Daily News: Insect Girls' Heavy Dependence

Only Buck's poignant and powerful eulogy echoed throughout the space.

And the deeper, more oppressive silence between the eulogies.

In this gathering of half the kingdom's elite, no one dared to show the slightest disrespect or negligence. Every face was solemn, with genuine or feigned sorrow hidden behind lowered eyelids.

Only the candlelight and the light from the jade lamp occasionally trembled in the still air, casting ever-changing shadows on countless solemn faces and gorgeous clothes.

On the smooth, mirror-like obsidian floor, long, quiet shadows stretched out...

The entire funeral was grand, solemn, and hierarchical, filled with a sense of ritual and invisible pressure.

At this moment, all forces temporarily restrained their claws and joined together to mourn the departed powerful figure.

Meanwhile, the undercurrents, in absolute silence, await the moment to surge forth after the ceremony ends.

As the music and ceremonies ceased, Buck's eulogy also came to a close.

The group moved to the giant open-air platform on the other side of the auditorium according to their pre-arranged seating.

This platform, spanning two giant buildings, is as grand as a plaza.

In the very center was a strange coffin of indeterminate material.

Richard, who was part of the August family's ranks, knew perfectly well that the duke's body was not in the coffin; it was merely a symbol to express their grief.

The fifty cannons surrounding the square correspond to the lifespan of the Duke of the North.

The booming of the cannons gradually faded away.

The giant platform suddenly began to tremble violently, slowly rotating and adjusting its orientation.

Finally, everyone's attention was drawn to the statue of the goddess of life.

Everyone bowed in respect.

Whether or not one knows the truth about the coffin, or whether or not one truly believes in this goddess.

During this solemn ceremony, only fourth-tier powerhouses are required to follow the rules.

If an ordinary person does not follow the etiquette of kneeling on one knee and crossing their right arm, they are very likely to be regarded as disrespectful to the deceased.

The ten minutes of silence passed quietly.

Suddenly, the coffin burst forth with dazzling golden light.

Priests from all over the kingdom gathered around the coffin, bowing their heads and reciting prayers to bid farewell to the deceased:

"Holy Lord of Life, hear the wishes of your people."

May your radiance grace the journey of the departed and dispel the chill of the underworld.

"He once wielded his sword to guard the northern borders, and he once nourished the people under his rule with kindness."

"Time has etched his achievements, and the wind and frost have turned his temples white."

"Now the entanglements of this world have come to an end, the body has returned to dust, and the soul has broken free of its shackles."

"Lead him into your Garden of Eden, where there is no pain and no separation."

"The grass is evergreen, the streams sing eternally, and the glory of life shines forever."

May he rest in peace, and may his name be forever remembered by posterity…

As the last priest completed the ceremony.

Throughout the new city of Rome, flocks of white doves began to be released.

And the coffin was purified by the holy fire of the priests.

In the end, nothing was left...

Richard patted Yekaterin, whose face showed no grief or pain.

Regardless of what Yekaterin thought in her heart, the funeral of her father, Duke Birmingham of the North, was finally over.

It ended as abruptly as his death.

Yekarin pursed her lips.

The tone was calm and even:

"Let's go back to the North... New Rome won't be peaceful from now on. The same goes for Buck; I'll get you to Tier 3 first before we discuss the rest..."

"Hmm." Richard nodded.

He never expected that his trip to New Rome would end so abruptly.

Looking at the royal delegations, Louis and Julia had already left in a hurry, as if they had something to attend to.

For the time being, Richard will not seek out these two royal friends; he believes that fate will allow them to meet again.

Yekaterin and I arrived at her private garage, but this time the carriage was no longer pulled by two White Night Stars. There was also a Dark Shadow Aurora.

"This Shadow Aurora was a gift from the royal family. They went directly to the casino to commission it. Clearly, Julia and the others don't know about our relationship yet..."

"They left in such a hurry just now, they must have gone to the family to look for someone, after all, you were brought back by the Third Legion..."

Richard only realized what was going on when Yekalin brought it up!

Privately, he calls himself Brother Louis and Sister Julia, but publicly, he's their aunt's husband!

I'm really looking forward to seeing their expressions when they find out who they are...

...

...

The carriage embarked on its journey once more, speeding along the elevated road through the clouds.

Richard looked back at the family's central castle complex. A mix of emotions welled up within him; he knew that before long, this would unleash an even greater storm.

He also relayed the news of the fifth-tier super-giant insect beast to Buck through Yekalin.

Hopefully, they won't get bogged down in political intrigue over something as important as the Great Wall. Hopefully not...?

Lost in thought, Richard fell asleep with his head on Yekaterin's lap...

When I woke up, I was already in Stormwind.

He rubbed his throbbing temples. The harrowing day and night in New Rome seemed like a bizarre and fantastical dream to him now, with a lingering sense of unreality on his fingertips.

But right now, there are still important matters to attend to.

"Young Master! You're finally back!"

As soon as Richard jumped off the carriage, Sally, like a nimble little sparrow, pounced into his arms and clung to him tightly.

Inside the carriage, Yekalin's lips twitched almost imperceptibly.

She quickly composed herself, silently telling herself: Yekaterin, don't argue with a child. If she wants to hug her, let her hug her... Anyway, there will be plenty of opportunities to bring her back tonight.

Richard is now at the second rank, and the gap between him and Yekalin has narrowed considerably. He can naturally catch a glimpse of her tender feelings.

To cover up the sudden embarrassment, he quickly changed the subject: "Stop fooling around, let's gather the men and collect the rest of the essence insect liquid."

Upon hearing this, Yekaterin couldn't help but sigh heavily.

After all, Sally was the concubine that Astelle personally chose for Richard before her death... and besides, given his own situation... oh dear! There must be a way!

Stormwind's efficiency has always been swift and decisive.

This border fortress city is far less grand in scale than New Rome.

But here, Yekaterin is the absolute ruler, the one whose word is law. Her will is the command that drives the entire city.

In a short while, a force of two thousand people quickly assembled and stood solemnly in the fountain square, ready to go into battle.

Richard did not plan to ask Goldie to oversee this insect fluid collection operation again.

After all, he had just broken through to the second level, and his physical functions had undergone a qualitative leap.

I need to find an opportunity to have the Dream Insect Little Loli create a new ability panel for me, and then make use of all those cocoons.

Not to mention the four fourth-order cocoons left by my sister. I still haven't figured them out yet.

Having extraordinary abilities but not knowing how to use them is ultimately just a flashy facade.

This second mission to collect the essence insect fluid was the perfect opportunity for real-world training.