Chapter 76

The massive bones supporting the traitors' psychic sea crumbled and shattered with the death of their master's consciousness. The affiliated stars disintegrated into tiny glowing specks, vanishing from the world like ash.

The moment the thread of life broke, countless Monstr insect race consciousnesses awoke in alarm.

[Who killed the pivot?]

[Was the Cretaceous galaxy illegally invaded? Hiss...]

[The number of 'us' seems much less than last time.]

In the final seconds of the Monstr insect race's psychic sea, they barely exchanged some non-crucial information.

Insects on other planets in the Cretaceous galaxy sensed something amiss with their main star and tried to contact Simon, their central brain, with greater intensity.

But the attempt lasted a long time without any response.

"As expected," a high-ranking insect coldly watched the dying struggles of others and reiterated, "From her arrival, our death was just a matter of expectation."

"The half-blood queen is dead," other insects replied. "We need to send troops to the first star to see what's happening."

The high-ranking insect sneered, glancing at the increasingly severe decay on its body, and murmured, "They have returned to the normal life of ten thousand years ago under Her Majesty's grace. And us... having chosen the path of desperate survival, why should we beg for anything now in such a manner?"

The words were heavy with implied meaning.

On the data interface of the seventh star, a request for communication was constantly displayed, but there was no response from the other side.

"[Rei?]" Ural sent a puzzled mental message.

The insect in charge of the other data interface was continuously trying to invade and unlock the system of the first star.

Just seconds before, the system of the first star had unexpectedly opened itself to them.

In the Cretaceous galaxy's eight planets, the remaining seven experienced the same phenomenon.

The data console gradually revealed a flickering violet light, accompanied by the faint sound of jellyfish tentacles moving, resembling spiderweb trails. The threads emitted a beautiful white glow, and a familiar figure of the Monstr insect race appeared at the center of the screen.

Simon, as usual, wore a cruel, mocking smile and calmly said, "The first star has indeed encountered some unexpected events. Wait for my orders until I ascertain the specifics."

The high-ranking insect that had been pessimistic furrowed its brows, scrutinizing Simon carefully, but finding nothing unusual, it felt somewhat reassured.

After all, the Monstr insect race had considerable trust in Simon, their central brain.

Except for those with slightly higher status and some degree of lucid will, many in the Monstr insect race had a unidimensional thought process, their brains filled with thick, terrifying bloodlust, expressing physical and mental brutality, mechanically following orders from those above, hardly capable of suspicion.

"Do we need to dispatch some troops?" asked the high-ranking insect.

Simon smiled and said, "Indeed we do, but not now. Also, I want to reiterate that apart from me, none of the branches need to follow each other's orders."

Behind the red-eyed insect, strange and eerie tentacles swirled, with the vague outline of a giant creature visible. He seemed indifferent to concealing these odd scenes, instead normally conveying messages to the rest of the Monstr insect race.

"The half-blood queen's psychic sea exceeded her capacity," Simon succinctly spat out a veiled lie. "For a short period, we can't communicate using psychic power, but... there's also no need to create another queen for now."

Some things are self-evident.

"We understand," replied the high-ranking insect.

Simon finally cast an inscrutable glance at the managers of the other seven planets.

The traitors tried to follow a path contrary to the insect race's instincts, but this was not so-called racial evolution. Having abandoned everything, they had a strange sense of disconnection, neither belonging to other ordinary life forms nor truly counting as insects in the true sense.

Only death could quench the queen's fury.

Simon curved his lips into a slight smile, his black membrane-covered red eyes flickering with a moth-to-flame kind of madness.

He felt the same way.

Soon, the communication with the first star was deliberately cut off by Simon. The high-ranking insects glanced at each other in silence, then diverted their gaze and continued mechanically with their routine tasks.

Some of them felt an inexplicable sense of "relief" deep within, their expressions indifferent, suppressing the complex mix of longing and despair in their eyes.

They continued to feign unawareness, continuing their deep slumber.

In this way, the blade of punishment could be considered non-existent, never to appear in the future.

It was best to just keep sleeping.

Countless traitors were unaware that the cells parasitizing their bodies had been seemingly awakened by something, traveling through their bloodstream, leaving special marks on their hosts' hearts, bone marrow, and brains, beginning the process of devouring consciousness.

But soon, the journey of these parasites wasn't as smooth as before, as they were firmly suppressed by some force, unable to take root, move, or grow, and helplessly frozen in place.

In the remote depths of the universe, the world seemed like a vast black morass. A pair of eyes slowly awoke from slumber, glaring displeasedly at the messages relayed by their kin.

[She's too strong, her power is even climbing.]

[It's not just about combat strength, her genes... they're diversifying! She's adapting to our invasion!]

[We thought placing a parasite in the insect queen's body was enough to control her life... but her genetic evolution is too fast, we can't even sense her location. The few vulnerabilities we caught with great difficulty ten thousand years ago, are we going to fall to the insect queen again?]

[At least she still has clear weaknesses, a significant entry point. Let's not be overly pessimistic, we have plenty of time and opportunities.]

The species' leader listened coldly to the discussions of its kin, slightly shifting its body, causing countless mud to flow downward, revealing a few ethereal figures of other life forms.

[She's currently in the Cretaceous galaxy?]

[Yes.]

[Good.] The supreme being of the Amandtip smiled, [The place closest to us is a perfect battlefield, isn't it? The insect race has accidentally birthed a queen, but once she dies by our hands, their past glory will also fade...]

[To be replaced by 'us'.]

*****

Elsewhere, Simon cut off the communication system of the Monstr insect race, successfully completing the task requested by Rei, feeling a strong sense of satisfaction within.

Stabilize the emotions of the traitors for the time being and strengthen control over them.

Although Simon never truly acted in the capacity of a central brain, relying on chaotic, fragmented memories to understand the Monstr insect race's internal affairs, it was a trivial task for a powerful companion like him.

Rei left the oppressive solitary confinement room, sitting on the edge of the high platform, looking down at the world covered in spiderwebs. The towering buildings, drifting jellyfish tentacles, and temporarily restricted swarm of insects were all mere playthings in her hand.

The large jellyfish consumed by the queen had seemingly shrunk in size, quietly staying by her side, emitting a violet glow that illuminated the surroundings. Several smaller jellyfish, sticky and clingy, swam around Rei, like little guards dutifully waiting on the queen.

The illusory sea seemingly filled the desolate planet, with the queen's white hair fluttering slightly, standing amidst beautiful, transparent jellyfish and three companions waiting for her commands.

The sea within the nest did not truly exist but was an illusionary projection of a special power.

The consumption process was half complete, and Rei could feel the missing parts of her body beginning to be replenished.

Previously, no matter how much she consumed, it felt like pouring into an endless black hole, a meaningless act. Although it curbed the endless hunger, it offered minimal help to the queen.

The jellyfish tentacles, unlike ordinary insects and part of a special nest, cautiously approached Rei, wrapping around her wrist and even tying themselves into a pretty floral circle.

Some abnormally mutated jellyfish, during the queen's consumption process, were cleansed by her power, leaving the Amandtip people with nowhere to go, consumed and digested by the nest's consciousness, their chance of proliferation endlessly suppressed.

After all, the insect race could forcibly consume and assimilate the life of other races within their tolerance range, turning it into part of their power.

Sometimes consuming the complex thoughts and emotions of humans enabled the higher insects to better communicate with other species.

Rei nonchalantly tugged at the tentacles, but they seemed utterly defenseless, staying dazedly in place, forgetting the intense pain from being forcefully torn by Rei moments ago.

"How's the contact going?" Rei suddenly asked.

"All is well," Simon said, even though the queen hadn't looked back at him, the companion instinctively bowed slightly, showing a submissive posture, "Without the central brain's command, they will not act rashly."

Rei turned around, her figure gracefully leaping from the edge of the platform to the ground without a sound, her expression indifferent as she glanced at the three companions.

Ural's face showed a faint hint of disappointment; he seemed to think that being caught in the spiderweb earlier was Rei's way of making it easier to consume him.

"Let's do an experiment with me," Rei said, focusing on Simon, the most aggressive of the three companions, fitting the Alliance's stereotype of a ruthless insect race, "Attack me."

Simon hesitated, a flicker of struggle crossing his expression.

Darian and Ural were momentarily taken aback upon hearing the words, but they both understood Rei's simple intention: to find an opponent for a direct test of her current physical strength.

They consciously stepped back, maximizing the space for Rei and Simon to battle.

The summit of the desolate planet was exceptionally spacious, with a clean and smooth ground, surrounded only by the most basic safety rails, devoid of any other sophisticated safety equipment.

The safety measures were minimal, yet the companions did not show excessive concern. Nearby, a jellyfish drifted lazily, ready to weave a protective net with its tentacles at any moment.

More importantly, all three companions believed that the queen would not be harmed.

Whatever the queen desired, the insect race would carry out unhesitatingly, no matter how absurd or even self-detrimental the command.

Simon hesitated only a moment before his body responded to Rei's command, muscles tensing. A strange, deep shadow appeared on the ground, pausing briefly before reluctantly attacking the "enemy."

Executing such an order was exceedingly difficult, so Simon abandoned his usual, more adept physical attacks, opting instead for precisely controlled physical force.

Rei silently watched him, her beautiful, icy eyes seeming to penetrate the companion's cautious thoughts. She moved swiftly to Simon's side and struck his soft abdomen with tremendous force.

But just before Rei's touch, the red-eyed insect's body reflexively produced a layer of fine scales for defense, mitigating the impact of the attack.

Simon grunted, unable to withstand the queen's force, and was forced to retreat several steps.

Black lines formed spontaneously, entangling with the shadows floating on the ground.

However, the deep shadows were soon mercilessly dissected by the black lines, disintegrating into black particles that vanished into the illusory sea.

Faint scars appeared on Simon's face, the shadows seemingly connected to his body, causing synchronized damage.

The dissipating shadows regrouped and cautiously hovered around, the shallow wounds on the insect's face healing rapidly.

The self-healing ability of the companions was inherently stronger than that of ordinary insects.

But a flicker of unease crossed Simon's eyes. Rei hadn't inflicted fatal damage to the shadow, merely dissipating it with ease.

The queen was fully capable of delivering a lethal blow.

After a brief exchange, Simon finally took the confrontation seriously, utilizing his abilities to the fullest, showcasing a myriad of combat skills.

The two observing companions were somewhat surprised; Simon, known for his brutal temperament, displayed a fighting style not purely savage. He was adept in every crucial detail of engaging with an opponent.

If facing another insect, they would likely have fallen into his elaborately laid traps, unaware of being maliciously toyed with.

Shadows swept toward Rei from all directions, their onslaught intense, seemingly leaving no room for her to catch a breath.

Yet Rei merely glanced calmly, her body moving without any unnecessary flourish. The black lines, responding to her will, arrogantly slashed away any attacking shadows.

But in a moment, as if struck by a thought, Rei relaxed her control of the black lines, allowing a barely surviving shadow to transform into mist, laboriously threading through the dense web of threads.

The pupils of the three companions simultaneously narrowed, their expressions carrying a similar degree of fear.

As the mist brushed past Rei, the nearby air molecules coalesced into blades, a few drops of blood trailing from her fingers, startlingly splashing onto the ashen ground.

It was a deliberate vulnerability created by Rei.

A faint, almost imperceptible sweet, metallic scent filled the air, but it quickly dissipated, gently brushed away by the consciousness of the nest.

Rei lowered her gaze to the wound.

It healed, much faster than she had anticipated.

"Your Majesty, I..." Simon's expression seemed abnormal, his voice trembling unusually.

He had not anticipated this turn of events, his mind going blank, completely forgetting the fight.

But soon, Simon was forced back to the edge of the platform, awkwardly kneeling, with Rei gripping his fragile neck, his head pressed against the railing.

Positioned on the edge high above, the howling wind seemed to pass by, the sensation of falling abruptly lifted high. With just a bit more of Rei's true strength, this traitor would perish within the nest.

Simon dared not even let his gaze fall on Rei's hand, stained with traces of blood - he was the instigator of it all.

"You don't seem to feel joy," Rei uttered something perplexing to him, "Your emotional curve didn't spike with happiness from hurting me."

Instead, it was filled with dense fear and guilt.

Rei had originally thought that such guilt was just a self-deceptive mask for Simon, perhaps he was consciously controlling his emotions?

She had contemplated killing this companion multiple times; even though he was a victim of parasitism, even if his actions as the central brain weren't his true intentions, Rei's suspicious nature couldn't let go of her observations of him.

Avis, the primary star, would not feel an ounce of guilt or fear in attempting to attack her.

"Your Majesty, I apologize. I am too weak. My consciousness and body have been overtaken by these disgusting creatures. I'm sorry..."

Simon kept muttering apologies repeatedly. His entire mental state seemed to have gone mad, his sinister countenance becoming incredibly fragile. It seemed that with just a slight provocation from Rei, this fiercely violent insectoid would completely lose control, willingly destroying everything with his own hands.

To extinguish unforgivable sins with blood-drenched death.

However, the black lines slightly intensified their restraint on Simon. This companion instantly quieted down, his eyes staring vacantly at Rei.

Amidst Simon's chaotic and fragmented memories, there was a long segment about his initial birth, scenes of being induced and forcefully implanted with thoughts of betrayal by other powerful insectoids.

["Ordinary higher-tier insectoids are no longer sufficient. The population of Monstrous insectoids has exceeded our capacity. We need more powerful insectoid bodies."]

["The bodies of high authorities are not easy to capture. Once they discover traces of defectors from other races, they will spare no effort to find us."]

["Especially those top-tier companions. Their strength, compared to companions from tens of thousands of years ago, has become more brutally powerful. This is truly a race that is difficult to predict..."]

["After all, we adjusted the genetic values of the insectoid queen. As a result, the number of companions decreased, and their individual strength increased... By the way, why not choose the bodies of companions as the central brain?"]

"Finally found... This is the most fitting insectoid with the characteristics of a companion."

"No need to doubt. He naturally has the totem of a companion. 00009, let's take over his body."

"Be careful. The mental world of companions is extremely complex. But as long as one of you successfully takes root in his brain, we will have succeeded completely. Think about it. Companions have a lifespan of at least three hundred years. This is enough for us to wait until the insectoids of the main star are completely lost."

Young Simon opened his eyes, clear-minded, instantly realizing that his body seemed to be maliciously imprisoned by unknown enemies, unable to move his limbs.

But he felt no fear; instead, he emitted a sinister laughter, exerting one-third of his strength and smoothly breaking free from the shackles.

Dozens of higher-tier insectoids closely monitored him from the outside. When they noticed Simon breaking free from control, they immediately rushed forward without order, attempting to regain control of his body.

"They are not my kind," Simon thought with exceptionally clear-mindedness.

This was the natural intuition of a top-tier hunter.

Would the insectoids be so disorganized, with no coordinated cooperation even in their attacks?

Despite his appearance resembling a human child of four or five years old, Simon's behavior was nothing like that of a newborn, expertly injuring each of these higher-tier insectoids.

But achieving this level was already the limit for a companion born just over ten minutes ago, facing dozens of "higher-tier insectoids" seasoned in countless battles.

"I need time... Three days? No, half a day will be enough."

Simon impatiently tugged at the specially tailored white coat from the laboratory, stained with the filthy blood of higher-tier insectoids. A look of extreme disgust immediately appeared on his face.

Then, he glanced around, his expression suddenly becoming soft and calm. After a while, it abruptly turned violent, unable to resist kicking a barely breathing higher-tier insectoid beside him.

"Where is Her Majesty the Queen?"

Why couldn't he sense the Queen's whereabouts?

Simon's demeanor seemed extremely restless, prompting him to directly snap the throat of a higher-tier insectoid, his blood-red eyes urgently seeking something.

[Body data recorded—]

[Initiating analysis, strength leaning towards high attack system, outstanding reaction speed, mature thinking ability, and variable emotions.]

[Parasitic difficulty judged as highest level, breaking historical records.]

Around the laboratory, there echoed a strange language that Simon couldn't comprehend.

An ominous premonition erupted instantly. Crimson scales gradually emerged on Simon's limbs and face, a mysterious and profound black shadow grew beneath his feet, spreading throughout the spacious room.

An unknown enemy—he had to leave this place.

Suddenly, the group of higher-tier insectoids defeated by Simon oddly transformed into a pool of corpse-like liquid. The air was instantly filled with a nauseating putrid scent.

A swarm of cell-sized particles silently infiltrated the body of the red-eyed insectoid, invading his consciousness from all directions through different paths.

Simon instantly sensed that something seemed to have entered his body. His intuition told him that he might even die because of it.

Frowning, he attempted to suppress the invasion of these parasites. Once he perceived the specific location of a single cell, disregarding the pain, he forcefully severed his right arm, blood flowing incessantly.

However, the parasites specially brought by the Amantep people for companions were the most unique and powerful among them.

The struggle between the Amantep people and companions lasted a long time.

Simon often had the upper hand, but his body ultimately couldn't resist the relentless persistence of the parasites. His entire body seemed to be occupied by foreign entities, completely deprived of control over both body and mental consciousness.

"Your Majesty..." In the moment before consciousness was lost, Simon couldn't help murmuring and calling out. The last thought flashed through his brain.

He would never see the Queen again.

The air around grew increasingly cold, as if ready to solidify into frost, pulling Simon back from the edge of mental collapse for a moment.

Rye's expression became somewhat bewildered; she hadn't expected such an intense reaction from the companion.

Deliberately exposing vulnerabilities was not just to test her own healing capabilities; she wanted to see if this companion would harbor a sticky desire born from the blood.

However, the actual situation was entirely contrary to Rye's pessimistic view.

The companion, tormented by the guilt of harming the Queen, was on the verge of breakdown. Instead of shedding normal clear tears, his eyes released drops of vivid blood tears.

He continued uttering confused and inverted words, all reflecting the immense pain of not fulfilling the duties of a companion.

Observing all this, Delian and Ural naturally didn't empathize with their "kin."

Delian hesitated slightly, thinking that Simon's performance had caused significant distress to the Queen, but ultimately, he didn't step forward to replace the Queen in dealing with the companion.

Ural also seemed eager to act, but in the end, he merely pursed his lips, then gazed worriedly at Rye's left hand, injured just moments ago.

"You can stay." Rye made a decisive decision in her heart, releasing control over Simon.

Simon was momentarily stunned; his consciousness regained some clarity due to Rye's brief statement. However, he stubbornly said, "I... don't deserve to stay by your side."

He despised his body every moment.

Simon, who seemed to enjoy overshadowing other insectoids, would shamelessly beg Rye for another chance to meet.

However, all these desires collapsed completely under Rye's casual probing. Beneath the exterior, there were only sins once exploited by other tribes.

"I don't care," Rye said calmly, gazing down at the companion with a slightly lowered eyes and a disheveled posture.

The Queen's naturally powerful aura always inspired admiration and longing in the insect swarm.

Rye couldn't be bothered to comfort the emotionally unstable companion or indulge in unnecessary explanations. Instead, she casually declared his "innocence."

"I understand," Simon murmured softly.

Ural, witnessing the conclusion of their interaction, quickly approached to stick to Rye. With a serious expression, he said, "Rye, let me clean up these bloodstains for you."

"No need," Rye coldly refused.

"Oh... well," Ural said disappointedly, but he couldn't help staring at the bloodstains on the hem of his robe, secretly noting a mark against Simon in his heart.

For a companion, the Queen's injury was as serious as the sky collapsing and the earth shattering.

Tentacles gently wound around Rye's left hand, releasing an illusionary yet real seawater to clean the bloodstains.

A few mischievous tentacles even gestured threateningly towards Ural, as if declaring their position.

Ural's expression remained unchanged, but he secretly snapped a few tentacles.