Simon saw Sly refuse, feeling a bit troubled, and decided to voice his thoughts.
"Elder, this is a matter of life and death for all the bugs of Hallownest. The sealed ancient light is about to break free, and when it does, we will all be enslaved. We need to preserve our strength as much as possible in this difficult situation. I plan to organize two teams: one will go far from Hallownest to the borders where The Radiance's gaze cannot reach, and the other will go to the hanging egg sacs in Deepnest. Those houses built by the Weavers can block dreams and are also places unaffected by the infection."
Sly lowered his head in thought, and Simon waited silently for a reply.
"Your idea is good. I can participate, but I will not go to Deepnest." Sly's voice was deep and heavy. "That is a place I never wish to revisit in my life. I apologize, please forgive my cowardice."
Simon sighed upon hearing this. He was not one to force others, so since the other party was unwilling, he would have to find another solution. "Then please participate in the team escorting the evacuation from Hallownest."
Sly asked him in return, "Which bugs do you mean by 'the team'?"
"The bugs to be escorted are mainly Maintenance Grubs and Merchant Bugs. I'm not sure how many bugs I can convince to leave their long-standing homeland, but I will respect their choices. Whether they leave Hallownest, go to Deepnest, or stay behind, it will be their own decision. I will ask them to contact more bugs, as much as possible. We can't let the world die with us madmen."
Sly was startled, "What do you intend to do?"
Simon replied, "It's not about what I intend to do, but what I am capable of doing. All of this depends on the Vessel's choice."
Sly sighed, "This is an unusual path. Which other bugs will participate in the escort?"
"I will mobilize some members of the Colosseum of Fools. They are strong and full of honor, but they are not suitable for escort missions; I have other arrangements for them. The Mantis Tribe guarding Deepnest is an excellent choice for guards; as long as a contract is signed, they will do their best to help. The world outside Hallownest needs a guide, and I think a responsible and powerful warrior named Quirrel can lead us," Simon paused, "So my plan is clear: Quirrel will lead you and the Mantis Tribe to form the evacuation team's guard, while I will lead the warriors of the Colosseum of Fools to clear Deepnest, allowing those bugs reluctant to leave their homeland to take temporary refuge there."
Simon thought, 'This is pretty much a perfect plan. Little Quirrel, you must survive.'
Sly nodded reluctantly this time. "Alright, I agree. Prepare the geo, such a long journey... Wait, what about my shop?"
"I can manage it for you during your absence."
"You seem like a competent merchant, so alright then." Sly still seemed apprehensive about Simon's eloquence, shaking the antennae on his head continuously.
"This egg, I'll entrust it to you for now. I'm off." Handing the little Maintenance Grub's egg to Sly, Simon turned and walked out, only to see Elderbug running back from outside the town in a panic. He was breathless and said to Simon, "Ah, I went to the Graveyard to visit old friends and found something terrifying!"
"What terrifying thing?"
"There were a pair of eyes glowing in the darkness, staring intently at me. I didn't dare to look closely. Oh my, it was too risky. I might not be able to go there for a while."
"I'll go take a look, I'll be right back." Simon curiously walked in the direction Elderbug had come from.
"Be careful..." Elderbug's hoarse shout came from behind, but it quickly turned into incoherent babbling like "ah ah oh oh" due to the distance being too great for pheromone reception.
Along the way, outside a small house, he saw two bugs. One was female, sitting with her legs hugged, looking up at the other with an admiring gaze. The other was a very arrogant bug, wearing a white mask shaped like a trapezoidal helmet, with two asymmetrical horns, one long and one short, on either side. Its eye-holes looked like weathered boreholes, and its mouth was like a puppet's, also a trapezoidal opening, giving it a sharp, critical expression. It wore a cloak and carried a wooden Nail on its back—unsharpened, essentially a toy.
At this moment, the male was rambling on about some nonsensical things, while the female listened intently, swaying her body and blushing.
"Precept Thirty-Seven: 'Borrow from others; do not lend to them.' If other bugs borrow from you and don't return it, you end up with nothing. If you borrow and don't return it, you gain a lot."
"Precept Thirty-Eight: 'Beware of mysterious forces.' There is a mysterious force pressing down on us from above..."
Undoubtedly, this male was the truly infamous Zote, and the female was the fangirl from the game. She originally worshipped the Little Knight, the protagonist who rescued her from danger, but later believed Zote's boasts and became a fervent fan of Zote, even giving birth to a terrifying dream obsession—the Grey Prince—due to her fantasies.
Every time a player died to the Grey Prince's unreasonable and terrifying attacks, they would hate Zote even more in their hearts—this foolish, incompetent, lazy, hypocritical, vulgar... "Great" Zote.
Sighing, Simon only found this fellow's rambling utterly annoying, so he walked past Zote without looking, continuing straight towards the Graveyard.
Following the main road, the surrounding houses became increasingly sparse. After descending a few steps, he arrived in the wilderness. Weeds grew everywhere, and ahead were two flimsy iron gates standing alone, which should be the entrance to the Graveyard.
The Graveyard contained many pitifully simple gravestones, and even more unmarked graves.
A faint Soul Energy lingered in the Graveyard. Simon guessed that this residual dream should belong to a gravedigger bug.
Further ahead, at the end of the Graveyard, was a sheer cliff, its top out of sight. In front of the cliff was an elevator, and at the bottom of the cliff was a dilapidated hut.
The elevator went directly to the cliff top, and this mountain was Crystal Peak. Simon could sense a powerful will, no less than The Radiance's, emanating from the center of the mountain range, very mechanical and cold.
Simon looked at the mountain, and in a trance, he seemed to see a magnificent city built of pink crystals, with towering buildings. The grey, sinking sun on the city's skyline was like a giant eye, looking down on the world. Its gaze refracted through the crystals, illuminating all opaque darkness and stubborn obstructions, allowing light to merge into bodies. Countless insects walked upon the crystals, and the crystals also walked in their blood, breaking through their skin to release light.
Blinking sharply, Simon's hallucination vanished. The mountain was still that mountain, and there was no magnificent city or setting sun; everything was merely his inner fantasy combined with the real environment.
However, the discovery of Crystal Peak left Simon somewhat regretful, as it was one of the places that had hoped to block The Radiance, and it was relatively safe.
Now it seemed that a deeper secret was hidden here, a terrifying deity no less powerful than The Radiance, concealed within the mountain range.
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