling Six-winged Insects.
The Six-winged Insects, on the other hand, found their venom ineffective, their sharp pincers unable to leave even a scratch on the elite Twin-Blade Spider's reinforced steel body, let alone inflict damage.
Just one elite Twin-Blade Spider drove back five to six hundred Six-winged Insects!
In the shadows, the Red Widow and Black Duke were dumbfounded, gasping.
"A second-circle legendary golem!"
"That guy even has golems of this level!"
Their eyes were filled with shock.
They had assumed Sunan's forces topped out at first-circle legendary golems, only to be blindsided by a second-circle legendary golem.
This was equivalent to their own level of power!
The implications of Sunan being able to create such power left them chilled.
They could only hope Kasham's mysterious backer could deal with Sunan, or they'd be next.
"Woo-woo-woo!"
A low sound suddenly came from across the lake, like a horn being softly blown.
Hearing it, the Red Widow and Black Duke perked up.
Here it came!
The swarm's main force!
On the city wall, Karolaina's expression turned solemn.
"Master, it's the Deathbell Beetles!"
She didn't need to remind Sunan, who had already anticipated the swarm's main force.
Now came the true assault!
Under the manticores' fearful gazes, swarms of Deathbell Beetles emerged from the darkness across the lake, their wings carrying them over the water to the battlefield.
The dense cloud of Deathbell Beetles was like a dark storm cloud, blocking the glow from the cave ceiling, casting the battlefield into shadow, making it even more ominous.
Watching this, many manticores instinctively swallowed, recalling their previous terror at the Deathbell Beetles.
Their proud, sturdy bodies were powerless against the beetles' sonic blasts, a single attack leaving their insides battered, blood pouring from their orifices.
Only elite warriors and manticore nobles could withstand the Deathbell Beetles' sonic attacks.
"Woo-woo-woo!"
The Deathbell Beetles soon launched their first attack.
Over three hundred beetles sounded their "horns" in unison, a deafening sonic wave sweeping across the battlefield!
Even from a distance, many on the city wall winced, clutching their chests and gasping for air, as if suffocating.
To their shock, the golem army on the battlefield remained unaffected, continuing to slaughter the insect beasts.
In the shadows, the Red Widow and Black Duke were also stunned.
"These golems are immune to sonic attacks?"
Exchanging glances, they realized they might have made a grave miscalculation.
Having never encountered wizards, their knowledge of golems was limited to rumors, unaware of golems' general immunity to sonic attacks. This led to a misjudgment of the power balance between Lake U City and Kasham.
"No, something's wrong."
The Red Widow quickly caught on.
"We may not know golems, but Kasham's backer is a wizard. He must know the Deathbell Beetles' sonic attacks are ineffective against golems!"
The Black Duke nodded in agreement. "Right, he must have other tricks up his sleeve!"
Simultaneously, Sunan on the wall made similar deductions.
"If a wizard apprentice is indeed controlling Kasham, they must have anticipated this and prepared countermeasures."
On the battlefield, with their sonic attacks ineffective, the Deathbell Beetles showed no panic, instead diving like meteors onto the golems below.
Boom!
Upon impact, the Deathbell Beetles exploded, becoming a visible, twisting distortion.
Stone golems touched by the distortion seemed to have chunks bitten out of them, disappearing into thin air!
In mere moments, all three hundred Deathbell Beetles were annihilated.
Their suicidal attacks also destroyed over one hundred twenty stone golems and more than ten Twin-Blade Spiders.
Karolaina's face changed drastically.
Since when could Deathbell Beetles do this?
Why hadn't she seen them use it before?
Buzzing!
More Deathbell Beetles flew from across the lake, numbering at least a thousand!
Karolaina gasped.
Previous insect disasters had at most five to six hundred Deathbell Beetles.
Even so, Lake U City had paid a heavy price to barely survive.
Now there were over a thousand beetles, perhaps more.
The sheer number was staggering!
The manticores were pale, sweating profusely.
Only Sunan remained calm, a "just as expected" look in his eyes.
"I didn't expect these Deathbell Beetles could self-destruct."
"Releasing the sonic energy from their tumor all at once, creating an annihilation effect."
Having dissected the Deathbell Beetles and familiar with their structure, Sunan quickly deduced the mechanics of their suicidal attacks.
"This confirms it; a controller, a wizard apprentice, is behind Kasham!"
Sunan couldn't help but marvel.
He had thought himself a pioneer in developing this region, only to find a wizard apprentice had already established a presence here.
Judging by the timing of the insect disasters, the wizard apprentice might have been in the underground world for decades.
But what puzzled him was why the wizard apprentice, after coming to the underground world, didn't develop mines but instead hid in Kasham, controlling the swarm to hunt. What was their goal?
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