Chapter 104: Nest

Ethan’s senses swept the northern horizon as he approached the barrier’s boundary, wanting to go looking for Marcu’s team.

Just as his foot crossed the protective threshold, some movement caught his eye.

Three figures crested a distant ridge, their familiar silhouettes bringing immediate relief. Marcus’s team, alive and moving under their own power. No signs of injury or distress in their approach.

Thank god.

Ethan waited at the barrier’s edge. Their faces showed exhaustion but not panic—whatever they’d encountered hadn’t broken their morale.

“What happened?” he asked as they crossed into safety. “You took longer than the others.”

Marcus wiped sweat from his brow, his breathing still elevated from their extended mission. The other archer behind him looked equally drained but alert.

“We encountered a large group of scorpions.”

Ethan’s eyebrow rose sharply. “You fought them and survived?”

A dry laugh escaped Marcus’s lips.

“Not at all, my Lord. We spotted them from a distance—at least twenty of them.”

Twenty? That’s double what we faced yesterday.

“The reason we took so long,” Marcus continued, “was because we wanted to understand what we were seeing. This wasn’t random beast movement.”

“Explain.”

Marcus’s expression grew grave. “There’s a nest, my Lord. A spawning ground approximately one kilometre north of our position.”

“Nest?”

“Yes. The scorpions emerge from underground burrows in that area, but they don’t just appear randomly.” Marcus paused, organising his thoughts.

A respawn point.

In this realm, it seemed like certain locations functioned as regenerative sources for specific creature types.

Kill a scorpion, and eventually another would take its place at the nest site.

“It’s like a…” Marcus struggled for the right words. “Like a wound in the earth that keeps bleeding monsters instead of blood.”

Ethan’s mind raced through the implications.

Endless renewable resources versus endless renewable threats. The nest represented both opportunity and danger in equal measure.

If I could expand my territory and take advantage of that spawning point…I will have an endless amount of resources at my disposal. This place needs to be conquered and hidden.

“How many burrows did you count?”

“At least a dozen visible openings. Possibly more hidden beneath the sand.” The archer behind Marcus nodded confirmation. “The creatures emerge in groups of three to five, then disperse across the desert.”

That explains the scattered encounters.

“Did you observe their ranks? Combat capabilities?”

“Mostly High-Bronze rank, same as what we faced yesterday. But there were larger shapes moving deeper in the burrow system—we couldn’t get close enough for detailed observation.”

Stronger variants in the depths. That makes sense.

Elena’s voice carried across the camp as she called out, realizing that Ethan had not left yet. “My Lord! The meat is ready!”

The scent of cooked scorpion flesh filled the air, its Bronze-rank enhancement making even simple preparation appetizing. Steam rose from the makeshift cooking area where chunks of meat sizzled over their campfire.

“Good work,” he told his scouts. “Let’s go to the main camp. We need to discuss a few things.”

…

Although the meat was ready, they didn’t eat. They had consumed their morning meal earlier, and there was no need to eat again within an hour. The cooked food was meant to fuel them after their upcoming operation, whatever form it might take.

Back in the main camp, the five archers stood at attention. Their faces showed anticipation for whatever orders would follow.

Ethan studied each face before speaking. “Based on Marcus’s reconnaissance, we’re going to attack the nest.”

Silence.

Elena’s eyes widened. “My Lord, isn’t that… too dangerous? If there are twenty or more creatures—”

“The danger increases every day we leave it alone,” Ethan cut her off. “Those spawning grounds will continue producing threats whether we act or not. Better to strike while we have the initiative.”

Marcus shifted uncomfortably. “The larger ones we observed that went deeper in the burrows…”

“Will be dealt with.” Ethan’s voice carried absolute confidence. “Here’s the plan: I engage the scorpions directly while you provide ranged support.”

The archers exchanged uncertain glances.

“Focus your arrows on single targets,” he continued. “Concentrate your firepower instead of spreading shots. Everyone aims at a single scorpion until it falls.”

“My Lord,” Elena ventured, “what if there are too many?”

“There won’t be.” His grin was predatory. “Trust me.”

Something in his tone—the absolute certainty, the hint of anticipation rather than concern—calmed their fears. They nodded, accepting his judgment despite their reservations.

“Marcus, lead us to the nest site.”

The journey north took ten minutes of movement across the sand and battling some scorpions. The desert heat pressed down like a physical weight, but Ethan’s enhanced constitution barely registered the discomfort. His archers showed more strain, sweat staining their clothing despite their Bronze-rank endurance.

As they crested a ridge overlooking the spawning grounds, the sight below confirmed Marcus’s report.

Dozens of them.

The nest sprawled across a depression in the desert floor, marked by clusters of dark holes that disappeared into underground tunnel systems. Scorpions emerged and vanished in seemingly random patterns, their bronze carapaces catching sunlight like scattered coins.

“Elevated position there,” Ethan pointed to a rocky outcropping that offered clear sightlines. “Wait for my signal.”

The archers moved to their designated positions while Ethan approached the nest’s perimeter. His presence immediately triggered defensive responses—creatures that had been wandering aimlessly suddenly oriented toward the threat.

Showtime.

A High-Bronze scorpion charged first, its massive claws extended and poison-dripping stinger arched overhead. Ethan didn’t move until the creature was within striking distance.

Then he became a blur.

His fist punched through the scorpion’s carapace like it was made of glass. Chitin exploded outward in a spray of fragments and ichor. The creature died before it hit the ground.

One down.

Three more scorpions rushed him simultaneously, their coordinated attack suggesting pack intelligence. Ethan’s speed made their movements appear sluggish.

Left, right, centre.

He sidestepped the first creature’s charge, caught the second by its stinger, and used it as a weapon to crush the third. The improvised flail shattered chitin and scattered body parts across the sand.

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