Chapter 561 - 380: Silver Moon Highlands, Void Insect Race (3)

The two civilizations were true mortal enemies. Over countless ages, they had fought several large-scale wars against the Void Insect Race, with the conflict spanning multiple major worlds.

The Wizard Civilization won every one of those wars, but always at an extremely heavy cost.

"The Void Insect Race Civilization is centered around individual Nests. It’s a highly unified hive-mind consciousness, and all Insect units are merely its extended tools."

"The Insect Race has countless such Nests. Each one can launch a war and invade a world on its own."

"But all Nests, in turn, are subordinate to the Void Empress of the Insect Race."

On the Light Curtain, the images switched rapidly.

The first to appear were the basic units of the swarm. They came in various forms, and their numbers were endless.

They were busy transporting blocks of converted matter and energy, building complex nests and energy conduits across a twisted, malformed landscape.

This was the most basic worker and combat unit, the "Mating Bee," which was numerous and replenished extremely quickly.

Next came more ferocious individuals. Their bodies were powerful and their Shells thick, with forelimbs that had evolved into terrifying, giant blades or bone hammers. When they charged, they carried a frenzied aura capable of destroying everything.

The "Rapid Insect"—mainstay of ground assaults and an elite combat unit.

The image shifted, revealing a type of Insect with exceptionally developed mouthparts that could spew streams of dark purple energy.

They tended to appear in clusters. When their energy streams hit the Silver Moon Barrier or structures made of Moonlight Stone, a harsh corrosive sound would follow as the Magic and physical structures rapidly dissolved.

The "Bone-Eating Insect"—a ranged attack unit with immense destructive power against both energy defenses and solid structures.

The sky was also filled with threats: a flying insect with a pair of translucent, membranous wings. Its flight path was as erratic and swift as a shadow, and it could dive at high speeds to spray a wide area with corrosive acid rain.

The "Shadow Wing Insect"—an air superiority and high-speed strike unit.

Finally, the Light Curtain froze on several types of relatively small Insects. Their Shells had a crystalline texture, and intense Energy fluctuations emanated from within their bodies.

These Insects were usually at the protected center of the swarm, their bodies continuously absorbing the surrounding Void Energy and emitting a rhythmic glow.

"These are Crystal Core Insects," Calendor pointed out, his tone serious.

"They are the Energy Nodes and converters of the swarm, supplying power to the entire system. They are of critical importance."

"These little things are equally dangerous. If necessary, the will of the Nest can force them to overload with energy and self-destruct."

"The resulting Void Energy shockwave is powerful enough to kill a Level Three Wizard instantly. In large numbers, they can even severely wound an unprepared Morning Star."

Before the images ended, a few blurry, distorted shadows flashed by. The aura they emanated was so potent that even Ian’s expression turned grave.

"These are the Mother Insect’s Guards. They’ve already touched upon the application of Space Rule, allowing them to perform short-distance Space Jumps or create localized spatial distortions. They’re incredibly hard to deal with."

"I suspect the disappearance of Carlisle and Elder Sera is related to an encounter with this type of unit."

The Light Curtain dissipated, and the hall was once again bathed in the cold moonlight.

It was a lot of information, and Ian silently processed it.

An Insect Race Civilization with a complete system, clear division of labor among its unit types, and unified command under a hive mind—its threat level truly far surpassed that of ordinary Void Demons, perhaps even rivaling the chaotic Abyssal Civilization.

They had strategy, tactics, and a continuous supply of troops and Energy.

"What is the Silver Moon Council’s current plan?" Ian looked at Calendor. "Repair the Barrier and then play defense? Or..."

"A passive defense is a dead sentence." A cold glint flashed in Calendor’s purple eyes.

"The Barrier’s power comes from the World Tree and the legacy of our ancestors, but it’s not infinite. Meanwhile, the Rift is continuously draining the World Origin to expand itself."

"We must enter the other side of the Rift and find a way to stop its expansion. At the very least, we must destroy or disrupt its core energy-siphoning nodes to buy time for the Barrier’s repair and the World Tree’s growth."

He knew this would be incredibly difficult to achieve.

Her Majesty, Elf King Serafina, was currently holding the core of the Barrier, using her own Radiant Moon Domain to stabilize the largest breaches. She could not move from her post.

And he himself had to constantly face off against the Nest’s consciousness on the other side of the Rift to prevent a sudden, large-scale spatial teleportation.

The other Radiant Moon councilors in the council, both human and of the Elf Race, were either tied up with important matters of their own or were on their way here.

Ian’s arrival had undoubtedly alleviated their desperate shortage of High Tier personnel.

"You want to go deep into the Rift to destroy those nodes, but you lack sufficiently powerful Morning Star Wizards."

Ian understood their predicament and their unspoken request.

"Yes," Calendor admitted frankly. "This is not just a matter concerning my Elf Race, but a crisis for the entire Wizard Alliance."

"We need a powerful Morning Star who excels at frontal assaults and clearing large areas. The abilities you displayed at the edge of the mountains are exactly what we require."

Gravity and Thermal Energy. A very unique Rule Combination, one perfectly suited for countering the Insects’ swarm tactics.

It would be extremely dangerous for an ordinary Morning Star Wizard to enter.

The world on the other side was already the Insect Race’s home turf. Its Rules had been altered to some extent, and there would also be the suppressive pressure from a powerful nest consciousness.

"High Priest, you’ve been talking to me for some time, but I have yet to hear what kind of payment you’re offering," Ian said coolly.

Calendor’s breath hitched slightly. "What is it you want?"

"I’m new here and don’t understand much of the situation. I still need to consider whether to accept this task."

Ian shook his head, his expression deliberately cautious.

Seeing Ian’s attitude, Calendor knew he wouldn’t budge unless he was offered something substantial.

"I know that most Morning Stars who come here do so in hopes of obtaining our Life Spring Water. I assume that is your objective as well."

Ian knew there was no point denying it in front of a Level Five Radiant Moon, so he simply nodded.

"If you participate, the Silver Moon Council will grant you advance access to a portion of our resource vaults. If you can bring back critical intelligence or achieve tangible results, then even a Void Energy Core... would not be out of the question."

The last sentence was laced with a tempting allure, but Ian was not the least bit moved.

"I need to understand the exact situation on the other side first. Also, if I agree to participate in this matter, the Life Spring Water and the Energy Core materials must be given to me up front."

Otherwise, he would turn and leave without a moment’s hesitation.