I snuck into the boring machine in front of me. One by one, I eliminated the operators within.

The mana cores were fairly easy to locate because I could somehow faintly sense dense mana. It was one of the perks after knowing what mana felt like. After draining the lovely mana cores, I used [absorption] on a few core parts. This way, the machine would break down the moment another person tried to operate it without a thorough inspection first.

Eheheh... Making troubles like this is my specialty.

I was being ruthless but no one here cared.

Troublemaking wasn't what I came here to do. However, I hadn't found their main army yet which was probably in some other tunnels above me. It was in this time I wished |parallel bodies| trait actually allowed me to split my consciousness. Searching one by one was just too inefficient and slow. By the time I was done with this place, Vera would probably be down for the count.

From the looks of it, the poisonous gas hadn't seeped this deep down yet. A few clones were somehow lost but otherwise everything seemed to be fine on the surface. I even levelled up again.

Thinking about the stuff going on above wasn't going to help anything.

I dropped many clones in the tunnels and configured them to produce cheap poisonous gas en mass because a small amount just wasn't lethal enough.

Hmm... I wonder if [synthesis] will evolve into anything. I've been using it a lot.

With my small size and speed, I was zipping around within the tunnel system. People were collapsing left and right. Of course, I would never forget to grab those magic crystals used in rifles whenever I found one. Not a single mana core was left untouched under my watch and there was no such thing as having too many mana cores. In fact, many of my clones' mana was decreasing quickly with the continuous usage of [synthesis]. Hence, mana had to be constantly redistributed.

Hoping around and placing down more clones while I explored the tunnels created by the humans. Those who had noticed the strange situation and the cessation of noises began taking caution. Nonetheless, with how well my clones were hidden and the invisible poisonous gas spreading everywhere, none survived the return trip. By the time they figured things out, their lives were already forfeit. Though, a few of them probably managed to escape like the ones travelling on carts toward the machines.

It's working! I win. Yay! I hope I'm deterring them from invading again.

It actually took me quite a while of searching before I breached into a completely different set of tunnels. Along the way, I found a few openings leading to the surface where tanks were likely driven.

These tunnels were surely extensive. It made me wonder how long they had planned this, probably years in the making. I didn't want to spend my time on the shallow tunnels right now. Sure there were many, but I was able to locate their deepest set of tunnels, or so I would like to believe.

Their main operation was located in the deepest set of tunnels, around I would say at least 100 meters deep. That was also what I believed where their main army was. The ones closer to the surface seemed to be a side project compared to the ones deeper down.

Alright, I found you all. I don't like mass graves but I can't go easy on you. You're all bad doodles in my eyes!

I said that but I felt like only a quarter of their main army was here, or maybe even less. The majority was probably on other levels above where the tunnels would eventually reach the ones beneath Vera. Since the tunnel sizes were limited, that meant there was also a limit on the size of this army.

Destroying their local headquarter was my main job after all.

[Synthesis], maximum output!

Hiding behind walls on a platform above their main camp, I created my mini fighter jets loaded with poisonous needles.

Poisonous darts were equally important. Once a dart penetrated a person's skin, it would immediately inject lethal poison while siphoning mana and valuable nutrients needed for plants. Also, there was no need to worry that someone could pull these darts out because as long as I was nearby, I would use my fey magic without reserve to have them fully inserted into their body.

In a war, only the victor decided who was good and who was evil. Therefore, as long as I was the winner, I was good and Smoothie would love me!

Anyway, I only created ten S-16's because I couldn't control them well individually all at once.

Scramble the jets! Woo! Supply corps is no match for the mighty me!

Tents, tanks, weapons, cargos, and unsuspecting humans were a feast before my eyes.

I didn't assault immediately. Instead, I had two mini fighter jets or S-16's head in the direction where the enemy troops were receiving additional supplies. Although I was by no means an expert in warfare, I understood the basics. I planned to block their main retreat route and their supply route. Without supplies, a starving army would collapse within days.

As for me, I camouflaged myself against the dark ceiling as I headed in the direction of battles while dropping simple clones here and there. I figured if I immediately took out their retreat route, the enemies might fight desperately like a cornered animal.

Up ahead, the main tunnel was splitting into five branches. If my guesses were correct, at least one of them should lead to the breaches into Vera city. That was one of the tunnels I had to seal with poisonous gasses.  

Soldiers were flowing constantly in and out from these five tunnels.

"It's nothing personal," I murmured to myself before fully commencing a massacre.  

Tens of soldiers fell a minutes. They probably didn't die if only a single tiny poisonous needle penetrated, but multiple was definitely enough to kill. A few darts landed on some of the corpses and began sprouting. Following that, poisonous gas spread swiftly and quietly in the background as soldiers became alarmed at the sight of their fallen comrades.

By now, my mini fighter jets had reached as far as my fey magic could bring them. There they landed out of my sight and began sprouting using [synthesis] while producing poisonous gas en mass.

You know, if this was the surface, it probably wouldn't have worked as well. But here, you kept the place warm and cozy.

Suddenly, there was a notice. I ran out of resources to create cyanide.

What!? How? I thought I had plenty?

Oh, not enough nitrogen. Easy fix. [Absorption], go take them from air. Done!

I didn't care whether [absorption] was on overdrive or not. Since [conglomerate] had integrated [absorption] into itself, I didn't have to bother with personally using it if it was just general tasks. Though, specific tasks still required my attention.

Shouts and orders echoed through the tunnels.

One of them yelled, "It's the devil!"

Oh I've been found! Took them long enough, or maybe my black outfit was just that amazing. Again my ingenuity exceeds my expectations! I can't be too stingy with my resources now, can I? Tremble before my greatness! Bahahaha...!

While dodging gunshots under the ceiling, I gave a command: Rise, my legion!

The clones I had placed earlier within their camp grew at monstrous speed, quickly engulfing the entire camp in eerie greeneries. As desperate soldiers tried to eliminate my clone bodies with swords and machetes, only more clones were created in the process. Needless to say, they too grew at astonishing speed.

A few soldiers tried to equip their mobile suits only to get entangled and wrapped up in poisonous vines.

Darts and needles infused with fast acting paralyzing poison were being blasted out from modified stems and leaves. Screams and cries of agony were muffled by the dense undergrowth that sprang forth.

Begin [absorption]! I can't take a loss here. My reservoir is being spent here.

The issue wasn't with my mana reservoir but everything else that made up the plant bodies. All parts of humans were useful to some degree after some conversion. Their clothing were mostly useful except the metallic parts. Their mana was lacking but still very nice to have.

Mana was super delicious.

While that was happening, not everyone was caught in my surprise attack aside from those who were returning from the five branch tunnels. It appeared that some humans had abilities or traits that resisted my paralyzing and lethal poisons. They were also quite strong, capable of keeping my vines from closing in on them. I could only see them indirectly because I could tell there were pockets in the growth and my plant bodies were being disintegrated. 

Kuhhh... How do I deal with them? Poisonous gases? They're probably immune. I'm no good with hands-on combat either. Ahhh... What to do?

blanksphere

Just for simple reference, regular human soldiers are generally under level 15. They have a bit more advanced weapons so they don't need high levels for the most part. Some humans including war veterans and elites, their levels are much higher. On the other hand, regular beastfolk soldiers start at level 15. Anyone around level 40 would definitely be considered an elite by human standards.

Ahh... sorry, I had chapter scheduled but apparently I didn't submit it.