Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1978: Bugpocalypse (2)

This predicament wasn't limited to just those few mercenaries.

At any given moment, numerous mercenary bands could be found traversing Death Valley.

Many people, after all, relied on harvesting the natural resources found within this valley to sustain their livelihoods.

Consequently, the area was never truly empty; some group was always present.

Certain factions even stationed permanent guards here to protect what they claimed as their personal property.

However, every single one of them was currently grappling with the exact same crisis.

Even those assigned to watch over their assets were stunned to realize that their treasures had vanished right from under their noses.

It was as if thieves had managed to spirit everything away while the guards were staring directly at the items.

Naturally, they attempted to track down the culprits responsible for the theft, yet no evidence of human intruders could be found. The only visible signs were the recurring tracks of passing insects.

Nobody bothered to investigate that lead further, as the idea of bugs being the thieves seemed impossible.

But such thoughts were quickly discarded now that literal tides of insects were swarming toward them.

Some chose to stand their ground and fight back, driven by the fact that their entire livelihoods were tied to this location.

To lose their holdings to these pests was, in their eyes, no different from losing their very lives.

The issue was that the sheer number of bugs far exceeded their wildest expectations.

They had initially assumed their established defenses would be sufficient to handle a few pests. Unfortunately, it wasn't just a handful of insects they were facing.

Despite being prepared with decent fortifications for a moderate wave, the scale of the onslaught was simply too massive for them to withstand in the end.

A literal sea of bugs stretched out as far as the eye could see.

Even for those eager for a fight, there appeared to be no viable way to win.

Fighting these insects meant certain death, whereas retreating offered at least a slim chance to regroup and figure things out. Realizing the futility of resistance, no one continued the struggle for long.

Killing a few bugs was easy enough, but waging war against the entire swarm standing before them was an impossible task.

Once this reality set in, they didn't hesitate to toss everything aside and flee.

In such moments of terror, any sense of brotherhood or camaraderie seemed to evaporate instantly.

Their minds were consumed by a single, desperate urge: the need to survive.

Only by staying alive would they have the opportunity to plan their next move. If they perished here, it would be the end, leaving them with nothing left to consider.

Survival meant they could at least contemplate their future actions.

Thus, every man abandoned his post, focused entirely on escaping the area.

Yet even fleeing proved difficult, as the insects weren't approaching from just one side.

It felt as though they were being closed in upon, with bugs surging from every conceivable direction.

To these mercenaries, it looked like the end of the world—an apocalypse brought forth by insects.

"Just where did all of these bugs come from?"

That was the solitary question echoing in their minds as they witnessed the approaching waves.

However, as they were shoved into a corner, the mercenaries spotted a detail they had previously overlooked. Upon realizing this, they bolted toward that path without a second thought.

Although it seemed like the swarm surrounded them entirely, that wasn't quite the truth.

A closer look revealed that only one direction was blocked by an impenetrable wall of insects. In other directions, small openings existed within the living walls that could actually be traversed.

By coordinating their efforts, they actually stood a chance of punching through the insect line in front of them.

Of course, some still harbored resentment toward those who had tried to abandon them moments before.

Nevertheless, such grudges were irrelevant now; they understood that cooperation was their only ticket out.

For that reason, they suddenly consolidated their strength and charged toward the gaps.

This wasn't just one isolated group; every mercenary in the vicinity did the same.

Their movements became remarkably unified, as if they had all suddenly rallied behind a single, common cause.

What went unnoticed by them was that they were being observed the entire time.

"I’m sorry about the sacrifices I’m asking you to make."

"It’s fine, I can always spawn more of them," Queenie replied, showing no hint of regret.

I couldn't help but give her a bit of a strange look, but I didn't press the issue since she insisted it was okay. This was likely just the natural order of things within an insect society.

Regardless, the plan seemed to be unfolding perfectly.

Had the mercenaries paused to observe more carefully, they would have noticed the bugs weren't actually trying to kill them. The swarm was merely herding them out of the valley, even ensuring they had a clear path to exit.

This was all part of my strategy to drive them away.

It would have been problematic if any of the mercenaries were truly harmed, as they weren't necessarily evil people.

Or, at the very least, they weren't bad as far as I was aware.

They might have done questionable things to survive in the past, but I had no knowledge of such deeds.

That was why it wouldn't have felt right to cause them injuries while forcing them to leave.