Chapter 73 A Way Out 2...

Everyone including Lenny had heard crusher's words.

There all paused and looked at Crusher in surprise.

Crusher sighed, "I do know a way out of these caves, but its not like what you guys think out there. In fact, i believe we have a better chance of surviving here than going to the outside world."

Lenny raised a brow at him. However, it was another gladiator that had asked the question, "what do you mean by that? this place is crawling with insects on all sides, and the Queen has even allowed other insects into the safe zones just to find us. How can anywhere else be worse than here!?"

Crusher Face palmed, "If you guys want to leave, I can show you the way out. However, I would not be going with you. At least here, my strength can mean something. Out there, it is very very different."

Altogether, they were about five of them.

That is Lenny, Crusher and three other Gladiators.

Everyone sat in silence. After a while, one of the gladiators stood to his feet.

"You know what? I rather take my chances with out there! After all, I have heard the stories of the outside world. i want to experience life in such a place."

"Hmmm!" Another gladiator nodded, "I heard that there is this thing called trees, and we can get sweet juicy food from it!"

"Yes! Yes!!" The first Gladiator agreed with his friend.

Crusher heard their words and could no help but shake his head.

Even Lenny could not help but pity these guys.

After all, they had been fed stories of a world that is not as beautiful as they think it is.

For all their lives, stories of the outside world had been told to them. Now that the opportunity to see it was before their eyes, there was no way that they were not going to risk heaven and earth to see it.

it was like telling a very religious leader that his religious idea of a sanctuary after life was a lie.

No matter what, even if the evidence was placed before him, he would still not believe it.

Or better still, he would tell himself a lie to accommodate the truth he had always believed in.

Such was the way of man.

Human beings were never interested in the truth. Rather, there only believed their own version of truth.

"Crusher, if you do not want to leave this place, then show us the way. We want to leave this hell hole." the last Gladiator pleaded with him.

Crusher was silent for a while.

There were such things that one could not tell a man, only show him.

Crusher stood up to his feet, "If you guys want to go, then I will show you." he then turned to Lenny, "what about you Lenny Tales? Do you also want to leave?"

"I would like to see this exit point, so that one day, when i am better prepared, I can leave when I want to!" Lenny responded.

He was really interested in knowing this location. After all, this was the same place that Old man Buckle had promised him that he would take him to if he brought back his daughter.

"okay! It is settled then. But before that, we need to get you guys fixed a bit. The way out is a very dangerous one. We can't have you guys leaking blood there!"

"What do you mean?" One of the gladiators asked.

Crusher turned to him with a frown on his face, "it is close to the Queen's nest!"

"Huh!"

Everyone gasped. Without explanation, they understood why going there with bloody bodies could attract trouble.

Even Lenny could not help but frown at this.

It made him wonder if he might have ended up going to the exit or to the queen's nest if he had followed Old man Buckle.

The nice old man that had behaved like a kind grand father but was a killer of his own children was definitely not going to let Lenny reach the exit.

It was definitely a good thing that things ended with him the way they did.

Crusher led them to a particular cave. Here, there was a mixture of plants growing all around the place. They were of all colors and Surprisingly, even in this kind of place where the sun did not shine, they actually thrive well.

Crusher looked around and then stopped at a particular moss plant. This one was not like the rest.

It did not just glow. Rather, it flicked like a light bulb about to go off.

He picked as much as possible and then squeezed the moss until some liquid came out of it. From the smell alone, this liquid reminded Lenny of Alcohol from his previous life. Now that he even thought about it, that was something he had not tasted in a very long time.

The liquid was poured on the injuries of the gladiators. From the frowns on their faces, Lenny could tell that it also worked as one.

Lenny went ahead to help himself out. using his storage unit, he stored at many as possible.

Just then, he discovered a particularly familiar plant.

In truth, It was a glowing mushroom. A bunch of it grew at one corner.

Lenny recognized this mushroom.

It was the same glowing Mushroom that was dangerous to anyone that touched it. Lenny had used this mushroom against the gladiators that had chased him from the Order of Gladiators into this hole when he first arrived.

Lenny remembered that the Insects also did not like these mushrooms.

Lenny waved his hands and also sent all of them into his storage unit.

If he was going to the Queen's nest, then it was best that he armed himself as much as possible.

One thing Lenny learned about this place was that one could never over-prepare.

After the treatment was done, it was time to leave.

However, lenny saw yet another familiar plant.

this one this time around was the same one that Bugger had introduced to him.

Just like the last time, he used it on his body.  This moss could obstruct the senses of the Chimera ants.

Crusher and the others saw what he was doing. After telling them what the moss could do, they also used it to cover their bodies.

Finally, all preparations had been made and it was time to move.

Just like any colony of ants ever known, The location of the queen was always deep in the center.

This meant that they were to go deeper into the colony.

This was not a hunting mission.

It was one of stealth.

As much as possible they were to avoid fighting.

If only one chimaera ant was to spot them, it could call for more, and before they knew it, they could have an entire swarm on their hands.

Of course, the little annoying ones could always be crushed on the way.

It took them almost two more days. Of course, this did not mean that the journey was that long.

However, they had no choice in the matter. This was the only way to do it.

Sometimes, they would wait for several hours at a particular hiding spot for the ants to leave.

Other times, they would have to take longer routes because of dangerous Ants.

As Lenny moved through this Colony, he could not help but feel as if he was in one very big, beautiful but highly dangerous city.

This ants were not architects but there built the most beautiful lay outs.

Their structures all looked out of this world, yet, maintained a certain primitive look to them.

Lenny had to admit that if these caves were in his former world, they would have been preserved as works of art.

Then again, removing its occupants was entirely a different story.

Soon, they reached a point were in front of them were rolls upon rolls of high raised columns.

These Columns were big and robust.

On them were massive holes. There looked like Bees hives. However, there were no bees.

Lenny and the other gladiators looked at them in awe.

"This is the last point boys! Once we pass the columns, we go right. there is a tunnel that leads to the outside world from there. On the other hand, the left leads to the queen's chambers."

They all nodded in understanding.

However, just when the first Gladiator took a step forward, Crusher pulled him back.

He was taken back by this, "Crusher, is everything alright!" he asked.

Crusher looked into the distance, at the columns. He could not help but frown.

"Something is not right!"

"what is not right?" another gladiator asked.

"These Columns! at least one or two of them should have insects crawling on them. But they don't!"

"Well, is that not a good thing?"  Another gladiator asked.

"Crusher, I think you are just a bit paranoid. Up ahead is our way out. Let's at least hurry up!"

The gladiator walked forward. He passed through the first of columns and nothing happened, and then he went through the second.

Seeing this, all the others decided to follow along.

However, as they did...