Chapter 159: An Unexpected, Furry Help

Liam raised his pistol.

The insects continued approaching through the branches, filling the entire forest with buzzing.

There was no time to wait any longer.

"Attack!"

Liam was the first to fire.

The bullet shot out of his pistol and tore through the air before striking one of the insects descending toward them.

The bullet exploded, and the creature fell between the trees.

Liam remained beside Lydia, keeping his pistol raised as he watched for any creature that tried to get too close to her.

Meanwhile, the rest of the squad charged into battle.

A giant bee descended directly toward Jordan.

Its stinger was aimed at his chest.

Jordan barely had time to react.

But Carol appeared in front of him.

"Jordan!"

Carol threw a punch.

Her arm had already transformed into the same wood-like material as the tree trunks.

The bee’s stinger collided with her fist.

CLANG!

The tip became lodged in her arm.

The bee began trying to pull away, beating its wings, but it couldn’t free its stinger.

Carol gritted her teeth.

"I can’t get it off!"

Jordan smiled.

"Let me help you with that."

Jordan began burning fat, and his body grew stronger.

He grabbed the stinger with both hands.

"Haaa!"

With a sudden movement, he pulled to the side.

The stinger snapped, and the bee quickly retreated.

Jordan looked at the piece of stinger in his hands.

"That was easier than I expected."

Carol looked at him.

"Thanks, Jordan."

"You’re welcome, buddy."

A burst of electricity tore through the air.

Emily ran past them.

"Now it’s my turn!"

Emily smiled and charged at another insect.

Her fist slammed into the creature’s shell, sending it crashing into a tree.

Lena, on the other hand, was having some trouble.

Standing in front of her was a massive ant.

Lena held her black charcoal spear, its tip still burning.

"Hold still!"

The young woman thrust her spear, but the ant dodged.

Lena attacked again, and the creature moved out of the way once more.

"Stop moving!"

Another thrust.

Another dodge.

The ant was particularly agile.

Lena clicked her tongue.

"I know you don’t like fire and don’t want to let me hit you!"

The creature lunged at her again.

Lena stepped back and raised her spear.

"Come here."

A few meters away, Chuck was enjoying the situation far too much.

He threw a grenade into the branches.

Then he threw a knife.

The grenade exploded.

Two beetles fell from the trees.

Chuck began laughing.

"If you want to make this fair, you need to send more!"

He threw another knife.

"I can take on all these bugs by myself!"

Emily, who was jumping between the branches while attacking several giant flies, laughed.

"Good to see you’re enjoying the fight, buddy!"

A burst of electricity tore through the wings of one of the flies.

The creature fell.

Emily disappeared in a flash.

She appeared on another branch.

Another burst of electricity.

Another creature fell.

"But I’d like to see you take on all these bugs by yourself!"

Chuck gave her a thumbs-up.

"I accept the challenge!"

"That wasn’t a challenge!"

Emily disappeared among the branches again.

Flashes of electricity appeared and disappeared throughout the forest.

The giant flies could barely react.

But they just kept coming.

◇◆◇

Time continued to pass.

The first insects had been defeated.

However, the buzzing didn’t disappear.

More and more kept coming.

Beetles.

Flies.

Ants.

Wasps.

Enormous creatures of all different shapes and sizes.

The forest seemed to be one gigantic nest.

Liam continued firing.

A huge spider moved between the trees, quickly traveling along its own webs.

Liam fired.

The spider dodged.

He fired again.

The creature leaped toward another branch.

Liam followed it with his eyes.

Then Lydia approached him.

"Liam..."

He turned slightly.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you don’t want me to help?"

Liam shook his head.

"Don’t worry. We’ve got this."

Lydia lowered her gaze.

"Okay, if you say so."

Liam fired again.

But he could tell that she was becoming increasingly dejected.

She didn’t complain.

She didn’t argue.

She simply remained beside him, following his orders.

And that made Liam feel even worse.

’I’m sorry, Lydia.’

But he couldn’t risk her.

Not while her powers continued to behave so strangely.

◇◆◇

Jordan was having trouble.

A giant beetle had cornered him against a tree.

Jordan raised his arms.

"Come on!"

He punched.

The creature barely moved a few inches.

Jordan breathed heavily.

He had already burned too much fat.

He needed to eat, but he couldn’t stop to look for something.

The beetle attacked again.

Jordan raised his arms to protect himself.

Then...

Something emerged from the bush beside him.

A small creature.

Orange fur.

No eyes.

Small fangs.

Jordan’s eyes widened.

"You...?"

The creature leaped and charged straight at the beetle.

Its jaws clamped down on one of its limbs.

CRACK!

It tore it off.

The beetle began thrashing desperately.

The creature bit down again.

Another limb disappeared.

Jordan stood completely still.

"It’s..."

He recognized it.

It was the same creature that had devoured his chips.

The small blind sub-boss continued attacking.

Within seconds, the beetle collapsed to the ground.

The creature began devouring it.

Jordan watched the scene.

He had no idea what was happening.

But for some reason, that creature had just saved him.

"Thanks..."

The creature raised its head.

It seemed to have heard his voice.

Then it went back to eating.

Jordan smiled.

’I guess you’re not so bad after all.’

Meanwhile, the rest of the squad continued fighting.

Emily was surrounded by flies.

Carol had two beetles on her.

Lena was still trying to hit the enormous ant.

Chuck was starting to run out of grenades.

Liam continued firing.

And Lydia watched helplessly.

Then something unexpected happened.

The small sub-boss leaped onto another creature.

It knocked it down.

Devoured it.

Then it ran toward another.

And another.

It seemed unable to distinguish between enemies.

Every insect it encountered ended up between its fangs.

One after another, the enormous bodies began to fall.

Emily watched in surprise as the creature took down the flies surrounding her.

Carol watched as the little monster bit one of the beetles that was about to attack her.

Lena stared as the creature leaped onto the giant ant and knocked it down.

Even Chuck stopped laughing for a moment.

"What the hell...?"

Within seconds, every battle was over.

The forest fell silent.

The giant insects were scattered across the ground.

Liam’s squad remained completely unharmed.

And in the middle of it all, the small furry creature was finishing off the last beetle.

Liam slowly lowered his pistol.

But then Emily, Carol, and Lena surrounded the creature.

They encircled it.

Lena held her burning spear.

Carol readied her arms.

Emily wrapped her hands in electricity.

Jordan raised his voice.

"Stop!"

The three of them looked at him.

"Don’t attack it."

Liam immediately intervened.

"Do what Jordan says."

Chuck pulled out a knife and held it between his fingers.

It was obvious that he intended to throw it.

"You’re not seriously going to believe this rabid, blind dog can be an ally too."

Lena looked at the little monster.

"I can’t believe it."

Then she looked at Jordan.

"But I agree with the old man."

Chuck frowned.

"Old man?"

Lena ignored the comment.

"If we leave it alive, it’s going to try to eat us."

Everyone fell silent.

Their gazes slowly shifted toward Liam.

Then toward Jordan.

Liam looked at the small orange creature.

Jordan looked at Liam.

And neither of them seemed to have a clear answer about what to do with that strange sub-boss.