TLBP 30

CHAPTER  30………………………………………………..

10. Ant Nest 029 – Ant Nest #2

“Bakanishu!”

The creature slammed its shield and axe together with a thunderous roar.

Clad in armor made from an ant’s exoskeleton, it was the very image of a warrior, standing on two legs with pillar-like arms.

Its slitted eyes swept over me from head to toe, and then it let out a raspy laugh, pulling its mouth into a grim smile.

“…Nishu.”

I carefully observed its body in return.

It looked somewhat like the Marblings I’d seen before, but if those were children, this one was like a Spartan warrior stepping out of a movie—broad shoulders and a towering build that was impossible to ignore.

“That one’s green-skinned. Judging by its size, it must be fully grown. I’d heard that other beasts could live as mercenaries, but I never thought they’d live alongside ants too.”

Leaf’s eyes darted over the Marbling and the green-skinned warrior, a mix of curiosity and fear.

The ecology of these creatures wasn’t my concern, so I focused on the most important question.

“Is that one strong?”

“Strong enough to control a valley or a stretch of land. Probably comparable to that Belzer guy yesterday.”

“I see…”

Images of the forest-mad Belzer, whose thorns had pierced me all over, and the axe-wielding warrior before me overlapped in my mind.

Belzer and I had been evenly matched, but I had Leaf to assist me, so handling him had been comparatively easy.

“What happens if we don’t fight one-on-one?”

“All the ants here would swarm you and punish you.”

Leaf’s tense response made me glance at the surrounding ants.

Although they were standing back now, forming a makeshift arena, their antennae twitched as if ready to pounce at any moment.

“So it’d just be a repeat of earlier, huh…”

I couldn’t expect Leaf’s help this time. And it didn’t seem like that guy could beat my massive frame, meaning I had to face the duel alone.

“Muhamba!”

The green-skinned warrior slammed his axe against his shield, creating a threatening noise.

His skeleton and thick muscles made him look like a walking tree trunk. If I had encountered a human like this on the street, I would have fled without looking back.

“Muhamba!”

He slammed the axe on the shield again, shouting the name repeatedly. It seemed there was meaning in calling it out.

“That must be his name. I guess they call names before starting a duel.”

Leaf explained, and I nodded in understanding.

“Surprisingly polite.”

I cautiously advanced. The ants clattered their feet, encircling both me and Muhamba.

Leaf was pushed outward by the ant lines, bouncing back from the circle.

“Stay strong! You have to win if I’m going to survive too!”

Watching Leaf leap and cheer from outside the circle eased my tension slightly, though my head throbbed from nervousness.

I turned my gaze to Muhamba.

He tapped his chest with his thumb.

“Muhamba.”

Then he aimed his axe at me—perhaps asking for my name.

‘What should I tell him?’

My human name floated to mind, but it seemed weak, associated with few good memories.

“I am Bakanishu.”

Bakanishu, in an ancient tongue, meant “Forest Rogue.” It sounded fitting as the name of a fighting warrior.

“…Bakanishu.”

Muhamba’s eyes and mouth twitched slightly. Then he raised his crude stone axe high.

“Balom!”

With a single, incomprehensible shout, he brought the axe down. The wind whistled past my ears.

Dodging just in time, I realized he was faster than expected.

I had assumed his bulky frame would make him slower than the Marblings I’d faced, but I was wrong—muscle, not fat, gave him agility.

“Damn it.”

Muhamba readjusted his axe.

I knew nothing of warrior tactics or swordsmanship, but his stance was flawless. I could foresee myself hitting the floor if I charged recklessly.

‘This won’t be easy.’

I crouched on all fours, fur bristling.

I circled Muhamba in the center of the ant arena, seeking an opening for a surprise attack.

He rotated constantly, preventing me from seeing his back.

“…Nishu.”

After the first attack, he hadn’t rushed blindly—a caution beyond the younger Marblings’ recklessness.

“Leaf! Any weaknesses? Tell me something that could help!”

I shouted, keeping my distance.

From the ant crowd, Leaf responded quickly.

“Lift your middle fingers! They react sensitively to that gesture!”

“Lift my middle fingers?”

It meant showing the middle finger—a gesture considered offensive to humans—but apparently it was a weakness for these ants. Strange, but I went along with it.

I stood upright and raised both middle fingers toward him.

“….”

Muhamba’s previously solemn face twisted in shock.

“Bakanishu!”

He charged at me with thunderous stomps.

“Balom!”

He seemed furious.

I dodged his massive stone axe with acrobatics. My low posture meant the axe repeatedly struck the cave floor instead of me.

Thud! Thud! The ground caved in from the force—it was immense strength.

Even a graze would kill me…

Still, compared to before, he seemed less coordinated, showing openings.

Muhamba’s rage had clouded his mind.

“Guo!”

He slammed the axe down. I dodged left and clawed his upper left arm.

Got it!

My claws dug into his muscle, tearing flesh.

“…Paroma.”

He clutched his bleeding arm. Blood spurted like a spike piercing a water-filled rubber hose. My claws had severed a blood vessel.

“Huff! Hoo…”

His face turned red as he tensed his arm muscles. The bleeding stopped, his muscle swelling impressively.

“Impressive technique,” I thought. Perhaps a natural talent.

Still, the damage wasn’t negligible. His breathing grew ragged.

He was tiring from the continuous misses and trying to keep up with my movements—or perhaps from the blood-stopping technique. Either way, it was a good sign. I felt fresh and strong.

I’ll drag this into a war of attrition!

I relied on my speed and stamina, circling him while clawing at him.

“Nishu!”

He blocked my attacks with his armored exoskeleton, sturdy and rigid. But repeated clashes loosened the armor, revealing his right arm.

Though muscular, it looked weak compared to the armor.

‘Now I see how fragile humans really are.’

No sharp teeth, no shell, and even trained muscles were soft compared to predators.

Still, I must be careful of that axe.

Primitive weapon, huge stone blade wrapped in vines—one strike could break bones. No matter how strong I got, I wasn’t stronger than stone.

The armor’s mostly off, now I need to make him drop the axe.

I focused on his left hand holding the axe. Its movements were fast but sloppy due to weight.

“Baa!”

I ducked low, guiding the axe to the ground, then scratched the tendons of his left wrist in the opening.

Yes!

I cheered as my claws dug in.

Ugh?

I realized my claws were stuck in his wrist, like a saw embedded in wood. Probably the same principle as a mosquito’s proboscis stuck in tense muscle.

“Kuhuhu.”

He stiffened his arm muscles, grinning grotesquely.

Soon, Muhamba grabbed my hind legs with his right arm. I flew into the air and slammed onto the cave floor repeatedly.

Kuak! Ack!

Every impact made me scream involuntarily. Fear of death filled my mind.

When I bounced back into the air, I leapt onto his head like a shrimp, clinging tightly.

He panicked, trying to shake me off and punch. I endured the pain, wrapping my hind legs around his neck and lifting his jaw with both arms.

My vision was flooded red.

Whether blood from his eyes or rage, I couldn’t tell.

I squeezed with all my strength. A cracking sound came from his neck as it broke.

His jaw seemed shattered, one arm dangling uselessly.

I ground my teeth and tightened my legs further.

“Kuk, kek, Nishu…!”

His struggling movements slowed, probably losing consciousness from lack of oxygen.

I felt his strength draining. I seized the moment, slashing his neck with my claws.

“Kuh, kuh-ek,”

Blood spurted everywhere as I pulled away safely.

Muhamba’s hands grasped his broken neck, but the damage was done—blood flowed endlessly.

Eventually, his body crumpled to the floor, knees first, then collapsed flat.

The dying Muhamba twitched like a fish. I approached, grabbed his stone axe, and raised it high.

“…Nishu, Baloma.”

“You’re cursing him, aren’t you?”

I brought the axe down with all my strength.

Snap.

I intended to sever his neck, but the stone axe was dull—or my strength insufficient. Cutting his thick neck was difficult.

I kept swinging, the sound of breaking bones echoing through the burrow.

“St-stop! You’ve won! Muhamba’s dead!”

Leaf stopped me, but I had already reduced Muhamba to an unrecognizable, gruesome heap.

“Ha… damn. I won.”

My whole body ached as if broken. One arm dangled, possibly dislocated or fractured, but I had won the duel.

Gwiing.
Gwiing.

The ants stomped and bowed their heads toward me. The circle parted like the Red Sea.

Ahead, a large cave opening came into view.