Chapter 37: Chapter 37: The attacker comes into light

The lone Awakener felt his body lock in place as an overwhelming sense of dread consumed him.

"He trusted me..." "They believe in me..."

"I can’t fail them..." Lucien thought as he moved.

Although the All Must Bow ability made them 100% loyal, Lucien knew that if he failed or ruled poorly that loyalty might begin to crack. Perhaps one day, it could even break, leading to rebellion.

He wasn’t certain.

But he felt it deeply.

And he wouldn’t allow them to be disappointed.

Just as Lucien closed the distance to within a meter of the soldier, he finally saw the attacker.

It was an insect.

Over a meter long.

Its body was elongated with a metallic green sheen. Long, thin legs supported its frame, while its narrow head bore large, prominent eyes and curved mandibles.

"An insect... really?" Lucien thought.

Then he moved.

Bang!

A loud explosion echoed as dust rose into the air.

Jeff and the other Awakeners rushed forward, their eyes fixed on the dust, waiting for it to settle.

The outcome would be decided.

Had the soldier been sacrificed?

Or had their leader kept his promise?

"Caught it."

Lucien’s voice echoed through the air.

Everyone let out a breath of relief.

Then

Their eyes widened in shock.

Lucien stood there, holding the head of a massive insect. Its body gleamed faintly under the fading light. It was over a meter long, its mandibles sharp and powerful.

They gulped.

No wonder it could easily latch onto one of them.

But what stood out the most were its legs, especially the hind legs. They were disproportionately large, almost piercing through its own body structure, resembling those of a grasshopper.

Lucien, however, was even more shocked.

He stared at its stats.

---

Host: Mutated Tiger Beetle

Rank: Beginner-Level Awakener (Peak)

Strength: 40

Speed: 98

Stamina: 40

Lucien felt his skin crawl.

His understanding of the world... shattered.

With the system offering no explanations, he had been left to figure things out on his own. He had always believed the limit of the Beginner-Level was 40 for all stats—except for rare individuals like himself, who could reach 50.

But now...

That belief was crumbling.

Right before him was an insect whose speed far surpassed its other attributes.

No wonder he hadn’t seen it at first.

It was fast.

Extremely fast.

With a speed of 98, combined with its reaction time..it was only two points behind Lucien.

Just two.

No wonder.

Still, its strength was only 40, meaning its durability would be similar.

It could easily kill other Beginner-Level Awakeners.

But against a One-Star Awakener...

It was weak.

Its speed was its only real advantage.

Yet even with a strength of 40, Lucien knew—

At that velocity, its attacks could hit with devastating force.

Possibly even approaching the equivalent of 50 in impact power.

Lucien slowly looked around, his skin still crawling.

What if there were more creatures like this?

Weren’t they completely unprepared?

But he sensed nothing nearby.

"This thing... it looks like a tiger beetle, doesn’t it?" Lucien said.

Jeff nodded, his eyes widening as realization struck.

"No wonder..."

His earlier assumptions had been wrong.

He had only considered large predators.

He hadn’t thought about insects.

And even if he had...

There were too many species, too many possibilities.

"Ten-meter trees... and now insects over a meter long..." Jeff muttered.

"Except for you, boss... none of us could handle this."

Lucien didn’t respond immediately.

He had only recognized it because the system displayed its name.

"Yes... you’re right, leader," Jeff said as he stepped forward.

The insect still twitched slightly. Its wings vibrated weakly, as if trying to escape.

But Lucien’s grip was absolute.

Like an iron clamp.

It couldn’t move.

"But its legs weren’t always this large... and its wings look sharper," Jeff continued.

"Then it’s confirmed..."

"Just like humans became zombies and evolved... other creatures....like insects have also been affected."

Lucien took a deep breath.

"Alright, Jeff... how do you all feel about bringing this back for research? This could be our first real step toward understanding this world," Lucien said.

Everyone nodded.

Their hearts were still shaken.

Even pinned down, none of them dared get close.

The soldier who had nearly died trembled the most, still feeling the cold touch of death lingering around him.

"Yes, Leader," Jeff replied.

"But this creature is too dangerous. As you saw, none of us could even perceive its speed. Am the only one capable of restraining it."

"If we take it back alive... I doubt anyone can truly contain it.".., lucien spoke

"Exactly," Jeff added. "Bringing it back alive is like bringing an enemy into our own home."

Lucien nodded.

"But you know what they say..."

"Dead or alive... research material is still valuable.".., lucien said, forming it out of the blue as everyone chuckled, their tense nerve relaxing.

Crack!

A sharp sound rang out.

Shrrkkk—!

Lucien tore the insect’s head clean off.

A pale yellowish fluid spilled out.

The creature’s body trembled briefly...

Then went still.

"Everyone—help me carry it. We’re heading back," Lucien ordered.

"Yes, Leader!"

The group moved together and lifted the insect.

They were visibly shocked by its weight.

Even with such mass...

It had moved that fast.

Terrifying.

As Jeff and the others began heading back, Lucien lingered for a moment, staring at the forest.

"This forest..." he whispered quietly.

"...is far too dangerous."

Then he moved forward and crouched beside the remaining blood of the fallen soldier.

"You did well," Lucien said softly as he plunged his hand into the dirt, covering the blood as much as he could.

Afterward, he stood up and followed his soldiers.

Once they were outside, everyone felt their bodies react strangely. After all, they had just moved from a place with dense oxygen to one with normal air.

It wasn’t easy to adjust so quickly. Not to mention, inside the forest, their bodies had been constantly tense.

Now they could finally relax.

And with that...

Fatigue hit them all at once.

Still, they continued marching.

"They’re back..."

The Semi-awakeners waiting in the distance called out as they saw Lucien and the others return.

They welcomed them, their eyes filled with curiosity as they looked at the massive insect being carried along.

Together, they began their march back to the shelter.

Lucien glanced at his SP balance...

Then sighed.

"I hope I don’t end up in a desperate situation where I have to use you again..." he muttered quietly.

He still remembered how SP had acted as a second life for him—especially during his battle against the elite zombie.