Chapter 24: Sending the Teammates Away

If increasing one’s strength isn’t for showing off, then it’s utterly meaningless.

The prerequisite for showing off is ensuring your own safety, lest you go too far and get beaten to death.

More than fifty red fire ants were swiftly dealt with; cracking open their skulls required a full-force blow each time, consuming a great deal of energy from everyone.

At this moment, the nine were panting heavily, yet their faces wore excited smiles. Another fifty red fire ants had been added to their haul, bringing them ever closer to their desired goal.

“Take the red sacs and rest here.”

A normal break, waiting for the next wave.

Everyone was still riding the excitement, thrilled beyond measure, as if they could already see the moment they’d become second-tier powerhouses.

Unfortunately, refining the red fluid within the sacs took time; otherwise, they would have broken through right then and there.

No one spoke, afraid that even a word would delay their recovery.

After ten minutes, Shi Jiu noticed the group had almost recovered and spoke.

“Is everyone rested?”

“We’re good!”

“Chen An, lure the monsters!”

“Alright!”

Their actions were crisp and decisive, and with excitement, Chen An summoned the Water Arrow Frog and fired arrows at the ant nest once more.

The water arrows easily shattered a section of the nest, making quite the commotion.

A minute passed... two minutes...

The nest remained silent.

Shi Jiu looked at the quiet nest, puzzled. “What’s going on?”

This was strange. According to the red fire ants’ habits, anything daring to attack their nest should be met with swift retaliation.

Chen An hesitated and suggested, “Should we try again?”

Before Shi Jiu could answer, a bizarre shriek echoed from within the nest.

It was a piercing, furious cry—the likes of which none of them had ever heard. Yet the murderous determination behind it was palpable.

“Not good!”

The nine stared at the nest, unable to fathom the source of the sound, but suddenly, masses of red fire ants surged out.

Every exit was flooded with ants, all charging at the squad with full force.

In less than five seconds, nearly a hundred red fire ants poured out, among them five of unusually large size.

If normal red fire ants were the size of a person’s forearm, then these five giants were as large as a whole human arm. Their thick mandibles were something nobody wished to be caught by—the cold gleam reflected from their iron-smooth jaws was enough to instill terror.

“Run!”

Shi Jiu shouted as he turned and fled; the others weren’t fools either—at the first sign of trouble, they ran.

Clearly, they had truly enraged the red fire ants this time. After only killing fifty, now the whole army was out for revenge.

If the queen of the red fire ants knew their intentions, she’d want to come out and kill them herself.

Only fifty? Let you slaughter any more and I’ll be left childless!

Oh... wait, maybe I can still lay eggs?

In no time, the group had put several hundred meters between themselves and the ants. This time, the red fire ants did not relent as before, but kept right on their heels.

The ants’ speed wasn’t exactly fast, nor slow—fast enough not to be caught, but difficult to shake off.

Lu Sheng, however, was struck by a bold idea. If they kept grinding away like this, he feared something unexpected might happen. Why not seize this opportunity to solo farm?

He needed to find a way to distract the others.

Best if they all scattered... Got it!

After running several hundred more meters, Lu Sheng, gasping for breath, said, “Captain, let’s split up. These red fire ants are mad, chasing us relentlessly. Let’s see if they’ll still pursue us if we run separately.”

Shi Jiu frowned, hesitating. “What do you all think?”

Mu Kui was the first to answer, “I think it’s worth a try!”

Mu Kui had no ulterior motive; he just thought Lu Sheng made sense.

The others agreed, “No objections, let’s try it.”

Shi Jiu nodded gravely, “Alright, we’ll split up and see if the ants pursue us. If they still chase, we’ll have to leave the dungeon; otherwise, the commotion will draw attention.”

“Alright, let’s do as Captain says.”

The nine quickly scattered, each running in a different direction.

The red fire ants paused for a moment at the split, hesitating, but then divided into nine squads—each nearly thirty strong—pursuing the group in all directions.

Mu Kui, seeing the army of ants stop, felt briefly pleased, thinking Lu Sheng’s plan had succeeded.

But then, in the next instant, he saw the ants split and continue the chase.

He couldn’t help cursing inwardly. Such bad luck.

Now, regrouping would be far harder.

Even if they did manage, it’d be pointless—the ants were right on their tails. If they came back together, so would the ants.

Now, their only option was to withdraw.

Unlike the others, Lu Sheng was in high spirits.

The moment the red fire ants split up, his real plan was set in motion.

He had feared the ants wouldn’t chase.

He stopped fleeing, and used over seven hundred Bloodthirsty Mosquito cards to promote the Stone-Thrower Goblin and five regular goblins all to late Tier One.

He spent 660 cards, leaving only 176 in his hand.

He wasn’t going for quantity, but quality.

Goblin’s base quality wasn’t high; their strength wasn’t impressive. Without boosting their strength, they were no better than cannon fodder.

Six late Tier One goblins, plus the fifty-seven red fire ants he had as meat shields, meant the thirty pursuing ants were doomed.

He’d originally had only forty-three red fire ants, but had just killed fourteen more, bringing his total to fifty-seven.

He didn’t summon them all at once; too many would just get in each other’s way.

Seventeen red fire ants formed the vanguard, followed by five late Tier One goblins wielding black, reflective wooden clubs, and finally, the Stone-Thrower Goblin.

The six goblins, now at late Tier One, had undergone obvious physical changes.

Previously frail and small, they now sported more flesh and distinct patches of muscle—though still small, they resembled wiry, fit men.

He ordered the Stone-Thrower Goblin to strike first.

A stone was hurled from its hand.

A sharp whistle cut through the air as the stone crossed the distance and struck a red fire ant square on the forehead.

Crack!

The stone smashed into the ant’s head, leaving a deep crater from which mixed red and white fluids flowed.

The power was far greater than before.

Then, two more stones followed, taking out two more ants.

The Stone-Thrower Goblin’s unerring aim pleased Lu Sheng greatly.

He dubbed its attacks “shelling pebbles,” since the goblin always used pebbles.

Smooth and hard, far superior to ordinary stones.

The red fire ants soon reached him, clashing with Lu Sheng’s forces.

None of these ants were the giant variety, perhaps because they sensed Lu Sheng’s weaker aura.

The goblins performed splendidly as well, smashing heads with their black wooden clubs.

With red fire ants as shields in front, the goblins had nothing to fear for their safety.