Chapter 141: The Ant Queen

Luke and Angelica reunited with the rest of the group.

“Finally, we found you,” Anna said, visibly relieved.

But Bob and the four soldiers beside him barely reacted. Their eyes remained locked on the end of the tunnel. Something was happening ahead—the metallic clash of blades, human screams, monstrous roars… and then a powerful roar echoed through the cavern.

[Ant Queen (General Beast) – Lvl 35]

“Looks like we’ve reached the heart of the problem,” Angelica said, stepping closer to the others. She rolled her shoulder with a grimace. “Hey, Bob. Hurt myself here—mind healing me?”

“Of course,” he replied, still staring ahead, unblinking. “Some of our soldiers are up there. Can you help me bring the wounded back here?”

The group nodded without hesitation.

Charlie ran straight to Luke, quickly scanning him for injuries. It had become a habit by now. Luke gave a brief smile. It was good having her nearby.

Allison stepped up.

“Charlie tried to clear the rubble where you two fell, but we warned her it could bring the whole thing down.”

A new scream tore through the air:

“AAARGH!”

“Fall back!” a voice shouted.

They ran.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, they were met with a true war zone. A vast underground chamber opened before them—the remains of a mine, with twisted rails and overturned carts scattered among the rubble. Stones, broken pillars, and smoke filled the space. Screams came from every direction.

Bartholomew’s soldiers were spread throughout the area—many wounded, others cornered behind debris, desperately trying to hold out.

Ants—dozens of them—swarmed across the underground arena. Among them were captains.

But at the center… she stood.

A towering creature, ant-like in form but with humanoid features. Unlike the others, her body was tinted with a deep red hue. Nearly the size Morvat reached in berserker mode, she loomed above the corpses, vomiting new cocoons with a sickening, wet sound.

Around her, dozens of other cocoons were bursting open. Newly born ants crawled out—smaller, but no less aggressive.

A fireball shot toward the creature—but a Beast Captain threw itself into the flames, shielding the queen with its body. The protective instinct was almost fanatical.

Other ants continued dragging corpses toward her for consumption.

Luke understood.

They were feeding the queen. Guarding her output. Keeping the cycle alive. She was building an army.

“Healer!” Bob shouted, calling out to soldiers up ahead.

“Need healing, over here!” someone answered from behind the rubble.

Bob didn’t hesitate. He sprinted toward the wounded, taking cover behind a chunk of stone.

“I’ll handle the injured. If you can give me cover… I’d appreciate it,” he said, already kneeling beside the first fallen soldier.

Angelica turned to the Haven group, her eyes cold and focused. “Everyone… this is it. You already know what to do. But—please—don’t die.”

She didn’t wait for a reply. Bow in hand, she ran straight into the chaos. The others followed without hesitation. Luke and Allison shared a brief look. There was nothing left to say. They ran together.

“Form up your teams! Spread out and give support!” Jonathan commanded, rallying the archers.

“Focus on the ant soldiers! Protect the wounded!” Bob shouted.

Luke and Charlie moved side by side, cutting through debris, targeting threats. Allison had pushed further ahead—her magic would be the key. If she could stall the queen, they’d open a window for the mages and archers to land their strikes.

As the group entered the cavern, they immediately scattered, diving behind pillars of stone and broken debris. The clash of steel and screeches echoed all around them—Bartholomew’s soldiers were already locked in brutal combat with the ants.

But there were too few left standing. Bodies lay strewn across the ground—some unmoving, others twitching in pain. The defenders were exhausted. Wounded. Cornered. The ants, relentless and tireless, pressed forward like a tide of teeth and claws.

Then the Ant Queen turned. Her head rose slowly, inhuman eyes locking onto the newcomers. She raised one grotesque, armored limb and pointed—right at them.

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A chill lanced down Luke’s spine.

“Scatter!” Jonathan shouted.

Before anyone could move, her limbs split open. Dozens of spike-like projectiles fired in rapid succession. They weren’t just spears. Each one detonated on contact, bursting into clouds of thick, sticky mud.

Explosions tore across the field, hurling debris and dust into the air. Luke dove behind a slab of rock just as a muddy shockwave splattered against his cover. The impact left a ringing in his ears.

“It’s a trap!” a soldier yelled. “The mud—if it hits you, you’re stuck!”

Luke glanced down. Just a few feet away, a wounded archer clutched his bow, leg drenched in blood. His hands trembled, but his grip was tight. His eyes burned with resolve.