A young man with long hair and completely red eyes walked along a trail in a forest near his town. He wore sturdy, rugged clothing, made to withstand thorns, insect bites, and other dangers of the forest, and carried a large, visibly heavy backpack. Each step required effort, and he placed his feet carefully, making sure not to slip and fall down the hill.

After a while, he finally reached the end of the trail, which led to a cliff with a breathtaking view of his city below. He paused for a moment, took a deep breath, and let the cool breeze from the height touch his face, enjoying the scenery and recalling memories from past days spent there.

Tired from the long hike, he dropped his backpack on the ground, relieving his shoulders of its weight, and moved closer to the edge of the cliff. Feeling the wind on his face, he took a deep breath of the fresh air. The peace of that place was invigorating. But suddenly, a bright golden light appeared in front of him, so intense that it momentarily blinded him. Instinctively, he closed his eyes and raised his hands to shield himself from the blinding glare.

"Ah! What... what is this light?" he muttered, uncomfortable and squinting to try and see through the brightness.

Gradually, the light began to fade, and he dared to open his eyes. But as he did so, he found himself surrounded by total darkness. The clear sky and view of the city he'd seen moments before were completely gone. Confused, he tried to make sense of what had just happened, until a colossal shadow emerged in front of him, blocking the little light that remained.

Slowly, the figure revealed itself: a massive golden praying mantis with a kind of blue halo glowing above its head. The creature was so enormous that its body covered the entire city, even surpassing the height of the cliff where he stood. The young man stared, open-mouthed, as a fierce, strong wind swept the area. The force was so great he had to grip the ground, digging his hands into the grass to keep from being thrown back.

When the wind finally stopped, he stood up, still in disbelief at what he was seeing. His heart pounded, but strangely, he felt no fear—only a mixture of awe and incredulity.

"What the hell is this?" he murmured, still in shock.

Before he could finish his sentence, one of the giant mantis's legs lifted and, in a quick, precise movement, came down with the force of lightning. The strike was too fast for any human to follow. All around him, a wave of energy expanded, slicing through everything it touched. Within seconds, he felt his body being torn apart, and everything went black.

In the darkness, he began to question what had happened.

"So... so this is what it's like to die? Just... emptiness? I thought it would be something more... I don't know, supernatural. Damn, I wish I had done more, maybe... gotten a girlfriend or something," he muttered to himself, feeling a pang of sadness thinking about what he'd left behind.

He felt empty, as if he were adrift in an endless dream. There was no pain, no sound, not even a sense of time. He floated in the void, gradually losing all memories of who he was. He forgot his name, his friends, his family... everything dissolved away.

When he was about to lose his last memory, a small golden screen appeared before his eyes. It looked like a video game screen, with a message flashing: "Initializing the Insect Sovereign System."

"Huh? Insect Sovereign System? What kind of... ridiculous name is that?" he said out loud, but his words were abruptly cut off, as if someone forced him to stay silent.

Then, a soft, authoritative voice echoed in the darkness.

["Shut up, fool. It was this or something much worse for you."]

The young man tried to understand what that meant, but the language it used sounded strange, almost incomprehensible. Nevertheless, the voice continued.

["I'll explain what happened. Your city was chosen to save my homeland, Laius. Your main mission is to exterminate all the leviathan creatures threatening our world. Each citizen of your city has been assigned as the sovereign of a species, and you were chosen to lead the insects."]

["And just so we're clear, if you fail the mission... you'll die for real."]

After these words, the young man felt a pressure in his mind, as if he could finally grasp the seriousness of the situation. When he tried to say something, another screen appeared in front of him.

[Initializing in 3... 2... 1...]

[System Initialized]

A bright light cut through the darkness, hurting his eyes, which seemed to be regaining sight. He could see again, feeling a discomfort—and, upon opening his eyes, he realized he was in a physical body once more, finally human again. He looked around, trying to understand where he was: it was a dense forest, filled with thick vegetation covering almost every available space.

"No... it can't be... I... I'm in a body again?" he exclaimed, touching his face and feeling the texture of his skin. "How... how is this possible?"

He began examining himself, touching his arms, legs, chest, until his hand brushed something on his head. It felt like a cord, resistant to the touch. Curious, he held the cord and pulled it in front of his eyes, trying to see what it was.

"But... what on earth is this?" he asked, shocked to see that the cord was connected directly to his head, as if it were part of his body.

Suddenly, the same soft, cold voice emerged, apparently coming from inside his mind.

["Welcome to your new body, Insect Sovereign. That cord you found is a direct connection to the system controlling you. It allows you to command the insects around you and interact with the environment."]

"Insect Sovereign? What kind of joke is this? I never asked to lead anything!" he shouted, feeling frustrated and lost.

["Asked? Who said you had a choice? Now you're part of the system, and your only option is to complete the mission."]

The young man felt anger rising in his chest. Everything about this was surreal, a blend of dream and nightmare from which he didn't know how to escape. He wanted to scream, to fight against that voice, but a feeling of helplessness suffocated him.

["Enough with the hesitation. You were chosen for a reason, and that reason will be revealed soon. Prepare yourself for what's coming, Insect Sovereign."]

Before he could respond, the voice disappeared, and he noticed small insects beginning to gather around him. The system within his mind seemed to trigger automatic commands, and he realized he could feel their presence, almost as if they shared a mental connection.

"So... I can actually control them?" he murmured, extending his hand. The insects obediently began to align themselves, following his gestures.

The young man sighed, resigned, and looked into the distance, beyond the forest, where he knew his mission awaited. He didn't fully understand what was happening, but one thing was certain: his life would never be the same.

TO BE CONTINUED...