Really Excessive

Innoa was horrified to witness the emergence of countless ants, like an unstoppable flood. They were practically endless. "Run!"

Without needing a moment to think, he was already running. Everyone else also realized they had awakened a tiger and hurriedly moved. However, even giving their best, the armor significantly hindered their escape. Two or three individuals were immediately poisoned, letting out agonizing screams.

In the midst of the crowd, Alm and Bruno chuckled inwardly, watching these people being brought to tears and howls. 'These idiots dared to provoke the Luminant Ants. Weren't they asking for it?' Bruno commented, laughing.

Innoa acted in a scholarly and imperious manner as if he possessed power and knowledge in various areas. However, in reality, he was just a fool. Throughout his life, he shouldn't even dream of getting something from them.

After the group moved five kilometers away, the enraged ants finally let them escape, returning to their colony. Five people immediately fell to the ground, letting out miserable cries. They had been bitten, although they still managed to continue running despite the pain.

Crack, crack, crack...

Innoa waved his hand, and five pills were swiftly thrown into those people's mouths, making them faint immediately. Still, those pills would help them recover after some time. Now that those miserable cries had finally ceased, the world returned to calm.

Innoa's expression was pale; he never expected it to be so difficult. Even before they entered, they were almost doomed. Everyone else remained silent. The miserable cries of their comrades still echoed in their ears.

These were all people with their own prestige. If the pain wasn't utterly unbearable, none of them would release such cries. It was evident how terrifying that poison was.

While everyone remained in complete silence, a hoarse voice echoed. "Maybe... maybe I have a way for us to get into the colony."

Everyone was surprised and turned to look at the giant, broad-shouldered man. Another man patted Alm and Bruno on the shoulder and asked, "Amlas, why is your voice so rough?"

Their hearts trembled. Apparently, this guy assumed he was one of their acquaintances and was much more at ease. He hurriedly said, "I got stung just now. It was very painful, and now my throat hurts." It was obviously a lit. They didn't get anywhere near being bitten. Still, they needed an excuse to fool everyone, and the situation was quite useful.

There was someone who immediately responded, "Of course! My leg got stung, and it hurt a lot." His voice was even rougher. He, too, did his fair share of screams. Only now, he was barely able to resist it. Perhaps those people who kept screaming all the time until they passed out wouldn't even be able to talk after waking up.

There was no way around it. That kind of pain was something that could only be understood after experiencing it. A stronger will was useless; only screaming wildly could alleviate some of that painful sensation. Otherwise, they would go insane.

Innoa waved his hand, cutting off everyone's words. Turning to the giant man, he asked, "Your name is Amlas?"

"Yes!"

"Tell me about your method. If it really enables our invasion, I promise to acknowledge your merit and ensure significant benefits for you," Innoa encouraged.

Bruno took over. "I come from the southern region of the planet, where there are many mines and hidden caves. I've encountered many of these terrifying ants in my travels. In my family, we knew a method to avoid them. However, I believe that this method can also be used for an invasion." He spoke in a tone that mixed confidence and insecurity.

"Just burn a considerable amount of black wood after using a bit of the venom excreted by one of them. The resulting smoke seems to have properties similar to the queen's venom, putting the ants in a state of drowsiness. Probably, it's something used by the queen for copulation," he concluded.

"Is that it?" Innoa was contemplating.

The confidence in Bruno's voice increased. "I guarantee with my life that it's true. We'll stay at a safe distance and can use the smoke. If I'm wrong, we'll have time to escape without any problems. At the very least, we will basically return to the same position we are now."

Innoa looked into those eyes through the gaps in the armor and felt that unconditional confidence coming straight from the soul. "Okay, let's give it a try."

"Leader, what should we do with these five unconscious people?" a man nearby spoke.

"Useless... well, I'm a merciful person." Innoa sighed. "Put these amulets on their armor and yours; it might be useful in an emergency. We'll take them with us; we have to protect them."

Alm almost let out a laugh. 'Indeed, it's for a bloody emergency. He has a sense of humor, too.'

"How will we attack them?" Innoa asked, looking at Alm and Bruno.

Currently, they have taken on roles as trusted advisors, arousing jealousy in many people. That man's luck was truly extraordinary. All he possessed was knowledge from someone from the interior, and now he was seen with such importance.

"We'll find some black trees with high moisture content. These trees emit more smoke. We killed many ants to escape and just collected a bit of venom from some. Then, everyone will fan the flames and send the smoke towards the colony. We'll probably see an effect within half an hour," Amlas said seriously.

Hearing that, Innoa immediately declared. "Okay, let's follow your instructions, then. I'm delegating this task to you to handle. Everyone, follow his guidance!" 

Alm and Bruno chuckled inwardly. He got promoted so quickly. "You, you, and you go collect some dead ants. You and you, find a river and cut down trees with higher Qi. The more leaves, the better."

"You big bastard, why are you just standing there? Go gather some twigs to start the fire. Otherwise, we might not be able to ignite these fresh leaves."

"As for the rest, go find some large palm-leaf fans. There are so many bushes here; I don't think it will be too difficult."

"Remember that we are a team, not individuals working for ourselves. We will pool our efforts for a common purpose: helping the leader complete the mission! Anyone not confident?" In the end, Bruno shouted with his hoarse voice.

These people rolled their eyes. As soon as this idiot got an opportunity, he immediately began borrowing power to order them around. But they also didn't dare to retort because Innoa was present. Even if it was an act, they still had to go along. Inside, though, they cursed Amlas.

"YES!"

Everyone was furious. Amlas really knew how to play his role as a low-status person who suddenly gained power. They all responded angrily to him.

Innoa nodded, genuinely feeling that this burly man had some tricks up his sleeve. 'In just a few words, he harmonized the atmosphere so well. Moreover, they are working smoothly. That was hard for these idiots who lived like princes. This is definitely a skilled person, worthy of being placed in an important position,' he thought admiringly. 

Well, it was mostly because of the 'helping the leader complete the mission' remark that Innoa got a good impression. Everyone should just do things for his sake.

"Hey, what are you doing?! I told you to get moist trees. What are you doing bringing this dry wood? We need thin pieces to start the fire! Without twigs, how do you plan to light the fire?"

"And you, we haven't even lit the fire yet, so what are you doing putting logs here? Do you know how to start a fire? And you..."

Bruno enjoyed majestically criticizing everyone. With Innoa present, no matter what he shouted, no one dared to refuse.

"You, useless idiot, light the fire!" Bruno shouted.

That person's expression changed immediately. This guy was really overboard. No matter what, he was a renowned cultivator of the sect. But now, he received orders like this. However, he couldn't show anger at this moment and could only swallow his pride.

A big fire was now burning intensely. Alm and Bruno ordered others to throw the bags of venom extracted from the dead ants, causing a burst of smoke.

"Start!"