Ken Eliot sat on his broken stone bench. He chewed his cheese popcorn slowly. He slouched his shoulders as far as they could possibly go. He watched his elite teammates struggle. He did not look scared. He looked incredibly bored.
"This is exactly what happens when the developers do not balance the game," Ken complained lazily in his mind. He popped another piece of popcorn into his mouth. "The boss gives an unbreakable buff to the minions. Now the players have to waste all their mana just to scratch a basic enemy. It is a terrible game mechanic. It just drags the fight out for hours. I am going to run out of snacks."
Ken shoved his free hand deep into his pocket. He leaned back.
He noticed something very specific about the enemy swarm. The bugs were not just attacking randomly anymore. They were moving with incredible, terrifying coordination.
The giant wasps flew in a perfect circle above the plaza. They created a designated no-fly zone. The massive beetles formed a tight, impenetrable wall on the ground. They pushed the city guards into the corners of the street. The centipedes slithered along the rooftops, cutting off any escape routes.
Ken looked at the center of the plaza. He looked at the colossal Bug King.
The monster king was not just standing there. It was actively commanding the swarm. The Bug King waved its massive scythe arms. It pointed its jagged claws at different targets. The glowing bone crown on its head flashed in specific rhythms.
The Bug King was communicating with the insects. It was giving them direct, tactical orders.
"He is playing a real-time strategy game," Ken analyzed casually to himself. He smiled a tiny, goofy smile. "The boss is literally acting like a general. He is moving his units across the map. He is creating choke points. He is isolating the guards from our team. That is actually a very smart strategy for an ugly purple bug."
Princess Iris noticed the exact same thing. Her violet eyes widened in pure shock.
"The bugs are not mindless anymore!" Princess Iris shouted clearly. She pointed her silver rapier at the towering boss. "The Bug King is directing the invasion! It is coordinating their movements! It is trying to separate us!"
Naomi dashed back to the center of the 13th Unit formation. She breathed very fast. Sweat rolled down her face. She spun her twin daggers defensively.
"We have to regroup!" Naomi ordered fiercely. Her green eyes scanned the incoming wave of indestructible purple bugs. "Form a tight circle! Do not let them push us apart!"
Sayma threw both of her hands forward. "Absolute Hexagon!" she yelled politely.
A brilliant golden honeycomb barrier snapped into place. The shield covered the 13th Unit. The enhanced bugs slammed into the golden light. The barrier cracked loudly. Sayma groaned in pain. The kinetic force was absolutely overwhelming. She planted her boots firmly, but she slowly slid backward across the cobblestones.
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"I cannot hold this for long!" Sayma warned. She pushed her cracked glasses up. "Their combined physical strength is too massive!"
Laxmi crossed her arms. She looked incredibly frustrated. "We cannot burn them. We cannot cut them. We are completely trapped in this bubble."
Ken sat inside the golden shield. He was completely safe. He slouched his shoulders and let out a long, dramatic sigh. He pulled a wrapped strawberry candy from his pocket. He unwrapped it slowly. He popped it into his mouth. He chewed it happily.
"You guys are trying way too hard," Ken mumbled lazily. He shoved his hands back into his pockets. "If the minions have a super buff, you do not attack the minions. That is a total waste of time. You just ignore the small bugs."
Naomi looked down at him. She smiled a very warm, friendly smile despite the terrifying situation.
"We cannot ignore them, Ken," Naomi chuckled softly. She treated him exactly like a lazy, funny friend. "They are literally trying to smash Sayma's shield. How do we ignore a giant beetle?"
Ken gave her a big, goofy grin. He pointed a lazy finger directly at the towering Bug King.
"You ignore the beetles and you hit the guy holding the remote control," Ken explained smoothly. He used his flawless anime logic. "The big boss is supplying the buff. The big boss is giving the orders. If you knock out the boss, the buff disappears. The small bugs turn weak again. It is basic boss fight mechanics. You always target the source."
Zinia looked at the colossal Bug King. She cracked her knuckles. The monster was fifteen feet tall. Its armor looked entirely impenetrable.
"Ken is right," Zinia agreed with a tough smile. "But getting to the boss is the problem. He is standing behind a massive wall of purple beetles. We cannot push through them."
Ira stared blankly at the giant monster. "Statistically speaking, bypassing an enhanced defensive line requires a combined elemental overload. We must concentrate all available magical output on a single point to breach their formation."
Princess Iris raised her silver rapier. She looked at her elite vanguard. She felt incredibly proud of her team. They were exhausted, but their spirit was entirely unbroken.
"We follow Ken's logic," Princess Iris commanded smoothly. Her violet eyes shone with absolute determination. "We ignore the swarm. We focus our entire assault on the Bug King. We must break the source of the invasion."
The allied Royal units across the city were experiencing the exact same crisis. The 16th Unit and the 9th Unit were entirely pinned down by the enhanced, indestructible bugs. The entire capital city was falling into severe chaos. The Royal candidates realized they could not win this battle alone.
The 13th Unit prepared to launch a desperate, highly coordinated strike. They needed to break out of the golden shield. They needed to reach the monster king. The allied Royal units find themselves facing an overwhelmingly more aggressive and durable threat as the Bug King begins directing the invasion.
---
The golden honeycomb shield cracked loudly. A sharp noise echoed across the ruined street. Sayma pushed her thick glasses up the bridge of her nose. Her arms shook wildly. She planted her boots on the cobblestones. She pushed her hands forward. She poured all her mana into the magical barrier.
The giant Bug King smashed its massive claws against the light. Sparks flew everywhere. The street trembled from the massive impact. The monster was incredibly huge. It towered over the buildings. It possessed a dark purple shell. The shell shined like solid steel. Toxic green sludge dripped from its jagged jaws.
"The barrier will break," Sayma stated politely. She did not yell. Her voice remained totally calm. "The monster possesses massive physical strength. My shield cannot sustain this pressure."
Princess Iris stood firm. Her violet eyes focused entirely on the towering monster. She held her silver rapier tightly. She did not show an ounce of fear. She trusted her team completely.
"Hold the line, Sayma," Princess Iris ordered smoothly. "We will find an opening."
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