With a battle cry that shakes the night, Tygari charges forward, hammer raised high. Barok is at his side, both of them attacking the beast with all their might. Tygari's hammer comes down on the creature's head with a thunderous impact, while Barok drives his spear deep into one of its exposed joints.
The combined force of their strikes staggers the creature. It screeches in pain, its legs faltering just enough for Jynra to fall free, her body crumpling to the ground, blood pouring from the wound in her side.
"Get her out of here!" Tygari barks, his voice hoarse with effort as he and Barok continue their relentless assault, hammering at the creature's weakening defenses.
Amara and Rylis rush to Jynra's side, dragging her away from the fray. She gasps for breath, clutching her side, her eyes half-closed.
"We're almost through!" Barok growls, his muscles straining as he pushes his spear deeper into the creature's leg, finally cracking the armor. Tygari swings again, landing a crushing blow to the beast's head. The creature screeches one last time, its body convulsing before it collapses into the dirt, its limbs twitching in the moonlight.
For a moment, there's only the sound of heavy breathing as they stand over the fallen creature, their weapons still in hand, unsure if it's truly dead. Then, silence.
Tygari wipes a hand across his sweat-streaked brow, breathing heavily as he surveys the fallen creature. He glances at the others, his face showing a hint of grim satisfaction. "Damn… that bastard was hard to kill."
Amara nods, her gaze shifting from the creature to Jynra, who lies cradled in Rylis's arms, blood seeping through her tunic. "Tygari, we need to get Jynra treated now. I'll take her back to the village."
Tygari gives a quick nod, eyes still fixed on the creature's massive form. "Go. Barok and I will handle the body."
Amara doesn't waste a second. She turns to the others, her voice urgent. "Let's move!" Rylis and Farin support Jynra, careful not to jostle her wound as they follow Amara into the forest, shadows swallowing their figures as they disappear from view.
Once they're gone, Tygari and Barok exchange a weary glance. The fight has left both of them bruised and exhausted, but there's work to be done.
"Help me lift it," Tygari says, kneeling beside the creature. Together, he and Barok grip the ant-guard's massive, armored limbs. With a heave, they haul the body upright, the weight of it making their muscles burn with strain. The creature is surprisingly dense, its heavy exoskeleton dragging against the ground as they hoist it, each step requiring deliberate effort.
Barok grunts under the weight. "Let's get it to Amara's village," he mutters, his voice strained.
High above the scene, outside the confines of the small world, Azure watches the Vorrans in their desperate fight against the ant guard, his eyes sharp with fascination. He chuckles, a note of pride slipping into his tone. "Wow, this ant guard is stronger than I expected," he murmurs, half to himself.
Nexus, hovering beside him, responds in its calm, detached tone. "Its power levels are performing as projected. However, its defensive capabilities seem to be surpassing initial estimates."
Azure nods, still watching intently. "Yes… It's enduring more than the Vorrans have encountered before. It's forcing them to push their limits." He strokes his chin thoughtfully as he studies Tygari and Barok, each struggling to overcome the ant guard's resilience. The hunters' strikes glance off its armor time and again, their muscles taut with exhaustion.
Azure watches as the Vorrans finally bring down the creature, his smirk widening. "And that's only one out of a fifty ant guards in the experimental world."
He pauses, considering the impact of unleashing the evolved ants on the Vorrans, a sense of satisfaction filling him. "These ants… they should be enough to give the Vorrans a proper crisis, don't you think, Nexus?"
Nexus responds, its tone calm and precise. "Indeed, Host. At present, the colony consists of one ant queen, fifty ant guards, and approximately a thousand worker ants."
Azure's eyes gleam with intrigue. "One queen, you say… Is it safe to take her out away from the colony?"
Nexus doesn't miss a beat. "Yes, Host. Due to their evolution, the colony will naturally produce a new queen if the current one is removed or dies. It is a failsafe of their adaptation."
Azure chuckles, nodding with approval. "Good. So, even without a queen, their survival and adaptation are secured. Excellent."
He shifts his gaze back to the miniature world. "Let's see… A single ant guard already pushed the Vorrans to their breaking point. Fifty would overwhelm them entirely." He pauses, pondering his next move. "And a thousand workers, though harmless alone, will provide enough of a constant threat that no corner of their world feels safe."
"Shall I prepare a selective introduction of the worker ants, Host?" Nexus inquires.
Azure's smile deepens, a glint of excitement in his eyes. "Let's do that, then," he replies. "But this time, we'll start small." He pauses, thinking through his plan. "Just pick the ant queen, ten ant guards, and five hundred worker ants. That should be enough to stir things up."
Nexus's holographic form brightens as it processes the command. "Understood, Host. Selecting the requested ants for transport now."
Azure clasps his hands behind his back, watching as Nexus executes the orders. He mutters to himself, more amused than concerned, "After all, these ants don't reproduce rapidly. Despite a hundred-year-per-day acceleration time, their numbers remain controlled… and yet the queen will still give birth to ten new guards and hundreds of workers with each cycle."