Chapter 3135: Chapter 3135: Punishment
Cold sweats trickled down the foreheads of Miller and Mercer in response to their growing anxiety after they heard Zen's words.
Zen would have to pay the consequences with his life if he were to present the Royal Monkey race with the dead Dark Nether Bug.
Giving in to his worries, Mercer nudged lightly at Zen's shoulder and spoke in a hurried voice, “Friend, what they want is a living Dark Nether Bug, not a dead one.”
Zen smiled faintly and whispered back to him, “Don't worry. I am talking about the living Dark Nether Bug.”
“Do you have a living Dark Nether Bug?” Mercer's eyes widened as he took a step back. His gaze fell on Elvinia who smirked and gave her space ring a confident tap. Soon, a Dark Nether Bug the size of half a mortal fell from it and planted itself on the ground.
Where on earth did she get ahold of the Dark Nether Bug?
Mercer and Miller stood with their heads tilted to the side as they displayed conflicted expressions of shock and confusion.
As far as they remembered, the three Dark Nether Bugs that were the size of an adult were killed.
Moreover, they remembered that both Zen and Elvinia had no idea of what the Dark Nether Bug was. Then how were they able to catch one?
There was something else that made them suspicious about the whole scenario.
As they studied the Dark Nether Bug before them, they realized it was not drugged to remain as calm as it was. Normally, this would contradict with its usual irritable nature. Why was it displaying its utmost obedience now?
“Don't ask any questions. Just hand it over,” Zen whispered in a low tone that was only audible to them.
Despite their doubt reigning over their existence, Mercer and Miller obediently placed the Dark Nether Bug on the iron plate. Then they crawled out from the foot of the col and sent it on its way to the Royal Monkeys.
Since Zen and Elvinia kept their appearances disguised, the Royal Monkeys were oblivious of their presence.
With a quick scan, the head of the Royal Monkeys studied the Dark Nether Bug and pouted in disappointment. A Royal Monkey stationed beside him received the Dark Nether Bug with careful hands. With a cold snort, the head turned around and left with his subordinates.
Demanding a second Dark Nether Bug was supposed to be an excuse for the Royal Monkey race to obliterate the Insect Master race. However, they never expected the Insect Master race to possess one. Since they couldn't ask for a third one, they had no other option but to retreat.
After the Royal Monkey had led his team for a certain distance, he suddenly looked around and shouted, “Zimba! Linus! Respond to my call!”
“I'm right here!”
“I'm here!”
After hearing his command, two tall black monkeys riding on horseback appeared from both sides, each burly and strong in appearance.
“Those Insect Masters have caught two Dark Nether Bugs, but they intended to hide one from us. It is unforgivable. As a form of punishment, I want you to dispose of half of them!” the Royal Monkey snarled in a cold voice devoid of all emotions.
“Your wish is my command, Sir!”
Without hesitation, Zimba and Linus rode their horses and headed towards the col where the Insect Masters resided, each in charge of six Royal Monkeys. ṝåɴồΒÈⱾ
As they watched the Royal Monkeys leave their territory, the Insect Masters' tensed nerves relaxed as they loosened their stiff bodies and let out a sigh of relief. They were certain they would have died today had it not been for Zen's intervention when he brought out the Dark Nether Bug. Naturally, they eyed him up with gleaming eyes filled with gratitude.
With the assistance of others, a respectable insect raiser approached Zen as he walked out of his cave. When he stood before him, he lowered his gaze, knelt down with humility and said, “Thank you for saving our race. We are deeply grateful.”
“Don't mention it.” Zen held up the insect raiser to turn his gaze towards him and continued, “As far as I could tell, the Royal Monkey race was desperately searching for an excuse to finish you off. Although you avoided it for now, you might not be so lucky next time.”
As if Zen had struck a nerve with his comment, uncontrollable tears flooded the eyes of the insect raiser as he wept bitterly. “We are no match for them in terms of competence. What else could we do except letting them slaughter us?”
Continually overshadowed by the overpowering presence of the Royal Monkey race, the Insect Master race felt helpless and miserable. The Royal Monkey race could kill them as they saw fit.
Mercer seized the chance and inquired Zen about his previous doubts, “Where did you get that Dark Nether Bug? As far as I can tell, you shouldn't have any in your possession at all.”
Despite thinking on it long and hard, Mercer and Miller couldn't figure out how Zen was able to pull out a living Dark Nether Bug to present to the Royal Monkey race.
Of course, Zen was not going to lay it all bare to them. At their puzzled expressions, he let out a playful chuckle. He planned to diffuse their curiosity with a perfunctory reply when suddenly, the vibrant noise of hooves clattering against the ground of the col reverberated in his ears and alerted him.
Gradually, the sounds of galloping horses approached them at a steady speed as they listened on carefully. The once relaxed atmosphere tensed up once more. Their heartbeats thumped in unison with the sounds of the hooves.
As if they were struck by something that left them in a jolt, their expressions shifted visibly.
Not long after, a dozen Royal Monkeys perching atop their horses stood in a formation at the edge of the col. Leading the march from the front, Zimba shouted with an authoritative voice, “Our general has given an order. The Insect Master race had the intention to hide the Dark Nether Bug. This crime cannot be forgiven, and thus half of you will be killed as a form of punishment!”
Zimba's loud and clear declaration echoed around the walls of the col and announced itself in various frequencies as it bounced back in the ears of the Insect Masters. Upon hearing this, the faces of all the Insect Masters turned as white as a sheet as they reflected fear and vulnerability.
They never expected the return of the Royal Monkeys after they had dealt with them and gave them the Dark Nether Bugs.
“All Insect Masters must come to the valley to accept their punishment!” Zimba scorned above the col in a stern tone.
In the eyes of the Royal Monkey race, the Insect Master race was insignificant and inferior. They viewed them as cowards who lacked the guts to retaliate against them. They used their weakness as a means to force them to obey their orders. The Royal Monkeys didn't even bother to kill them in the col. Instead, they ordered the Insect Masters to obediently come on their own to face their consequences.
The Insect Masters in the col remained glued to the ground. None of them showed any signs of movement to approach the Royal Monkeys.
They didn't wish to voluntarily walk into the clutches of death that seemed to be inviting them in the face of the Royal Monkeys.
“It seems you wish to die together as a group. Alright then, let me fulfill it for you!” Linus roared as his glare became sharp. He dismounted from the horse and flashed a long and sharp spear-like stick in his hand.
Still rooted in their respective spots out of trauma, the Insect Masters began to tremble in fear at the sight of an angry Linus. At this moment, Zen's voice echoed in their ears as he said, “Just hold on a second.”
Zimba and Linus were alerted as Zen made his presence known. They immediately recognized the voice. It was the same voice that declared it had a Dark Nether Bug.
As Zen and Elvinia remained out of sight, they concluded Zen to be one of the Insect Masters. But when the pair made their sudden appearance, the Royal Monkeys in the ranks felt slightly stunned.
“Who are you?” Linus asked as he scanned Zen from head to toe.
The Insect Masters watched Zen nervously as if he were their last ray of hope in terms of survival. He had just swooped in to save them by averting the Dark Nether Bug crisis singlehandedly, so they naturally hoped he would have other methods up his sleeve to persuade the Royal Monkeys to leave once more. Although deep down, they had a feeling it was just their wishful thinking.
As if annoyed by the obvious question, Zen let out an exasperated sigh and spoke indifferently, “If you had left with the other Royal Monkeys, you would have lived long enough to see the next day. It's a pity you chose to return only to seek your own death. Don't blame me for that.”
The Dark Nether Bug Zen had offered to them wasn't the real deal. In fact, it was the Shape-shifting Spirit.
Back in the iron house, Zen had picked up the black box and allowed the Shape-shifting Spirit into it. Initially, he had planned to release it in the Dark Region.
But now, Zen was growing impatient in pursuit of getting his sister back, so he was left with no other choice.
Since the Royal Monkey race had demanded a second Dark Nether Bug, Zen materialized the Shape-shifting Spirit into a Dark Nether Bug to act as a replacement.
In the beginning, the Shape-shifting Spirit was hesitant in going by the plan, but it didn't have the strength to oppose Zen and thus caved under pressure. At the same time, as a preventive measure, Zen asked Elvinia to leave a soul mark on its body so they could later track its location and retrieve it.
But like the Insect Master race, he didn't expect the Royal Monkeys to return so soon.
When Zimba, Linus, and the other Royal Monkeys heard Zen's threat, their faces revealed a hint of mockery as they struggled to suppress their laughter.
Only a few creatures dared to speak to them in this tone in the Dark Region of Stage Fourteen. They wouldn't have believed it had they not heard it with their own ears.
“What did you say? Seek our own death? Foolish human! It's you who's courting your own death!” With a fit of mocking laughter, a conniving smile stretched across Linus' face as he jumped up using his powerful legs as a boost with the long stick in his hand.
The long stick circled in midair and hacked down towards Zen's head.