Ch 25: Voidfrost Weevils

Emrys’s mind was racing with all the information Elysia had just revealed. He looked at her in shock, feeling a mix of anger, fear, and disbelief.

Broken Star Alliance was the backbone of humanity. All humans were united, fighting against outer enemies. His parents gave up their lives fighting to protect their homeworld. And now, a few espers with high status in the alliance had turned to their enemies, betraying the trust and faith of all humans.

How can he not be angry?

"Someone from the Broken Star Alliance… betraying humanity? That's… unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head as if trying to clear away the disturbing thoughts.

Elysia nodded, clearly understanding Emrys's feelings. Her expression was dark as she spoke, “I know. It's hard to accept, but it's true. I've been tracking suspicious activity for a while. The fall of the Seventh Line of Defense wasn't a coincidence; it was a setup. They are weakening our defenses on purpose. They must have guessed I have started suspecting them, thus they want me to die here. It is no wonder no one came to save me, and all the espers who were sent here to fight insectoids were so weak."

Emrys clenched his fists, his jaw tightening as he absorbed the weight of her words. "Why would they do this? Why? It doesn't make any sense… How could they work with those… monsters?"

Elysia looked at him sharply. “Why? It is, of course, for power, for their greed. But more than that, some of them believe aligning with these alien races will secure their survival. They think humanity’s resistance is pointless, that we’re just delaying the inevitable."

Emrys felt a chill run down his spine. The idea of humans betraying their own kind, cooperating with alien forces to doom humanity was like something out of a nightmare.

He hesitated, feeling the weight of what he was about to say. "So, the Broken Star Alliance... How can we trust anyone there now? How do we know they aren't all in on it?"

Elysia sighed while shaking her head. "It's complicated. Not everyone is corrupt, and most of us are still fighting back from the inside. But we could do nothing about them without hard evidence because those traitors have high influence within the alliance."

Emrys took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. "And here I thought I was just here to destroy some Hellfire Swarmflies. Now it turns out it's a full-scale trap with Royal Insectoids and a plot to tear down our defenses. It's like we are being used as pawns."

Elysia gave a grim nod. “That’s exactly it. Those old bastards from the Broken Star Alliance sent suicide squads to do this mission, hoping they’d weaken the Insectoids without having to commit high-ranking espers. They are clearly taking the lives of all espers as expendable resources. This way, not only were they able to weaken the forces of humans, they also gave insectoids food to eat."

Emrys clearly understood what she meant by all Suicide Squads being food for insectoids. His heart burned with anger, but he kept it under control. He knew he needed a clear mind if they were going to make it out alive.

“What do we do now?”

Elysia’s expression softened. Looking at him, he shook her head and slowly spoke, "First, we have to get out of the Insectoid Island. We have to return to the Sixth Line of Defense first. Then I will go to the Broken Star Alliance and call for a meeting before asking them for an answer in front of all the powerhouses. Why did they send suicide squads when I clearly stated what kind of force is needed to destroy the nests of Hellfire Swarmflies and Voidfrost Weevils? Moreover, why was there no information about the Voidfrost Weevils? I will try exposing the truth. If I can reach the right people, I might be able to stop those bastards' plans. But it won't be easy; they’ll do everything to stop me if they get to know that I have returned. I have to make a thorough plan."

Elysia was not only telling Emrys about her plan and what is needed to do. She was actually speaking to herself about everything that needed to be done.

After a while, both of them prepared to leave.

"I am hungry," Emrys spoke. Since Elysia had been here for a long, she must have a way to obtain food.

Elysia was stunned, but then she nodded her head. "Let's go. I'll take you to kill a few edible insectoids. You can eat them to fill your hunger."

Emrys nodded and started following Elysia. At the same time, he made a plan to obtain more information about Voidfrost Weevils.

"Umm... Commander Elysia, can you tell me more about Voidfrost Weevils? I want to know about them."

Elysia didn't think much and started explaining.

"Voidfrost Weevils are very different from other insectoids. They are not like normal insects. Instead of just one type, they are divided into different ranks, based on the strips on their bodies."

"These strips come in three colors: Bronze, Silver, and Golden."

"Bronze-Striped Voidfrost Weevils are the weakest of the Voidfrost Weevils. A Voidfrost Weevil with three bronze strips is about as strong as a Third Star Esper."

"Silver-Striped Voidfrost Weevils are stronger. A Voidfrost Weevil with one silver strip and two bronze strips is about as strong as a Fourth Star Esper. A Voidfrost Weevil with two silver strips and one bronze strip is about as strong as a Fifth Star Esper. The strongest silver-striped Voidfrost Weevil, with three silver strips, is as strong as a Sixth Star Esper."

"Finally, there are Golden-striped Voidfrot Weevils who are also the Royal Voidfrost Weevils and have high status among weevil-type insectoids."

"Royal Voidfrost Weevils are very powerful. They are the leaders. These weevils are as strong as Seventh Star, Eighth Star, and Ninth Star Espers. They are much bigger and stronger than Bronze and Silver-striped Voidfrost Weevils. Royal weevils grow much slower, but their strength is amazing. These weevils evolve slowly and achieve the status of Royal Voidfrost Weevils. They are not born royals."

"And then there are the **True Royal Voidfrost Weevils**. These weevils are born as the leaders of the whole group. They are special. Even though they might only be as strong as a First Star Esper, they have a golden strip on their bodies. This golden strip shows that they are special."

"True Royal Voidfrost Weevils grow and evolve faster than normal weevils. They will eventually become the kings and queens of the next generation of Voidfrost Weevils. They are born with the strength and power to lead the other weevils."

"In short, Voidfrost Weevils are ranked by the strips on their bodies. And the True Royals are born with inborn golden strips. They are born to lead, becoming the most powerful weevils, no matter how many strips they have at first."