Insect Tamer's Ascension Chapter 5: Terrarium

"Young Master Theo, you're back so soon?" the old man inquired from behind his desk, a touch of irritation in his voice at Theo's return.

"Yes, Father will send a message your way shortly. I'll take my leave now," Theo responded, then rushed off without delay toward his familiar aisle.

"You've only got fifty minutes remaining today!" the old man shouted after him before resuming his tasks.

Theo offered no reply. He was certain a messenger would show up soon to handle all the arrangements for him.

Racing to the aisle's center, Theo halted, hauled a wooden step stool over, and scaled it. He glanced left and right, then grinned broadly while yanking books from the shelves and flinging them down to the ground.

Echoes of the noise reverberated across the library, yet Theo remained unconcerned. Besides the old man, no one else ever visited this place, and the elder fully understood Theo's method for retrieving books in his absence. Besides, those tomes were robust and weighty enough that true damage was nearly impossible.

'What a vast library holding just one volume on insects... Here in this realm, bugs get dismissed as feeble, unworthy of note. This tome was penned by nothing more than an amateur enthusiast,' Theo mused, flipping through well-known pages until he arrived at today's targets.

That volume served as an encyclopedia detailing the world's insects.

Theo realized numerous ordinary and uncommon-grade monsters stemmed from mutations of Earth animals he recognized. Beyond uncommon grade, though, beasts had transformed radically across a millennium, evolving into wholly novel creatures.

Insects, however, lacked such favor. Like mammals scavenging in the dinosaur era, bugs in this land were eclipsed by behemoths that could shatter mountains and oceans at full power.

"This seems promising. Perhaps I should procure some via a trader," Theo whispered to himself. He peeked rightward to confirm the old man wasn't observing, then creased and folded the page.

Defacing books in the royal library stood prohibited, yet this one escaped notice entirely—no soul across the estate even recognized its presence.

For more than four hours, Theo delved into insect studies, jotting down their distinctive powers.

Clara later arrived, settling close by once granted library access. Her company didn't bother Theo; she'd shadowed him since his earliest memories.

By affinity type, he'd sorted every insect he knew, ensuring swift selection of top choices for his affinity come awakening day.

Multiple times, the old man approached to inspect, but spotting Theo's focused reading and note-taking in his compact journal, he chose not to disturb.

"Clara, would you shelve these books for me?" Theo requested, standing up. He had wrapped up for now.

"Alright," Clara answered, ascending the ladder to replace the volumes one after another. Theo figured it would occupy her for some time.

To mask his sole interest in one book, Theo had initially dragged down several on beast taming, dodging any raised eyebrows over his fixation on "worthless" beings like insects.

"I'll head to my room, Clara!" he yelled abruptly, catching her off guard.

"Wait!"

Theo had already bolted from the royal library with the same speed he'd entered. Sprinting along castle hallways, he earned respectful nods and bows from passing guards. Leashed wolves strained to pursue, only to be restrained.

One minute of dashing through multiple passages later, he reached his quarters. Theo swung open the door, surveyed his immaculate space, then promptly unlocked an inner door.

Creak.

The sturdy door creaked wide, revealing a grinning Theo peering within.

The chamber brimmed with clear enclosures, each housing diverse insects. Tiny vials crowded the surfaces, but Theo headed straight for the massive arrangement claiming almost half the space.

A terrarium mimicking a lush tropical jungle stood there, perfectly tuned with ideal humidity and heat.

Grinning broader, Theo drew near, eyeing the bugs inside.

Casually, little stood out, but a keen look revealed minuscule insects scurrying all across the enclosure.

"The springtail variants and roaches have doubled their numbers this past week. It's time at last."

Theo unlatched a front panel on the terrarium for a better peek within.

Disregarding any risk of escapees, he proceeded to one of the room's numerous petite containers.

"It's time for you to feast, Iron Mantis," Theo declared as he lifted the box lid. Moments later, a tiny form appeared and perched on his palm.

A petite gray Praying Mantis rested there, roughly half the length of Theo's hand, its exoskeleton shining with a metallic luster and forelegs edged like jagged saws.

Theo had gotten scratched up multiple times back when he first obtained the Praying Mantis; those front limbs bristled with razor spikes meant for seizing prey.

Yet after spending months by Theo's side, the creature had become fully at ease with him.

Theo lightly tapped the Praying Mantis on its head before bringing it close to the gaping entrance of the enormous terrarium.

Despite the hatch standing open for quite some time, not a single insect within dared to make a break for freedom.

A circle of runic dust bordered the terrarium, releasing a potent scent that warded off the bugs and blocked them from breaching the line.

The Praying Mantis itself gripped Theo's thumb hard whenever nearing that dust, its hold stinging his skin, but Theo knew the beast meant no harm.

After crossing the barrier, the Praying Mantis sprang from Theo's grasp and touched down inside the terrarium with regal poise.

Its head whipped around in all directions, its full 360-degree vision granting supreme vigilance.

Theo observed closely as it crept toward an isopod. A momentary halt followed, then its forelegs lashed out in a blur, spikes plunging into the frail form.

A grin spread across Theo's face at the sight; he secured the terrarium lid, his chest swelling with thrill.

"Though I can't check its level right now, I sense it's close to a level-up from these weekly hunts. Next week, when I get the system back, I'll know exactly how much progress it's made."

Joy nearly burst from him in a shout; that glorious day loomed when his own system panel would return.