CRACKLE! POP!
The sound of a burning torch echoed in the silent Mine Cave. In the flickering flame, a Worker Insect that had devoured a large amount of flesh lay in the center and began to metamorphose.
As the Worker Insect pupated, the other Rapid Insects nearby, having eaten their fill, tossed the Demon Fiend flesh they were carrying to the edge of the ever-expanding chrysalis.
’Leave four Rapid Insects to guard the base. The rest will move out and clear all large beasts within a two-mile radius! If any Demon Fiends are discovered, kill them on sight!’
With a thought, Qin Yu gave the command directly through the Insect Swarm’s Mind Network.
The Insect Swarm was an extension of his own body.
However, the Insect Race warriors possessed a degree of intelligence themselves, capable of acting and hunting independently without his direct control.
SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!
After receiving the order, fourteen Rapid Insects quickly formed combat squads of three to five and charged out of the Mine Cave, fanning out to search the perimeter.
The four that had been more severely injured in battle and were still recovering stayed behind, guarding the area around the Mine Cave while continuing to gorge on flesh to heal.
The Insect Swarm had not escaped unscathed from the battle against the Wolf Demon, Bear Demon, Fox Demon, and other Demon Fiends. Two were killed on the spot by the Wolf King, and the rest had all sustained injuries.
The Rapid Insects’ fighting style was extremely ferocious, capable of inflicting maximum damage to the enemy in the shortest amount of time. Their attack power was absurdly high, but their defense was somewhat lacking, making them prone to injury.
Fortunately, the Rapid Insects’ regenerative abilities were astonishing. As long as they weren’t killed instantly, they could devour flesh or return to an Insect Nest to heal.
The bodies of Insect Race members killed in battle could also be recycled, as long as they were intact.
The actual losses weren’t that great.
Watching the four feeding Rapid Insects, Qin Yu felt a surge of security. He walked to the entrance of the Mine Cave, found a clean spot, and leaned against the rock wall to sit down.
From being severely wounded in yesterday’s fierce battle to awakening his Insect Race heritage, his wounds had mostly healed. But then he had stayed up all night hatching larvae before traveling for miles to throw himself into another fight.
He was mentally and physically exhausted.
The moment he sat down, a wave of fatigue washed over him, and he felt drowsy.
He didn’t try to fight it and immediately fell asleep leaning against the stone.
He was too tired.
He was fast asleep almost the instant his eyes closed.
「Over three hours later.」
Qin Yu’s eyes snapped open.
BANG!
With the sound of something bursting, the giant ball of flesh transformed into a Tier One Insect Nest about three meters high. The purple Fungal Mat Organization rapidly spread outwards.
The other Worker Insect, which had been waiting, immediately tossed the carcasses of wild boars, foxes, and other beasts dragged back by the Rapid Insects into the Insect Nest.
Looking at the established Insect Nest, all of Qin Yu’s exhaustion was swept away.
With a thought, information about the Insect Swarm appeared in his mind.
[Name: Dominator of the Insect Swarm.]
[Insect Hive Tier: Tier One (x2, not fully gestated).]
[Life Energy Reserve: 56/10,000 Points.]
[Hatchable Units (Tier One): Worker Insect (requires 10 Biological Energy), Rapid Insect (requires 50 Biological Energy).]
[Current Units: Worker Insect (1), Rapid Insect (28)]
’With this batch of Demon Fiend and beast carcasses, the Biological Energy reserve should reach 300 points. I can incubate a new batch of Rapid Insects.
The Energy contained in the flesh of Demon Fiends is much greater than that of ordinary beasts.’
Qin Yu watched this scene with satisfaction.
He had been resting, but the Rapid Insects had not. They were constantly roaming the area, searching for prey.
There were Demon Fiends in the mountain forests, but there were far more ordinary beasts.
’First, I’ll hatch five Worker Insects to tidy up the area around the base. Then, I’ll hatch nothing but Rapid Insects!’
After issuing the command, Qin Yu stood up and stretched his limbs, then began to review the events of the past two days.
As he calmed his mind, Qin Yu noticed many things he had previously overlooked.
’Why did that pack of Wolf Demons refuse to leave the Qin Family Manor alone?’
’Cyan Peak County has seventeen villages and settlements of various sizes under its jurisdiction. There was no reason for those Demon Fiends to linger in the area after being repelled.’
’Couldn’t they have just gone to devour other villages?’
’The matter with Chen Family Village gave him a clue. He feared that the other major families, and perhaps all the villages, had already been targeted by Demon Fiends.’
’That pack of Wolf Demons might have even been on a ’mission’!’
’A mission from the Demon Nest!’
’Their goal was to annihilate his Qin Family.’
’They didn’t retreat after a single failed attack. Were they waiting for other Demon Fiends to rendezvous with them?’
’Like the Demon Fiends that wiped out Chen Village?’
’No wonder Father had waited two days before letting the Qin Clan Members from Cyan Peak County come over. If the Demon Fiends were to attack again, it would surely be within these two days.’
Eliminating the pack of Demon Fiends led by the Wolf King hadn’t resolved the crisis. On the contrary, the situation had become even more dangerous.
The power hidden in the shadows was the most lethal.
’I have to find those Demon Fiends and strike first!’
Qin Yu’s gaze was ice-cold.
At the same time, a new idea formed in his mind.
’The Insect Race’s units are still too monotonous.’
’I don’t lack combat power with the Rapid Insects, but relying on them to find hidden Demon Fiends in these vast mountains is not enough.’
’And what’s the best way to find hidden ’prey’ in the mountains?’
’Flying units!’
’Old hunters who venture into the mountains often train goshawks in addition to their hounds.’
’The same principle applies to dealing with Demon Fiends.’
’Besides incubating Insect Race warriors, the Insect Nest can also analyze life-form genetics. Once fully analyzed, it can obtain a genetic template, which can then be optimized or used to create combat units directly!’
His gaze fell upon the pile of carcasses the Rapid Insects had brought back. Among them was a bird of prey with a wingspan of about one meter.
This wasn’t a Demon Fiend, just an ordinary goshawk.
It was called a Red-bellied Eagle because of the orange-red vertical stripes on its chest and belly. It was a common type of eagle in the mountains and, due to its fierce nature, was also sometimes tamed and used as a hunting falcon.
"You’ll do."
With a thought, Qin Yu had a Worker Insect deliver the Red-bellied Eagle—its wings broken and a massive puncture wound in its abdomen—into the Insect Nest.
This time, the Insect Nest didn’t digest it. Instead, it sent the carcass to a special internal organ.
An organ specifically for analyzing life forms!
VMMMM!
The Insect Nest began to vibrate slightly, and its internal store of Energy Points dropped by one.
Analyzing a life form to acquire its genetic map consumed a large amount of Energy. This consumption would continue over time until the analysis was complete.
Furthermore, the process would take up a significant amount of the Insect Nest’s processing power.
He focused on perceiving the massive amount of information coming from the Insect Nest during the analysis. After a moment, Qin Yu rubbed his throbbing head and gave it a shake.
’Analyzing the genes of this Red-bellied Eagle will take about two hours and consume roughly 100 Energy Points.’
He couldn’t understand the specific details of the analysis process—it was an instinct, a Talent of the Insect Swarm—but he could grasp the approximate time and cost.
’Knowing your enemy and yourself is the key to victory. Getting a flying reconnaissance unit is worth the cost. But at this rate, I’m afraid I won’t have time to Enhance the Rapid Insects.’
Qin Yu’s brow furrowed slightly.
During the battle, he had also noticed some problems with the Rapid Insects.
Given the Rapid Insects’ own formidable combat strength and their near-perfect coordination through Telepathy, they shouldn’t have suffered such heavy casualties, even against a Bone Forging Realm Wolf King.
Unlike the Rapid Insects, which relied solely on their sharp claws and powerful bodies, Demon Fiends possessed a special power—the power of their bloodline!
For example, the Fox Demon could spew a highly corrosive, blood-colored mist from its mouth, and the Wolf Demon could instantly erupt with greater speed and strength.
This was ’Talent’!
If he analyzed them, he could integrate this Demon Power, or even the Wolf Demon’s Talent, into the bodies of the Rapid Insects.
The Insect Race’s greatest strength was absorbing the advantages of other life forms to enhance itself.
In this world, the human race had a transcendent system called Martial Arts, which allowed humans to cultivate and strengthen their Qi Blood. Demon Fiends had a similar power, but it was called Demon Power.
If the Insect Race relied only on its physical strength, it would be at a great disadvantage.
But that, too, would take time.
And it would require a massive amount of Energy, which was precisely what Qin Yu lacked most right now.
’It takes two hours and one hundred Energy to analyze an ordinary goshawk. What about a real Demon Fiend?’
The answer was self-evident.
’Enhancing the Rapid Insects might take too long, but in the meantime, I can focus on improving my own strength!’