Thanks to Urula’s flash of insight, we finally managed to track down the path to the Centipede Queen's lair.
Now that we had our target, the rest of the job would be significantly easier.
I led the way, with Urula and Isis following close behind as we navigated deeper through the centipede burrows.
"It's just up ahead..."
At last, we arrived at the place where the queen resided.
Just a short distance further, a gargantuan centipede—several times the size of its kin—lay ensconced in the depths.
"Right... we’re about to engage. Everyone clear on the plan?"
"Yeah. I’m leaving it in your hands, Rest," Isis replied.
"Mm. No problem," Urula added.
I nodded and set my plan into motion. I had formulated this strategy during our trek through the tunnels.
"If a monster that big goes on a rampage this deep underground, we’ll likely be buried alive... Sorry, but I have no intention of giving you a fair fight."
I wasn't sure exactly how strong this queen was, but I doubted it reached the heights of Subnock or the Elder Worm. I could certainly defeat it.
The real danger was the risk of the tunnels collapsing if the queen started thrashing.
What I needed wasn't just a victory, but a total, clean sweep. I would neutralize its ability to resist and win without a proper confrontation.
"Listen, I need a bit of time to charge this up. Keep me safe until then."
"Understood," Isis said.
"Mm. I'll protect you."
"Here goes... Waterball."
I manifested a sphere of water with my magic.
"Amplification. Compression. Waterball. Amplification. Compression. Waterball. Amplification. Compression. Waterball. Amplification. Compression. Waterball. Amplification. Compression. Waterball. Amplification. Compression. Waterball. Amplification. Compression..."
I summoned a sphere, amplified its volume, and then crushed it down. I repeated the process with singular focus.
It was the same method I’d used to take down the Elder Worm. The only difference was that while I’d used Fireball back then, I was using Waterball now.
"I’ve already mapped the structure and size of your room using Water Control... I won't overdo it like I did last time."
Water Control—the magic of producing and manipulating water.
By combining that spell with Life Search, I had thoroughly scouted the queen’s chamber beforehand. The vast space contained the queen and dozens of its offspring. It was a cul-de-sac with no other exits.
"Alright, here it comes... Watatsumi no Kami!"
I hurled the water sphere—compressed to its absolute physical limit—into the queen's chamber.
The enemy hadn't even noticed our presence yet. To end the fight before they could react, I cast another spell.
"Earth Shield!"
I layered thick walls of earth one after another, sealing the tunnel shut.
I heard a faint, muffled splash from the other side of the barricade.
"Whoa... incredible!" Isis remarked.
"It's thrashing," Urula noted.
The two of them spoke while effortlessly fending off the centipedes crawling in from the side tunnels.
Beyond the Earth Shield, the compressed water had expanded, creating a localized deluge.
Unlike the previous incident with the worm, I wasn't getting my adrenaline up over the prospect of harvesting meat, so I was able to adjust the output with a cool head.
The volume of water was perfectly measured to fill the room to the ceiling. I held it back just enough to ensure the pressure wouldn't cause the burrow to collapse.
Probing the interior with Life Search, I could sense the centipedes writhing desperately in the water.
Though they thrashed with frantic intensity, the water itself acted as a buffer, absorbing the shocks and preventing the tunnel walls from giving way.
"Come to think of it... I heard some centipedes can swim. Glad these aren't the type."
If the queen had been amphibious, I would have had to pivot to a different tactic.
Fortunately, these monsters didn't seem to have that trait. After a short while, their movements ceased, and I felt their life signs fade.
"The presence is gone. Let's stay like this for a bit just to be safe..."
There were still some stragglers left in the other tunnels, so we’d need to do a bit of pest control.
Leaving the task of recovering the queen's carcass for a later team, I began my return to the surface, tidying up the remaining centipedes along the way.