Kain and Bridge slowly backed away to discuss a plan.
"The pull is coming from within that field"
"You're sure, maybe it's just on the other side of the field and we have to circle around?" Bridge asked nervously.
'I wish. I would have hoped for that too if the radar hadn't also clarified the position
"I'm certain that it's coming from the center of the field.
Sigh
Both of them couldn't help but release a sigh of distress.
"Could you maybe try a similar strategy to last time? Cover the whole field in mist?"
"My mist can't cover the whole field at a density thick enough to fully cover our figures, but I don't think we have a choice. I can maybe make it dense enough to cover all of us, and Princess can drop the temperature in the areas I direct to freeze their wings like last time. We'll have to be fast though; I don't think all of our spiritual powers could sustain this plan for long. Is Lady fully healed?"
Bridge hesitated, "She's not fully healed, but she feels good enough to battle again"
Thankfully spiritual power allows for an increased speed of healing. Otherwise, it'd probably take a week before she was battle-ready again.
"Okay, we've got our plan. I will focus on using the coverage from the fog to cover our figures while Princess incapacitates them and Lady goes in for the kill. What is their night vision like?"
Wasps usually go to sleep at night and don't have the best night vision. Therefore, they'd have an additional advantage if they could implement their plan during the nighttime.
The dual coverage of the night and mist should be sufficient to fully cover them.
However, Kain and Bridge's own visions will also be impeded and if there was just one enemy, he wouldn't want to take this risk. But up against at least 4 they really need every advantage.
"The north, where Princess is originally from, often stays dark for several months on end so her vision at night isn't much different from during the day. Lady's night vision also isn't bad."
Kain breathed a sigh of relief.
"Okay. We move at night."
They hunkered behind the bushes at the periphery of the clearing to keep track of the wasps' movements and to hopefully get a better idea of their numbers.
Occasionally, 1 or 2 would head off into the distance, likely to the other flower patch.
However, at least 4 always remained guarding and collecting nectar in this field.
Kain still had no idea how the queen was able to go against common sense to produce so many guard wasps. With the 2 killed before, plus the 6 he counted today, that's at least 8.
They ate dinner to ensure their bodies were at optimal condition. However, they didn't set a fire to heat up the cans, to avoid risking detection by the wasps, instead suffering through eating the cold and congealed soup.
When night finally fell, they heard a brief period of buzzing periodically, as all of the wasps that had left the area during the day to other flower patches, rushed home. Kain finally realized why he'd heard buzzing right before bedtime the last couple of nights.
When it was finally all quiet they chose to wait another hour to be extra sure before slowly leaving the coverage of the bushes and creeping towards clearing.
At the same time, Kain also caused a thick mist to surround them.
They slowly began to creep towards the center of the clearing.
"Oomf!"
Something grabbed Kain's ankle and tripped him to the ground. He turned to see a root extending from one of the few red-grade spiritual plants in the clearing. Clearly, the plants developed some offensive capabilities by this level, unlike the white-grade plants around them. Red-grade plants also would no longer die once uprooted and could have limited mobility.
Kain used the spear to cut himself free and quickly distanced himself from the plant.
Thankfully, the sleeping wasps didn't appear to have woken up due to the small commotion.
They continued with their journey, this time taking care to avoid the areas where he sensed red-grade plants during the day.
They were only around a mile out from the center of the clearing, and the radar showed that they were almost upon the prospective contract. Kain was filled with anticipation, hoping that it'd be a big enough boost to his offensive abilities to allow him to keep his top ranking once school started.
However, even a mile out they were able to faintly see the giant figure in the distance. As they got closer, its identity became clear—the wasps' nest.
Under the dim moonlight, the massive nest loomed over them, casting an eerie shadow across what should have been a dreamy scene of a beautiful garden at night.
The nest, roughly the size of a two-story house, resembled a monstrous, warped honeycomb, with layers of grayish, paper material clinging together in a chaotic, irregular pattern.
Its surface was rough and uneven, with gaping holes the size of an adult human and bulging, irregular ridges.
Kain wasn't sure if it was a trick on his mind from the horrific appearance and creepy atmosphere, but the whole nest seemed to be pulsing rhythmically like the steady beating of a heart.
However, Kain knew that the true threat was hidden from view inside.
He looked back and forth between the radar and the nest.
'Please…Please tell me that I don't need to go in there'
However, as they got closer to the nest, and its location coincided with the red dot on the radar, Kain got his answer.
"We'll stick to the plan," he whispered, "the only change is that we need to go in there and that I will be the one to deal the final blow if they are asleep."
Kain figured that the spear would be more quiet than Lady crushing their exoskeleton.
Bridge, looked horrified at the prospect of him going in there but didn't fight him on it.
"Hopefully, they stay asleep, and then Princess can just simply freeze any resting guards we see on the way."
They cautiously approached the nest before climbing through one of the lowest holes.