Chapter 140: The Abyss of Origin

The Abyss of Origin, one of the few places in the hive where no insects dwell, much like the Mushroom Lands. Ancient legends say this abyss reaches the world's depths, home to countless demons and monsters. Every century, these creatures would emerge to devour all life.

In the end, the great Mother Insect God subdued and killed most of them, with the survivors retreating to the abyss, barely clinging to life.

Despite this, the Black Crystal Insects still feared the abyss.

"The Abyss of Origin..."

Hearing the name, Insect Inhart hesitated. If the wizard creature knew the tunnels, it wouldn't have chosen this path.

The terror of the Abyss of Origin was not something a first-circle wizard creature could survive.

But then he thought, perhaps the wizard creature chose this path precisely because it seemed unlikely, hoping to deceive him.

Moreover, the guidance from the Earth Spirit couldn't be wrong. The wizard creature must have chosen this path with such a thought in mind.

Feeling confident, Insect Inhart flicked his antennae. He believed he had seen through the wizard creature's ruse.

"Don't think too much about it. Follow this path. Unless the wizard creature jumps into the abyss, everything else is a trick to mislead us."

Seeing the warrior insects still hesitant, Insect Inhart took to the air, radiating holy light and issuing a grand, sacred cry.

"Do not fear. The light of the Mother Insect God shines upon us. The demons and monsters of the Abyss of Origin dare not defy her majesty!"

...

The soft hum of insects echoed through the tunnels, reaching Richard's ears. From the sounds, Richard estimated that over thirty insects were pursuing him.

These insects were gaining quickly, closing the distance.

At this rate, they would catch him in mere seconds.

But he was still far from the Abyss of Origin.

Feeling desperate, Richard stopped, his staff igniting with black flames.

"Ulysses, let's fight back!"

Ulysses, leading the way, halted, his body enveloped in black fire.

"Caw, about time!"

Seconds later, the humming grew louder. Richard focused the elements with his staff, launching a head-sized black fireball down the tunnel.

Boom!

Black flames filled the tunnel, but when they dissipated, a starlight barrier stood before Richard, with dozens of unscathed insects behind it.

Richard's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Damn, a second-tier priest insect! Ulysses, cover me!"

Without delay, Richard turned and fled.

A second-tier warrior insect he might handle, given their crude use of raw strength, often only wielding a fraction of their full power.

But a priest insect was different.

Though less adept with elemental magic than wizards, their innate abilities were formidable.

The priest insect's starlight seal was a significant threat.

Watching Richard flee, Ulysses reluctantly said:

"Caw, such cowardice. It's just a second-tier priest insect. Watch your master, Lord of Ravens, take it down..."

Before Ulysses could finish, Insect Inhart erupted with holy light. Under its influence, the insects seemed invigorated, their morale soaring.

Insect Inhart's aura intensified beyond measure.

"Caw, damn divine elect!"

Seeing Insect Inhart's transformation, Ulysses cursed, launching a fireball before swiftly retreating towards Richard, catching up in seconds.

Seeing Ulysses ahead of him, Richard couldn't help but scold:

"Ulysses, you boast like crazy, yet you're scared off by a second-tier insect!"

Flying alongside Richard, Ulysses retorted:

"Caw, you don't understand! That white insect is a divine elect. Killing it would draw the attention of the old insect god.

Imagine what it would do upon seeing a heavily injured divine presence in its hive!"

"Damn it, unreliable!" Richard cursed, channeling magic into his staff and hurling several obliterate hearts behind him.

Buzz!

Black spheres blocked the tunnel, but Richard's magic reserves dropped to a third—a warning level.

Clink, clink...

Drained magic stones fell from Richard's body.

Backup mana activated!

After the obliterate hearts vanished, a figure wrapped in holy light emerged. Insect Inhart appeared unscathed in his starlight armor, seemingly unaffected by the powerful spells.

But unnoticed, green liquid dripped from Insect Inhart's mouth.

Even with divine protection and armor, the two-thousand-unit spell caused internal injuries.

With Insect Inhart leading, the warrior insects followed eagerly.

"Brothers, with me!" and "Brothers, charge!" were worlds apart, regardless of the universe.

So even if it led to hell, these insects would follow Insect Inhart and blaze a trail.

Boom! Boom! Boom...

Explosions echoed through the tunnel as Richard and Ulysses used spells to delay the pursuing second-tier priest insect.

Yet, empowered by divine armor and blessings, Insect Inhart seemed unstoppable. Not even obliterate hearts could slow him for long!

As the gap closed, Insect Inhart finally acted!

With a powerful flap, he closed in on Richard, firing a brilliant starlight beam from his brow crystal.

At this distance, no one could evade his starlight seal.

"Wizard creature, become a sacrifice to the Mother Insect God!"

But in the next moment, Insect Inhart found something blocking his vision.

His seal had instead trapped a warrior insect.

While Richard couldn't dodge at that range, he easily found a substitute.

As Richard pressed on, the tunnel grew hot, the air charged with a primal life force, spurring mutation.

Ahead lay the Abyss of Origin!

...

Truth be told, Richard had no desire to approach the Abyss of Origin, as the insects called it, unless absolutely necessary.

The abyss lived up to its name, housing an ocean within its depths.

At its deepest point lay an ocean constantly emitting primal life energy. Wizards called it the Primordial Sea, the birthplace of life at the dawn of the world.

Typically, such seas would become ordinary oceans after primitive life emerged, but due to some quirk of the hive world, a part of the Primordial Sea remained in the abyss.

For ancient life forms, the sea's energy wasn't harmful. Under its influence, they diversified into countless species.

But for evolved beings, this energy was toxic.

Additionally, the sea seemed linked to subterranean lava, creating scorching winds that carried its wild life energy throughout the abyss. These winds could twist limbs, mutate flesh, and turn beings into half-cooked meat before they exploded.

Moreover, ancient species still thrived in the abyss, their immense bodies and limited intelligence making them predators that hunted based on life energy—what wizards called constitution. Many were second or third-tier.

For Richard, entering was akin to courting death.

Fortunately, Ulysses was with him.

Ulysses' World Lord aura was extremely effective against these ancient species. Two years ago, when exploring the abyss, even third-tier beings avoided him.

This granted Richard a chance to survive.

As long as his magic shield held against the abyss's life winds, he could endure there briefly.

This was why he chose the abyss as his escape route.

The warrior insects lacked magic shields.

Seeing the red glow of the distant entrance, the sulfuric air tingled Insect Inhart's senses.

The ancient life energy battered his holy armor, its healing properties turning hostile.

Extending his antennae, Insect Inhart's holy light intensified.

"Wizard creature, I know you understand me. Beyond lies the Abyss of Origin. Death there is worse than being a sacrifice."

Richard's mouth twitched. Facing death either way, this was a poor attempt at persuasion.

As a response, Richard threw two more obliterate hearts, his back splitting open to expel drained magic stones.

Breaking through the spells, Insect Inhart snorted:

"Stubborn fool!"

One running, the other chasing, they reached the abyss's edge.

Steam rose from the abyss's depths as Richard turned, taunting Insect Inhart:

"Insect, if you want me as a sacrifice, come on down!"

With that, Richard fell back, disappearing into the steam.

Reaching the abyss's edge, Insect Inhart peered into the steaming depths, smirked, then spread his wings, his holy light flaring as he dove in.

As the Mother Insect God's chosen, the monsters wouldn't dare touch him.

Amid the steam, Richard stood with Ulysses on his shoulder, a magic shield before him, waiting patiently for the insects to leave.

But as a beam of holy light pierced the steam, Richard's expression changed.

"I was only taunting, and you really followed?

--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there 

patreon.com/LegendaryTL

Thanks!