TEOCH 25

A loud clash rang out as sparks flew from my blade, sending a numbing shock through my arm. Before I could catch my breath, the next attack came rushing in. I barely managed to block it, but the intense impact nearly made me drop my sword. The ferocity of these enhanced ground wasps was incomparable to the regular ones we’d faced earlier, and I let out a quiet curse.

“Rohan, fall back!”

I stumbled backward. Tristan immediately darted forward, filling the space I’d left, and swung his longsword horizontally, pushing the ground wasps back. In the meantime, I panted, trying to catch my breath. The narrow entrance to the crevice was a small mercy, preventing the wasps from swarming in. Otherwise, we’d be attacked from all sides.

But that didn’t mean the situation was hopeful. In the ten minutes of combat, we’d only managed to kill one ground wasp. The swarm attacking us would quickly retreat if they sensed any disadvantage, only to be replaced by fresh, uninjured wasps. In the end, we were the ones burning through our stamina.

‘Damn it, if this keeps up, we’ll be done for without even a chance to fight back!’

I scanned the situation with growing anxiety. Most of the enhanced ground wasps were being urged by the worker wasps to fly out of the passage, but dozens remained in the nursery, relentlessly attacking us. It seemed they’d stay until we collapsed from exhaustion.

‘What do we do? If only we could at least escape!’

If we could break out of this crevice, even at the cost of taking some hits, we might escape the wasps. But that was easier said than done.

To escape the nursery, we’d need to move along the pit’s edge to reach the passage, but the edge was so narrow that even without interference, it was hard to traverse. With the wasps attacking, one misstep would send us tumbling into the larvae below.

‘Damn it, if only we could fly!’

Having regained some strength, I raised my sword to step forward again. If we could fly, we might escape with a few scratches, but dwelling on the impossible wasn’t helping. We had to fend off the wasps in front of us and hope no more came rushing in…

At that moment, I felt something wriggling under my foot. The sensation was oddly familiar.

—Kiiik—!

What was that sound?! I quickly lifted my foot, and a parasite glowing with a bluish light thrashed wildly on the ground. Where had it come from? Then I remembered: the ground wasp we’d just killed had a parasite in its body.

‘It’s longer than a normal parasite—it’s a synthesized one! This is insane, how did a mere ground wasp get something like this?!’

Synthesized parasites couldn’t be found in nature. No matter how I thought about it, this was suspicious, but there was no time to hesitate. I immediately pulled up the item information window. Most parasites were unidentified, making their details inaccessible, but synthesized parasites had their information automatically revealed, so I could check it quickly.

[‘Enhancement’ and ‘Flight’ Parasite (Body Parasite Type)]

[Enhancement II: Attack power and movement speed increase by 150%. Health and defense increase by 120%. Using the enhancement ability for 10 minutes consumes 50 kcal of energy.

Flight III: For land-based creatures, this parasite enables flight. Using the flight ability for 10 minutes consumes 70 kcal of energy.]

[Detailed Description: A parasite obtained by the ground wasp queen from somewhere. It is intended for deformed ground wasps that cannot fly or move properly. Recently, the increase in deformed wasps has caused headaches for queen wasps in their colonies.]

[This parasite cannot be applied to weapons or armor.]

I was so shocked that my后续

System: my mouth hung open. This was unbelievable luck. Wait, to get a parasite like this at a time like this? Having the ‘Flight’ ability alone would be incredible in this situation, but it was combined with ‘Enhancement’ too!

With this, we could not only escape the nursery but possibly even fly out of the ground wasp nest through the hole in the plaza’s ceiling. There’d be no need to wait three days to recharge my mana.

The description was a bit strange, but survival was the priority now, and I didn’t have time to worry about trivial details like deformed wasps. We needed to act quickly before our stamina ran out. With that decision, I shouted to Rikiel.

“Rikiel! Cut my back right now! Hurry!”

“What?! Rohan, what are you talking about…!”

“I need to implant this parasite in my back! If I do, I’ll grow wings like those wasps. I can carry you both out of here!”

Tristan and Rikiel’s faces went pale. I was puzzled by their reaction—this was a perfect strategy to escape—but then I realized they weren’t used to implanting parasites in their bodies.

It made sense. They’d infused parasites into equipment several times over the past few days, but the only time they’d done it to a body was during the praying mantis fight. That hadn’t been a pleasant experience, so their reluctance was understandable. But…

“Are you sure about this, Rohan? You already have another parasite in your body!”

“Can’t you put it in armor or a cloak instead?! Why does it have to be your body…!”

“Other parasites might work that way, but this one has to be applied to the body! It’s useless otherwise!”

Hurry up and do it, I shouted, glaring at them. I understood their hesitation, but I couldn’t afford to consider their feelings now. They looked like they wanted to argue, to find another way, but I maintained a stern expression, urging them on.

Tristan still hesitated with a panicked look, but after a brief pause, Rikiel met my gaze with a determined expression. Had he finally understood? I felt a wave of relief, but his next words were completely unexpected.

“Fine, then implant the parasite in my back. You cut me instead!”

Wait, what?! Tristan and I froze, our faces pale, but Rikiel’s eyes remained resolute as he fended off the wasps. With a loud clang, his body staggered under a heavy blow. He didn’t even turn to hear my protests, focusing solely on the fight.

“Rikiel, what are you talking about…!”

“What are you saying?! Are you still being stubborn in a situation like this?!”

Tristan and I shouted almost simultaneously. Tristan’s eyes shook with confusion and shock, and I was equally thrown by the sudden proposal. But thinking about it, I had to admit Rikiel’s idea made sense.

“You’re the one talking nonsense! With that frail body, you think you can carry me and His Majesty? We’d be lucky if you didn’t crash halfway!”

“…!”

“In terms of efficiency, wouldn’t it be better if I carried you and His Majesty? Am I wrong?!”

He was right. Tristan was about my size, so that was manageable, but carrying Rikiel, a giant over 190 centimeters tall, would be too much. Having Rikiel carry us with the flight parasite was the more stable choice.

‘…It’s kind of annoying, though.’

His stubborn glare and the faint smirk, as if he knew he was right, didn’t sit well with me. But for now, following his plan was the best option. Sure, his stubbornness was often a problem, shaped by human-world thinking in the demon realm, but sometimes his instincts were better than my experience.

“You’re right. Let’s do it.”

“Wait, Rohan…!”

“We have no choice, Your Majesty! Someone has to take this parasite! Right now, implanting it in Sir Rikiel is the most efficient option!”

Tristan looked visibly shaken, but I avoided his gaze and raised my sword. There was no other way. I understood how he felt, watching his brother take on a parasite, but we had no alternatives.

“This is going to hurt. Brace yourself!”

“I can handle that much!”

“…Here we go! Your Majesty, hold them off for a minute!”

Rikiel quickly stepped back, removing the ladybug shell and armor from his back. Meanwhile, Tristan had to fend off three wasps at once. His slender frame struggled to absorb the impact, staggering as I swung my sword without hesitation.

Cutting into a comrade’s flesh, even after so many times, never felt familiar. I was careful not to cause a fatal wound, but it was clearly painful. Rikiel let out a stifled groan and curled up as the wriggling parasite was sucked into his back. I rushed forward to fill his position.

“Urgh…!”

“Just hang on, Sir Rikiel! The transformation won’t take long!”

Rikiel writhed on the ground, screaming in pain, while we desperately swung our swords to fend off the wasps. The smell of blood excited them, intensifying their attacks, but I kept an eye on Rikiel’s condition.

Fortunately, the fusion didn’t take long. The parasite quickly sealed his wound, and soon a cracking sound came from his back. The transformation had begun.

“Argh…!”

With a tearing sound, something burst from his back—multiple pairs of wings, similar to a wasp’s. Though naturally transparent, they were stained red with blood, trembling faintly with each pained breath Rikiel took.

As the wings fully extended, a blue aura spread from his back, and soon the wings regained their original color. The wounds from their emergence healed instantly, not a drop of blood remaining.

The moment Rikiel staggered to his feet, panting, I shouted loudly.

“We’re going in one shot! When I give the signal, grab us and fly to the passage!”

With a loud crash, Tristan and I braced against the impact, waiting for an opening. We still hadn’t killed a single wasp, but they were starting to tire, just like us.

The wasps’ numbers were dwindling. A dozen or so had already left the passage, urged by the workers, and the remaining ones were noticeably slower and weaker.

This created a gap in their solid defense. As Tristan drove his sword into a wasp’s head, I swung my blade widely. The wasps retreated to avoid the attack. …Now’s our chance!

“Now!”

As I shouted, a powerful grip seized me from behind. I instinctively entrusted myself to Rikiel, closing my eyes tightly as the wasps’ stingers grazed my limbs. A floating sensation, like falling, hit me as my feet left the ground. Tristan and I clung to Rikiel’s waist as he carried us.

Like an arrow loosed from a bow, Rikiel shot toward the passage with explosive speed, far surpassing the enhanced ground wasps.