Extra's Death: I Am the Son of Hades novel Chapter 594

Karax POV (The Champion of Sanguiscreech Ants)

Karax stood on the edge of the chamber wall.

His compound eyes were locked on the figure vanishing into the upper tunnels. Nameless Death. He was gone, just like that.

He had not said a word, nor did he attack them again.

Karax should've been relieved, and a part of him was. But the feeling that settled in his chest wasn't peace.

It was shame.

The greatest threat the colony had ever faced had simply walked away. Not because Karax fought him off. Not because they'd won. He left on his own.

Karax—Champion of the Sanguiscreech Colony, First Claw of the Queen's Court, defender of the tunnels—had done nothing.

Nothing at all.

His mandibles clenched.

He remembered the way Nameless Death had stood there. Surrounded by those six orbs, his body a mass of scars and quiet fury.

Even at Level 2, he radiated danger so intense it made Karax's carapace tremble.

Karax had faced multiple Level 5 Gods alone before, and he had come out on top in those deadly battles.

But Nameless Death wasn't like them. Even for Karax who prided himself in his violence, felt fear when he stood before Nameless Death.

His very presence crushed something inside Karax. It was as if his instincts knew he weren't meant to survive someone like him.

And yet… he had turned away.

Just walked out.

Karax didn't even try to stop him. He didn't say a word. He just let him go.

The other ants around him buzzed softly.

Murmurs of relief rippled through the crowd.

Several soldiers even chuckled. A few patted each other's shoulders. They believed they'd survived something terrifying, and they had.

They believed they had 'earned' it.

Karax gave them a tight smile, hiding the disgust twisting in his gut. He didn't want to ruin their joy. But inside, it burned.

They are celebrating survival, he thought bitterly. But we would've died if not for his mercy.

A mercy granted by an enemy.

It twisted Karax's gut.

He was supposed to be the blade that pierced threats before they reached the Queen. The hammer that shattered invaders. But all he'd done was stand there.

Motionless.

Helpless.

As the others drifted back to their duties, Karax remained where he was.

He remained silent, watching the vertical shafts and the horizontal tunnel.

Then came the sound of footsteps.

He turned.

Level 3 ants—thousands of them—emerged from the far tunnel, worn but intact.

These were the warriors that had pushed into the jungle's inner circle. The main force of the colony. They'd been gone when Nameless Death attacked.

At their front was Commander Arelas. His body was marked with jungle moss and tiny cuts from inner-circle flora.

"Karax," Arelas called out as he approached. "We need to talk. It's urgent."

Karax straightened. "What is it?"

Arelas didn't waste time. "Zagerus is returning."

The name hit like a blunt stone to the chest.

Zagerus.

The humanoid monster who'd been tearing the Forest of Red Silence apart.

He was the one who attacked the Colony weeks ago, and annihilated most of them.

"He's coming back?" Karax asked, frowning. "Why?"

"No idea," Arelas said grimly. "But he's moving through the canopy paths toward the outer circle. Our scouts spotted him an hour ago. His direction is… deliberate."

Karax's legs stiffened.

Then the air shifted.

It was subtle at first.

All Karax felt was a strange tingle crawling over his shell. The world seemed… denser, and colder, as if something terrible was pressing down.

And then he recognized it.

"...Berserk Death elementals," Karax muttered.

The other ants began murmuring, confused.

"Why are they so active?" one asked.

"Did something die nearby?" another said. "Or is someone strong fighting? That's the only time Berserk Death Elementals surge like this."

Karax wasn't confused like them.

He was horrified.

This density…

"They're trying to possess someone," Karax whispered.

Then came the scream.

It echoed from deep within the central chamber. The Queen's chamber.

Every ant in the area froze.