Stepping out of the house, ramie was barely able to maintain his composure…
Bugs that ranged from football to bus sized swarmed the compound. They were everywhere.
The compound residents were running around in panic and terror, dodging the bugs and looking for a way out.
However, the compound was completely swarmed with bugs, with no path to escape to whatsoever.
Above the compound, several car-sized bugs were slowly flying in large circles; producing a buzzing sound and spreading a violet colored dust downward.
The dust dyed the air in violet color, causing it to be slightly hazy, and obstructing sight by very small degree.
The sight around almost cost Ramie his composure…
How did these beasts' attack go unnoticed? Why the compound residents failed so miserably to react to the beasts attack, allowing the beasts to swarm them? Why didn't the azure gazelle king detect the assault…?
Questions upon questions swarmed his mind nonstop.
Clitter! Clitter! Clitter!
As ramie left the house, three car-sized bugs came at him.
'I have to meet the others…!' Making up his mind, Ramie projected two vines and sent them at the neighboring house balcony's rails, then pulled himself to the rooftop.
Standing at the housetop, Ramie's expression turned heavy…
He could see that hundreds of bugs were still climbing the compound' outer wall from all directions and attacking the warriors. Additionally, thousands of bugs were swarming outside the outer walls.
Using his vines to move from one house roof to another, Ramie saw tenths of people running in the streets while the bugs chased after them.
These bugs weren't moving very fast, and the people were definitely capable of escaping if they give it their all, however… there was no way to escape to at all, as bugs were literally everywhere.
More ever, all of the people he saw seem to run sluggishly, as though they were under some sort of drug or something.
Judging by his own reactions, Ramie immediately knew that this was the dust's effect.
This dust was dulling the senses and the reaction speed. It was making the people slower. Hence, giving these slow bugs the chance to hunt them down with ease.
Ramie wasn't able to help everyone; however, he didn't ignore those who asked for it.
Hearing a shout for help, Ramie sent one of the vines to help a mother and her toddler.
He grabbed them both with his vine, and brought them to the rooftop he was standing on.
Thump!
Bang!
Just as Ramie put the two on the rooftop, a heavy, dull sound came from the house, and an intense tremor vibrated the roof. Before he could even react, the roof surface shattered and a pair of mandibles that gave off metallic luster was shot out, grabbing the mother and pulling her downward.
Ahhhh!!!
The toddler let out an air piercing screech, as the mother was cut in half when the two mandibles closed.
Gritting his teeth, Ramie wrapped one of the vines around the toddler and shot the other at the adjacent house, then pulled himself and the toddler away.
After that, Ramie repeated the process several times, getting away from the sites with large bugs concentration.
Landing at another rooftop, Ramie projected a third vine, and using the vines as legs, he propelled himself upward; four meters above the house, to get a better look around, and determine where the main gathering was.
The violets dust was slowing people down, while the bugs were chasing them all over the compound.
Some of the people used bone weapons and even inscribed weapons to fight the bugs, and thanks to the slow movement speed of these creatures, many of the fighters managed to kill some of the bugs.
However, in the end, the bugs number was simply too large, and there was no place for the people to retreat, hence, they were forced to fight nonstop.
The warriors had it better, as with their life energy boost, they could still make up for the slowing effect of the dust.
Pockets of resistant consistent of warriors and average people spread all across the compound.
"Found you…"
Looking at the compound's entrance direction, where there was a huge commotion, ramie saw a large cluster of warriors fighting the main force of the bugs.
With thousands of bugs both inside and outside the compound, warriors were now the only ones that can open up a path outside this mess. Hence, going there should be the best call now.
Just as Ramie moved from one rooftop to another…
Whizz!
Whizz!
Thuack!
Thuack!
Two thin spikes darted from the adjacent house backyard, striking Ramie on the waist area.
Looking at the source of the sneak attack, Ramie saw few bugs hiding in the shadow of a large tree.
Each of these bugs looked like beetles with domed backs that were filled with violet-colored spots. Their size was three times larger than human's head, and they looked very similar to the ladybug.
The bugs moved slowly under the trees' shadow while turning their rear to him, new spiked were emerging and pointing at Ramie.
The violet dust was costing ramie his ability to sense the auras, which was the reason why he landed at a house that had a bug inside it, leading to that's woman death.
Also, ramie had no idea why, but these bugs emitted no intent whatsoever, making his innate spell soul perception useless in this situation.
This ability of his was soul based, so, he knew that the violet dust shouldn't affect it…
"There is something wrong with these bugs… to not have an intent, means that these things either don't have souls, or are unconscious of their actions. But, they definitely have souls… otherwise; ghost glare wouldn't have taken effect on the bug back in the house… however, the alternative is that these bugs don't have the intent to chase and kill… but, if that was true… then, why are they doing it…?"
Settling on the rooftop, Ramie whipped a vine at these bugs, crushing them where they stood.
His artifact displayed the bugs tier as the first; hence, Ramie sent only one vine to deal with them.
Throwing a look at the toddler, who was carried in the air with the other vine, Ramie's eyes twitched, turning bloodshot…
Two spiked were planted in his torso, claiming his life.
The bugs from before had apparently targeted them both, and not just Ramie.
"With his mother dead, and with the compound surrounded with bugs, this might be the best for him…"
Suppressing his emotions, Ramie let out a heavy sigh, while comforting himself. Then, and leaving the corpse on the rooftop, he sent a vine toward the adjacent house, before pulling himself over.
Before he could even land on the next house, the rooftop where he left the corpse shattered, and two mandibles reached out and pulled the corpse inside.
Right now, there were about five to six bugs in the street, following him wherever he goes.
If he stays long enough on one house, then the tailing bugs would breach the house and try to catch him in a manner similar to the woman and the toddler now.
On his way to compound's entrance, Ramie saw many large holes in the ground along his way: "Could these bugs have snuck into the compound from under the ground…? But even then, the gazelle should still have detected their auras…"
Ramie felt incredibly heavy in his heart…
Giving the massive scale of the attack, and the fact that they were completely surrounded… it was obvious now that not many people were going to make it past this day…
This attack was just too abrupt, with no pre-warnings or signs…
Usually, ramie sleeps more than an hour everyday these two days, to accelerate the healing process of his injuries. However, and judging by the shift in the day light, no more than three hours had gone by since he slept, which was probably due to the violet dust.
Yet… in these mere three hours, apocalypse seems to have stormed on the compound, and hell rose into it…!
His legs injuries were yet to recover. At this point, his legs bone fragments were just starting to reconnect together, yet, he was now forcing himself to stand on them and even move around.
Ramie had no doubt that if he could regain his sense of pain, he'd be in a deep agony now.
Moving toward the compounds' gate direction, where the main force was battling… the bugs along the way exploded in numbers. It went from several bugs near the house, to tenths on the way, to hundreds!
Reaching the final house, at the edge of the living quarter, the main force of the compound came into view.
"This…"
Ramie felt alarmed at the sight…
The group of warriors, magicians, and few peoples were crowding in a relatively small area, surrounded by sea of bugs.
These bugs came in several types and sizes, and were relentlessly launching attacks at the fighters.
A moment ago, he was feeling sorry for others, but now… he wasn't sure that he himself could walk out alive from this heavy encirclement.
...