A Handful of Troublemakers

I had taken a two-stage evolution for granted, considering he was destined to become an Abyss Palace boss in the future. However, I hadn't expected the success rate itself to increase.

Having completed his evolution without any complications, Balutak's body restored itself, sprouting two brand-new specialized body parts. First, his forelegs had sharpened into deadly, mantis-like scythes. On his back, a pair of wings reminiscent of a dragonfly had unfurled.

Even his level had skyrocketed from the thirties straight to [Lv. 70].

The undead Valmonk was a similar case, but while Valmonk had hit a hard ceiling with his evolution, Balutak's potential was practically limitless.

There are several ways for a creature to grow stronger: natural growth, training, and equipping gear. But evolution was of an entirely different caliber. It didn't just cause a sudden, massive spike in combat power; it accompanied physical transformations that sought the ultimate perfection of the species. For any living thing, evolution was a miraculous, once-in-a-lifetime metamorphosis. The same rule applied to my Evolution skill. Once I evolved a creature, I could never evolve them again—excluding anomalous cases like a two-stage evolution.

And that goes double for insectoids.

In the game, players might have complained that an Evolutionist using insectoids as familiars was completely broken. Naturally, such an easy exploit didn't exist. When it came to insectoids, the Evolution skill could only be applied once. In other words, the evolution I had just performed was both the first and the last one I could ever grant him.

Knowing this, the reason I still wanted to recruit Balutak was that his personal potential for self-evolution was infinite. Insectoids started out incredibly weak, but their evolutionary growth plates never closed.

And Balutak is the Insect King destined to stand at the very pinnacle of his kind.

If Balutak became my ally, all I had to do was provide him with the right environment and sufficient nourishment, and he would grow stronger indefinitely. My dungeon was more than capable of providing those conditions. In the long run, Balutak would eventually become a boss-level asset for the Abyss Palace.

"Balutak has evolved-dak. Twice, even-dak. This is strange-dak?"

Balutak tilted his head, inspecting his rapidly transformed body. Even for an insectoid, a two-stage evolution must be an entirely new experience.

"Balutak's evolution... was it the skeleton's doing-dak? Thank you-dak. Saved my ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠life because of you-dak."

So he figured it out without me having to say a word. I gave him a slow nod.

"But it should be impossible-dak. Evolution is something one must achieve alone-dak. Others cannot do it for you-dak. Yet, skeleton... you evolved Balutak-dak."

"He has evolved so much that he is barely recognizable as the same insectoid," Charlotte remarked, stepping closer.

Balutak tilted his head left and right as he stared at Charlotte.

"Kirik! A human-dak? Is that a human-dak?"

"Kneel and bow your head," Charlotte commanded in her monotone, precise voice.

Having spent so much time with Charlotte, I could easily read the emotions hidden behind her expressionless face. Contempt. Loathing. Fearing a physical clash would break out if I left them to their own devices, I gently pulled Charlotte back.

"Your name is Balutak, correct? I have taken an interest in you."

"Me too-dak. Balutak has also taken an interest in the skeleton-dak. You evolved Balutak-dak."

"Do you desire to evolve even further than you have now? If so, submit to me."

I can't actually evolve him anymore, but a little white lie is fine if it gets him on my side. At that moment, I genuinely thought he might blindly follow me, driven mad by the sheer allure of evolution.

"Cannot do that-dak. Balutak only submits to the strong-dak. I do not take orders from those weaker than me-dak. But Balutak does not know if the skeleton is stronger than him-dak."

"Do you wish to die?" Charlotte interjected coldly on my behalf.

"This esteemed individual is a Lord of the Mugan 7-gung. A mere speck like you is nothing but a worthless insect in his presence."

"Balutak knows of the Mugan 7-gung-dak. Heard they are strong-dak. But Balutak has evolved-dak. Grown stronger-dak. Balutak can defeat even the Mugan 7-gung-dak."

"...You filthy, worthless insect. I will fry you to a crisp."

I blinked, momentarily taken aback. Did she just swear? Charlotte, who usually spoke so formally, had just snapped.

"Humans are weak-dak. Yet she dares provoke Balutak-dak. Balutak will kill the human-dak."

"Balutak. This human is my deputy."

"Deputy? What is that-dak?"

"It means she is my subordinate. Let me make you a proposal. You said you only submit to and follow the strong. If you can defeat my subordinate, I shall serve under you. However, if you lose, you must submit and serve under me."

"Kirik! Do not understand-dak. If Balutak loses to the human, Balutak submits to the human-dak. Must lose to the skeleton to submit to the skeleton-dak."

"You are not yet on my level. If you wish to challenge me, defeat my deputy first. Only then will I accept your challenge."

Yeah, you're trash at this game. You're not on my level. If you want to fight, go beat my vanguard first. I never imagined I'd be using the classic schoolyard bluffing tactic to dodge a fight like this. It would be an absolute disaster if Charlotte somehow lost, but there was zero chance of that happening.

Charlotte was currently [Lv. 72], while Balutak was [Lv. 70].

Charlotte was guaranteed to win anyway. You might ask if a mere two-level difference is really that insurmountable. In the game, level 70 was where the high-level threshold began, and at this tier, even a single level's difference was astronomical. While Charlotte might not be able to completely toy with him, she would easily overpower him the moment she exerted even a fraction of her true strength.

"Kirik! Very well-dak. Balutak will devour the human-dak. Balutak owes the skeleton a debt of gratitude-dak. But skeleton said he is a Lord of the Mugan 7-gung-dak. Will not devour him-dak. Only test who is stronger-dak."

Ten minutes. That was how long Charlotte and Balutak's battle lasted. To be more precise, it was more accurate to say that was how long Balutak managed to survive. Charlotte had unleashed a relentless, single-minded onslaught like a crazed witch, while Balutak was left desperately scrambling just to escape. And that was with her holding back. Fearing she might burn down the entire forest, she hadn't even touched her fire-attribute spells or large-scale area-of-effect magic.

"Kirik..." Balutak was currently splayed out on the ground. Having had his very soul crushed by Charlotte, he stared blankly up at the sky in utter defeat.

It's only natural his mental state is completely shattered. He had just achieved a miraculous two-stage evolution and was overflowing with confidence, only to be utterly humiliated by an unarmed human. To Balutak, who didn't even understand the concept of magic, he was probably wondering, Are humans normally such monstrous, rule-breaking entities?

I glanced at Charlotte and asked quietly, "What do you think?"

"He is certainly useful," Charlotte replied. "As an insectoid, he has plenty of opportunities to grow even stronger than he is now. His intelligence is also remarkably high, considering how quickly he adapted to and analyzed my magic." Charlotte paused, letting out a deep sigh. "However, his lack of manners is a severe issue. His pride may be wounded for now, but he is an insectoid with an incredibly fierce competitive streak. Even if we subjugate him through raw power, he will undoubtedly try to challenge us again as he continues to grow."

"If that time comes, will you be able to suppress him as you did today?"

"...I apologize, but my limits are clear. That insectoid will surpass me before long."

Not a mere assumption, but absolute certainty. If even Charlotte lacked confidence, that said everything. Well, it wasn't particularly surprising; in fact, it was exactly what I had expected. Charlotte was originally a 'Guardian' ruling over a single floor of the Rank 2 dungeon, the Ten-Tier Abyss. Balutak, on the other hand, was destined to become a true 'Lord' of the Mugan 7-gung, specifically Rank 6.

"If that day comes, perhaps the Lord..." Charlotte trailed off, unable to even meet my eyes out of sheer embarrassment. I had set all of this in motion, but Balutak was indeed a double-edged sword. A dangerous blade that could turn its edge toward me the more he evolved.

"Do not worry."

"I am deeply ashamed."

As if I'd ever step up to fight him myself. I'm not crazy. The solution was simple: make sure Charlotte could handle him before I ever had to get involved. But how? For starters, I just needed to focus on Charlotte's growth rather than Balutak's evolution.

Conveniently, I happen to know the materials required for Charlotte's awakening.

Charlotte's Phase 1 was 'Charlotte, the Silt Witch.' Her Phase 2 was 'Charlotte, Prophet of the Necronomicon.' The reason Charlotte's boss fight had such notorious difficulty in the game was because her level suddenly skyrocketed to 90 upon entering Phase 2. She became a semi-Abyss Palace boss-level entity, boasting power that surpassed any other Guardian across all dungeons.

To be honest, I had flinched inwardly when Calandas brought up the Necronomicon earlier. For Charlotte, the Necronomicon was the ultimate, perfect match.

Though my relationship with Calandas has already soured.

It was true that Calandas possessed the Necronomicon. However, if asked whether he held the complete, undivided text, that would be a lie. The Rank 6 Lord, Valentia Rosesha, also possessed a portion of the Necronomicon. Come to think of it, their mutual animosity might stem from exactly this. If I could successfully build up her affection toward me... or perhaps offer to join her faction, wouldn't she hand it over? Of course, that would be a last resort.

Even so, Charlotte's superiority will only be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠temporary.

The balance of power could not last forever. It would merely delay the inevitable; eventually, Balutak would surpass Charlotte. To prevent any issues when that day came, I had already devised a Plan B. During that grace period, I had to thoroughly brainwash—no, *nurture*—a blind, absolute loyalty within Balutak. Whether by putting on the grand facade of an invincible Abyss Palace Lord to build an insurmountable wall of intimidation, or by fostering a deep, lord-vassal bond, there were plenty of ways. The key was to completely re-engineer his mindset so he would never even dream of challenging my authority.

"Kirik... Human is strong-dak..."

Even if he was a bit of a white elephant, his raw combat power was undeniable. I had to buy low while I still could. Now that I had accidentally been misunderstood as a Lord of the Mugan 7-gung, recruiting Balutak was absolutely vital.

"For now, establish the hierarchy. Ensure he does not dare bare his fangs recklessly."

"I shall obey your command."

I walked over to the fallen Balutak and extended my hand. He stared at it blankly for a moment, but soon realizing my intention, he grasped it and pulled himself up.

"Do you accept the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠results of the duel?"

"Balutak admits defeat-dak. Balutak lost to the human-dak. Human was incredibly strong-dak. Just how strong is the skeleton-dak?"

"You cannot even begin to comprehend it," Charlotte chimed in with perfect timing. "He is so unimaginably powerful that someone of my level cannot even compare."

Hearing this, Balutak let out a sharp *kiririk* and recoiled in sheer shock. It was incredibly embarrassing for me, but since Charlotte had said it with such absolute conviction, he had no choice but to believe it.

"Balutak... has never seen a powerhouse like the human-dak. Defeated the evolved Balutak-dak. Yet, skeleton is far stronger than the human-dak."

"So, what is your answer to my proposal?"

"Balutak has completely lost-dak. The weak submit to the strong-dak. Balutak will submit to the skeleton-dak."

"He is not 'the skeleton.' From now on, you will address him as Boss," Charlotte corrected.

"Kiririk! Boss, Lord of the Mugan 7-gung. Balutak will follow the Boss-dak."

"We are leaving this forest immediately. If you have any unfinished business here, wrap it up without regret and return."

I was slightly worried he might refuse to suddenly abandon the home he had lived in since birth. If Charlotte had to drag him away by force, it would completely ruin my plan to foster his loyalty. I silently hoped he would follow willingly, but Balutak seemed to hesitate. Fearing all my efforts might go down the drain, I quickly added:

"I saved your dying life and granted you evolution. Furthermore, I possess power that is incomparably greater than yours. Do you still intend to disobey my command?"

"Balutak knows all of this-dak. But cannot leave the forest-dak."

I saved your life! I evolved you! I did everything for you! What could possibly be the problem now?!

"Balutak has weaklings under his care-dak. What happens to those weaklings-dak?"

"Weaklings?"

"The strong rule over the weak-dak. They also take responsibility for them-dak."

Is he talking about the other insectoids? Unfortunately, I couldn't take all of them with me. Managing Balutak alone was already a massive double-edged sword; taking on the risk of making an enemy out of the Rank 16 Dungeon Boss, Lionheart, was simply too much.

"How many are there?"

"Kirik. Twelve. Twelve of them-dak."

Twelve out of hundreds? That sounded highly negotiable. Or should I just buy them out like actual slaves? Standing around and overthinking wouldn't solve anything.

"I will resolve this." With Charlotte and Balutak flanking me, I marched straight toward Lionheart.

Slam! The moment I flung the door open, Lionheart greeted us with a face so pale he looked as though he had just seen a ghost.

"I—I pay my respects to Your Supreme Eminence!"

"I will be taking twelve insectoids with me. I shall pay for them. Will ten million Sells suffice?"

"...Pardon?"

"I asked if ten million Sells would be enough."

"Y-Yes, of course! Absolutely, Your Eminence!"

Though I had ended up with twelve extra insectoids on a whim, this would not only secure Balutak's deep gratitude but could also prove highly practical. Our dungeon was a labyrinth. When it came to digging tunnels, insectoids were top-tier workers, easily rivaling Kobolds.

"Balutak... is amazed-dak. That Beast King could not even utter a word-dak. Great Chieftain is powerful-dak."

"He is not the Great Chieftain, he is the Boss," Charlotte corrected.

"Boss is strong-dak. Balutak... swears loyalty to the Great Chieftain-dak."

...This is driving me crazy.

Balutak, seemingly in high spirits, clicked happily as he went around gathering his subordinates. Upon seeing their transformed leader, every single one of them reacted with utter shock.

"Kirik! Balutak! Our chieftain has changed-dak!"

"Chieftain has evolved-dak! Chieftain is stronger-dak! We must still follow the Chieftain-dak!"

"That is correct-dak. Balutak is your evolved chieftain-dak. But there are powerhouses who defeated even Balutak-dak. Balutak follows them-dak."

Led by Balutak, the thirteen insectoids, including himself, lined up before me. The subordinate insectoids all tilted their heads in confusion as they stared at me. Balutak stepped forward to address them.

"Balutak is your chieftain-dak. But this skeleton is stronger than Balutak-dak. Balutak has submitted to the skeleton-dak. Therefore, the skeleton is our Great Chieftain-dak! With the Great Chieftain, we are no longer slaves-dak!"

"Kirik! So that is how it is-dak!"

"Great Chieftain! Great Chieftain!"

"Great Chieftain! Never seen him before, but he is stronger than Balutak-dak! We follow the Great Chieftain-dak!"

"Kieeeek! Together with the Great Chieftain-dak! We will never be slaves-dak!"

Watching a dozen human-sized insects chanting in unison was quite the spectacle. Honestly, as someone who used to be human, it was slightly repulsive. Thank goodness I was an undead; if I were still human, I probably would have thrown up on the spot.

Beside me, Charlotte ground her teeth. "You filthy mongrels. I told you, he is the Boss."

"Charlotte."

"...My apologies."

Does she really hate insectoids that much? For someone who rarely used foul language to curse twice in such a short span, her hatred must run incredibly deep.

The insectoids approached me and pressed their forelegs together like praying mantises. If I recalled correctly, this was the unique insectoid gesture of absolute submission.

"Great Chieftain! Introducing myself-dak! I am Gurutak! Loyal to the Great Chieftain-dak!"

"I am Belutak! Also loyal to the Great Chieftain-dak!"

"I am Buraltak! Loyal to the Great Chieftain-dak!"

"What did you say your name was?"

"Kirik. Buraltak-dak."

"...We need to change your name."

"Kirik? Buraltak-dak?"

"Yes. I shall personally bestow a name upon you. From this day forth, you are Kelotak."

"Kirik! Great Chieftain gave me a name-dak! Kelotak is overjoyed-dak!"

"Kiririk! Me too, want a name-dak! Great Chieftain, give me a name-dak!"

"Me too-dak! Give me a new name-dak!"

The insectoids began swarming in front of me, competing for my attention. They shoved and tripped over one another, completely chaotic in their eagerness to receive a new name.

They really are a handful of chaotic problem children.

Being surrounded by these troublemakers made me feel like my own brain cells were rapidly deteriorating. If even I felt this way, I could only imagine how our dear deputy felt, considering she was the one who would have to manage these chaotic children in the dungeon.

"Haa..." Charlotte was currently pinching ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the bridge of her nose, letting out a heavy, soul-weary sigh. Well, since I was basically the boss of a subcontractor's subcontractor, it wasn't really my problem. Hang in there, Charlotte.