Chapter 82 Birth of The Entomancer



"What the hell is this, Rodion?" Mikhailis muttered, lifting them slightly. The talismans were small enough to fit in his palms, yet he felt something profound stirring within them.

<Mikhailis, scanning... Standby.>

Mikhailis waited, tapping one of the talismans with his index finger. As he did, the two of them began to float, slipping from his palms and hovering before him. His eyes widened, and a giddy laugh escaped his lips.

"No way. They can fly now?" he said, almost as if it were a new anime transformation he'd just witnessed. He extended his hand and, with his thoughts alone, willed the talismans to shift. The two small objects hovered higher, twisting and rotating with precision.

<Analysis complete. It appears that there is a connection between these talismans and the bond tattoo on your right back palm, Mikhailis. This link seems to be feeding information directly into the talismans themselves.>

Mikhailis turned his right hand over, staring at the tattoo that had been there ever since his connection to the queen had been established. He could see it glowing faintly, a deep blue light that seemed to pulse in sync with the floating talismans.

Rodion continued

<These may be talismans empowered by the chimera ants—an extension of their strength into a physical form.>

Before Rodion could finish his analysis, the tattoo flared with intensity. It glowed bright enough that Mikhailis had to squint, and in that instant, a wave of information surged into him. It was a sudden rush, like a thousand voices whispering at once, like he was being submerged in an ocean of thoughts and ideas.

"Whoa! What the—!" he stammered, stumbling back a step. He clutched his head, feeling the influx of knowledge, strange terms and images flashing through his mind. The sensation wasn't painful, but it was overwhelming.

Rodion, what's happening?!

Mikhailis shouted internally as he's too overwhelmed to let out a voice.

<The bond has activated, Mikhailis. It seems that the talismans are part of something greater. My analysis suggests from the various information that these are called the Entomancer's Talismans. A type of magical focus designed for manipulation and augmentation of insectoid entities. Specifically, they seem to relate to the word Chimera Ant King's bond strength.>

Mikhailis, his breathing ragged, managed to mutter aloud, "Entomancer's... talismans? A king...?" He could barely believe what he was hearing.

<Indeed. And Mikhailis, three distinct commands have been recovered from the information acquired.>

He blinked, his mind catching up

"Three commands?"

<Affirmative. First, the command is: [Summon].>

Without wasting a moment, Mikhailis took a deep breath and shouted

"[Summon]!"

The talismans responded immediately, glowing brighter, their form twisting and shifting. Within seconds, the air around him warped, and the two talismans seemed to dissolve, morphing into four of the scurabons and the frog variant chimera ant. The creatures appeared in front of him—large, intimidating, and fully formed.

"Holy—!" Mikhailis gasped, taking a step back. His eyes widened as he looked at the frog variant standing there, its chitin shimmering with a dull luster. Beside it, the scurabons looked just as menacing, their armored forms giving off an almost iridescent sheen. The scurabons stood at attention, while the frog chimera simply blinked at him with its bulbous eyes.

He couldn't help but grin.

"They... they actually came here. They responded to the summon! Rodion, this is insane!"

<Mikhailis, there's more.>

Rodion's voice was calm, almost as if he were discussing a simple weather forecast. But Mikhailis was anything but calm.

"More? What else?"

<The second command: [Return]. I advise you to test it as well.>

Mikhailis nodded, excitement bubbling inside him. He steadied his breath, raising his hand towards the creatures before him.

"[Return]!" he shouted.

Immediately, the creatures shimmered, their forms dissolving into the air like mist caught in a sudden breeze. Within a few moments, they were gone, leaving only the two talismans, which now lay motionless on the floor. Mikhailis bent down, picking them up, feeling their cool surface once more.

<Please do not let this newfound strength cloud your judgment, Mikhailis. Your enhanced state grants you significant abilities, but there are limits. I would advise not getting overconfident.>

Mikhailis scoffed, still grinning.

"Oh, come on, Rodion, can't you just let me have this? I feel like a freaking hero here!"

<Very well. Enjoy your moment. However, remain aware that with great—>

"Nope!" Mikhailis interrupted.

"I know where you're going with this! Don't give me the 'great power, great responsibility' speech again!"

<It seems you are developing a sixth sense for my quotes.>

Mikhailis couldn't help but laugh. He felt alive, and that was all that mattered. He looked down at his armor, the way it glimmered in the light, and he couldn't shake the smile from his face.

Then, suddenly, a sound broke through his excitement. A creak.

Mikhailis froze, his eyes darting to the door. It opened slowly, and without a second thought, he whispered the command.

"[Return]."

The armor shimmered, fading away almost instantly. The daggers vanished, the boots disappeared, and the talismans reformed in his hand before he slipped them into his pocket.

Just as the door fully opened, Lira stepped in, her expression a mix of confusion and curiosity.

"Your highness?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, her eyes narrowing at him.

"Why are you standing in the middle of the room looking... well, kind of like you're about to start a duel?"

Mikhailis quickly plastered on his most innocent smile, leaning against the back of the sofa casually.

"Oh, nothing, Lira," he said, his voice smooth.

"Just... stretching my legs, you know? Gotta stay limber. Can't let the ol' royal muscles stiffen up."

Lira gave him a dubious look, her eyes narrowing further.

"Stretching your legs? In full stance, like you were about to tackle an opponent?"

Mikhailis shrugged, smiling sheepishly.

"Uh, yeah. It's, um, a new kind of stretching routine I invented. You know, keeps you on your toes, ready for anything. You should try it sometime!"

Lira shook her head, her expression exasperated.

"You really are a strange one, your highness."

Mikhailis just laughed, waving his hand dismissively.

"Aw, come on, Lira, you know you love my eccentricities."

Lira sighed, her lips twitching slightly as if fighting back a smile. She walked further into the room, looking around for any signs of Mikhailis's usual antics. When she found none, she looked back at him.

"Well, I suppose I'll leave you to your... stretching. Lunch will be ready soon, and you should eat before your next engagement."

Mikhailis nodded, still grinning.

"Got it, Lira. I'll be there."

As she left the room, Mikhailis let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He reached into his pocket, feeling the cool surface of the talismans again, and a slow grin spread across his face.

This day just got way more interesting.