"I'm starting to get worried about Jura's eco system. We've been hunting monsters for two weeks now." She said as she patted Acer on the head. Acer was now a foot taller than she was so she had to lean over for a head pat.
The ogre turo her after ing off the blood from his katana. "Eco system? What's that?"
Kaede shook her head, smiling faintly. “It’s... how everything in nature stays banced. Like, if we keep hunting too many monsters, it might mess up how the forest works. Fewer monsters might mean some pnts grow out of trol, or other animals lose their food sources. Everything’s ected.”
The ogre scratched his head, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly as he mulled over her words. “Huh. hought of it that way. In my , we just hunted what we needed and fought what challenged us. But I guess if you kill too much... the bance could break.”
“Exactly,” Kaede said, crossing her arms. “I just hope we’re not throwing things off too much. I mean, Acer’s been growing strohanks to all this, and I’m ly pining about my own progress, but—”
“You’re worried about the long-term effects,” the ogre finished for her, nodding. “Makes seill, Jura’s a big pce. I doubt we’re making much of a dent. Besides we've only been hunting for the stronger monsters, meaning we should be expeg a boom in weaker monsters which should in turn be good for stronger monsters.”
Kaede sighed, gng at the clearing around them. Broken trees and scorched earth marked the aftermath of their test battle. Acer waved a massive vine zily, causing a nearby branch to snap off a tree. “I hope you’re right.”
Kaede blinked as the notification from Artificia popped up in her mind. “Weird." she muttered under her breath.
"Well you shouldn't worry too much, once we get rid of the giant ant y, you should finally have enough strength to rescue my people." The ogre sheathed his sword.
Kaede frowned, her fingers brushing the edge of her shield as she mulled over the ogre's words. "The giant ant y, huh?"
"Now that I think about it, the sudden boom in their popution might be our fault." The ogre wondered aloud. "Eco system huh. That expins so many questions."
The ogre shook his head and turo Kaede. "Remember, their queen ands the entire y, and every ant is willing to fight to the death for her. If we’re not careful, we could end up swarmed and overwhelmed."
The azed at the moon. "We should have about three hours before dawn, we use the rest of the time to set up for the raid." He turned back to Kaede. "Although, I have to say, killing every st giant ant? That's a bold statement. With your skills though, not impossible."
Kaede smirked, and Acer had on a look that could have been a smirk, or a snarl, at least it was cute. "We have to, once my magicules reserves reach 40% the rest of my ultimate skills will finally start w, and my passives will finally kiy magicules regeion."
"Artificia," she murmured, "is there any equipment I create to trap all of the ants in the y? I’m talking about a barrier, something strong enough to prevent even the smallest of them from esg, no matter how far underground they are."
Kaede's brow furrowed. "Energy nodes... Devices? How do they work?"
Kaede nodded, her lips curving into a determined smile. "Perfect. Artificia, manufacture the nodes and prepare them for deployment."
The ogre, who had been listening ily, leaned in. "You’re already creating the masheens?"
"Maes," Kaede said, turning to him. "Once I’ve deployed the he entire y will be trapped. No as in or out. That way, we take down the queen without w about any esg."
The ogre’s crimson eyes glimmered with approval. "Whatever you call it. We'll use the rest of tonight to set them up once you're done."
Thirty six mier.
Kaede stood, her shield glinting faintly in the moonlight. "Show me."
A translut map of a small portion of Jura, specifically, the ant y, appeared in her mind, courtesy of Artificia. Six glowing points marked the optimal positions for the nodes, f a hexagonal perimeter around the y. The system calcuted the fastest route to each location, ating for terrain and potential threats.
"Got it," Kaede said, her voice steady. "Let’s move."
Upon reag the first node location. The erialized in her hands, a sleek, metallic device about the size of a small barrel, glowing faintly with pulsating red energy.
She phe node firmly in the ground, pressing her palm against its surface. It whirred to life, anch itself as glowing liended outward, syng with her magicules.
Kaede nodded. "Acer." The verdainel nodded before extending her vio cover the sleek device, the vines growing leaves and flowers, creating a small bush around the device.
One by ohey deployed the nodes, sneaking through the forest as quickly as they could.
"Alright, the fifth node is in pce." Kaede smiled. "Tomorrow, I'll install the final node and activate the barrier. We destroy the y, and then the day after that, we rescue the prisoners."? Easy peasy."
The ogre tilted his head in fusion. "Easy peasy?"
Kaede chuckled softly, waving off the ogre’s fusion with a gloved hand. "It's just something we say where I'm from. It means it’ll be simple, no problem at all." She adjusted her shield on her arm and goward the faint glow of the horizon, signaling the approag dawn. "Let’s get some rest for now. Tomorrow's going to be the real challenge."
The ave a relut nod. "Fine, but don’t fet, those ants are relentless. Even with your maes—" he said the word slowly, as if testing it, "—they’re still going to be dangerous. They'll do anything to protect the queen."
Kaede’s gaze hardened. "I know. Trust me , I know." This world won't make things easy for me.
---
The m, Kaede stood at the edge of the massive mound that was the y. Acer was by her side, her viwitg as if sensing the tension in the air. The ogre was nearby, sharpening his bde with methodical precision.
"Artificia," Kaede murmured, her eyes fixed on the vast byrinth of tunnels sprawling before her, "let’s deploy the final node."
Kaede held the st node in her hands, its pulsating red glow almost mesmerizing. She jogged to the designated spot Artificia had mapped out. The ground here was rocky, uneven, and littered with remnants of what seemed to be previous battles—carapace fragments, massive cw marks orees, and an ominous hum that seemed to rise from the earth itself.
“This is it,” she said, l the o pce. The moment her palm touched its surface, it activated with a hum, sending energy rippling out in thin, translut waves that shimmered in the air.
A surge of power crackled in the air as the barrier materialized. Thin lines of glowing energy ected eaode, f a massive hexagonal dome that enclosed the y. The field extended deep underground and high above, sealing off every possible exit.
Kaede stepped back, her shield raised as she ied the results. "Artificia, report."
The ogre approached, his katana gleaming in the sunlight. He ran a hand along the edge of the barrier, nodding in approval. "So this is your mae's power. It’s... astounding."
Kaede grinned. "Told you it would work. Feels like something out of Sally's book." The ogre raised a brow at that but didn't press further.
Acer let out a low growl, her viensing. Kaede turoward the y, her smile fading as the ground began to rumble. The ants had noticed the barrier. From the mairahe first wave emerged, a swarm of red, massive, chitin-covered creatures, their mandibles clig menagly.
“Looks like they’re testing the waters,” the ogre said, readying his bde.
Kaede took a deep breath, her shield glowing faintly as she eled her magicules. "Good. Let them e. Ohey realize there’s no escape, we’ll flush them out—and theake down the queen."
She stepped forward, raising her shield as the swarm surged toward them, mandibles snapping and cws tearing through the earth. Acer roared, vines shooting out to meet the onsught, while the ogre charged in with a battle cry.
"Let’s end this," Kaede muttered, her voice steady. She gripped her shield tightly, brag for the storm to e.
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SaberGlory