Chapter 187 - It Should Last Us Awhile
The soldier ants were rushing at them was too quick. They only manage to place down two carcasses before the army of ants reached their location.
However, the ants did not know what taking turns meant. They tried to squeeze in at the same time and got themselves stuck in the narrow hole. Their heads became easy targets for the palace guards with their swords drawn.
The brains of these ants were turned into mush with several stabs and their carcasses became new additions to the barricade.
But it was not over.
"It's not over yet! Reinforce the barricade! Don't let them push their way through." Zorbek barked.
The barricade was weak, while a whole army of ants lied on the other side pushing their way through. Without support, it was easy for the ants to crush the carcasses of their fallen brethren and break through the barricade with brute force.
Five palace guards used their bodies hold the barricade, while the rest supported them from behind with all their strength. Sweat formed on their faces as they gritted their teeth through the arduous task.
"Arghh!"
One of the palace guards grunted in pain as the acidic blood dripped through his gauntlets and made contact with flesh. However, the palace guard gritted his teeth even harder and endured the burning agony of his flesh melting away.
Leon noticed this problem and immediately acted. His one-star flames weaved past the backrow guards and latched itself onto the affected palace guard's gauntlet like a snake, burning his melting flesh.
Being sneaked attack from behind suddenly was very despicable. Especially, when it came from a member of the royal family, whom they sworn to serve and protect. Damir, the palace guard was immediately filled with resentment.
However, resentment came quickly as it came as Damir quickly understood the prince's intention. The flame stopped his flesh from melting away and proceeded to swallow up the rest of dripping acidic blood from the carcasses.
The ant's exoskeleton was very resistant to Leon's one-star flame, but the acidic blood quickly incinerated into ashes.
The other four palace guards at the forefront were relieved when their saw this and continued to hold the barricade with all their effort.
As the palace guards continued to hold their ground, Leon began to think of better solutions. The barricade was holding out well, but it was only temporary. The palace guards weren't tireless machines. Once the palace guards exhaust all their strength, the barricade will break and the army of ants outside will begin flooding into the building.
"Let me take over!"
"Yes, Captain! Thank you, Captain!"
Zorbek switched places with the injured Damir.
Having the powerful Captain join the defence effort with his strength of four stars, it certainly took some load off the other palace guards' shoulders.
However, the main issue remains.
"Shit, how can they be sensitive to smell? It doesn't make sense! If they were sensitive to smell, we should have drawn their attention long ago when we were still in the spiral pathway!"
"That's true! We killed at least three times as much as we did here!"
"They didn't cry for help either."
Zorbek frowned in thought as he listened in on the palace guards' rambling, as they tried to distract themselves from the exhaustion they felt.
"That place stinks so bad. I don't think the ants would know even if several hundreds more of them were killed there." Lilith suddenly said with obvious disgust.
The palace guards gawked. That does seem to be the reason they made it this far so easily… If they had realized early, they could have still retreated to the first floor. But now, it was too late. There was no path of retreat. What a disaster the Grandmaster left them.
Zorbek glanced back at the idle Lilith with annoyance and said, "Why don't you try to make yourself useful, instead of just standing there? Everyone is doing the best they can. Why should you do any less than them?"
The obvious displeasure could be felt in the captain's tone.
"I am a girl. Are you trying to make me do heavy labour?" Lilith frowned, before she mocked, "Are you a man?"
"Sorry, none of that shit matters to me. I am an advocate of gender equality. Since we are in the same boat, I expect you to pull your own weight." Zorbek said, before goading, "Aren't you beasts supposed to have great physical strength? Why aren't you showing it off? Could it that you are actually a weakling?"
"You!" Lilith stamped her feet in anger at the naked provocation. "Are you looking for a fight!?"
The cultivation technique of her Desolate Crow Tribe does grant her great physical strength compared to humans; physical strength was never an inherent trait of the bird race. The strength of a Desolate Crow lies in their speed!
To assume such a diverse race to possess the same inherent trait goes to show how ignorant this person was! Hmph, hmph!
"Stop it. Don't forget the situation we are in." Leon interrupted, before he suggested to Lilith, "Why don't you go scout the bottom area for us and see if there's any path of retreat for us?"
Lilith glanced at Leon and harrumphed. She did not answer him, but seeing Lilith quietly moving towards the stairs, Leon smiled.
After Lilith disappeared from view, Zorbek scrunched his brows and said, "Your Highness, how can you place your trust in a beast to do as you say? You should have sent one of us instead. What if that beast finds a way and doesn't come back? Won't she just leave us here to die?"
Leon frowned at Zorbek's words. He knew that although Lilith greatly resembled humans, people would still be hostile and discriminate her based on that smaller portion of beast blood running in her veins. However, it was still unpleasant to hear.
"That's enough from you. You have no choice but to trust that she will come back." Leon said, before shaking his head. "Judging from your attitude, you wouldn't have allowed her to support your backs anyway, so stop causing problems.
Zorberk was stunned by the latter part of Leon's words. Of course, when he said the beast should pull her weight, he was expecting her to stand at the forefront like him.
However, Lilith would never agree to this. With so much force acting on the carcasses, the limbs of the dead creature squirmed about in a disgusting manner in response to all the stimulus. Lilith was completely horrified. It could be seen by how far away she stood from the barricade.
Thus, even if she did agree, she would have only supported them from the back.
"To trust a beast with my back? No way!" Zorbek strongly rejected.
Leon frowned at Zorbek's behaviour. He didn't show so much naked hostility before, why now?
Feeling the prince's mood plummeting, Zorbek was immediately startled and apologised, "My apologies, your Highness. I have spoken out of turn."
"Never mind that. Just focus on holding the barricade."
Leon shook his head and began looking around for items they could use to fortify the barricade and replace human efforts.
In the building, there were many objects made of extremely tough alloys he could use. However, they all possess both technological and historical values that could be studied back in the Capital. Given the choice, he would not risk damaging these objects, but the situation didn't permit it.
Soon, all the movable alloyed objects began to float under his metal manipulation.
"Everyone, make way! I will strengthen the barricade with these objects!"
Seeing the prince's intention, all the palace guards did not object and immediately break away at the same time.
Control panels, tables, poles, beams, boards, unidentifiable equipment and literally all other movable alloyed objects he could control, began bombarding the barricade. Leon arranged them neatly in a special manner and allowed the barricade to borrow the strength of the sturdy building floor.
As such, if the alloyed objects connecting the barricade to the floor doesn't bend or break, they would be safe for the time being.
"This…"
The palace guards wiped their sweat and gazed at the sturdily fortified barricade that no longer budged.
"Amazing."
The palace guards relaxed and fell back on their rears, taking deep breaths.
"Your Highness, that was a great idea! Borrowing the strength of the floor to hold the barricade!"
"That's right, if his Highness hadn't been with us, we would have been done for!"
Leon was showered with praise for his quick wits, but he wasn't shameless enough to take all the credit.
"Enough. This was a result of everyone's hard work. If you all didn't work hard to buy me time, I wouldn't have been able to think of this calmly." Leon said, before his expression turned serious and added, "However, we have a new problem now. If there's no exit, we will be trapped here."
Once he uttered these words, the original celebrative moods turned depressive as the entire group entered a long silence. Apart from the banging on the barricade, footsteps could be heard from the staircase.
The group looked towards the stairs with hope as Lilith re-entered their field of vision.
"I'm back." Lilith said as she glanced at the stable barricade. "Seems like the problem here has been solved.
"En, you're back." Leon nodded, before continuing, "and with good news, I hope?"
"I found the entrance leading outside the building." Lilith said impishly with a short silence.
"OH!"
The group became spirited at once.
However, Lilith wasn't finished and continued, "But, it's been blocked off by the hard earth."
"…"
The palace guards began to despair. Lilith just brought their hopes up before smashing back to rock bottom.
"We didn't bring much food supplies. We will begin to starve if the army outside does not leave the area after seven days." Zorbek said with a frown.
Leon nodded and began glancing at what they had. He wasn't disappointed by the news as he wasn't expecting much.
"There's still a few dozen carcasses lying around. The information said the organs are edible after the blood has been drained and cooked thoroughly.. It should last us awhile."