With the defense of the Blacklight Armor, let alone Mosquito Girl's massage, even the attacks of an S-Class hero might not leave a single mark on its dark carapace. But at this moment, he deliberately restrained the armor's strength, allowing those flexible yet powerful small hands to press and knead his sturdy carapace. The force was just right, stimulating every inch of muscle beneath the surface.
"Lord Insect God—the banquet is reaching its climax, and next are the special entertainment programs prepared by your subordinates."
Armored Gorilla's thick alloy body strained a clearly custom-made tailcoat, making it bulge. He walked up to Jack, bowed deeply, and a hint of confidence subtly emerged from his professionally cool face.
"I believe you will definitely like it."
"Oh?"
Jack picked up the standard villain-style crystal skull goblet and drained the crimson, viscous liquid within. He raised his eyes with interest, looking at the confident Gorilla Monster.
"So confident? Then begin your performance."
"As you command!"
Armored Gorilla turned, and his giant metal palm, like a cattail fan, slapped down hard.
*CLAP—!! *
The crisp sound of metal striking transformed into a tangible sound wave, instantly overpowering the chaotic roars and clamor of the thousands of Monsters in the main hall. The air fell silent. All the Monsters instinctively stopped what they were doing—whether tearing at roasted meat or pouring poisoned wine for their companions—they all uniformly turned their gaze toward Armored Gorilla, who usually kept a low profile but now fully displayed the prestige of a Demon-level cadre.
There were only a few Demon-levels in Insect God's territory in total. With Phoenix Man absent, Armored Gorilla was the top subordinate under Jack. Mosquito Girl had never been fully engorged with blood to enter her berserk state, and in a proper one-on-one fight, she was no match for this iron lump.
"Next!"
Armored Gorilla cleared his throat and announced loudly.
"Will be presented by the most dazzling pearls of our Lord Insect God's Palace—the Monster Association's first idol group—"BUG48"! Making a dazzling debut!!"
The moment the words fell, the lights at the top of the main hall suddenly extinguished, plunging the entire space into deadly darkness. The Monsters looked at each other, bewildered and curious.
Idol group? What was that? Could it be eaten?
Just then—
*ZZZZZZZZZ—!!! *
A piercing electric screech tore through the darkness, followed by a violent prelude—a mix of heavy industrial metal and Monster roars—erupting like a volcanic explosion. The spotlight swished and accurately shone onto the makeshift stage in the center of the main hall.
On the stage, Mosquito Girl—the chief maid behind Jack—had already taken her place at some unknown time. She casually ripped off her maid outfit, revealing a complex pattern of black stripes drawn with an unknown Monster's blood mixed with fluorescent materials, tightly adhering to her curvaceous and wild body full of powerful sensation. The stripes shifted with an eerie glow under the lights, and the translucent mosquito wings behind her vibrated at ultra-high frequency, complementing her inherent Monster characteristics and exuding a fatal allure.
As the lead singer took her place, a powerful song that seemed to tear at the Monsters' eardrums began.
Behind her, the drummer Plasma Dancer had completely transformed into an embodiment of lightning. She was bathed in leaping blue electric light, furiously striking the floating drum kit controlled by her own abilities. Each strike burst into dazzling arcs and sparks. Violent currents danced wildly over her enchanting body, perfectly merging with the wild drumbeats, creating a small plasma storm above the stage.
On either side of the stage, the Poison Lizard Sisters—with their alluring figures covered in highly poisonous scales—danced freely. Their bodies, with key areas covered in highly poisonous scales, were beautiful and captivating. Every flick of their tails, every twist, was full of primal wildness, creating a strong visual impact.
"Roar…!?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa… What is this… stuff?"
"Don't get it… but… it seems pretty exciting?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!!"
After a brief silence and bewilderment, the entire hall was instantly drowned in a tsunami of roars and howls. These Monsters might not understand what idols or song and dance were, but they could see it directly.
Beside the dance floor, Armored Gorilla—the chief planner of this performance—stood with his arms crossed, coldly surveying the entire venue with murderous eyes. His fists, thicker than a normal Monster's thigh, were audibly cracking.
Dare not to applaud and cheer—then just wait to die!
Thus, driven by the will to survive, the atmosphere instantly surged to an unparalleled climax.
Jack: …
He sat high on his throne, his powerful spiritual perception clearly observing every detail on the stage, including Armored Gorilla's subtle movements below. Though he didn't know what exactly had gotten into this guy to actually plan a BUG48 performance, then again… on Jack's face, covered by the dark carapace, the corner of his mouth subtly curved into a cold arc.
—At the very least, this debut performance isn't bad.
Seeing Lord Insect God gently tapping his finger joints on the armrest of the throne, following the rhythm of that strange music, Armored Gorilla keenly caught this detail, his heart filled with ecstasy.
—It's a success! I, Gorilla Lord, have succeeded!
—In the workplace, it's not just about being more capable to be more appreciated! One must understand how to gauge the superior's intentions and find alternative paths!
—Phoenix Man, let's see what you'll use to compete with me! Do you understand art, you!
(Reincarnated Phoenix Man: I never said I wanted to compete?)
The Insect God's Palace's carnival banquet was like a giant stone thrown into still water, creating quite a stir in the Monster Association's gloomy underground world. Some were confused, some scoffed, some wanted to emulate… This kind of thing was also unprecedented.
The news quickly reached the ears of the Monster Princess "Nude S."
At this moment, she was barefoot, leaning languidly on an ornate chair. Her slender fingers gently caressed a black leather whip that exuded a sweet yet dangerous scent. Before her, a fly Monster with countless compound eyes was broadcasting everything he saw in Insect God's Palace in real-time through a holographic projection-like ability. The screen showed BUG48's explosive stage, and below, the frenzied Monsters dancing wildly, completely immersed in fanaticism.
Nude S removed the restrictive mask from her face, revealing a beautiful but somewhat sickly pale countenance. Her narrow, snake-like scarlet tongue gently licked her split lips—like a Kuchisake-onna—and her pupils flickered with a complex light mixed with excitement, jealousy, greed, and desire.
"Insect God…"
Her breathing quickened slightly, her chest heaving, and an abnormal flush appeared on her beautiful face.
"When the recruitment order was issued before, I thought it was just some ignorant fellow's whim, just to draw attention. I didn't expect—in such a short time—the number and quality of his subordinates actually… actually already surpassed mine… If so many strong subordinates… if they could all kneel at my feet, and all accept my loving whipping… that would be… that would be such a breathtakingly beautiful scene that makes one's blood run hot—!"
Thinking of that scene, Nude S felt all the blood in her body screaming and boiling, and the black leather whip in her hand crackled with excitement due to its owner's extreme agitation, drawing trails of afterimages in the air.