Chapter 144: The Insect City

After listening to Lawrence, Richard felt a twinge of doubt.

If this puppet wizard was indeed as Lawrence described, then this mission was likely a cover for the puppet wizard's real objective.

However, using an emergency summons came at a significant cost. If things went awry, the puppet wizard would face severe consequences.

Given the number of wizards gathered, if the mission failed, the puppet wizard would not escape death.

"Stay alert. You know the cost of an emergency summons," Richard replied. "Even if this is just a cover, we won't be cannon fodder. Otherwise, he wouldn't pass muster with the command center."

Lawrence sighed, acknowledging the truth in Richard's words. Still, he felt uneasy about being summoned by such a wizard.

After announcing the mission, the puppet wizard distributed intelligence to the wizards.

It was an incredibly detailed three-dimensional map of the tunnels, with a large settlement at its center. The puppet wizard marked four paths through which the wizards would enter the settlement.

Additionally, he provided patrol routes, schedules, insect numbers, and defense arrangements—so detailed it seemed he had been present when the insects planned them.

With such intelligence, any wizard present could infiltrate the settlement.

Seeing this information, Richard also began to harbor doubts.

The intelligence was too detailed, almost unrealistically so. In contrast, Lawrence seemed relieved upon receiving it.

"Our mission is likely just a diversion for Declan, but that's okay. With this intel, we can succeed."

Richard looked at Lawrence in surprise. What was he implying?

Finally put at ease?

"Don't look at me like that," Lawrence chuckled. "I know the intel's very detailed, but I've seen Declan's puppet magic. He can easily control those who rely on physical evolution. This intel's probably from a puppet infiltrating the insect hierarchy."

Richard's suspicions eased slightly, but something still felt off. He quietly shared his concerns with Ellie through mental communication:

"Ellie, be careful during this mission. Stay at the rear if you can, and retreat if anything seems wrong."

Among the three, Lawrence had experience and shadow magic, Richard had Ulysses, but Ellie was less adept at retreating.

As an artillery wizard, her strength lay on the front lines.

Ellie smiled faintly at him.

"I'm not new to this, don't worry."

With the intelligence shared, they moved to specific action planning.

The puppet wizard selected second-circle wizards to form a rescue team.

The remaining first-circle wizards were tasked with support, distraction, and misleading the enemy.

...

Departing from the settlement, the wizards split into four groups, each taking a different tunnel toward the Mother God Temple.

Richard, Lawrence, and Ellie shared a path. Along the way, the puppet wizard's intel proved accurate, allowing them to avoid all insect patrols.

These patrols moved at set times in the hive. If a battle occurred and they were wiped out, the insect command would soon notice and deduce a wizard infiltration. Without the puppet wizard's precise intel, most wizards would be detected before reaching the temple's defensive perimeter.

Following the puppet wizard's map, Richard's group arrived at their designated spot—an abandoned and buried cavern.

This cavern was strategically located, with a connection to the large cavern housing the Mother God Temple. Its abandonment meant no patrols were assigned there.

How the puppet wizard found such a hidden spot was a mystery.

Upon arrival, the wizards quickly cleared the cavern and camouflaged it to remain undetected by passing insects.

Peering through the fungal gaps, Richard observed the vast insect city.

Previously, for safety, Richard targeted small settlements. Though lacking in resources, their defenses were weak, suitable for a first-circle wizard like himself.

These small settlements resembled human villages—sparse population, crude structures, seemingly primitive.

Medium-sized settlements were better. Richard once infiltrated such a place, akin to a county town. Insects didn't merely live in carved fungal homes; stone and fungal buildings were common, housing priest and warrior insects.

Richard encountered several of these while hunting insects, but they were lifeless, starkly different from when alive.

Now, he witnessed a vastly different scene.

If medium-sized settlements were county towns, this large one was like a bustling metropolis.

Mayan pyramid-sized structures towered in the center, with a golden temple atop.

Around it, tall stone buildings divided into four zones, with four main roads connecting the tunnel entrances to the pyramid. Endless caravans transported supplies from various settlements to the pyramid, feeding the Mother Insect day and night.

On the ground, squads of Mother Insect Guards patrolled the city, while moth squadrons capable of downing war airships hovered above, vigilant against any intruders.

Faced with such tight security, Richard swallowed hard.

If something went wrong, the wizards might all perish here.

But soon, Richard noticed something amiss.

Most patrol insects were first-tier, with few second-tier ones.

Richard shared this observation with Lawrence, who pondered briefly before concluding:

"The insects are likely amassing strength for a counterattack."

Having survived three planar wars, Lawrence had a keen sense of battlefield dynamics.

In past wars, when command decided on a decisive battle, Black Wizards were ordered to lay low or retreat. Conversely, when the indigenous planned a decisive battle, their city defenses weakened.

Lawrence's conclusion startled Richard. In just a few years, the insects were preparing to counterattack.

Typically, conquering a micro-plane took about sixty years, with decisive battles around forty years, and the remaining twenty for mopping up, a boon period for wizards.

But now, only eight years into the war, it was supposed to be a lull period.

Both sides engaged in minor skirmishes, wizards solidifying their foothold and exploiting resources, while the indigenous resolved internal conflicts and mobilized for war.

"Probably due to the insects' social structure," Ellie interjected, joining the conversation.

"Oh?" Lawrence was surprised. Ellie didn't seem like one to study indigenous societies.

"I heard it from my teacher," Ellie explained via mental communication. "She said the Black Crystal Insects differ from other indigenous species, which often have deep internal conflicts. Even under a World Lord, they experience internal strife.

Sometimes, they even use wizards to eliminate enemies.

These conflicts typically take decades, plus external wizard pressure, to resolve, hence decisive battles around forty years.

But the Black Crystal Insects are different.

Though they have thirty-six insect kingdoms and wage wars over hive territories, their egg-laying reproduction means no deep-seated grudges.

So, when the Mother Insect God calls, they quickly unite, strategize, and mobilize for war.

This means their decisive battle will come sooner and be more dangerous than previous planar wars."

Hearing Ellie's information, Richard couldn't help but appreciate the advantage of having connections.

"Looks like our mission will end soon. Then we'll see if we retreat or lay low," Richard said.

But Lawrence sighed after hearing the news.

"Don't think about laying low. We'll definitely retreat. With the war's danger, command won't waste any strength."

After a while in the cavern, the lead second-circle wizard retrieved a crystal ball.

The puppet wizard's voice issued from it:

"All personnel are here. Begin infiltration."

Seeing the transmission crystal ball, Richard recalled something and handed two black crystal balls to Ellie and Lawrence.

"What's this?" Ellie asked, puzzled.

Lawrence, more knowledgeable, frowned. "Communication crystal balls emit too much mana, unsuitable here."

Richard smiled, demonstrating with an identical crystal ball:

"How's the mana fluctuation?"

In the next moment, Lawrence and Ellie's crystal balls echoed Richard's voice, with almost no mana fluctuation.

"Where did you get such a fine thing?" Lawrence exclaimed, bombarding Richard with questions. "What's its range? Is mana fluctuation always this low? How strong is the signal? How many millimeters of lead can block it..."

Richard waved him off.

"My senior sister made these. Communication range is about two kilometers, with slight mana fluctuation at maximum distance. Signal strength supports low-intensity battle communication, but high-intensity fluctuating energy disrupts it."

Even so, Lawrence gave a thumbs-up.

"Good stuff."

With the crystal balls secured, the trio joined the main group and began infiltrating the Mother God Temple.

--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there 

patreon.com/LegendaryTL

Thanks!