This is one of the most peaceful nights I have ever slept! I wake up with tons of cockroaches around me observing me quietly. You know like in a protective circle. I feel like a king right now, with all my subject reunited around me.

[Morning all. Anything to report?]

*Strange noises*

[Perfect. Good work!]

*More strange noises*

[So, what's the plan now? Where is this place? What is there to see? Anyone nearby that we can talk to?]

*More noises*

[Okay, recap. Portal is gone. You guys are super friendly. This place *turn around* is extremely barren. There is only land and sky. Purple sky, black land. Not gonna lie I dig that, a lot! Now what?]

That's when they all start walking toward the horizon. I say the horizon because I can't see anything noteworthy. Guess they were waiting for me to wake up to depart. This is so sweet!

Ah! Before we go, I focus divine energy on my legs and create a huge crater where the portal once stood. You know in case I need to find this place again.

At first, I'm just stomping normally, but then I decide to make it more special. So I write a huge TUG in the ground. Good thing it is extremely sturdy too. Chances are it won't disappear anytime soon.

Thus starts the cockroach exode…with one human. Where are we going? No clue! Why are we even migrating? No clue either.

At one point, I decide to release my inner cockroach. I start making weird noises too. They all look at me confused.

Now would be a good time to add subtitles for the creatures. You know stuff like …" what did you say about my mother?! Look at that loser thinking he speaks fluent cockroach!" I'm jesting haha. They soon get over it.

One day, I'll start a meditation and yoga business. Then at some point, I'll just encourage everyone to release their inner cockroaches. I swear the reactions would be priceless!

I decide to have some fun. I approach one of the 5 meters long creatures then I slowly get on its back. It has no trouble supporting my weight it's just confused about why I'm doing that.

[We ride to battle my valiant companion!] ….no result, of course.

I've decided my main goal will be to find a way to communicate with these creatures. So far, it's kinda weird. Sometimes they'll make sounds before changing heading. Other times there won't be any at all. Ah, but there is one thing I noticed! Once there were a few cockroaches that were a few seconds late on following the group.

At first, it confused me a bit but then they cleaned their antennas, and they didn't have any more problems. So I guess sound and smell?

Producing specific odors with a message behind it is something I am utterly incapable of. So I'm banking on the sounds. Now, the good thing is that these things are magical and should have a decent comprehension ability. It's just a problem of translation.

So what I do is I start making a specific sound whenever I do a specific action. Walking forward? I do a Wee sound. Backward? Whoa! Then whenever I'm petting one I just go "Good Boy". I make sure the intonation is the same every time so they can recognize it.

At first, I'll be frank I just look like an idiot. Like seriously the dumbest man alive. But! The more it goes and the more results I see. At some point whenever I say Good Boy the nearest cockroach will approach for an headpat. That's amazing, isn't it?! It takes me even longer but I manage to make it so I can control the biggest ones as my mounts.

But I don't stop there! Oh no! I'm now teaching them walking formations! Now this one is especially hard. After all, it is a concept hard to explain to someone that is new to it. It defies the intuitive aspect of a group attack.

At least, individually I can make them do whatever by now. I'd say my favorites are play dead, give the paw…oh and 360 no-scope backflip! Well, that's how I call it. Anyway, the name is pretty accurate so you can guess what it looks like.

The more we go and the more these creatures enjoy cuddling. I feel like I'm part of the group. That moment when your social acceptance comes from a group of insects haha, oh well.

So I keep riding in style. Yeah, I'm too badass to be walking. I feel like this whole thing is turning into a huge mystery. What will we find once we finally arrive at our destination whatever it is?

Will it be a huge insect city? Then maybe there will be a huge questline! That'd be the moment where they give me, the hero, a translation magical item. Big Plot twist, the insects will turn out to be misunderstood pacifists or something. Or not.

Now this place is barren, right? How are they even surviving? That is a very good question. From time to time there will be things that look like little vents in the ground. Picture a geyser, but one that doesn't ever eject water.

So what happens is all of the insects will crowd around many tiny very slight holes in the ground. Now, remember the ground is too sturdy to easily be dug. Then they'll just stand there immobile until….I'm not too sure actually.

I see them moving their mandibles in the air at absolutely nothing. At first, I'm wondering if they all have a collective mental disorder. No, really. But then I figure it out. They are devouring mana. Mana seems to be produced in the core of this world for some reason.

I just wonder how this weird place even came to be…Like we haven't seen any other living thing at all. I guess only weird mana-eating lifeforms managed to evolve and survive here in such a setting, with the lack of resources.

So far, our journey is a lot of walking, thinking (for me), mana pit stops, and training. At first anyway.

But everything changed when the Cockroach nation attacked! Okay, so behind us we can hear loud sounds. The sound made by an extremely large group. The collective chirping of an army of insects with the trembling of the ground associated.

My first reaction is: Hey! More friends!

Except, judging from my companion's reactions these aren't friends at all. They start fleeing, with one dutifully dragging me along.