The battlefield was becoming increasingly chaotic.
Vaelzara continued her relentless assault against the Ashen Stingers, her enormous tail sweeping through the air as her claws tore apart one creature after another. The ground around the nest was littered with shattered armor and broken bodies, yet the colony showed no signs of stopping.
If anything, the swarm seemed to be growing more aggressive.
Every time the Demon Queen killed a group of Stingers, another wave emerged from the nest.
However, the outcome remained the same.
The creatures were simply unable to stop her.
[Tier 1 Ashen Stinger killed. +10 EXP gained.]
[Tier 2 Ashen Stinger killed. +15 EXP gained.]
[Tier 3 Ashen Stinger killed. +20 EXP gained.]
Vaelzara twisted her body, allowing a Stinger’s sharp appendages to pass over her shoulder. Her tail immediately wrapped around its body and crushed it.
[Tier 4 Ashen Stinger killed. +30 EXP gained.]
Another creature attempted to escape her reach.
She caught it by one of its legs.
"Haha, where do you think you’re going?"
With a casual flick of her wrist, she flung it against the nest.
The creature’s armored body shattered upon impact.
[Tier 5 Ashen Stinger killed. +40 EXP gained.]
Eren watched from a safe distance.
He had never imagined that hunting monsters could become such a one-sided spectacle.
The Ashfang Wolves had been dangerous because they possessed numbers and coordinated attacks. The Ashen Stingers were even worse in that regard. Their aerial movements, sharp stingers, and armored bodies made them difficult opponents for ordinary fighters.
Yet Vaelzara was dismantling the entire colony.
Her transformed body was practically a walking nightmare for the creatures!
The Demon Queen suddenly jumped, as her claws caught an airborne Stinger before it could strike her. She spun in midair and slammed the creature into another one.
Both bodies crashed into the ground.
[Tier 6 Ashen Stinger killed. +50 EXP gained.]
[Tier 7 Ashen Stinger killed. +60 EXP gained.]
’She’s not even using her skills.’
Eren couldn’t help but marvel at the sight.
Vaelzara was relying entirely on her physical strength, speed, and the terrifying durability of her Immortal Demon Body.
The more he watched, the more he realized how enormous the gap between their strengths truly was.
He was a Level 5 Spirit Summoner.
She was a former Demon Queen whose existence had once threatened entire armies.
The difference was genuinely laughable.
A loud buzzing suddenly came from the nest.
Several larger Ashen Stingers emerged from one of the openings. Their bodies were noticeably bigger than those of the previous creatures, and their armor had a more pronounced sheen.
Vaelzara’s crimson eyes narrowed.
"Oh?"
She seemed genuinely interested.
The creatures rushed toward her, as she decided to meet them head-on.
Her tail struck the first one, sending it crashing into the ground. Her claws ripped through the second creature’s armor, while the third attempted to attack her from above.
She caught it... Then crushed it.
[Tier 8 Ashen Stinger killed. +80 EXP gained.]
[Tier 9 Ashen Stinger killed. +100 EXP gained.]
[Tier 10 Ashen Stinger killed. +120 EXP gained.]
The System notifications continued appearing before Eren’s eyes.
His EXP was increasing rapidly, and at the same time, he continued leveling up!
However, it got to a point where his attention was no longer entirely on Vaelzara.
Something about the nest had changed.
The creatures were becoming more organized.
The weaker Stingers continued swarming the Demon Queen, but several others had begun moving around the battlefield. They were no longer simply charging toward the strongest opponent.
They were spreading out.
Eren’s expression tightened.
’Are they trying to surround us?’
"Rowan," he called.
"Yes, my Lord?"
"Keep your eyes open. Something doesn’t feel right."
Rowan nodded.
Lyra also raised her bow, carefully observing the movements of the creatures.
For a few moments, nothing happened.
Then a faint chittering sound echoed across the battlefield.
Eren turned his head.
A particular Ashen Stinger had emerged from the nest.
Its appearance was different from the others.
Its armor was darker, almost black, with a faint metallic sheen. Its body was slightly larger, and the curved stinger at the end of its abdomen appeared considerably thicker.
Unlike the other creatures, it did not immediately join the swarm attacking Vaelzara.
Instead, it stood near the nest’s entrance.
Its mandibles moved, as a faint chittering sound escaped its mouth.
Eren frowned.
’What is that thing?’
Before he could examine it further, the creature suddenly charged.
But it wasn’t heading toward Vaelzara... It was coming straight for them.
"My Lord!" Lyra shouted.
The darker Stinger rushed across the ground with frightening speed.
Four other Ashen Stingers followed behind it.
Two immediately veered toward Lyra, and the other two rushed toward Rowan.
The darker creature continued toward Eren, causing his eyes to widen in terror.
’Shit!’
He barely had time to raise his utility knife, before the Stinger lunged.
Its sharp appendages struck the ground where Eren had been standing a moment earlier.
He threw himself sideways, as the creature’s stinger swept past his body, narrowly missing his ribs.
Eren scrambled to his feet.
"Rowan! Lyra!"
Both spirits were already engaged in combat.
Lyra drew her bow and released an arrow into the first Stinger’s head. The creature staggered, but it continued advancing.
She immediately drew another arrow.
Rowan, meanwhile, had abandoned his attempt to maintain distance. One of the creatures was moving too quickly for him to track its movements properly.
He used his axe to deflect the incoming attack, as the impact sent him stumbling backward.
Eren had no time to worry about them.
The darker Stinger was already coming again.
He gripped his utility knife tightly.
The creature’s armored body was difficult to penetrate. Even when Eren managed to slash at one of its legs, the blade barely scratched its surface.
The Stinger’s mandibles clicked.
Its long stinger thrust forward, and Eren ducked.
The attack passed above his head.
He attempted to stab the creature’s underside, but it twisted its body with surprising agility.
A sharp appendage struck his wrist at that time at once, and his knife suddenly flew out of his hand, and landed several meters away.
Eren stared at it.
’No way!’
The Stinger immediately charged, and this time, Eren was having no weapon.
His heart pounded violently as he retreated, stumbling over the uneven ground as the creature pursued him. Its legs scraped against the ash, and its dark armor reflected the faint light of the surrounding environment.
He could not outrun it.
He knew that much.
The Stinger suddenly lunged.
Eren threw himself to the side, but its appendage caught his clothing and tore through the fabric.
He hit the ground hard, as an excruciating pain shot through his shoulder.
The creature still turned toward him, as its mandibles opened.
Eren scrambled backward, his hands digging into the ash-covered ground.
A rock.
It was not particularly large, but it was heavy enough to fit comfortably in both hands.
Eren grabbed it before he could think, as the Stinger continued to charge.
He raised the rock instinctively, but at that time the creature’s stinger already came thrusting toward his chest.
Miraculously, Eren twisted his body, as the attack pierced the ground beside him.
He felt the wind of its movement against his face.
His breathing became ragged.
’I’m going to die.’
The thought struck him with terrifying clarity.
He was not an Explorer.
He was not a warrior.
He was a Spirit Summoner who had barely begun his journey.
And now, a very terrifying monster was attempting to kill him.
The Stinger pulled its appendage free, as It turned toward him again. Eren tightened his grip on the rock, knowing that he had only one chance.
The creature lunged, but this time, Eren did not retreat.
He waited until the last possible moment, and that was when he swung.
The rock struck the creature’s head, and at once, a sharp cracking sound echoed across the battlefield.
The Stinger staggered, and Eren’s arms trembled from the impact.
But the creature was still alive.
Its mandibles snapped toward him, as Eren stumbled backward, nearly losing his balance.
The Stinger attacked again, and again he raised the rock.
BASH!
Another strike.
This time, the creature’s head tilted violently.
A crack appeared across its dark armor, causing Eren’s palms to hurt, his shoulders burning.
Yet he continued.
He struck the creature again.
And again.
The Stinger attempted to move, but its movements were becoming sluggish.
Eren could barely breathe.
His vision blurred.
He was exhausted.
But he knew that if he stopped, the creature would kill him. With a desperate shout, he brought the rock down one final time.
"AHHHHHH!!!"
The impact crushed the Stinger’s head.
Its body convulsed, and then it finally collapsed.
Eren remained standing for a brief moment.
His fingers loosened around the rock, as his knees gave way.
He fell onto the ash-covered ground, breathing heavily.
[Tier 14 Ashen Stinger killed. +200 EXP gained.]
[You have received a drop...]
Eren tried to raise his head, before the notification flickered.
He wanted to examine the drop.
He wanted to check whether Rowan and Lyra were still alive.
He forced his eyes toward them.
Lyra was standing several meters away, her bow still raised. Rowan had managed to kill one of his attackers, while the other appeared to be retreating.
They were alive.
That was enough.
Eren’s body finally relaxed, his breathing grew shallow as the world around him became a blur.
And before he could even think about the valuable drop he had obtained, the exhausted Spirit Summoner closed his eyes.
Meanwhile, Vaelzara continued her dance of destruction.
The Demon Queen’s laughter echoed across the nest as her claws tore through another wave of Ashen Stingers.
She had yet to notice that her Master had nearly been killed.
Not yet.