Chapter 46 - Newcomers

Feeling a bad premonition, especially after seeing the emblem on the old man's shirt, Lei Yan's mind raced to come up with a satisfying answer to the myriad questions flooding his mind.

"I know you can understand me, dragonfly. That spatial ring and that shocked expression can't be just coincidental. Hahaha," Old man Lu Peng was thoroughly enjoying this unexpected turn of events. Who would have thought the treasure he just found would be able to talk as well?

At first, although impressed by the insect's bloodline, he didn't take any action as he remained wary of the possibility of someone else being with them. However, after following them for a while and observing their cautious behavior, he was certain that they were alone.

The matter of the dead Li Feng was quickly relegated to the background, as obtaining these insects became the new priority for Lu Peng. If he could get his hands on these creatures, the consequences of being blamed for Li Feng's death seemed inconsequential in comparison.

This was precisely why he was beaming with joy at that moment. The minute he decided to act, he went all out, utilizing a low-grade Earth-ranked treasure specifically crafted for capturing insects, even though they were a whole major realm weaker than him. He didn't dare to take any chances.

Lei Yan, in this time of crisis, remained chillingly calm after overcoming the initial shock and surprise. He both consciously and subconsciously realized and deeply understood that in times of unprecedented danger, maintaining emotional composure was crucial for survival.

Moreover, just like in the seemingly last moments with Administrator Geng An, Lei Yan no longer clung to life so tightly that both dignity and rationality flew out of the window.

Although he knew from the man's words that his fate might not be pleasant and that he could face a life of servitude, these worries didn't occupy his thoughts at that moment.

This was precisely why he took an action that alleviated his concerns immensely. The two dragonfly nymphs, witnessing the unfolding scene and realizing the imminent danger, were about to intervene. However, being mindful and alert to the situation, Lei Yan swiftly caught wind of the change in their emotional state and ordered them to stay put.

When he finished that, he suddenly remembered Nevas, the mantis, who was happily sitting on the peak of the tree. This made him look up, and thankfully, Nevas was smart enough not to get involved. He had already used his camouflage ability to hide between the leaves at the top of the tree. If not for their connection, Lei Yan wouldn't even be able to sense him.

Then he thought of something else, 'If this guy has been following us for a while, he would've seen Nevas dealing with all of those monsters along the way?' Not understanding this point only frustrated him a bit, but he quickly dismissed it and focused on the matter at hand.

The more he observed, the angrier he became. All that was going through his mind at that time was a subtle boiling fury at the man laughing in his successful attempt to enslave him and an intense focus on everything that would happen. He had to salvage this situation somehow, and the first thing that came to mind was simple, "If you can't beat them, join them."

Lei Yan knew that he definitely wouldn't be able to beat him, so his mind raced, thinking of ways to seamlessly transition into this new situation. The first thing that came to mind was to act like a young, dumb, and innocent insect that doesn't know much about the world. After all, this was probably his biggest trump card right now – his hidden age and human wisdom.

Reaching this conclusion, he hid his fury in the deepest crevices of his heart, and an innocent but fearful expression was plastered on his face. He swiftly connected both of their minds and said weakly, trying to emulate a youthful voice even though his voice was already young enough because when he died in this world he was only around 17 years old, "Human, stop, don't kill us, please."

Internally, he really couldn't help but sweat just a tiny bit. He had no idea how a young insect should sound or what they understood. Did they know what "please" meant? As someone from Earth, the psyche of insects was something that he had absolutely no idea about.

Lu Peng was caught off guard by the movement of a mental technique at first and was alert, thinking that someone had targeted him, as he was still a little bit cautious. However, when he noticed its origin and recognized the technique, his face beamed even more, and he let it connect. When he heard the voice, a dumb, wide grin spread over his face, until his molars were visible.

Never in his wildest imagination did he dare to dream of encountering a situation such as this. The value of awakened insects in a sect like theirs was immense. But more than that, the insect he managed to get his hands on had a very pure bloodline and tremendous potential.

He even started dreaming about finally becoming an elder. Although his talent was lacking, and he couldn't break into Core Formation even after trying for two decades, this insect with high potential could definitely do it!

As a sect that specialized in insects, if your insect became Core Formation, then naturally, you were as well. He could finally go back to the sect and show off in front of all those who made fun of him.

To keep it short, he could already see one of his biggest regrets and shame in life being unraveled in front of him. The more intelligent and special the dragonfly was, the faster it unraveled and the happier he became.

Lu Peng, like most members of the Sun Insect Society, was very passionate about insects. He understood that awakened insects weren't all created equal. Some were way superior than others in terms of intellect. Some would remain with the personality of a young child their whole lives, understanding only simple commands. Others would grow up to become even more rational and shrewd than very old humans.

Thus, the moment he understood how intelligent the dragonfly was through the manner with which he spoke, he realized something. He had to balance out the fact that he had to take it away against its will and, at the same time, make it not be too afraid of him; otherwise, it would definitely be counterproductive to his plans. Their contraction techniques weren't omnipotent after all and some conditions had to be met.

Lei Yan, who was going through one of the most uncomfortable silences of his life, thought that he had definitely said something wrong. However, all of his worries proved to be baseless as the old man replied shortly afterward.

Lu Peng, being an old cunning man, considered all of this at the drop of a hat and answered softly in his mind, "Don't worry. How could I do that? I am not here to kill you, but the opposite. I came to save you from this forest because it is very dangerous for someone of your strength, and I want to take you with me to a place filled with all kinds of insects just like you, where they are safe."

As those words were said, Lu Peng observed the dragonfly's face, trying to discern anything from it. That was also the reason he expressed what he deemed as a somewhat complicated chain of ideas.

Hearing what the old man just said, Lei Yan, instead of being nervous and afraid, was, in fact, relieved. His motto in these past couple of days was, 'If there is a life, there is a way.'

The realization that there was indeed a life made him feel relieved. So, he feigned a bit of hesitancy and replied weakly, "Really? I did notice that this forest was very strange because there were no creatures around. But... won't you also try to eat me like the other monsters?"

At that point, Lei Yan really felt way over his head, as he had no idea what kind of persona to go with. As he realized he had a spatial ring and just tried to use a talisman to flee, considering those two variables, he didn't know how intelligent he should be and what was the limit of both his knowledge and naivety. But, by then, he had already started on a path, so he might as well continue it.

Lu Peng either thought everything made sense, or in his extreme happiness and constant daydreaming about the future, he overlooked some important details, so his face looked even happier after hearing the unexpected reply, "Of course, I will not eat you. I am not a monster; I'm human. We don't eat other creatures; we become partners with them."

Although he realized what he said wasn't completely true, there would be enough time in the future to fix the insect's way of thinking. As for now, he had to leave right away. He hurriedly shouted, "Let's leave right now. I won't take this net off because in case anything happened, it'll protect you against monsters."

After one last lie, because he didn't want any of them to run not that they could, he just wanted the convenience of carrying everyone. So, he carried the net, which made all of the insects inside mush together, and turned around to where he came from.

Yet! The moment that was done, a terrifying energy locked onto him—then two, three, and several others. Seeing this shocking turn of events, he felt his heart dropping into his stomach. It was as if something was watching him throughout the whole process, and just when he was about to leave, it intervened.

When his happiness reached the peak, someone came to destroy it.

Lu Peng's expression turned extremely ugly at the realization that he definitely wasn't able to beat them all. He slowly turned around and saw a shocking sight.

A pitch-black giant viper with fiery eyes slithered towards him in a carefree manner, sizing him up. The viper looked to be more than 20 meters long, and its width was definitely shocking, because as it slithered, he could tell that its height had already reached his waist.

Behind it were several types of snakes, but the strongest and biggest of them were three unique snakes. One was completely sky blue with white eyes and a single horn on its forehead; the other was a very sturdy looking black and white striped thick python, and the last one was a small and seemingly weak green viper adorned with exquisite but rough scales.

There were also several monsters of different kinds accompanying the gang of snakes who were just as strong.

In the sky, a lone-horned owl flew in circles.

The Viper, who considered herself the lord of this area and referred to herself as The Viper Queen, had a thoughtful look as she observed the man.

Initially, she really didn't want to engage in a fight with a human on the same realm after what her underling told her, even though she was clearly stronger than him. More than anyone, she had a faint understanding of what a civilization meant.

Unlike the rest of the monsters born in this swamp, she was born in a human city and lived for several years being showered with lavish resources and affection from her caretaker.

However, everything changed one day when her caretaker, whom she saw as a parent, was ambushed by other humans during an expedition to the swamp. In his last moments, he managed to send her away using a cultivation technique, and the attackers didn't bother to chase. Thus began her journey in the unforgiving swamp as a previously doted-on and sheltered cute viper.

Thus, she knew that in terms of resources, humans had everyone beat on the continent. She deeply understood that fighting on the same level was a death wish.