Chapter 279

Chapter 279: Surrender

As Philid’s Psychic Call faded, the town erupted into chaos once again.

"Surrender? They’re surrendering?"

"That’s unmistakably Mr. Philid’s voice… Master Simon himself declared that Philid’s words carry his authority."

"So… the town will truly be governed by these ant monsters now?"

"What choice do we have?"

The man gulped nervously, peering through his window.

Outside, two gaping holes pierced through the snow-packed roads, their dark maws disgorging an endless stream of ant creatures. The deserted streets teemed with Worker Ants and Weak Ants no larger than pups, alongside glossy Military Ants and emerald-hued Acid Ants.

"This whole place is crawling with these vile—"

He bit his tongue mid-sentence, eyes darting fearfully around the room. Only when certain no antennae had twitched in his direction did he exhale. Insulting the ants meant punishment – none wished to face those monstrous mandibles.

"Don’t you see?" he hissed. "We’re already overrun! And that Queen Ant’s voice… she said their tunnels honeycomb beneath us. They could erupt from the ground whenever they please!"

"Best stay indoors," his wife whispered, latching the shutters tighter.

Throughout the town, citizens mirrored their actions – barricading homes after witnessing the hopeless infestation. A young mother trembled as she asked, "But if we obey… will those horrible jaws truly spare us?"

"Disobey, and look!" Her husband yanked her to the frost-rimed window. Below, four figures lay sprawled in the snow – an adventurer, two guardsmen, and the neighboring butcher. The group had managed to injure several smaller ants before the glossy black Military Ant, wolf-sized and terrifying, subdued them effortlessly. Then came the Acid Ant’s viscous droplets, reducing the attackers to writhing, unconscious heaps.

"No one dares help them now," the man muttered. "Remember – no insults, no violence, no secrets. Break these rules…" He trailed off as movement caught his eye.

Through the swirling snow, ant creatures began dragging the unconscious toward a nearby tunnel. His wife’s nails dug into his arm as she shrieked, "They’re taking them underground!"

"Are those monsters going to devour them? Merciful heavens!"

The man shuddered, turning his face away in distress.

"Enough, don’t watch! These fiends show no mercy. At least…we should be grateful our floors remain intact…"

His thoughts drifted to the neighboring household.

The impoverished mother and daughter already endured wretched lives burdened by debt and deprivation – likely facing another winter of rationed meals and gnawing hunger. Yet in their direst hour, fate had dealt them crueler blows: gaping chasms splitting their floors, endless streams of Ant Tribe creatures swarming through the ruptured foundations.

What hellish scene unfolded next door now?

The pair must be paralyzed with terror. Should they dare resist these monstrosities…they might already have been hauled into the subterranean maze.

"Look! The butcher’s family!"

His wife’s cry shattered his morbid musings. Following her gaze, the man witnessed a middle-aged matron and adolescent boy bursting from the opposite dwelling – faces etched with desperation, clutching cleavers in trembling hands.

…

…

The accidental incapacitation of several humans left her mildly annoyed. A single droplet of acid causing immediate unconsciousness? Pathetic fragility indeed. Though considering the feeble constitutions of ordinary humans, perhaps this reaction aligned with expectations.

Well then, best deposit these insensate fools into the underground chambers. The sprawling network beneath the town contained ample vacant cells anyway. Mere physical punishment seemed insufficient retribution for their transgressions. Let them contemplate their misdeeds in lightless depths, accompanied by the eternal skittering of chitinous limbs – harmless ambiance to an Ant Queen, but surely terrifying for surface-dwelling apes.

Through her Acid Ant daughter’s compound eyes, Lin Yu observed the approaching duo – a corpulent woman and her rotund offspring brandishing butcher blades.

"Tairu! Release him! Let my husband go!"

"Free my father this instant!"

Tairu? Ah, referring to the porcine captive. Unacceptable.

Striking against her precious daughters warranted severe consequences! Moreover, having just decreed his imprisonment, immediate release would undermine her authority. Queens don’t capitulate to plebeian demands!

Wait – did these meatbags presume her brood practiced cannibalism? While technically monsters, she’d never permit consumption of human flesh.

The attackers lunged. With mental command, Lin Yu dispatched Military Ants – their armored forms disarming the pair in swift strikes. The humans recoiled, cradling bruised wrists.

「We shall not consume him. However, assaulting the Ant Tribe merits days of subterranean confinement.」 Lin Yu activated 「Psychic Call」, her crystalline tones resonating in their minds. 「Upon completing this penance, he’ll be returned.」

The telepathic intrusion startled the mother and child duo. Gathering courage, the matron addressed the emerald-hued ant: "Will…will my husband perish?"

「His crimes don’t warrant execution.」

…

Across the settlement, similar scenes proliferated – humans collapsing from acid strikes, dragged kicking into shadowed tunnels. Any attempting resistance met identical fates: brutal subdual followed by dark descent into the Ant Tribe’s labyrinthine domain.