Stirring Up a Hornet's Nest

"So they're half-human, half-insect monsters..." Elorie muttered. "That's a relief..."

What part of that is a relief?!

Chen Xuan rolled his eyes. As long as they're not pure insects, you're fine with them?

Perhaps these creatures couldn't be considered human at all.

Under the Heavenly Cloud Skill's perception, their energy was strikingly similar to a Demon's. A faint orange glow suffused their bodies, with no concentrated energy center to be found. More of their kind kept descending from above. It seemed these strange creatures were the hexagonal hive's true occupants.

Chen Xuan also noticed that the Insect-Faced Monsters had appeared suddenly within the Heavenly Cloud Skill's detection range. By the time Liu Shuyue sensed movement, they had already reached the building's ground floor. If these things really lived in the hive, that meant it could block the Mind Method's detection.

"Zi zan sa ka si si..."

"Jie si fu ka!"

The Insect-People faced one another, making rustling sounds.

"They're talking, aren't they?" Elorie whispered, covering her mouth.

"Mm... That's not French, is it?"

"Of course not! French is beautiful!" The girl gave the hand on her shoulder a light, protesting pat.

"Something feels wrong," Liu Shuyue said suddenly. "There's more and more activity outside the building, and they seem to be preparing something."

Chen Xuan sensed it too. The number of glowing clusters outside had grown by thirty or forty and was still rising. Some flew through the air while others landed elsewhere, but together, the Insect-People had nearly sealed off every route between the building and the long street.

Could they have found us already?

From behind the cabinet, he carefully watched the Insect-Faced Monsters at the store entrance. They hadn't come inside, but their eyes kept darting this way. They looked ready to make a move.

Yet when