In Cave Eight, connected to the frontline base, a colossal mushroom rose skyward, its cap nearly brushing the cavern roof. It glowed faintly with steady bioluminescence, the unquestioned core of the space.
From its base, Pujis marched out one by one, like soldiers shaped by an assembly line.
Each emerged, gathered swiftly into orderly ranks, and was dispatched to other caves to clash with the Chiss(Qis).
The cave’s defenses were airtight. Patrol Pujis paced back and forth along every corridor, while the air was thick with Bat Pujis, wings fluttering as they scouted every corner.
An Eye Insect with [Optical Invisibility LV7] tried its utmost to conceal itself, but several Bat Pujis still drove it into a dead end, sensing its presence.
The next moment, they swarmed it. A sharp explosion later, only a smoking lump of flesh remained.
This had happened repeatedly over the past two days. The Chiss(Qis) were relentless, dispatching scouts again and again, desperate for intelligence.
And today, they finally succeeded!
While that explosion drew away most Bat Pujis, another Eye Insect slipped through a narrow gap in the defenses. It infiltrated Cave Eight undetected.
And what it saw—The unprecedented gigantic mushroom, endlessly producing Pujis!
Though the infiltrator was soon hunted down, the Chiss(Qis) had obtained the critical information they needed: this mushroom nest was the key they had been seeking, the decisive point to turn the entire war.
Under their unified will, the Chiss(Qis) swiftly mobilized their forces.
The Evil Eye, a natural counter to Pujis, was of course included.
Paths to Cave Eight were limited. The neighboring Snake Lair had already been fortified into a fortress of death by Pujis. The Chiss(Qis) had learned firsthand how hard it was to crack during the earlier chase.
The adjacent Cave Seven was a bustling hub with streams of Puji traffic. Entering there would mean direct confrontation with Puji main forces.
Other passages toward the Chiss(Qis)-controlled zone were all tightly patrolled. A forced breakthrough was possible, but it would expose the attack, summoning Puji reinforcements from surrounding caves and turning the ambush into a pitched battle.
The Chiss(Qis) wanted none of that.
Their goal was clear: concentrate their strength, strike the weak point, and crush the Puji production nest in a single blow.
Once the Pujis lost reinforcements, they could be slowly consumed and erased.
As for an all-out war?
Not worth it. Not because they feared defeat, but because the cost was too great.
Low-tier Beetles could reproduce in days.
But mid-tier breeds like Eye Insects, Six-Claws, and Beasts of Burden took months to mature.
That had once been their advantage. Against the Pujis’ endless mushroom spawn, it had become a disadvantage.
Look at the giant mushroom—spitting out soldier after soldier without pause!
Not to mention the resource losses from harvesting corpses.
No—the Chiss(Qis) wanted the fastest end to this war of attrition.
So they chose to flank!
The Eye Insect’s report revealed a weakness: while the Pujis concentrated nearly all patrols on the front-facing Chiss(Qis) border, the rear was sparsely defended.
Surely the Pujis never expected them to circle wide and strike from behind?
To cloak their true move, the Chiss(Qis) even sent small detachments to harass other caves—sacrificial pawns meant to confuse and distract.
Meanwhile, their main force marched in secret, curving wide in an enormous arc. They even clashed twice with wild monsters blocking their way, but forced their path through.
Now, after hardship, the fruit of victory was within reach.
The Chiss(Qis) advanced to the mouth of the rear passage—just as startled Puji sentries spotted them!
The defenders fired desperately to block the entrance. But it was too late.
The Evil Eye surged to the front. Its pale [Petrification Ray] instantly froze the hastily gathered Pujis into statues!
Six-Claws fanned out, charging into the ranks of oncoming Pujis, preventing them from massing together. Scattered, Pujis posed little threat.
Behind them, the Chiss(Qis) army poured in like a flood, charging straight for the colossal mushroom.
Claws, acid, fangs—layer by layer they ripped at the mushroom’s base, tearing it apart.
Finally, the innermost structure was exposed!
A Chiss(Qis) lashed out eagerly, claws shredding the last fibrous barrier—CLANG!
Its talons snapped. Through the gap appeared… ten titanic Pujis clad in heavy rock armor!
These Heavy Armor Pujis were nearly impervious. Even the fiercest Six-Claws could barely scratch their shells.
Their steps shook the ground. Smaller Chiss(Qis) were crushed underfoot.
From cracks in their stone plating, clouds of hallucinogenic spores poured forth, flooding the battlefield’s heart in a cloying violet miasma.
Several Six-Claws combined their strength, finally ripping away one Heavy Armor Puji’s outer rock shell—
But instead of tender mycelium, beneath gleamed another dense layer of scales, shining coldly!
The Evil Eye swung its gaze, petrifying ray zeroing in on the breach.
The effect spread—but under [Magic Resistance LV6] and fifty points of Constitution, it crawled forward agonizingly slow.
By the time that Puji was half-petrified and toppled, countless Chiss(Qis) had already collapsed, unable to escape the choking spore cloud.
Realizing the danger, the Chiss(Qis) army tried to break through—not retreating, but charging further ahead!
They had spent nearly all supplies circling here. The only way home was to punch straight through Cave Eight to their territory.
Abandoning the Heavy Armor Pujis—they were too slow anyway—the Chiss(Qis) surged forward.
But halfway through, they found their path blocked.
From nearly every passage connected to Cave Eight, Pujis appeared. And in every group, Heavy Armor Pujis stood at the front, like walking fortress walls.
…
Welcome to the decisive battle, stupid bugs.