The Insect Mother’s core was incredibly hard—its defenses were even stronger than those of the spatial crystal’s mother core.
Working together and taking turns attacking, Yunyang and Si Zhao had nearly exhausted their mental power before finally creating a crack in the Insect Mother’s core.
But that still wasn’t enough to destroy it completely.
Before they set out, Si Zhao had asked the laboratory for some mental-power recovery potions. The laboratory had only six doses left in total, and she had brought two of them with her, saving them for a crucial moment.
And now, that moment had arrived.
Si Zhao tossed one of the doses to Leonardo. “Give this to your female lord. Hurry!”
Leonardo did not hesitate. He immediately used his ability to drive the vines upward at full speed, delivering the mental-power recovery potion to Yunyang, who was sitting on the back of the golden-winged roc.
Yunyang knew what the potion did. She took it and drank it without hesitation.
The familiar bitterness exploded across her tongue, and at the same time, her mental power rapidly began to recover.
Only then did Yunyang realize that Fuyuan’s ability could stack with the effects of the potion.
With her mental power replenished, she and Si Zhao continued attacking the Insect Mother’s core.
Leonardo and Fu Shiyi remained wholly focused. One piloted Guiying while the other carried Yunyang, both doing everything they could to evade the insects’ attacks.
The others continued attacking the insects with their abilities and weapons.
The recovery potion’s effects were limited. Fortunately, after the two women exhausted their mental power for the second time, countless cracks had already spread across the Insect Mother’s core.
At most, one more wave of attacks would be enough to destroy it completely.
Yunyang felt a little regretful.
She was only a B-rank ability user at the moment. If she could absorb the energy within the Insect Mother’s core, she might be able to skip A rank entirely and rise straight to S rank.
Still, it was only a small regret. Absorbing insect cores was not the only way she could improve her ability. Killing the Insect Mother as quickly as possible was more important right now.
By this point, the Insect Mother was already nearing exhaustion.
Female insects could not fly, while Guiying and the golden-winged roc had been fighting in the air the entire time. The Insect Mother had given up on implanting its eggs in the beastmen and now only wanted to stay alive.
It ordered the male insects to protect it as it fled through various parts of the nest.
However, apart from the four Federation soldiers who had arrived later, everyone else present knew the layout of the nest like the backs of their hands.
After briefly recovering her mental power with the help of Fuyuan’s ability, Yunyang released her mental threads once more.
But just before she attacked, she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
Yunyang froze and immediately began searching through the swarm below.
The chaotic male insects, the fleeing Insect Mother…
Something was wrong. Where was the female insect that had been following the Insect Mother earlier?
Yunyang immediately asked Si Zhao, “Sister Zhaozhao, have you seen that female insect from before?”
Si Zhao turned questioningly toward the two support-type ability users.
They had already been preparing to report this matter. As soon as Si Zhao asked, one of them spoke up.
“A minute ago, when the Insect Mother began fleeing, that female insect suddenly disappeared. It was as if… as if…”
The other person finished, “As if it had a spatial ability too.”
Yunyang’s expression gradually turned solemn.
Beastmen had an extremely keen sense of danger, and the stronger their abilities, the more acute that instinct became.
That female insect was probably the greatest threat they faced now.
Yunyang pressed herself against Pei Wenye’s chest. The familiar warmth against her back eased her anxiety a little.
Since they could not find the female insect for the time being, Yunyang stopped dwelling on it. Killing the Insect Mother was the top priority.
“He Youchuan, return to Sister Zhaozhao immediately. Don’t leave her side for even a moment.”
Although He Youchuan was Si Zhao’s beastman husband, Yunyang had no time to worry about propriety at a moment like this. She simply issued the order.
Si Zhao and He Youchuan both knew that she meant well and had no objections.
He Youchuan immediately retreated behind Si Zhao and carefully took hold of the hand hanging at her side.
Pei Wenye also silently slipped his free left arm around Yunyang’s waist.
No matter what happened, he would not leave his female lord for even an instant.
After giving He Youchuan his orders, Yunyang released her mental power once more, and Si Zhao began channeling hers as well.
Leonardo and Fu Shiyi had been pursuing the Insect Mother without pause, so the two of them were able to lock onto its fleeing figure with ease.
However, before either strand of mental power could reach the Insect Mother, the chaotic swarm suddenly came to a halt, as though someone had pressed a pause button.
Immediately afterward, the Insect Mother’s enormous body exploded.
Green fluid splashed across the ground, with a large amount spraying onto the male insects as well.
Every beastman present was stunned.
The Insect Mother… was dead?
Yunyang stared blankly at the Insect Mother, which had been reduced to severed limbs and shattered remains.
Within the pool of green slime, she saw the female insect that had just disappeared.
She did not know why, but the moment she saw those green eyes, an involuntary chill spread through her entire body.
She had never felt this way even when facing the Insect Mother.
Something was wrong. She had definitely overlooked something.
But what?
Yunyang’s mind was in complete turmoil. She could not grasp the crucial detail no matter how hard she tried.
“Sister Zhaozhao, we have to leave first!”
Si Zhao had already begun constructing a spatial passage the moment she saw the Insect Mother’s body explode.
At the same time Yunyang spoke, the passage was complete.
“Yangyang, go!”
Si Zhao was still on Guiying and gave Yunyang the chance to leave first.
Yunyang did not waste time being polite. There were still countless male insects inside the nest. Fu Shiyi carried several of them toward the spatial passage, while Pei Wenye entered first to clear the way. The other beastmen instinctively stayed behind to cover their retreat.
But the instant Yunyang followed Pei Wenye into the spatial passage, she suddenly remembered the detail she had been overlooking all along.
By then, however, her entire body had already entered the passage. It was too late.
The spatial tunnel’s suction was immense. Yunyang drew a deep breath and, with all the speed and volume she could manage, warned everyone, “Don’t come in!”
Qin Mo and the others’ expressions changed dramatically. They transformed into their beast forms and charged forward, but the dark-purple vortex before them was already closing at astonishing speed.
The next second, Yunyang and Pei Wenye were completely swallowed by the spatial passage.
Pei Wenye seized Yunyang’s hand and pulled her into his arms, shielding her tightly against himself.
Si Zhao, who was maintaining the spatial passage, sensed what was happening and tried to reclaim the space that had been overtaken, but she could not withstand the overwhelming energy.
A sweet, bloody taste rose in her throat, but she forcibly suppressed it.
Just before the spatial passage closed completely, a vine suddenly shoved its way inside, dragging along a cracked insect core.
The core was pressed into Yunyang’s palm.
At the instant the passage sealed shut, the thinnest tip of the vine wound around Yunyang’s wrist and broke away from the rest of the vine.
Yunyang tilted her head up to look at Pei Wenye, who was holding her tightly, and felt a pang of guilt.
“A-Ye, I’m sorry.”
How had she forgotten? The insect race was best at making jumps through space.
The spatial passage Sister Zhaozhao had just created must have been invaded by the Insect Mother—or another insect—through a wormhole long ago.
If she had realized it sooner, neither she nor Pei Wenye would have been dragged into the wormhole.
But now, no one knew where this wormhole led.
