Like a swarm of locusts, Lava Ants cut through the air, rushing toward the red haired man standing in the ruined section of the slums.

Their wings created a terrifying buzz that drummed in Rex's ears, putting an amused smile on his face.

CAAA!

Letting out piercing cries, the twelve Sunlight Sparrows beside Rex glared at the swarm of Lava Ants. Seeing the fiery colored ants, the Sunlight Sparrows had the itch to kill those filthy bugs trying to mimic their majestic feathers.

With his eyes growing cold, Rex shook his head.

“The Lava Queen…”

CLAP—FWOOSH!

With each clap of his hands, Rex's red gloves burst aflame, threatening to swallow Rex's face if he wasn't careful. The fire made him feel warm, but the warmth came not from his hands nor face, but rather from his heart.

Although he heard her just now, Rex failed to spot the Lava Queen amongst the millions of Lava Ants. His guess was that the Lava Queen isn't present among the swarm of ants.

“Should’a killed her when I had the chance,” Rex clicked his tongue.

‘The Lava Ants are the strongest Colony Type Anomalies. When I failed to control them, the right move was to kill the queen,’ Rex tasted regret in his mouth, but he quickly spat it out.

It's not like he could turn back time.

‘I already have the Bee King anyway. Alas, greed is dangerous for men,’ Rex chuckled.

“Hey, how can you tolerate working with freeloaders?” Rex yelled, his voice somehow managing to reach the swarm of ants rapidly closing in on him.

The voice, rough but high pitched, rang inside Rex's mind again.

“The Swarm. The bunch are weaklings, I’d have those guys my slaves if I were you,” Rex chuckled.

With a shrug, Rex clapped a final time, putting his hands together and making fire dance between his palms.

“It doesn't matter either way,” Rex turned to look at the Cockroach Mother. Blue blood had already pooled beneath her, with more pouring in from the Cockroach Mother's fresh wound.

“You pest, serve your master.”

With Rex's command, all twelve Sunlight Sparrows tilted their heads upward. Opening their beaks, they let out piercing cries that made the ground tremble.

DRRR…

With the earth splitting apart, a geyser of roaches took off, filling the sky and meeting the onslaught of Lava Ants in the air. In the sky, as though two storms colliding and merging into one, the Lava Ants and the Mad Intrusion gnawed at each other.

With the weak and fragile bodies of the cockroaches, the Lava Ants cut through them like butter, showing no mercy as they kept striving for their goal.

On the other hand, Rex looked on with disappointment.

“The Mad Intrusion is weaker than I thought. At least the Swarm can give me some headaches!” Rex’s brows furrowed. The Mad Intrusion was known for their horrifying way of multiplying, which is why he compared them to the Swarm.

It didn't help that he believes the Swarm to be weak.

A pregnant cockroach will lay its egg near a human prey and in a short period, thousands of tiny cockroaches will hatch, all of them finding their way into the human's lungs through their nose. While eating the human from the inside, they'll keep on multiplying, eventually reaching millions before eating their way out of their human host.

From then on, they will rapidly grow in size.

“The Lava Ants hadn't even slowed down,” Rex groaned. “Fuck me, they haven't even used their venom yet,” Rex looked at the weakened Cockroach Mother trapped underneath from rubble.

“All that trash is good for is being an egg factory,” Rex kicked a stone, making sure it landed on the Cockroach Mother. “If only I could control the Lava Queen. The last time I did, that fucker Helzar cured the Lava Queen,” Rex cursed, taking in deep breaths and releasing it nice and slow.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

‘Should I go for Helzar then? If I can control him, then it'll be a buy one take one!’ Smirking at the thought, Rex patted one of the Sunlight Sparrows.

“Fighting the Lava Ants will only weaken them. That's no good, I need them strong, not weak,” Rex smiled. “As for you…”

Rex glanced down at the Cockroach Mother.

“Survive on your own, I don't give a shit,” Rex sneered, his body flashing in a golden light before he vanished in sparks of flames. The Sunlight Sparrows let out another cry before flying into the sky, each of them going in different directions.

All that remains was the cursing Lava Queen and the war between her ants and the Mad Intrusion.

Seeing that Rex had gone, the Cockroach Mother stood up, easily lifting the rubble on her back. Blood instantly stopped flowing out of her back, and as she crawled away, not a single scratch could be found on her body.

+++-+++-+++

Helzar asked the Lava Queen, his attention elsewhere. Currently, he is working on trying to improve the Motherbugs.

the Lava Queen scowled.

Helzar said absentmindedly.

At the same time, he discarded another template that he created inside the nest. With the nest disconnected from his body, he automatically assumed his “demonic form.”

The Lava Queen laughed,

Helar couldn't help but inquire. Knowing full well of Rex's abilities, he knew that the man wouldn't use ordinary insects or animals to stop the Lava Ants.

‘They must be another anomaly. From how the Lava Queen is describing them, it's likely an insect colony of some sorts. Maybe I can take inspiration from them,’ Helzar silently plotted.

With a disinterested groan, the Lava Queen humored her ally to kill her boredom.

‘Cockroaches?’ Helzar paused. ‘I remember seeing a big cockroach before, though I can't remember how big it was. It definitely wasn't a regular cockroach.’

Helzar couldn't help but doubt.

the Lava Queen hummed.

the Lava Queen thoughtfully added.

Helzar asked, his attention piqued. The Lava Queen was prideful, and she was both proud of her colony as well as the Swarm. For her to liken the Swarm to another colony of insects was a surprise even for Helzar.

Hearing the explanation, Helzar couldn't help getting disappointed.

The Lava Queen scoffed.

Helzar grew quiet, contemplating on what the Lava Queen said.

the Lava Queen chuckled, her antennae vibrating.

The Lava Queen looked at Helzar, and so did Helzar to the Lava Queen.

the Lava Queen scoffed.

<...Glad to know your name, La’Queen.>

La’Queen chuckled, her antennae proudly waving around.

Helzar was already jealous of how big the Lava Queen was, but now he found that there's a bigger bug underground.

Helzar didn't give a reply as he took to the air, putting the Nest inside his body after turning it into a tentacle.

+++-+++-+++

Madly tunneling underground was a two feet long cockroach, never looking behind her as she fled. Behind her was a trail of eggs which hatched in just a few minutes, spawning thousands of cockroaches per egg.

Each nymph was milky white in color, and as they breathed in the air around them, their exoskeletons hardened. They ran, going the opposite way of their mother to meet the unwanted intruders.

Ants.

Though puzzled, the Cockroach Mother kept digging, afraid to even stop. She knows her exoskeleton is powerful, much like a turtle's shell, but that doesn't make her invincible. Perhaps the Lava Ants can't kill her in a short time, but her instincts were screaming that it's still dangerous.

With a bittersweet mind, the Cockroach Mother dug faster in the soil, swallowing her crushed hopes and holding back her disappointment.

The Swarm and the Lava Ants were insects just like her, why must they be so hostile to her?

She was confused, but her confusion will not help her survive. All that's left was to dig, dig, and escape.

CRACK—

With another bite, she dug into a tunnel wide enough for her children to fit through but definitely not large enough for her to squeeze into.

Tilting her head, the Cockroach Mother stretched the cramped tunnel, forcing her way in and searching for the tunnel that will lead to aboveground.

Suddenly, the air seemed to turn cold. The Cockroach Mother tried ignoring it, but she couldn't.

Startled, the Cockroach Mother froze, chewing on the faint, but definitely existing humming vibrating inside her mind.

The Cockroach Mother opened her mandibles, threatening whoever was with her.

Helzar crawled toward the Cockroach Mother, unafraid despite being dwarfed by the giant roach.

Helzar asked, and instantly received a reply.

<...>

For a good while, silence reigned on the two, staring into each other with blank gazes.

Helzar asked, confused at the curt request.

Helzar said, mumbling the last part.

Helzar hummed, walking closer toward the Cockroach Mother as tentacles of dark blue slowly sprouted out of his body. They caressed the Cockroach Mother's exoskeleton gently, afraid of harming them.

The Cockroach Mother tilted her head, making Helzar feel strange.

Helzar chuckled.

Blue mist surrounded Helzar, engulfing the Cockroach Mother inside it as more tentacles sprouted from his body, wrapping around the Cockroach Mother.

<...?>

The Cockroach Mother stared with confusion at Helzar, prompting the latter to give a sigh of resignation.

<...yes>

Helzar answered carefully. Technically, they'd be allies, but Helzar would exploit the Cockroach Mother's abilities as best he could. If she dies either by the enemy’s hands or his own, her soul will be for Helzar to claim.

Helzar chuckled, reaching out a tentacle toward the Cockroach Mother.

Although confused, the Cockroach Mother reached for Helzar's tentacle and grabbed it. In doing so, the Cockroach Mother unknowingly signed a Slave Contract.

Helzar asked, retracting his Devouring Mist and tentacles.

Uttering that name made Helzar feel uncomfortable, but at the same time he felt strangely excited. Seeing the Cockroach Mother chewing on her new name, he even felt anxious.

Zharan nodded, much to Helzar's satisfaction