——

Reputation Title: Slime Warrior

Acquisition Conditions: Under the witness of a Beetle Knight representing decay and termination, a slime must demonstrate extraordinary courage that transcends its primitive instincts, directly facing and overcoming deep-seated fears that would normally cause its species to instinctively recoil (typically trials related to powerful natural enemies or destructive forces).

Title Effects:

1. Prestige Imprint: The name "Slime Warrior" is remembered by the magical creatures around the Twisted Oak, bringing either reverence or hostility.

2. Fearless Heart: Gains advantage in resisting fear effects when facing magical creatures one rank higher.

Note: This is courage witnessed by the Dark Knight, a tearing of instinctual shackles, an aberrant glory born in corrupted lands.

——

As the fear instinct dissipated, the once terrifying and repulsive Death Knight appeared to Chen Yu as nothing more than a slightly larger beetle.

Not only was it not frightening, it actually looked quite clumsy.

And even somewhat... delicious...

After a quick glance at the inexplicably appeared reputation title, Chen Yu couldn't resist deploying the Poison Stinger Sword hidden within his gel.

[Object Manipulation]

The Poison Stinger Sword trembled violently, its tip bursting with sharp, cold radiance as it precisely and decisively stabbed toward the Beetle Knight.

Thud!

The Poison Stinger Sword struck the thick carapace of the Burrowing Beetle, leaving only a white mark without even penetrating the surface layer of insect armor.

What astonishing defensive power.

Chen Yu was secretly shocked, but he noticed that the Beetle Knight's body nearly flipped over from the impact of the Poison Stinger Sword. Perhaps he could use this to flip it over?

On the other side, the Burrowing Beetle had also witnessed Chen Yu's terrifying power. There was no trace of ferocity left in its eyes, only confusion mixed with fright.

With its pitifully small brain capacity, it simply couldn't understand how a soft, weak slime could suddenly become so powerful. Pressured by the sudden mental stress, it grew fearful and panickedly tried to turn around and retreat back into the hole it had dug.

But Chen Yu wouldn't let his nearly captured prey escape so easily.

Immediately, three more Poison Stinger Swords shot out with sharp clangs, drilling under the Beetle Knight's abdomen from extremely cunning and tricky angles, flipping it onto its back.

The Burrowing Beetle panicked, its six legs covered in hard armor flailing wildly in the air, hook-like claws unconsciously grasping about, accidentally getting stuck in the gaps of the thick, tangled tree roots nearby.

Now it struggled even more vigorously, but this seemed less like an attempt to right itself and more like becoming increasingly trapped and sinking deeper into the roots. It emitted frightened, helpless hissing sounds from its mouth.

Squelch, squelch...

Chen Yu hopped over, steadily stopping beside the Beetle Knight's massive, violently struggling body. Like a hunter filled with power, without the slightest hesitation, his internal stomach sac churned and compressed intensely.

"Squelch—!"

A thick, pungent dark green acid shot out like a high-pressure water gun, splashing fiercely onto the Beetle Knight's proud, jet-black carapace.

"Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!"

Intense corrosion sounds instantly erupted, pungent white smoke rising accompanied by scalp-tingling noises. Where the acid covered, the carapace surface reacted and boiled violently, like cold water into which a red-hot iron rod had been plunged.

But surprisingly, this powerful acid that could easily dissolve rocks and bones only left a murky corrosion mark on the black carapace.

The originally mirror-smooth, gloomily reflective carapace surface became like it had been roughly sanded, losing some of its intimidating luster, yet still remaining indestructible as it protected the body beneath.

"Hiss... This beetle shell is so tough?"

Chen Yu's heart stirred. If he could cover his soft gel body with this indestructible black heavy armor, those annoying Poison-stinger Wasp attacks would probably leave no marks when they hit it.

It was unimaginable how much security he would feel wearing it.

So this Beetle Knight had come to deliver equipment to him.

His round little eyes slightly brightened, fixed intently on the struggling Beetle Knight, trying to find any weakness in its thick black carapace.

Whenever the Beetle Knight exerted force with its six limbs and seemed about to flip over, Chen Yu would precisely strike with the Poison Stinger Sword, stabbing hard at its joints or points of force application, instantly disrupting its rhythm and causing it to fall back uselessly.

After pondering for a while, Chen Yu originally planned to test attacking the Beetle Knight's constantly twisting tail, but then he noticed that as it violently beat its carapace, trying to spread its wings and struggle, several rows of fine pores were exposed on both sides of its body.

The piercing, fear-filled hissing sounds were violently erupting from these pores.

These were important respiratory organs, and also the Beetle Knight's fatal weakness.

Chen Yu seized the opportunity and shot out the Poison Stinger Sword.

Smack!

The Poison Stinger Sword was batted away by the flapping carapace, missing its target.

No matter. Chen Yu retrieved several Poison Stinger Swords and continued rotating shots several more times.

Finally, amid the Beetle Knight's painful hiss, the Poison Stinger Sword accurately pierced into a respiratory pore, making it struggle even more violently.

The poison stinger happened to get stuck in its carapace, preventing it from closing. Chen Yu pressed his advantage, continuously manipulating more flying swords to strike.

"Squelch!"

Another poison stinger pierced through a respiratory pore and entered the Beetle Knight's body. Even worse, it was coated with the Slime Acid secreted by Chen Yu.

Now the Beetle Knight struggled even more violently, limbs flailing wildly, its hissing sounds accompanied by hoarseness and obstruction. One could even hear the sizzling of acid corroding the tender internal tissues.

Chen Yu waited for a long time until the Beetle Knight's six limbs completely stiffened and its corpse turned cold.

The Little Ones huddled trembling in the grass nest suddenly felt the fear from their bloodline gradually dissipating with the Beetle Knight's death. Their mung bean-sized eyes blinked in confusion.

Then they stared at the figure above that stood like a hero, confirmed the situation, and began cheering and jumping, their gazes replaced with deep yearning and worship.

Only after confirming that this beetle wouldn't suddenly resurrect did Chen Yu squelch over, strenuously swallowing the massive beetle corpse into his stomach.

When the Burrowing Beetle was completely covered by gel, Chen Yu's body had expanded to twice its original size, almost as large as the Slime Mother now.

He barely managed to wriggle back into the grass nest, patiently digesting the beetle in his stomach.

As the acid penetrated the beetle's body, digested meat juices seeped out and were gradually absorbed by the gel.

Chen Yu, who had been drowsy, suddenly trembled violently. His mung bean-sized eyes instantly opened wide, filled with unbelievable brilliance.

This Burrowing Beetle... was even more delicious than he had imagined!

The acid inside his body was efficiently decomposing the beetle's tough muscles and internal organs. When the strong acid corroded through the final barrier and contacted the beetle's most essential core flesh, a concentrated flood of exquisite flavor instantly washed through his body.

The taste... was as rich as the golden, oily crab roe and crab paste that flows out when you first pry open a crab shell—thick, mellow, carrying a uniquely domineering and profound umami from the deep underground, instantly enveloping all his senses.

Immediately afterward, a strange fungal fragrance spread through him, remarkably similar to the rich, complex aroma of premium matsutake mushrooms being pan-fried in butter—a blend of earth, forest, and nuts that perfectly balanced the richness of the crab paste, adding indescribable layers of flavor.

This wasn't an insect—this was practically a delicious bomb made from steaming hot crab paste and pan-fried matsutake mushrooms!

Holy crap, Brother Beetle, do you have any idea how delicious you are?