DanmachiMC - Chapter 197: Go Ahead and Eat It

'I've been tricked...'

The moment Liliruca Arde was thrown out by her fellow Familia members, all hope left her heart.

She should’ve known better than to trust Adventurers.

For profit, Adventurers would stoop to any level, no matter how filthy.

And she didn’t deny it—she was just as filthy as they were.

To achieve her own goals, to break free from Soma Familia, she’d done plenty of vile things herself. She’d even lured Adventurers to their deaths just to claim their "legacy."

Maybe this was the retribution she deserved.

Her body collapsed weakly to the ground as she stared helplessly at the Killer Ants slowly closing in.

"What's happening!? Why can't I move?"

Lying there, Liliruca heard a familiar voice and instinctively looked over—only to see the three who had used her as bait, now frozen in place.

At that sight, she couldn’t help but laugh.

"Hahaha... Looks like you’re going to die here, just like Lili."

To Liliruca, death right now almost felt like a release.

She knew there was no way out of this place.

All the wealth she had painstakingly gathered to escape Soma Familia... and she wouldn’t even get to spend it. It was maddening.

But what could she do about it?

Could someone as filthy as her hope for a hero to save her?

Could someone like her even be worth saving?

Liliruca just laughed bitterly. Maybe this was the only moment where she could laugh without restraint—when she could finally mock those Adventurers who looked down on her, who treated her like nothing more than a tool.

"Arde..."

The Chienthrope leading the group gritted his teeth so hard it seemed they’d crack, but even as rage surged in his body, he couldn’t move an inch.

"You did this, didn’t you!"

Liliruca looked at him with pure contempt. Was this guy really an Adventurer? He couldn’t even tell whether she had done it.

"Yeah, it was me. So what?"

"I want all of you to die here with me!"

Everything she had bottled up finally exploded in that moment.

She had nothing but scorn for those greedy Adventurers.

Their abilities weren’t impressive, yet all they cared about was bleeding her dry. These scumbags dared to call themselves Adventurers?

It made her sick.

'...And I’m no better.'

'I’m disgusting too.'

Even as she despised the greed of other Adventurers, Liliruca couldn’t deny how repulsive she was.

How many had she already sacrificed to serve her own ends?

She remembered the number all too clearly.

Thirteen.

Thirteen Adventurers had died because of her actions—indirectly, maybe, but no less real.

It was easy: use Dungeon monsters, drop bait to lure them in, then steal what she needed while the chaos unfolded. The monsters would take care of the rest. No one ever traced it back to her.

The man in charge trembled at her words, the veins in his neck bulging, but his body was still locked—he couldn’t even stand.

And with the swarm of Killer Ants all around...

If they hadn’t mysteriously stopped, they’d already be dead and eaten by now.

All he could do now was lower his voice.

"Arde, we don’t need to take it this far."

For the sake of survival, even the leader of the Chienthropes—someone who usually looked down on supporters—chose to compromise.

"Pfft!"

Liliruca couldn’t hold back a laugh.

"Hey, hey! Adventurer, you don’t seriously think Lili did this, do you?"

"Lili doesn’t have that kind of power."

"If Lili did, she would’ve killed you all the moment she had the chance!"

Her voice brimmed with scorn once the laughter died down.

She was going to die anyway—there was no point in staying humble anymore.

Liliruca still remembered the arrogant looks these people had just moments ago.

Honestly, she would’ve preferred to see them act calm and cocky even as they died.

But no—now that death was staring them in the face, they couldn’t keep up that superior attitude they’d shown her.

"Arde... you filthy bitch!"

The man snapped, all composure lost.

If his body hadn’t been paralyzed, he probably would’ve rushed over to choke her with his bare hands.

But he couldn’t move, and seeing that only made Liliruca even more indifferent.

Knowing this was her karma, she felt no fear, no dread.

To someone like her, born into the Soma Familia, dying sooner or later made no real difference.

But she was tired.

She didn’t want to keep living the way she had—groveling, flattering Adventurers for scraps. Maybe dying here as part of her own retribution wasn’t so bad after all.

'So tired...'

Facing death, Liliruca was eerily calm.

She just regretted ever joining the Soma Familia. That had been her first mistake.

'Grandpa, Grandma... thank you for taking me in back then.'

'But I really am nothing but trouble. Maybe this is what I deserve.'

Just then, the sound of quiet footsteps reached the ears of everyone present.

The Chienthrope man was the first to spot someone in a cloak and hood approaching.

"Hey! Brother! We’ve got money! A huge stash hidden in a vault! Just let us go, and it’s all yours!"

The man clearly understood—at this point, it was either his life or his gold.

If he clung to both, he’d end up just like the girl they used as bait.

The hooded figure looked over at him. Just when the Chienthrope thought his words had worked, the man replied—

"Looks like it’s just some minor contamination. The key isn’t on them after all."

"Eat them."

At those words, the three Soma Familia Adventurers' faces turned pale.

The restrained Killer Ants suddenly turned bloodthirsty, swarming toward the trio.

"Wait! Bro—Bro—Aaaahhhh!"

To the Killer Ants, devouring three Level 1 Adventurers was child’s play.

And they didn’t stop at just killing—just like real ants, they consumed everything, flesh and bone.

The hooded man didn’t spare the gruesome scene a glance. Instead, he walked straight toward Liliruca.

"Seems like you're the one carrying it."