The Tier 2 bugs now displayed a vitality that struck terror into the hearts of their enemies.
They did not fear death, and their will to fight was staggering.
In the face of an enemy, if a single zergling discovered a weakness, every other bug would know it instantly.
This capacity for learning was built upon the swarm's collective will, centered around the Queen.
When had the goblins ever encountered such an opponent?
After a brief wave of slaughter, nearly half of the dozen or so goblins were cut down. The remaining green-skinned creatures began to flee in a panic.
However, the bugs that had been lying in wait nearby immediately rushed out, surrounding them.
Even for the two Tier 3 individuals, resistance became meaningless when faced with such overwhelming numbers.
A single bug might not necessarily defeat a same-tier enemy capable of using magic.
But once their numbers grew, the advantage of collective coordination would manifest.
The knight commander, who had hurriedly arrived nearby, watched this scene in silence.
“Is this where Her Highness gets her confidence?”
They were creatures that seemed to have come straight from hell.
He could imagine the expressions on the kingdom's soldiers when they eventually saw these zerglings.
And only thirty had been deployed this time.
The bugs' gnawing turned the scene into a bloodbath. The goblins, their morale shattered, discovered to their horror that they couldn't even outrun the bugs.
Leaving a trail of blood as they were slaughtered along the way, only one high-defense giant goblin remained after a mere five minutes.
But under the zerglings' siege, even it was on the verge of collapse.
“Damned monsters, where did you come from?”
It swung a massive wooden club, but the bugs were too agile. Their constant leaping and darting was pure torment.
After an unknown amount of time, one zergling saw an opening. It lunged from the side, plunging its sickle into the giant goblin's eye.
Blood and brain matter sprayed out instantly.
The giant goblin collapsed with a heavy thud.
In a thicket some distance away, a certain goblin witnessed this scene. Scared out of its wits, it turned and bolted into the distance.
“So there was one hiding in the shadows?”
Xia Jin briefly considered having the bugs pursue it, but given the currently small scale of her swarm, she decided it was better to wait until she had developed further.
With that, the zerglings began to drag the corpses back toward the base.
Meanwhile, several other zerglings took over patrolling that direction, guarding against a potential counterattack from the goblins.
Ten minutes later, the corpses were dragged to the Zerg Hive. The drones began to consume the flesh bite by bite.
With the help of their secreted corrosive fluid, even the sturdy Tier 3 bodies were slowly dissolved into absorbable nutrients.
...
“It seems things went smoothly enough.”
The goblin tribe wasn't exactly small, but after this encounter, they would certainly have noticed her.
Xia Jin intended to take things slow.
She reached into a small bag, took out a piece of candy the soldiers had bought, and popped it into her mouth.
“Not bad, quite sweet.”
The flavor was a bit one-dimensional, with a faint hint of lychee.
Something to eat when she was bored.
She then noticed the two women who had been bound by the goblins.
Only after approaching did she realize they were already dead.
Their bodies were covered in scars, bearing the marks of the atrocities they had endured.
“Your Highness, they are already...”
The knight stood by her side. He had originally worried the young Princess wouldn't be able to handle such a horrific sight, but after seeing her expression, he felt slightly relieved.
“I know. Convert them into newborn bugs, and bury the bones,” Xia Jin sighed softly.
The goblins of this world were truly intolerable.
In that case, she would simply become a Goblin Slayer.
After all, she was a girl now, making her their natural enemy.
...
Their current position was roughly fifty kilometers from the edge of the forest—the exact distance required by the terms of her exile.
In this area, adventurer parties and the lord's armies would occasionally appear.
Xia Jin was considering pushing deeper into the forest.
Once her army reached a certain size, she would strike eastward against the humans there.
Fragmented mountains and sea regions divided the powers there into various city-states and small nations.
Because geographical communication was difficult, especially in remote areas, it would be very hard for them to notify other cities and receive reinforcements in time if they were attacked by the swarm.
The swarm could use that to grow stronger.
“But it's too early to talk about that.”
Xia Jin let out a yawn.
She had to consider the threat from the lords on the kingdom's border.
She clearly didn't have the strength to venture deep into the forest yet. Pushing too fast would inevitably lead to conflict with magic beast factions or other races.
However, if she explored this fifty-kilometer zone, the local lord would likely find out soon.
The presence of such dangerous creatures here, even more terrifying than goblins, would definitely attract attention and lead to a suppression campaign.
“Amelo.”
In her memory, this Count guarded the lands adjacent to the Border Forest.
The strength of his army was a mystery to Xia Jin. She had been a Princess and had never paid attention to military matters.
But there was no doubt the lord was powerful.
One could say that if she were to march on the capital in the future, the first thing she would have to do was pass right in front of his doorstep.
“When I think about it, the pressure to develop is actually quite high.”
Xia Jin stretched.
She really didn't want to sleep in a carriage anymore; a soft, large bed would be so much more comfortable.
“Speaking of which, there are over two hundred bugs now. It's about time to have them help build some facilities.”
Since this was her territory, it wouldn't do if it wasn't a bit grand.
With the bugs' abilities, as long as they knew how, they could surely build a city more magnificent than the kingdom's capital.
Even though the Zerg were hideous, the place where she lived should be comfortable.
She would aim for the scale of a world wonder—hundred-meter-high walls, sky corridors, and the like.
Thus, Xia Jin set aside ten bugs and had them work with the brain bug to research how to construct regular stone buildings.
Rate on N.U.
