They were either gathered like mere paper, or not just a small group of about a dozen individuals.
When their numbers exceed hundreds, or when thousands or tens of thousands of monsters cluster like an insect army, a powerful leader is naturally needed for that group to function properly.
Just as there’s a silver monkey in the primate group, there’s a swamp monster in the insect army.
But an organization can’t function with just a leader.
If a group has a certain scale, it needs an advisor to realistically carry out the leader’s will.
The advisor of primate monsters is called the ‘sage’, an old orangutan.
The orangutan didn’t become an advisor because of its strength.
It’s because of its high intelligence and excellent language skills.
And the insect army also had an advisor.
He was a spider.
A Demon Face Tarantula.
A monster with a demon’s face floating on its plump belly.
The common point between the orangutan and the face spider is that they can speak.
The face spider speaks with the mouth attached to its belly.
And it can hear thoughts, understanding the thoughts of other monsters.
The difference would be combat power.
The strength of the Demon Face Tarantula surpasses that of the Crimson Teeth Giant Centipede.
Moreover, if you include the spiders it has subjugated and uses like limbs, it could truly be called the second-in-command of the insect army.
Spiders and centipedes don’t get along well.
Since the first persimmon ripened in the celestial orchard.
It was an ill-fated relationship that continued since the longest centipede and the largest spider started fighting, creating a lake and mutually destroying each other.
But the insects here managed to form a group.
The spider and centipede formed an alliance under the dominion of the swamp monster.
However, it couldn’t prevent the psychological warfare between the two insect monsters.
Clank, clank.
The giant centipede clashed its venomous claws, seemingly displeased.
Not only centipedes were by her side. Beetles, various types of insects, crickets, bees, various kinds of monsters were behind the giant centipede.
On the other hand, behind the face spider were only spiders, numerous types of spiders.
The lips on the face protruding from the face spider’s belly moved grotesquely.
“You shouldn’t have, let that snake, go alive.”
His voice had a strange resonance, as if hundreds of spiders were singing in chorus.
“Small, but seemingly strong, monster. If eaten, it would have been, excellent nutrients.”
His voice, seeming to coo, was clearly criticizing the centipede.
Thoughts were embedded in the face spider’s voice.
While insects with lower intelligence might not understand what he’s saying, monsters with some sprouted intelligence would understand the meaning of this criticism.
“We should, chase and, kill it!”
“Kekeke…”
A killing intent is felt in the giant centipede’s crying voice in response.
She’s warning not to touch that snake.
“The swamp, monster, won’t like it.”
The face spider also threatened the giant centipede.
It wasn’t natural for the insects here to respect and follow the swamp monster out of affection.
Only fear, fear of the overwhelmingly strong insect, was the centripetal force that gathered the insects.
Indeed, when the spider mentioned the swamp monster, some insects became afraid.
“Keuruk.”
The centipede raised its body.
It meant it wouldn’t listen anymore.
‘What kind of relationship does it have with that snake?’ The face spider became curious.
If he insisted more on eradication, he would have to fight the centipede.
But in fact, there was no need for that.
The small spider he had sent with the centipede to the monkeys had already come back and tipped him off.
That the snake had taken two unripe fruits that the orangutan had.
If he told this, it would be a justification to catch and kill the snake.
Even the giant centipede wouldn’t be able to keep insisting.
“I will, remember, this.”
But the face spider just gave the centipede a disadvantageous position and stopped.
Why would he reveal the existence of the fruit? If he took it secretly, it would become the face spider’s.
He had already sent his subordinates.
Through the three eyeballs he was closing, the sight of the subordinates chasing the snake was shared.
‘Rocky area.’
What a foolish snake.
Of all places, it went to the rocky area?
‘That thing’ lives there.
Of course, that thing just sleeps buried in the rocks all day long.
It probably doesn’t come out easily, so even the swamp monster and the silver monkey leave it alone.
That’s what he naturally thought, but.
‘…What.’
No way.
How could that thing raise its body under the moonlight.
‘Retreat-!’
From that far distance, the face spider ordered his minions to retreat.
But it was already too late.
Puh-buh-buhk!
As the view went dark, three of the eight eyes burst open on their own.
Yellow liquid flowed from the burst eyes.
Baby spiders gathered around worriedly.
The face spider caught these small ones with his small front legs and put them in his mouth.
The startled small ones scattered.
‘What on earth…’
The minions he had carefully raised died, even harming the face spider.
It will take time to recover this loss.
He burned with sticky anger.
==
‘I am the one born in the shadows who even earned the title of zookeeper. I have watched, tamed, and killed numerous monsters. But that serpent, that giant snake, was one of the most beautiful monsters I have ever seen.
It’s not the strongest. Even here, the white monkey or the swamp insect would be more powerful than that child.
But in terms of inherent beauty, it’s incomparable to the serpent.
Its scales sparkle like starlight, and its profound eyes seem like the North Star of the sky has been embedded in them.
Even the ferocious Medusa Serpent would dance a courtship dance for her husband.
It was worth it.
Even monsters of completely different species followed that serpent.
That child was a unique species.
The progenitor who twisted its own evolutionary trajectory to be reborn as a new species.
A snake chasing the North Star.
Its name is…”
「From Deshnan’s Breeding Journal」
==
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[Polaris Serpent lv???]
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That is my father.
That name I saw in Deshnan’s breeding journal.
Polaris, the North Star.
The guide for all ships navigating the ocean.
That name was attached as a prefix to the serpent.
It was impossible to imagine what kind of monster my father was just from the name.
To be honest, I had the unfilial thought of ‘What kind of pretentious name is that?’
But now that I see my father in person, I immediately understood the meaning of that name.
Look at those eyes immersed in melancholy.
Eyes as if three North Stars have risen in the sky.
The figure of my father looking up at the sky serenely was like a young captain searching for the North Star.
If you ask how I can feel such things from a snake, I’d like to tell you to come and see for yourself.
Even if I focus my eyes, I can hardly get any detailed information.
It was even more difficult than with Gunter.