"Young master Theo, you're back already?" the old man asked from his desk, sounding slightly annoyed at seeing Theo again.
"Yes, you'll be getting a message from Father soon. I'll excuse myself, then," Theo replied, and without waiting, he darted toward an aisle he frequented often.
"You only have fifty minutes left for the day!" the old man called after him, then went back to his work.
Theo didn't respond. He knew he didn't need to—a messenger would arrive soon and sort everything out for him.
Theo ran to the middle of the aisle and stopped, dragging over a wooden step ladder and climbing up. He looked both ways, and then, with a grin, started pulling books off the shelves and tossing them onto the floor.
The sound echoed through the library, but Theo knew it was fine. Other than the old man, he was the only one who ever came here, and the old man knew all too well how Theo accessed the books when he wasn't there. The old man also knew that the books were so heavy and sturdy that damaging them would be a challenge of its own.
'Such a big library with only a single book about insects... In this world, insects are given no importance because they're considered weak. Even this book was written by a mere hobbyist,' Theo thought, leafing through familiar pages before reaching the ones he planned to read today.
The book was like an encyclopedia of the insects found in this world.
Theo had noticed that many of the uncommon and ordinary grade monsters were mutations of animals he'd known on Earth. Above the uncommon grade, however, were monsters that had mutated so extensively over the past thousand years that they'd become entirely new species.
Yet insects hadn't received the same privileges. Just as mammals had been mere scavengers during the dinosaur age, insects here were overshadowed by creatures capable of leveling seas and mountains at their peak strength.
"This looks interesting. I might need to order some from a merchant," Theo muttered to himself. Glancing to his right to make sure the old man wasn't watching, he made a crease on the page and folded it.
Marking books in the royal library was forbidden, but this book was an exception—it was so overlooked that no one in the entire estate even knew it existed.
Theo spent over four hours researching the insects and noting any unique abilities they possessed.
Clara eventually joined him, sitting nearby after obtaining permission to enter the library. Theo didn't mind her presence; she had always been with him, for as long as he could remember.
He had categorized each insect he knew of by affinity type so that, when the time came for his awakening, he could quickly identify the best options within his particular affinity.
The old man came by to check on him several times, but upon seeing Theo reading and writing diligently in his small notebook, he refrained from interrupting.
"Clara, could you put the books back for me?" Theo asked, rising from his spot. he was finally done for the time being.
"Alright," Clara replied, climbing up the steps and returning the books one by one. Theo knew it would take her a while.
Although he only needed to read one book, Theo had been forced to pull out several about beast taming at the start to avoid suspicion about his interest in the supposedly "useless" creatures—such as insects.
"I'll be in my room, Clara!" he called out suddenly, startling her.
"Wait!"
But Theo was already dashing out of the royal library as quickly as he'd come in. He ran down the castle corridors, receiving nods and bows from every soldier he passed. The wolves on their leashes tried to follow him, but they were held back.
After a minute of sprinting through several corridors, he finally arrived at his room. Theo opened the door, took in the sight of his pristine room, then immediately opened another door within it.
Creak.
The heavy door swung open, and Theo looked inside with a broad smile.
Transparent boxes filled the room, each containing various types of insects. Small containers lined the tables, but Theo made his way to a larger setup that occupied nearly half the room.
It was a terrarium that replicated a tropical forest, complete with the appropriate climate and temperature.
Theo approached it, smiling even wider as he observed the insects within.
At first glance, it was hard to see anything in particular, but on closer inspection, tiny insects could be seen crawling throughout the terrarium.
"The population of the springtail variants and the roaches have doubled over the week. I think it's finally time."
Theo opened a small hatch on the front of the terrarium, giving him a clearer view inside.
Ignoring the possibility of any insects escaping, he moved to one of the many smaller boxes in the room.
"It's time for you to feast, Iron Mantis," he said, opening the lid of the box. In seconds, a small figure emerged and settled on Theo's hand.
It was a small, gray Praying Mantis, about half the size of Theo's palm, with a metallic sheen to its body and sharp, saw-like forelegs.
Theo had been injured several times when he first brought the Praying Mantis in; its front legs were covered in sharp spikes for holding onto prey.
But after months of being with Theo, it had grown accustomed to his presence.
Theo gently tapped the Praying Mantis on the head and held it near the open hatch of the large terrarium.
Although the hatch had been open for a while, none of the insects inside had attempted to escape.
This was due to a line of runic dust around the terrarium, which emitted a strong musk that repelled the insects, preventing them from crossing the boundary.
Even the Praying Mantis clung tightly to Theo's thumb when the dust was near, prickling his skin, though he knew it wasn't the creature's fault.
Once they passed the line, the Praying Mantis jumped off Theo's hand and landed in the terrarium with an air of majesty.
Its head swiveled in every direction, its 360-degree vision providing unmatched awareness.
Theo watched as it slowly approached an isopod. There was a brief pause, then two swift forelegs grasped the isopod, digging their spikes into its feeble body.
Smiling at the scene, Theo closed the terrarium lid, his heart brimming with excitement.
"While I can't see its level here, I feel it's nearing a level-up thanks to these weekly hunts. Once I gain access to the system again next week, I'll finally know its progress."
He almost wanted to shout with joy; the day was drawing near when he would see his own system window again.