Ta… Ta… Ta…

The quiet rhythm of footsteps echoed across the withered field. From three different directions, three separate hunting squads — a total of twelve or so members — converged toward the same point.

When they arrived, the hunters were greeted by an astonishing scene: two massive domesticated beasts standing guard, and beside them, the corpse of a Nine-Segment Demon Insect sprawled lifeless on the ground.

"Lord City Master!" they saluted in unison, their expressions filled with both respect and disbelief.

Luciel gave them a calm nod. "It just happened recently," he said casually, as though the huge creature lying there were no more than a fallen tree. "Since you're already here, gather some firewood before returning. We can't go back empty-handed."

"Yes, my Lord!" the hunters replied, though their tones were uncertain.

They exchanged awkward glances. It was their first time coming out on a hunt only to return without any prey—just bundles of firewood. They could already imagine the bewildered looks on their families' faces when they came home carrying logs instead of meat or hides.

Wei Geng, who led one of the teams, scowled and barked, "What are you all standing around for? Move!"

He drew his long blade with a metallic hiss and took the lead, hacking apart a fallen trunk.

"I'll help too!" Yue Feiyan said cheerfully, sticking out her tongue in embarrassment. She couldn't bear to just stand there while everyone else worked.

Meanwhile, Luciel's attention was fixed on the massive carcass of the Nine-Segment Demon Insect. He lifted his foot and stomped lightly on the ground.

A low rumble answered his movement.

Boom!

The earth convulsed, and a gigantic palm made entirely of soil and rock erupted from beneath the surface. The colossal hand rose into the air and carefully grasped the Demon Insect's segmented body.

Everyone nearby froze.

Wei Geng and the hunters stared in awe, realizing that this display of power was far beyond anything they had expected.

"Lord City Master… he's an Earth-element Awakener?" Wei Geng murmured in shock.

He judged the scale of the stone hand — several meters wide — and immediately concluded that Luciel's power had to be at least of the sixth tier. Anything stronger than that was beyond the comprehension of a humble fourth-tier warrior like himself.

Yue Feiyan, however, was utterly confused. "Earth element? But isn't the City Master a Water-element and Silk-spinner Awakener?"

She paused as a thought struck her — a legend she had once heard in childhood. "Could it be… a triple-element Awakener?"

Her crimson eyes widened in awe. The pride she had once felt for her own abilities suddenly seemed trivial. "That's… completely abnormal," she muttered under her breath.

Luciel waved his hand toward his tri-colored lizard companion. "Xiao Cai, come over here and carry this thing."

The creature hissed softly, clearly disgusted by the slimy corpse of the Demon Insect, but obediently lumbered forward, its massive claws sinking slightly into the dirt.

"Don't move," Luciel said gently. "I'll secure it with spider silk."

He directed the earthen palm to lower the insect's body onto the lizard's back, then used threads of hardened silk to tie it firmly in place.

Just as he finished, Yue Feiyan's surprised voice rang out. "Huh? A glowing bug!"

Luciel turned toward her, intrigued. "A glowing bug?"

He followed her gaze to a fallen tree nearby. Perched on its bark was a tiny insect—no bigger than a fingertip—whose tail shimmered faintly with golden light.

"Oh, it's just a glowworm," Wei Geng said with a dismissive glance. "You see them sometimes in the wilderness. They feed on the sweat and dead skin of beasts."

"This is the first time I've seen one up close!" Yue Feiyan said, fascinated.

Luciel studied the insect thoughtfully. "A bug that emits light… hmm."

The idea intrigued him. A luminous creature might have unexpected uses — perhaps as a night light, a guide, or something more.

"Oh no, it's flying away!" Yue Feiyan exclaimed and rushed forward, intending to catch it. She thought it would be a fun gift to show her mother — maybe even a way to charm Mino into liking her more.

Whish!

A nearly invisible thread of spider silk shot through the air, wrapping around the tiny insect before it could escape.

Pop!

The glowing bug vanished from sight.

"Huh? Where did it go?" Yue Feiyan blinked rapidly, scanning the ground. "It was right here a second ago!"

Luciel smirked slightly. "System—tame it."

Ding!

> "Level-0 lifeform detected — Glowworm. Begin taming?"

Ding!

> "Ten training points consumed. Taming successful. Lifeform evolved to Level 1 — 'Shining Beetle.'"

The faint light around the insect brightened, and its body began to change. The once-tiny worm expanded, its carapace hardening, wings forming beneath its back. It grew to the size of a thumb, glowing like polished amber.

Ding!

> "Talent detected: [Radiant Glow]. Would you like to inherit?"

"Inherit," Luciel said aloud.

Another chime.

> "Talent inherited successfully. Ability: [Radiant Glow] — improves illumination and adaptive energy emission."

Luciel raised an eyebrow. "Let's see what you can do."

He extended a finger. A soft yellow light appeared at its tip — small, flickering, like the flame of a birthday candle.

"…That's it?" he muttered. "Just glowing?"

It was underwhelming. But Luciel knew from experience that low-level creatures often had untapped potential. If he could evolve it further, the Shining Beetle might develop something extraordinary.

"System, evolve 'Shining Beetle' directly to Level 4."

Ding!

> "Evolution initiated. Cost: 1,110 evolution points."

Moments later—

> "Evolution successful. Level increased from 1 → 4."

"Talent [Radiant Glow] advanced to [Lightshine]."

The beetle now gleamed brilliantly, its body expanding until it fit comfortably in Luciel's palm. He studied its new form with fascination.

"The head looks like a rhinoceros beetle," he observed aloud, "but the body resembles a ladybug."

A T-shaped horn protruded from its head, while its arched carapace shimmered in a deep crimson hue. The translucent tail section was shaped like a teardrop crystal, with faint energy tendrils swirling inside.

"All right," Luciel said. "Show me your new ability."

The Shining Beetle buzzed its wings and lifted into the air. The crystal at its tail flared, casting a soft yellow glow — roughly as bright as a 20-watt bulb.

Luciel frowned slightly. "So it's just a flying lantern?"

Still, it wasn't completely useless. A creature that could serve as a portable light source had its advantages.

"What a big glowing bug!" Yue Feiyan exclaimed, shielding her eyes. The beetle's luminescence painted the night gold.

Wei Geng squinted. "I've never seen one that large. Just imagine how much sweat it'd need to feed that thing."

Suddenly, the beetle's glow intensified.

Bzzzzz!

It vibrated faster, the light from its tail condensing into a sharp beam.

Shoo!

A narrow streak of golden light shot out — a needle of energy no thicker than a toothpick.

Boom!

The light struck a nearby dead tree. The explosion tore a hole the size of a fist through the trunk, leaving behind charred black smoke.

Crack!

The tree groaned and toppled.

Luciel stared in disbelief. "A… laser attack?"

He blinked, momentarily stunned by what he had just witnessed.

Yue Feiyan gasped, her crimson eyes shining. "That's incredible! If I had one of those, I'd never need to light a fire again — it could illuminate my whole room!"

Wei Geng, more cautious, gripped his blade tightly. "Be careful, my Lord! That thing's dangerous!"

Luciel, however, was grinning now. "So you were hiding something, weren't you, little one?"

He gestured, and the beetle obediently descended, dimming its glow until it resembled the gentle light of a candle. It hovered briefly before landing on his open palm.

Everyone stared in awe.

Yue Feiyan was the first to find her voice. "Wait… Lord Luciel, don't tell me this thing is your domesticated beast too?"

Luciel chuckled softly. "Something like that."

"You're unbelievable," she said, half-admiring, half-envious. "You even managed to find a giant glowworm!"

"It's not a glowworm," Luciel corrected with a smile. "It's a Shining Beetle."

He gently tossed the beetle into the air, watching its wings glimmer faintly. He was deeply satisfied — not because of its current strength, but because of its limitless potential.

If it could already emit concentrated light beams, what might it do after further evolution? A creature capable of sustained laser fire… essentially a living, mobile laser turret.

"'Shining Beetle,' huh?" Yue Feiyan said, nodding approvingly. "That name suits it perfectly."

Still mesmerized, she returned to chopping wood, occasionally sneaking glances at the glowing insect. Whatever excitement she'd felt about the smaller glowworm had completely faded.

Luciel opened his system panel to inspect his new companion's data.

---

Trainer: Luciel

Attributes:

Stamina 141.3 | Speed 138.6 | Strength 136.7 | Spirit 152

Lifespan: 24 years / 3,260 years

Taming Points: 60 | Evolution Points: 9,058

Abilities:

Thousand-Silk Control (Level 5)

Lightshine (Level 4)

Domesticated Beasts:

Red Ghost Spider — Talent: Thousand-Silk Control (Lv 5)

Shining Beetle — Talent: Lightshine (Lv 4)

Luciel sighed lightly. "Only nine thousand evolution points left. These evolutions burn through resources too fast."

He closed the interface. Out of sight, out of mind.

Before long, Wei Geng returned, carrying an enormous bundle of chopped firewood nearly as tall as himself. "Lord City Master, the wood has been collected," he reported respectfully.

Behind him, sixteen other hunters followed, each burdened with hefty logs.

"I'm done too!" Yue Feiyan added brightly, hefting her own load.

Luciel nodded. "Good. Let's head back."

He gestured to the Shining Beetle, which immediately soared into the air, illuminating the dark path ahead with its steady golden glow.

"Yes, my Lord!" Wei Geng and the others answered, their footsteps echoing as the group made their way through the shadowed forest, guided by their City Master's living lantern.

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