The soil and rocks where Rita and Momoka had just stood cracked instantly, then suddenly collapsed, revealing a one-meter-wide deep pit.
Immediately after, a grotesque insect-like monster burst through the earth.
The creature had a round, plump body covered from head to tail in smooth, obsidian-black, and extremely hard armor, which reflected a faint, eerie glow under the moonlight.
On both sides of its torso grew multiple pairs of sharp segmented limbs, each nearly half a meter long, curved and razor-sharp like sickles.
Its round mouthparts were filled with dense, pointed teeth, constantly opening and closing with a chilling clicking sound that sent shivers down the spine.
At first, Rita and Momoka both caught the mixed stench of decayed earth and acid, like something crawling out from a deep grave.
Without a doubt, the disgusting smell was emanating from this repulsive insect.
The moment it emerged, Rita crouched low like a leopard.
With precision, she thrust her sword into the joint connecting one of the creature’s limbs to its body, prying off one of its front legs as if removing a crab’s claw.
The newly surfaced insect monster lost its balance and fell on its back.
At this moment, the flames on Momoka’s spear flared brightly.
Before the insect could right itself, the spear’s tip pierced its unarmored soft abdomen, releasing a wisp of acrid white smoke mingled with the stinging scent of acid being burned by fire.
The insect struggled, emitting sharp chirps in defiance, but Momoka’s spear had already carved a large gash across its belly.
Foul-smelling liquid sprayed from the wound, and Momoka quickly withdrew to the side as pus gushed out.
The insect twitched violently in the acid-corroded dirt, unable to flip over, its remaining limbs curled in front of its body, utterly lifeless.
“Is it down?” Rita asked, still unsettled.
She had never seen such an insect before, but from the stage play introduction she once watched with Miss Rabbit and from the creature’s appearance, it was definitely one of the notoriously infamous insect species among monsters.
“Looks like it. This is the first time I’ve seen one alive,” Momoka wiped the sweat from her nose.
“Alive?” Rita found the term curious.
Momoka poked the corpse of the Scarab with her spear. The body wobbled twice and then rolled down the small mound.
“Yeah, this thing is called a Night Saint Scarab. Whether it’s a magical beast or a demon, no one has a clear conclusion. But it’s rare—usually only appearing in underground lairs. Still, something feels off.”
“Because it appeared here?”
“Not just that. First, they don’t normally show up so close to the outskirts. Second, lone Night Saint Scarabs are extremely rare—they always come in swarms, and in large numbers.” Momoka puckered her lips, thinking for a moment before honestly sharing her suspicions with Rita.
“I see, then…”
Before Rita could finish, the ground beneath their feet rumbled again, this time more frequently and violently.
“Not good!”
“Report back quickly!”
Almost simultaneously, the two shouted to each other as they sprinted desperately toward the camp.
Roaring sounds erupted from all directions, as if the entire hill was being hollowed out. The earth behind Rita and Momoka exploded repeatedly like a series of triggered landmines.
Several giant insects identical to the recently slain Night Saint Scarab burst forth. The stench of rot and acid instantly filled the air, thick and pungent enough to make one nauseous.
If the first scarab seemed like it had crawled out of a grave, this swarm felt like it was turning everything it touched into a graveyard, initiating a full-scale invasion.
Their sickle-like limbs pierced the soil relentlessly, their sharp mouths snapping open and shut. The rustling movement and clicking sounds merged into a deafening chorus as more than ten Night Saint Scarabs charged toward them.
Near the camp.
A Mercenary sat yawning by the campfire but suddenly felt her eardrums vibrate with faint rumbling. She frowned and looked toward the distance.
“Hm? What’s that noise? Why is it so loud?”
Before she could get up, Rita’s boot kicked her in the backside.
“Enemy attack! Get up!”
The Mercenary scrambled to her feet. Under the moonlight, she saw a scene she would never forget.
“The ground’s collapsing.” A Mercenary who survived later described it this way: “The entire earth split open, countless bugs bursting forth like waves. I knew that once caught in it, you wouldn’t come out again.”
The approaching swarm was now visibly gathering close to a hundred strong. No one knew how many more were following, but even this number made the hairs on one’s neck stand on end.
The Mercenary’s weapon froze mid-air as her legs uncontrollably shook.
“Don’t just stand there! Call for help!” Momoka shouted as she passed by, jolting the Mercenary awake.
“Enemy attack! Get up! Enemy attack!” the Mercenary shouted, then ran with Momoka to rouse others still asleep.
Their shouts awakened many. Some were still complaining about the noise in the middle of the night when the rumbling swarm arrived.
Like a black tide surging forward, the swarm first struck those who couldn’t get up in time—candidates and Mercenaries alike.
A leading scarab flapped its wings, then swung a sickle-like limb sharply. A Mercenary searching for a weapon lost her sword hand forever with a piercing scream as blood splattered the tent.
“My shoes… where are my shoes?”
“Forget your shoes! If you’re about to die, what’s the point of shoes!”
A Young Master scrambled inside his tent, only to be grabbed under the arm by a Strongman and rushed toward the center of the camp.
More insects swarmed from all directions, smashing tents like paper, while sparks from the trampled campfire flew and ignited the collapsing tents. The insects’ jet-black shells distorted the flickering flames into twisted, eerie reflections.
The once eerily quiet camp was instantly filled with screams, burning, and the incessant chittering of the swarm. The stench of death was dragged from underground and now mixed with blood and corrosive acid odors.
Some hadn’t even crawled out before they were pinned to the ground by sickle limbs, howling in agony: “Help me! Save me! Pull me up!”
Someone reached out in response but was dragged into the rampaging swarm. After several piercing screams, the camp was suffused with an even stronger, sickening bloodstain.
Within moments, the camp descended into chaos.
No, rather than chaos, it was transformed into a blood-soaked slaughterhouse. Survivors on the outskirts fled in all directions, chased by the swarm.
“Those without weapons, fall back! Those armed, hold the line! If the defense breaks, we all die together!”
Rita relayed the situation near the swarm and hurriedly turned back, swinging her sword to fend off the incoming scarabs while shouting orders.
“That’s right! Hold the line!” A few people snapped out of their panic and realized that losing composure now meant certain defeat.
Some didn’t even need Rita’s reminder to know what to do. Promy’s sword was already stained with the emerald blood of scarabs. Her loose gray hair danced alongside her blade, like a gust of gray wind leaving behind a trail of insect corpses.
Momoka, who had initially helped relay the message with Rita, also returned to the fray. With the natural fear scarabs had of fire, Momoka’s speed in clearing enemies was on par with Promy’s.
A single scarab was not very strong in combat. Rita and Momoka had taken down one instantly when it first emerged. Realizing this, many others began to fight back, halting the swarm’s advance momentarily.
Still, only a few could clear the scarabs quickly. Several people were pierced by limbs and dragged into the boiling mass of insects.
But the battle was slowly turning.
Albert swung his twin swords like a whirlwind, cutting down enemies while shouting, “How many more?”
“Don’t know! Just kill them! Reinforcements are coming soon!” Rita had no time to count. These things seemed to lack any brains. Now that she was on the front lines, running was hardly an option.
Her only thoughts were to clear the bugs before her and wait for Maggie’s support not far away.
“We’ve known each other for so long, but this is our first battle together, right?” Albert suddenly asked. Without a few words, the oppressive atmosphere would drive anyone mad.
“I fought alongside Rita before. You men, fall back!” Momoka fought with vigor, adding several more charred bug corpses beneath her feet.
Suddenly, Momoka’s face changed.
“Wait! Where’s Johnson? Why hasn’t he come out yet?”
Her words made the others realize something was wrong.
Johnson’s tall stature and bald head were very conspicuous among the candidates. If he had come out, more people would have noticed by now.
They all glanced back at Johnson’s tent almost simultaneously.
His tent had not yet been affected by the insect wave. The campfire outside burned quietly, and inside, a shadow lay on the ground.
In the midst of the screams and chaos around, this lone tent felt out of place, making it all the more suspicious.
“Could something have happened?” Albert was caught off guard when a front limb grazed his neck, nearly cutting a wound.
“Focus!” Promy appeared like a shadow and swiftly decapitated the scarab threatening Albert, giving him a moment’s respite.
With the swarm pressing hard on one side and Johnson’s suspicious situation worrying Rita on the other, she made a quick decision.
“You all hold the line. I’ll go check it out!”
“Got it!” The nearby candidates immediately stepped forward.
Rita took a few brisk steps to Johnson’s tent, without time for questions, she called out.
“Johnson! Get up!”
She yanked open the tent flap, only to be met with a huge, furry paw slapping swiftly toward her face.