Evan Yang and his companions walked inside, just as they saw someone registering.
The man saw Evan's group and asked, "What are you here for?"
"To get a pass, the entry permit for that place," Lynn Lin replied.
"Alright, input your aura here," the man said, pointing to a crystal sphere nearby. The sphere glowed, its purpose unclear.
Curious, Lynn reached out and pressed her hand into it. A faint layer of light coiled around her wrist.
"What is this?" Lynn asked in surprise.
"This is your pass. Once you go inside, it'll cling to you. When you come out, I'll remove it here. It's to prevent anyone from stealing things they shouldn't—makes tracking easier," the man explained.
Hearing this, Lynn laughed, "I didn't expect this to be the pass."
Evan and Melody followed Lynn's example, placing their hands on the sphere. Soon, both had light coiling around their hands as well.
"Alright, let's go," Lynn said. The three left the room and stopped outside the building where the specimens were displayed.
Seeing all three had been marked, the guards let them in. Inside, they saw people admiring the displays—it was like an animal specimen world.
But these animals looked different—some had teeth growing out of their heads.
Some even had their lower bodies missing, with legs sprouting directly from their torsos. There were all sorts of bizarre forms.
"Are these the monsters you were talking about?" Evan asked.
"Yeah, scary, right? Let me tell you, they're even scarier when alive. Some are so powerful that a single bite can poison you to death," Lynn said.
"They really do look ferocious," Evan said.
Just as Evan finished speaking, a commotion started ahead. Curious, Lynn pulled Evan and Melody over. They found a crowd gathered around a creature—one that was actually alive.
"I thought they were all dead—why is there a living one?" Evan wondered aloud.
Lynn didn't know either, so she asked someone. She learned the creature had just arrived, had died and come back to life, which was why it was still here.
Dead and revived? Monsters like that? Evan was intrigued and looked at the creature. It had a single eye, was as long as an arm, a bit like an earthworm but much thicker, its body blue and strange, mouth bubbling pale foam.
"That's disgusting," Lynn muttered when she saw it.
Evan glanced at it, thinking it was just some mutated monster, but then a strange feeling came over him.
Evan learned from the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects that it urgently needed this worm.
"Seriously? Even something that disgusting?" Evan muttered to himself. But since the Ancestor wanted it, he had to figure out a way—maybe come back when fewer people were around.
But remembering that entry and exit required special procedures, Evan realized he'd need another method.
The three wandered around, and finally Lynn said, "I thought it'd be more impressive. It's just okay."
"Yeah, pretty much. We should head out soon, but there's one more thing I need to do. Just act like you didn't see anything," Evan said with a smile.
Lynn and Melody didn't understand what Evan was planning. Suddenly, a swarm of insects appeared around the creature, startling everyone and causing panic.
Seeing this, Lynn and Melody realized Evan was behind it, though they didn't know why. Evan gestured for silence and watched the chaos. In the confusion, the blue creature disappeared.
The chaos drew the hall's guardians. Evan told Lynn and Melody, "Let's go—outside."
The three left and, joining the crowd outside, Evan said to Lynn and Melody, "We need to get these marks removed first."
When they returned to the Pass Issuance pavilion, the clerk said there had been an incident, so removal was suspended. Everyone had to stay in the capital until things were resolved.
"What do we do now?" Lynn asked Evan.
"Let's just find an inn and stay put for now," Evan replied.
The three found an inn and settled in. Inside, Lynn turned to Evan and asked, "Why did you do that?"
"Because I needed that thing," Evan said with a smile.
"You want something that disgusting?" Lynn exclaimed.
"Just leave it alone. We'll stay here for a few days—no one will know I took it," Evan said, smiling.
"How did you get it out? Can your bugs steal things from a distance?" Lynn asked, puzzled.
"That's a secret. I have lots of different bugs, each with its own purpose," Evan replied with a smile.
"It's hard to imagine how you ended up with so many bugs," Lynn said, shuddering at the thought.
"What do you mean, 'ended up'? They're my pets. If you don't believe me, I can let a swarm play with you," Evan joked.
"Forget it, you play by yourself. We'll sleep in the next room," Lynn said, trembling at the idea. She spoke to Melody, and the two left for the neighboring room. Evan then took out the creature.
The creature stared at him. Evan smiled, "Don't panic—my friend needs you." With that, he summoned the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects.
The Ancestor became excited upon seeing the worm, while the creature's earlier aggression turned into fearful retreat.
Evan had set up a barrier, so the worm couldn't leave and could only circle around him.
"What are you planning to do?" Evan asked the Ancestor, communicating via blood-bond.
The Ancestor's answer surprised him: fusion. Evan was confused—why choose such a creature? The Ancestor explained that this worm had mutated and gained a resurrection ability. If it fused with the worm, its future offspring might inherit the same trait and possibly revive multiple times.
This was great news for Evan—if true, his insect army would become terrifying.
Meanwhile, the monster specimen hall was bustling with activity.
Inside the grand hall, several army units stood guard. One wore armor with a bird totem emblazoned on it.
The bird appeared to release flames, and only the top general of the Meyor Dynasty—second only to the Empress—could wear this armor.
He spoke angrily, "What happened here?"
"General, we don't know what happened. Suddenly a swarm of strange bugs appeared, rushed at the creature, and then both the bugs and the monster vanished," someone reported.
"Useless! You couldn't even guard a single creature. I'll report this to the Empress," the general said angrily.
"We killed a few bugs here. They're powerful—maybe the Empress can figure out the cause," another said.
The general took the bug corpses and said, "Let's hope so."
With that, he left, carrying the corpses.
In the Meyor Imperial Palace, a banquet was underway. Important figures from the capital and the desert tribes were present.
Though the desert people were rough and wild, some nobles were quite disciplined.
At the center sat a woman in long robes, her mantle covering her throne. No one dared underestimate her—she was the Empress, a formidable presence.
"Today marks the alliance between Meyor and the desert. From now on, no one may kill each other's people—life for life," the Empress said with a smile.
"The Empress is wise," everyone responded respectfully.
Just then, the general burst in. Everyone knew something serious had happened—he wouldn't disrupt the banquet otherwise.
The Empress frowned, "General Hugh, what's wrong?"
"Empress, the resurrecting monster in the specimen hall has vanished—someone took it right in front of everyone," the general reported.
Everyone was shocked—who dared cause trouble in the heart of the Meyor capital?
The Empress frowned, "What? Say that again."
After the general repeated the details, the Empress said coldly, "Who has such nerve? Have you found them?"
"No. Over ten thousand people entered the hall that night, and they're all still in the city," the general said.
"They're still here? Keep watch. Any other useful clues?" the Empress asked.
"Here are the bug corpses left at the scene," the general said, handing them over.
The Empress studied the corpses and said, "Excuse me for a moment, everyone—please continue."
She followed the general to a quiet spot and asked, "You're sure these are the bugs? And only a few?"
"I heard there was a whole swarm," the general replied.
The Empress grew excited, "Heaven truly favors me."
Even though the specimen was stolen, the Empress was happy. The general was puzzled, "Empress, why?"
"These bugs are all identical, produced from a single mother body. To command such a strong swarm, the mother must be the Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects I've been searching for!" the Empress said, smiling.
The general, a Meyor native, understood insects well. Hearing the name 'Ancestor of Ten Thousand Insects,' he was shocked—it was thought extinct. Now, he was excited too. "Congratulations, Empress."
"I can't be certain yet, but I'm eighty percent sure. No matter what, lock down those people. I'll use these bug corpses to track down their master," the Empress said coldly.
"That's perfect. Their master would never expect the Empress to track them through the bug corpses," the general said with a smile.