That night, the Azurefell Family was in chaos, and the landscape had become a battlefield.
As battle filled the air and everything collapsed around her, Petra continued walking as if nothing around her mattered. The ants had already spread across the landscape like a living tide, but the Azurefell Family was not an ordinary family. Within minutes, dozens of practitioners poured out, confronting this unknown invader. Not long after that, they managed to understand the situation, calling hundreds more. Soon, the whole family was alerted, causing many of them to turn their eyes towards Petra.
After finally finding her admits the sea of chaos, they all attacked! Chains flashed through the air as spiritual energy mixed with elemental energy and illuminated the night sky. Dozens of formations sparked to life as an uncountable number of traps began to trigger from every corner.
It was not only the family's main forces that focused on Petra, but many of the large-scale formations and defensive artifacts all began to activate and point towards her! The family eventually surrounded her and blocked her path, but Petra did not stop even for a moment. She almost seemed to not even notice them, completely disregarding her assailants.
As they continued to encircle Petra, the Azurefell Family quickly noticed a problem.
These ants were far too ferocious!
Petra was like their queen, and the ant army wouldn't even let them approach!
Regardless of what they were doing, the instant Petra was in danger, they would drop everything and rush over like mindless drones! They were unwilling to even let a single hair on her head fall to harm!
* * *
The battle continued—
All of the ants had been 'carefully' selected beforehand. None of them were designed to kill, only incapacitate, so they moved with Petra's thoughts and swept through the Azurefell Family.
Several towering ant-like creatures burst through the foliage, their massive six-legged bodies easily reaching four meters tall. Their green-patterned black armor faintly gleamed beneath the light as they charged forward, intercepting a group of attackers.
Boom!
The surrounding enemies reacted immediately!
"Hold them back!" Someone roared.
Chains whipped through the air, wrapping around the creatures' legs and necks, but the creatures did not retreat! They continued to swarm forward, almost completely unaffected by the restraints! These black insects stood nearly twice the height of a normal human. They were fast and relentless, disregarding their own safety in order to attack and trade blows.
With that said—
The Azurefell Family was having a hard time even piercing this 'basic ant's' shell!
These melee ants threw themselves directly into the battle, slamming into opponents with an overwhelming level of physical force! Their jaws snapped around weapons and limbs alike, throwing practitioners to the ground before the poison cloud surrounding them seeped into their bodies.
Within minutes, many of the people in this wave collapsed!
This continued, target after target, and instead of slowing down, the ants only continued to increase in speed. If one looked closely, the ant army almost appeared to be becoming more efficient, as if they were learning from each exchange.
In truth, this was this group's first 'practical experience', and they were indeed learning to fight together!
The front line slowly shifted back!
Seeing the one-sided slaughter, the Azurefell family quickly called back their 'cannon fodder' and sent out more powerful practitioners…
At the same time—
BOOM!
—Something much heavier arrived!
The ground trembled as a series of massive shadows emerged from the darkness!
These ants were enormous, their thick bodies growing nearly ten meters tall! Their black shells were layered like heavy siege armor, making them look less like insects and more like moving fortresses.
They advanced slowly, heading out to face the newcomers that had already started to appear.
Countless weapons slammed against their bodies, sending sparks flying as the metal struggled to penetrate their shells, but the creatures didn't even slow down! One simply lowered its head, then charged like a bulldozer! Stone was shattered as practitioners were knocked aside like scattered leaves.
These monsters did not chase those that were missed, they simply crushed anything that stood in their way and left the survivors for those behind!
At the same time, behind them, another type of ant appeared.
Several ant-shaped 'figures' stood upright on four legs, their remaining limbs raised like strange skeletal handles, appearing almost like ant-themed tripods. Their bodies expanded slightly before launching hardened droplets of condensed 'something' high into the air.
WOOSH! Woooooooooooooooo—! BOOM! Boom-boom-boom-boom-boom!
The projectiles exploded across the battlefield like falling stars! Amber clouds erupted, and where the droplets struck, poison spread rapidly, soaking through armor, clothes, and exposed skin.
The defence collapsed almost instantly, and the Azurefell family's formation began to falter at a speed visible to the naked eye.
* * *
The camera shifts towards a new section of the battlefield—
Here, a few swollen creatures pushed forward into the fight. Their bodies trembled violently before rupturing with a loud burst, sending thick clouds of paralytic gas spilling outwards, swallowing entire sections of the open space.
Many practitioners who had been resisting the poison up till now suddenly fell where they stood, unable to resist this condensed substance.
Bang!
-
At the same time, above the battlefield, several shadows moved—
Dozens of winged creatures dove from the sky as sound struggled to keep up with them! These flying ants descended with sudden bursts of speed, their needle-like stingers striking exposed targets before immediately retreating back into the air.
One after another, they struck, withdrew, and struck again!
Panic began spreading through the surroundings as an overwhelming pressure began to build.
-
The Battle Continued—
Even as the weak began to distance themselves, the swarm was not finished with them!
Several strange creatures emerged from the poison mist; their small bodies covered in faint glowing runes that flickered in the dark of night. These ants raised their butts as small magical constructs formed around them, completing simple spells that had been imprinted onto their shells beforehand.
They were weak while alone, but there were thousands of them in total!
Bolts of spiritual energy and fragments of magical force blasted across the battlefield, disrupting the clan's retreating formation! Countless low-level spells layered together into a relentless storm, creating arcs of lightning, fireballs, wind blades, and snapping water whips that crashed down in overlapping waves. Light and darkness intertwined within the barrage, striking in chaotic flashes as the swarm unleashed an unending assault of magic!
-
The camera shifts to a different place on the battlefield—
In this large, half-destroyed building, a strange humming sound filled the hall. Several unusually shaped ants stood motionless within the swarm, and from within their bodies came faint harmonic waves.
The sound rippled outwards through the battlefield, interfering with the spiritual senses of the many defenders. Many practitioners suddenly felt dizzy as their souls painfully vibrated under the strange resonance, sending them into a sickening spiral.
The untouchable nodes spread rapidly through the swarm, expanding, and creating confusion and fear.
-
Outside, even stranger creatures had started to appear around Petra!
Some ants carried burning flames within their shells, others had legs that crackled with lightning, and some caused frost to spread across the ground where they stepped. Among them moved a few that radiated Petra's most dangerous element, the darkness element! These ants moved like shadows, corroding everything that they came close to!
These 'elemental ants' were not as large as the others, but they were just as deadly!
-
Buzz!
Throughout the battlefield, the pressure intensified as a series of small green lights zipped around.
These were a handful of rare creatures that soared through the outer arms of the swarm! They were a powerful species that Petra had created and allowed to directly borrow power from her person! Invisible waves of mental energy erupted outwards and spilled into the surrounding environment. Practitioners clutched their heads as their senses collapsed under the overwhelming assault of mental energy. In addition to their ridiculous durability and ability to mess with people's minds, the ground was torn up and weaponized by these same spherical-shaped ants.
Many people fell unconscious without ever being touched, while others were slammed into the ground by uprooted trees or large pieces of the surrounding buildings that had been used as clubs!
* * *
Despite the destruction, Petra herself continued to walk calmly through the chaos.
Rumble! The ground shook!
A massive shadow emerged from directly behind her!
Following the tremor, an enormous ant stepped forward, far larger than the others. Its armored body towered above the battlefield as it roared silently through the void! It possessed many of the same traits as the neutral ants, only seeming to have picked their best qualities and combined them all into a towering behemoth that held an oppressive presence.
This was the first 'Ant Warlord' born from the Warlord Forge Ant Queen!
It was also a test!
It charged forward immediately after appearing!
Stone shattered beneath its feet as it slammed into the defenders like a living siege engine! Around it, seemingly finding a leader, the swarm surged forward even more violently.
The ants effortlessly moved through Petra's poison, dancing through the toxic haze like creatures born from a sea of death. From above, the black butterflies continued spreading across the world. Their wings scattered a black mist through the night air, turning the battlefield into something strangely beautiful.
It was both terrifying and mesmerizing, creating an unstoppable momentum, and in the center of it all—
Petra calmly strode forward, patiently awaiting an actual opponent…
* * *
BANG!
Somewhere beneath the earth, a prison door exploded inward!
A small foot stepped forward.
Petra's eyes glowed with a green light as she looked down at Luna, who was already waiting patiently.
Both lolitas shared a chilling gaze…
With a sweep of her hand, the collar around Luna's neck ceased to exist.
* * *
The main residence had completely descended into chaos!
Every few minutes, several servants could be found running through the halls carrying news that contradicted each other. The higher-ups of the clan shouted orders through the void, while distant explosions and flashes of light illuminated the night sky outside.
Somewhere in the distance—
BOOM!
—The ground trembled violently, shaking dust from the roof!
-
Nellio stood in the middle of one of the longest corridors, his brows tightly furrowed as he looked down a branching hallway.
"…Still not here, seriously? At a time like this…"
He had already searched three different wings of the main mansion to no avail! No matter how hard he looked, the Ancestor was nowhere to be found!
"…Where did the old man go?" Nellio muttered under his breath, frowning deeply.
Footsteps approached from behind, causing him to turn his head, hearing a call.
"Young master!"
Nellio turned just as a younger man hurried down the corridor to meet him.
It was Nmo, one of the more mundane young men of the clan.
The boy looked pale, and several small injuries could be seen on his arms.
"…Young master, the situation outside is getting worse! I'm afraid…"
Nellio sighed to himself.
"I noticed."
Rumble! Another distant tremor shook the building!
Somewhere far away, the loud sound of a group of ants smashing through a wall could be heard.
Nmo swallowed nervously.
"…Do you know why those creatures are here?"
"No." Nellio shook his head, and after a moment of thought, he began walking down the hallway again, "But standing here won't help us figure it out, so..." He muttered…
Nellio glanced over his shoulder.
"Come with me, help me find the ancestor first."
Nmo quickly followed…
* * *
Time continued to pass…
Nellio and Nmo moved through several sections of the remaining buildings, passing nervous clan members rushing in the opposite direction. After nearly searching through the entirety of the family's territory, they nearly bumped into an elderly man storming down the hall.
The elder stopped abruptly when he saw them, then grimaced.
"…What are you two doing wandering around like fools at a time like this?"
His voice cracked like a whip.
"Get to the battlefield! The family is under attack!"
Nellio scratched the back of his head. "Actually, elder, I was looking for the Ancestor—"
"Then stop wasting time!" The old man pointed furiously towards the yard. "Those monsters are tearing through the estate, and you're playing hide-and-seek?!"
Boom! Another explosion rattled the windows!
The elder cursed loudly and rushed off again.
Nmo blinked. "…He seems stressed, doesn't he?"
Nellio shrugged. "That's normal, isn't it?"
They looked at each other with a wry smile, then continued…