Fabre in Sacheon’s Tang Novel - Chapter 187

Chapter 187
Back in the village, I gave Hyang a thorough inspection under good light.
I had to be certain he wasn’t hurt.
The Black-Clawed Red Earwig’s pincers were far sharper than I’d anticipated, so I needed to check that Hyang’s shell and legs were still intact.
Hyang was significantly more durable than a regular centipede—the difference was like comparing a rock to an egg.
Even so, his legs remained a vulnerable spot, and it was possible one could have been severed.
Though a spirit beast, Hyang was still low-level.
His adversary had been a Twenty-Four Poison Creature.
A lost leg would regenerate after his next molt if the wound wasn’t fatal, but that did little to ease my worry.
“Hyang! You terrified me! That was far too reckless! What were you thinking?!”
My hands still unsteady, I turned him over, inspecting for any harm while I scolded him.
His reply?
— Tzzt… 『But…』
A feeble, almost ashamed mutter.
The instant the sound left him, his older sister and younger sibling were on him immediately.
— Tzrrrrrr! 『What? But?!』
— Tzrrt-tzrrt! 『Buuuut?!』
Their tone made it clear they weren’t having any excuses.
It sounded like they were snapping, *You don’t even feel sorry!* or *You absolutely deserve a lecture!*
Hyang’s antennae went limp at once.
Normally, he’d be acting brazen or aloof, but having narrowly escaped death, he seemed to finally understand his error.
For the first time, he took the reprimand from his older sister and younger sibling without a fight.
“Hyang! Sister Seol just told me everything—you nearly got yourself killed! What were you thinking?!”
Hwa-eun, who had just gotten the story from Seol, came running over.
At this, Hyang coiled himself into a tight ball, pulling his head into his shell—just like a pill bug.
It was the classic *I’m not listening!* defense.
Seeing this, Hwa-eun’s eyes turned sharp, and Bini and Cho’s antennae went rigid.
His mother, big sister, and little siblings were all lecturing him, and he had the nerve to shut them out like this?
It was obvious the scolding was about to get lengthy, so I intervened before it escalated.
Yes, I had been frightened, but because of Hyang, we had located the Fire Crystal—he had earned some recognition for that.
Plus, there was more good news.
“Okay, okay, everyone just settle down. He’s unharmed, and I’m certain he’s learned his lesson. Let’s stop here.”
“So-ryong, you’re too lenient. You have to correct him firmly! What if he pulls another stunt like—”
“Hyang is the one who found the Fire Crystal for us.”
My words made Hwa-eun’s eyes go wide.
She evidently hadn’t heard that part from Seol yet.
She must have run over as soon as she learned Hyang was in peril.
“You found it?”
“Yes. Hyang was searching for it when this all happened. An enormous Fire Crystal was lodged in the cave wall behind the Black-Clawed Red Earwig’s nest.
That’s likely why Hyang lost control before—he must have sensed the crystal’s energy.”
As I explained, Hwa-eun’s look shifted to Hyang.
She released a long breath before finally speaking in a gentler voice.
“Oh… That is truly worthy of praise. But Hyang, you must never do anything that dangerous again, understand? You gave your mother and father a real scare.”
At that, a single antenna slowly emerged from his curled-up form.
I lifted the little pill-bug version of Hyang and showed him to Hwa-eun.
“And there’s another reason to be happy.”
“Another reason?”
“Look at the ends of Hyang’s antennae and legs.”
“My baby’s antennae and legs? Wait—what? This is…! It looks just like what happened with Bini…”
Hwa-eun turned her astonished gaze to me.
She had clearly spotted the resemblance to Bini’s evolution.
“Correct. If Hyang can absorb the energy from the Fire Crystal, he could evolve into a higher-level spirit beast, just like Cho and Bini did.”
If I were to guess… he would probably become a Fire Centipede.
A centipede that breathes fire, akin to a mythical dragon.
The thought made my heart swell with anticipation.
Fire is a core element in any fantasy realm—one of the fundamental four: fire, water, wind, and earth.
Hyang’s ability had always seemed more like a specialized internal energy technique than genuine fire manipulation.
But now? A daughter with command over fire?
A truly filial daughter of flame.
‘Absolutely, she’s a filial daughter. An exceptionally good one, at that.’
“This is wonderful! So Hyang will become even more powerful, right?”
Hwa-eun was just as excited as I was.
But right then, Hyang suddenly uncurled and shot straight into my sleeve, burying himself deep within.
He was utterly horrified by the idea of getting larger.
Clutching tightly to me, his small voice cried out.
— Tzrrr! 『No! I refuse!』
‘You what?!’
…This was going to be difficult.
I had a feeling that getting Hyang to evolve was going to be a real challenge.
Our little centipede appeared to be suffering from a serious case of Peter Pan Syndrome.

***

Fifteen days later, I went back to the lava cave.
Standing in the cave’s darkness, I addressed the Black-Clawed Red Earwig.
Even though I’d been coming by often over the last fortnight to observe it, this was our first interaction since the incident where Hyang almost died.
“Hello. I’m here to examine the exit path. I need to verify there’s a safe route out. The rear is sealed, correct? I must be sure the way out is secure for your young when they depart. Would you permit me to look?”
My reason for speaking to it now, rather than sticking to my original plan, was simple.
I had initially intended to survey the cave’s tunnels after the mother earwig had passed away.
But with her offspring still attached to her, I recognized that this was the correct moment.
Once their mother was dead, the hatchlings would likely panic and flee in every direction.
Furthermore, I could feel the mother’s time was nearly over.
Newly hatched earwigs, similar to infant centipedes, undergo one or two molts soon after birth.
After they finish their second molt and their bodies become brown, they truly begin to hunt for food.
That is also the time when the mother gives herself to them.
And based on the slightly raised shells of the young, their second molt was imminent.
“…”
The Black-Clawed Red Earwig, which had been observing our approach, lowered its body once more at my words.
That was permission enough.
I signaled to the others that it was safe to move forward.
Kwon-ryong, Geom-ryong, Ji-ryong, and our eldest brother moved past me swiftly, vanishing into the opposite tunnel to scout the exit.
I decided to sit down nearby and watch the Black-Clawed Red Earwig until they returned.
“They’ve gotten so big, haven’t they? Do you mind if I wait here until my companions return?”
Not waiting for a response, I took a seat.
The earwig’s antennae flickered slightly, but that was all.
It wasn’t as if it could move much regardless.
Its back was covered in a dense cluster of earwig larvae, all holding onto their mother.
With my Cat’s Night Vision Technique, I could see the little ones squirming clearly.
I became absorbed in watching them, and nearly an hour slipped by.
Then—
One of the larvae suddenly convulsed.
Its back cracked open, and something yellow popped out like popcorn.
‘It’s molting!’
I had thought it was near, and I was correct.
The second molt had started.
— Tuk. Tuk. Tuduk.
The cave was filled with the quiet noise of exoskeletons breaking apart.
One after another, the young earwigs shed their old skins, showing new, bright forms beneath.
It was as if golden blossoms were unfurling all over their mother’s back.
Once their new bodies hardened, they would have no further need of their mother.
Just then—
The noise of footsteps came from the tunnel.
The scouts were returning.
Gyu-seong was the first back, and he reported right away.
[So-ryong, the passage ends at a low cliff close to the volcano. It’s concealed by trees, so it’s hard to spot.]
[What’s the area like?]
[Exactly as you predicted. There’s a little stream close by, dense woodland, and the ground is covered in deep leaf litter.]
It’s a common error to think earwigs are purely meat-eaters, but they are actually omnivores.
They can consume decomposing leaves and organic debris too.
A location like that—thick forest, ample cover, and lots of food—was perfect for the young to thrive.
I gave a satisfied nod.
Then, the others saw the molting and expressed their awe.
[Is this the molting you mentioned, So-ryong?]
[Astounding.]
[It truly resembles golden flowers blooming.]
[We should move away for now. They shouldn’t be bothered during their molt.]
[Agreed.]
[Let’s go.]
Not wanting to interrupt the process, we withdrew quietly and began making our way back to the village.
That’s when—
— Trut.
A sound came from behind us.
I looked back.
In the dark, the Black-Clawed Red Earwig raised one foreleg and gestured for me to return.
It wanted me to come back?
I paused before speaking.
“You want me to come closer? You don’t wish for me to go?”
— Trut.
Why would it want me to stay at such a critical time?
I hesitated briefly before sitting down again.
[Brothers, head back to the village without me. It appears it has something to tell me.]
[Are you going to be safe?]
[I’ve been fine up until now.]
[Very well.]
My brothers then started back toward the village, leaving me alone in the cavern with the Black-Clawed Red Earwig and its brood.
But after making me stay, it didn’t communicate further.
As time passed, the newly molted young clung to their mother, drying off.
Their wings—yes, they had wings—stretched out, vibrating.
Though still a muted brown, their color was gradually changing to the same rich red as their mother’s.
Their pincers were also starting to form properly.
I sat there, idly watching the young dry themselves, pondering why the Black-Clawed Red Earwig had asked me to remain.
Then—
— Chwarrrrk. Chwark.
The soft rustle of fluttering wings.
One by one, the newborns folded their wings back.
Typically, drying after a molt can take several hours or even a few days.
But maybe due to the lava cave’s heat—or because these were no ordinary insects—the process was accelerated.
Then, the Black-Clawed Red Earwig suddenly selected ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) one of its young and set it down before its head.
It was unmistakably the biggest of the litter, likely having absorbed more nourishment in the egg.
Yet… something was unusual.
Even after two molts, this hatchling didn’t look much like a Black-Clawed Red Earwig.
Normally, after two molts, they should be miniature copies of the mother.
It was still an earwig, but there was a clear disparity—it seemed like a different species entirely.
‘Hold on… Do the young really appear this dissimilar from the adults?’
I was still contemplating the difference when the little one attempted to climb back onto its mother—
But she pinned it down with her leg.
The hatchling writhed under her hold.
— Kii. Kiiii.
‘What is she doing?’
This action was confusing.
Earwigs are famed for their powerful maternal drives—so why was she suppressing her own child?
Then—
— Keuk.
The mother’s frame shuddered.
And then—
She regurgitated a shining red orb next to the squirming hatchling.
The orb’s radiance was so intense it temporarily blinded my Cat’s Night Vision Technique, like a flash grenade had gone off.
‘Ah…!’
My sight went fuzzy for a second.
When I blinked it clear—
An amazing transformation was underway.
The hatchling, which had swallowed the red orb, was molting again.
— Tuk. Tuduk.
It had only just completed its second molt, but its shell was already splitting open once more.
And from inside—
A tiny Black-Clawed Red Earwig, a perfect match for its mother, came out.
‘Incredible! This is like Bini, Cho, and Hyang—yet not the same!’
For a Blue-Spotted Centipede to evolve into a Flying Venom Centipede or a Shadow Ghost Centipede, it must absorb the correct form of energy.
In the same way, for a common Red Earwig to become a Black-Clawed Red Earwig, it must ingest its mother’s Neidan.
Those who don’t receive one are left to survive in the wilderness, accumulating energy through harsh natural selection.
This was confirmation.
The mother always nurtures one heir, while the others are left to the struggle of survival.
As I watched in wonder—
The other young, attracted by the Neidan’s energy, began to shift toward it.
And then—
They started to bite into their mother’s body.
— Crunch. Crack.
The last meal a mother earwig provides for her young.
She offered no resistance at all.
She met her destiny with total serenity.
But then—
The newly evolved Black-Clawed Red Earwig emitted a piercing shriek.
— Kiiiik!
It suddenly charged at its mother, as if attempting to prevent its siblings from consuming her.
The others held no doubt—they were operating on pure instinct.
But this one…
This one possessed awareness.
It wasn’t merely an insect.
It was unique.
But before it could intervene, the mother pressed it down with her leg once more.
Then, she looked over at me.
And made a soft sound.
— Trut.
In that instant, I comprehended everything.
When I had given my word to look after her young following Hyang’s mistake—
She had already selected this one for me.
She wasn’t requesting I safeguard all of them.
She desired for me to raise her successor.
— Trurrrt!
At her cry, the young one looked at me.
It shook its head, fighting against it, but the mother was resolute.
— Trut!
She called to me again, insisting I take it.
I moved forward and gently gathered the resisting hatchling.
As I nodded to show I understood, the mother feebly lifted her leg, gesturing toward the exit.
“I see. I understand.”
This one—who had taken her Neidan—would survive on its own.
But the others, who still required the last of her energy, needed to consume her body to live.
She was instructing me to depart now and take her heir with me, before I felt compelled to interfere.
“…I will honor my promise.”
As I turned to go, the hatchling in my arms released a grief-stricken wail.
— Kiiii!
And from behind me—
The sound of the mother’s body falling echoed through the cavern.
The last gesture of a mother’s love.
The supreme sacrifice in the world of insects.