Chapter 346 Control
In the process of covering the entire breadth of the stadium, the thick cloud around Daneel became larger and larger until it looked like a terrifying swarm which actually scared the already terrified people wherever it went.
Even the pressure he was facing from the combined onslaught of the mosquitoes was increasing, and as he heard the faint cracking sounds which indicated that the energy in the barrier was about to run out, he immediately activated a new one, just to be safe.
Daneel had no idea whether there was any other ruling figure who had also been able to deploy a clone. According to what Molan had said, the ability to control a clone when the original body was unconscious was apparently something which only Warrior-level individuals could do, so the only possible candidates were the King of Axelor and the Queen of Arafell.
Eldra and Faxul were, after all, still only at the Human level.
[Collection underway. Percentage: 78%. Biological analysis underway. Kill switch being searched. Control switch being searched. Alternate methods to subdue being searched. Please proceed with collection]
Absorbed in his thoughts and keeping a close eye on the barrier, Daneel realized that they had stopped.
"What’s wrong, Cassandra?"
Right now, he wasn’t alone in the barrier as he needed someone to fly him around.
This someone was the commander of Lanthanor, who also had a red complexion as if she was also affected by the enraged state just like Daneel.
She had seen the carnage outside, and since then, she had just been following orders while keeping her mouth shut.
Now, when she spoke, her tone held a tinge of defeat.
"We have covered the stadium, Your Majesty."
Hearing this, Daneel was puzzled as the percentage was still at 78%.
As he asked the system the reason, the answer made him raise his eyebrows with panic.
[More targets are present north, east, west and south of host. Please proceed with collection.]
"Cassandra, where does this damn barrier extend to?"
Both of them hadn’t had the chance to accurately assess the situation before jumping into this activity. In fact, Daneel had only told Luther and the rest to round up all their soldiers before setting off.
Hence, Cassandra had to ask Aaron, who was outside, for the answer.
"My Lord, it apparently...covers Olympia too. The mosquitoes must definitely have spread inward..."
"Then what are you waiting for?! Quickly, cover the entire place! Don’t you want to save all these people?"
"S-save? Aren’t they dead?"
"No. Whoever designed the mosquitoes didn’t give them the attribute of patience or frugality. These things are like gourmet diners; they only drink the blood with the most nutrition before moving on to another body, as there are so many. But if we give them time, they will start going back to the bodies on the floor for more. THAT will cause more death. We HAVE to move quickly and collect as many as possible. Let’s go!"
Nodding with determination, the duo set off to the surrounding area, where there was chaos everywhere.
Things were at least OK in Olympia, because it was mostly empty. However, in the wide open ground between the stadium and Olympia, clumps of mosquitoes were having the buffet of their lives.
However, when Daneel flew near them with the blood of his mosquitoes, it was as if they had eyed a delicacy they couldn’t get over.
Hence, without fail, they would go to him.
As these two continued their activity, a man was frantically pacing to and fro in the booth that belonged to the Kingdom of Axelor.
Viewing the death and bloodshed below him, the minister who had given the order for the mosquito to be released could only watch on with horror, knowing that he was the one who was responsible for everything that was happening.
Of course, he had acted on the orders of the King, but it was still the truth that his hands were also soaked with blood.
Killing innocent people wasn’t actually something that was new to him, but to see carnage on this scale...made the minister want to claw his eyes out with guilt.
The King had disappeared and was now floating on the outside of the barrier, and he was the one with the top authority in Axelor right now.
What was he supposed to do?
Announcing that he was the culprit crossed his mind, but he knew that he would die before he got the words out due to the oath that bound him.
This was the reason behind his pacing, and for the 10th time, he walked to one of the walls of the private booth and punched a spot to open a hidden compartment.
Inside lay the body of the King of Axelor, but it was lifeless.
Why did the damn man have to decrease his power?!
If he was still a Warrior, this clone would be active right now.
Just as he was about to close the compartment, a voice sounded across the entire area, making him freeze.
"This is the King of Lanthanor. I am in the process of collecting all the mosquitoes so that they will not cause you any more harm. I need the help of all the Kingdoms! In this crucial time, we must all unite! All active clones of the rulers, or those who are in charge of the Kingdoms in the absence of the rulers, please make your way to the private booth of the Kingdom of Lanthanor. Angaria needs your help to protect itself!"
A chance to...reverse some of the damage he had caused?
But he was the culprit! How could he even face them?
What was he supposed to do?!
As the compartment closed, the minister resumed the pacing.
....
As a beautiful figure wearing a pink dress flew into the private booth that belonged to Lanthanor, Sister Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.
Inside, there was already a small Raven, which was currently stumbling around on the broken table in the room.
"That makes 3 rulers! Please ask your troops to assemble in the center of the ground. King Daneel has a plan to end this threat."
As Queen Arafell heard this, she nodded at the woman beside her who started sending the message to their soldiers.
Meanwhile, the Raven in the room had just nodded to the Queen, almost like a human.
Seeing her puzzled look, Sister Xuan explained, "That’s the clone of the protector Raven of the Black Raven Kingdom, and King Faxul is currently controlling it using some...exclusive magic of his Kingdom. I’ll contact King Daneel and let him know that you have arrived."
Saying so, Sister Xuan took out the communication trinket and sent the message, but she was met by silence.
She had gotten the message to broadcast Daneel’s voice just a minute ago, and he had said that it was absolutely crucial to assemble all the able-bodied soldiers.
However, now, there was no response.
If she had known that the reason behind this was that Daneel was busy shaking his head to make sure that he had heard right, she might have dropped the trinket in shock.
Indeed, Daneel, who had just heard the message from the system that a way had been found to subdue the mosquito, had almost dropped the bottles of blood in his hands when he heard what it was.
A minute ago, he had gotten the idea to gather all soldiers as he might need them for something or the other.
He had no idea what solution the system would come up with, but the soldiers would be useful to restore calm to the areas where stampedes were still happening due to the people being afraid that the mosquitoes might come back.
He had thought that the answer might involve something like tricking the mosquitoes into killing themselves, but as he heard the notification of the system again, he realized that he could never have predicted this even if he tried.
[Solution: "Gold" strain mosquitoes can mate with Strain A and Strain B developed by host in the past to come under the control of host. After the mating process, host can simply order the mosquitoes as per his wishes.]