Insect Tamer's Ascension Chapter 465. Mission over: A mysterious figure’s extermination duty

Hours passed before Theo and the others could finally breathe a sigh of relief, their nerves gradually calming down.

The entire journey felt surreal, like a strange dream. They were supposed to have departed the region a day earlier, but a simple reconnaissance mission had unexpectedly led them to a new formidable beast, completely altering their original plans.

Theo resolved then and there to refrain from making such drastic, impulsive choices in the future, especially when the well-being of others was at stake.

Throughout his experiences, he had always collaborated with his companions, which allowed for a greater degree of flexibility.

This thought echoed in his mind, leading to a quiet but firm conclusion: he needed to attain sufficient strength to undertake such missions independently.

After another day of travel and making camp, the familiar sight of the exit gate reappeared before them. The contingent tasked with guarding the area was observed gathered around a campfire, engaged in eating.

Merek’s gaze met Theo’s briefly, but Theo swiftly averted his eyes.

The apology had been extended in his capacity as a leader; it did not necessitate any warmth or camaraderie towards Merek now that their mission was concluded.

A final shared meal marked the end of their time together before they began packing their belongings. The sturdier beasts were secured separately, while those that had been subdued were transported along with them.

Theo cradled the paralyzed pup in his arms, and the other had been tethered and placed alongside the she-wolf.

He cast a glance down at the pup, which stirred weakly, its face stretching towards him before it playfully stuck out its tongue.

Theo found himself unable to resist the thought that the pup was undeniably adorable.

Soon, their procession moved towards the gate. One by one, each member passed through. Clara, with considerable effort, dragged a lengthy section of tree trunk—a specimen she deemed superior to all others.

"Right behind you," Theo informed Clara and Elias, who responded with nods.

For the time being, they were considered party members, not subordinates, and being overly pedantic about every detail would negatively impact Theo’s image.

Once the remainder of the group had successfully passed through the gate, Theo stepped forward to follow.

As he crossed the threshold, the spatial energy emanating from the gate enveloped him, inexplicably leaving him feeling revitalized.

However, just as Theo anticipated returning to the mundane world, his spatial senses detected a disturbance to the south.

He sharply turned his head in that direction, only to perceive a peculiar sensation coursing through his body.

Yet, before he could fully process or react to this anomaly, everything shifted drastically; in the blink of an eye, he realized he had already exited the gate.

"A gate..." Theo voiced aloud, capturing the attention of Clara and Elias.

_____

Within the confines of the gate's domain, far to the south, a minute spatial distortion flickered into existence. It pulsed erratically a few times before coalescing into what appeared to be a fully formed gate.

The singular distinguishing factor was its remarkably diminutive size.

Subsequently, an entity emerged from this miniature portal.

A silhouette composed of blinding white light materialized.

The instant it took its initial step into this realm, the small spatial gate flickered and dissolved with a subtle 'POOF'.

The silhouette bore the resemblance of a typical humanoid form, but as it raised an arm towards another point, a sharp clicking sound reverberated through the immediate vicinity.

In the subsequent moment, the luminosity encasing its body began to recede.

From its head to its feet, the glow dissipated, revealing a mechanical humanoid.

It advanced a step and halted before a colossal beast that was still slumbering.

A slender beam of light emanated from the mechanical entity's eyes, traversing the entirety of the beast from its uppermost to its lowest points, akin to a scanning process. Shortly thereafter, the beam vanished.

The entity’s form was encased in sleek, premium grey armor, resembling a suit more than conventional mechanical plating, almost like a spacesuit.

Yet, a telling detail betrayed its nature: its joints consisted of segmented components with discernible metallic attachments, and the visible gaps between these segments clearly indicated that no human occupied the spacesuit.

"Primary elimination sequence failed. Residual target remains. Evidence purging initiated."

A flat, toneless voice, seemingly female, emanated from it, completely devoid of emotion.

As it spoke, the chest section of the spacesuit-like body opened from the side, and a small metallic cube emerged on an articulated mechanical arm.

The humanoid retrieved the cube and actuated a button on the attachment, retracting the arm before propelling the metallic cube towards the massive beast.

The throw was unhurried, executed with deliberation... yet when it landed, the action felt entirely calculated.

The moment the cube made contact with the beast’s body, a faint sizzling sound commenced, followed by the cube beginning to burrow into the beast from within.

Over the ensuing minutes, a horrifying transformation occurred within the creature. Its once majestic and immense form contorted, decayed, and combusted internally, ultimately reducing it to a charred, putrid husk.

"Disposal complete."

The monotone voice resonated once more.

The mechanical being stepped back and actuated a sequence of buttons located on its left arm.

Upon apparent completion of its task, it extended a finger forward, arcing with potent electrical discharges.

Sparks converged before it...

...and a gate materialized from these crackling energies.

Without any hesitation, the metallic entity stepped through it.

The gate promptly collapsed behind it, vanishing into nothingness.