Chapter 100: Unifying and Completing the Door Symbol

In the Western Plains of the Wanqi United Nations, amidst endless stretches of verdant fields, a young man, appearing to be in his twenties, slowly walked along a path.

However, if someone were to approach him closely, they would notice that his features significantly differed from those typical of Wanqi citizens, making it clear he wasn’t native to the country.

The Western Plains bordered the Lal Mountains to the north, with this region primarily focused on agriculture beyond the mountain range. However, Wanqi Country was renowned for its vast expanse and sparse population density. Consequently, throughout most of the journey, only occasional clusters of houses could be seen, while signs of human habitation were otherwise scarce. Nonetheless, modern farming techniques compensated for the lack of manpower, ensuring efficient crop cultivation.

“The air is truly refreshing.” The young man looked up at the blue sky dotted with white clouds, enjoying the crisp, clean atmosphere around him.

Pop!

Suddenly, something ahead of the young man gently exploded, releasing a small puff of blood-colored mist into the air. The remnants scattered haphazardly onto various patches of weeds below.

“The only annoyance is these bloodsucking insects.”

The young man rubbed his forehead, and anyone who knew him would instantly recognize him as Duan Wenxuan. He had rushed directly from the monster-infested world without any delay, not even managing to process the new information brought by the latest door symbol. This resulted in a persistent dull discomfort in his mind.

After collecting five out of six door symbols, Duan Wenxuan had roughly sensed where the last fragment was located. His journey led him straight to the Western Plains of the Wanqi United Nations.

Upon arrival, he felt very close to the final fragment’s presence.

Following this sensation for approximately half an hour, Duan Wenxuan first encountered humans. Judging by their attire, they were soldiers of Wanqi Country. Though not numerous, surprisingly nearby were tanks, artillery, and similar equipment.

What was unusual wasn’t the presence of such machinery but rather that civilians of Wanqi Country, armed with sickles, kitchen knives, and clubs, were confronting the military forces.

Since arriving in Wanqi Country, Duan Wenxuan had been using a real-time translator device. However, given the current level of his brain development, he had effectively learned most of the Wanqi language just by listening along the way.

As the confrontation unfolded, Duan Wenxuan overheard that the military intended to demolish and bury a site they referred to as the ‘Kloro god’ ruins. However, the local populace vehemently denounced the soldiers as outsiders, accusing them not only of seizing their land but also seeking to destroy their deity.

Indeed, Wanqi’s history was complex.

Initially, Wanqi nearly met its demise at the hands of colonizers who ventured into their territory. The country itself had been established for just over a hundred years.

The original pure-blooded tribespeople were believed to have disappeared, with even mixed-race individuals being relatively few. However, due to Wanqi’s vast expanse and sparse population, a system of joint chieftain governance was implemented. Consequently, some areas still adhered to ancient tribal customs and harbored resentment towards outsiders, including their own national army. In reality, this small settlement largely rejected external authority, preferring their own management practices.

Duan Wenxuan glanced briefly at the noisy crowd and calmly walked past without drawing attention. Strangely, no one seemed bothered by his presence, as if it were perfectly reasonable for him to freely enter or exit.

Continuing forward, he soon spotted a massive fissure cleaved into the plain below, resembling a hidden abyssal maw.

“Come forth.” Duan Wenxuan gently tapped his foot on the ground.

Deep below the gaping maw, hundreds of meters down, lay densely clustered beetles. The ones at the outermost edges were more common, resembling their natural counterparts in size. However, as one descended deeper, the beetles grew larger. At the very depths of the fissure, a massive beetle over two meters wide lay quietly prone. Nearby, several beetles approximately one meter long also rested peacefully, seemingly guarding it like sentinels.

To note, the sight of countless beetles outside would make anyone’s scalp tingle with unease, but these larger beetles surprisingly weren’t unattractive; they possessed a unique beauty instead.

The two-meter-long giant beetle appeared as if cast from reinforced steel, exuding a sharp metallic aura. Its back had a predominantly dark hue yet subtly shimmered with iridescent, glass-like reflections.

If a biologist were present and carefully observed, they might incredulously recognize this as a rainbow rhinoceros beetle, albeit puzzled by its enormous size.

With Duan Wenxuan’s intrusion, the previously tranquil beetles began to convey unrest layer by layer, eventually reaching the two-meter-wide beetle.

Slowly lifting its head, a hint of human-like unease flickered in its eyes. Its distress triggered a reaction from the guard beetles, which surrounded it with their calls, intending to shield it from external dangers. The large beetle emitted several sounds, and subsequently, a beetle with a smooth jade-like appearance emerged from the guard squad.

Duan Wenxuan waited for a moment, eventually witnessing hundreds of beetles crawling out densely, with one at the center measuring approximately over a meter wide.

This beetle had a body entirely emerald-green. Unlike other beetles, it lacked menacing long pincers on its head; instead, it possessed limbs as sharp as steel blades.

The beetle emitted chaotic noises but showed no intention to attack Duan Wenxuan. Fearfully, it approached him, displaying a demeanor ready to accept any punishment or death.

Intrigued, Duan Wenxuan kicked the massive beetle gently. It seemed that another door symbol had been fused by this very insect. However, the main entity didn’t appear directly, opting to send a subordinate as a scapegoat instead.

Just as some humans excel at cunning strategies, this beetle seems no less adept.

“Come out. If you don’t, I’ll tear down your nest and extract your very essence. However, if you emerge on your own, I’ll spare your life,” Duan Wenxuan declared equally to all.

With those who previously possessed gate symbols, he merely took the symbols without harming them. Since the larger portion of control already rested with him, it seemed fair to give these individuals another chance amidst this competitive world. Thus, the same approach applied to this giant beetle.

Shortly after, the message was relayed through layers by other beetles. The two-meter-long beetle, visibly enraged, forcefully jabbed its long pincers into a nearby guard beetle.

The guard beetle’s abdomen ruptured immediately, emitting a painful hiss but still daring not to resist. After venting its anger for a moment, the massive beetle fell into internal struggle.

Should it come out or stay hidden?

At some point, it seemed to have developed peculiar thoughts, as if gaining the ability to contemplate many things, although often its mind remained blank.

It did consider trying to run away, but ever since these ‘thoughts’ emerged in its brain, it developed a heightened sense of danger. This intuition was precisely what allowed it, starting as just a small beetle, to dominate the entire western plains.

This time, however, was different. It knew with extreme certainty that it couldn’t escape, and it also sensed something crucial within itself was about to be lost, yet there was nothing it could do.

Due to this foreboding, it immediately cowered and sacrificed one of its subordinates, specifically choosing a particularly attractive-looking one. Based on its limited ‘thoughts,’ attractiveness seemed advantageous… Although even it found it strange why such ideas arose.

After venting briefly, it resignedly began crawling slowly outward. Ultimately lacking true intelligence, once realizing it had no other options, it chose to accept its fate.

Outside the cave.

Duan Wenxuan watched as countless beetles, densely packed, emerged en masse. Some were ordinary small beetles that scurried away noisily upon coming out. The subsequent beetles grew larger and larger, ranging from fist-sized to cup-sized, each incrementally bigger than the last. Additionally, there was an astonishing variety of beetle species, diverse in shape and appearance.

Snap!

Duan Wenxuan caught a white beetle, roughly the size of a baby’s fist. Its overall coloration was an adorable pale pinkish-white, looking surprisingly cute.

“This one is nice-looking; keeping it for play wouldn’t be bad.”

There were indeed numerous types of beetles here. While some appeared ugly by human standards, others seemed quite charming. Duan Wenxuan managed to catch about four or five, intending to keep them, when he felt a massive beetle emerging.

This large beetle wasn’t unattractive either; its wings shimmered with iridescent colors, displaying both the ferocity characteristic of beetles and a certain raw, primitive beauty.

Upon seeing Duan Wenxuan, the beetles became even more uneasy, especially the two-meter-long giant beetle. Its mandibles anxiously opened and closed, revealing its fear once again.

“Good, now they’ve all come out.”

Unwilling to waste time, Duan Wenxuan tossed aside the few captured beautiful beetles and swiftly approached, pressing onto one of them to absorb the final door symbol.

The large beetle felt a searing pain in its front limbs but dared not resist, only emitting pitiful cries—a stark contrast to its earlier frenzy underground, where it had indiscriminately blamed and killed two guards.

The four or five beetles thrown to the ground by Duan Wenxuan didn’t dare to flee either; instead, they obediently followed closely behind him, prostrating themselves at his feet.

“Alright.” Duan Wenxuan patted the big beetle’s eyes, feeling as if his head was about to explode with a sudden rush, causing dizziness and blurred vision. He initially tried to push through and return to Hanming Country’s Maplewood Neighborhood, but after another loud throb, he collapsed directly into unconsciousness.

Seeing Duan Wenxuan fall to the ground, the large beetle gradually revealed its menacing demeanor again, its mandibles moving to bite and consume him. However, just as it leaned in for the kill, a force seemed to abruptly flip it over, nearly tearing off its wings.

The large beetle cautiously moved back, a hint of appeasing expression visible in its somewhat human-like eyes. This time, it gently extended its limbs to cradle Duan Wenxuan beneath its protective abdomen.

Realizing it wasn’t being repelled again, the large beetle seemed to grasp something and emitted a series of chaotic calls. In response, the guard beetles positioned both Duan Wenxuan and themselves near the exit. Despite appearing unconscious, Duan Wenxuan was actually aware; however, his mind was overwhelmed with information, requiring time to process.

Unbeknownst to him, as Duan Wenxuan unified the gate symbols at the final moment, the seemingly casual act of selecting beetles based on their favorite colors had unleashed immense devastation across the western plains.

Countless beetles emerged from underground, gnawing their way through everything in sight. All green vegetation was stripped bare. But that wasn’t all - they also feasted on flesh, devouring anything that crossed their path. The first victims were a group nearby, still locked in stalemate with the military forces.

Caught off guard, these individuals initially heard rustling sounds before being swarmed by a dense horde of terrifyingly varied-sized beetles, equipped with menacing mandibles and long pincers.