"Alright, Cloak, begin the execution of the plan." Su Ming saw that the doctor had no doubts and immediately began the plan: "The jumping ability of the insects is unknown, so you need to carry us flying over at least 15 feet (4.57 meters) above them."
The Magic Floating Cloak released Holloway's head, stretched out the edge of its cloak like a hand, hooking onto the back of their belts.
It floated up and down slightly, seemingly weighing the load, then its collar nodded, indicating it was ready.
"Very well, drop me at the entrance of the cave first. I will quickly clear a small landing area for you, then everything proceeds as planned, OK?"
Holloway nodded, taking a deep breath. This feeling was more nerve-wracking than his first time in the operating room.
In an unknown place, fighting unfamiliar monsters, stories like this were told by the Dual Gun Hero, but the Avenging Angel hadn't expected to be involved so soon.
It made him both nervous and excited.
But after he instinctively nodded, the Magic Floating Cloak impatiently took them skyward, racing over the top of the insect swarm at high speed, flying towards the cave entrance.
Holloway was startled, screaming as if he were flying over a crocodile pool. You could see his uvula shaking in his throat.
Like a red, screeching bird flying across the sky, naturally alarming the insects below.
Those alien-headed monsters raised their heads and roared. What they saw was a lump of food flying overhead.
Indeed, whether it's cloth, metal, or human flesh, it's all the same food to them.
As the base level of the Hive mind, their instincts are predation and invasion, their brains devoid of other emotions, be it fear or greed.
Only instinct and orders remain.
The insects emitted piercing cries, like nails scratching a glass pane.
Su Ming didn't know if this was their way of communicating, but not knowing the enemy's language didn't hinder slashing them down.
"Now!"
He shouted loudly to the cloak, and it immediately released the end corner holding him.
Leveraging gravity from the descent and the speed of flight, he shot toward the cave entrance like an iron ball, and the few insects at the entrance became restless as Su Ming noticed drool of black dripping from their mouths.
When he got closer, he found their heads resembled those of crocodiles or lizards, but the outer layer was a chitin exoskeleton typical of insects, with a mix of green and black blotches on the surface.
The whistling wind brushed past Su Ming's ears as he stretched out his arms in mid-air, raising a golden and a black Great Sword high, rapidly closing in on the ground below.
Just before landing, the ground-bound insects jumped to attack instead. Their bent back legs, though lacking the explosive power of grasshoppers, could indeed spring them up.
Gaping maws appeared before Su Ming, his excellent vision seemingly able to see the faces of the dead inside their stomachs.
These creatures were more snake-like, their mouths able to open to unbelievable widths, as wide as their bodies.
But it mattered little because even if each mouth could fit Su Ming, they lacked the appetite.
"Swoosh! Crack!"
The sound of slicing through the air was followed by a crisp sound. The Godslayer moved independently, completing a slashing motion with Su Ming's arm leading.
The airborne insects froze in an instant, only falling to the ground once Su Ming landed steadily.
The nearly invisible strike had cleaved several jumping insects in two simultaneously, a heap of black innards or blood splattering all around.
Their triangular-prism-shaped limbs could no longer maintain balance, and their locust-like thoraxes and abdomens were split open.
The surrounding grass and soil soaked in the insect race's bodily fluids, emitting a strange fishy smell like half-pickled fish.
Su Ming calmly turned his back to the cave entrance, launching a brief counter-charge.
The shells of these insects couldn't withstand the Godslayer and certainly not the Nightfall Greatsword; wielding dual swords, a single sweep cleared a small area for Holloway to land.
The cloak above seized the moment to release Holloway, and the doctor immediately rushed towards the golden Magic Shield, attempting to communicate with the person inside.
"Buddy, open up, we're here to help."
Su Ming hacked open an insect with a sword, casually kicking its head away, keeping an eye on the doctor even amid battle.
The doctor's words gave him a sense of déjà vu, feeling somewhat like checking water meters or bringing warmth?
Would this really work?
However, it did work. The Magic Shield was withdrawn in the next second, and Holloway immediately entered the cave, while Su Ming faced the insects, slowly retreating to block the cave entrance.
Very well, these insects showed nearly no intelligence, opting to dig for alternative routes when blocked, but now swarming Su Ming because he appeared as food to them.
Perhaps influenced by the swarm mind, if they were indeed a massive army, maybe billions, they could tire Su Ming to death, but with just a few hundred insects, failure was certain.
They lacked flying ability, had no ranged attacks, and despite decent strength and sharp limbs, Su Ming only needed to watch the front.
The uniquely colored Giant Swords swiftly swung, forming a pile of carcasses at the cave entrance with black insect race fluid pooling into a stream, flowing to the low-lying areas ahead.
Su Ming felt a long-missed sense of satisfaction; although their blood was cold, it warmed his heart. Seeing his black and yellow armor gradually covered in viscera and blood, he smiled beneath his mask.
He liked facing such foes, unafraid, unyielding, coming at him relentlessly.
Just standing at the spot, fully engaging was enough.
Testing with the Arm Armor, the insects' attacks couldn't breach his defense, so he confidently wielded the Giant Sword at the cave entrance.
The doctor immediately attended to check on the person inside the cave.
The person inside was just a child, about ten years old, with short golden hair and a pale face, but surprisingly, the Young Mage's eyes were very calm, devoid of any panic.
One sleeve was missing, blood trailing down one arm, yet he seemed unfazed, calmly assessing the newly arrived reinforcements.
"Come, let me bandage you up first." As a doctor, Holloway had conventional first aid tools on his belt, besides bullets. He briskly moved towards the mage, taking up his arm to examine.
The arm bore a deep cut about fifteen centimeters long. Thankfully it hadn't reached the bone, needing only suturing.
"Thank you. I had thought today would be the end of my path."
The Young Mage's mouth twitched into an insincere expression, his gaze settling on the little mustache beneath Holloway's eye patch.
The cave was somewhat damp, with tiny insects vaguely visible scuttling around, and the stone walls emitted an unpleasant odor.
The doctor chuckled awkwardly. What the heck? A child of that age making such remarks felt strange...
"You acted decisively. I was worried you wouldn't let us in." The doctor pulled out a curved needle, doing a simple disinfection.
"I'm a mage; maintaining calm and thinking at all times is needed. I recognize the Magic Floating Cloak and have seen you in the newspapers."
The Young Mage shifted his gaze to Deathstroke's back, seemingly indifferent to Holloway squeezing his wound shut with stitches.