“Die.”
“Croak.”
BAM!
Entamia crossed her arms against the mace and the punch from the hero charging at her.
The elven white skin shed, revealing the glossy, dark form of her true identity – a black ant.
Despite her appearance, Entamia was a queen.
Not a real queen, mind you. She was, after all, a princess ant with the potential to become the next queen and the command to control the soldier ants on behalf of the queen. But she was essentially regarded as a queen.
All the nutrients and malicious mana consumed by the soldier ants were absorbed by Entamia, making her far stronger than the Chaos Ants.
Her exoskeleton was tougher than any steel alloy, and she was confident that even modern weaponry couldn’t harm her; she had enough mana resistance to deflect arrows and swords infused with elven spirit power.
If she could just endure, she’d win.
If she could just hold on, she’d win!
Time was on her side.
Outdoors, countless Chaos Ants were awakening with her signal, breaking through the ground and marching towards the Daesanrim, and even the mimicked entities in the Great Hall were forcefully awakened.
‘I don’t need to defeat the hero and the saint. As long as I don’t die, it’s fine. No, it doesn’t even matter if I die! As long as the fragments are satisfied…!’
CRACK!
[Kya, hypocritical!?]
What was that?
She thought she blocked it…?
Blocking Yujin’s punch with her arm, she caught Shia’s swinging mace with her hand.
However, the arm that blocked the hero’s punch was completely crushed and slammed into her own face. She thought she had grabbed the mace, but the hand that caught it was forcibly pulled away, smashing Entamia’s face.
Reeling from the shock, Entamia realized her body was floating in midair in the Great Hall.
[Ah…?]
She fainted for a very brief moment upon taking a punch and a mace simultaneously.
When she came to, she quickly turned around, sensing a presence behind her.
And as Entamia’s body fell to the ground, Yujin moved with high speed, ready to intercept as if aiming for a ball.
[This isn’t good…!!]
[Soul Transfer – If you’ve been hit on the right cheek, offer the left]
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Yujin’s single punch transformed into numerous strikes, slamming into Entamia’s back.
[Ugh, freak!!]
It felt like her spine shattered.
Even though it was an artificial spine crafted using elven technology, she could still feel the pain.
As a result of the shock, Entamia couldn’t even scream and went flying to the opposite side. And in her place…
“Hero!”
[….!]
“It’s Paul!”
CRUNCH!
“You can’t throw me like a trash ball!”
“Ha, then you try it.”
Before Entamia could raise her arm, Shia, who had been waiting, swung her mace down with all her strength.
BOOM!!
[Yes, boo!!!]
“And that was clearly a home run, wasn’t it?”
“Yep, it’s a double play.”
“Goddammit!”
THUD!
Before Entamia could even take a breath, dust mixed with her exhalation while Shia and Yujin were suddenly behind her.
When did they move?
Entamia was the one who was blown away by the punch and mace, so how were the saint and the hero faster than her!?
It was simple.
Yujin and Shia could clearly see where Entamia was flying.
Their speed was much faster than the speed at which she was being blasted away by the brutal violence.
Thus, Entamia could neither burst with rage nor even finish devising a countermeasure.
CRACK!
Before she could devise her next scheme, she heard something in her own body breaking.
SHATTER!
Her spine crunched, and her shell and head shattered.
[Yes, gag!!!!]
“Hero! Trash shot~!”
“Ha, don’t be too cocky, saint!”
“You’re not my hero~ How dare you compare yourself to him? My hero is far more beautiful and splendid…”
“Yeah, you’re fantastic!”
CRACK!
[Cough!]
Ants don’t naturally have the sensitive pain receptors humans do.
However, having taken on a human form as an elf meant that a significant part of her body had harmonized, and Yujin and Shia’s merciless violence was introducing Entamia to the new world of pain.
SMACK!
THUMP!
SPLAT!
Entamia’s armor, which was particularly strong even among the Chaos Ants, was torn apart like wet tissue.
The shock and pain engraved in her brain and soul disoriented her, making it impossible for her to think.
‘How did it come to this…?’
The Chaos Ant princess Entamia was an ant that was born in the Daesanrim, which had moved to Earth.
Yet she was born an ant but endowed with extraordinary intelligence, naturally looking down on the soldier ants and worker ants that merely followed set orders and were driven by instinct and hunger.
I am superior.
I am meant to stand above.
With her superior intelligence over her kin, Entamia naturally became aware of her own destiny and set her sights on the Daesanrim, home to the massive dungeon, and the elves that inhabited it.
However, Entamia realized it was futile to snatch away the Daesanrim from the elves, no matter how many Chaos Ants attacked.
Even if ten Chaos Ants charged, they couldn’t stand against a single elf, especially since those elves were veterans who had honed their swordsmanship and abilities for hundreds of years.
If the elves had excessively strong pride and a pompous nature or were more individualistic, they might have had a chance to defeat them one by one.
Yet, since those elves were vigilant and maintained a fully organized order of knights and surveillance units, Entamia thought that under these circumstances, it would take centuries before the Chaos Ants could drive the elves out.
Entamia was furious.
She was frustrated.
She resented the elves.
If only her kin lacked intelligence, she wouldn’t have had the burden of such anger…
We had to suffer underground, gnawing on dirt and dust, and the rotting corpses…
Why do you face the sunlight while receiving the blessing of fresh grass and trees?
Why only you?
Why? Why?
I want it too.
Share it with us.
No.
That’s mine.
That’s my food.
That’s what we should consume.
Thus, Entamia harbored her malice.
With hatred, resentment, and a profound jealousy directed towards the elves and other living beings.
And the moment Entamia harbored malice, another voice began to resonate within her.
[Come, be with me.]
And to the Entamia, who now bore malice, that voice sounded unbearably sweet.
There was no reason to refuse.
I’ll unleash this hatred upon them.
I’ll eradicate this filthy jealousy.
[Together, we shall be evil.]
Alright.
[Together, we shall become the Demon King.]
Sure!
And Entamia stood on her own two legs.
The knowledge related to the elves that came from the mother who bore her began flowing into Entamia as if it were her experiences, mingling naturally even among her most despised foes.
Of course, that process didn’t go as smoothly as one might hope.
Most importantly, the voice of the mother who birthed Entamia echoed in her ears every day.
Stop it.
Don’t do it.
Of course, those words would never reach Entamia.
So, even as Entamia was merely a princess ant, she became a queen.
Not a weak queen who could only command the Chaos Ants, but Entamia filled with hatred and malice became the new queen.
Thus, Entamia began to act as if she was always alongside the elves.
The name Entamia was chosen for herself from that moment on.
With her mouth filled with lies and deceit.
She wanted to bite into the heads of those loathsome creatures at any moment, but with her better intelligence than before, Entamia remained patient.
She gradually began to release ant poison into their lakes, waters, land, and trees.
As there was no blessing from the World Tree, the elves weren’t free from illness and began to weaken little by little.
If a devastating illness were to spread all at once, those detested elves might flee somewhere or seek extensive help from humans.
So, she drove the thorns gradually deeper into their hearts.
Everything went according to plan.
She would devour all those vile beings. One day, I’d stand tall in this land. I swore I would devour this Great Forest and the vast world beyond as the Demon King, as the king of malice.
[What the hell, ha… haaaaah…]
But what is this?
What is this madness!?
I am the ant queen!
With all the nutrients and mana I’ve accumulated over time, my body is firm!
Even that body was further strengthened by the fragments of the Demon King!
You dare crush, hit, and tear it apart like it’s some toy!?
The hero’s fist shattered the mana resistance surrounding my exoskeleton. Following that, the saint’s mace mercilessly shattered my hard shell like glass.
I couldn’t even put up a proper resistance, let alone have a real fight.
Now, I have to lose everything I’ve built up all this time to these unheard of creatures!?
[Absolutely unacceptable!!!]
With a scream of despair, Entamia’s bloated ant legs and sharp pincers suddenly emerged.
Her beautiful elven form remained intact, but now, a grotesque insect form bursting out from between her body appeared terrifying.
[I’ll kill you….!]
“Quiet!”
As if to silence her, the hero’s fist exploded once more.
SMACK!
[Ugh, gag!]
“Have at you!”
SLAM!
And the saint’s mace came crashing down on Entamia’s head again.
[Ugh, Gya… AHH…!]
Entamia, who had bravely decided to switch to combat mode, completely sank once more.
An intangible shockwave twisted the Great Hall. On the ground lay Entamia’s crushed body, writhing.
“It’s dangerous…”
CRACK!
[Ugh…!]
“I should remove this, right?”
And Shia tore away the ant legs, pincers, and dangerous parts that had sprouted from the fallen Entamia’s body and fed them to the tentacles attached to her waist.
She was in tatters.
She couldn’t do anything.
The hero and the saint—those two beings were overwhelmingly strong and the essence of hatred.
Entamia felt the rage of the Demon King that resided within her.
But the mere fragments couldn’t match the full power of the hero and saint.
‘No, there’s still a chance.’
The malice and life needed to truly awaken the fragments of the Demon King were dwindling.
If I could just die a little more here.
Just a tiny bit more death is all it takes.
I didn’t necessarily have to confront the hero and the saint.
Yes, for now, it’s merely a strategic retreat!
Entamia commanded the elf imitators who were awakening.
No matter what it took, they needed to tear apart the elves in front of them!
“………….?”
What’s going on? Why is it so quiet?
Why can’t I hear anything?
When compatriots, family, and friends transformed into imitators attacked the same elves, chaos should have ensued.
“Hah… Hah…”
“I’m an elf. I’m an elf… I… am…”
“Sniff, no. No…”
“If I become an ant, I won’t feel this emotion…”
“Huh, haah…!”
[Huh…?]
They returned.
The ant pincers, thorns, and legs that should have burst forth were all maintaining their elven shells.
Why?
I clearly awakened them all earlier, didn’t I…?
“What a sight. Even with high intelligence, your situational awareness seems a bit lacking?”
[……H-Hero….]
Yujin smirked in a mocking way, grabbing Entamia’s face.
Black blood dripped from where Entamia’s mouth and eyes should have been.
“I’m the false hero. If your mimicked forms are your true selves and the elven shells are lies, naturally I won’t acknowledge the lies.”
[…..!]
Of course, Yujin’s power wasn’t omnipotent or perfect.
The imitators that had awakened into their original forms due to Entamia’s power merely reverted to their elven shells, which had become a bit stronger.
Consequently, some imitators bore cracks in their skin, and their fingertips turned sharp like ant legs, resulting in slight physical deformities and side effects.
Yet even so, they retained their rationality.
They hadn’t turned into monsters devoid of reason and intelligence; their rationality remained intact.
It was entirely thanks to the false hero Yujin positively acknowledging the ‘lies.’
“Thank you, false hero! My Great Healing optimizes the body’s condition, so I might’ve ironically strengthened the soldier ants as ants instead.”
“Haah, you take care of the rest. I’m too exhausted to do anything now.”
“Huh? False hero, are you mana premature?”
“Do you have any idea how monumental it is to positively affirm the lies of thousands of imitators? And I don’t have any damn rhinoceros beetle.”
“Then, you’re mana deficient?”
“….I have my doubts about whether you’re genuinely the saint.”
“Of course, I am the saint! It’s just that you’re not my hero!”
As the hero and saint bantered playfully, Entamia felt a wave of despair.
It’s over.
Everything is over.
Entamia sensed the blurring of her vision from pain and the accumulated shock.
‘No, there’s still a chance…!’
Even if the imitators had failed, there were still the overwhelming legions of Chaos Ants from outside.
In truth, aside from the imitators, there were thousands of elite soldier ants, along with reservists and immature Chaos Ant forces rushing toward the Daesanrim now.
An army that couldn’t be stopped even by the watchmen or scouts who went out as a precaution.
Even if the imitators wouldn’t listen to her commands, those mindless monsters were still under her command!
If they could, if they could…
If those useless creatures would kill a few elves and satisfy the shards of the Demon King, there’s still hope.
Entamia utilized her queen powers.
It was a necessary ability as a being with command over the soldier ants, allowing her to see what they could see.
And…
[Severing – Bud]
CRUNCH!!
‘Huh…?’
As Entamia shared her vision, she saw a small rose.
No, more accurately, it was a gigantic blade in the shape of a rose that was slicing through the soldier ants.
The massive blade swept across, cleaving dozens of soldier ants with each swing.
‘Huh!? What’s that!?!?’
Entamia quickly changed her point of view.
What was happening?
To ascertain the situation more clearly.
“Whoever you are, thank you for the help!”
“Get someone to tell the commander in the Great Hall about this news!”
“I’m joining that knight! Everybody attack!”
A knight clad in massive plate armor wielded a great sword, blocking the advance of the ants, while elven scouts and watchmen shot arrows to support the knight.
The passage into the Daesanrim was exceedingly narrow, and no matter how many ants charged, if they couldn’t break through that one narrow path, it would ultimately be meaningless.
Who is that? What the hell is that!?
That is not even something alive!
It’s undead! A monster that doesn’t even give off life, but why is it suddenly here helping the elves!?
If it’s a skeleton-headed undead, it should be attacking the elves instead!
“Oh dear, didn’t things go well?”
[……!]
Shia picked up the twisted-faced Entamia, smiling brightly.
With all the dangerous limbs and spikes extracted, she couldn’t offer any resistance.
Entamia could only glare at Shia with hateful eyes, suspended in the air by Shia’s hands.
[Kill, me…]
Yes, kill me.
Everything is ruined.
All because of those damned beings!
I didn’t even put forth my full strength.
Yet, because of those abnormal essences called the hero and the saint, everything went awry.
Causing discord among the Elder Council and ensuring they couldn’t unite was a failure.
The imitators not awakening nor obeying my commands were all unexpected.
If only I had killed that abominable child of Olgania, the last child of the World Tree, everything would have settled!
But what is this?
Where did those rotten, skeleton-like beings come from!?
What is this hero?
What is this saint?
And what is that skeleton knight? Damn it!!
I’m so full of hatred.
I’m envious.
I want to kill.
I want to curse you.
I intensely despise it!
If only it weren’t for you, if only it weren’t for you…!
Yes, kill me. Kill me! I wish you’d rather kill me!
[b]Miracle – Great Healing[/b]
“What?”
Suddenly feeling fine, Entamia looked at Shia with a bewildered expression.
She wasn’t just fine; she was in optimal condition.
“I swore an oath.”
[?!]
And in the next moment, Entamia’s eyes widened at the holy power shackled around her arms like chains.
What the hell are you doing!?
“As the saint, no living being present here will die. Though I failed once in my previous life… I won’t fail again.”
[Miracle – Great Seal]
[!?]
“I prohibit your arms from moving.”
[Miracle – Great Seal]
“I prohibit your legs from walking.”
[Miracle – Great Seal]
“I prohibit your thorns and pincers from rising.”
What’s happening? What are you doing?!
“What do you think? I’m fulfilling my oath as a saint. None of those present shall die.”
[What, what, what are you doing to me!]
Ignoring the struggling Entamia, Shia smiled cheerfully.
“Now, children of the Great Forest and the World Tree!”
And with a loud voice, Shia shouted.
“Here is the one who deprived you of your lives and violated your kin.”
[What are you doing, you crazy bitch!!!]
Shia’s sweet voice rang out for all the elves in the Great Hall to hear.
“I cannot comfort you as the saint. Regrettably, I am the undead saint Isia. A twisted saint with something missing somewhere.”
“But…”
“I can let you unleash your anger with your own hands.”
“…!”
“…..”
“…..”
“As the undead saint, I assure you. Today, no one will remember this event, and nothing that occurred here will leak outside. It was simply a quiet night that passed slowly.”
And with a cruel smile, Shia threw the fully bound form of Entamia at the elves.
“Do what you desire.”
Entamia’s body received the Miracle of Great Healing, bringing her to perfect condition, but the overwhelming magic restricted her even from moving a finger, leaving her in a completely defenseless state.
[Oh, no…!]
Realizing what kind of fate Shia had in store for her, Entamia’s face turned pale.
But you’re a saint! You’re a saint!!!
“If you wish to cause others pain, you should have been prepared to suffer that pain in return. And I told you, I am not just a saint.”
I’m not just a saint.
I’m the Undead Saint.
And only then did Entamia realize that her strength had not allowed her to withstand the attacks from the saint and hero due to her solid body.
Those two could have killed her long ago!
Despite the unimaginable speed and strength they wielded, their reasons for not taking her life were solely one.
Death is merely mercy.
Watching the elves slowly approach her, Entamia closed her eyes.
Please, let it end quickly.
