Ethan gritted his teeth. The corrosive ichor wasn't just tearing apart the environment; it was stripping away his one advantage—stealth. Without the trees and shrubbery, his ragtag army of unconventional summons would stand out like a sore thumb, drawing attention from adventurers and insectoids alike.
Also, the air was thick with the acidic stench, each breath burning his lungs. He needed a plan, and he needed it fast.
Ethan stared at his minions and his gaze fell upon the Zither Wings. Quickly, a plan formed in his head. He had managed to collect four zither wings in his team so far and this was good enough.
"You four, fly closer and attract the other insectoids. Try to get the scouts or the wings, whichever you can find, and lure them away to this area." Ethan pointed to the dense forest in the distance which was mostly unharmed.
The insectoids coming out of the portal clashed with the main team of the adventurers first. Those who slipped past them were blocked by the numerous secondary teams spread out. Ideally, this should prevent anything from entering the main area.
However, the numbers right now were completely bonkers. The entire adventurer's guild was swarmed with low-level insectoids. So many of them slipped past the numerous teams fighting the insectoids and most of these were headed towards the main city gates.
It was not difficult for Ethan's personal zither wings to divert some of them to a nearby area. The swarm had a mob mentality and they followed behind the four without any resistance. Once they were in the thick of the forests, the zither wings descended down and the others followed.
The presence of Ethan, Lia, and the goblins helped. The zither wings screeched having seen their prey. The first of the pursuing insectoids burst into the clearing, their glowing eyes locking onto Ethan and his ragtag army.
"Attack!" Ethan shouted, his voice cutting through the cacophony.
The Zither Wings that had lured the small swarm screeched again, descending to join their summoned brethren in the fight. They turned against their own and managed to land a few good surprise attacks.
Grug charged forward with a roar, his club swinging in a deadly arc. The weapon connected with a Zither Scout, shattering its exoskeleton and sending ichor spraying into the air. Snarl darted in beside him, his jagged blade slicing through a Zither Wing's wing joint, grounding it instantly.
The slimes moved with unsettling efficiency, their amorphous forms rippling as they swarmed a particularly aggressive Zither Wing. The insectoid thrashed, its serrated limbs struggling to free itself, but the slimes clung tighter, their gelatinous bodies absorbing its movements.
The zither scouts grabbed hold of a zither wing and brought it down two against one. The team was quickly clearing the bunch of zither wings that got lured.
The ambush unfolded with brutal efficiency.
Ethan decided to join the slimes this time and quickly finished off the zither wing they had clung to, adding one more to his arsenal. He then turned to kill steal from one of his summons but he was already too late. Several notifications popped up one after the other.
[Ding! Your summon has killed a Zither Wing.]
[Ding! You have gained experience points.]
[Ding! Your summon has killed a Zither Wing.]
[Ding! You have gained experience points.]
[Ding! Your summon has killed a Zither Wing.]
[Ding! You have gained experience points.]
…
…
…
Ethan smiled bitterly seeing that all of the lured insectoids were already dead. It was time to lure the next batch of zither wings.
He turned to the four Zither Wings hovering nearby, their translucent wings humming faintly. "Same plan as before," he commanded. "Fly out and draw another batch here. Get as many as you can without overloading us." He summoned the fifth one he had last killed to add to the group.
The Zither Wings screeched in response, lifting off and disappearing into the treetops. Ethan watched them go, his hand tightening around the hilt of his dagger. He glanced back at Lia, who smiled at him tiredly.
"Take a break if you want," Ethan said, his voice softening. She was pale, her breaths shallow, and exhaustion weighed heavy in her hazel eyes. Despite this, she shook her head.
"I'm fine, Master," Lia replied, her voice steady despite her fatigue. "I'll keep going."
Ethan hesitated for a moment, concern flickering across his face. She had been pushing herself hard, too hard, but he knew better than to argue now. They were in the thick of it, and every second mattered.
"Alright, but stay behind the line," he said, his tone firm.
Lia nodded and wiped the sweat from her brow.
The Zither Wings returned faster than expected, their screeches announcing their success. Behind them came another swarm of insectoids, their glowing eyes gleaming with predatory hunger. This group was larger—at least twenty, a mix of Scouts and Wings.
"Brace yourselves!" Ethan shouted, his voice cutting through the air like a whip. "Same strategy—lock them down, and strike fast!"
The battlefield erupted into chaos as the new swarm descended.