The Rise of the Winter Wolf - Book 6 - Chapter 51 - Training

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Wolf

Entire days pass as Sapphire and I continue making our way through the temple, slaughtering bugs nonstop along our way while absorbing elemental energy of multiple affinities in the process. And thanks to that managing to stay ahead of the bugs here in terms of physical strength growth. Even if most of them are still either stronger or faster than us.

Meanwhile the two of us run into a few more broodmothers along the way. All of whom we kill without hesitation.

And to my both surprise and lack of surprise, the bugs reduce noticeably in number within the area around the broodmothers with each one we kill. So much so that where there used to be entire swarms now there are only maybe a couple dozen here and there.

At least, for the areas nearby the broodmothers we killed.

All of this implying that the broodmothers are most likely the only real source of the bugs all over the place.

But at the same time, that theory doesn’t exactly explain what’s going on in those towers. Since there are soldier bugs there as well. Ones that can’t fly. And those don’t seem to be affected by the broodmothers one way or another.

And no matter how many towers I search through with Sapphire, I can’t seem to find any sort of answer about where those bugs are coming from.

Until, that is, Sapphire finds a bug appearing out of thin air within one of the towers.

Which leads to even more questions.

Specifically the question of why these bugs are spawned differently from the flying ones. And why they seem stronger and fewer in number as well.

But no matter how long Sapphire and I search through the temple and all the many towers within it, we don’t find anything that would answer these questions. Leaving us just slaughtering bugs for over an entire month. Drastically increasing our level in the process.

All the way until we’re finally around the same level as the bugs themselves and no longer have much trouble slaying them.

And yet, as if on cue, the moment our level matches the level of the bugs, things change. Almost like the dungeon can tell what our level is.

As for the exact change that occurs?

I grit my teeth without taking my eyes off of the massive bug that appeared at the peak of the tower I just left. Not to mention the other massive bugs that appeared above all the other towers Sapphire and I have cleared.

These bugs are about three meters in length, and are rather odd in appearance. They have a scorpion’s tail, with the wings of a dragonfly, the head of a spider, and the body of a wasp. With rather thick plates of carapace similar to a beetle or a cockroach.

It’s almost as if they were made to battle. Like they’re soldiers or something.

Soldier bugs.

Yeah, I’ll just call them that since the System still won’t identify them. Other than their levels.

Levels that are, of course, a couple hundred above my own.

And when I try to freeze one of the soldier bugs? It just shatters the ice with its wings without any sort of trouble.

I glance at Sapphire to find her glancing back at me. Then we turn back to the soldier bug above the tower we just recently left to find the thing letting out a loud screech and charging straight at us at an incredible speed. One so fast that I barely manage to dodge it, making the bug crash into a nearby tower and create a massive hole in the side of the tower.

Sapphire and I both gape at the tower for a moment before immediately dodging again to avoid another tackle by that same soldier bug.

This thing… is strong enough to damage the towers?

I tried damaging the towers not too long ago to see if it would do anything or reveal any secret passages, but I could barely even scratch them. Yet this soldier bug just tackled it and left a massive dent in the thing?

The hell?

And even more importantly than that, why did these soldier bugs only spawn after we reached the same level as the broodmothers? Was it the dungeon’s doing?

Or is this Centurion Boss capable of thinking like the others?

The moment that thought crosses my mind, I remember the whole thing about the Centurion Boss being a copy of Beelzebub.

A Progenitor.

At which point I want to slap myself for even considering that it wouldn’t be capable of intelligent thinking.

Because whether it’s a copy or not, it’s still a progenitor. So there’s no way it wouldn’t be capable of that.

‘Do you think Beelzebub’s copy is waiting for us to grow enough in level to actually be able to fight him?’ I ask despite believing it to be true already. And Sapphire just sends a quick word of agreement as we both dodge another soldier bug tackle that once again damages a tower.

I’m not sure if I should be happy about this or nervous.

Since it means we’ll probably be challenging Beelzebub’s copy at around the same level, what with him training us like this.

But at the same time, the very fact that he’s doing this means he’s confident enough to take us on at the same level. Which is understandable, what with him being a progenitor and all.

Then again, he could always end up training us to end up being above his level instead.

That would be nice.

Not something I can bet on, but would still be nice.

I let out a sigh while dodging the soldier bug again.

Either way, I need to figure out a way to deal with this bug. And I need to do it quickly.

Because this bug seems like it’s getting stronger with each tackle, judging by the dents in the towers. Not to mention that the others are beginning to make their way here from other nearby towers.

And that’s not good.