Ethan leaned back in his chair, the soft glow of his tablet reflecting in his sharp eyes as he scrolled through the catalog of materials. Each flick of his finger revealed lists of exotic components—rare hides, crystalline shards, fangs imbued with elemental power. But what truly caught his attention was one particular material: the "Gold-Ranked Thorn of the Steel Back."
The Steel Back was a wild monster resembling a monstrous porcupine, its hide bristling with razor-edged steel spines. The spines were notoriously difficult to remove, but once harvested, they were durable, versatile, and useful in crafting. Despite being gold-grade material, they were inexpensive, precisely because each thorn was small. No single thorn could create a powerful artifact on its own. This quirk made them far cheaper than other gold-ranked treasures. Ethan remembered seeing them before, and their unusual balance of affordability and potential stuck in his mind.
Without hesitation, Ethan summoned the shopping guide. "Give me everything you have in stock," he said simply.
The attendant's eyes widened slightly but obeyed. Within minutes, an entire inventory was placed before Ethan—a staggering 1,032 thorns. Even with a 20% discount, the purchase consumed every last coin he had left. But Ethan didn't care. To him, this wasn't recklessness; this was investment.
Most people couldn't see the hidden potential behind Ethan's abilities, nor understand the depth of his talent. Even Charles, who had been standing nearby, thought Ethan was simply pondering quietly. Ethan didn't bother correcting him. He just gave a vague excuse about "needing time to think," and then quietly activated his unique gift.
On his left, Ethan placed the Queen Bee, his prized summoned beast. On his right, he stacked the mountain of Steel Back thorns and, at the center, he laid the Dark Gold-Ranked King's Great Sword Heart.
The system chimed softly in his mind:
"Hint: Do you wish to perform infinite alienation?"
"Yes," Ethan responded without hesitation.
Another prompt flashed:
"Reminder: Please select the alienation result during infinite alienation."
Three options appeared:
(a) Evolve into a Speedy Queen Bee – greatly strengthens agility.
(b) Evolve into the Queen Bee of the Sharp Blade – endowed with metallic properties, with growth in body size halted.
(c) Evolve into a Split Queen Bee – strengthens all skills equally.
Ethan leaned forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied each choice.
The first option was tempting. A Speedy Queen Bee would maximize her natural advantage, turning her into a blur of golden light in the sky. In the martial world, speed was often considered the ultimate strength. After all, speed could shatter defenses where raw strength could not. Ethan thought of the old saying: "In the world of martial arts, there is no strength that cannot be broken, but speed is the only way to break it."
But then his logic reined him back. What was speed without resilience? A bird flying at supersonic speed might pierce the fuselage of a jet—but the jet wouldn't crash. The bird, however, would die instantly. Even Ethan's powerful holy relic, the Heart of Canglan, wouldn't be able to save the Queen Bee if she killed herself through sheer recklessness. No, speed without durability was a dangerous gamble.
The second option was curious: metallic properties, no further growth in size. At first glance, it seemed to contradict Ethan's earlier philosophy that larger Zerg creatures were more powerful under equal conditions. Yet, he knew the truth wasn't always so absolute. Bigger was sometimes stronger, but smaller was often deadlier. A body honed into a living blade could become far more dangerous than sheer bulk.
The third option—balanced development—was the safest. All skills enhanced equally. But safety rarely won wars. Ethan wanted something sharper, more specialized, something that would make the Queen Bee stand apart from ordinary summoned beasts.
His decision was swift. Option (b).
He wanted her body to remain compact, deadly, and metallic. In his mind, he pictured a bullet—small, fast, unstoppable. He thought of the infamous words once spoken by the Huoyun Cthulhu: "This is the bullet I hold in my hand." Ethan wanted the Queen Bee to embody that same philosophy: a weapon of precision and destruction.
A grin tugged at the corner of his lips as he imagined her leading her colony of worker bees, unleashing barrages of stingers and blades like the firestorm of a Gatling gun. The small size made her agile, nearly impossible to strike down. After all, even a skilled swordsman might land a hit on a large opponent, but a tiny, darting bee? That was another matter entirely.
The system confirmed his choice.
"Hint: Alienation successful. Silver-Ranked Leafcutter Queen has evolved into Gold-Ranked Blade Queen."
"Stats updated: Power +800, Constitution +2300, Agility +11,800, Spirit +320."
"New Skills: Blade Dash (Purple), Cut (Green), Split (Blue)."
Ethan's eyes sparkled as he examined the details:
Blade Dash (Purple): The Queen Bee envelops herself in metallic energy, transforming into a living blade that pierces enemies.
Split (Blue): Metallic energy expands outward, slicing opponents apart.
Her old skills, Companion Hive and Stinger, remained—but were now reinforced with her new form.
The data summarized neatly:
Summoned Beast: Gold Rank Blade Queen
Level: Maturity – 28 years remaining lifespan
Power: 920 (+920)
Physique: 2,442 (+2,442)
Agility: 12,190 (+12,190)
Spirit: 410 (+410)
Comprehensive Combat Power: 639 stars
Ethan froze for a moment. The Blade Queen's combat power matched that of the great warrior Da Dao Zai. That realization alone made his blood rush with excitement.
Before his very eyes, the transformation completed. The Queen Bee's form, once resembling a hornet, now looked sleek, deadly, almost divine. Her black stripes shimmered into a matte gold sheen, her entire body appearing forged from pure metal. She radiated sharpness, every movement whispering the promise of death.
Ethan chuckled softly. "Perfect. More than I expected."
Satisfied, he stood, ready to depart.
Charles, who had been quietly lost in his own thoughts about equipment synthesis, noticed Ethan's movement. He quickly stepped forward. "Ethan, you're leaving already? Should I see you off?"
"Yes, I'm heading back." Ethan paused, his gaze turning serious. "But listen—be careful. Recently, things might not be as simple as they appear."
Charles blinked in surprise. "Careful? What do you mean? Did I offend someone?"
Ethan's tone lowered, sharp as the Queen Bee's stingers. "Who gave you that hive?"
"My cousin's friend," Charles replied cautiously. "They've always been close. Why?"
Ethan's eyes darkened. "The hive was silver-grade. And inside it was a Queen Bee with thirty stars. She had inexplicably fallen into a deep sleep. If you hadn't given her to me, she would have eventually awakened—starving, violent, and the first thing she would've attacked… would've been you."
Charles's face paled. "You mean… my cousin wanted to kill me?"
The weight of the implication sank into the room. Ethan didn't need to say more. The betrayal was obvious.
Charles stood frozen, realization dawning like a cold knife pressing against his back.
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