The Glamoth survivors were a bit surprised to learn that [Firefly] and Silver Wolf were leaving, but they didn't try too hard to make them stay.
After all, in a place with conditions as harsh as these, there wasn't much worth staying for.
However, they didn't ask the two to take them off the planet. Instead, they offered a warning as they prepared to leave.
"If you're planning to travel to other parts of this planet, it's best not to head south."
When asked why, Sigmund's answer was simple.
Because the further south you went, the more numerous those bizarre beasts became.
Which meant it was far more dangerous.
Regarding this warning, [Firefly] was noncommittal. Jiang Qiao realized the direction Sigmund mentioned was precisely where he felt a strange sensation pulling him.
Furthermore, based on [Firefly]'s fragmented memories of the Glamoth Republic, and even the maps Silver Wolf pulled up from the Interastral Peace Corporation network, that direction pointed straight to Wolsong—the birthplace of the Glamoth Iron Cavalry, a place of special significance to them.
---||---
On the wasteland, numerous beasts roamed, just as Zygmunt had said. Their forms were varied; some were the wolf-rats they'd seen earlier, while others were amalgamations of different animals. Overall, it presented a chaotic spectacle of monstrous forms.
Even stranger, despite clearly being different species that would prey on each other, they otherwise seemed to coexist in bizarre harmony.
"This is seriously weird. Rats hanging out with cats..."
Silver Wolf couldn't help but comment, her cheeks flushing slightly. Undoubtedly, she'd spotted some rather... primal reproductive behavior. Even if it was just beasts, it was still a bit embarrassing.
"Hey, hey, I didn't mean to interrupt! Don't mind me!"
"Tsk, can't you understand!"
Clearly, the beasts weren't exactly welcoming Ms. Silver Wolf.
But why wasn't Ms. [Firefly] getting the same treatment?
"Seriously, why are they all coming after me?" Though annoyed by the harassing beasts, Silver Wolf quickly noticed Jiang Qiao's situation. Compared to the commotion around her...
[Firefly]'s position was practically deserted; hardly any beasts approached him.
"Hmm... Maybe because you're small, they think you're easier prey?"
"Damn it! Then why not go after you? You're bigger, more meat!" Ms. Silver Wolf clearly didn't appreciate Jiang Qiao's explanation. While fending off the beasts, she complained, "Don't just stand there watching! Help me out!"
"Ah... I thought you'd handle them easily. Can't you manage?"
"Don't be ridiculous! Like I'd lose to these small fry." Silver Wolf sounded indignant. If everything was normal, she'd wrap these attackers up and toss 'em out without breaking a sweat.
But...
"This dump you call a home is totally messed up! Ever since we got here, the spatial constants have been all over the place—I can't calculate coordinates... And these weirdo monsters, what even are they? Analyzing them is a pain!"
Because of various issues, her usual tactic of using Aether Editing to package up enemies seemed unusable. Fine, if she couldn't use that, Silver Wolf figured she could just put in a bit more effort and deal with these mooks using other methods.
Except these things were nothing like typical mooks!
Not only were they ridiculously tough with high vitality, but their attack power was strong, and their defense was thick enough to make you question reality... Some even got back up after being killed.
Most importantly, there were just so many of them!
"Alright."
Seeing Silver Wolf was getting overwhelmed, [Firefly], who had been pondering something, nodded. Then, he took out his 'Firefly transformation device'.
BOOM!
After a tremendous roar, the silver knight armor, SAM, manifested amidst a pillar of fire.
The ignited flames spread to the beasts, accompanied by crackling sounds and a strange, acrid burnt smell.
"I will ignite the seas!"
A fist cast from unknown alloy slammed into the ground. A wave of intense heat radiated outwards from the point of impact, covering a large area.
Many beasts retreated upon seeing this, though some chose to close in.
Seeing more gathering, [Firefly] made a decision. Activating SAM's flight engines at high speed, he scooped up Silver Wolf—who was still battling the beast horde—around the waist and shot straight into the sky.
"Eh!?"
Caught off guard, Silver Wolf took a moment to register her position, her cheeks flushing slightly. From a 'princess carry' perspective, being held by SAM somehow felt... even more fitting.
The only thing Ms. Silver Wolf might grumble about was how hard being held by this tin can felt.
But... honestly, it was kind of... thrilling!
Beasts didn't just exist on the ground; the sky had its share too—though 'avians' might be a more appropriate term.
Like their terrestrial counterparts, these flying creatures fully demonstrated the principle of 'designed however the hell they felt like'. In short, if they had a creator, Silver Wolf was sure they were an absolute abstract artist.
Being carried at high speed in SAM's arms, Silver Wolf watched the pursuers behind them with mixed feelings, suddenly getting an idea.
Being the type who thrived on an audience and did whatever came to mind, she raised her Prometheus and turned the aerial chase into a thrilling game of 'Raiden Fighter'.
By the time they finally shook off their pursuers and landed, Silver Wolf was still immersed in the excitement, her cheeks slightly flushed, looking like she hadn't had enough.
"Finally lost those guys."
"So, we're here?"
"Yeah. This is Wolsong."
Like the rest of this planet, it was a ruin.
Yet, Wolsong was formerly the technological heart of the Glamoth Republic. The Glamoth Iron Cavalry were created right here.
The girl scanned her surroundings. Although ruined almost beyond recognition, the faint memories associated with this body concerning the 'Glamoth Empire' still evoked a sense of nostalgia in [Firefly].
She could see many beasts and avians here too, but after the previous battle, Jiang Qiao was prepared.
He employed abilities that disrupted pheromone transmission in the area, making it difficult for the beasts to track them or communicate effectively.
Simultaneously, optical camouflage achieved through light refraction concealed them visually.
He looked in a certain direction. The truth behind these strange occurrences lay there.
This body's cloning facility, and the manufacturing plant for the SAM armor.
The power of Abundance, the aura of the Swarm, and that familiar feeling, like a connection through blood.
Following the fragmented memories, Jiang Qiao cleared away the ruined structures hiding the underground entrance and led Silver Wolf inside.
As the core facility for the Glamoth Republic's key technology—the production base for the Glamoth Iron Cavalry—security here was once extremely tight.
Now, however, it was riddled with damage.
Signs of corrosion, melting... and even a sharp, lingering aura permeated the air.
At a certain point, the two stopped.
Because a dark shadow blocked their path ahead.
A massive insect with wings thin as a cicada's, yet possessing bioluminescent organs, barred the corridor, letting out a piercing screech.
"A bug?!" Silver Wolf exclaimed in surprise at its sheer size.
Jiang Qiao, however, was surprised for a different reason:
"It saw through our concealment."
This method used to hide their presence and traces didn't seem to fool the insect before them.
But perhaps that wasn't so strange.
After all, the creature before them was...
"[Firefly] calmly assessed the hovering creature, a flicker of understanding in his blue-violet eyes. "A Swarm King's Guard."
"Swarm King's Guard? What the...? Let me check..."
"Ha, an Emanator of Propagation's guard? This thing is that high-ranking...? But it doesn't quite match the Interastral Peace Corporation's records... and why is there only one?" Just as the name implied, the Swarm King's Guard served directly under a Swarm King, acting as personal bodyguards. They were far stronger than ordinary Swarm soldiers.
Each Swarm King had a unique type of guard. After the end of the Swarm Disaster, the Intelligentsia Guild had recorded the various Emanators of Propagation defeated by different factions, and this information circulated on the IPC network.
The guards were documented as well.
However, Silver Wolf couldn't find any record matching this particular Swarm King's Guard. This meant it was either undocumented or... it didn't belong to any of the five recorded Swarm Kings known to the Guild.
And the answer was clearly the latter.
Each Swarm King's guards were closely related to the King itself.
For example, the Starcrusher Swarm King's guards were mostly stag beetles, the Afterglow Swarm King's tended towards parasitic types, and the World-Pester Swarm King's guards were moths skilled at releasing scales, just like their master.
But the one before them didn't match the characteristics of any guards associated with the five recorded Swarm Kings.
Based on its features, it looked more like... a firefly.
"A Swarm King's Guard, huh... this could be tough. What do we do?" Looking at the Intelligentsia Guild's data on the Swarm and their guards, Silver Wolf felt her scalp tingle. She quickly popped a piece of bubble gum into her mouth to de-stress. "Looks like we have to take this guy out to get past."
It wasn't that she thought they couldn't win, but even if it wasn't the Swarm King itself, a guard tasked with protecting such a being was definitely a formidable opponent.
Judging by the melted steel nearby, this creature was almost certainly responsible.
"Wait a sec," [Firefly] interjected, noticing the guard hadn't assumed an attack stance. "It doesn't seem hostile." Although the standard operating procedure for the Glamoth Iron Cavalry would be to engage such a high-value target immediately (What? A bug? A Swarm King's Guard? Even more reason to fight! Combat is awesome!), fortunately, the current pilot wasn't the 'shoot first, ask questions later' Firefly.
Sensing the guard wasn't aggressive, Jiang Qiao stopped Silver Wolf.
"Chirp chirp."
"Chirp."
The firefly-like Swarm King's Guard emitted crisp chirps, somewhat softer than those of other Swarm insects.
"[Firefly] cocked an eyebrow and began to translate. "It seems to be saying... only I can proceed."
Silver Wolf bristled. "Huh? Discrimination? Why can't I go!"
"Because... you are not... kin." A strange, weak, yet gentle voice echoed directly in their minds.
"What the heck was that?!" Silver Wolf jumped.
"Wait... was that it talking?"
"Seems like it."
At this, Ms. Silver Wolf put a hand to her forehead, utterly speechless. "Hilarious, a talking bug. I must be going crazy."
"[Firefly] wasn't too surprised. "Language is just a form of communication. Bugs communicate through pheromones too... This feeling, it's a bit like the Intelligentsia Guild's Synesthesia Beacons." He identified the source of the communication.
"Oh, that's just great... Whatever. Are you going in?" Silver Wolf waved dismissively, then showed a hint of concern.
"I still think we should just take this thing out and go in together." She sounded quite serious.
Honestly, Ms. Silver Wolf had zero intention of listening to this bug. It wasn't entirely petulance... mostly. Her suggestion stemmed more from knowing just how dangerous the Swarm was, thanks to the Guild's data.
Letting [Firefly] go in alone... It wasn't that she doubted his strength, but if this was a Swarm King's Guard, it meant a Swarm King itself—an Emanator of Propagation!—was likely lurking nearby.
Going together offered at least some backup. Letting [Firefly] proceed solo... felt incredibly risky, even though Silver Wolf knew deep down that against such a powerful enemy, adding herself probably wouldn't change the outcome much.
The firefly-like guard, clearly understanding their blatant discussion about how to deal with it, couldn't stay silent:
"She is... kin."
"The King... will not harm kin."
"Who'd believe you? Trust a bug's word? I'd sooner believe I'm an Aeon!" Silver Wolf shot back.
"I... do not like you."
"Hilarious. Like I'm a big fan of you either."
For some reason, the girl and the bug instantly clashed, starting to bicker, though the insect was clearly no match for Silver Wolf's sharp tongue.
"Alright, stop arguing, you two..." [Firefly] cut in, sounding a bit exasperated. "I'll go in alone."
"Hah..." Seeing Silver Wolf still looked ready to protest, the silver-haired girl gently reassured her:
"Don't worry. I'll come back safely."
"If it's just a mere Swarm King, it's no match for me."
"...Fine. You said it, so what else can I say?" Silver Wolf grumbled, then threatened with mock ferocity, "But if you don't come back, don't blame me for getting rough and tearing this whole damn planet apart!"
This wasn't an empty threat. As Punklorde's most brilliant hacker, she did have the capability to destroy a planet single-handedly. The sheer capriciousness and bug-like power of Aether Editing gave Silver Wolf a unique advantage in that regard.
It might just take a little time.
Normally, Silver Wolf wouldn't bother with something like that.
But...
If her newly acquired partner disappeared, an angry Ms. Silver Wolf wouldn't hold back!
"Okay, okay..." [Firefly] chuckled softly.
"Well, I'm heading in."
Under Silver Wolf's reluctant gaze, the silver-haired girl walked past the Swarm King's Guard and into the depths of the corridor.
Silver Wolf and the guard were left staring daggers at each other, frozen in place.
This thing is so annoying!