In the forest where vines interwove, several hundred armored mercenaries with large swords on their backs cut through thistles and thorns as they ran madly for their lives.
Well-trained and armed with excellent equipment, their lineup was several times stronger than the Fire Cloud Mercenaries. They were the Fire Dragon Kingdom’s famed Lucivia Mercenaries.
The Lucivia Mercenaries!
They were a unit under the Lucivia Chamber of Commerce’s command in Fire Dragon Kingdom. Rich, powerful, and strong, they enjoyed a very high status in Fire Dragon Kingdom’s mercenary circle, and innumerable adventurers dreamed of becoming one of them.
However, every one of these enviable mercenaries was filled with terror and anxiety at the moment. Even Luxican, their Ninth-Grade Warrior captain, was no exception. All of his usual calmness and composure had left him, leaving him in total panic.
“Hurry! Hurry up, everyone!
“Those at the back, keep up with the ones in front and don’t fall behind!”
Bam!
A series of rustling sounds suddenly rang out from an area ahead of them at that moment. The mercenaries hastily stopped in their tracks and watched in worry and trepidation the area in front of them.
Captain Luxican shouted in a low voice, “Wesley, go and take a look at what has happened in front!”
“Yes... Captain!”
A small, skinny mercenary dressed in black robes responded especially unwillingly and went to investigate what had happened at the front. However, a brief moment later, they heard a shrill scream coming from the front.
“T-that’s Wesley’s voice!”
“What happened to Wesley? What has happened?”
“Is he...”
His scream sounded as if an owl’s cry. The mercenaries, who were already fearful and tense, to begin with, were scared even more out of their wits and incredibly frightened.
Captain Luxican hastily shouted, “There’s danger at the front! Hurry, switch to a different direction!”
After he spoke, he led the way and rushed toward another direction.
“Yes, Captain!”
The mercenaries followed after him one by one.
However, before they could go far, all of them doubled back to the same spot. They then switched to another direction and began to flee in that direction instead. It was just a shame that, just like before, they ended up returning to where they’d originally been again before they’d gone far.
Then, they switched directions once more, only to return again.
The rustling sounds coming from every direction were like terrifying, dreadful obstacles blocking the mercenaries’ way.
Rustle, rustle!
As trees swayed and shrubs shook, the culprits blocking their way started to emerge one after another. It was a group of Magical Beast ants that were as large as calves and blood-red in color throughout.
They had razor-sharp, sickle-shaped teeth and tough, solid hard exoskeletons.
Barbed thorns covered their legs and their heads were terrifying and savage-looking.
They were the Sixth-Grade Magical Beasts, Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants!
“W-why are there so many Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants?!”
“We’re surrounded!”
“We’ve been surrounded by Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants!”
“Captain! Hurry and think of something!”
The mercenaries’ faces were ghastly pale as they drew back fearfully.
“I... What can I do?!”
Captain Luxican was as pale as a sheet as he gazed at the endless stream of Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants surging toward them like tidal waves. There wasn’t even the slightest bit of rosiness in his complexion!
Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants were just Sixth-Grade Magical Beasts and weren’t much to be afraid of, however, what made them fearsome were their terrifying numbers!
,000 Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants could bulldoze through everything when they moved out together. Even a large majority of Magical Beasts would have to make a detour upon the sight of them.
Once their numbers went beyond 100,000, they were no different from a catastrophe. Everywhere they went through, lands turned barren, no lives were spared, and nothing was left behind!
How many Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants were there in front of them at this moment?
,000? 100,000? Or... Even more than that?
Captain Luxican didn’t know. All he could see was a densely packed multitude of Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants that formed an infinite, boundless ant tide surrounding them on all sides.
“Aren’t Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants underground Magical Beasts? Why are there so many of them here?”
Luxican couldn’t understand why. However, whether or not he understood was already no longer something of importance because the densely packed ant tide was already surging toward them. They pounced onto them, brandishing their sharp teeth as they did so.
“Get lost!”
“Leave me alone, you ugly freaks!”
“Ahhh!”
Against the raging, torrential ant tide, the Lucivia Mercenaries were as if an isolated island in the vast ocean. They didn’t last long before all of them disappeared without a trace, drowned by the waves.
Rustle, rustle!
The Bloodthirsty Iron-Crystal Ants were expressionless, as though what they had done was merely something trivial and inconsequential. They continued to surge forward while waving their sharp teeth.
Not a single person knew that the famed Lucivia Mercenaries had been annihilated just like that. The incident didn’t create even a ripple in the sea.
...
Meng Lei didn’t know about the Lucivia Mercenaries’ tragic fate. He steered the magic carpet and continued flying toward the outside of the forest. Now that they’d gone a far ways off, the Saint Domain Magical Beasts’ roars were no longer audible. It was only then that his heart settled a little.
“Ol’ President, why exactly are those Saint Domain Magical Beasts rampaging?” Meng Lei couldn’t figure it out. “It’s impossible to even catch a glimpse of them usually, so why did all of them suddenly come to life today?”
Ol’ Amos shook his head lightly. “There’s no smoke without fire. I can’t be sure what exactly has happened in the forest’s central region, but it’s probably nothing good.
“Saint Domain Magical Beasts are existences that already stand at the pinnacle of Magical Beast Forest. What else is there that’s capable of mass-inciting them?”
Meng Lei’s eyes swiveled as he asked, “Could some kind of treasure have emerged in the forest’s central region? Thereby causing all of them to make a move for it?”
“Not impossible, but it’s not very likely.” Ol’ Amos shook his head and said, “A king exists in Magical Beast Forest, and all the Saint Domain Magical Beasts are its subjects. Even if a treasure has really emerged, they don’t have a chance of getting it at all.”
“The king of Magical Beast Forest?” Meng Lei was taken aback. He hastily asked, “Ol’ President, Magical Beast Forest has a king?”
“Humans have kings, too. Why can’t Magical Beasts have one?” Ol’ Amos cast a glance at Meng Lei and said, “Seventh-Grade Magical Beasts possess intelligence comparable to humans, while Ninth-Grade Magical Beasts can even speak the human language. It wouldn’t be surprising even if Magical Beasts were to establish their own kingdom, much less just a king!”
“Fine!”
Meng Lei nodded quietly. He then asked, “Ol’ President, what kind of Magical Beast is the king of Magical Beast Forest? How strong is it? Have you ever seen it?”
A complex look flashed across Ol’ Amos’ eyes upon Meng Lei’s questions. “I was fortunate enough to have seen it once. That was when I had just broken through to Ninth-Grade Magician and became Fire Dragon Kingdom’s court magician.”
“What does it look like? What kind of Magical Beast is it?” asked Meng Lei with a curious expression.
Buzz, buzz!
Meng Lei’s magic communication device suddenly rang at this point. Meng Lei’s brows furrowed slightly, and he looked at it with great dissatisfaction, only to see that it was actually Abbe that was calling.
Abbe?
Meng Lei was rather bewildered. Abbe had never called him before, so why was he calling him now?
A puzzled Meng Lei chose to pick up the call.
The fellow had a distant and aloof expression on his face, and he uttered only a line before he hung up—”Something has gone wrong in Magical Beast Forest. Leave at once, otherwise, your life will be in danger!”
“Uh...”
A mildly dumbstruck Meng Lei stared at the communication device that was now disconnected. “That cold, icy fellow is actually giving me words of caution? How unexpected!”
Ol’ Amos laughed and replied, “Golden Colossal Dragon People may be haughty by nature, but they also make a clear distinction between kindness and grudges. You saved his life once, so it’s understandable that he’d warn you.”
“I guess so.”
Meng Lei shook his head lightly. Just as he was about to put away the magic communication device, it rang again unexpectedly. This time, the caller was Fatty Hart.
“Old bro, are you in Magical Beast Forest?”
The moment the call connected, Fatty Hart began to question him right away.
“Yes, what’s the matter?”
Meng Lei was rather bewildered.
Fatty Hart replied anxiously, “Something has gone wrong in Magical Beast Forest. A large-scale ant tide has erupted! You’d better run! Any longer, and you’re gonna die!”
“An ant tide? How did you know that?”
Meng Lei looked stupefied.
I’m in Magical Beast Forest, and I don’t even know what has happened, yet a little fatty like you in the capital city miles away does?
Are you kidding me?