Chapter 18 – Insect Wars.

‘That one looks to be a bit smaller than the other ones, it should do. Luckily, these guys don’t go around in such large groups like the other ones, and judging by its level, it shouldn’t be that tough.’

Rusty identified his new opponent and judged its power according to his old stats. When he was a level one F- type monster, he was much more sluggish and uncoordinated. His hunting target this time around was not a Myrm Ant but a centipede-looking monstrosity. It had a long body and numerous legs, making it swift and agile. Rusty figured that it could possess a venomous bite but with his metallic body, this was a non-issue.

After stalking this weaker one to this more secluded location he decided to initiate his new plan. To get rid of the ants and their queen he needed some help. For this purpose, this centipede was required, or to be more specific, its innards. With a plan formed in his metallic mind, Rusty waited for the best moment to go for it.

His living armor frame seemed to give him an advantage over these monsters. If he remained perfectly still and had no other insect scents on his metal, he would be considered an inanimate object. He just needed to place himself inside of a corridor and wait for his victim to appear. Then, just as the insect was crawling through he activated his power thrust.

His sword started glowing and plunged itself into the monster’s head. With a swift and well-executed strike, the monster’s weak point had been hit, something that Rusty had also eventually discovered. The adventurers and even these insects all had a similar weak point, which was their heads. Cutting off this monster’s many legs or even body parts would not be the smartest move as he had seen it fight with some ants. Going for the head was always the best solution in battle.

The lifeless creature now lay in the corridor, its legs twitching sporadically. Rusty immediately got to work by grabbing the long monster and placing it over his shoulder. The fresher the remains were the better so he needed to make his way towards the ant lair. There were a few things that he had noticed about his current adversary and how they could seemingly track him everywhere.

After making sure that the coast was clear he made his way into the ant colony. Their numbers had dwindled since he had begun hunting them but with that queen there, it was a temporary situation. To make sure that they continued to go down, he wanted to start a fight between two of the species living here. Then when the moment was right, he would strike and get to that large copper deposit that he needed.

‘A smaller pack should be somewhere there…’
Rusty knew that patience was key and he had taken many days to get used to these underground tunnels. He kept avoiding the insects and just gathering information about their movement patterns. Only after having enough data about his current opponent did he decide to act and this group of three ants would be the start of his ploy.

After placing the body of the Lesser Giant Centipede to the side, he engaged with the trio of Miniscule Myrm Drones. The ants were a bit confused by the body of the other insect that was tossed to the side but quickly identified the metallic suit of armor as their main adversary. Rusty, who had managed to level up, didn’t have a problem handling three drones at once, and soon they all fell to his blade.

Afterward, a blue crystal appeared in his hand which he crushed immediately after. Quickly, all of his MP was restored which would allow him to perform more powerful skills if the need arose. He was still in enemy territory and keeping himself prepared was crucial. Being attacked down here was a constant possibility and he intended to get out of here without sustaining any further damage.

‘Now, to make it look believable…’

Rusty began his plan of getting the two insect types to fight by placing the dead centipede in the middle of this battle scene. Around its body, he placed the recently defeated ants and to make it move believable, he even placed one of their legs into the other insect’s mouth.

‘These things seem to be territorial, so this should work… I think…’

The monsters that he was facing seemed to use scents of other creatures to keep track of everything. He figured this out after being constantly chased by them within the tunnels. Each time he got some of their bodily fluids on his armor, they would somehow manage to track him. However, after washing up in the waters down here, they would be unable to track him any further.

Inspired, Rusty contemplated the prospect of spreading the scent of another insect to see how the ants would react. Could it potentially confuse them or divert their attention towards one of the other monsters in the underground domain? It was clear that they all had their separate territories that met up at the main watering hole. While they seemingly adhered to a peculiar pact of non-aggression there, Rusty wondered whether introducing the scent of a centipede inside the ant territory would be enough to break it.

After carefully setting the scene, Rusty retreated to a safe distance and observed. The scent of the Lesser Giant Centipede mingled with the ant lair and eventually, a drone appeared on the scene. Their antennae started twitching and it seemed like they were on high alert. The drone approached cautiously, investigating the scene of the staged battle. Rusty couldn’t see that well from his viewing angle but considering that the monster didn’t instantly identify his position, something had changed.

‘I better get out of here, I think the centipede scent might be masking me for now.’

His armor had caught some insect fluids and his sword was also covered in them. This was also part of his plan as he wanted a trail of both the insects leading out. Once the ant pointed its head in his direction it was time to move. From time to time he would rub the blood-covered sword on the sides of the walls to keep the scent fresh.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

As he moved, he could hear the faint sounds of the ant drones following the scent trail that he placed. It reached the watering hole and towards the direction of the centipede territories. Quickly after he ran towards his lair where more water resided and where he could wash up. Then when the time was right, he peeked out to see if his plan had been successful.

‘Oh… they seem to be mad at each other…’

After returning he saw both sides squaring off against each other. On one side he saw multiple ant drones and on the other two giant centipedes. Both insect times were locked in a fierce territorial dispute, mandibles clashing and legs moving. However, after a few minutes of posturing, both sides started retreating to their sides and no actual war had started, it seemed that it would not be that easy to trigger both sides to engage each other.

‘Hm… Maybe I’ll need to create more conflict to escalate things faster.’

Rusty pondered his next move as he watched the tense standoff between the ant drones and the giant centipedes. The initial plan had worked to some extent but it seemed that the territorial dispute might need a little push to turn into a full-blown battle. Seeing that his previous plan had partially worked, there was no need to think about it but continue with it.