Cursed Immortality

Jacob looked at two items on the table. They were none other than the gray tatter cover book and the parchment made of beast skin he got from the dark ruins when his very first condition.

He was too busy learning the languages, so he put the appraisal for later when he entered the dark city.

Now that he was finally free, he was going to see what these two things were and their uses. As for the gray metallic cylinder, he still has no idea what it is, and he might be able to find out once he studies the Universal Magical Materials encyclopedia.

Jacob first opens the tatter cover book, and he can finally understand the title of the very first page, which instantly draws his attention.

"Legends and Basic Information of Top 100 Fantastic Insects!"

Jacob's expression darkened when he read the title because this was by far what he was expecting. He expects this book to be some sort of secret magic manual, but it turns out to be some insect storybook.

Still, since this book could survive so long, he was interested in the information, and he could always sell it to SAAI. He already knew its price.

As he turned the page, there was an introduction.

"Fantastic Insects are the rarest breed of insects that ever to exist in the universe, especially the top 100 hundred.

"The Fantastic Insects in the top 100 are born in extremely harsh environments and at the very first stage of their evolution (Common Rank) because they could bring ruins to worlds if they were born in their true form and almost impossible to kill if they reached their final form.

"The universe is fair, and that's why despite giving these insects unbelievable abilities, they needed to grow to use them, and they are just like any other insects at their first three stages of evolution.

"Only after they cross into their fourth stage of evolution will they start to awaken their true abilities. Because of this exact reason, just finding a single one is nigh impossible, not to mention controlling them.

"The only way to control them is when they are at the very first stage of their evaluation (Common Rank). There is no other way around it.

"In this book, there is very basic information and some legends that I've collected in my entire life on the top 100 fantastic insects and the only method that can completely enslave a Fantastic Insect at its first stage of evolution.

"The method is written in the Blood Insect Enslavement Ritual Array."

Jacob's eyes contorted when he read at this point, and something instantly came into his mind as his eyes darted toward the beast skin parchment, 'Don't tell me?'

Without hesitation, he opened the beast skin parchment, and he completely ignored the runic array design as his eyes were affixed to the information on top.

"Blood Insect Enslavement Ritual Array Design and Materials Requirement!"

It was written in crimson wording which made his expression ugly.

"What the fuck am I supposed to do with these two things?" Jacob was really perplexed as he fought his urge to burn these two useless things.

Still, he put the array design down and decided to read the information on those fantastic insects even though it was clearly written just how rare and dangerous these insects were.

But if somehow he got his hands on one of these insects, he would be able to completely enslave them because he had both their information and the only method to control them as far as this book described it.

It was a long shot but still, who knows, he might get his hands on one of them someday, and this information could also be used in multiple ways.

As for who wrote this book or designed this array, there was no name, and Jacob wasn't one to care either.

So, after reading the two-page introduction on these fantastic insects, he flipped the page, and a rough sketch of a strange flea appeared with a tentacle-like cavity between its wings.

There was a small information section below it.

'Fantastic Insect: Rank 100

'Name: Light Speed Flea

'Introduction: Able to Fly at the speed of sound on birth. Legend has it; in its final form, it can move through space even faster than the speed of light, and nothing can catch it as it can pass through anything.'

Jacob cocked an eyebrow when he read the legend, 'If even a fragment of this is true and this flea is only ranked 100, then what about the number 1?'

Intrigued, Jacob looked at the picture below; it was an ant with triangular wings and a long needle stinger.

'Fantastic Insect: Rank 99

'Name: Venomous Trooper Ant King

'Introduction: According to some legends, once an Infant Dragon was killed by a Venomous Trooper Ant King. There is not much information about it.'

'Heh.' Jacob sneered, clearly not believing it.

He didn't dare to imagine the power of an actual Infant Dragon since just that infant wyvern's strength was enough to send terror into anyone's heart.

Afterward, Jacob flipped the pages one by one as he remembered the appearances in those sketches as well the very limited information and some unreliable legends.

Nevertheless, Jacob knew if any one of those legends were real, then these top 100 fantastic insects were enough to wreak havoc in Zodiac Plains. This might also be the reason for the limitation implicated on them by the universe.

However, when Jacob was only top 10 insects away from ending the book, his eyes landed on a particular sketch when he turned the page, and shock surfaced in his eyes before it turned into absolute disbelief.

There was a sketch of a centipede colored completely black, with six body segments. It was eyeless, and instead; it had two pairs of antennas on each side of its head and 12 pairs of black legs.

Jacob couldn't be more familiar with that body segment's shape and saw-like antennas. With tightened nerves, he looked at the information…

'Fantastic Insect: Rank 9

'Name: Brain Hunter

'Introduction: There's no information on its actual name as it's simply known by the name Brain Hunter, and there is a very infamous yet terrifying legend about it. Once an entire civilization's brains were consumed by it, and they were all nothing but Brain Hunter's mindless puppets!'