The Greatest Estate Developer - Chapter 24: Beasts of the Underground (2)

“Bangul!”

*Chomp!*

Bangul opened his mouth wide and took a huge bite out of the dirt in front of him.

Where the soil disappeared, a black mass was revealed.

This was different from before.

Every time Bangul had eaten dirt before, it was followed by more dirt—or sometimes gray rock.

But this time, what appeared was…

“Bituminous coal! Bangul, stop!”

Lloyd quickly intervened.

They had finally uncovered the coal seam.

From this point on, everything clinging to the walls of the tunnel was valuable coal.

Letting Bangul swallow any of it would be a waste.

“This is where it gets serious. Everyone, stay sharp,” Lloyd warned the workers who were on the verge of cheering.

Disaster always struck when people let their guard down—like right now, when the goal was finally within reach, and tension was beginning to ease.

Lloyd reminded himself of this as he issued swift instructions.

“The job’s not done yet. We’ve only just reached the edge of the coal seam. Save the celebrations for when the goal is officially scored, got it? Good work so far. Let’s switch shifts. Tell the next crew to bring in the support pillars.”

From here on, they needed precision.

Lloyd dismissed the exhausted workers and called in a fresh crew.

While the new workers prepared to move, Lloyd offered a blue sunflower seed to Bangul.

“Bangul?”

“Bangul!”

“Yeah, you did a great job. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have reached this point so quickly. I mean it.”

“Bangul! Ppa-Bangul!”

“Alright, I’ll treat you to something delicious when we get back up. But for now, can you be satisfied with this?”

“Bangul!”

Bangul eagerly took the blue sunflower seed, gulping it down with a satisfying *gulp*.

Three seconds later—

*Poof!*

Bangul shrank back to his original, small size.

“Bangul!”

“Thanks for everything, Bangul.”

Lloyd tucked the tiny Bangul into his coat pocket.

In the meantime, the new workers arrived, carrying support pillars down to the tunnel face.

“As you can see, we’ve hit the coal seam. Now comes the critical part. We’ll need to widen the tunnel along the seam. It’s dangerous work, so follow instructions carefully, understood?”

The workers nodded solemnly.

Lloyd activated his intermediate surveying skill.

‘Survey.’

*Zzzzz!*

A faint light glimmered in Lloyd’s eyes as layers of information about the tunnel materialized in his mind.

He focused on the coal seam and its surrounding area, gathering as much data as possible.

‘The ground near the seam is pretty solid. Good. There’s minimal risk of collapse when we remove the shield. And the coal seam runs… in that direction.’

Turning to the workers, Lloyd gave the next set of instructions.

“Alright, let’s dismantle the shield—slowly and carefully.”

The shield had served its purpose.

There was no way to pull it back, so the only option was to disassemble it here.

“Alright, grab it. On three—one, two, three, pull!”

*Clang!*

Following Lloyd’s command, the workers methodically took apart the shield piece by piece.

Once they had made some progress, Lloyd called out.

“Support pillars!”

Three waiting workers immediately sprang into action.

They carried the pillars and plates to the face of the tunnel, setting them up where the shield had been removed.

These temporary supports would prevent the tunnel from collapsing.

“Start reinforcing! Remember your training!”

“Yes, sir!”

The workers moved with precision and focus.

They dug along the walls of the tunnel, expanding the space.

As the area widened, they set up additional support pillars and plates.

They were securing the mining area, ensuring it was stable enough for extraction.

Lloyd kept his surveying skill active throughout the process.

He carefully monitored the pressure on the tunnel walls and ceiling.

If there was even the slightest sign of collapse, he was ready to order an immediate evacuation.

Fortunately, everything was going smoothly.

There were no signs of instability.

‘Good. That was the hardest part.’

For today, the job was done.

Tomorrow, they would begin the additional reinforcement work.

With luck, coal extraction could start by next month.

“Phew.”

Lloyd finally allowed himself to relax.

The workers, their faces drenched in sweat, smiled with satisfaction.

It was starting to feel real—they had completed the foundational excavation work.

“Alright, everyone, excellent work. Let’s head back. Tonight, we celebrate with meat, drinks, and a fat bonus.”

Hard work deserved a proper reward—this was one of Lloyd’s personal rules.

And by now, the workers had learned to expect it.

‘Yes! Another bonus!’

‘What should I spend this one on?’

‘Rosalia, I’ll finally cover your tuition! Just wait a little longer!’

This project had been the toughest yet.

Compared to laying ondol floors or paving roads, this was on another level.

The bonus would be bigger than ever.

Everyone’s spirits soared at the thought.

Even as they packed up their tools, their movements felt lighter, as if they were already basking under the sun outside the tunnel.

But then—

*Plop. Plop.*

A faint sound echoed from the coal seam.

Perhaps a few stones had crumbled and fallen.

Lloyd instinctively turned toward the noise.

That’s when it happened.

*Plop. Plop!*

The sound grew louder.

But there were no crumbling stones.

Instead, the noise came from beyond the coal seam—a heavy, dull thud from the other side.

‘What the…?’

Something felt off.

A chill ran down Lloyd’s spine.

The sound coming from beyond the coal seam was strange—unnervingly so.

Without thinking, Lloyd activated his surveying skill again.

‘Survey.’

*Zzzz!*

He scanned the coal seam—and his eyes widened in shock.

‘What?’

Just three meters beyond the coal seam, a tunnel was forming in real time.

A tunnel roughly two meters in diameter—being dug toward them at alarming speed.

‘This isn’t a collapse… Something’s digging. And it’s coming straight for us.’

The digging grew louder, faster, more deliberate.

*Thunk!*

Then, it emerged.

“…!”

A massive ant’s head burst through the coal seam.

Its head was twice the size of a watermelon.

Its mandibles, long and sharp, were wider than a grown man’s arm.

“Holy—!”

Lloyd stumbled backward, landing on his rear.

That saved his life.

*Snap!*

The ant’s mandibles slammed shut just inches from his face.

The jagged edges gleamed menacingly in the torchlight.

If those mandibles had caught him, there was no doubt—they would’ve severed any limb in one bite.

A shiver ran down Lloyd’s spine.

“What the hell?! Why is there an ant here?!”

“AAAHHH!”

Screams erupted from the workers.

There was no time to question why or how a wolf-sized ant had suddenly appeared.

Instinct kicked in.

Lloyd’s hand shot out, grabbing the first thing within reach—his trusty steel shovel.

He swung it with all his might.

*Crunch!*

The sharp edge of the shovel bit into the side of the ant’s massive head, sinking half a hand’s length deep.

“Screeee!”

The ant shrieked, thrashing its head violently in pain.

A spray of clear fluid splattered across Lloyd’s face, snapping him back to his senses.

“Everyone, get back!” he shouted.

That command was all it took.

The paralyzed workers bolted toward the upper tunnel, scrambling to escape.

Lloyd scrambled to his feet, but there was no time to rest.

“Screee!”

The ant, now enraged, lunged again, its mandibles wide open, aiming straight for Lloyd’s neck.

Despite his efforts, Lloyd was still struggling to get up, caught halfway between crouching and standing.

‘Damn it!’

There was no way to dodge. His posture was too awkward to evade in time. He could feel the massive mandibles snapping toward his neck, ready to crush it in an instant.

‘Damn it all!’

Then—

*Swish!*

Suddenly, a silver flash descended from above.

*Slice! Shhk!*

The enormous mandibles, poised to snap shut, were severed cleanly. In the next moment, the same silver flash struck the ant’s head, piercing through its crown.

*Crunch!*

The blade, driven down like a spike, lodged itself deep into the ground beneath. Twisting sharply, it shattered the ant’s skull with a sharp crack.

“Kieeeek!”

The ant’s body writhed violently before it slumped to the ground, lifeless.

The blade withdrew with a slick sound, and a hand extended toward Lloyd.

“Are you alright?”

A hand rough with calluses, but firm. A face calm and composed, even in the dimness of the mine.

It was Javier.

He was offering his hand.

Lloyd grasped it and stood, his legs still shaky.

“What the hell was that thing!”

“I don’t know. But—”

“But?”

“It could be one of the beast ants said to inhabit the wastelands beyond the mountains.”

“Beast ants? Why are they showing up here?”

Lloyd was genuinely dumbfounded.

Beast ants were known to live far away, across the eastern wastelands beyond the mountains. For one to appear here, underground, was completely absurd.

“Perhaps, contrary to popular belief, the ant tunnels extend underground all the way to this region. If not…”

“If not?”

Another beast ant crawled through the coal seam hole.

As soon as it saw them, it waved its club-like antennae and charged.

“It’s possible that they heard the sounds of our excavation and dug toward us.”

*Crunch!*

Javier’s sword flashed again, splitting the ant’s head cleanly in half.

But behind it, yet another ant appeared.

And more were coming through the hole. It was as if an endless swarm was emerging from the tunnel.

“Shit,” Lloyd muttered.

It seemed Javier’s second theory was right.

‘When I first found the coal seam, there wasn’t any tunnel beyond it.’

He was certain of it.

His surveying skill had shown no sign of ant tunnels earlier.

Only after the coal seam was breached had these ants and their burrowing tunnel appeared in real-time.

‘What should I do?’

This was an entirely unexpected development.

The fact that he hadn’t prepared for it gnawed at him.

‘The previous lord’s geological surveys didn’t mention any ant tunnels. That’s why I let my guard down.’

Of course, it was hard to blame himself for not preparing for something that hadn’t been recorded.

But the situation was what it was, and now he had to deal with it.

‘Should I block them here?’

Exhaustion weighed heavily on him. The heat and foul air only made things worse.

But one thing was clear in his mind.

‘If these ants make it out of the tunnel, it’s all over.’

The tunnel exit connected directly to the estate.

If the ants reached the surface?

The estate’s soldiers wouldn’t stand a chance. There would be too many ants.

In the worst-case scenario, the entire estate could be overrun.

It would be an unthinkable disaster.

‘I can’t let that happen.’

Just imagining it made cold sweat drip down his back.

Javier seemed to misinterpret Lloyd’s reaction.

“Lord Lloyd, stay focused.”

*Thwack!*

Suddenly, Javier’s fist shot out, landing squarely in Lloyd’s solar plexus.

“Ugh!”

The air was knocked out of Lloyd’s lungs. Javier hadn’t hit him hard, but it hurt, especially since Lloyd hadn’t been expecting it.

“What the hell was that for!”

“You cannot afford to be paralyzed by fear in a situation like this.”

“I wasn’t scared! I was thinking!”

“Then think faster.”

Even as Javier responded, he didn’t falter. His sword continued to slice through the advancing ants with cold precision.

Every swing of his blade resulted in another severed head or bisected body.

But even Javier was beginning to show signs of strain. His shirt had long been discarded, his muscular frame glistening with sweat.

‘This can’t go on. Even Javier has his limits.’

Lloyd knew instinctively.

Javier was strong, but this was a stifling, sweltering tunnel. No matter how skilled he was, the endless swarm of ants would eventually wear him down.

‘I have to come up with a solution while Javier holds them off.’

He needed a plan—a way to stop the ants from reaching the estate, while minimizing casualties.

‘Collapsing the tunnel? No, that won’t work. The panels from the shield method are too sturdy. Damaging a few won’t cause a collapse. And even if it did, with how fast these ants dig, the estate still wouldn’t be safe.’

Lloyd shook his head.

A half-baked plan would only lead to more deaths.

‘I need a way to control the entire ant swarm at once—and wipe them out completely… Wait. Hold on.’

In the middle of the chaos, an idea struck him.

Lloyd raised his head and looked at Javier.

“Hey, Javier! Can you break through them?”

“Break through? What do you mean?”

*Shhk!*

Javier sliced through another ant’s antenna with a single, clean strike.

“I mean can you fight your way straight through the swarm? Can you do that?”

“Through the ants?”

“Yes!”

Javier glanced back at Lloyd, his expression saying, *Have you lost your mind?*

Lloyd grinned as if he hadn’t just proposed a crazy idea.

“Look, it’s the only way we can stop them! If you don’t believe me—or if you’re scared—you can stay here and die.”

“Are you suggesting I’m afraid?”

“Obviously.”

“…I find that assumption offensive.”

“Then can you do it?”

“Of course. But where exactly do you want me to break through to?”

“All the way into the ant tunnel.”

“Do you mean… all the way to the end?”

“Exactly!”

“Do you even have a plan?”

“Of course! It’s brilliant.”

“…”

“Come on, don’t you trust me?”

“Why would you ask something so obvious?”

“Hey! Even now, you’re—”

“I sincerely hope that this ‘brilliant’ plan of yours isn’t pure madness.”

Javier’s grip on his sword tightened, producing an ominous crack.

His voice grew more serious than ever.

“Stay close. Don’t fall behind, or you’ll be left for dead.”

And with that, Javier charged forward.

*Shing! Slash! Shhk!*

In that instant, Lloyd couldn’t help but admire how beautiful Javier’s swordplay was.

Five ants were sliced apart in the blink of an eye, their bodies scattering like leaves in the wind.

Javier plunged into the swarm like a silver beast, his sword a whirlwind of death.

Lloyd followed close behind, gripping a torch in one hand and his steel shovel in the other.

“Keep moving! Don’t stop!”

Together, they crossed through the gap in the coal seam, entering the ant tunnel.

Fortunately, the swarm didn’t head toward the estate.

Instead, the ants pursued the intruders deeper into their tunnel.

Javier and Lloyd cut down every soldier ant that blocked their path, pushing forward without pause.

“Downward! Keep going!”

As they ran, Lloyd continuously used his surveying skill to scan the tunnel ahead.

‘There’s no turning back now. It’s do or die.’

He had one objective in mind:

To find the methane gas pocket buried deep within the ant tunnel.