Dahlia squinted through the flickering orange glow of the forge, sweat beading on her brow and trickling down her temple. The dry heat was oppressive, but she didn’t mind. It was almost soothing—the metallic smell of molten chitin and the sweet, tangy scents of whatever Uncle Safi was cooking downstairs mixed quite well together.

  She swung her giant hammer down with a sharp clang, sending sparks flying from the massive glowing plate of chitin on the anvil in the middle of the room. The chitin didn’t yield. The material was so goddamn stubborn, refusing to bend the way she wanted. She couldn’t reshape it with her bare claws, and now she couldn’t even get it to budge with the weight of an entire hammer slamming down on it. What, exactly, was she supposed to do with it?

  I guess this is what I get for just buying random bug parts off the bazaar for experimentation?

  [The plate is likely alloyed or something. There’s no way the plate itself is this tough.]

  She continued hammering the giant plate for a few more minutes before she eventually gave up. Setting the hammer down and flexing her fingers, she plopped down on the bed in the corner of the room, lying on her back.

  The forge in Tavern Emparatoria was a new addition, occupying what used to be Alice’s bedroom. That fact still made her stomach twist a little. It’d felt wrong to turn Alice’s space into this, but Uncle Safi had been so casual about it.

  “She’ll come back eventually, right?” she'd asked.

  “Maybe. Maybe not. She does whatever she does, so she’ll find another spot if she needs one,” Uncle Safi had answered.

  So that was how her in-house forge came to be. A sandstone smelter sat in the corner of the room. Cabinets full of smithing tools sat in another. Her workbench before the window was cluttered with half-finished trinkets—rings, bracelets, and charms, all made from bits and pieces of bugs she’d bought from the bazaar or received from the Hasharana for her efforts during the first stage of the exam. None of the Swarmsteel she’d made in the past month felt ‘right’. She couldn’t settle on a single thing she wanted to make, so now Alice’s room just looked like a desert storm had swept through it, half-finished equipment strewn everywhere.

  And now today’s the second stage of the exam, right?

  [Yep.]

  Her gaze drifted to the window, where the dim light of the rising sun painted the street outside in pretty shades of gold and crimson. At least there was one thing to feel good about. Over the past month, she’d eaten enough bug meat to finally unlock her first branch mutations, so that was something.

  Taking a deep breath, she opened her status screen, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of the glowing words:

  [Name: Dahlia Sina]

  [Grade: F-Rank Mutant-Class]

  [Class: Assassin Bug]

  [Swarmblood Art: Recollection]

  [Swarmblood Aura: 1,709 (+380)]

  [Points: 18]

  [Strength: 5 (+4), Speed: 5 (+1), Toughness: 5 (+4), Dexterity: 5 (+1), Perception: 4 (+1)]

  [// MUTATION TREE]

  [T1 Mutation | Swarmguard Deity Lvl: 5]

  [T2 Mutations | Basic Chitin Lvl. 5 | Basic Antennae Lvl. 5]

  [T3 Mutations | Basic Claws | Stridulating Throat | Basic Setae Lvl: 3] 150P

  [// EQUIPPED SWARMSTEEL]

  [Assassin Bug Claw Gauntlets (Grade: C-Rank)(Str: +2/3)(Dex: +1/2)(Aura: +160/300)]

  [Adaptable Desert Locust Greaves (Grade: E-Rank)(Spd +1/1](Tou +2/2)(Aura: +50/60)]

  [Glasswing Butterfly Goggles (Grade: F-Rank)(Per: +1/1)(Aura: +10/10)]

  [Adaptable Firefly Bracers (Grade: C-Rank)(Str: +1/2)(Tou: +1/1)(Aura: +80/250)]

  [Adaptable Antlion Cloak (Grade: E-Rank)(Spd: +1/1)(Tou: +1/2)(Aura +60/120)]

  [You can now choose branch mutations for your tier two core mutations, ‘Basic Chitin’ and ‘Basic Antennae’,] Kari murmured. [Wanna do it now or later?]

  I wanna at least see the options first.

  [Sure.]

  [First Branch Mutation Selection available for T2 Core Mutation ‘Basic Chitin’]

  [First Branch Mutation Option: Hardened Chitin]

  [Brief Description: The chitin plates over your skin will become harder and tougher, reducing your overall flexibility but providing more external protection against all sorts of physical attacks. At max level, your chitin plates will be thrice as tough as your toughness level]

  [Second Branch Mutation Option: Hollow Chitin]

  [Brief Description: The chitin plates over your skin will become hollow, allowing them to trap air inside and provide a small amount of thermal insulation]

  [Third Branch Mutation Option: Prismatic Chitin]

  [Brief Description: Your chitin plates will gain the ability to shift colors dynamically, allowing you to blend into your surroundings or create bright, distracting patterns. At max level, the color changes will be almost instantaneous, enabling real-time camouflage during movement]

  [First Branch Mutation Selection available for T2 Core Mutation ‘Basic Antennae’]

  [First Branch Mutation Option: Dagger Antennae]

  [Brief Description: Your antennae have become sharper, allowing you to use them as daggers in extremely close-range combat]

  [Second Branch Mutation Option: Ambush Antennae]

  [Brief Description: Your antennae have developed advanced sensory nodes capable of detecting even more minute vibrations in the air and ground. At max level, the sensitivity of your antennae will be four times that of your perception level]

  [Third Branch Mutation Option: Disruptor Antennae]

  [Brief Description: Your antennae have developed the ability to emit low-frequency vibrations that can interfere with the sensory perception of nearby creatures. With subsequent levels in this mutation, the vibrations can slightly dampen the effects of killing pressure directed at you]

  … And whatever I pick—

  [Will be irreversible, yep. You can't un-mutate a mutation. Furthermore, picking one branch mutation now will change the offering of branch mutations during the Second Branch Mutation Selection—when the mutation reaches level ten, that is—so do think long and hard about what you want.]

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  [Alternatively, you can just leave the branch mutations be for now and make your decision when you find yourself in a pinch.]

  [Your call.]

  Dahlia stared at the glowing status screens, hesitating.

  Prismatic Chitin?

  Dagger Antennae?

  Or maybe...

  She sighed, frustration bubbling under the surface. The decision felt too permanent, too weighty for her to make right now. If she didn’t have to make a choice now…

  A sharp tap to her side startled her out of her thoughts. She immediately sat upright to see Emilia perched on the windowsill, a mischievous grin plastered across the cicada girl’s face.

  “Time’s up!” Emilia announced. “The second stage of the exam’s ready. Let’s go!”

  Dahlia blinked, her thoughts still half-formed. “Already? Isn’t it only… eight in the morning? I haven’t even eaten—”

  Emilia waved a dismissive hand. “The venue’s all set, and they’re waiting for us. Chop chop!”

  With that, Emilia fell backwards and down onto the street. Dahlia didn’t race to the window to see if she’d landed safely. Sighing again, she cracked her knuckles and tested the weight of her hammer before slinging it over her shoulder.

  She considered taking the quick way out—the window—but shook her head. Instead, she headed downstairs the normal way, the wooden stairs creaking faintly under her shoes.

  Downstairs, Tavern Emparatoria buzzed with its usual morning energy. A few patrons were already passed out drunk on the elevated round tables, while Safi was behind the kitchen counter at the stove, flipping something golden and fragrant in a pan.

  She’d like to sit down and have breakfast in peace, but instead, all she could do was pause by the bar to grab a quick sip of water.

  “Stay safe,” Safi said casually, waving her away.

  She didn’t exactly reply, though her eyes wandered around the far corners of the tavern. Alice’s favourite spots—the seats by the round windows—were empty, just as they’d been for weeks.

  The same gnawing worry clawed at her chest, but she pushed it down, forcing herself to focus. She wasn’t exactly worried about the Arcana Hasharana, no, and she probably wasn’t missing the loudmouth’s presence, either, but… twenty days was a long, long time. Even for the ever-ephemeral.

  Don’t you know where she is, Kari?

  Can’t you… track her location or something?

  Kari turned on her shoulder and stared at her pointedly. [I can’t access any live navigation functions until I become a registered Altered Swarmsteel System, and even then, she’s an Arcana Hasharana. You can’t just ‘track’ an Arcana Hasharana.]

  Figures.

  As she stepped out of the tavern, adjusting the strap of her hammer over her shoulder, she blinked at the ruckus unfolding before her. Even in the relatively tucked-away corner of Eighth Mantid Street, people were bustling and cheering. Vendors waved brightly colored fans made of beetle wings, their stalls laden with insect-themed delicacies, like roasted grubs and scorpion-tail skewers. Children darted through the crowd, laughing as they chased each other with oversized mantis masks. There was some celebration going around, and… Emilia, leaning against a nearby lamp post with a steaming ant leg meat in her fist, caught Dahlia’s gaze and grinned.

  “Finally,” she said. “Thought I’d have to drag you out myself.”

  “What’s... going on?” Dahlia asked, her eyes darting to a procession where a group of dancers dressed in silken wings twirled to the rhythmic pounding of drum beetles. “It’s so... loud.”

  Emilia laughed, patting Dahlia’s shoulder as she continued chewing on her ant leg. “The second stage of the Hasharana Entrance Exam always turns into a festival here. The city loves throwing a party.” Then she waved her hand toward a parade passing through, led by a tamed Giant-Class spider crawling forward with performers perched on its glittering back.

  “But… do the people even know who passed the first stage?” Dahlia said, furrowing her brows as she sidestepped a small child carrying a balloon shaped like a stag beetle horn. “The Sun didn’t publicise our names or anything, right?”

  “That’s the point,” Emilia replied with a shrug. “They just wanna celebrate the next batch of bug-slayers, whoever they may actually be. It’s a convenient excuse to drink and eat too much.”

  Dahlia frowned at the thought. She didn’t really understand the enthusiasm. Sure, she’d passed the first stage, but there was still a chance they’d all fail the second stage and turn out to be the first batch of participants to not have a single passing participant.

  Has that ever happened before, Kari?

  [Never. Even the toughest year had at least three Hasharana passing the exam.]

  The thought wasn’t very reassuring, but as the two of them travelled through the crowded streets, squeezing through thick crowds on their way to the Hasharana’s temple, Dahlia stumbled as she bumped into someone’s large back.

  She blinked.

  The two of them looked up at the same time to see Muyang glancing back at them. The man was dragging his giant stag beetle helm behind him as ever, but he was significantly more armoured than the last time they’d seen him. Red and black-streaked beetle chitin armour was strapped over his shoulders, elbows, and knees, while giant butcher blades were strapped to the sides of his bulky greaves, making it so he looked like he had glaives for legs.

  “... Greetings, Miss Dahlia, Miss Emilia,” he said, dipping his head courteously. “Are you heading to the temple as well?”

  Emilia grinned. “Where else would we be going?”

  He didn’t answer, and only gave a faint shrug before trudging forward. The two of them started following. Because he was so massive, people had to move out of the way just to let him pass, and that meant the two of them could walk in his shadow without getting jostled around by the crowd.

  Funnily enough, his wide shadow attracted another familiar figure, who stumbled out of the crowd from nowhere and bumped into Dahlia’s shoulder.

  Emilia whistled.

  “I see you’ve taken a liking to more exotic clothes, my dear Noble-Blood,” she said, eying Wisnu up and down. In response, Wisnu—in her bright, exotic, flowy cafe waitress dress—immediately shied away and tried to walk in front of Muyang instead, shielding herself from Emilia’s teasing eyes using her giant sawtooth greatsword.

  “I was working, and my usual gear is still in the wash,” Wisnu muttered, exchanging a polite nod with Muyang and Dahlia as she did. “I… did not think it would take the washerwomen in this city this long to treat my normal clothes. It has been three days already, and I cannot find them in their stall anymore.”

  “You sure they didn’t just run off with your noble clothes and money?” Emilia joked.

  “What?”

  “What?”

  “I got robbed as well,” Otto muttered, jerking out of the crowd from the other side to join them in his thick fur coat. He nodded in greeting as Dahlia beamed at him. The rifle slung over his back seemed significantly longer and thicker since the last time she saw him a few weeks ago. “I paid this guy down the street twenty thousand silvers to run maintenance on ten boxes of my high-caliber anti-chitin bullets, and he just ran off with my money. Now I’m only down to ten boxes.”

  By the time they reached the sandstone temple at the end of the bazaar, the festive air began to give way to a more somber tension. The building loomed over them, its massive gates guarded by four hooded, flower-caped bug-slayers. The Hasharana warded off all the partying men and let only the five of them through—they must’ve been told who the participants were and what the five of them looked like—so Dahlia had an easy time skipping up the stairs and slipping into the temple.

  Inside, the air was cooler, the sunlight filtering through horizontal slits in the high ceilings. The five of them, still squabbling and chatting idly, were about to head deeper inside when a sixth voice came from the shadows.

  Behind a sandstone pillar right next to Dahlia.

  “And what bug are ye supposed to be?” Blaire murmured, dangling upside down against the pillar, her foot hooked around a barbed wire as she ran her syringe claws across Dahlia’s cheek. “This scent… this aura… yer some kinda—”

  Wisnu slashed at the Plagueplain Doctor, forcing her to curl up, kick off the pillar, and backflip behind all of them. The moment she landed and all of them whirled to face her, the giant sandstone doors slammed shut, and the horizontal slits in the ceiling suddenly closed to plunge them into darkness.

  Dahlia’s breath hitched. The oppressive silence stretched, broken only by the faint, unmistakable sound of countless legs skittering in the dark. It was faint at first—like a whisper on the edge of hearing—but then it grew louder, surrounding them. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

  “Stay sharp,” Otto muttered, the metallic click of his rifle echoing in the black. “This is probably a test.”

  Dahlia gripped her hammer tightly, her knuckles whitening. The others tensed, weapons at the ready, every sense straining to pinpoint the source of the sound.

  Then, with a loud thud, something fell from above.

  Before anyone could strike preemptively, Otto flicked a lighter, igniting the lantern hanging from his hip. Warm, flickering light spilled outwards in a five metre radius—and it was just enough range to illuminate the figure sprawled awkwardly on the ground.

  Dahlia frowned.

  Everyone else did too.

  It wasn’t a bug. It was a man.

  The stranger groaned, rubbing his head as he staggered to his feet. He was tall and lanky, his messy hair sticking out at odd angles, and a pair of oversized round glasses sat crooked on his nose. His plain, slightly rumpled desert vagrant clothes and bewildered expression did little to inspire confidence, but… there was something a little off about the man.

  Dahlia couldn’t place ‘what’ exactly.

  "... Not my smoothest entrance, but it’ll do," he muttered, straightening his glasses with a sheepish grin. “Everyone okay? No one stabbed me, right? Good, good. I’d have docked your points if you’d stabbed me because your vision was so crap you couldn’t tell a human from a bug.”

  Then the man’s face lit up, as though he’d just remembered something important.

  “Oh, right. First things first: congratulations to all of you.” He spread his arms wide, as if expecting applause. “You’ve all passed the first stage. Fantastic work. I know that Mutant-Class sun moth was a nightmare—I told Jiayin not to put it there because it’d kill too many of you—but the six of you made it, so all’s well that ends well. Now, the good news: stage two will be significantly less... stressful. Probably."

  “Probably?” Wisnu echoed, her tone laced with suspicion.

  The man either didn’t hear her or pretended not to. “Anyway, if you’ll follow me, I’ll take you to the briefing room. Lots to cover, lots to plan, and then we’ll just get started with the exam.”

  He turned on his heel, striding toward a dimly lit corridor at the back of the foyer.

  But Otto, ever cautious, called out, “Wait. Who are you again?”

  The man stopped mid-step.

  Then he turned, blinked, before giving all of them a little wave to beckon them forward.

  “I’m the Fool, ranked first of the Arcana Hasharana,” he said cheerily. “I’ll be the proctor for the second stage of the exam.”

  here with nearly five hundred members, where you can get notifications for chapter updates, check out my writing progress, and read daily facts about this insect-based world. My is here with up to eight advanced chapters for this story and Storm Strider and Thousand Tongue Mage, so it's twenty-four advanced chapters in total.