Erik studied the cave entrance. There were around a hundred worker bugs standing guard, two dozen warriors, and ten leaders at the mouth of the cave.
Their mandibles clicked as they communicated with each other, but Erik knew that was surely not their only means of communication, as pheromones must have been involved somehow, given the high level of coordination and threat response these things showed.
Besides, what Amber and the others told him about their intelligence wouldn't make sense. It wasn't just about what he saw.
The real problem was in the surrounding area. There were more than five thousand bug-like thaids swarming across the battlefield, scavenging the corpses of the dead creatures.
Possibly even more. The sheer number of creatures made any attempt at stealth impossible.
"There are too many," Erik said, keeping his voice low. "As soon as they spot us, every single one will converge on our position."
