Rust - Chapter 807



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-807

The ant tower had holes on all sides. Even the temperature and humidity were constant.

[It’s a structure that can be climbed in a spiral. It seems like it’s a substitute for stairs, but they even made a structure like this. What are these guys really? Did they use a spiral ramp like this to drag their prey?]

Ki-sun took a picture and sent it right away. Although communication was difficult, sending text messages and pictures was possible, so he sent it straight to the Vladislav Tower Research Lab.

[Oh. So the holes in the tower and the air circulation right now are all engineering structures?]

In the lab, we used supercomputers and brain-boosting devices to analyze photos of the anthills. The results were astonishing.

The story goes that the space, which is perforated like windows, appears to be a communication and ventilation system that allows pheromones to be evenly distributed over a large distance.

Analysis has shown that the spiral-shaped mobile facility is not only used to transport food, but also has a structure that naturally circulates and compresses air.

[So that’s why it felt like a faint wind was blowing.]

[Wow, what the heck are these guys?]

As we climbed up the tower with the food, we came across a huge feed processing facility. Here, we pushed the torn and processed food into meat balls along the spiral path, and the meat balls spun around and descended.

[As we go down, the moisture on the surface of the meatballs is evaporating. Wait a minute. This spiral downhill slope here. It has a high rock salt content?]

It was a large-scale processing facility, naturally slaughtered as it was being dragged up. It was slaughtered as it was being made into balls and sent down.

(Hurry up. Wait.)

We started climbing up the ramp again, following the guiding ant that was urging Maru and his party on.

[By the way, I thought there would be an ant empire leader on the top···.]

Was it really necessary to build a tower and drag it up? I was just going to roll it back down anyway.

[It’s not just for food processing. It’s also a communications facility, but what if the tower collapses?]

[It is said that it serves as a defensive facility and also acts as a kind of ladder.]

[maybe.]

[That’s great. But how long does it take?]

When I came down, there was a large empty space, and in the center was an ant tower. After climbing up the ant tower and climbing back up again, I came across another empty space.

[······.]

[······.]

[······.]

[······.]

The ant tower was amazing, but what I saw now was truly absurd. The ceiling and walls were covered in shining crystals, making it look like outer space.

I don’t know if the ants made it this way on purpose or if it just happened, but it was a space that gave me goosebumps all over.

The long silence was replaced by exclamations.

[crazy···.]

[ha···.]

[Hie···.]

[······.]

(Quickly. Hurry up.)

The pheromone translator started working as if to break the thrill and goosebumps. The guide ant urged him again. Ki-soon lightly touched Maru’s shoulder.

(They’re smart guys, so they know we’re impressed, but they still rush us.)

Even though there was no rush since they were already inside, judging by the way they were urging them, it seemed like the leadership here was quite hasty.

(Communication? Is there any problem with the repeater operation?)

(You can do it by packing them tightly. If there were no new repeaters, oh my–)

Ki-soon’s voice, which had been trembling with laughter, became serious as if nothing had happened.

(But what are these things that are so grand? This isn’t a city, it’s an underground world.)

It was too large to be called a simple hollow. At first, I thought it was an ant city, but if you were going to make an underground city, there would be no need for such a large space in all directions, so it couldn’t be a city.

So what is this wide space?

Ki-soon, who had let go of his hand, raised his tension again.

[Do you know what’s really amazing? There weren’t any pillars on the way here. The ants are really crazy. They made a passage that was 28~30m wide and 8~9m high, but there were no pillars?]

[And now, it’s the same here. How did they make this space? What about the groundwater? Did they make it to avoid underground water veins? How about ventilation? Why is there a breeze blowing here?]

(Move. Come on.)

[Uh- You said we have to go quickly? You seem angry.]

Ki-sun’s eyes widened at the nurse’s interpretation.

‘The colors that show emotions don’t change? Are you pretending to be angry?’

In Ki-soon’s opinion, the ant that was acting as a guide right now was not just a simple guide ant.

‧

No other ants were visible until the searchlight shone brightly. There were only guide ants in such a vast space. Where did the other ants go?

[Beep—]

[Beep beep beep beep—–]

The moment he turned on the biometric detector, the entire HUD (head-up display) screen was filled with red dots. Maru couldn’t relax at the thoroughness of not showing even a single antenna while being inside the floor and walls.

Clank-

A floor that combines the Eclipse with a newly created pole to create a window-like structure.

[What’s going on? Do you have a bad feeling?]

[No, that’s not true. Go to the nurse and Erica.]

Maru, who had sent Ki-soon to the nurse and Erica, followed right behind the guide ant and said.

[Ants over there. How long do I have to go? When will I get there at this rate?]

As the nurse quickly translated using a pheromone translator, the guide ant that had been walking ahead turned around to look at the floor, waving its antennae.

(Now. Here. Arrived)

what?

The moment Maru turned his head and looked around, something was right in front of him.

[Whoa- what the fuck.]

[Eeeeeeeet!]

[······.]

‘You used an optical illusion?’

Even if the eyes can be fooled, what about the sensors?

You analyzed the bio-EMP and responded, but you didn’t realize it until you were right in front of this huge structure? The guide ants went into the structure.

It was clearly 5-6m in front of me, but it seemed to have disappeared through the wall. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it had entered the space between the double-structured walls that had been cleverly constructed.

Maru’s expression hardened. This was impossible. At the shortest, it would be a year. At the longest, it would be three years.

Is it possible to create such a space and construct a structure on top in just 3 years? Above all, it is a force capable of mobilizing over 150 million main ants.

‘The level of technology is beyond my expectations.’

It had to be assumed that ants had their own unique construction techniques, different from those of humans. Could those ants mobilize an army of over 100 million people?

No. If those ants were to maintain a population of over 100 million, how much did they eat? How much food do they need to maintain that population?

Above all, the fact that he asked the ant kingdoms surrounding the Holy Kingdom to share food meant that his limits had been reached.

What if war was waged to overcome limitations? In Korea, crows and Japanese refugees exchanged food by killing each other to reduce their mouths.

What if. What if the attack on the human empire now was also based on that kind of judgment? What if you had the judgment to realize that the Holy Kingdom had the technology to mass-produce food?

It was a floor where the hand holding the Eclipse window was putting strength.

[If you go in and feel that their emotions are changing strangely, open the bunker first.]

Ki-soon nodded at Maru’s voice, which suddenly changed the atmosphere.

[Okay, you both heard that right? Stay close to me because I don’t know when I’ll open the bunker.]

‧

Ants could move in three dimensions. In other words, they could move on the floor, walls, and even the ceiling.

‘It’s weird. So weird.’

The more Maru went inside, the more that concern bothered him.

If it were ants, it would be advantageous to make circular passages. There was no reason to make semicircles like they do now. Especially when it came to leveling.

For ants, vertical or ramped paths were no big deal. Gentle slopes, spiral structures, horizontal corridors. These were structures that were easy for humans and other animals to walk on.

Why?

Should we consider the migration of other species into the heart of the ant colony?

However, the fact that it was built this way means that it was built with other species in mind, or that other species influenced the construction of this place.

The guide ant’s antennae are erected vertically and stiffly.

(Arrived. Courtesy.)

Maru unconsciously smiled crookedly at the guide ant’s warning to be polite.

Do ants even know manners?

Good manners.

By the way,

They say manners are give and take.

It was only after walking for almost half a day from the entrance that Maru and his party finally met the ruler of the ant empire.

‧

‧

And the moment they entered the interior that looked like a meeting room(?) or a reception room(?), Ki-sun shouted.

[It’s greed!]

The feelings of those who caught Gi-sun’s eye.

I don’t know who the leader is, but ‘curiosity, greed, greed, curiosity, greed, appetite, greed, appetite, greed…’ The aftermath of emotions rushing in like a tidal wave, enough to give me a headache in an instant.

Boom! Pushshishishishishi!

As soon as the hemispherical bunker opened, Ki-sun shouted as he entered the bunker with the two women.

[These guys’ emotions – mostly greed! They’re after us!]

[Okay. Just a moment.]

Just as I was about to close the bunker entrance, the nurse twisted her body and pushed the pheromone translator out.

[B. The translator did it automatically!]

thud-

The ants didn’t care if humans entered the bunker. All they looked at was the floor. One of the ants surrounding the circle spoke up on behalf of the group.

(Kneel. Surrender. If. Peace.)

So are you saying that if we kneel and surrender, peace will come?

‘This kid is crazy.’

Maru turned his head at the sound of the pheromone translator. On the other side of the ants, he saw people being eaten by black tentacles.

[Be polite. Is it polite to kneel when you first meet someone?]

The translator translated Maru’s words and sprayed them as pheromones. The antennae of the ants that were quietly watching shook as if they were laughing.

(Human. Extinction. Scheduled. Survival. Surrender. Food. Individual. Control.)

It seemed like the story was about humans being animals destined for extinction, and if they wanted to survive, they had to surrender to the ant empire and obediently take charge of the food supply, and then they would be allowed to live by controlling them.

But Maru’s attention was focused on those being eaten by the tentacles.

‘Are they prisoners?’

Looking at the military uniforms, leather jackets, and padding, they were the people the winged ants had taken as prisoners. Not only people, but also ants with only their heads and chests remaining had black tentacles digging into them.

Gulp gulp

Black tentacles slowly sucking it in. Some had dug into its eyeballs, while others were stuck in its earholes, jaw, mouth, and various parts of its body. At the end of the tentacles was a lump of organic matter fused with broken pieces.

Maru’s HUD zoomed in on the screen. The organism looked very similar to the tentacle monsters he had seen in Japan. Unlike the tentacles that moved independently, the black tentacle body seemed to be connected to the debris.

The ants have fragments of the altar? It seems they experimented with ants.

Does this mean that, unlike spiders, ants have escaped control and created their own ant empire?

Or does it mean that he’s in league with an alien black tentacle, or a tentacle from another dimension?

(You are. Good. Person. Material. Surrender. Comfort.)

The pheromone translator lists the words.

‘If you surrender, I’ll treat you comfortably since you’re a good material?’

Ah- Really? Comfortable with black tentacles?

Creek-

Maru aimed the Eclipse Spear at the ants that had come forward as a representative.

[You started it.]

A strong murderous aura rose up from Maru’s entire body. Upon being touched by that terrible murderous aura, the tentacles that had been shaking as if mocking him stiffened.

Pak-

As soon as the bullet burst out, the floor hit the ceiling like a shell.

The moment Maru, who had skipped the 15m distance in one breath, was about to split the ant vertically in front of him, the tentacles that had been frozen were seen moving.

‘It’ll be solved this quickly? But it’s too late!’

It was already in the process of being drawn vertically downwards.

‘I caught one.’

The next target was the ones on either side. Maru’s head was thinking about the next move.

‘It seems to have some tolerance for life, so if you spray it harder and start from the left side···.’

Buhwaaaaaaaah!

His body was thrown backwards as Eclipse tore through the air.

‘What?’

A strong repulsive force? A pushing force? That’s what pushed the floor away.

Maru, who had been thrown high into the air, twisted and landed on the floor. Thud- The solid floor cracked like a spider web.

Woooooooooo-

The sound of a shield being activated, as if an attack had been detected by the eyes and sensors. The transparent shield began to darken and slowly began to move backwards.

Kujijijijik-

As we pushed to keep from being pushed back, a rough operating sound came from the core and motor.

‘Could this be telekinesis?’

I looked up and saw the ants, their antennae pointing at the floor like magic wands.

Sigh.

I tried to dodge to the side, but my telekinesis impeded my movements.

Kujijijik-

And then something, unseen by the eyes and cameras, began to pound on Maru’s core armor.

[Shield is damaged. 4.12% damage. 8.19% damage···. 18.44% damage.]

The auxiliary AI of the core armor warned of shield damage. It felt like I was being locked up and beaten unilaterally since I couldn’t move properly.

[How long can you hold out?]

[Shield is expected to break after 27 seconds. If broken, it will take 630 seconds to re-activate, including cooldown.]

Fuck.

Even in this situation, crisis detection was not activated.

The story is about trying to capture them thoroughly without killing them.

There was no pounding heartbeat or ominous feeling.

It means that you really have no intention of killing.

‘Fuck… those things.’

Maru pulled out the nuclear grenade from his waistband.