「The next day.」

"Eye of the World, acquire intelligence!"

Before Shi Ming lay three important, unidentified items whose exact functions were unknown and which could not be upgraded.

They were: the Crystal Fruit from the center of the Sea of Boiling, a container filled with the blood of the Nameless Cocoon, and a spoil of war obtained from Shadow—an ancient codex.

He didn’t know which of the three was more valuable.

Therefore, the Eye of the World would decide which item’s intelligence to provide next.

After the Eye of Intelligence evolved, the command to acquire intelligence was unaffected. It didn’t matter if he called it the Eye of Intelligence or the Eye of the World; he would still get the correct information. The command was merely ceremonial—what mattered most was Shi Ming’s intent.

[BEEP... BEEP...]

[Collating intelligence...]

[Searching. Confirming detailed coordinates... Search successful. Summarizing intelligence... Intelligence generated.]

[...]

[S-Rank Sea Beast: Nameless Insect]

[It has not yet obtained a new name...]

[A dangerous creature born from a mysterious cocoon abandoned in the Great Rift Valley. It cannot be killed or destroyed by conventional means. As a unique being, it is only passed down from generation to generation; two cannot exist in the same era. Whenever the Nameless Insect’s energy is nearly depleted and it faces death, it will regress into a cocoon, freeze all its memories, and begin a brand-new life cycle, abandoning its old name to gain a new one.]

[Due to its long line of succession, the Nameless Insect’s Spiritual Power is exceptionally strong. Its inherited memories are a deep, mineable treasure trove containing the wisdom and experience of countless ages.]

[However, each insect that is reborn and possesses its own consciousness has its own thoughts and is unwilling to voluntarily delve deep into its memories.]

[If it obtained the memories of the previous generation’s insect, could it still be considered itself?]

[...]

[Skill: Undying Insect (Before emerging from cocoon, ranked 72nd)]

[Skill: Eternal Damnation Law / Eternal Life Law (After emerging from cocoon, ranked 3rd)]

Shi Ming read the intelligence report.

’Ah Jian’s background is really something else! No wonder its Spiritual Power is so strong. It’s an old soul that’s been reincarnated for who knows how many ages, living one life after another! And it even freezes its own memories voluntarily!’

’The Eye of the World said it can’t be killed or destroyed?’

’Is it really that overpowered?’

’If that’s the case, and I can’t kill it, doesn’t that mean there’s only one way to bathe in its blood and obtain the 3rd-ranked skill, the "Eternal Damnation Law" or "Eternal Life Law"?’

’Coax it? Lure it?’

’Get it to give up its blood willingly?’

’No, that sounds so crude!’

’A win-win cooperation, get it to invest in me voluntarily?’

’Difficult!’

’Tricking it out of a drop or two of blood might be possible, but getting enough to Awaken someone? That’s easier said than done!’

The intelligence report wasn’t finished. The Eye of the World’s explanation included more than just this; there were also detailed descriptions of "Undying Insect" and "Eternal Damnation Law." Among them, [Undying Insect] was the skill of the Nameless Cocoon, while [Eternal Damnation Law], or [Eternal Life Law], was the skill of the Nameless Insect.

[Undying Insect]

[Passive Skill. While in its cocoon state, it cannot be killed, destroyed, walk, or move.]

[Eternal Damnation Law / Eternal Life Law]

[Consumes all Spiritual Power to forcibly banish the consciousness of other beings with lower Spiritual Power into an eternal cycle of life and damnation. In a single instant, they experience the Nameless Insect’s eons of reincarnation and are infused with its sealed memories of countless ages. (If the banished individual realizes they are in a spiritual Illusion Realm, they can return prematurely.)]

"Countless ages" was just a general term; it didn’t necessarily mean it had lived for ten thousand generations.

After reading the description, Shi Ming didn’t know what to think.

All he could say was that for a 3rd-ranked S-rank skill, its "cool factor" was off the charts!

It was like ’a single glance, ten thousand years.’

To experience eons of reincarnation in a single moment—if one truly went through it all, even if they didn’t lose themselves, the shock would be overwhelming. And without the Nameless Cocoon’s method of freezing memories, their mind would surely collapse upon returning, leaving them unable to tell where they were or whether they were human or insect.

But as the saying goes, "The morning mushroom knows not the waxing and waning of the moon, and the summer cicada knows not the spring and autumn."

Someone who has never experienced eternal life cannot judge whether it is a gift or a torment.

But in the end, it wasn’t true eternal life.

Just a torturous Illusion Realm.

If it were him, Shi Ming would absolutely be unwilling to try it.

He liked this skill and felt it was a great match for him.

He felt every S-rank skill was a match for him.

But this one was different. Like the Nameless Cocoon, Shi Ming was a being with extremely powerful Spiritual Power. If he were to unleash this 3rd-ranked "Eternal Damnation Law," he could definitely make the Illusion Realm even more realistic, raising its lethality to the absolute maximum.

His eyes flickered.

He began to ponder the possibilities.

"Hm?"

"That’s right."

Shi Ming rummaged through his system inventory and took out a small Crystal Core.

It was a small spoil of war he had obtained in the Scorpion King’s Pyramid.

[Puppet Core]

[Level: 3]

[A Puppet Core created by the Scorpion King III’s Female Warlock according to the method on the Divine Revelation Stele. Integrating it into the corpse of a C-rank or lower fiend or sea beast allows one to form a contract with the corresponding fiend or turn the corpse into a puppet-like object that will obey set commands until death.]

[Upgrade Requirement: 5000g of B-rank fiend or sea beast flesh, 500g of blood.]

A Crystal Core that could control C-rank sea beasts.

’If I use the Brain of Creation to upgrade this thing, will the rank of sea beasts it can control also increase?’

’If there’s no limit and I can keep upgrading it, wouldn’t that mean...’

Shi Ming blinked.

He quite liked the idea of having a powerful creature as a pet.

The day he saw the 2D Girl use her "Man in the Painting" skill to summon an S-rank sea beast from a drawing, he had felt that he also needed an S-rank sea beast as a heavy hitter! Otherwise, if he ran into a one-versus-many situation and Descent of the Titan didn’t roll an AoE skill, wouldn’t he be at a huge disadvantage?

This Puppet Core might just help him realize his wish.

’No point in just fantasizing—time to put it into practice!’

’Let’s try upgrading it!’

Shi Ming had no shortage of B-rank sea beast flesh and blood. ’Brain of Creation, upgrade!’

Soon, he received feedback.

[Contract Core]

[Level: 4]

[A Contract Core created using the method on the Divine Revelation Stele. Blessed by a special power, it has undergone further changes, and the rank of the sea beasts it can control has been raised. Integrating it into the corpse of a B-rank or lower fiend or sea beast allows one to form a contract with the corresponding fiend or sea beast, or to turn the corpse into a puppet-like object that will obey set commands until death.]

[Upgrade Requirement: 5000g of flesh and 500g of blood from three types of A-rank fiends or sea beasts.]

’It really works!’

It went from controlling C-rank sea beasts to controlling B-rank ones!

It leveled up!

Unfortunately, upgrading it again required the flesh and blood of three types of A-rank sea beasts. Not only had the rank requirement increased, but the number of types had also gone from one to three. He currently only had the body and blood of a single Glacier Dragon, so he didn’t have enough materials for now.

But that was fine. He had the Map of the Endless Sea, so obtaining them wouldn’t be difficult.

Besides, based on the current upgrade progression...

’The next upgrade will let this blue Crystal Core control A-rank sea beasts, right?’

’And the upgrade after that will let it control S-rank sea beasts?’

’The upgrade after that one would...’

’And the one after that... I daren’t even imagine.’

Hopefully, this Crystal Core’s level cap can exceed 5.

Nameless Cocoon: ???

_Uh oh, is this aimed at me?_

Shi Ming contentedly put away the Contract Core.

The ideal was grand, but the execution would be difficult. Still, at least there was hope.

...

...

...

Princess Meijia of the Black Society hadn’t slept all night. She was currently pacing back and forth in her bedchambers on her ship.

She hadn’t heard from Tatasta for a full day, which was highly unusual.

The inquiries from Lighthouse and Pharaoh made her even more frantic.

That wasn’t the worst of it. She had learned from Lighthouse that the two S-rank Awakened who had gone on the mission with him, Shadow from Lighthouse and Pandoria from Moon Shadow, were both dead.

She had learned from Pharaoh that Shi Ming was alive and well. He had even used the same method to retaliate against Ptolemy again, smashing another corner of the massive drifter ship and causing the Admiral-class Ship’s core to become unstable. The losses were incalculable!

Ever since Tatasta joined "Spring Tide," his Celestial Net Chip had been registered there as well. He wasn’t confirmed dead, but his continued disappearance only made the whole incident more bewildering.

Since Tatasta was the only member of their party unaccounted for, both Lighthouse and Pharaoh were focusing their attention on him! They even suspected that the two S-rank Awakened had died because Tatasta had turned on them.

The pressure was now on the Black Society.

Yan Dao Lin told Mei Jia that Renhuang was also starting to pay attention to the matter and was asking about the origins of their external aid, Tatasta.

If this matter wasn’t resolved soon, the Black Society would no longer offer Mei Jia its protection.

Mei Jia’s face was etched with worry.

’That kid... I told him to go easy, but he couldn’t have taken it so far that he let Shi Ming kill the Awakened from Lighthouse and Moon Shadow, could he?! Did he realize he’d messed up big time and now he’s too scared to come back? If so, that’s just plain stupid! He can’t see the big picture, sacrificing the greater good for a minor gain!’

No matter how open she had been with Tatasta, she couldn’t help but feel suspicious now.

’He’s still too young and prone to making mistakes!’

The Empress of Moon Shadow was a ruthless one. An orphan girl who, at the age of thirteen, endured her organization’s trials to ascend and become an S-rank Awakened amidst blood and ice. At eighteen, she inherited Moon Shadow and the mysterious organization behind it. Now in her thirties, her methods were even more vicious and cruel! When dealing with enemies, especially men, she often subjected them to all kinds of torture.

She couldn’t afford to provoke someone that ruthless.

And she could afford to provoke Lighthouse even less.

Lighthouse had given her three days.

If she couldn’t produce a result within three days, Lighthouse would launch an expedition to the Yinping Sea Region, go to the old site of Fujing Mountain, and demand an explanation from Renhuang.

Nailu Ye brought over a cup of chilled tea.

But she waved it away, refusing.

She waited for over an hour more.

"Princess, Mr. Tatasta has returned."

"Hm?"

Mei Jia felt as if a great weight had been half-lifted from her heart. The baby in her belly even gave her a kick.

"Good! Have him come see me!"

"Mr. Tatasta is severely injured and is receiving treatment."

"What!"

Without another word, she left her bedchambers and went directly to the Black Society’s medical level.

The state her "little puppy" was in now was quite miserable, stirring a strange sense of pity and affection in her heart.

His right hand was gone.

His left leg was nothing but bone.

He had only made it back by relying on the physique and tenacious will of an S-rank Awakened to hijack a bronze-class drifter ship.

"How could this happen?"

...

Yan Dao Lin, who was standing guard nearby, breathed a sigh of relief.

’Now, everyone has suffered heavy losses.’

’We can finally give Lighthouse an explanation.’