Enemy A(n)t the Gates

145. The Siege, Part 23

At least those crazy malformed humans were good for experience. Whatever the Legion did to turn them into… what they were, they certainly lacked the finely tuned discipline of their more regular compatriots.

Even after I’d demonstrated the ability to rip into them using my Doom Chomp, cutting down several at a time, they continued to come, almost ant-like in their eagerness to sacrifice themselves for their allies. If they would just fight defensively, be a bit more cagey, then I wouldn’t be able to hit their numbers even half as hard as I do.

I’ve not been paying attention to the notifications Gandalf has been whispering into my ear, but I’m sure I must have racked up three Levels from these clowns. If they want to throw experience at me, I’m more than happy to take it!

Although I am a little tired from having to use the draining Doom Chomp so many times, which is possibly their aim.

Doesn’t look like I’m going to get time to rest, either. When the bizarre creatures pull back from the ant line, they slide expertly through the perfectly aligned ranks of heavy armoured Legion soldiers waiting behind them. The moment the way is clear, the ranks reform into a solid wall of shields and blades that begin to close with us at speed.

“Bring up the humans!” comes the call from the generals huddled near the front. The words are repeated all the way up and down the line before reaching the human Antmancers dotted throughout the battlefield.

With an enthusiastic roar, the first real sound from our side of the field beyond Tiny’s racket, the human volunteers and the robed figures of Beyn and his true believers take their places in our formation. A half-second before the two forces collide, a rush surges throughout my body as the potent buff rolls through me from the nearest Antmancer.

Every ant around me stands a little taller, a little firmer, as their stats get a healthy bump from the aura effect. It’s needed too; without it, most soldiers simply aren’t able to stay in front of the more powerful Legionary soldiers for long. For me? It makes me a real pain in their backside.

The nice thing about the aura provided by the Antmancers, is that it doesn’t cancel the benefits we gain from the generals, so that’s neat. The stat boost they give also affects all stats. Which means my brains get the slight edge they need to be able to handle the construct I have spinning without me having to interfere with the main mind nearly as much. Gwehehehehe. It might not be much, but I’ll take every advantage I can get in this contest for the survival of my family.

The two lines smash together as carapace and mandibles contest against stone and steel. A shield is thrust in my face, and a short sword flickers like a snake tongue, seeking my eyes. Always the eyes with these people! Is my Diamond Carapace so impressive that you’ve just given up on ever breaking through?

With my antennae still functioning and my reflexes primed and ready, I’m able to make small adjustments of my legs, shifting my head by a few centimetres in order to deflect each attempt.

Get out of here, punk!

Firing my legs in a Dash, I surge with my head tilted to one side, using my ‘shoulder’ to smash into them with extra speed. The new muscle augmentation isn’t just useful for my mandibles. I’ve found that if I set my legs before a Dash, I can snap out with more power and acceleration. Which is certainly handy! Faced with my bulk, the soldier has little choice but to give ground as I crunch him back into his own ranks. They brace together to absorb the impact, but I’ve gotten the bit of breathing space I wanted.

Eat steam!

I blast all of them in the face with a searing wave of steam as I wind my mandibles back and unleash a mighty Doom Chomp!

SNAP!

My mandibles pierce and crunch, but the lack of notifications tells me my attempt hasn’t been as successful as it was with the previous wave of foes. These armoured guys are hard nuts to crack! Especially when the ranks are packed together like this. The extended mandibles of dark light that manifest when I use the Skill help to extend my reach, certainly, but they also spread the impact out across a half dozen Legionaries. When they all work together to absorb the blow, it becomes even harder to break through their defence.

I throw away the residual Fire and Water Mana so I can start cooking up the Lava Mana combined with a little Earth Mana. Hopefully, I can make something good happen with this combo, I have a few good ideas.

“ROOOOAAAAAAR!”

The colossus of metal and muscle that is Tiny continues to be a pain for the Legion as he sends his devastating fists over the heads of the colony members, smacking the enemy in the face over and over again with his electrified punches.

Crinis has retreated to the shadows once more now that she isn’t needed to shore up that faltering section of the line, but I get a feeling we’re going to need her again fairly soon. With the two forces confronting each other at this range, I know Invidia is working double time on the defensive end. I can feel the spells flying over my head with my Mana Sense, an endless flurry of magic that could cause incalculable damage to either side should one group of mages get on top.

Even with all our numbers, the colony is being suppressed in this area as more and more of the Legion mages find their range and pile on the offense. With Invidia throwing his enormous ability behind the mage ants, the line is holding for the time being.

All I can do is keep battling away here in the front lines, using my body to protect my family as best I can.

At this point, the battle has devolved into an endless tug of war as the two fronts smack into each other endlessly, shoving, stabbing, and biting to break the other.

I’m using every trick I have in the book: charging, biting, blasting with acid and lava. The fatigue is setting in, even for me. The effort is unrelenting and neither side is prepared to back down.

As the minutes grind past, it starts to become clear that the colony is being pushed back. The line is just too wide, and I can’t cover the whole thing at once. Wherever I and my pets aren’t, the Legion gains ground, wounding our soldiers, cutting them down and advancing one step at a time. Even deploying Crinis isn’t enough to stem the tide.

Can that wave start already?