This was Count Roland's castle, located further south than Celia's homeland, the Rehberg Barony.
“How is it going?”
Celia asked softly, looking at Sebas as he walked into the room.
Sebas kept his head lowered, answering cautiously, “No special news. Although we wondered if there would be any movement and sent people to inquire, we couldn't find any trace of those creatures, even near the old territory...”
Having relocated here, Celia subconsciously bit her lip upon hearing the news Sebas brought.
Although the force that had brought about her family's ruin had disappeared, she could no longer return.
Most of the people, including herself, had long since evacuated. Rebuilding her family in her homeland was now an absolute impossibility.
“Why is this happening? They were so brutal when they attacked our territory...”
Even now, the appearance of those ants frequently haunted her dreams.
Those emotionless killing machines that tore humans apart alive—ants that seemed ready to devour human flesh and destroy the world at any moment—being this quiet was deeply unsettling in its own right.
Yet, the human factions in the south had absolutely no idea why they had gone quiet: the ants had clashed head-on with the goblin forces in the vast, unexplored forests.
This was because, from the very beginning, they had rejected the alliance proposal put forward by the goblin chief, Karon.
“Those monsters must only be able to live in the forest. Either that, or they fought other magical beasts in the woods and were wiped out entirely,” Sebas offered, harboring a sliver of hope.
“If only that were the case.”
Celia sighed softly and shook her head.
Under the circumstances, no matter how much she emphasized the need to be wary of the ant colony, she would never get a response from anyone.
People had already begun to whisper that Celia had suffered too great a shock and lost her mind.
“You should put your mind at ease now, Milady. You cannot keep thinking about those monsters. As the sole survivor of the ruling family, you must regain your status and make a comeback, no matter what.”
Sebas looked at the weary Celia with heartache, gently advising her.
Having watched Celia grow up since childhood, he could clearly sense the profound terror she harbored toward the ant colony.
“I do not wish for you to become the Count's mistress either, Milady. However, you possess exceptional magical talent and outstanding beauty that even the Count covets, so you can find a suitable match at any time.”
“Sigh... I understand. Say no more.”
Celia interrupted Sebas, her voice thick with exhaustion.
Even if she was an excellent mage, there was ultimately a limit to what she could achieve with her strength alone.
Yet, she was a special mage after all, and she still held her pureblood noble lineage as a bargaining chip. If she played her cards right, it was not impossible to establish her own faction in one fell swoop.
“Urgent report from the north!”
Before she could make up her mind, an emergency report arrived from the north.
“A-A monster has appeared! They say a swarm of monsters that tears humans apart alive is sweeping down from the north, turning everything upside down!”
The news of the ant colony she had been so wary of had finally arrived from the north.
...
【Your servants desire more food】
Even though they had begun farming, and even though Lin Miao had brought more food and evolutionary materials, the ant colony's deep-rooted hunger remained insatiable.
They had already tasted food infused with magic power and magic—a miraculous power that could accelerate evolution.
Although this power was not something the colony was originally meant to possess, they had the ability to devour their opponents and claim it as their own.
Lin Miao sighed softly. “So they've turned their direction to the south?”
For the ant colony, which was constantly expanding its nest and territory, the human sphere of influence starting in the southern plains was undoubtedly a far more attractive prey than the goblin tribes.
It was only natural for them to take their steps in that direction.
Lin Miao watched the screen tensely. A colony composed of hundreds of ants of various forms was marching steadily toward a human village.
The villagers were already fleeing for their lives.
This might have been a pity for the ant colony, which had absolutely no interest in left-behind belongings, but ordinary villagers were not the special food they desired anyway.
“Evacuate, quickly!”
“At this rate, we'll be caught. There's no choice.”
Yet, there would always be those who chose to stay behind to protect others.
To prevent the lagging elderly, weak, women, and children from being overtaken by the pursuing ants, several brave adventurers decided to stay behind and guard the rear, buying time for the villagers to escape.
“Lady Grace...” a young adventurer said, his voice choking up as he looked at the woman in front of him.
“Don't worry, go evacuate. We just need to buy some time, and this will be more than enough.”
The female adventurer known as Grace gave her companions a reassuring smile and spoke in a low voice.
It was a noble and sublime sacrifice. The villagers did not stop their escape, but they were deeply grateful to those who chose to fight to protect them, praying for them with all their might.
“That's right, we just need to buy enough time for them to escape.”
Of course, these adventurers had no intention of throwing their lives away either.
They believed that as long as they fought moderately and then retreated, they could slow down the ant colony's advance.
They were all veterans with rich experience in fighting magical beasts. To them, the oncoming ants were merely numerous; dealing with them like ordinary magical beasts would be more than enough.
However, this vanguard composed of hundreds of ants trampled and broke straight through the dozens of adventurers standing in their way.
Their exoskeletons could not be penetrated even when scorched by magic, and their sharp venomous stingers could pierce solid armor in a single strike.
“How can these monsters be so strong...”
As her consciousness rapidly faded, the adventurer Grace stared at the massive venomous stinger piercing her abdomen, overwhelmed by an unprecedented shock.
“No... the people...”
Marshaling the last of her strength, Grace looked toward the ants chasing the fleeing crowd. But as she drew her final breath, countless ants had already swarmed over her body, beginning the process of breaking her down.
【Your servants are pleased with obtaining special food】
Until the very moment of their deaths, they never realized that what the ant colony truly coveted had never been the village's belongings, but they themselves.
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