Rain sighed. If he didn't step in, people could die. As the guild master, he couldn't allow that to happen. Cracking his knuckles, he jumped down the hill.
"FOLLOW! WE'LL FLANK THEM FROM ALL SIDES! TAKE A DEFENSIVE FORMATION!"
The archers and mages stayed back, their backs secured. Every ant was protecting the queen, but Lime was the only mage rushing forward. He needed to finish this fast—he couldn't last much longer. The archers and mages unleashed a barrage of magic: jets of water and air, fireballs, spikes of earth, ice, and lightning. Spells of all kinds rained down upon the battlefield.
Rain reached the first ant champion and faced it alone, while the others were engaged by dozens of warriors. Mages ensured no smaller ants incapacitated them. Lime scanned the battlefield—no one seemed in urgent need of help. He rushed forward toward the queen. Voices shouted for him to come back, but he needed to be quick. Just as he was about to step in front of her, a new ant appeared. It was larger than the others but smaller than the champions.
"A mere ant," he scoffed.
Before he could act, his instincts screamed. He ducked—just in time. A giant ice shard flew past him.
"A magic ant? Damn!"
Again, he leaped to the left as a massive stone pillar crashed down at breakneck speed.
"Damn it! If only Asil was helping!"
Then, out of nowhere, a monstrous figure leaped past him and kicked the ant away. It was a familiar sight—an ape with metallic arms. The Apex huffed at Lime.
"Thank you. Let's fight together and keep yourself safe!"
Lime was in his human form. He couldn't use his giant form to crush the ant, but he could bombard it with magic, foiling its spells while the ape landed a decisive blow. He needed to conserve mana. Placing his hands on the ground, he started casting stone walls and shards to hinder the ant and defend the ape. Every spell the ant threw, Lime countered with a wall. But just as he negated its attacks, the ant disrupted every strike from the ape or spell from Lime.
Then, an opportunity arose. The ape broke through a wall. Lime cast a pillar behind the ant—
A stinging sensation.
He looked down. Acid.
His head snapped back toward the battlefield—the ape was trapped, caged in stone. Lime had to power through the pain.
His senses flared.
He's going to die.
He's going to die.
He can't!
In that moment, he did something unexpected, something no one thought he would do—he released the ape instead of defending himself. The move took even the ant by surprise. Not wasting another second, the ape blasted forward, punching the ant.
Lime looked down. A stone pillar had pierced his shoulder. If not for their decisive action, they both would have died. A potion dropped beside him. A monstrous figure loomed overhead.
"Thank you for saving him. Drink this—it'll heal you well."
Lime drank it, but his mana was still running low. The battle was dragging on. Warriors were slowing down. He saw a man with a nasty wound across his stomach. Another was clutching his friend. Others were flung across the battlefield, crashing into the roof and walls. He turned his gaze to the queen.
She stood there, grotesque, as if mocking everyone.
He walked forward. His limbs were giving out. His transformation was on the verge of collapse, but he paid it no mind. He had to face her.
A voice echoed in his mind.
"A monster. You had these people fooled? But you don't fool me. I can feel your mana running low. I can feel your power decreasing. What can you do against me? Every ant here—though weak—exists to protect me and only me. Even your leader, though he took down three of my champions, is slowing down."
"You're too loud," Lime muttered.
He accessed the last bit of mana in his core, his Omni-elemental gland, and his pure mana gland, charging three spells at once. His mind burned. His senses threatened to collapse. He cast stone spikes first, piercing her outer defenses. She screeched and lashed out with mind spells, trying to crush his thoughts—but in his current state, they barely affected him. He cast a continuous jet of water, soaking her.
And then, he mumbled, "Arc Shot."
Lightning cracked from his fingers, following the water stream. Electricity surged through her body, frying her from the inside. Her screams filled the mind bridge, but he had no response.
The ants turned. They ignored the other warriors and charged straight at Lime.
Everyone saw.
Everyone reacted instantly.
"PROTECT HIM!"
Warriors and mages alike formed a defensive line, ensuring his safety.
Then—silence.
The queen stopped moving.
The ants stopped moving.
And then, all at once, every ant collapsed—dead.
Lime's illusion faded.
He summoned Asil with the last remnants of his mana. She lifted him, her own injuries evident, and took off into the air.
"Hey! WAIT! We can heal him!"
Asil ignored them. Some tried to stop her, but they were too injured. She flew through the ant caves and disappeared.
Rain, his body covered in scrapes, exhaled.
"He'll be okay. We'll meet him later."
—
"Sir, the subject—renamed Genesis—joined the expedition against the queen."
"The one we planted?"
"The one. It has been defeated."
"Oh? How did Genesis perform?"
"It... landed the final blow. It now has access to higher magic—lightning."
The man remained silent for a moment. Then, he burst into laughter.
"YES! YES! GOOD!"
After a few seconds, he exhaled.
"Prepare Project Orphion for the meetup... It'll be soon."
The young man hesitated. "O-Orphion? Sir... Genesis is too young—"
"Don't make me repeat myself."
"Yes, Doctor Rond! I'll go right away."
"You do that."
Rond sighed and turned away, disinterested in further conversation. He gazed out of a massive glass window, surveying the land below.
Flying creatures with unnatural physiology.
Giant turtles that breathed fire.
Lizards that vanished into darkness.
He smirked.
"Of all these projects... a failure has the highest success rate. Ironic."