Chapter 680: [Final Wave – The Undereign Devourer]

[Final Wave – The Undereign Devourer]

The message appeared, and the instant it did, the Hive shook, and the instant it did, Kael realised something.

This time, the Hive wasn’t shaking because of an army.

It was shaking from one thing.

One single existence.

Kael felt it through the Swarmmind, coming towards him, and as it moved, Kael could sense the tunnels around it collapsing, the roots snapping, and the stones cracking before being destroyed into pieces.

The ants stationed there disappeared one after another.

The worst part?

They weren’t killed by claws, teeth, or crushed under massive weight—

They died because the ground they were on itself was... eaten.

That made Kael’s face turn cold.

This alone was more than enough for him to understand what sort of enemy he was facing.

The Undereign Devourer.

An entity that did not care about armies, tactics, or other methods to invade. It was an entity that simply moved forward, eating everything between itself and the Brood Chamber.

Kael turned toward the amber chamber behind him. It was glowing brighter now, the golden light inside it pulsing steadily.

Ba-dump Ba-dump Ba-dump

Kael heard Imperia’s heartbeat, his connection with her telling him that she was close. Just one last wave, one last enemy, and his Imperia would be able to grow.

Kael prepared himself.

"Protect the Chamber."

He ordered, more to himself than the ants.

He then once again connected with the Swarmmind. The ants moved, Shield ants gathered around the Brood Chamber, Workers sealed cracks and damaged paths, Burrowers moved underground, Scout ants spread through the deeper tunnels, Soldier ants formed layers around Kael, Acid ants waited near the main paths, Needle ants hid inside the roots.

The entirety of the Hive was moving as one entity, prepared to face the final threat.

And just as Kael and the ants prepared themselves, the ground in the far tunnel burst open and a massive body tore through the stone.

It was finally here.

And it was enormous.

It had a long, thick body, covered in dark brown armor plates. Its head was wide and flat, it had six black eyes and a mouth filled with grinding teeth. Its legs were short but powerful, made for digging, tearing, and crushing.

It did not roar, it chewed. Even as it moved forward, its mouth kept grinding through stone, soil, roots, and dead bodies it had captured along the way.

The moment it appeared, Kael didn’t give it time to react. The ants moved instantly. Acid ants sprayed its face, Soldier ants rushed its legs, some stabbing at the gaps in its armor, Shield ants threw themselves in front of it to slow it down.

But the Undereign Devourer?

It did not stop.

It pushed forward. The ants that attacked it were all crushed beneath its body, others were pulled into its mouth and chewed alive.

Kael felt that pain, hundreds and then thousands of ants dying in the most painful of ways. It was an overwhelming experience, something that made his face twist.

Kael, however, did not lose control. He commanded the Hive, his burrowers redirecting the lower tunnel, trying to weaken the path beneath the Devourer.

And it worked.

The ground collapsed, the massive beast sinking slightly.

For a moment, its movement slowed. Acid and Armor Ants moved, the Acid Ants rushing forward, crawling into the spaces between its armor plates, releasing their agonising and dangerous acid.

The Devourer’s body hissed, smoke came out of its shell, then, suddenly, something more surprising happened.

The monster’s body twisted in a way a beast that giant shouldn’t be able to twist. Its entire body rolled sideways, hundreds of acid ants above it being crushed instantly.

The tunnel wall broke and then the Devourer did something Kael did not expect.

The beast that seemed capable of tanking his entire army’s attack suddenly dug into the side and vanished underground.

That made Kael narrow his eyes.

This thing...

It was not only absurdly strong, it was also smart enough to avoid being held in one place and that made it... quite a difficult enemy.

Kael remained connected to it through his Swarmmind. From it, he could get a sense of how fast this thing actually was.

A little too fast for its size, honestly.

And the worst part?

Like the other ants, it too, for some reason, was rushing towards the Brood Chamber, targeting his Imperia again.

That gave Kael’s eyes a cold, cruel shine. The ants all around the chamber tightened their defense, the ground beneath the chamber trembled and Kael—

He ran.

At the same time, he used the Swarmmind to track the Devourer’s path.

He also commanded the burrowers to collapse the left side. The burrowers obeyed instantly and the ground on the left side of the Brood Chamber collapsed before the Devourer could break through.

The monster was forced to change direction, though this time, Kael did not give it the chance.

He instructed the Worker Ants to spit sticky resin and packed mineral soil into the right tunnel, making it harder for the Devourer to move through.

He also prepared the Shield Ants to brace for the impact.

The Devourer burst out of the ground, right in front of the defensive line. The shield ants took the charge, their bodies broke, the entire line was pushed back, but still—

The ants managed to slow the Devourer down for one short second.

And that was all that was needed because Kael was already here.

The sword in his hand shimmered.

Sword Intent.

Then, without waiting, he struck the softened armor gap, right where the acid ants had attacked earlier.

Pierce

The blade sank in.

Splurt

Black blood sprayed out.

Then, for the first time since it appeared—

"KRRIIIEEEKKKKK!!!"

The Devourer finally screeched in pain.

Its six eyes locked onto Kael. Kael pulled his sword back and jumped away, dodging its circular mouth that snapped toward him.

Kael landed near the Brood Chamber, then, he stared at the thing in front of him and his expression turned solemn.

Just one simple exchange was enough to make him realise it—

This one wasn’t going to be easy.