Translator: Atlas Studios
Editor: Atlas Studios
The yellowish exoskeleton of the huge grasshopper looked extremely hard. It was covered with complicated unknown patterns, resembling the vein pattern of a certain type of leaf.
It had a pair of gold and profound compound eyes and long antennae like a katydid.
The huge grasshopper flew down from the sky and landed in front of System. It emitted a strange scent that System found pleasing.
System felt that the grasshopper before him had unparalleled beauty. Many unexplainable emotions were formed within him, and he even had an urge to bow down and worship it.
However, the feeling of wanting to worship it could not be compared to another emotion—the desire to mate with it!
It was the instinct present in the blood of all insects; to find a strong partner and mate, then give birth to powerful offspring. The stronger offspring would then continue one’s bloodline.
System forcibly suppressed his body that was slightly trembling due to excitement. He, who had a human soul, could not imagine him, a grasshopper that was not even half the size of the other one, mating.
Also, if he mated with it now, only death would await him. The fear of death caused System’s excited body to calm down.
System observed the huge female grasshopper in front of him. It did not get intimate with him again, but just tilted its head and seemed to be sizing him up.
System heaved a sigh of relief. If the large female grasshopper wanted to mate and die together with him, it would be challenging for his body to resist.
The insects’ mating rule was straightforward—the more powerful an individual was, the stronger the attraction of one to those of the opposite sex.
On the contrary, if one was weaker than the other, then it would be difficult to attract others.
The female grasshopper before System was such an example. It did not plan to mate with System, and if System forcibly approached it, the female grasshopper might even attack him.
…
The two grasshoppers, one big, one small, stared at each other on an unknown plant.
System was thinking and sensing the mysterious scent the other grasshopper had emitted. It was not pheromones that attracted males, but a mysterious scent that made him want to bow down.
The female grasshopper was as large as 25 centimeters and seemed to be the queen of grasshoppers.
Its body was covered with a sturdy exoskeleton and huge mandibles. It would most likely be difficult for even the insects’ natural enemies, like lizards and birds, to win against it. Insect hunters like praying mantises or katydids could only dodge from afar once they even saw it.
System speculated that the grasshopper queen could emit such a mysterious scent due to undergoing her third molting.
It was unknown what she had experienced for her to be able to undergo the third molting process. She might be gifted, or it was because of some miraculous encounter.
There were tens of millions of grasshoppers in the forest each year, so it was not rare for such a unique grasshopper to be born.
It was a pity that insects’ intelligence was extremely low, so communication was not possible. System could not ask it questions and would not be able to obtain detailed information regarding the third molting.
However, just as System was deep in thoughts, he suddenly heard a gentle voice.
“Together, go?”
The voice was extremely soft, but System heard it clearly. He subconsciously turned the antennae on his head to detect the source of the voice.
He turned his insect head and checked the surroundings but discovered nothing.
“You, together, go?”
That gentle and strange sound yet again appeared in System’s mind.
Finally, System realized that the voice was not a sound but a unique ability that was similar to telepathy. The creature sending out such a telepathic message was the female grasshopper in front of him.
“Together, go?” said the female grasshopper once again. She seemed to have intelligence, but her use of language was poor. Thus, the message she sent seemed to be quite clumsy.
System’s insect head could not help but reveal a shocked expression.
As compared to wild boars that could release flames or that old Druid that could heal injuries, the female grasshopper astonished System even more.
The telepathic ability was like Cerebrate’s from Starcraft, which was special enough. Also, the creature that was using such a strange ability was a distant grasshopper relative.
“Together, go?”
The grasshopper queen sent the message once again, and System finally collected himself from the astonishment.
The grasshopper queen’s ability was extremely miraculous. System could feel that his mind was connected to her mind, and they could communicate.
“Where do you want to bring me to?”
System tried to send a message to her through their spiritual connection.
He realized that it was abnormally easy to send messages. He only needed to imagine what he wanted to say, and the message in his mind would naturally be sent to the other.
The grasshopper queen tilted her head as she looked at System. She seemed to have a puzzled expression. After a short while, she once again sent a message.
“You, are different. You… Me, very special, different… from… them.”
The female grasshopper was very clumsy in sending messages. It seemed she could not form many sentences. However, System still understood the meaning behind her message.
“Are you saying that we have intelligence, so we are different from normal grasshoppers?”
“Inte-lli-gence?”
“Yes, intelligence,” replied System.
The female grasshopper seemed to be lost in thought and did not continue conversing with System for a long time.
System also waited silently, just like that. After a while, that female grasshopper suddenly looked toward him and sent him countless pieces of information.
As the information sent combined, they formed strange yet familiar images in System’s mind.
System was familiar with these images. These were the scenes that had appeared in his bloodline when his [Insect Adaptability] had reached Level 11, and he had entered a new stage.
Within the images, countless grasshoppers gathered, and together, they flew past high mountains and deep oceans as if they were searching for a mysterious place.
“Together, let’s go?”
The huge female grasshopper sent a message to System once again, and he finally understood what her invitation was.
System thought for a moment and asked her, “Why do you want to go to such a distant place? Is there anything there?” Maybe her [Insect Adaptability]’s level was higher, and she knew more secrets.
The grasshopper queen seemed to reveal longing expression as she sent a message to System.
“I want to, see. The world is so wide, and there are so many things to see in this world.’
The message the grasshopper queen sent was simple and pure. If ordinary humans said that to System, he would most likely think of it as their excuse and would not believe them.
However, the grasshopper queen couldn’t lie, and she did not know how to lie.
With no other purpose, the grasshopper queen just wanted to look at this vast world.
System shook his head lightly and sent a message to the queen. “I cannot go with you. I have to stay here.”
“Why?”
Upon seeing that the queen was doubtful, System thought for a moment and decided to tell the truth. “My lifespan of 60 days is too short. I don’t want to waste my time exploring the world.”
The grasshopper queen revealed a puzzled expression as she continued sending a message to System.
“You, me, together, then, mate, offspring.”
She seemed to have wanted to form a lengthy sentence, but it was difficult for her words to connect into a complete sentence.
However, System still understood what she meant. She wanted System to go with her. When System was about to die, she would mate with him so he would have offspring and pass on his bloodline.
The continuation of their bloodlines was an inborn insect instinct. As compared to their deaths, insects were more afraid of not having offspring.
However, System was unique. Instead of giving birth to offspring and then die, System hoped that he could live a little longer.
System looked at the huge female grasshopper, uncertain what to say…