Boom!
Chaos Insurgency attacked Queen Bee's lair. The complex tunnels forced 009 to order a multi-pronged assault.
“If you see The Vermin, hold nothing back; eliminate him.”
The Clown and Celestial Beast formed one team.
They advanced from the leftmost route.
“I said, why is he still alive?”
011 Celestial Beast asked as he walked.
He still didn't understand how 009 survived.
Arthur shrugged, “Who knows? Maybe he’s a cockroach. When the Computer told me, my first reaction was disbelief.”
They walked and talked, turning a corner to see a man.
The Vermin.
He leaned against the wall, waving, “Hello, lovely weather today, gentlemen.”
Seeing The Vermin, they instantly assumed battle stances.
“No nonsense, kill him.” Arthur said.
Celestial Beast nodded, charging forward on all fours!
The Vermin sprouted wings, dodging Celestial Beast and attacking Arthur!
Arthur spread his palms; thousands of blades appeared, piercing The Vermin!
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
Countless blades pierced The Vermin, yet he still smirked, “Amateurish…”
Really?
Arthur clenched his fist; the blades instantly intensified, dismembering The Vermin into countless pieces of flesh!
Splash!
The Vermin's body burst apart. Celestial Beast scratched his head, “That’s it?”
Arthur stroked his chin; it had been too easy.
As he thought this, the flesh on the ground dissolved into a swarm of black insects!
Huh?
Whoom!
The insects swarmed; Arthur unleashed another barrage of blades!
Thwack, thwack, thwack!
The blades struck the insects, but many still escaped!
The insects, revealing serrated mandibles, attacked Arthur!
He tore off one insect, ripping a piece of skin away!
Hiss!
Arthur gasped; the insects burrowed into his body, devouring him from within!
No, it was worse!
The insects were laying eggs inside him!
Those eggs hatched rapidly, almost instantly reaching adulthood!
Countless insects swarmed from Arthur’s orifices; his body was riddled with holes!
“Aaaaaah!!”
“No… he’s not… Cough…”
Arthur screamed; his throat was instantly filled with insects!
Many insects gathered behind him, forming a humanoid figure!
“Arthur, you might not know, but of all the potions we drank, only mine was complete.”
Thump!
Arthur’s body exploded, devoured by the insects.
The Vermin clapped, “Killing an old friend… quite distressing. Don’t you think so, dog?”
Low or mid-3rd Step?
Had he been holding back before?
Celestial Beast bared his teeth; he’d fought The Vermin in the desert.
But clearly, The Vermin hadn’t been serious then; he’d merely toyed with him!
Back then, The Vermin felt like only a mid-2nd Step or slightly higher.
But now, that feeling was gone!
Celestial Beast entered hunting mode, his spikes raised, charging at The Vermin!
“Who are you calling a dog!”
Seeing the charge, The Vermin smirked, striking the wall, activating a mechanism.
Thump!
The ground beneath them collapsed, revealing a three-hundred-meter-deep pit!
As Celestial Beast charged, The Vermin appeared behind him, kicking him into the pit!
“Farewell, dog!”
Bang!
The Vermin kicked Celestial Beast into the pit; below was a pool of molten metal!
Celestial Beast erupted in black smoke upon impact; the heating mechanism shut down; he quickly cooled!
Click.
The ceiling sealed shut; Celestial Beast was trapped.
The Vermin clapped, “Next…”
Whoom!
Suddenly, the world around The Vermin inverted!
He found himself in a dark, lightless void!
In this void, a mysterious giant hand extended, displaying three differently colored potions on its palm.
This was…?
Potions?
The Vermin grinned, “Hahaha, thank you for the gift! Praise the Supreme God, my beloved Lord Aurora!”
The Vermin had killed The Clown; The Clown’s fateline was severed.
These three potions were his reward.
All three potions were insect-related; the middle one, a mutation potion, was made with pupae as the core ingredient.
The left potion was called the Sacred Potion; its core ingredient was the scarab beetle.
The right potion was called ‘Prehistoric Centipede’; its core ingredient was an extinct centipede fossil.
Dating back 350 million years, from the Carboniferous period; the fossil was 2.6 meters long.
The Vermin had mentioned that only his potion was complete. His was the prototype, with some ingredients from Queen Bee, creating the Swarm series.
Its early effects were incredibly powerful; it allowed him to absorb abilities by consuming insects, control various insects, and rapidly reproduce them.
But the results were too gruesome, leading Mei to discard it among the unfinished potions.
For this second evolution, The Vermin chose the rightmost potion: the Prehistoric Centipede potion.
Without hesitation, he took the potion; the darkness vanished.
He was back in the corridor.
The Vermin smirked, holding the potion, “Ascending on the corpses of former comrades… disgusting, but I like it.”
For some reason, The Vermin didn't drink the potion.
Instead, he went to a hidden room.
A girl extended her hand; The Vermin gave her the potion.
She drank it; countless eyes sprouted on her face; her body elongated, transforming into a giant humanoid centipede, approximately 3 meters long!
Click, click!
The centipede’s body coiled, quickly reverting to humanoid form.
“…Insufficient. I should have chosen the middle one.”
Smiling, the girl said, “Brother, let’s kill another one. This time, we’ll take the middle one.”
“That way, we can reach 4th Step!”
The Vermin smirked, “That’s what I was thinking, sister!”
The Vermin’s body contorted, expanding; his lower body elongated into a massive centipede!
Four arms sprouted, each tipped with mantis-like blades!
His chest cracked open, revealing a large maw filled with fangs!
His skull split, revealing a serrated, insect-like proboscis, capable of opening like a snake's jaw!
“Devour them, evolve, transform. Let’s hunt; begin!”
...
009 pulled out his phone; the Computer activated within it.
“Incident report: Arthur’s life-sign monitor has stopped.”
Theoretically…
“The Clown is dead?”
“Any idea who did it?”
“Queen Bee may have anticipated my move; she deactivated all surveillance within the base. I can’t determine the culprit.”
“Who do you suspect?”
“The Guard Bees, The Vermin… they both have the means.”
“But Celestial Beast was with The Clown.”
“Yes, based on previous information, Queen Bee clearly had countermeasures for Celestial Beast.”
009 pondered, then snapped his finger.
His severed finger transformed into a grease pencil, “The more you want something, the less likely you’ll get it. Damn it.”
Thwack!
He tossed the pencil down, refocusing.
Focusing on properties, focusing on properties!
Focus on properties!
Even so, 009’s splitting was chaotic and unpredictable; he couldn’t control it.
Sometimes, his split objects would correspond to his situation.
For example, if surrounded, he might split into a teleportation candy.
Something like that.
009 tried to conjure a Black Arrow to eliminate Queen Bee and The Vermin.
But he failed; he repeatedly severed fingers and hands, yet couldn't create anything useful. He knew the function of what he could create; these were useless.
However…
009 turned; a bound man, covered by a sack, lay nearby.
009 opened the sack, revealing Gluttony’s head.
“Ask 005 where Queen Bee is.”
Gluttony remained silent, but his mouth moved, “It’s 009! How are you?”
“Shall we discuss a deal?”
“You kill this Gluttony, and I’ll help you find Queen Bee. How about that?”
009 smirked, “No. Compared to this guy and Queen Bee, I find you more dangerous.”
“Mouse, let's do this: you tell me Queen Bee’s location. After I eliminate her, I’ll release you. Then we can both go our separate ways, no interference?”
If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
The 005 inside Gluttony sneered, “009, do you think I’m that stupid?”
“I give you the location; you kill Queen Bee; you wouldn't need me anymore. Why would you release me?”
009 said, “If I release you now, you're free. Why would you tell me Queen Bee's location?”
Clearly, neither trusted the other.
“Trust is fundamental for cooperation. We should be more honest, shouldn't we?”
“But we both fear the other won’t be honest, right?”
Negotiations failed.
009 wouldn’t release 005; his abilities were too problematic; he was difficult to catch and, like 009, seemingly immortal.
005 knew 009 wouldn't let him go.
That madman aimed to eliminate all monsters, proving his loyalty and excellence to Lord Aurora.
During a previous assault on 009, 005 had fought 009 to a stalemate. 005 could suppress 009, but neither could kill the other.
...
Elsewhere.
013 Nightmare and 015 Naira Sorkin moved together.
Several flying swords hovered around Naira Sorkin; he’d already slain nearly twenty Guard Bees that had ambushed them!
During the battle, Naira Sorkin noticed something.
He imbued his swords with the four elements; those infused with water and ice proved highly effective against the Guard Bees.
He concluded: Guard Bees were weak to water!
“Almost there.”
Passing through a manhole, they reached a large, dark room.
Countless silent beings attacked them!
Guard Bees.
Naira Sorkin spread his palms; a powerful force repelled them!
Boom!
“Little Water Stream, Little Water Stream! Drown them!”
Whoom!
A vortex erupted from Naira Sorkin’s palm, sweeping the Guard Bees towards the ground!
Thump!
Upon contact with water, the Guard Bees froze, collapsing, trembling on the ground!
013 Nightmare, or perhaps Fan Ye, couldn't help but ask, upon hearing his incantation, “Aren’t you embarrassed?”
Embarrassed?
How could he not be embarrassed?
As Reinhard said, if your opponent was someone like The Clown, you wouldn’t need to fight; an incantation would be enough.
But when no one cared, there was no need for embarrassment.
The most irritating thing was that Fan Ye kept asking.
Naira Sorkin decided to play it cool, remaining silent.
He controlled his flying swords, swiftly beheading Guard Bees as they advanced.
“This should be the deepest part.”
Naira Sorkin touched the door, “Computer, open the door.”
Click.
The door opened; a woman lay on a bed.
She seemed asleep; hundreds of Guard Bees silently surrounded Queen Bee.
“We found her.”
Naira Sorkin flicked his fingers; his flying swords shot towards Queen Bee!
Asleep, Queen Bee didn’t dodge. Just as the swords were about to strike, several Guard Bees intercepted them!
Simultaneously, Queen Bee slowly opened her eyes.
Looking at Naira Sorkin, Queen Bee licked her lips, “Found me so quickly? Interested in becoming one of my Guard Bees, darling?”
Queen Bee released a powerful pheromone.
The pheromones entered Naira Sorkin and Fan Ye, causing intense arousal!
Their hormones surged.
This was Queen Bee's most terrifying ability: a pheromone passively released in dangerous situations.
This pheromone made any male creature irrationally attracted to her!
Fan Ye succumbed, his eyes glazed over as he approached Queen Bee!
Naira Sorkin, using his powerful psychic abilities, resisted. The feeling was bizarre…
It was an unavoidable, non-attack attack.
Though fleeting, he undeniably found Queen Bee beautiful, wanting to protect her, even feeling the urge to kill 009.
But he suppressed this impulse.
Fan Ye wasn't so lucky.
Queen Bee stroked Fan Ye’s face, “Darling, he wants to kill me. What will you do?”
“I’ll kill him.”
Fan Ye unleashed his power against Naira Sorkin!
Darkness!
The shadowy hand seized Naira Sorkin; he was pulled into a dreamscape.
But with his powerful psychic abilities and understanding of Fan Ye's powers, he knew he was in a dream.
Fan Ye followed him into the dreamscape!
Fan Ye’s body expanded enormously, becoming a massive shadowy creature with purple eyes!
“Enter the Eternal Dream; never wake. This is for your own good, Naira Sorkin!”
Naira Sorkin’s eyes narrowed, “You want to kill me?”
The Eternal Dream was simple.
To trap someone in a dream, never allowing them to wake!
This was done by Fan Ye entering the victim's dream and destroying their consciousness within!
The victim would never wake.
Leaving only an empty shell, like a vegetative state!
Fan Ye’s defection; Naira Sorkin’s first reaction was to snap him out of it.
But that was extremely difficult, as it was a dreamscape.
Unless Naira Sorkin could physically slap him awake!
Clearly impossible here.
He had to deal with Fan Ye within the dreamscape and wake him up later!
Naira Sorkin kicked the ground; countless flying swords erupted!
“This is my dream, Nightmare! Understand?”
Realizing he was dreaming, Naira Sorkin could alter the dreamscape to his will!
Fan Ye gestured; countless deep black vortexes appeared in the sky and on the ground!
“No, this dreamscape is mine! I am the master!”
Kill!
Countless chains burst from the black holes, wrapping around Naira Sorkin. He leaped into the air, his thousands of swords striking Fan Ye!
The battle was fierce.
They fought desperately within the dream; outside, Queen Bee watched calmly.
...
Elsewhere.
012 Master of Flesh and 014 Priest moved together.
To maximize both their abilities, they formed a team.
Master of Flesh created absolutely loyal followers for the Priest; the Priest unleashed his miracle!
“God says, the inferno erupts from the void, unstoppable, purifying all impurities!”
The Priest spoke; his followers closed their eyes in prayer.
As Guard Bees attacked, the space before them fractured; a void fire, like a dragon of flame, erupted!
Boom!!
The void fire instantly incinerated the Guard Bees; the Priest felt unprecedented satisfaction!
Finally, his moment to shine!
Thwack!
A piercing sound; the Priest was stunned.
He looked down; a massive, insect-like blade pierced his chest!
“God… God says my faith is unwavering; heal all my wounds, ugh!”
Splash!
Blood spurted; then, a light healed his wounds.
“Oh, this is the first time I’ve seen you use your abilities.”
A strange, raspy voice echoed from behind!
They turned to see a creature hanging upside down from the ceiling; its lower body was a giant centipede; its upper body had four strange arms.
The blade that pierced the Priest was one of its limbs!
“The Vermin?”
Master of Flesh slashed his wrist; countless blank human clones appeared, swarming The Vermin!
Thwack, thwack, thwack!!
Several blades flashed; those who charged were instantly cut to pieces by The Vermin’s mantis blades!
The Priest scrambled back, “He’s The Vermin?”
Master of Flesh frowned, “It’s him, but… he’s evolved?”
Master of Flesh had the strongest feelings about The Vermin.
Initially, when they were bound, The Vermin was beside him.
They’d whispered, discussing their situations.
The Vermin mentioned a sister waiting for him at home. After their escape, The Vermin obtained the Swarm potion.
He returned home, but he changed.
He seemed erratic, muttering constantly, his eyes filled with regret.
After that, they hadn’t seen each other for a long time.
Until the Computer presented the plan; 019 joined Kitsune.
Then, The Vermin changed again; the madness and regret were gone from his eyes.
Master of Flesh didn't know what happened during that time.
“Why the betrayal? Wasn’t it better back then, Vermin?”
Master of Flesh asked.
The Vermin raged, “I seek evolution! To tear 009 into eight pieces! Do you think I’d return?”
“Sorry, I hate being controlled!”
“Then why obey Queen Bee?” Master of Flesh asked.
“Obey Queen Bee?”
“When did I say I obeyed Queen Bee? We merely cooperate. The Sea King too. I don’t answer to anyone…”
Boom!
The Priest suddenly unleashed void fire; the flames engulfed The Vermin!
Master of Flesh exchanged glances with the Priest, “Eliminated?”
“Uncertain.”
He wasn’t trying to reason with The Vermin; he was buying time for the Priest’s ultimate attack.
The Priest cleared his throat, “God says that foul serpent shall have no wisdom; erase his wis…”
Splash!
A figure emerged from the flames, biting off the Priest’s head!
Thump!
The headless Priest fell; The Vermin’s centipede legs thrashed; his body was consumed by flames!
Click, click!
The sound of chewing came from behind; blood, bone, and viscous fluid flowed from The Vermin's proboscis!
“So painful… so painful!”
The Vermin turned; Master of Flesh felt a chill.
He’d instantly killed the Priest?
What was this?
Before Master of Flesh could react, The Vermin’s claws pierced his limbs!
His limbs were severed; Master of Flesh was cut into four pieces!
“Why…”
Splash!
Blood Mist erupted; The Vermin devoured his remains!
...
Simultaneously, two fatelines disappeared from Mei's side.
“014, 012.”
The Vermin had killed two more, but Mei didn't reward him.
This wasn't because each person could only receive one potion; it was because of his target selection.
By Mei's standards, The Vermin was initially rated as a slightly elevated 2nd Step.
Killing a fellow 2nd Step like The Clown warranted a reward.
But after his evolution to 3rd Step, killing 2nd Step Priest and Master of Flesh didn't qualify for a reward.
Rewards were given for defeating equals or those of a higher level.
However, Mei's ranking differed from theirs.
Mei ranked by life level; the monsters used combat strength.
If a 3rd Step defeated a 4th Step, they'd claim the 3rd Step had 4th Step strength; Mei wouldn't acknowledge it as 4th Step.
She only recognized the life level she perceived.
...
Having received no reward, The Vermin quickly formulated a plan.
“To… kill higher-level beings, only 3rd Step will do.”
That meant 011 Celestial Beast, 015 Naira Sorkin, 018 The Centaur.
And 004 Queen Bee, also a 3rd Step.
The Vermin crawled along the ceiling, targeting 011 Celestial Beast.
Devouring Celestial Beast, even without a potion reward, would grant him 4th Step strength through its superior physique!
The Centaur might also work.
The Vermin dashed off, targeting Celestial Beast. The frenzied, mindless, and trapped Celestial Beast was the perfect target!
“We’ll reach the apex of the food chain; no one can stop us. Then, they’ll be the insects!”
Remembering everything, The Vermin’s rage intensified.
He’d been kidnapped by 009, forced to fight for potions.
He hated 009!
If not for that potion, why would he have devoured his sister?
Yes, his sister was dead. He’d eaten her completely!
The potion’s effects had driven him to consume all life before him, culminating in his devouring of his sister.
By the time he reacted, it was too late.
Only a bloody hand remained.
From then on, 019 The Vermin's hatred for 009 reached its peak.
Consumed by regret and madness, he planned to dismember and devour 009!
That intense emotion fragmented The Vermin; he merged his sister's memories with his core, reviving her.
He himself lost his core, becoming a grotesque being formed from countless writhing insects!
Therefore, his sister’s body was his true form.
His current form was merely a derivative.
The potion could only be consumed by the true form.
But The Vermin was merely deceiving himself; the resurrected sister was no longer his original sister.
He refused to confront this reality; he used this delusion to numb himself, playing the role of brother and sister.
Even though both were him.
...
In the dreamscape.
The ground was golden sand; Naira Sorkin lay in a pool of blood.
Fan Ye held a giant sword, piercing his chest, “This is my dream; you’re just a visitor.”
Naira Sorkin looked at his hand; it was slowly dissolving, yet he felt no pain.
He felt only release.
“That’s right… I am just a visitor.”
During the fight, Naira Sorkin remembered something.
“I loved my grandfather. Everyone told me to be ambitious, responsible, successful. Only my grandfather told me to be happy.”
What do we strive for our entire lives?
Why do we fight so desperately…?
To please a superior being?
That’s so pathetic.
“A lifetime of striving; in the end, I still didn’t live a fulfilling life…”
It’s so tiring.
After this realization, Naira Sorkin stopped fighting Fan Ye.
He surrendered, allowing Fan Ye’s sword to pierce him; he remained motionless.
He’d constantly forced himself, changing jobs, companies closing, changing jobs again…
Finally, he became a con man.
Becoming a monster, Chaos Insurgency disbanded, loyalty to Kitsune, Kitsune disbanded, back to Chaos Insurgency.
The cycle was exhausting.
That’s enough…
The dreamscape vanished; Naira Sorkin’s lifeline was severed.
Fan Ye returned to reality, only to be pulled into the crack in space.
An invisible hand presented three potions.
Mei gave different potions to different people; her potions were usually from the same list, suited to the recipient.
Before Fan Ye were three potions: a demonic derivative potion made from the demonic pact Zero brought from another world.
A synthetic demon potion derived from Black Goat and Vampire.
Finally, a wild beast potion, from the same line as Celestial Beast and The Centaur.
All three focused on physical evolution.
Fan Ye already possessed a powerful secondary trait; he lacked physical enhancement.
“A reward for killing 015.”
“Choose one.”
Pulled into the crack by Death, Fan Ye regained clarity; a cold chill ran down his spine; his mind had never been so clear.
“Wait…”
“I killed Naira Sorkin…?”
Killed Naira Sorkin?
What did I do?
Fan Ye looked at his hands; his pupils trembled; he couldn’t believe he’d killed Naira Sorkin!
Why?
Fan Ye trembled, looking at the giant hand, “Sup… Supreme God, I don’t need any reward. Please resurrect Naira Sorkin. That’s my only request!”
Mei looked down at the small Fan Ye.
“Too late.”
Not really; Mei simply didn't want to.
Why? She was in a state of cultivation.
These people could only choose potion evolution; other options were unavailable.
Consumed by remorse, Fan Ye slumped to the ground.
“How could…”
Naira Sorkin…
Though he’d disliked him, after spending time with him, Fan Ye found Naira Sorkin pathetic.
He often sat alone by the window, muttering under the moon or silently smoking.
He seemed to have much to say, but no one to talk to.
The suppressed atmosphere around him was stifling.
He was suffering, but despite that suffering, he kept busy.
Perhaps that way, he wouldn’t have time to contemplate his purpose.
Returning from the desert, Naira Sorkin collapsed, paralyzed.
Fan Ye frequently checked on him; each time, Naira Sorkin would hold his hand for a long time, silent.
He was a pathetic man.
And Fan Ye had killed him; this guilt was unbearable.
Fan Ye made his choice; he randomly selected a potion and left the crack.
Since ‘God’ wouldn’t intervene, everything else felt futile.
His only option was… to deal with Queen Bee.
Fan Ye tilted his head and drank the potion. His limbs turned inky black; demonic features appeared!
The second demon was born.
...
Queen Bee’s lair.
Naira Sorkin and Fan Ye trembled.
Naira Sorkin collapsed; Fan Ye underwent a transformation.
His pupils dilated; his limbs were covered in black fur; his fingers became claws; a tail sprouted.
Evolution?
Queen Bee paused, surprised.
Had Lord Aurora intervened?
Why?
Because he’d killed Naira Sorkin?
No good.
Queen Bee tapped her finger, “Kill him.”
The Guard Bees surged, attacking Fan Ye!
Queen Bee was unaware of Mei's latest decision: the cultivation-like slaughter evolution.
That was why she hadn't killed Fan Ye and Naira Sorkin.
Watching them fight amused her, but she hadn't anticipated Fan Ye's evolution!
At that moment, Fan Ye opened his eyes.
Facing the Guard Bees, an invisible darkness erupted from him!
Whoom!
An absolute blackness, instantly absorbing all light!
The room was plunged into true darkness; one couldn't see their own hand before their eyes!
Blades flashed in the darkness; when the blackness receded, Fan Ye stood before Queen Bee!
The Guard Bees lay behind him.
Queen Bee was stunned. What had happened?
“What did you do?”
Fan Ye didn't answer; he lunged, his claws striking Queen Bee's neck!
Thwack, thwack!
His five claws pierced her throat!
But Queen Bee seemed immortal; a powerful force repelled Fan Ye; she emerged unscathed.
Dog stone.
Queen Bee touched her neck; thankfully, she had the dog stone; otherwise, that attack would have killed her.
Fan Ye didn’t anticipate this; he looked at his hand, slightly numb from the force.
What happened?
Did Queen Bee possess an immortality similar to 009's?
Fan Ye's evolution not only enhanced his physique; his powers had combined with his original Nightmare trait.
This resulted in Absolute Darkness.
As the name suggests, Absolute Darkness absorbed all light, rendering vision-dependent creatures blind.
The extent of this Absolute Darkness, akin to a domain, was untested.
But within this Absolute Darkness, Fan Ye was invincible.
As part of the darkness, he was invulnerable.
He could attack any point within the darkness.
His Nightmare trait remained; life within the darkness could be dragged into a dreamscape.
Though unsure whether Queen Bee’s immortality was innate or external, Fan Ye had a way to deal with it.
Killing her consciousness within a dream!
An immortal body was useless without consciousness.
Fan Ye unleashed Absolute Darkness again!
Dragging Queen Bee into a dreamscape!
Strangely, Queen Bee’s soul escaped the dreamscape instantly!
Her consciousness returned to her body!
This was akin to soul projection.
Because Queen Bee possessed the Goat amulet.
“I understand. Your ability is ineffective against me.” Queen Bee slowly sat up.
This was a battle of tools; Queen Bee’s amulet negated the Nightmare ability.
Fan Ye gritted his teeth, charging!
“I don’t believe it!”
...
Elsewhere.
021 Swordsmith and 017 Balance found Queen Bee’s hiding place.
But as they approached the entrance, a figure blocked them.
A Guard Bee, somewhat damaged, covered in dust.
“Another one?”
“Let me handle this…”
“Wait, Old Sword!”
“This one’s different!”
Huh?
Swordsmith frowned; this Guard Bee was unlike the others.
Not only did it have the Guard Bee characteristics, but part of its body was decaying.
Within this decay, plant tendrils intertwined!
Like a zombie plant-human.
Their instincts were correct; this wasn't an ordinary Guard Bee.
This was Avee.
The Guard Bee who led the assault on Kitsune's Sahara base.
And the sole survivor of that attack.
He survived because the Red Mist had possessed him; the crimson power transformed him into a plant-human hybrid!
A child of the Red Mist.
After Kitsune's base collapsed, he was buried under the sand, emerging much later.
Though his body was enhanced by the Red Mist, his mind remained under Queen Bee's control.
Balance was the first to notice the anomaly, “Something’s wrong with this Guard Bee. Don’t attack; I’ll handle it.”
Balance struck, pulling Avee into the Bagua space!
Avee's world spun; he was trapped within the Bagua space.
Avee stepped forward, moving towards a path.
He didn't know which was the life gate; he didn't understand this space.
But his mind urged him to escape; the queen was in danger; he must reach her!
Avee rushed forward; a blinding light flashed; he emerged from the Bagua space!
Balance and Swordsmith were approaching.
Sensing something, Balance turned to see Avee, wielding a massive stinger, attacking him!
What?
Balance’s eyes widened; Avee’s stinger pierced his chest!
Splash, splash!
“Life gate… how…?”
Blood flowed from Balance’s mouth; Swordsmith reacted, drawing his sword!
But Avee spun in mid-air, kicking him in the chest!
Thump!
Swordsmith was kicked against the wall, severely injuring his back!
A bloody light flashed in Avee’s eyes; his stinger descended, piercing Balance!
Plant tendrils erupted from Balance’s body, binding his limbs, tearing him apart!
“Is this… fate?”
Splash, splash!
Balance’s body exploded; his head and limbs were impaled by plants; he became a bloody tree with a human head!
“Balance!!”
Swordsmith roared, attacking with his sword, only to be kicked in the jaw by Avee!
Thump!