…Huh?
The beetle's legs were pumping furiously, dirt flying beneath him—yet the scenery wasn't changing.
Trees didn't pass.Grass didn't blur.
"…Wait."
The horrifying realization hit him a second later.
I'm not moving.
He looked down.
—or rather, tried to.
A shadow fell over him, and a pair of pale fingers closed gently—but firmly—around his body.
He was lifted off the ground.
…Oh no.
He craned his head upward and saw her.
The tall girl with long black hair, calm amber eyes, and a staff resting against her shoulder.
Serin.
"…So this is what it feels like to be picked up," he thought blankly.0/10 experience. Would not recommend.
His legs kept moving out of pure instinct, kicking at the air uselessly.
"Stop squirming," Serin said flatly."You're wasting energy."
EXCUSE ME? YOU'RE THE ONE CARRYING ME LIKE A KEYCHAIN.
She hadn't tightened her grip enough to hurt him—but there was no chance of escape. Her fingers were steady, precise, like she'd handled dangerous creatures before.
The others quickly caught up.
"Nice grab!" Duran laughed, resting his axe on his shoulder."Fast little thing, though."
Ren let out a breath he'd been holding.
"Good. No injuries."
Rika circled them, tail swishing.
"Heh… I kinda feel bad now that we caught it."
Lyria ran up last, slightly out of breath.
Her eyes immediately locked onto him.
"You caught him?!""…Hey—be gentle!"
She leaned closer, staring at him with sparkling curiosity.
"He's kinda… cute."
The beetle froze.
…Did she just call me cute?
WHY IS THIS EMBARRASSING.
Serin glanced at Lyria.
"It's a dangerous mana beast."
"It's also fluffy-looking," Lyria countered."Look at its little legs!"
THEY ARE NOT LITTLE—OKAY MAYBE THEY ARE BUT STILL—
A translucent green panel flickered in front of his vision.
[Status Effect Applied] [Restrained] Movement: Disabled
…Of course there's a debuff.
He sighed internally.
So this is it. Captured on day one. Reincarnated as a bug with a system, only to get kidnapped by adventurers.
Serin adjusted her grip slightly, holding him closer to her chest as she walked.
Her mana felt… strange.
Not hostile.Not gentle either.
More like cold observation.
"We'll bring it to the Guild first," she said."If the Lord wants it transferred later, that's another matter."
Ren nodded.
"Agreed. Better than letting something like this roam free."
"Something like this" feels a little rude, he thought.
As they moved through the forest, he noticed something odd.
The system was… quiet.
No warnings.No emergency quests.No "Escape Now or Die" prompt.
Instead, a single line blinked faintly.
[Observation State Active] [Remain Calm]
…Remain calm? THAT'S IT?
He glanced up again.
Serin's expression hadn't changed, but for a brief moment, their gazes met.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Interesting."
His antennae twitched.
She felt something.
Lyria skipped closer, whispering loudly:
"Serin, do you think it understands us?"
Serin didn't answer immediately.
She looked down at him again.
Carefully.Seriously.
"…I don't know," she said."But I wouldn't rule it out."
The beetle's heart skipped.
…Yeah. That's bad.
Very bad.
As the party continued deeper into the forest, one thing became clear to him:
This wasn't just a capture.
This was the beginning of something much bigger.
And for better or worse—
He was now officially involved with humans.