The rest of the Insect Race couldn’t sense his presence, either.
In their hive mind, Kerrigan was the supreme source of command. They would only react to her psionic signals.
As for Ian, they would neither attack nor obey him, completely ignoring his existence.
What astonished Ian even more was Kerrigan’s "production" capability.
The packet of information revealed that as a Level Four Mother Insect, Kerrigan’s bloated abdomen was no simple ovary. It was an incredibly complex, precise, and efficient biological factory.
She could absorb various forms of energy—including, but not limited to, the World Origin, high-energy minerals, and organic matter—to synthesize different genetic templates and biomass slurry within her body.
Whenever she needed to produce new Insect Race units, Kerrigan would select a certain number of the Male Bees surrounding her.
She would then retract these Male Bees into a special internal chamber, breaking them down into the most basic biomass slurry and Energy.
Following the stored genetic templates, she would combine the biomass slurry, Energy, and templates to "print" new Insect Race units inside a modulation chamber.
The new units would rapidly grow to maturity in a modulation fluid before being birthed. The entire process was completely asexual, highly efficient, and incredibly fast, but it also consumed vast resources.
The resources required to produce a single Level Four Guard Insect were enough to create tens of thousands of Male Bees.
However, Kerrigan’s own library of stored genetic templates was limited. At present, she could only produce basic units like Male Bees, Rapid Insects, Bone-Eating Insects, and Shadow Wing Insects.
She didn’t possess the templates for more advanced units like Guard Insects, let alone special ones like the Soul-Devouring Insect.
Those were high-level permissions granted directly by the Void Nest to specific Mother Insects.
’In other words, Kerrigan is basically a starter barracks right now. She can churn out a swarm of low-level troops but can’t produce any high-level units.’
Ian couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment as he reached this conclusion.
’Separated from the rest of the Insect Race, she can’t generate new unit templates on her own. Her evolution is locked.’
The only way for her to evolve again was if he could obtain more advanced Insect Race genetic templates from elsewhere, or if he had Kerrigan perform Devouring on other Mother Insects or special insect types.
Just as Ian was lost in contemplation of the Insect Race’s hierarchy, a streak of dark silver light shot out from a distant crevice in the ice, landing with a stagger not far in front of him.
It was Izera.
She had clearly been watching from afar, only daring to approach now that she was certain the Insect Race had settled and posed no immediate threat.
When her eyes focused on the scene before her, her entire body went rigid.
The terrifying powerhouse from the Otherworld was floating calmly in mid-air.
Below him, the Mother Insect he had apparently tamed now had compound eyes that glowed a gentle, pale gold. Surrounding her were fifteen Level Four Guard Insects, as silent and imposing as mountains.
And then there were the countless battle insects of all Levels, dense and packed, yet unnervingly silent.
They weren’t attacking or screeching. They simply stood in quiet formation, protecting Kerrigan—and by extension, protecting Ian.
Izera felt her heart practically stop beating.
She had personally witnessed the terrifying might with which Ian had slaughtered the insect swarm and crippled the Nest. But that kind of power, while awe-inspiring, still fell within her understanding of a "powerful outsider."
But the scene before her now completely shattered the limits of her comprehension.
Her people had tried it before, but after losing several Summoners in the attempt, they had abandoned the idea completely.
’Enslave a Mother Insect? Control the Insect Race? How is that even possible?!’
A fear deeper than any she’d felt facing the endless insect swarm began to coil around Izera’s Soul.
If before she had revered Ian for his Power, she now feared him for this incomprehensible, reality-bending ability.
He could not only destroy, but also command. He could command the most terrifying and frenzied predator race in the Void.
Izera’s body began to tremble uncontrollably. She took several deep breaths, struggling to suppress the terror gripping her heart.
She took a few steps forward, her posture even more deferential than at their first meeting, her bow so deep she almost touched the ground.
"Esteemed powerhouse from the Otherworld," she said, her voice hoarse and clearly trembling.
"The fluctuations from the World Will seem to have calmed somewhat, but the situation remains uncertain. The crisis has not been averted."
"I implore you... for the sake of the countless innocent lives in this world, please lend us your aid! Please, help this world!"
Ian pulled his thoughts back from his communication with Kerrigan and slowly turned to look at Izera.
His face was expressionless, a mask of cold indifference.
"Help you? What do I get out of it?" Ian’s voice was completely flat, devoid of emotion.
"The Essoke People are Void Hunters, a race that feeds on the sacrificial Devouring of Souls from other worlds. Your ’innocence’ is built upon the wails of countless worlds."
"Why should I help you?"
Izera’s face turned deathly pale. Her lips trembled, but she could not form a rebuttal.
Ian had spoken the brutal, bloody truth—the original sin of the Summoners, which they could never wash away.
Just then, a mental message from Kerrigan entered Ian’s mind, laced with a hint of craving and a desire to please.
’Master, this creature’s soul signature is very unique, and its Energy Level isn’t bad either.’
’Should I have my Guard Insects capture her for you... no, for me to eat? I can feel that Devouring her might be of some small benefit to me.’
Ian was speechless. ’This Mother Insect just gained her freedom and she’s already thinking about her next meal? It seems the Insect Race’s instinct to evolve through Devouring is truly ingrained in their very being.’
He immediately dismissed Kerrigan’s suggestion. A pragmatic head of the Summoner Council was far more valuable than a corpse.
He began to rapidly weigh his options. How should he deal with the Esok World?
According to his original deal with Aisala, he was only here to seize the Origin that had been converted by the Crystal Core Insect.