As the sun begins to climb higher and its rays pierce through the forest canopy, Aldo, Joon-soo, and Maina lead the villagers closer to the area where the Cult of Insect is camped. Each step they take on the forest path carries determination, but also a hint of anxiety. The villagers, though encouraged and armed, still hesitate when facing the mysterious and powerful enemies—those who wear cicada-like masks, followers of this dangerous cult.
As they draw closer, the sounds of clashing weapons, sinister laughter, and shouting reach their ears from ahead. The Cult of Insect is camped in an open area of the forest, where the trees are shorter and the light shines through more clearly. The cultists wear masks resembling cicadas—round, with deep, hollow eyes and sharp mandibles—clearly illustrating their savage, otherworldly nature. They are heavily armed, with sharp swords, long spears, and enchanted bows that shoot arrows with mystical power.
The villagers hesitate a little, standing back as they eye the enemy's magical weapons. They seem to want to stop, reconsider their decision. But Joon-soo does not give them time to doubt.
"Just this once, just this once, noble people," Joon-soo says, his eyes gleaming brightly. "You have the right to live in peace, to be good, but the enemy, those demons in human guise, they are cruel, they are savage, and they must be exterminated. Follow me, and we will not lose. We will win. As long as you dare!"
His words strike like a lightning bolt through the tense air. The villagers, once uncertain, now feel resolve stirring within them. They look at each other, then at Joon-soo, their eyes filled with determination. And in that moment, a collective decision is made.
They hesitate no more. The villagers begin to march forward, weapons in hand, charging toward the Cult of Insect. Shouts rise up, a clear declaration of war. Joon-soo's words have truly ignited the fire of battle within them. They rush into the fray like wild beasts, fearless and relentless.
Maina, always the first to move, does not hesitate. She surges ahead, holding the heavy Claymore sword as if it were a weapon of destruction. She drives the sword into the first enemy, a cultist holding a spear, trying to block her way. Maina's movements are lightning-fast, her blade piercing through the enemy's throat with a deadly strike. Blood splashes, and his head shatters like an egg, but Maina does not stop. She continues charging forward, attacking relentlessly. The Cult of Insect's followers are too stunned to comprehend what is happening before Maina captures them. Her attacks are so powerful and precise that each swing of her sword sends another enemy to the ground.
The cultists are clearly thrown into chaos. They wield powerful magical weapons, but against Maina's whirlwind assault, they cannot hold their ground. Maina is no less than a professional warrior; she takes only a breath to bring each enemy down. Every passing second sees another cultist fall. Maina effortlessly takes down five in a second, her sword swinging with deadly skill and vicious precision, targeting weaknesses like the skull, heart, or lungs, leaving them no chance to retaliate.
Aldo stands further back, watching the battlefield with a cold gaze. He feels satisfaction as he watches Maina showcase her strength. Just as he thought, she's not some weak girl who only expresses kindness. She's a true warrior, showing the necessary ruthlessness in this battle. He nods to himself, silently thinking, "Finally, she shows her true self."
But Aldo doesn't stop there. He knows that to win this battle, they need to do more. The village army can't keep relying on Maina. He silently signals to the armed villagers, who have gathered around. They are equipped with simple spears and bows, but they are still unaccustomed to fighting. Aldo, a cold and intelligent warrior, decides that now is the time for another strike.
He and the armed villagers break from the main formation, quickly circling around the forest, preparing for a surprise attack on the flank of the Cult of Insect. As Aldo leads his team into position, he feels the tension in the air. This is a risky raid, but he knows that if they don't act now, the Cult of Insect's forces could regain the initiative.
Aldo's group enters the forest quietly, hiding in the shadows of the trees, avoiding detection. As they approach, Aldo signals for everyone to stop and outlines an attack strategy. He doesn't need to say much; the villagers understand and are ready to strike. Everyone prepares, holding their breath, waiting for the moment to act.
When Aldo signals, the villagers immediately rush in, attacking like wolves, sudden and brutal. They fire arrows, throw spears, and pressure the Cult of Insect from two directions, causing chaos in the cult's ranks. Some cult members fall immediately, while the others try to reorganize, but it's too late. They are trapped between two waves of attack, unable to resist.
Aldo watches from behind, his face expressionless. Though the battle isn't over, he feels the villagers' resolve. These people, who he once thought incapable of fighting, are now ready to face evil, to confront the brutal and vicious enemies before them.
As the chaos subsides, the villagers' forces have gained a clear advantage. The Cult of Insect's members begin to break apart, unable to maintain their formation and strength. But the battle isn't over. Aldo, Joon-soo, and Maina know that one more precise strike is all that's needed to defeat the cult completely.
The battle rages on as Aldo leads part of the armed villagers, forming a perfect pincer around the Cult of Insect. Aldo doesn't say much, only signaling for everyone to act. He knows this is the decisive moment – if they don't act decisively now, the cult's members could regroup and counterattack.
He directs a group of villagers to approach the enemy from one direction, pushing them into a confined area in the forest. Aldo's group attacks fiercely, trapping the Cult of Insect's members into a narrow area, creating a clear gap in the enemy's formation. Chaos begins to rise as the cult members panic, trying to deal with the surprise attack from two sides.
The villagers, once hesitant and unsure, now bravely charge forward, using their available weapons to attack the enemy. Some stab with spears, while others use bows to strike from a distance, leaving the enemy with no time to react. Aldo closely follows his tactics, overseeing and coordinating the villagers' combat like a true commander. He knows that in battle, creating gaps in the enemy's formation and repeating these tactics is key to victory.
Each time a position is broken, the villagers step back, then quickly strike at another position, tightening the noose around the enemy. Aldo maneuvers the attacks skillfully, preventing the enemy from reorganizing. The Cult of Insect's members grow increasingly panicked. They can't hold their formation, and even the enchanted weapon-wielders begin to weaken as they face the villagers' relentless attacks.
Under Aldo's command, the villagers not only maintain their offensive but also gradually overwhelm the enemy completely. The cult members, despite having mystical weapons, cannot resist due to their broken formation and lost discipline. Over an hour passes, and the Cult of Insect is utterly defeated.
After the battle ends, the villagers begin to clear the battlefield. Maina, tireless in her fighting, now ensures that no cult member survives. She moves across the battlefield, taking down each remaining enemy without mercy. The wounded or the survivors attempting to flee are captured. Maina leads a group of villagers, searching for and collecting the remnants of the Cult of Insect, taking them away; these criminals will pay for their actions.
The entire forest now feels transformed, quiet after the brutal combat. Smoke rises from the battlefield's burning remnants, and the air still carries the scent of blood. Corpses lie scattered, piled in heaps, blood pooling beneath them. Aldo and Joon-soo stand in a corner, observing the scene with cold eyes. Though the battle is over, they don't rush to leave. They know there's still one important task left to do.
These are the drawings of the Cult of Insect.
During the battle, Aldo and Joon-soo discover some strange drawings carved onto pieces of leather and the walls surrounding the cult's camp. These drawings are not ordinary symbols; they resemble the mystical symbols the two have encountered on their journey. The drawings exude a gloomy feeling, like a dark curse, and might be an important part of the cult's strategy.
"The smell of children's blood..." Aldo thinks to himself.
Joon-soo bends down to inspect a large drawing, frowning as he scrutinizes it. "This... This is one of the symbols of the Cult of Insect I saw in the forest." He speaks, pointing to the strange lines on the wall. "They could be part of a ritual or some sort of magic the cult is performing."
Aldo remains silent, observing carefully. He sees the drawings resemble ancient characters, mixed with mystical symbols. Each drawing is tightly connected, forming a complete circle. It seems like they are part of a ritual, and these cultists are doing something very dangerous, possibly something that could create an even greater threat if they succeed.
"We need to learn about these symbols. If they are indeed part of a ritual, they could be tied to some dark power," Joon-soo continues, his voice growing grave. "We cannot allow them to continue."
Aldo nods, agreeing with Joon-soo's thoughts. He knows that if they do not fully understand these symbols, they might face a threat they cannot yet anticipate.
After finishing with the remains of the cultists, Maina returns to join the two. "It's all done. The Cult of Insect members have been wiped out." She says, her tone optimistic, but her eyes still betray her concern. "But I agree with Joon-soo, we can't leave these marks without understanding them."
Aldo turns to look at her, then at Joon-soo. "We need to investigate these symbols immediately. This may not be over here." He says firmly.
As Aldo, Joon-soo, and Maina focus on studying the strange drawings of the Cult of Insect, the atmosphere around them becomes tense. An unfamiliar feeling, like something is about to happen, fills each member of the group with unease. Aldo stands up, his eyes fixed on the ground where the cultists had been defeated. The bloodstains and remnants of the battle are still clear.
Suddenly, the air around them changes completely. A faint yet unmistakable tremor forces Aldo and Joon-soo to stop. Maina frowns, looking around, sensing that something is wrong. Before they can understand what's happening, a surge of powerful energy erupts from the ground, like a deep wave. In that moment, everything turns dark, and a sharp screech echoes through the forest.
The cultists, who had been restrained and controlled by the villagers, suddenly die gruesomely in an instant. Each one falls in a pool of dark blood, their eyes still wide with panic as their bodies begin to convulse. From these pools of blood, a massive creature begins to rise. It is a gigantic tick, as large as a tree, making everyone present look up in awe. This colossal tick screeches, its sound as if it could tear the very fabric of space, and then it suddenly charges toward them, filled with rage.
Thousands of young ticks and larvae rise from the ground like a wave, quickly covering the earth and attacking everything around them. These ticks burrow deep into the ground, crawling over everything, devouring leaves, crops, and even villages far away. Each young tick is a devastating insect, spreading destruction everywhere.
Joon-soo does not hesitate. He immediately grabs a large stone, expertly aiming at the source of the screeching from the giant tick and hurls it with force. The heavy stone strikes the tick's body, creating a wound that causes it to retreat a little. But soon after, the tick becomes enraged, flapping its wings fiercely and charging at Aldo and Joon-soo. Before they can react, the massive tick slams into them, throwing both to the ground.
Both feel pain, but they do not back down. Joon-soo quickly gets up, helping Aldo to his feet, and swiftly pulls a sharpened wooden stake from the ground, quietly moving behind the tick. He strikes at the tick's back and wings, aiming for vital spots in the hope of weakening it. At the same time, Aldo uses his hidden tentacles to pierce the tick's body, sensing the life within the creature, then pours acid from his hands onto it. The acid burns the tick, but it still retaliates, swinging violently and knocking the two to the ground once again.
Neither Aldo nor Joon-soo retreats. They stand firm, pushing the massive tick off their bodies, despite the pain from their wounds. Meanwhile, Maina stands on higher ground, her eyes scanning carefully, preparing for the next move. The giant tick continues to slam into everything in its path, creating a terrible wave of young ticks, old ticks, and larvae that flood over everything. These swarms of ticks keep devouring everything in their path, from the forests to the surrounding wheat fields.
"Insectophagis..." Joon-soo mutters.
"We must stop this monster before it destroys everything!" Aldo shouts, his voice filled with determination.
Joon-soo nods, his eyes calm despite the chaos. "This won't be easy, we need to act now. Don't let it escape."