A faint tremor rippled through the stagnant air.Soft, almost imperceptible at first—like the whisper of fabric being crumpled.
Then, it grew clearer.
Beats.
Dozens of them.
No… hundreds of tiny wingbeats.
Lucie lifted her head, her face still pale from the stench, and looked around.
« What the hell is that now…? »
A bad feeling crept up her spine.
Or rather, it was an instinctive aversion—an almost primal discomfort—at the presence of whatever was lurking in the darkness.
The sound grew louder with every passing second, until it became a chaotic hum of wings and deep buzzing.
Victor stood still, unfazed—no fear, no disgust.
He had spent years, decades even, in the company of things far more terrifying than these.
He knew them. He understood them.
He loved them.
These insects were pure.
They made no distinctions, committed no injustices.
They were beautiful in their simplicity and honesty.
If they wanted to eat, they ate.
If they wanted to reproduce, they didn't ask questions.
If they wanted to kill, they didn't think twice.
That was their true beauty.
Perhaps he had always thought this way—or perhaps this simulation had planted those ideas in his head.
He didn't know, and frankly, he didn't care.
Instinctively, he stretched his hand forward.
The sounds ceased instantly—and where there had been nothing before, a shape began to take form.
The creature stood about a meter tall.
Its body wasn't solid, it writhed, moving like a mass of disgusting maggots.
Hundreds of flies clustered together, forming the body of a gigantic dipteran.
Their small, glassy, hexagonal eyes were fixed on Victor—analyzing him, dissecting him, trying to see through him.
« This is… fascinating. »
He had seen this species before, in Beelzebub's original world.
According to his memory, he had called them Symbiotes.
They were far from the most powerful species, but they were extremely useful—especially for gathering information and spying.
They could fight, of course, but that wasn't their primary purpose.
Lucie was beyond words, staring at the scene in complete disbelief.
She took a cautious step back, her hand slowly reaching for the hatchet wedged into her jeans—ready to strike at any moment.
Victor, on the other hand, stepped forward, his palm now just a few centimeters away from the oversized insect.
His skill, [Child of the Swarm], activated on its own, establishing a link between Victor's tormented mind and the creatures' primitive instinct.
A flood of information rushed into his brain the moment contact was made. He nearly staggered back but clenched his teeth, enduring the sudden, splitting headache.
He received all kinds of signals—desires, instincts, needs.
And among all that noise, he sensed a single emotion.
Recognition.
These things were beginning to slowly acknowledge Victor as their uncontested master—as the alpha of their swarm.
He couldn't help but wonder once again why Beelzebub had given him such strange abilities and chosen him in the first place, but he pushed the thought aside. He wasn't yet at a level where he could even begin to grasp the designs of such a being.
Instead, he focused on the creature before him, which had almost completely submitted to his will under the effect of his skill.
It only took a few minutes of mental struggle to complete the submission.
[You have subdued a 'Symbiote']
[Congratulations, you have earned the title "Larva"]
The headache intensified. His legs gave out, and he fell to his knees, clutching his head with one hand.
He had always preferred physical pain—it was an old friend, one that had followed him everywhere, like his shadow.
But mental pain was something else—unfamiliar, disabling, clouding his senses and thoughts.
Before he could react, the massive fly in front of him moved according to its new instincts, supporting its master before he could collapse completely.
Lucie, unusually quiet since the beginning, remained frozen—both fascinated and horrified by the grotesque scene unfolding before her.
She had never seen Victor use any sort of ability, though she'd suspected he had one. After talking with the adults while he slept, she'd learned that most survivors possessed some kind of skill.
Some didn't—but that was pretty uncommon.
So when she recalled his insistence on coming here, right after she had shown him hers, she had guessed it was related.
She just hadn't expected… this.
She felt like she had witnessed something wrong.
Something that shouldn't exist—an aberration against life itself.
As if the very act Victor had just committed before her eyes was the greatest of blasphemies, even though she was an atheist.
It wasn't a thought. It was a feeling, one that her mind clumsily translated into words.
She was about to step forward to help the boy up—but stopped when she saw that the horror before her was already doing so on its own, its writhing mass shifting to support him.
One of its hairy limbs had caught him with its hooked tendrils, pulling him back to his feet.
The sight alone was enough to make Lucie's stomach turn for the second time in minutes—but she had nothing left to vomit.
This boy was truly putting her guts to the test.
As the pain gradually faded, Victor managed to stand on his own again.
He turned toward Lucie with what could almost be called a smirk.
« Surprised? »
She didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
« Can we get out of here first? This isn't exactly the nicest place to talk. »
She was right.
Although for some reason the environment didn't bother Victor, the same couldn't be said for the girl beside him, whose face had turned almost green with disgust.
But before leaving, there was something he had to check.
The System.
He hadn't had a chance to look at it since the battle with the panther. He couldn't resist anymore.
He brought up the messages he had missed.
[You have slain a Shadow Cat (lvl14)]
[Level up. You gain 20 free points.]
[You have subdued a 'Symbiote']
[Congratulations, you have earned the title "Larva"]
┌───────────── STATUS ─────────────┐
Name : Victor
Title : [Larva]
Class : X
Level : 13
Free Points : 20
STR 33 | AGI 19 | END 17
PER 32 | SPI 48 | MAG 37
[Skills]
[???] - [???] - [Child of the Swarm]
[Swarm]
[Symbiote] x1
└──────────────────────────────────┘
He immediately noticed something strange about those numbers.
His Magic and Spirit were unusually high.
He soon found the reason.
-----------------------------
[Larva (Upgradeable)]
Embryo of a growing hunger
------------------------------
Grants +20 to Spirit and Magic.
-------------------------------
Victor honestly hadn't expected a title to grant him any kind of bonus. He thought it was merely a label—a distinction marking a noteworthy or specific action.
Which, in a sense, it was.
But to think it would grant him power…
Sure, he had no idea how to use magic yet, but he would eventually figure it out—or unlock whatever skill was needed for it.
As for Spirit, his mind was too chaotic to notice any immediate effects. He would probably need proper rest before he could feel its benefits.
Either way, the bonuses were definitely good news.
Not to mention that it was an upgradeable title—it would likely grow stronger as he did.
He had no idea what the requirements were to make it evolve, but just like how he'd obtained it without knowing, he'd probably manage it again somehow.
He also noticed a new tab labeled "Swarm".
It seemed to list the creatures he had brought under his control.
Pretty useful.
He tried to see more details about the Symbiote, but nothing appeared, no matter how much he focused.
Fortunately, thanks to Beelzebub's memories, he already knew a fair number of fly species exposed to mana—at least the most common ones.
« You done jerking off to your menu? I can't stay in this stink any longer. »
Unconsciously, Victor's twisted mouth curved into a blood-chilling smile.Coupled with the setting and the monstrous creature looming behind him, the sight was downright terrifying.
Lucie shivered as she looked at him.
« Yeah, let's go upstairs. I need to rest. But before that… »
With a single thought, Victor commanded the swarm to change into something more practical—and less noticeable.
That was one of this species' greatest strengths.
The writhing mass began to shift, each tiny creature separating and reforming into a new shape.
Something resembling a walking cane.
The insects' ability was truly impressive—it was almost impossible to tell the difference between a real wooden cane and the one Victor now held in his hand.
Only touch—or perhaps some kind of thermal vision—could reveal the truth.
That was precisely why Victor considered them the perfect species for espionage.
Their camouflage was almost flawless.
Lucie was already gone, no longer waiting for him.
She couldn't stand the stench that filled the air any longer.