The girl recalled that familiar voice. She heard it every day, so why had she never associated it with her little brother?

The person who loved her the most had always been by her side.

"When he sees me in this monstrous form... will he hate me?"

In her memory, the soldier ant who relentlessly guarded the nest alone was incredibly foolish. She had stronger winged ants protecting her, yet that stubborn one still insisted on standing watch.

But looking back, she realized that she was the foolish one.

She knew the answer to the question but refused to acknowledge it.

Ruan Xing stepped in front of her, tilting his head up to look at her.

—Just like her brother, who would report to her every day: "Your Majesty, there is still no trace of your brother today."

Tears rolled down her pale cheeks. For countless nights, she had silently wept. But she could never wipe away her tears because her sharp, blade-like insect limbs would cut her own face if she tried.

But now, she didn't care anymore. Her face was covered in bloody scratches left by her own hands.

Dark liquid flowed from the corner of her lips. She had inhaled a lot of the poisonous mist, causing faint bluish marks to appear under her eyes.

Inside her translucent body, the ants that shared her consciousness began to struggle, desperately trying to escape from her grasp.

The ant larvae squirmed violently beneath her transparent, pale yellow exoskeleton, making her already massive queen-like form look even more eerie. The dark shadows within her became even more visible through her stretched body.

It made her already terrifying form look like it had been infested by parasites who were trying to break free after sensing that their host was dying.

"I look a little scary now, don't I?"

The girl lowered her head and let out a self-mocking laugh as she stared at her enormous body.

"What kind of illusion weapon did you use on me?"

Ruan Xing remained silent.

"Are you trying to destroy the source of pollution?"

A soft "clink" rang out as the longevity locket in Ruan Xing’s pocket suddenly jingled.

The hostility in her face faded, making her features look softer. "You're right. I'm pathetic."

She smiled, her tone carrying a rare gentleness. "I'm a stupid, miserable fool. Ah, no—I should say, a pathetic monster."

She pulled out an identical longevity locket and placed it over her chest.

"We each had one. My brother left his locket at home; I thought he was mad at me. But..." Her voice dropped to a whisper, then she looked up and smiled faintly. "You reminded me of something."

Ruan Xing did not respond. His expression remained cold as he raised his gun, which only had one bullet left.

The girl chuckled. "You still want to kill me? Don't you want to know what the pollution source really is?"

Ruan Xing glanced at the longevity locket in her hand. "I have a rough guess."

She moved her sharp limbs slightly as if preparing to do something.

Ruan Xing tensed up. As if sensing his thoughts, the mycelium threads surged forward and tightly bound the girl’s upper body.

"Come closer, and I'll tell you what it is. You’ll all be safe once you destroy it," she urged earnestly.

But Ruan Xing didn’t fall for it.

Fu Gui scoffed. "Your Majesty, times have changed! Stop trying to manipulate us. Just spill it already, and maybe—just maybe—we'll let you go."

The girl dropped the act entirely. "You? Let me go? Bullshit!" Her voice turned cold. "You slaughtered my whole family, and you think I’d believe you?"

Ruan Xing’s expression didn’t change. "Then why should I believe you?"

The girl let out a chilling laugh. "If you don’t believe me, what else can you do?"

Ruan Xing didn’t waste any words since his actions spoke louder than anything. With a pull of the trigger, a bullet flew straight past her ears—I can still blow your head off.

Fu Gui was stunned by his decisiveness. "Holy shit, bro! Are you serious?! This place is huge—I’m not even sure where the pollution source is! What if her death triggers a massive insect riot?!"

The voices around them gradually faded.

"The last sense to fade before death is hearing."

Someone said this once... But who?

"It doesn't matter," a gentle voice murmured, carrying a hint of amusement. "With just a small adjustment, you can live forever in your own little world."

Memories drifted up like bubbles rising to the water's surface, floating out from the depths of her subconscious.

"Zhenzhen, you’re our precious little treasure!"

A woman placed the longevity locket around her and a small boy’s necks. "You’re my little princess. And you’re my little prince. My two darlings will live long and happy lives, okay?"

"Zhenzhen, look what Daddy brought you!" A man revealed a tiny kitten hidden behind his back. "You said you wanted one, right? I passed by the market today and saw this cute little kitten!"

The black-and-white kitten rubbed against the girl’s knee, purring affectionately. "Meow~"

"Your little brother went missing. It’s not your fault, sweetheart. You’re both too young. Stay home, okay? No matter who comes knocking, don’t open the door."

"I already talked to those kids' parents. If anyone dares to bully my precious daughter, they’ll pay for it!" Her father’s furious expression burned into her memory.

"Your brother got into the Investigation Corps. Now he can protect you even better."

"Zhenzhen! You have pollution disease! It eats away at your brain and changes the way you think! Hurry, come with Daddy! We’re going to the hospital! No matter what, I’ll make sure you’re okay, even if it costs me everything!"

Suddenly, the kind mother and loving father morphed into something grotesque. Their faces twisted with endless accusations.

"You’re the cutest little princess."

"Do you really think that you are a treasure?!"

"Zhenzhen is Daddy’s little angel."

"We shouldn't have given birth to you!"

"The pollution can be cured. Mommy won’t give up on you."

"I’m going to report you! The Investigation Corps will place you to where you belong!"

Their concern... Their worry... Their shock...

All of it was warped into mockery, disgust, and hatred.

"You’ll be okay!"

"You should just die!"

Click.

All sounds ceased the moment she waved her hand.

She ended it all with her own hands.

Transparent liquid trickled from the silver-haired girl’s pale face, leaving dark stains where they hit the ground.

What exactly had she done…?

"Isn't it nice to live in your own world?" A voice sighed with a hint of regret.

Before she was swallowed by eternal darkness, the girl widened her eyes. She regretted it. Why did she agree back then?

If only she hadn’t…

"You—"

The girl looked at Ruan Xing as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out when she moved her lips.

Her upper body slowly collapsed, accompanied by dust rising in the wind.

On the massive pink princess bed, her large figure disappeared as if erased by an eraser.

Fu Gui: "Aaaaahhh! Did the boss just die?! Wait—was she the pollution source all along?! That explains why her pollution level kept intensifying—I thought she was about to use her ultimate skill!"

Fu Gui tilted his head. "I thought it was that longevity locket she was holding."

Ruan Xing lowered his gaze. "It was. Before."

He stepped forward, picked up the longevity locket that had fallen to the ground, and compared it with the one in his pocket.

A perfect pair.

The two lockets in his hands emitted an alternating hum that echoed through the vast nest.

The polluted girl's locket still contained a considerable amount of magical energy.

Even the one in Ruan Xing’s hand reacted, its magical fluctuations becoming unusually active.

Ding—Ding—

When placed together, the two longevity lockets drew closer as if they had found their eternal counterpart. Their inner forces intertwined, reaching a perfect balance.

Ruan Xing muttered words in a language Fu Gui couldn’t understand.

An unseen power gradually surged into the young man’s body. His hair swayed without wind, revealing his smooth forehead. His eyes closed slightly, eyelashes trembling, as his clothing fluttered.

The surrounding air currents swirled down like a vortex.

71%... 83%... 96%...

Fu Gui glanced at his watch, and sure enough, the pollution level was rising at an alarming rate.

What surprised him even more was that the vague connection between him and Ruan Xing seemed to strengthen. Through their link, that mysterious power was also being transmitted to Fu Gui.

The crow widened its eyes. For the first time, it could feel this power directly.

Vast and immense, mysterious and intricate—like the most dazzling yet incomprehensible page of an endless sea of books. Complex, radiant, and shimmering.

At the same time, it carried a strangely distant sense of familiarity.

The crow opened its eyes and stared at Ruan Xing with complicated emotions.

Its own strength had also increased.

He had no idea how Ruan Xing managed it, but in this era, power usually came with painstakingly dangerous struggles against pollution.

For others, growing stronger was like walking a tightrope over pollution.

But for Ruan Xing?

He was just playing a collection game. Fill up the experience bar, and he would level up without any signs of side effects.

It was simply unreasonable.

Just like how his entire existence is inexplicably mysterious.

Fu Gui remembers the first time he met the young man outside a D-class contamination zone.

Vines were overgrown everywhere, and all the surrounding mercenaries were dead.

Yet, at the center of it all, Ruan Xing was completely unscathed—not even a single scratch on him.

He had just lain there silently, like an empty shell, waiting for something else to fill his hollow body.

Driven by greed, the mercenaries took the unconscious young man with them and discussed how to handle this beautiful shell.

Not long after, that body woke up.

In the instant he opened his eyes, the crow had shuddered involuntarily.

It was as if the real owner had arrived.

But was the thing inside this body really human?

Whether it was his unfamiliarity with human society or his mastery over incomprehensible power, could these truly belong to a human?

In fact… did "Ruan Xing" as an individual really exist?

Or was he something forced upon this world?

The crow shivered and immediately suppressed its own thoughts.

He had already said that he was a magician! If he wasn’t human, then what was he? A pollutant?!

…Wait.

A real magician? Or a contaminant pretending to be one?

Furthermore, his ability to absorb pollution sources was not much different from other pollutants...

Fu Gui suddenly found it hard to laugh.

"What’s wrong?" The young man opened his eyes, the apple-green pupil gradually settling back into a deep, gem-like emerald.

Fu Gui’s body trembled. "Nothing."

Ruan Xing frowned slightly. Why was this little thing looking at him like he was some kind of monster?

It wasn’t like he hadn’t absorbed magic in front of him before. Why act surprised now?

Ruan Xing’s mood improved as he felt the surge of magic power within him. He had gained far more than expected—replenishing what the mycelium had devoured and gaining a considerable surplus.

Finally, he gained an offensive spell.

[Poison Arrow]

Highly toxic and deadly damage. Works best when paired with a bow-type weapon for maximum effect.

…Should he request a bow from headquarters?

But he wasn’t really good at using one…

In his previous life, he had just thrown this kind of magic around casually.

Ruan Xing couldn’t help but reminisce about the days when he played with forbidden spells like they were toys.

But at least it was better than nothing.

In his hand, the dark arrow was solid and well-formed. With some modifications, it could turn into a dagger or a longsword. He wouldn’t be completely useless in melee combat anymore.

Ruan Xing quickly stopped his bleeding and planned to clean up the battlefield next.

But before he could even start, a massive shockwave burst in.

Boom!

With a loud explosion, the door that he and the mycelium had struggled to pry open shattered into a pile of debris.

Dust swirled wildly in the air, causing the crow to choke and cough.

Then, a lazy voice sounded behind the thick dust.

"Huh? Looks like I’m late."