The captain didn't wait. It rushed forward, a streak of muscle and malice, one kick landing squarely against Luke's ribs—lifting him off his feet and sending him crashing through a wall. The impact robbed him of breath. Stone shattered. Dust filled his lungs. He tried to rise, but the shadow was already above him, moving like a reaper, mandibles descending to finish the job...

A barrier flashed between them. Charlie. She blocked the strike with her spectral barrier and, with her free arm, drove a punch straight into the captain's torso. The impact sent the creature staggering backward, its clawed feet carving deep gouges into the ground.

Luke coughed, blood flecking his lips.

This thing... it's stronger than the Mantis, but a bit weaker than Morvat!

The Captain roared. Charlie glanced at Luke. And in that look, he understood everything. The Beast Lord's army wasn't just equivalent to the Orc Lord's. It was superior. Not a single Beast Captain he'd faced was weaker than the orcs that once terrorized him. They were sharper. Faster. Smarter. Each one more monstrous than the last. But he'd changed too. Luke rose to his feet, blades already humming with power. This time, he didn't hesitate.

The captain charged, a blur of teeth and steel—four arms moving like a storm, each strike aimed to kill. Luke met the assault head-on. He dodged the first slash and turned the next aside with a deflection. Sparks lit the air as [Force Infusion] crackled through his kukris. The third and fourth blades came in fast—one high, one low. He parried both, barely. The force rattled down his bones.

And then, she arrived. Charlie burst into the fight like a hammer from the heavens, her enchanted fist surging with raw energy. She struck the Ant Captain's spine with a crushing blow, her entire frame behind the hit. The carapace trembled. Cracked slightly. But didn't shatter.

The captain retaliated instantly, two arms swinging in a coordinated strike. Charlie was hurled backward, her body tumbling across dirt and stone. She rolled to her feet, bruised but standing. The Ant Captain turned to Luke. Its roar shook the air, primal and deafening.

Luke raised his bracer just in time. The strike landed with a brutal thud, his arm absorbing most of the force—but only just. Without pause, Luke slashed across its torso. The blade cut through muscle, drawing a shriek—then the Captain lunged again, even faster. All four arms came forward, each claw gleaming with mana. Luke struck back, blades flashing, but the flesh was different now. Denser. Hardened by some inner evolution. Stronger than the Mantis had ever been.

He took a single step back—and vanished into mist. Shadows spread around the Captain, cloaking its vision in dark fog. It spun, confused, antennae twitching, searching for the source. Luke struck from within the veil, blades aimed straight for the neck. But the Captain reacted. Reflexes, not reason. It twisted, claws lashing out, yellow energy flaring at the joints. The air snapped with raw force.

"It was just a distraction," Luke muttered.

And it was. Charlie streaked in from the side, spectral force gathering around her fist. She struck with precision, driving her hand into the creature's lower back. The Captain's body was launched off the ground, sailing through the air before crashing down. The impact sent cracks spidering through the earth.

Charlie rushed forward to finish it—but the swarm wasn't done. Ant Soldiers flooded the area, surging toward her like a tidal wave of limbs and fangs. Without missing a beat, she summoned her blade. Her feet planted. She spun. A wide arc of steel carved through the swarm, clearing a perimeter with a flawless [Whirlwind Strike]. Ant limbs fell. The momentum bought seconds—nothing more.

The Captain rose again. Its body blurred. In a blink, it crossed the distance. Luke barely registered the movement—just a shadow coming fast. He threw himself into the air, twisted mid-spin, and countered. His kukris sliced across the creature's chest in twin arcs. Blood sprayed—blue and thick. He struck again with a sweeping kick to its gut, forcing the monster back a step.

Then it began to glow. A low, yellow pulse expanded from its limbs—and it vanished.

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Perception.

Luke's senses flared, sharpening. He scanned the field—nothing.

Then: above.

The Captain reappeared mid-air, arms raised, every claw aimed downward in a brutal arc. Luke rolled out of the kill zone just before impact. The earth fractured beneath the creature's landing, a crater erupting from the point of contact. Stone and soil blasted outward in a wave.

From the center, the Captain rose again. This time, all four arms rotated—spinning at inhuman speed. A cyclone of blades. It charged forward, cleaving through debris, trees, and anything in its path.

Luke planted his feet and raised both kukris. Power surged through him. He hurled the blades into the air—and triggered the skill. Each kukri split, duplicating with a violent snap of magic. Four weapons slammed into the Captain's chest like falling stars. The creature stumbled.

Luke was already moving before the dust settled. He kicked off the ground and struck the Captain's back, launching it into the air. The Arachnid Leggings activated—he shot higher.

The kukris returned to his grip mid-flight. He dropped like a blade, carving through the air, slashes raining down—each one angled for damage. The shell cracked. The Captain shrieked. With a final twist, Luke drove both feet into its spine, sending it crashing to the earth. It hit the ground with devastating force.

Luke didn't wait. He sprinted through the dust, each motion deliberate, each strike precise—blades carving through armor like he'd trained for this moment alone. The Captain raised its metallic limbs in defense. Too late. One kukri drove into a joint. The arm jerked. The second followed—a severing strike. The limb snapped free, crashing to the dirt with a wet thud.

He moved like a phantom, weaving through the battlefield with his twin kukris flashing in fluid arcs. Each strike carved out new openings, each movement a blur of momentum and precision. Shadows wrapped around him as he vanished and reappeared in rapid dashes, striking from behind, spinning low, kicking off walls.

With pinpoint focus, he flung both kukris skyward, each blade pulsing with [Force Infusion]. The Captain instinctively jerked aside—exactly as planned. Luke triggered the magnetic return. The kukris snapped back like iron missiles, slamming into the creature's exposed back with bone-crushing force. It staggered, a guttural cry erupting from its throat.

Before it could recover, Charlie landed beside it. Her steel fist cracked into the creature's jaw, the impact rippling through the air. Luke caught his weapons mid-motion and didn't pause. Blades flashed again, precise, brutal. Two of the Captain's arms hit the ground.

Charlie spun into a whirlwind, her sword trailing arcs of silver light, and cleaved into the monster's side with such force that it was sent crashing across the platform. It tried to rise, but Spectral chains wrapped around its limbs, locking it midair.

Luke moved like a shadow made flesh. Three clean slices. The creature broke free, howling, reduced to a single blade-arm. It surged forward in one last, desperate lunge, driving all its fury into a final strike.

Then time hiccupped.

A blur of movement sliced through the space between them. The Dancing Mimic's delayed attack connected first, its blade driving straight into the Captain's chest. Luke blinked behind it, two slashes, deep and deliberate. The kukris sank into its spine. The Captain slammed into the wall, twitching. Blue blood dripped from its mouth as its limbs shuddered.

Then, stillness. Its eyes dimmed to black.

[You have slain a Devourer Ant (Beast Captain) – Lvl 30]

*The [Pugilist] 2nd Class of Princess Charlie has reached Level 5! (Class Bonus Points Acquired)*

[Princess Charlie has unlocked a new skill for her second class]

Luke stood over the corpse, breath ragged. Weeks ago, he would've died here. Now… he was something else. Stronger. Sharper. He and Charlie vaulted off the structure and landed on the main street, moving as one. The battle raged around them.

Angelica was holding the line farther down, locked in combat with one of the swarm's commanders. Refuge fighters surrounded her, keeping the smaller creatures at bay. Ahead, Allison and Jonathan battled another Captain, holding the flank.

Luke slowed for a second. A sensation pricked at the back of his mind—something he'd felt since the beginning. Not panic. Not fear. Absence. He opened the system interface, scrolling through the most recent alerts.

His voice was low. "There's nothing…"

No alerts. No events. No directives. This wasn't a tutorial phase.

"Invasions don't work like this…" he murmured.

There were always rules. Timers. Structure. The system enforced balance—even during chaos. But these ants? Even with their Captains dead, they kept moving. No retreat. No breakdown in formation. Just… escalation. His gaze shifted to the far edge of the Safe Zone. And stopped.

Something was rising. A mound—no, a fortress—built from dark earth, glistening mud, and pale, pulsing resin. Ants worked in perfect harmony, layer by layer, climbing over one another to shape it faster. A living monolith.

"...An anthill," he whispered.

Then the system answered.

[Special Event: The Ant Swarm]

Description: An unknown General has breached the borders of the Safe Zone, leading an army of destruction. Local defenses have been overrun, and the enemy presence grows stronger by the minute. If no action is taken, this refuge will fall under enemy control. It's up to you to turn the tide of this battle.

Objective: Defeat the invading General and defend the Safe Zone.

Status: The event is in progress.

(Notice: The stability of the Safe Zone is compromised. If the enemy is not defeated, this territory will be lost.)

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.