Chapter 4: Make them into the lowest level of worker insects.

“Tch…”

A faint hiss leaked through the gaps of her nearly gritted silver teeth. Every word seemed to be crushed between her teeth before being forced out.

Ella did not stop trying to lift her head.

The first time, she tensed the muscles in her neck and tried to raise the face that was being stepped on the ground.

But Butterfly Wing only added a little more force with her sole, and her forehead slammed heavily back onto the floor.

Bang.

The second time, she clenched her teeth and used all the strength in her body. The chains rattled loudly from her pulling, but what answered her was a sudden increase in the grinding pressure on the back of her head.

Bang.

The third time, she already felt warm liquid flowing down from her forehead. It slid along the bridge of her nose, passed the corner of her eye, lingered for a moment at the edge of her eye socket, then mixed into her eyes, turning her vision into a blurry scarlet.

The smell of blood.

How many years had it been?

She was bleeding again.

Unpleasant.

Extremely unpleasant!

As the Insect Mother, the one and only supreme creator on this island, she was actually being stepped on by her own failure!

The foot on the back of her head continued to rub. The texture of the black stockings drew circles on her scalp. The force was neither heavy nor light, like someone using their sole to feel the texture of a carpet. But right now, that carpet was her head.

Butterfly Wing did not hide her enjoyment of this feeling at all. Her breathing became steadier than before, and her voice revealed satisfaction. She was not in a hurry to kill her prey. Instead, she was slowly savoring every trace of fear from her prey.

“Last warning, Ella.”

Butterfly Wing’s voice drifted down from above.

“I can hear the commands you send in the network. If you dare to issue any more orders inside it…”

Her sole slightly increased the pressure. Ella’s forehead was pressed so hard it almost sank into the ground.

“I guarantee I will kill you immediately.”

Pause.

“If you want to gamble on whether your dear swarm can rescue you before I make my move…”

Her sole lightly ground down, as if helping Ella weigh the heaviness of that choice.

“Then go ahead and try.”

“You—!”

Ella’s voice finally could not be held back and squeezed out from the depths of her throat, carrying the double burning sensation of blood and humiliation.

Her scarlet pupils flickered within the bloodstains, still stubbornly reflecting light.

But no matter how unpleasant it was, no matter how angry she felt…

She forced herself to calm down.

Breathe. Think. Do not let emotions control you.

The most important thing her ten years as the Insect Mother had taught her was to maintain judgment of the situation at all times.

The swarm could go mad, but the Insect Mother could not. She was the brain, the center, the core of the entire system. If she lost control, everything would be over.

She began to analyze.

Butterfly Wing could hear her commands in the network. This meant that they, at least Butterfly Wing, indeed had some kind of connection with the insect nest network. After all, she had said she was “the failure closest to success.”

But things had not reached her worst assumption.

Because if Butterfly Wing really possessed the same level of authority as her, if they could truly take over control of the insect nest network, then they would not need to bind her with chains or step on her head.

They could have simply made the swarm turn against her.

But they did not.

This meant that Butterfly Wing and her companions could only “hear” at most. They could not issue commands, modify instructions, or give orders to the swarm.

They had no authority.

They had merely taken advantage of the moment when she let her guard down, captured her, and physically restricted her actions. The swarm was still her swarm. The nest was still her nest. She was only temporarily unable to mobilize them.

If that was the case—

Then as long as she waited, there was still a chance.

Just wait.

You failure.

She pressed her forehead against the cold ground, allowing the blood to flow from her brow bone to her lips. The tip of her tongue tasted the rusty, sweet metallic flavor. She no longer struggled, no longer tried to raise her head, and did not issue any more commands in the consciousness network.

She was waiting.

Waiting for the Nest Tyrants to find her.

Waiting for those dozens of five-meter-tall combat machines to smash through every wall here and tear apart these bastards who were stepping on her head, chaining her hands, and making her bleed!

Then, she would turn them into the lowest-level worker insects!

She would make them stay in the deepest parts of the nest, in sunless tunnels, day after day carrying condensed matter, secreting mucus, and building the hive.

No thoughts. No self. No revenge. Only work. Until their bodies slowly wore down and disintegrated over countless days and nights, becoming part of the nest walls.

For a lifetime.

No, even longer than a lifetime.

She would constantly repair and modify them, making sure they could never die and never stop.

Yes, she would preserve their consciousness.

Every day after work ended, she would go see them.

Thinking of this, the corners of her mouth could not help but curve slightly upward in the bloodstains.

“Butterfly Wing, the bombs are ready.”

A strange voice came from a corner of the room, crisp and short.

Ella’s blood froze.

What?

Bombs?

What were they planning to do?!