186: war

It was like poking a hornet's nest.

Countless Hellfire Ants surged into the helicopter like a tide, through the cracks created by the shattered glass.

This time, Hikaru and the others were doomed.

Hikaru didn't even have a chance to say a few more words before being completely devoured by the Hellfire Ants.

The helicopter that was supposed to shelter them, instead became a coffin tailored just for them.

After the Hellfire Ants departed, not a single bone fragment remained.

The terrifying devouring ability of the Hellfire Ants was evident.

—

The moment a crack appeared in the helicopter, Ismail knew they were finished.

Her elite troops were finished.

In front of the terrifying Hellfire Ants, they had no chance of survival.

Swift as the wind!

The crimson tide came quickly and receded just as quickly.

Before long, it had completely engulfed the entire helicopter.

After they left, there was no longer any sign of life inside the helicopter.

Where the Hellfire Ants passed, not a blade of grass grew; they were terrifying!

Ismail probably never imagined that this seemingly simple disaster was a script directed by Lin Tianwei.

Without him meddling, Hikaru and the others had a very high chance of survival.

After all, they weren't the type to sacrifice themselves for a cause.

If they didn't have a foolproof plan, they would never have chosen to undertake this mission.

It was even less likely for Ismail to let her elite forces go to their deaths.

Looking at the helicopter, which had completely fallen silent, Ismail felt her heart bleed.

Hikaru and the others were all her most elite warriors.

Yet they were completely wiped out in this battle.

For her faction, this would be a huge blow.

But it was still good.

They died for a worthy cause.

Before their deaths, they admirably completed the mission she had assigned.

At the farm's boundary, countless Hellfire Ants were already fighting Thorn's clones.

They regarded each other as food, initiating a frenzied battle.

Seeing this, Ismail breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Everything was proceeding according to her plan.

She only needed to wait patiently, waiting to reap the ultimate victory of this battle.

As for the warning Hikaru risked his life to send?

Ismail completely disregarded it.

Be careful?

There's great terror here?

Considering the scene where Hikaru was about to be engulfed by Hellfire Ants.

Ismail habitually assumed Hikaru was referring to the Hellfire Ants.

Naturally, she didn't realize that the true great terror Hikaru spoke of was Lin Tianwei, the hidden schemer.

—

Watching the already battling Thorn clones and Hellfire Ants, with damage gradually increasing.

MacArthur felt extremely pleased.

This kind of situation, where two parties contend and a third profits.

No matter how many times it happened, it was always incredibly satisfying.

Thinking of this, he asked Etna, "Etna, who do you think will win this battle?"

"Hellfire Forest and Tiger King Farm?"

"This is definitely a clash between top-tier forbidden zones."

In fact, Etna was also watching the scene before him with rapt attention.

Countless Hellfire Ants and Thorn clones were locked in battle.

Awakened Bees occasionally rushed out, assisting the Thorn clones in their attack.

Although it was just a simple skirmish, both sides fought fiercely.

It was the most brutal survival war in nature.

Under the influence of feeding pheromones and companion death pheromones.

Countless Hellfire Ants targeted the farm and began their assault.

Their primary targets were naturally the nutritious stems and flowers of the Thorn clones.

Especially those vibrant roses; just looking at them suggested they were rich in nutrients.

Thinking of this, these Hellfire Ants attacked the Thorn clones without any hesitation.

Their pincer-like mouths opened and closed, constantly clashing and emitting crisp sounds.

They appeared incredibly ferocious.

However, the Thorn clones were not easy opponents either.

Harmless in appearance, they were actually the most terrifying killers.

The strength of the Thorn clones was evident, being able to serve as the outermost defense of the farm.

The ground began to tremble.

Thick roots emerged from the ground, attacking the Hellfire Ants.

The power of the Thorn roots was astonishing.

Their sharp Thorns could instantly pierce through the thick Carapace of the Hellfire Ants.

They could effortlessly penetrate the entire body of a Hellfire Ant.

Thorn, after all, was Lin Tianwei's key cultivation target, so its combat power naturally couldn't be too weak.

It could easily kill these seemingly powerful Hellfire Ants.

However, the number of Hellfire Ants was still a bit too great.

So numerous that the Thorn clones' roots were overwhelmed.

Each swing, while taking the lives of a few Hellfire Ants.

But more Hellfire Ants were on their way.

Finally, through sheer numbers, they found an opportunity to attack.

Opening their mouths wide, they bit down on the Thorn clones.

Their incredibly sharp scythe-like mandibles instantly tore into the Thorn clones' bodies.

Crimson sap began to secrete in large quantities.

That was the sweet scent of plants!

In this situation, the Hellfire Ants became even more frenzied.

They furiously attacked the Thorn clones.

For a time, large areas of rose bushes were even devoured by the Hellfire Ants.

Of course.

Their victory was also built upon mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

Dense Hellfire Ant corpses covered the entire land.

It looked as if it had been stained red with blood.

However, this was only the visible battle.

In the unseen sky and underground, two battles were simultaneously taking place!

Since they were attacking the farm, the Hellfire Ants naturally wouldn't miss the excellent opportunity to break through from the sky.

They swarmed in groups, flapping their wings, attempting to attack the farm from above.

But they didn't know that they had already entered Bloodwing's territory.

The sky was Bloodwing's home ground.

Even when facing countless Hellfire Ants, it showed no sign of backing down.

Its wings vibrated, stirring up fierce winds.

This was a brewing storm.

A storm capable of sweeping across the entire sky.

And those Hellfire Ants?

Although they sensed danger from Bloodwing, they were helpless.

Because their flight speed was far from that of Bloodwing, the king of the sky.

Moreover, the ubiquitous tornadoes had already encompassed them within their attack range.

Once they approached, they would be swallowed by the tornadoes, spinning uncontrollably.

Although the damage was not significant, it protected the farm's sky.

Not allowing a single Hellfire Ant to attack the farm from the sky.

Of course.

This was only a temporary situation.

As time passed, the number of Hellfire Ants increased.

At the same time, Bloodwing's storm would also grow stronger.

Then it would be a gamble: would Bloodwing's storm devour the Hellfire Ants first?

Or would the Hellfire Ants break free from the tornadoes' restraint first, launching a fatal attack on the farm?

As it was in the sky, so it could not be calm beneath the ground.

Ants are excellent diggers, not to mention the Hellfire Ants, who are terrifying Awakened Beasts.

Perhaps they felt that breaking through from the front was too slow.

Or perhaps too many Hellfire Ants were arriving, so many that the ground could no longer contain them.

They began to find another way, burrowing into the ground, attempting to attack the farm from below.

However, they didn't know.

Underground, there would only be more roots.

Those were the reapers of death.

The underground tunnels they painstakingly dug, instead became the best attack channels for the Thorn clones.

Terrifying roots, covered with countless Thorns.

Attacking directly through the underground tunnels.

With just one strike, countless Hellfire Ants could be strung together like candied hawthorns.

However, it was precisely this incredibly terrifying lethality that showed no signs of deterring these Hellfire Ants in the slightest.

Under Hellfire's command, they fought fearlessly, still digging underground tunnels.

As long as the Hellfire Ants were not completely wiped out, this battle would never end.

Such a complex battle situation truly fascinated Etna.

Facing MacArthur's question, he eagerly said, "Triple-pronged! It's a triple-pronged battle situation."

"Sky, ground, underground!"

"The outcome of each battlefield is enough to influence the outcome of the entire battle."

"According to the current situation, Tiger King Farm seems to have a slight advantage."

"They actually managed to defend three battlefields simultaneously, which is astonishing strength."

"However, this is only temporary."

At this point, Etna paused, pointing to the map where a tide-like army of Hellfire Ants was surging forward.

Under their uniform movements, even the ground trembled due to resonance.

Etna continued to explain, "However, a larger and stronger army of Hellfire Ants is on its way."

"Once they join the battle, the situation might change instantly."

Simple feeding pheromones alone naturally couldn't cause the Hellfire Ants to swarm out.

So, what Hellfire sent out earlier was merely an advance party.

An advance party sent to search for food.

Their combat power might be strong, but against the incredibly powerful farm, they seemed somewhat insufficient and naturally suffered setbacks.

But as information about finding delicious food was continuously transmitted back.

And information about a large number of their kind dying was transmitted back.

Naturally, it attracted the attention of Hellfire, deep within the ant nest.

It now faced two choices.

One was to send out stronger forces, directly and overwhelmingly destroying the farm.

The second was to cease hostilities, quit while ahead, and order the remaining Hellfire Ants to return directly to Hellfire Forest with enough spoils of war.

Undoubtedly, Hellfire's choice was one!

Its powerful strength meant it didn't even consider Lin Tianwei's farm a threat.

Resistance?

An even match?

As long as it sent out more and stronger Hellfire Ant troops.

A mere farm would only be mercilessly crushed.

This was the ultimate essence of the 'swarm' strategy!

Thinking of this, Hellfire began to frantically increase the Hellfire Ant troops sent to the farm.

It believed that soon this land would completely succumb to the fear brought by the Hellfire Ants.

This was also why Etna said what he did.

The seemingly grand battle earlier was merely a warm-up for this battle.

The main force of the Hellfire Ants had not yet arrived, and the real battle had not yet begun.

The outcome was still unknown.

Hearing Etna's analysis, MacArthur's heart rejoiced, and he said,

"Etna, so you mean that once the main force of the Hellfire Ants arrives, Tiger King Farm will ultimately be annihilated?"

As a Five-Star General, MacArthur also had his own understanding of the situation.

However, if he could get better data support, he naturally wouldn't mind.

His thoughts were consistent with Etna's.

The battle before them, seemingly a back-and-forth struggle, was only so because the main force of the Hellfire Ants had not yet arrived.

Once the quality and quantity of the Hellfire Ants erupted,

their strength would also explode to a terrifying degree.

It was absolutely not something that could be compared to the childish battle unfolding before them.

Facing MacArthur's inquiry, Etna neither affirmed nor denied, saying:

"Under normal circumstances, things would definitely develop this way."

"It's just that we forgot the most important point: Tiger King!"

"He hasn't made a move yet."

"He is absolutely capable of changing the entire battle situation."

Hearing this, MacArthur frowned and said, "Facing such a massive number of Hellfire Ants, what use is Tiger King?"

"Just these Hellfire Ants that are on their way, even if they stood still and let Tiger King kill them, he couldn't finish in a few days and nights."

"No matter how strong he is, he can't eliminate all the Hellfire Ants in a short time!"

Hearing MacArthur's words, Etna sighed and said,

"Nothing is absolute. Who can guarantee that Tiger King doesn't have terrifying AOE group attack skills?"

"According to my data calculations, the Sonic Wave attack he once unleashed had a group damage effect."

"Although it's not enough to cause fatal injuries to these Hellfire Ants,"

"it's a good choice to assist Awakened Rose."

"However, one thing is certain: the farm is finished."

"Even if Tiger King Farm wins this battle,"

"under the rampant destruction of the Hellfire Ants, this place will transform from a paradise to a living hell."

"It will be impossible to fully recover in less than a few years."

"Unless Tiger King has the strength to prevent these Hellfire Ants from advancing an inch and from stepping even halfway into the farm."

"But how is that possible?"

"Although the individual combat power of these Hellfire Ants is not high, they possess an extremely terrifying number."

"Completely eliminating them without a single one escaping is simply impossible!"

"In my opinion, Tiger King escapes, the farm is destroyed, and the Hellfire Ants win."

"This is perhaps the final outcome."

"Although these Hellfire Ants are strong, as long as Tiger King doesn't court death, he won't be annihilated by them."

"The difference in individual strength is simply too great!"

"Of course, we still need to prepare our Awakened troops."

"If the situation allows, we can take advantage of the Hellfire Forest's emptiness and strike directly at the heart."

"Or, if Tiger King is severely injured, we can swoop in and take advantage; these are all excellent options."

Helpless, yet forced to admit, Etna's analysis was very reasonable.

Being able to destroy the farm and still have an opportunity to pick up the pieces was already the best outcome.

Thinking of this, MacArthur's brows furrowed deeply.

Even with such a rare opportunity, all he could do was leave it to fate.

This feeling of powerlessness made him very uncomfortable.

When did the powerful America fall to the point of leaving things to fate?

Sighing, MacArthur said no more and began to carefully observe the situation of this great battle.

The Esper troops, prepared in advance, had to appear at the most critical moment to achieve the best effect.

Due to the extremely dangerous location of the battlefield, they could only wait from a great distance.

Opportunity was fleeting.

MacArthur had to seize the most suitable time for attack.

— —

As the earth trembled, the second unit of Hellfire Ants dispatched by Hellfire was about to reach the farm.

This battle was about to usher in a new climax.

Everything was seen by Lin Tianwei.

Although he did not move, he was like a general strategizing, controlling the entire situation.

Make a move?

Or wait a little longer.

Lin Tianwei ultimately chose not to act immediately.

Because it did not align with his interests.

Repelling the Hellfire Ants' attack, such a simple matter, was not his goal at all.

Using the farm to devour a large number of Hellfire Ants.

Then, taking advantage of the Hellfire Forest's internal defenses being empty, directly eliminating Hellfire.

To swiftly and decisively eliminate this opponent who dared to provoke him.

Extracting its incredibly powerful Talent.

This was what Lin Tianwei should do.

The powerful Talent hidden within Hellfire, that was Lin Tianwei's true goal.

Thinking of this, Lin Tianwei's body once again lay dormant.

When he made a move, it would be an absolute kill.

If Hellfire was scared into retreating and stopped attacking, that wouldn't be fun.

— —

Lin Tianwei made no move, but the attack of the Hellfire Ants would not stop because of it.

They launched an even fiercer attack on the farm.

Attempting to devour these foods that dared to block their path.

Although the quality of the Hellfire Ants had improved significantly,

the expected one-sided battle did not occur.

Because the farm also had its own Reinforcements!

It was those laborers who worked diligently here.

This time, they would once again take up arms and defend their home.

Don't let their simple status as laborers on the farm fool you.

How could Lin Tianwei have ordinary people under his command?

These people were all Espers!

Upon contact with the Hellfire Ants, they immediately displayed powerful strength.

Legisamon took the lead, rushing to the very front.

After following Lin Tianwei and gaining a lot of benefits, his strength had greatly increased, and he was full of confidence in himself.

The physical body was the most powerful weapon!

Legisamon's attack was decisive; a punch, fast as lightning, slammed fiercely towards the Hellfire Ant in front of him.

Bang!

A powerful force instantly erupted, actually blowing up this Hellfire Ant with a single punch.

Blood-red juice splattered, as if silently narrating the tragic state of the Hellfire Ant just now.

"Invigorating!"

"This is how a true man fights!"

"Roar ~ Roar ~"

Blood? It would only ignite Legisamon's ferocity.

He let out a loud roar and, alone, charged into the swarm of Hellfire Ants, beginning a massive slaughter.

Coincidentally,

Pavel was also engaged in a frenzied slaughter among the Hellfire Ants.

As a Reinforcement Esper of the physical type, after receiving Lin Tianwei's blessing, his strength became even greater.

Although not as powerful as Legisamon, it was completely sufficient to deal with these Hellfire Ants.

For a time, another human meat grinder appeared on the battlefield.

As for the others?

They were not as fierce.

Using the Thorn clone as a boundary, they huddled beside it and began the simplest defensive counterattack.

For a time, various strange long-range attacks poured down on the Hellfire Ants like raindrops.

Instantly killing countless more Hellfire Ants.

And those slightly weaker physical Espers?

They took on the role of tanks.

Guarding beside these mages, lest they be ambushed and killed by the Hellfire Ants.

In the sky, Bloodwing's tornado seemed somewhat stretched thin in the face of more numerous and stronger Hellfire Ants.

Breaking through the defense line was only a matter of time.

But it didn't matter; even in the sky, Bloodwing also had support from the farm.

Those were five helicopters!

Under the leadership of Barioss, they began to reinforce Bloodwing.

Although they had once been prisoners of the farm,

under the baptism of love and justice, they had long since abandoned the darkness and joined the farm's faction.

Living a simple and unpretentious life as laborers.

Each helicopter carried a large number of Espers.

Carefully selected Espers, Espers who could cooperate with Bloodwing.

They directly unleashed their abilities, integrating their power into the tornado released by Bloodwing.

Doubling the power of the tornado.

In the face of the stronger tornado, the aerial defense line, which was about to be breached, finally stabilized.

And even due to the surge in power, it had already slaughtered countless Hellfire Ants, gaining a huge advantage.

As for the ground?

The roots beneath the ground were the foundation of the plants.

That is to say, the Thorns beneath the ground were even more terrifying.

With the assistance of Steven and Kelo, the Thorns unleashed their powerful strength to their fullest.

Any creature attempting to enter the farm without permission would be directly strangled by it.

In this battle, the farm also held the advantage.

— —

Looking at the farm's excellent situation, MacArthur's face was full of shock, and he murmured,

"How is this possible? How is this possible?"

"Tiger King hasn't even made a move, and the farm already possesses such powerful strength."

"If he were to make a move, what then?"

"What's going on? Aren't these people just ordinary farm laborers?"

"How could they all possess such powerful abilities?"

"Compared to them, our powerful Espers, carefully cultivated, are simply a joke."

MacArthur's words were undoubtedly the sentiment of everyone.

They had envisioned countless scenarios.

The farm being breached?

Tiger King fighting the enemy?

But they had never imagined that the farm's own strength alone would be sufficient to win this battle.

Especially the seemingly honest Barioss.

Wielding a custom-made broadsword.

Relying on his Blink skill, he began to slaughter wildly among the ant swarm.

It was really hard to connect him with the timid young man from a while ago.

What secrets did Tiger King Farm hide?

Why could such powerful individuals be born there?

These were the secrets in everyone's hearts.

Compared to everyone's curiosity, Etna's face was flushed and burning.

This terrifying place, capable of contending with the Hellfire Forest, this terrifying place,

was surprisingly not classified as a human forbidden zone in his database.

This was simply completely unreasonable.

Even if the farm seemed to bear no ill will towards humans,

just the fact that its owner was Tiger King,

a beast, was enough to make this place a human forbidden zone.

They would not naively believe that they could become friends with a giant tiger.