Chapter 581 - 387: Nightmare World, Evolved Insect Race (Part 2)

But now, that entire area was completely enveloped and sealed off by a dense Abyssal Mist.

The mist was filled with Rules twisted by the Abyss and unknown dangers. Even the Insect Race’s Nest and the Summoner Council dared not venture deep inside.

Then, within the Dark Gold Tentacle User’s memories, Ian witnessed the terrifying scene that had been replayed over and over: the fall of two Morning Star Wizards from the Silver Moon Council.

The memory was from about three months ago. Two Elf Wizards, Carlisle and Theran, appeared in the scene he was perceiving.

They had tracked the unusual activity of the Insect Race here, discovering pure Abyssal Demonic Qi seeping from a Rift in the ground.

As they were cautiously investigating, they were attacked by a strange type of insect.

The memory was somewhat blurry and shaky, indicating the Dark Gold Tentacle User had been hiding somewhere and watching from a distance.

The attackers weren’t the usual giant members of the Insect Race. They were only about the size of large hounds, with a pair of wings and translucent, dark-purple Shells.

Their wings beat silently as they flew, creating almost no Energy disturbance. They blended into the environment, making them difficult to detect with conventional Spiritual Power scans.

During the initial encounter, Carlisle and Theran relied on their vast experience to repel or kill several of the creatures.

But these insects were incredibly fast. Their method of attack wasn’t physical tearing or Energy blasts; they attempted to ram directly into the Wizards’ bodies, especially their heads.

The battle continued into the night. The two of them rested in a hastily created cave.

However, one of the insects slowly "oozed" out from the shadows of the Rock. It ignored their defensive barriers and silently "seeped" into Carlisle’s skin like a liquid before vanishing.

Carlisle’s body trembled slightly for a moment, then went still again.

The next morning, as Theran was inspecting their surroundings, Carlisle, who had his back to him, launched a sudden, unprovoked attack.

In the memory, Carlisle’s eyes were hollow, his face contorted. Having completely lost his mind, he unleashed the most ferocious and reckless surprise attack on Theran.

Theran, shocked, scrambled to defend himself. Their fight spilled from the cave into the open.

The battle was exceptionally brutal. In the end, a heavily injured Theran managed to pierce Carlisle’s chest with a powerful, single-target destructive Witchcraft.

Panting, Theran staggered closer, apparently wanting to check on his companion.

But when he touched Carlisle’s rapidly cooling body, his face instantly turned deathly pale.

Carlisle’s Soul... was empty.

It was like a nut that had been carefully cracked open, its kernel completely scooped out.

The vessel of the Soul remained, but its core—the consciousness, memories, and sense of self—had vanished without a trace, leaving only a hollow shell.

Before Theran could recover from his grief, more of the dark-purple insects swarmed from all directions, silently descending upon the heavily injured and mentally devastated Wizard...

At this point in the memory, Ian could feel the fear and relief the Dark Gold Tentacle User had experienced.

He and another Level Four Peak Summoner had watched from a distance, witnessing the fall of the two Morning Star Wizards from beginning to end.

They did not intervene.

First, they were wary of that bizarre type of insect. Second, their inaction was based on the Summoner Council’s standing policy toward "outsiders."

Perhaps they also intended to let the outsiders test the waters against this new threat.

The memory fragments also provided the name for this insect in the language of Esok: Soul-Devouring Insect.

They speculated that these were special, mutated units that the Nest had evolved after devouring and assimilating scattered Cosmic Subconscious Fragments.

The Cosmic Subconscious Fragments granted them a powerful ability: to bypass mental and Soul defenses, directly infiltrating, eroding, and devouring the Soul.

Within the Nightmare Space, the flow of time was different from the outside world.

By the time Ian had extracted the three silver-gray wisps of mist, the three Summoners below were already on their last breath.

Their Spiritual Energy was nearly depleted, and their minds had been repeatedly tortured and ravaged by their individual nightmares. Their consciousness had dissipated, leaving only an instinctive, fearful trembling.

Ian had no interest in torturing them. With a single thought, the pale crescent moon hanging above them suddenly shifted.

Three intangible, formless "Moonlight Blades" that acted directly on the Soul-level swept silently through them.

The three figures stiffened abruptly. The light in their eyes completely extinguished, and they crumpled to the ground.

Deep within each of their Seas of Spirit, a faintly glowing, silver-white Rune was enveloped by a gentle moonlight Power, stripped away, and flew slowly toward Ian in the sky above.

The Dark Gold Tentacle User was the strongest of the three. In the final moment before his Soul was annihilated, his eyes reflected Ian’s cold, indifferent face.

"...You’ll die too... I’ll be waiting for you..."

Then, the third fragment was stripped away.

Ian reached out and made a grasping motion. The three silver-white Runes landed in his palm, resonating softly with the fragments he had previously acquired.

The Nightmare Space began to fade away.

Inside the spherical space, the three Summoners’ bodies were now lifeless, their Shells dull and without luster.

Ian looked down, lost in thought, a chilling killing intent in his eyes.

’This is the terrifying evolutionary ability of the Void Insect Race. They evolve abilities based on what they devour.’

’And the Soul-Devouring Insects, which have devoured Cosmic Subconscious Fragments, are even more terrifying.’

’They can silently infiltrate the Sea of Spirit, devour the Soul, and control the body. This isn’t an enemy you can defend against with conventional Energy or physical attacks.’

’It strikes at the most vulnerable part of any intelligent being... the Soul.’

Carlisle and Theran, two experienced Morning Star Wizards, were far from weak. Their deaths clearly indicated the Level of this threat.

"The Nest... is already using the Power of the fragments," Ian murmured to himself.

This was a huge threat to him as well. It meant the Nest’s evolutionary path was growing more dangerous, and it could even descend upon Esok at any moment.

’But it’s also an unprecedented opportunity.’

’The emergence of the Soul-Devouring Insect proves the potential of the Cosmic Subconscious Fragments. They can not only bypass the World Will but also be used for attacks on the Soul-level.’

’If I can capture a few and analyze their structure and how their Power operates, I might be able to reverse-engineer a deeper, more direct method for using the fragments.’

’It would far surpass the crude methods of resonance and borrowing that the Summoners use.’

’It would be crucial for completing my [Ten Thousand Realms Projection Descent Technique], and even for exploring the Heart of the World and confronting the Abyss in the future.’

’Of course, hunting Soul-Devouring Insects is certainly risky, but risk and opportunity are two sides of the same coin.’

Ian put away the three fragments, placing them on the periphery of his Sea of Spirit and allowing the Power of his Sun and Moon Dual Core to slowly wash over them and analyze their surface structures.

A deeper analysis would require a safe environment and more time.

He looked up, his gaze piercing through the thick layers of Rock, his eyes dark and profound.

’I cleared out an Insect Nest before, so the main Nest won’t just let it slide. The surface is now crawling with an army of the Insect Race, with Soul-Devouring Insects hidden among them.’

’My tactics have to change.’

’Facing the Soul-Devouring Insects, a Wizard’s conventional combat form is too risky. I have to be on guard; Carlisle’s fate is a clear warning.’

’Crescent Form...’ Ian thought, recalling the Power of the Silver-White Dream Core within his Sea of Spirit.

’The Nightmare Space was built based on this form. In this state, my Soul Essence leans more toward the Rules of ’Dream Realm’ and ’Chaos,’ which might share an origin with the Soul-Devouring Insects, or even be of a Higher Tier.’

’This might grant me some resistance, or even allow me to counter them.’

’Moreover, the Soul Wanderer and Dream Invasion abilities of the Crescent Form are perfect for gathering intelligence, carrying out silent assassinations, and evading physical encirclement.’

’My objective needs to be clearer and more aggressive.’

’I have to collect as many scattered Cosmic Subconscious Fragments as possible before the main Nest can assimilate more of them and evolve even more terrifying soldiers.’

’I need to go into hunting mode—destroy large numbers of Insect Nests, especially the Soul-Devouring Insects and Summoners.’

’They are all holders of the fragments. By targeting them, I can not only reduce the threat but also analyze the Soul-Devouring Insects to accelerate the perfection of my Descent Technique, while collecting a large amount of Esok’s World Origin on the side.’

The phantoms of the sun and moon flashed in Ian’s eyes before settling into an expression of calm confidence.

’Before the Void Nest descends, I must eradicate more than ninety percent of the Insect Nests on the surface.’

’That would be equivalent to severing the Void Nest’s connection to Esok, possibly even preventing its descent entirely.’

’Of course, doing so will certainly provoke a frenzied counterattack from the Void Nest.’

But with his Meditation Method fully integrated and his strength once again enhanced, he felt no fear.