The Evolution of the Void God: King of Cosmic Monsters

Chapter 5: The First Void Insect Approaches

The narrow alleyway seemed to tear away from reality. The sunlight creeping between the gaps of the ruined skyscrapers could no longer penetrate the dome of darkness enveloping Jaden Grey. The air around him froze—not because the temperature had dropped, but because of the presence of something that transcended the laws of nature.

At the epicentre of the black energy storm, the mass of mist that had shrouded the Moss Caterpillar began to solidify. The sound of bones breaking and being rearranged was gruesome—crack, crunch, snap—clashing with the howling void wind.

"What is that?! Korg! Do something!" Ares screamed, his voice pitching high with panic. He tried to summon fire mana from his palm, but his flames flickered out instantly, as if the oxygen in the area had been devoured by the darkness.

Korg, an experienced D-Grade Hunter, tried to lunge with his short sword. "Stop this black magic, you filth!"

But before Korg could get within three metres, a massive gravitational pressure slammed into him. Korg crashed into the asphalt, his face eating the dust, as if a giant hand were pinning his back down.

[Evolution Process Complete: 100%.]

[Congratulations! Your creature has transcended the biological limits of this world.]

[New Species Name: The First Void Insect.]

[Rank: Unique - Evolutionary.]

The black smoke suddenly exploded, leaving behind a deafening silence. Before Jaden hovered a creature that bore no resemblance to the green grub from before.

The creature now had a sleek, thirty-centimetre-long body encased in pitch-black chitinous armour with glowing purple veins along its segments. Its head featured a pair of compound eyes that shone like amethysts, and on its back, six pairs of transparent wings that looked like tears in dimensional space vibrated at such a high frequency they created visual distortions in the air.

Its legs were no longer ordinary insect limbs; they were small, razor-sharp scythes capable of slicing through air molecules. But most terrifying was the aura it projected—an absolute vacuum. Anyone who looked at it felt as though their soul were being pulled into a black hole.

"Little one... is that you?" Jaden whispered.

The insect turned its head. Telepathically, Jaden felt waves of pure emotion: fanatical loyalty, cold rage, and an insatiable hunger. The creature emitted a low humming sound—vreeeeee—that caused the surrounding glass to shatter into powder.

[Active Skill Unlocked: 'Void Domain'.]

[Effect: Neutralises all magic energy within a 10-metre radius.]

"A pet... what is that?" Ares shook violently. He looked at his Silver Wolf, Geryon, who was now cowering like a terrified puppy, even wetting himself due to the terror radiating from the Void Insect. "That’s not a monster! That’s a demon! Jaden, you’ve summoned a demon into this world!"

Jaden looked at his own hands, which were now coursing with dark purple energy. He felt incredibly light, as if gravity no longer bound him. "You’re wrong, Ares. I didn't summon a demon. I merely released what you’ve been trampling all this time."

The Void Insect flew slowly around Jaden before alighting on its master’s shoulder. Despite its horrific appearance, Jaden felt a strange warmth. The insect brushed its sharp antenna against Jaden’s cheek, as if wiping away the remaining blood.

"You wanted to destroy him, didn't you?" Jaden looked at Ares with glowing purple eyes. "You wanted to see him dissolve in acid?"

"N-no... I was only joking! Jaden, listen! My father can get you a position in the organisation! I can give you money! Any amount!" Ares began to crawl backward, trying to get out of the black aura’s reach.

Jaden laughed. It was a dry, bitter laugh. "Money? A position? You think that can restore the pride you spat on? You think that can pay for the pain my caterpillar felt when you squeezed him?"

Jaden pointed his index finger at Ares.

"Attack," he commanded simply.

Syuuuuuut!

The Void Insect vanished from Jaden’s shoulder in the blink of an eye. Its speed exceeded what the human eye could track, even those of a D-Grade Hunter.

CRAAAASSSHH!

"AAARRGHHH!"

Ares’s scream tore through the silence of the alley. The Void Insect didn't kill him—not yet. It simply streaked past Ares and snatched the man’s right ear with its scythe-like leg. Ares’s ear was torn clean off, falling to the asphalt as blood sprayed profusely.

"Young Master!" Korg tried to stand and draw his dagger, but the Void Insect looped back in the air with impossible agility.

The drone of its wings rose to a painful high pitch. Suddenly, dozens of black threads made of void energy shot from the insect’s body, entangling Korg’s arms and legs. These threads didn't just bind; they began to forcibly drain the mana from Korg’s body.

"My mana... my mana is gone! Stop it!" Korg shrieked as his body began to wither, his face aging ten years in a matter of seconds as his energy was siphoned away.

[Warning: Target is attempting to resist.]

[Unit Command: Disable without mercy.]

The Void Insect landed directly atop Geryon’s head. The silver wolf didn't even dare to whimper. With a single touch of its antenna, the insect sent a pulse of Void energy that instantly severed the soul contract between Ares and his wolf.

GROOOOAR!

Geryon howled in agony as his soul contract was forcibly shattered. Ares, already missing an ear, now vomited blood due to the backlash of the contract’s destruction. He fell, clutching his chest which felt as if it had been struck by a sledgehammer.

Now, in that alley, the hierarchy had completely shifted. Jaden Grey, the lowly Beastmaster who had been mocked as "Moss Caterpillar", stood tall over the ruins of his oppressors' pride.

The Void Insect returned to Jaden’s side, its wings still stained with Ares’s blood, but its void aura was even stronger after devouring Korg’s mana. The creature seemed to grow every time it destroyed an enemy.

Jaden walked slowly toward the now helpless, prone Ares. Jaden’s battered boots stopped right in front of Ares’s face, which was smeared with blood and tears.

"Remember this, Ares," Jaden whispered, leaning down so Ares could see the reflection of death in his purple eyes. "In the presence of the void, there are no young masters. There are no castes. There are only those who prey, and those who are preyed upon."

Jaden raised his hand, ready to give the final command. However, the System before his eyes flashed an urgent red.

[Warning! Strong Energy Detection approaching.]

[Threat Level: High.]

[The Red Light Sect has detected Void fluctuations.]

Jaden frowned. He knew this wasn't over. This revenge had only just opened the door to a much larger war.