Chapter 134: Breaking through the Gates
Jack yanked at the staff. Hard.
The chamber erupted into chaos instantly. The queen screecheda harsh, grating sound, the likes of which hed never heard before. Chittering came from all around, feet stomping on dirt as the ants frantically darted for the entrance of the chamber, assuming there was an enemy coming. The stale air suddenly smelled of ash.
However, the staff in Jacks hands only budged a little before remaining still.
Fuck.
He couldnt see the queen well in the darkness, but he felt it stirring. He ducked. A set of mandibles snapped hard over his head. Much harder than the low-level ants he was used to. Much harder than it should be.
Brock! he shouted, abandoning stealth. The rest of the ants would quickly realize what was happening, anyway.
A sharp sound came from behind him as Brock rubbed his hands around the torch head, creating friction. The cloththe last remains of Jacks shirtwas torn, but what remained caught on fire.
Jack was blinded for a moment. He ghost-stepped away, feeling the familiar pull through space as a large body collapsed where he used to stand. His eyes recovered a moment later. Now, a tremendous ant stood before him.
A chitinous body the size of a horse. A thick, sturdy torso and a bulging behind. Two long antennae, each scraping the nine-foot-high chamber ceiling, and two membrane wings that shivered in anticipation. A hellish face with heavy-set mandibles dripping yellow saliva and exuding the worst smell Jack had ever experienced. It was like bug-infested meat left in the sun for far too long.
He almost puked on the spot. Only the battle tension saved him, but he still wrinkled his nose and felt his eyes watering. He had seen a queen outside the nest, when the conqueror ants attacked another colony. This was far bigger.
Conqueror Broodmother, Level 69
The leader of a conqueror ant mega-colony. Broodmothers hide in the heart of massive nests containing thousands of conqueror ants. Each mega-colony can span many square miles of land, with the broodmother being the leader of all nests in its territory.
They are breeding machines that can output hundreds of eggs a day. They have the strength of a hundred ants. If one is spotted outside its nest, exterminate it immediately.
Jack had found the queen of queens. The mother of all ants. And she was hideous.
The broodmother vibrated her wings, but the ceiling was too low to take flight. She turned and hissed in Jacks direction, unleashing another wave of stench.
Level 69 he realized, paling. Shit.
He couldnt fight seriously down here, or the entire nest might collapse on their heads. He couldnt even use Meteor Punch. Thankfully, they wouldnt need to fight. The plan was to run.
Meanwhile, the rest of the ants had realized what was happening. They were charging back from the chambers entrance, and the dirt shook under the marching stomps of every ant in the colony rushing here at top speed. The broodmothers description had mentioned thousands of ants. What they had explored was likely only a fraction of the nest. They would be overwhelmed.
There was no time to go treasure-hunting.
Brock! Jack shouted, keeping his eyes on the broodmother. The door!
The light and shadows moved as Brock dashed for the door, dropping the torch beside it. Jack wasnt looking that way, but he heard Brocks fists pounding on stone, then a cry of frustration. He risked a glance.
The passage leading to the next ring was hidden behind a double stone door. Carvings of insects and giants covered it, as well as other creatures that Jack didnt recognize. And, no matter how Brock pushed, it remained stubbornly shut.
Jack felt his world sharpen to a point. They were trapped here. He forced himself to look ahead, where the broodmother was already rushing him. Her mandibles snapped next to his head, strong enough to cut through trees. Her massive body kept going, striking him in the chest and threatening to tip him over, but he turned under her legs and found himself at her side.
He unleashed three punches in quick succession. One struck her where a leg met her torso, and the leg snapped off with a crunch. The other two struck her thick torso and rebounded.
Jack looked around, taking stock of everything in slow motion. The ants had almost reached him. Brock was pushing at the door, but it wasnt even budging. There was no lock, either. Hed have to break through, but it would take time.
Change of plan, he said quickly, dodging another bite from the broodmother. Hold back the ants! Ill slay the queen and demolish the tunnel!
Demolishing anything down here was dangerous, but not as dangerous as an army of a thousand ants in an enclosed space. They had to take risks or die. If this succeeded, he would Meteor Punch the door until it brokehopefully before the ants dug a new tunnel in.
Brock yelled back in monkey and jumped at the ants. Jack only caught a glimpse of his arms and legs carving the ants apart before the broodmother blocked his sight. She was a hulking behemoth.
Jack met her head to head. His adrenaline and terror had long eclipsed any stench in his nostrils. She bit and tried to bulldoze him. Jack struck her in the face and mouth, flowing around her attacks with Iron Fist Style and Ghost Step.
He flashed left and right, jumping from one end of the chamber to the other before she could react. Egg sacks were crushed under his boots, enraging the broodmother further. Her wings vibrated so furiously that their razor tips were cutting lines into the dirt above.
His fist met her chin, shooting her face up. He capitalized, smashing four more into her throat, then sneaking under her and striking the thorax from below. She tried to fall on him, but he ghost-stepped out of the way. He grabbed a leg and yanked at it, trying to rip it away. He failed, but at least he ruined her balance enough to make her fall completely, giving him time to punch another leg off. Breaking the contact point between the legs and the thorax was easier than breaking the actual leg.
The broodmother screeched, summoning her children for assistance. They were coming in the thousands. Two had already entered the chamber to assist their brethren in taking down Brock, who was struggling to hold seven of them at bay. It was more than he could handle. Jack had to hurry.
But the broodmother wasnt dying fast enough. Even with two legs missing, she unleashed a flurry of blows, trying to kick Jack. She realized her bite wouldnt work, so she switched tactics. She was intelligent.
But that changed nothing.
Jack tore into her, flowing between her legs and striking the contact points. She was twisting and protecting them, delaying his work. She knew she couldnt beat him. She was simply stalling, and it was working. Brock would fall before she did, and Jack wouldnt last long afterward.
He gritted his teeth. What could he do? If he went all-out and used Meteor Punch, there was a high chance the chamber would collapse. After all, Meteor Punch created explosions. If he tried to help Brock, the broodmother would catch up, and Brock wouldnt survive the sandwich. If he rushed for the door, the broodmother would have a chance to turn to Brock. If he kept fighting as he was, Brock would lose before Jack won.
What other choice was there? None. I have to use Mete
His leg bumped against something. He glanced down. It was the corpse hed seen beforea naked human missing a legand next to it lay the staff Brock wanted, what started this whole thing. Hed forgotten about it.
Now that there was light, he could see that the staff was gray. It was made of ancient, moss-covered stone, with the forms of various animals carved into its entire length, along with glyphs whose meaning escaped him.
Staff of Stone, Life Weapon (D-Grade)
An Ancient weapon that utilizes the Dao of Density to
Jack didnt expect a screen to appear. It blocked his vision for a second, letting the broodmother land a heavy kick into his ribs that sent him flying into a wall. She tried to bite him immediately, but he rolled out of the way and punched her eyes. She retreated, screeching.
A weapon with stats!? Jack thought, reeling. He didnt expect that. Never seen it before. The galaxy was full of surprises. Ghost Step.
He arrived next to the weapon instantly. Brock! he shouted. He grabbed it and tossed it to the brorilla, who took a step back, disengaging momentarily to glance over and catch it mid-air.
Jack didnt know what the staff didthere was no time for readingbut it was a weapon. It could help Brock survive.
Or, at least, that was the idea. In the short moment when he grabbed it, Jack realized that the staff was very handy to wield, neither too light nor too heavy. But he was much stronger than Brock. To the brorilla, it might as well weigh a ton.
Brock grabbed the staff, twirled it, and smashed it into an ants face in one fluid motion. It was like he had used a staff his entire life. The extra weight didnt seem to bother him one bit.
Jack didnt have time to ponder on that. He was just glad Brock wouldnt die instantly. Now, he just had to hurry. The mysterious staff wouldnt help against the approaching army. Time was running out.
Jack roared, laying into the broodmother with all his strength. He let a kick land, taking it with Iron Fiend Body. There was no time to dodge. His fists dove into her body, breaking off leg after leg. She snapped at him, but he ghost-stepped to the other side and kept pummeling. She was squirming and thrashing, making his job more difficult, but he simply attacked faster. If one punch missed, he would hit ten times. If ten missed, he would hit a hundred.
Yellow blood spurted out and flowed over the dirt, seeping into the soil. Jacks roars filled his ears. One leg broke after the other. Suddenly, the broodmother fell to the ground. She only had one leg remaining on the far side of her body. She couldnt move. She couldnt even stand.
She snapped at him, but he ghost-stepped backward. He had won, but there was no time to celebrate. He had to collapse the tunnel now. Maybe he was already too late.
As he turned around, he froze. He didnt want to believe his eyes. He was too late.
Ants streamed out of the opening, painting the walls and floor black. Dozens of them, with no end in sight. They were like a flood.
It was the most terrifying sight he had ever seen. It was death between the mandibles of ants, deep beneath the earth at some far-off corner of the galaxy. His limbs lost strength. He felt despair.
In the face of death, only two people came to mind. The professorand Brock.
Im sorry, he thought as ants filled the room.
Brock was fighting bravely just in front. He was twirling his staff without much mastery, but simply with the power of a strong brorilla using a stick to keep weaker enemies at bay. He was holding on, but he couldnt stop a flood. Even Jack couldnt. He could reach the door before them, but he couldnt open it. If he unleashed a meteor shower, he wouldnt get all the ants, and the chamber would collapse on his head, burying them all.
But perhaps that was a better fate than death by a thousand mandibles.
Serenity filled Jack. He would die. But he would kill as many as he could. His rage dissipated, leaving only cold, dark resolve. A mixture of bitter hatred and pure, untainted will to kill. All questions disappeared from his mind. The ants would die.
His head lowered a bit. His veins swam in dark fire. His eyes were shining dots in the darkness, and his soul burned with all the power it could unleash.
His body was wreathed in violence. Strength and brutality flew out of him in waves, submerging the chamber. He felt like a dark god at the end of his life, facing a crowd of mortals.
He would kill the ants, but at this last moment, he felt no hatred towards them, only towards his own weakness. He understood. They were just insects. He would kill them regardless, because he could.
There were dozens of ants in the room, with hundreds more arriving in an endless stream. At that moment, Jack felt his vision rise above his body, like he was staring every single ant in the eyes simultaneously. The full brunt of his overwhelming strength and irrefutable decision to kill fell on them.
And the ants shuddered. They slowed a bit, as if pushing against an invisible force. Jacks mind was already set, but he was also fully present. He watched their reaction coldly.
They were scared. It was understandable. After all, they were facing an overwhelmingly strong enemy who would kill them with cold indifference. Even if he lacked bloodlust, that made it all the more terrifying because the only thing left behind was death.
So what if they would win in the end? So what if they would willingly lay down their lives for the colony? Even ants were afraid of death. Everyone was.
The image of the three cultivators from before popped into his mind. Why had he been so afraid of them that his blood ran cold? It wasnt because they threatened him. They hadnt even seen him. No, it was because he, too, was afraid of death. And, when all else disappeared, when there was no heat of the moment or any sort of stubbornness to counterbalance the fear, the coldness of death gripped ones soul and squeezed it so hard they might die.
Another image popped into his mind. The bare-chested man in the vision, facing an army by himself. His cold indifference promised them death, and it wasnt one they could refute with courage or self-sacrifice. It was simply the end.
This was true, heart-gripping terror.
Oh.
Everything came together.
Congratulations! Class Skill unlocked: Brutalizing Aura I.
Brutalizing Aura I: The fear of death is one of the most primal instincts of all living creatures. You have learned to project your Dao and intent in a way that targets this fear, amplifying it and paralyzing all weaker targets in a wide range around you.
Now I see.
Jack used the skill. His chest was filled with dark ice, and the finality of death, stripped of everything that might sweeten it, spread outside his body. It was an invisible aura that pulled at the souls of his enemies. A bare terror that froze them.
Brock screamed and jumped back. He almost dropped his weapon in surprise, but no attacks came at him.
The ants stopped. From the first to the last, all the way down the tunnels, they froze. The army came to a halt, shivering. They lived for the colony, but even they had a hint of identity in their core, and that hint was currently paralyzed by the fear of death.
They were too weak compared to him.
Jack turned around. Even the queen was whimpering on the ground, not daring to look at him. She was stronger than her children and should have been able to resist the aura, but perhaps the fact that hed broken off her legs helped.
Brock, Jack said slowly, go to the fucking door.
The brorilla looked around, at the still flood of ants waiting to swallow him, and rushed for the door. He fell on it with all his weight, even screamed as his shoulder was smashed against it, but the door refused to budge.
The ants followed him with their eyes and antennas. Jack was sweating. This aura was a burst, not a constant effect. It weakened with time. They only had a few seconds at most before the ants were free again. There was no time to lose.
Step aside, he ordered. He walked up to the door and charged a massive Meteor Punch, infusing it with all his desire to get through that doorand, thanks to their fast-approaching deaths, that desire was massive.
The chamber fell back into darkness. Even the torchlight was drawn into his fist, a shining purple aura, and all sounds disappeared as only Jack, his fist, and the double door remained in the world. The door came into focus, its every detail pristinely clear.
OPEN! he screamed. He smashed out with all his strength. The world was swallowed by an explosion that blew both halves of the door off their hinges, sending them crashing against some far wall. The entire chamber shook. Dirt fell from the ceiling, slowly at first but quickly growing faster.
Jack and Brock dashed through the door as the chamber ceiling collapsed behind them, burying the army of ants under a forests worth of dirt. Thankfully, the gate led to a stone passage, which saved them from the collapse.
Jack looked behind him, where only a dirt-blocked gate waited. Turns out we couldnt avoid battle, he said. I believe our approach was a bit unorthodoxbut hey, it worked.
He then looked around. The remains of the gate lay on the wall in front of them, while a smooth corridor carved into the rock spiraled down into the darkness. There was a lit torch on a wall, illuminating the space and just waiting to be picked up. A bunch of unlit torches waited in a basket underneath. There was no oil, though, and Jack would bet that the torches were enchanted to burn forever.
Well, the path is clear, he said, picking up the torch. But I have to say, that was an oddly designed exit. Why have multiple torches if the gates can only be opened once?
Brock shrugged. Jack looked at the broken double doors again. This time, when there was no death breathing on his neck, he could take a closer look, and he noticed two small openings. They were near the spot where the two doors connected, mirroring each other, and just the right size for a human to grab them.
Hoarse laughter escaped Jacks throat. We just had to fucking pull, not push!
Brock looked confused for a second, then became extremely embarrassed. Jack, still laughing, patted his head.
Dont fret, little bro. Look at how the openings are hidden between the engravings. I think it was meant to be a riddle, but we took the fist way out. He grinned, turning towards the corridor heading down. Come on, Brock. The next ring awaits.
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