Simon quickly stood up to show respect.
He did not rashly agree to the Great Chief's request, but instead first asked about the specific mission.
The three Great Chiefs each took a turn to clearly explain their request.
It turned out that the Mantis Tribe originally had four Great Chiefs, but one had already defected.
The story's origin traced back to the war between Hallownest and the Mantis Tribe.
The tribe had once forged a pact with Hallownest, with the tribe guarding Deepnest to prevent the insane beasts within from rampaging outside, and Hallownest, in accordance with the pact, lived peacefully with the tribe.
However, ever since the White King's disappearance, Hallownest's order gradually collapsed, and the threat of infection steadily rose.
A large group of Hallownest warriors, their minds lost, broke the pact and attacked the tribe, while Hallownest's ruler, the White Lady, did nothing, seeming only to expel the bewitched warriors after the war.
After this battle, the tribe fell into internal disagreement.
One faction advocated for peace, represented by the three Great Chiefs, while another advocated for revenge, represented by the defected fourth Great Chief.
He proactively embraced The Radiance in pursuit of powerful strength, and then led those like-minded tribesmen to attack Queen's Gardens.
The three Great Chiefs had always held a grudge about this matter, believing the Traitor Mantis's actions insulted a warrior's honor, and hoped Simon could kill the Traitor Lord.
Simon thought for a moment and said, "If my information is not incorrect, there is a Shade Gate filled with void power in Queen's Gardens.
Creatures not recognized by the void cannot cross it, so how am I to penetrate it and kill the Traitor Lord?"
The Great Chief nodded, "Indeed, your information is very accurate.
The Shade Gate is Hallownest's most advanced technology, said to originate from the mysterious White Palace.
We don't understand such things, but we have a key!"
Simon was overjoyed, "Please, you must lend it to me!"
The third Great Chief said, "Wait a moment."
She walked to the wall, climbed it to the upper level, and after a short while, jumped back into the hall, holding a black spherical object in her hand, which she handed to Simon.
Simon took the key with both hands, examining it carefully, and saw faint, complex patterns on the perfect sphere, exquisite and mysterious.
"I will not fail you!" Simon bowed in gratitude, and the three Great Chiefs returned the bow.
After discussing the serious topic, Simon again brought up the need for a map of Fungal Wastes, and then inquired about the Little Knight.
The Great Chief instructed a nimble Mantis warrior to retrieve the map.
The second Great Chief spoke about the Little Knight.
Not long ago, a small individual, about Simon's size, came to the tribe.
He wore a strange mask and looked very cute, but his combat skills were phenomenal.
The three Great Chiefs took turns fighting him, but were left scarred by a small Nail, and needed a period of recovery after the battle.
The second Great Chief recalled, "He was not as physically powerful as you, honored sir; on the contrary, his strength was very weak, but he was absolutely a true Nail master.
The battle fell into his rhythm from the very beginning; or rather, he could adapt to any fight.
He moved irresistibly towards victory, which was very frustrating."
The third Great Chief nodded repeatedly in agreement.
Simon was happy in his heart, feeling a sense of pride as if his child had grown up.
He was indeed Hallownest's top warrior, not letting the efforts of those masters outside the game be shamed.
After obtaining the map, Simon did not linger, and walked out of the village.
Along the way, the Mantis warriors who saw him approaching immediately bowed, waiting until Simon's silhouette disappeared.
With a refreshed mood, Simon's steps were light as he looked at the map and hurried towards the gardens.
Upon arriving at an artificial structure in Fungal Wastes, he found two dead mushroom giants inside.
Their bodies had softened, oozing an orange-yellow liquid with a foul, fishy smell.
Simon observed the wounds, which had shriveled and no longer showed their original form.
Continuing onward, he arrived at Queen's Gardens.
Upon entering, he immediately felt the lush greenery and bright light.
Magnificent and exquisite buildings were covered by dense green plants, possessing a dual quality of historical vicissitude and vibrant life, like vines entwining a withered tree, a scene of prosperity within decay, filling one with emotion.
After all, it was the Queen's resting place, so the architectural standards here were on par with City of Tears, and the decorations were even more ancient and natural.
Many Mossflies floated and danced in the air.
These small, winged insects covered in moss were not aggressive; they would flee when Simon approached.
They were more like a part of the beautiful scenery here, only more lively than still objects.
The paths in the gardens were very complex, with large areas covered by thorny brambles making them impassable.
Moreover, the platforms were widely spaced, requiring one to step on laid-out planks to cross.
These planks were small and equipped with mechanisms; if weight was applied for too long, they would flip over, causing the insect standing on them to fall.
It was truly malicious, perhaps these obstacles were created by the army guarding this place to defend against the Traitor Mantis's attacks.
Unfortunately, these obstacles did not seem to stop the offensive, but instead became a nuisance for visitors.
Simon floated towards the White Lady's location; the Traitor Lord was certainly there as well.
At this moment, several Wind Slashes suddenly flew out from among the dense foliage growing on the building's exterior walls in mid-air.
Like the Mantis Great Chief's Wind Slashes, they spun at high speed like a disc, rapidly striking towards Simon.
Simon teleported to dodge.
His flying speed was not fast, which was a weakness, but fortunately, he could compensate with teleportation.
These Wind Slashes could only be deflected by applying force from above and below; striking the side was relatively difficult and unrewarding, so choosing to temporarily avoid their sharp edge was not a bad option.
Several Mantis Petra emerged from the thick leaves, throwing Wind Slashes at Simon from a distance.
These insects, which looked more like beasts, possessed a strong talent for combat.
Their attacks came with Soul Energy, which piqued Simon's curiosity.
He teleported close to a Mantis Petra, beheading it with one Nail strike, and dealt with the remaining few in the same manner, leaving only one.
Simon used Soul Energy to condense a hand and trapped this insect.
Its eyes were hollow and lifeless, not the common orange-red, but deep and dark black, with only a tiny, faint light in the very center of its eyeball.
Simon observed carefully; this insect was very sluggish and did not resist.
How many other ways were there to use Soul Energy?
It could be through years of arduous practice, or by devouring souls to accumulate energy.
So what did the Mantis Petra rely on?
Innate instinct?
The wonders of nature often leave every seeker of knowledge marveling.
Simon finished off the insect in his hand, not because he was unwilling to continue researching, but because new enemies had arrived.
A body so robust it was somewhat bloated, thick, pincer-like horns on its head, and a pair of broad, sharp blade-like legs, exuding a mad and tragic aura.
Former members of the tribe, Mantis Traitors who followed their Lord's footsteps into the embrace of infection, showed no mercy to any outsider!