Ambush at Dawn
The caravan rolled slowly down the dirt road.
Six wagons. Horses tired. Drivers half-asleep.
Steel-armored guards rode on either side, gripping spears.
Dust curled behind them.
They didn't know.
They thought this was just another village.
Just another stop.
They didn't see the bodies.
They didn't smell the rot in the wind.
---
Seo Hae-jin stood on the high ridge, arms folded, cloak fluttering in the dry air.
His eyes never left the lead wagon.
He was already inside their minds.
Not through magic.
Through calculation.
He knew how long it would take them to react.
How they'd scream.
How they'd run.
And how quickly they'd die.
---
> > [Units in Position: 212.]
[Nest Perimeter Secured.]
[Predator Bug Alpha — Awaiting Orders.]
He closed his eyes.
Spoke silently into the Hive Link:
Wait until the first scream. Then devour.
---
The caravan entered the village.
The guards scanned the wreckage—half-burnt homes, collapsed fences, blackened rubble.
"Where are the people?" one asked.
No answer.
The lead driver pulled the wagon to a halt.
"Something's not right—"
A sound split the air.
Wet. Fast.
A predator bug dropped from the thatched roof above them, its claws slicing into the driver's chest.
He didn't even scream.
But the horse did.
It reared, kicked, snapped the harness, and bolted.
That was enough.
The others saw the blood.
Heard the shriek.
And then the Hive attacked.
---
Dozens of larvae burst from the shadows.
Some climbed up the wheels and into the wagons.
Others latched onto the guards' legs, biting through leather and chainmail.
Screams echoed through the square.
Swords flashed.
Steel struck black chitin—and bounced off.
---
Seo Hae-jin watched from above.
One by one, the system reports streamed in:
> > [Unit Fed – Level Up.]
[Guard Eliminated – Biomass +6.]
[Host Contaminated.]
He could feel the predator bugs syncing with each other.
No wasted movements.
No mercy.
---
A young guard tried to run.
She reached the edge of the village.
Only ten meters more.
Then a Sovereign Larva—a rare elite strain—leapt from a tree.
It latched onto her face.
Dragged her into the dirt.
---
Within minutes, the village square was still again.
No survivors.
Just the sounds of chewing.
Of silk being spun.
Of bones cracking.
---
Seo Hae-jin descended the ridge.
The wind tugged at his clothes, hot with the smell of smoke and blood.
He walked straight through the remains of the caravan.
Larvae crawled aside to let him pass.
Predator bugs bowed their heads slightly.
They recognized him.
The Hive knew its king.
---
He stopped beside one of the wagons.
Inside: crates of weapons. Iron, steel, mana-etched blades.
Expensive gear. Meant for war.
But not for this war.
He reached out and ran a hand over one of the swords.
The system responded instantly.
> > [Mana Weapon Detected.]
[New Trait Acquired: Adaptive Alloy Memory.]
His skin tingled.
A thin layer of dark chitin spread across his forearm, fusing with his nerves.
He looked down.
A new weapon had grown from his body.
Part steel.
Part bug.
Fully his.
---
Then a second alert appeared.
> > [Long-Range Communication Intercepted.]
[Message Sent from Caravan Beacon – Status: Emergency.]
[Location: Royal Capital – 280 km.]
He paused.
So the world knew now.
Good.
Let them send more.
Let them see.
This was only the beginning.
---
Behind him, the bugs finished their feeding.
Only bones and armor remained.
The new hive absorbed the materials quickly, forming walls, towers, egg chambers.
The nest ex
panded faster now.
Wider. Deeper.
---
Seo Hae-jin turned his eyes to the horizon.
More towns. More cities.
Each one filled with flesh and fear.
Each one waiting to be consumed.
---
He whispered one word into the Hive:
"Advance."