Even Samimi felt a chill run down her spine. She had a bit of a fear of insects.
The appearance of one of these things meant there were thousands more behind it, impossible to completely eradicate.
“Once these things are discovered, they will pursue you endlessly until every insect in the area is cleared, or until we are devoured, leaving not even bones behind,” Samimi explained in a low voice.
The women fell silent, exchanging glances.
At this moment, all conflicts and grudges were temporarily set aside.
They had to unite.
Everyone looked at Samimi, awaiting her decision.
Samimi’s expression was grim.
She knew very well that most of this team were combat-focused, with few truly capable of strategic thinking.
If she lost her composure too, then it would truly be over.
Suddenly, she remembered one person.
“Steve, what do you think?” Samimi asked.
“My name is Steve…” she pushed up her glasses, speaking cautiously. “Do these insects… have any other special characteristics?”
“No particularly complex traits, just sheer numbers,” Samimi replied. “Individually weak, but they can consume corpses while fighting and even reproduce. They drag battles into wars of attrition.”
Steve thought it over seriously, then revealed an innocent expression:
“Then, if we are strong enough, can’t we just kill them all in one go and solve the problem permanently?”
“…”
Samimi was silent for a second.
“…You really are a genius.”
“I-I was just thinking out loud…” Steve immediately became nervous.
Samimi patted her shoulder, her tone softening:
“Don’t be nervous. You’re right. I was overcomplicating things just now.”
She took a deep breath.
Her mind cleared.
Who were they?
They were the Hero Party.
Within the team—
There were five Heroes.
And four of them possessed special effectiveness against humanoid units.
Demon Humans are human.
Insect People… are essentially “humanoid monsters.”
Add to that the Twin Demons, The Hero of the Gale, and others specialized in “cutting people down”—
This battle might not be unwinnable.
Samimi’s gaze gradually turned cold.
“Sisters, this is not a breakout battle.”
“This is an extermination battle.”
“We must clear this entire area of Abyss Insects, otherwise we cannot pass through safely.”
She quickly issued orders:
“Myself, Niubao, and Bemore will handle area-of-effect extermination.”
“The Twin Demons, The Hero of the Gale, and Sword Saint Senior, you are responsible for perimeter cleanup, preventing any from escaping.”
“Serina, you are responsible for protecting the backline—the Mages, Divine Officials, and the Pharmacist.”
“Understood,” everyone responded.
Serina, though a bit unwilling, nodded and accepted the order.
—
The Twin Demons quietly moved to the left flank.
Cresia and The Hero of the Gale took up positions on the right.
Forming an encirclement formation.
And the true firepower core—
Bemore, had already set up her twin staves.
She hid behind a tree root, calculating the parabolic trajectory.
The insect swarm in the distance was still wandering, clearly not yet sated.
“Open fire,” Samimi ordered coldly.
The next instant—
Hundreds of “Degraded Dragon Bullets” soared into the air!
Drawing dense arcs across the sky, they plummeted with pinpoint accuracy into the heart of the insect swarm.
BOOM—!
The entire area was instantly engulfed in a sea of fire.
Explosions rippled continuously.
A massive number of Abyss Insects were blown apart on the spot.
Even those not immediately killed were swallowed by the raging flames.
Only a few individuals on the outermost edge barely managed to escape.
Bemore’s volley—
Was practically a mobile rocket battery.
She deliberately reduced armor-piercing capability, enhancing blast radius and rate of fire.
Transforming the “Dragon Bullets” into—
High-Explosive Shells.
For the insect swarm, it was practically a dimensional downgrade.
—
After the explosions subsided.
The surviving Abyss Insects emitted piercing shrieks, charging mindlessly toward the direction of the Mages.
Niubao was the first to charge out!
“[Knight Exclusive Defense Amplification – Combined Formulation]!“
“[General Flame Enchantment]!“
“[Holy Flame Enchantment]!“
Under Samimi’s buffs—
Niubao’s speed surged, her twin swords igniting with dual-colored flames.
She directly activated Whirlwind Slash!
Her entire body became a flaming top.
Wherever she passed—
The insect swarm was torn to shreds.
Offering no resistance whatsoever.
Her attributes were already biased toward PvE.
Endurance, strength, and stamina were all extremely high.
Facing this kind of cannon fodder—
It was pure slaughter.
—
At the same time.
The Heroes on the left and right flanks moved simultaneously!
The Hero of the Gale stirred up a gale.
Countless dead leaves transformed into blades.
Instantly shredding a large swath of the insect swarm.
Her efficiency almost matched Bemore’s bombardment.
On the other side—
The Twin Demons Hero was even more straightforward and brutal.
Two katana, one red, one black.
They plunged into the insect swarm like harvesting machines.
One slash, one kill.
Clean and efficient.
—
Only Cresia seemed to struggle slightly.
She was accustomed to single-target combat.
Facing this kind of group target, she was a bit uncoordinated at first.
But she quickly adjusted her strategy—
Don’t know the vital points?
Then just decapitate them all.
Her efficiency was lower, but she didn’t hold the team back.
—
Soon.
The battle ended.
Not a single insect escaped.
The battlefield was left with only scorched earth and severed limbs.
If they were human corpses, it might have been nauseating.
But insects—
Only made one feel a sense of catharsis.
Samimi even felt a bit exhilarated.
It was then she realized—
She wasn’t entirely an “ordinary person” either.
And the other young women…
Were the same.
Faced with this kind of massacre—
They showed not the slightest hesitation.
—
“Ugh…”
It was Serina who couldn’t take it first.
Samimi couldn’t help but poke her head:
“Turtle Nana, you’re really too weak, aren’t you?”
—
This battle proved one thing once again:
In the Otherworld—
Human wave tactics are meaningless.
No amount of cannon fodder can overcome an elite squad.
—
“Move, we’re leaving this place immediately.”
Samimi gave the order at once.
Everyone quickly skirted the battlefield, taking a detour to evacuate.
No one questioned it.
—
Not long after.
More Abyss Insects arrived at the scene.
They were not there for revenge.
But rather—
To feed.
The charred, the blown-apart, the mangled corpses—
All were devoured.
Not a single scrap of flesh was left behind.
—
This was the most terrifying part.
No matter how many you killed—
It was only the tip of the iceberg.
All living creatures in this forest had long been devoured.
The reason this area was so quiet—
Was because there were no living things left.
—
“The Abyss Insect Tide has a core.”
“Only by destroying the [Swarm Core] will all the insects in this area die.”
In a safe area, Samimi explained to everyone.
Everyone listened in silence.
No one said anything more.
Because they all understood—
This was only the beginning.