"Bonds are forming."
Watching the connections Liliruca and the others were building, Finn felt genuinely pleased. This was exactly what set Liliruca apart from Daphne.
While Daphne was the same type of commander as him, Liliruca's individual abilities weren't as remarkable. That's why she chose to focus on command and support.
And now, with Liliruca's leadership awakened, the entire team was starting to align around her.
Her abilities might not be the strongest, but her influence was just as powerful.
"Captain, shouldn't we be watching them?"
Tione was still a bit worried about Liliruca and the others.
Even if they were only facing a beehive, if the plan failed and a swarm of worker bees was drawn out, that wouldn't be something a bunch of Lv. 1s and Lv. 2s could handle.
"No need to worry."
Finn glanced toward an empty patch of ground.
"Someone's already gone ahead—couldn't sit still."
Tione and Tiona followed his gaze and realized that the werewolf who had been standing there was gone.
That werewolf was now perched on a tree, watching the rookie adventurers move into action below.
"Tch! These idiots really don't fear death."
Bete crossed his arms, grumbling as he watched the group below.
A single hive in the middle floors could produce hundreds of worker bees. If anything happened to the ones outside, the hive would immediately churn out a fresh swarm to defend itself.
Even for a Lv. 3, it would be a serious problem. If a few Lv. 1s and Lv. 2s got surrounded, they'd be as good as dead.
He might've looked annoyed and full of complaints, but he still came anyway.
His creed was simple: people should only take on what they're ready for. If you're not prepared, don't throw yourself into danger—because no one's going to save you.
He didn't care much for the powerless, but letting them rush headfirst into death wasn't something he could ignore either.
Truthfully, Liliruca's plan had no flaws.
Draw away the worker bees guarding the hive's perimeter. As long as the archers struck the hive the moment the guards left, it would be destroyed instantly, and only the bees lured away would remain.
That number? With two Rune Stones and a few oil bottles, they could easily burn the rest to ashes.
Of course, that all depended on the plan going off without a hitch.
Right then, Limi had scattered fuel oil by a tree 200 meters away. After retreating to a safe distance, she detonated it using a fire Rune Stone...
"Boom!"
After setting everything in place, she crouched with Kevin and Lira in the nearby grass, doing her best to stay hidden while gripping a Fire Rune Stone, ready for action.
Kevin and Lira had Wind Rune Stones prepared as well, ready to deliver a lethal strike to any approaching worker bees.
The three archers stationed at extreme angles, along with their supporting vanguard and midfielders, moved in as well. Their role was to provide backup in case anything went wrong—to jump into action the moment the plan faltered.
The violent explosion instantly drew the attention of the worker bees patrolling outside the hive. Driven by monster instincts, they needed to investigate any sudden disturbance and report it back to the hive.
As expected, most of the worker bees flew toward the blast. Still, a few remained outside the hive.
The archers, already in position, didn't panic.
'The explosion can lure away most of the worker bees, but there'll always be a few lingering outside. So what we need to do is find a blind angle and launch a full assault on the hive.'
All the archers who saw the worker bees flying off began to search for the best angle to strike. Internally, they started their countdown.
10... 9... 8...
3... 2... 1!
Attack!
Two archers found their chance. They immediately raised their rune arrows, tipped with both Wind and Fire Rune Stones, and loosed them straight at the hive!
"Boom!"
The resulting blast from the combined Rune Stones engulfed the entire hive in a fiery storm.
The worker bees still standing guard were momentarily stunned by the shockwave. The archers who hadn't yet fired at the hive turned their attention to the dazed enemies and struck.
"Shhk!"
A sharp, clean arrow pierced a swaying worker bee dead-on.
A few others managed to regain control after the blast and lunged toward the archers with their stingers raised.
But the vanguard was ready—they stepped in front of the archers, shields up.
"Thud!"
The force of the impact was absorbed by the shields.
The spearmen in the center darted out from behind the shields, sweeping their spears toward the recovering bees.
They didn't go for the tough exoskeleton. Instead, they aimed for the wings.
"Crash!"
No matter how durable their bodies were, the wings remained their weakest spot.
Once grounded, the worker bees lost their mobility—and more importantly, the ability to use their stingers effectively.
...
With their movement crippled, the spearmen quickly impaled them. In the blink of an eye, the remaining worker bees outside the hive were wiped out.
As the battle raged, another explosion echoed nearby.
Lar glanced toward the sound.
"Looks like things are going well on Limi's side too."
"Of course. You've seen how powerful those Rune Stones are. No matter how many worker bees there are, they can't handle a combo explosion from two Rune Stones—especially when there were only a dozen or so on guard."
"Yeah, and Limi also brought oil bottles. There shouldn't be any issues."
They had full confidence in this plan. As long as they acted at the right moment, they wouldn't feel any pressure from the worker bees.
Their timing had been perfect. They took out the hive and the stragglers outside. Now, it was up to Limi.
Two hundred meters away, Limi had already finished off the last of the worker bees.
"Phew... these Rune Stones really pack a punch. When used together, they're no worse than a magic sword—maybe even better."
She stared at the charred remains of the worker bees, some reduced to little more than shattered Magic Stones. It was clear how destructive the combination of the two Rune Stones had been.
But that wasn't the most important part.
The key was this: their plan had worked. The hive had been completely destroyed.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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