The King and the Knight (Part 2)

For some reason, Big Fool, the soldier ant System had sent away and kept on guard against, returned here and launched an attack on the intruder without hesitation.

After its continued growth over the past few days, Big Fool the soldier ant seemed to have leveled up again. Its body was now nearly seven centimeters long, more than twice the size of an ordinary reddish-brown soldier ant.

System saw that one of the mouse's hind legs had been bitten open by Big Fool, leaving a bloody wound.

Perhaps because of Ant Acid's corrosive effect on the wound, the mouse curled up and began incessantly licking it with its tongue.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Big Fool the soldier ant moved directly in front of System, shielding him behind its body.

"Now! Attack it!"

System knew that while the mouse was licking its wound, this was a perfect opportunity.

If they wanted to attack this mouse, it had to be now.

The moment System issued the command, Big Fool the soldier ant obeyed without the slightest hesitation!

Big Fool opened its enormous mandibles. Once they were fully spread, they were twice the size of its head.

Big Fool's double-edged mandibles were a full six centimeters long. It aimed them at the mouse's head as it licked its wound and charged straight in!

However, before Big Fool could reach the mouse and tear into its head...

The mouse was more agile. It noticed Big Fool's movement and, though it moved later, struck first, whipping its body around and sending Big Fool flying!

The mouse did not stop. It darted directly toward where Big Fool had fallen, bit down twice, then flung Big Fool away again...

Insect hunters excelled at ambushes that killed in a single strike, but they were clearly not suited for a head-on charge.

Though Big Fool the soldier ant had grown to seven centimeters and looked quite large, an ant's body was slender and light. This fifteen-centimeter mouse outweighed it by dozens of times.

Big Fool the soldier ant had clearly suffered from the disadvantage in weight and agility. Its sneak attack had failed, and it had instead been struck by the mouse.

Crack... crack...

The mouse held a black object in its paws and began chewing it in its mouth. In the silent cave, the chewing sounds were painfully harsh.

Big Fool the soldier ant shook its head. The mouse's attack had left it somewhat dizzy.

System discovered that the rearmost leg on the left side of Big Fool's body was gone—

That leg was being chewed in the mouse's mouth.

Whether it was intimidation, a threat, or simply the mouse's mockery, he did not know.

The mouse had not dealt Big Fool a fatal blow just now. Instead, right in front of Big Fool, it began eating its leg.

System did not sense any unease or fear through his [Mental Link] with Big Fool.

There were only two emotions in Big Fool's heart. One was worry for System; the other was rage toward this mouse!

Big Fool adjusted its body and charged at the mouse again without waiting for System's command...

Unfortunately, this charge was exactly the same as the last one.

This time, it was Big Fool's right foreleg and the middle leg on its left side. The mouse effortlessly bit off two more of Big Fool's legs, then flung it away again.

Crack... crack...

The mouse tossed aside the half-eaten leg from before, picked up one of Big Fool's newly severed legs, and began gnawing on it.

System could even hear the mouse sucking the flesh and blood from within the leg's exoskeleton.

Even if Big Fool the soldier ant had been completely uninjured, it could not have defeated this mouse. Now that it had only three legs left, it had even less hope of winning.

Big Fool would only have its legs eaten one by one by this mouse right before its eyes, until it was tortured to death.

"Big Fool, come here."

System sent a mental message to Big Fool the soldier ant. He wanted to call it over.

Still dazed from the mouse's attack, Big Fool shook its head. Its head seemed to have cracked from the mouse's impact, and some white, cloudy fluid seeped from it.

But insects possessed such tenacious vitality. Even after losing three legs and suffering a cracked head, Big Fool the soldier ant still reached System at almost its usual speed.

Big Fool sent System an emotion of confusion. It clearly did not know what System intended to do.

System watched as the mouse not far away finished eating one of Big Fool's legs, then picked up another and continued feeding.

System finally made his decision.

"Big Fool, hide behind me. When it attacks me later, run away. Return to your original ant nest. There's a real ant queen there. I'm not actually an ant queen—I'm a grasshopper."

System gathered his thoughts and tried to send Big Fool a mental message in as calm and sincere a manner as possible.

System found himself strange. When he had watched the lifespan countdown before, it had felt terrifying. But now that death was truly at his door, he had instead become somewhat resigned.

The dozen or so ant larvae around them could barely even wriggle. Escape was basically impossible. The only one with any hope of getting away was Big Fool the soldier ant.

System hoped Big Fool could survive.

"..."

Yet Big Fool the soldier ant gave no response to System's mental message, remaining silent.

Since meeting System, Big Fool disobeyed his instructions for the first time. It abruptly turned around and burst forth with extraordinary speed on its remaining three legs.

Swinging the enormous mandibles on its head, Big Fool charged at the mouse once more!!

Crack... crack...

The soldier ant Big Fool was flung away by the rat once again in the same manner. It lost another two legs, leaving only its final left foreleg still able to move.

Using its remaining leg and the abdominal joints that could still move, Big Fool kept writhing across the ground. It still wanted to attack the rat.

But it was already very slow, very slow...

So slow that by the time the rat had eaten all of Big Fool's legs, Big Fool still had not managed to reach it.

The rat seemed to lose interest in the soldier ant Big Fool. It came before Big Fool and repeatedly flipped and prodded its crippled body with its two front paws, tossing Big Fool back and forth like a sandbag. After tormenting Big Fool until it was utterly exhausted, it grabbed Big Fool's body.

This rat seemed ready to finish Big Fool off for good...

And at that very moment, a miracle happened!

Hiss—

A reddish, translucent liquid splattered from the rat's head.

Perhaps the rat had been careless, or perhaps it was an attack Big Fool had been plotting for a long time.

Big Fool's abdominal stinger miraculously pierced the rat's eye.

The rat let out a shrill scream. It rolled and jumped wildly through the burrow, seemingly terrified of the pain from Big Fool's stinger. In the end, the rat fled...

Big Fool was thrown aside by the panicked rat and buried beneath loose dirt, but he was not dead.

Using his remaining left foreleg and his still-mobile abdomen, he struggled out of the dirt, then slowly moved toward System.

Several minutes passed before the soldier ant Big Fool finally crawled up before System. He turned his body around, opened his enormous mandibles, and aimed them outside...