Chương 576: Chapter : 576

"You are very relaxed for a guy sitting in a combat zone, Ken," Naomi teased softly.

"We are doing all the running. You just get to eat popcorn. Pass the bag. I want some cheese dust." Ken gave her a goofy, lazy grin. He held the bag out.

"You totally earned a snack, Naomi. Your dagger spins are top-tier. You look exactly like a dual-wielding rogue character. You just need a dark hood to complete the look." Naomi took a piece of popcorn. She popped it into her mouth.

"A dark hood would block my peripheral vision. That is a terrible tactical choice." Sayma stood near a ruined fountain. The intelligent Vice-Captain pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. She held her neat notebook. She clicked her pen rapidly. She watched the street.

"The swarm density is dropping significantly," Sayma reported. Her polite voice echoed across the quiet plaza.

"We have cleared the majority of this commercial sector. The regular city guards are handling the stragglers. Our efficiency rate is extremely high." Zinia stretched her muscular arms. The strong earth mage cracked her knuckles. She smiled a tough, confident smile.

"These bugs are very fragile. My rock walls crush them instantly. They do not put up a good fight at all." Ira stood perfectly still near a lamppost. Her pale face showed zero emotion.

"Statistically speaking, an invasion of this magnitude should possess more durable combatants. The current threat level does not match the initial swarm size." Luna lay flat on a wooden cart. The lightning user rubbed her sleepy eyes. A knitted blanket covered her shoulders. She let out a massive, dramatic yawn.

"Ira is right," Luna mumbled lazily.

"These bugs are too boring. I keep falling asleep between attacks. Can we just go home? I want my own bed. Wood is very uncomfortable for my spine." Risa sat on the grass near Luna. The sweet pink-haired healer hugged her stuffed teddy bear tightly. She smiled her innocent, pure smile.

"I am just glad nobody is hurt. The city guards are very brave. They are protecting the normal citizens perfectly." Princess Iris walked to the center of the street. The violet-eyed royal wore her crisp dark blue uniform. She held her silver rapier at her side. She looked at her elite vanguard. She felt incredibly proud of her friends. They fought flawlessly.

"Do not lower your guard yet," Princess Iris commanded smoothly.

"The bugs are disorganized right now. But insects always follow a leader. We must remain alert." Ken took another bite of popcorn. He swallowed the salty snack. He looked at the sky. The bright sun shined through the smoke.

"The Princess is totally right," Ken announced casually. He slouched his shoulders even further.

"This is just the first wave. We finished the tutorial level. Now the game developers are going to drop the real challenge. It always happens right when the heroes think they are safe." If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Laxmi crossed her arms. She looked around the empty street.

"What challenge? There is nothing left. We squished all the bugs." Suddenly, the cobblestone street began to vibrate. It was not a small tremor. It was a massive, violent earthquake. The ground shook furiously. Loose rocks bounced into the air. Glass windows on the nearby shops shattered completely. The noise was absolutely deafening. It sounded like a mountain splitting in half. Ken almost dropped his popcorn. He grabbed the edge of the stone bench to keep his balance. He widened his dark eyes.

He put on a highly exaggerated, comical expression of pure terror.

"Oh no!" Ken shouted loudly. His voice cracked with fake panic.

"The ground is moving! I am very bad at balancing! This is a massive safety hazard! Someone call a construction worker!" Naomi immediately stepped in front of Ken. She raised her twin daggers. She protected him instinctively.

"Stay behind me, Ken! The ground is breaking open!" The center of the commercial plaza ripped apart. Huge slabs of stone flew into the sky. A gigantic, gaping hole formed in the dirt. Thick, toxic green smoke poured out of the crater. The smell of burning acid filled the air. A terrifying, apocalyptic screech echoed from the massive hole. The sound hurt everyone's ears. The city guards dropped their swords and covered their heads. Something colossal crawled out of the crater. It was the Bug King.

The monster was unimaginably huge. It towered over the three-story buildings. It looked like a horrifying mixture of a beetle and a praying mantis. Its outer shell was a sickening, dark purple color. The shell looked incredibly thick. It shined with a metallic, indestructible gloss. The Bug King possessed six massive, jagged legs. Each leg ended in a razor-sharp spike. The spikes pierced the solid cobblestones effortlessly. Two gigantic scythe-like arms rested near its chest.

The arms dripped with glowing green toxic sludge. Its head was the most terrifying part. It had multiple glowing red eyes. The eyes burned with malicious, intelligent light. A massive, jagged crown made of solid bone grew out of its skull. The Bug King opened its massive jaws. It let out another deafening, horrific screech. The sound wave blew the toxic green smoke across the entire street. The elite girls of the 13th Unit stared at the monster. They were completely stunned.

"What is that thing?!" Laxmi gasped. Her golden eyes widened in pure shock. She dropped her orange spark. The fire fizzled out.

"That is not a normal bug! That is a giant dinosaur!" Zinia planted her boots firmly on the shaking ground. She gritted her teeth.

"It is the hive leader. The Princess was right. We just found the source of the invasion." Sayma pushed her glasses up with a trembling finger. She quickly analyzed the beast.

"The magical radiation coming off that creature is immense. Its carapace is structurally denser than solid steel. Normal attacks will simply bounce off that armor." Ira stared blankly at the towering monster.

"Statistically speaking, our current offensive spells possess a zero percent chance of piercing that outer shell. We are entirely outmatched in raw physical power." Luna sat up on the wooden cart. Her sleepy eyes opened completely. She did not yawn.

"That bug is way too big. I cannot zap that entire thing. My lightning will just tickle it." Risa hid her face behind her teddy bear. She trembled violently. She was incredibly scared. The Bug King radiated pure, unfiltered malice. Ken Eliot sat on his stone bench. He stopped acting terrified. He slouched his shoulders. He reached into his bag and pulled out another piece of cheese popcorn. He chewed it slowly. He looked at the giant purple monster.

"I knew it," Ken mumbled lazily to himself. He did not look scared at all. He just looked annoyed.

"I absolutely called it. This is the stage two boss. The developers just recolored the basic bug model and made it ten times bigger. It is very lazy design. They added a bone crown to make it look special. I give this boss design a three out of ten."