"That's the golem! Use it as a shield and only worry about the insects that come for you!"
Lowell barked his orders as he slashed through a beetle that lunged toward him. Realizing the massive construct was on their side, the other adventurers quickly shifted their focus, settling into defensive positions.
Even with Shiroru and the golems acting as a vanguard, the sheer size of the swarm was staggering. If any of the insects slipped through the cracks and they failed to react, death was the only thing waiting for them. The adventurers knew that all too well.
Whether it was a stroke of luck or a curse, the Chrome Beetles ignored the path toward Berhes and swarmed us instead. Fortunately, these creatures seemed to prioritize larger targets. The golems were doing an excellent job acting as decoys. However, Shiroru—the next largest being on the field—was also high on their priority list, and I needed to do something about that.
To draw more of their attention, I downed a Mana Recovery Potion and activated Create Golem, manifesting two additional constructs.
The golems swung their massive arms, attempting to crush the bugs, but their hits rarely landed. Their momentum was terrifying, yet the insects managed to slip away with ease. Still, a golem’s primary job was to be a decoy, and they were performing that role perfectly.
"Hahaha! You're as absurd as ever, Tort! But things have definitely gotten easier thanks to you!"
Zephyr laughed, batting a flying rhinoceros beetle away with his greatsword. Beside him, Marl was pummeling a stag beetle with her mace. The roars of impact echoing from her weapon were so thunderous it was hard to believe they were coming from someone with such a small frame.
"Wow, B-Rank adventurers really are something. Do you think we could actually pass the promotion exam?" Marl asked.
"You'll be fine," Lowell replied. "Tort is just... a bit unusual."
"No, Lowell. That applies to you, too, doesn't it?"
Marl immediately called him out for trying to make me the only outlier. Indeed, there wasn't much conviction in his words given that he had just sliced three beetles into scrap metal in the blink of an eye.
"Those two girls are putting in a lot of work, too. I think it’s a bit of a stretch to call any of this 'normal,'" Rick added with a wry smile.
Halfa and Spira were working as a team to cull the swarm. Spira used her Ice Vines to entangle and freeze the insects clinging to the golems, and Halfa followed up by shattering them with her Shock Voice. In terms of pure kill count, those two might have been leading the pack.
Then again, I didn't think Rick was in a position to judge others.
He was keeping a sharp eye on the entire battlefield, accurately sniping the wing joints of the flying insects. Having realized that piercing the Chrome Beetles' shells was a chore, he had pivoted to neutralizing their flight capabilities. Even if it was a support role, his level of precision wasn't something just anyone could pull off.
『Nuu... I shall leave the rest to the golems!』
At that point, Shiroru, who had been in his giant form, shrank back down and returned to my side. We already had three massive decoys out there, after all. He looked annoyed by the way the insects had been swarming him, so he likely figured it would be easier to go on the offensive in his smaller form.
With the three golems drawing the brunt of the aggression, the battle stabilized. However, we hadn't reached the point of total annihilation just yet.
"The Heracles is charging! Protect the golem's caster!" the leader shouted a warning.
Perhaps realizing that attacking the golems was a fruitless endeavor, the Heracles beetle changed its tactics. Leading a small group of subordinates, it lunged toward us. Whether by chance or design, its target appeared to be me. If it had realized I was the one maintaining the golems, it possessed a level of intelligence far beyond the rest of the swarm.
Of course, those golems operated autonomously, so they wouldn't stop or vanish even if I were attacked. Still, it was actually convenient for the boss to come to us. Stronger individuals were a nightmare when they launched surprise attacks from within the swarm, so I wanted to make sure we crushed it here and now.
"Hup... gotcha!"
Zephyr swung his greatsword from the side, slamming it into the high-speed Heracles. A heavy metallic clang rang out, but the beetle didn't seem to take much damage. However, the impact threw it off balance, forcing it to land and attempt to regain its footing.
"Hah! ...Tsk, I can't cut through it."
Lowell didn't miss the opening and unleashed a heavy strike of his own. The blow left a deep gouge in the Great Horn, but even his blade failed to sever it.
It was enough to infuriate the beast, however. Its target shifted from me to Lowell. It took to the air again, preparing to barrel straight into him.
But it never got the chance.
"Caught you!"
Just before it could complete its charge, Spira manifested Ice Thorns directly in its path. Ice crystals rapidly crawled over the Heracles's body, encasing it.
The beetle thrashed, the ice crystals cracking and peeling away with every struggle. However, Spira was generating the ice just as fast as the monster could break it. Locked in a stalemate of destruction and creation, the Heracles was pinned in place.
This was our chance. The Heracles's shell was significantly harder than the standard Chrome Beetles, meaning half-hearted attacks were useless.
"Everyone, get back!" I yelled.
It was time for the golems to shine. Their wide, heavy attacks were poorly suited for agile flying insects, but against a stationary target, they were devastating. The three golems surrounded the Heracles and began pounding it with their fists in a steady, rhythmic cadence.
"Whoa... that’s brutal."
"I'm actually starting to feel bad for the bug."
I heard some of the adventurers muttering behind me, but I didn't stop. Considering it had shrugged off Lowell's slash, this thing was incredibly tough. We had to deal damage as efficiently as possible.
Even the mighty Heracles couldn't withstand the concentrated assault. After several rounds of rhythmic pummeling, it finally slumped and stopped moving.
"Alright, the Heracles is down! Now we just clean up the rest!" the leader commanded. "Ignore any that flee away from Berhes for now! Don't let your guard down until it's over!"
With the death of the Heracles, the swarm’s behavior shifted. While they had been charging as a unified front until now, several individuals began to break off and flee.
From that point on, the danger was minimal. The golems continued to serve as perfect decoys, and though the sheer numbers meant it took some time, we eventually merged with the Guild Reinforcements and successfully repelled the Chrome Beetle horde.