Daily News: Insect Girls' Heavy Dependence

[Daily Intelligence System: A new mushroom forest has appeared 500 meters ahead...]

That night.

The pioneers, who had been traveling all day, had already set up their camp for the day.

Bonfires of all sizes were scattered around.

The thousand pioneers, however, seemed largely unconcerned. They ate their dinner heartily, as if they were completely oblivious to the possibility of food shortages.

A middle-aged man spoke up:

"Hey! Eat less, there are still 80 kilometers to go. Aren't you going to leave some supplies for the return trip?"

"What's there to be afraid of? Haven't Young Master Richard killed enough second-tier insect beasts to feed us along the way?"

Richard had discovered that the reason for restricting the use of the Fourteen-Winged Devouring Knight Insect was that the Thunder Demon Insect would consume its own blood.

Wouldn't it be better to just find the insect beasts and let the Thunder Demon Insects drink their blood to replenish their energy? Why do I have to expend my own energy?

With Govi's help, they led the expedition team to search for hibernating second-tier insect beasts along the way.

While honing their combat skills.

Obtain the blood of the insect beast.

As for the corpses of the insects and beasts, they certainly wouldn't go to waste. Humans in the world beyond the walls don't shy away from eating insects; they're meat too!

Normally, humans in the world outside the walls would choose to stay away from hibernating insects and beasts.

The pioneers of Richard were incredibly excited whenever they found clues about the insectoid beasts, after all, as the discoverers, they would get a share of the insectoid beast meat!

Fresh flesh and blood are always better for them than dried meat.

This led to the Blazers team.

From humans struggling to survive on the snowy plains of the North, they transformed into ruthless predators, leaving nothing but devastation in their wake...

"Quickly tell the young master! It's another insect beast!"

A pioneer roared at his companions deep in the forest, completely disregarding the possibility that this might attract high-level insect beasts.

Richard initially had some concerns about high-level insect beasts. However, after fighting his way through, he didn't encounter a single third-level insect beast.

There wasn't even a tiny insect with the potential for third-tier survival...

This made him sigh:

Could it be because the Silverwing Hunter Bug and the Silverwing Devourer Bug are the absolute overlords of the Northern Snowfield during the Gray Snow Season?

Those two insects are dead, and no new apex predators have appeared in this area yet.

After all, the average territory of a Siberian tiger on Earth is 800 square kilometers.

Not to mention the two five-meter-long insect-like beasts.

Their territory was only going to grow larger, which is why they hadn't faced any danger along the way.

If there really were so many giant insectoid creatures clustered together, what would they eat? Photosynthesis?

This made Richard lower his guard.

After all, they were the humans who orchestrated the killing of two fourth-tier insectoid beasts.

He is now the true overlord!

Richard stood up from beside the firewood, his demeanor now completely different from before.

The most obvious thing is the bloody smell on the clothes that can't be washed off no matter what.

And the murderous intent that couldn't be hidden in their eyes.

Using the earth-listening insects hidden in his belt, he had pinpointed the location of the Trailblazer who had previously sent the message.

He strode out and rushed into the dense forest...

Even without high-level insect beasts, the world outside the walls still has small insects capable of killing people.

Richard leaped over the fungal swamps disguised as piles of fallen leaves...

He crushed the blood flukes and parasites that tried to sneak up on him with his bare hands...

He kicked the laughing bug away and put on a gas mask before it could fart...

……

These first-tier insects are unworthy of Richard's use; Fourteen-Winged Killer Knight Transformation.

He soon arrived at the lair of the hibernating insect beasts.

Surprisingly, we're in the Mushroom Forest, as alerted by the intelligence system...

Furthermore, the spore eggs here are much more abundant than in the previous mushroom forest.

A vast expanse of white insect eggs fell to the ground.

It stood out prominently against the gray snow on the ground.

Richard tentatively stepped on it, feeling the spore-bearing eggs burst beneath his feet.

Only after confirming there was no danger did he step into the forest of spore eggs that covered his calves.

"Young master, it's that bulge!" the pioneer said from the side.

Even without his prompting, Richard had already spotted the two-meter-diameter dumpling, which was covered by spore eggs and was still undulating slightly.

The dumpling, encased in sporozoite eggs, was emitting a series of even breaths. Through the gaps in the enclosure, the pink body could be seen.

"What level? What kind of insect?" Richard didn't approach rashly, but asked in a low voice.

"Young master, I've never seen this thing before..."

Richard knew asking was pointless; after all, he'd never seen such an insect before. He was just trying his luck...

He looked at the sound-transmitting conch shell hanging around his neck.

If he were five kilometers away from Stormwind, he could ask Yekaterin. Even if she didn't know, he could ask her to ask Glolo... Unfortunately, the telepathic range had long exceeded the limit.

As for going back to the camp to ask Gove? Let's not even talk about whether Gove knows or not.

He had just run out of the camp so easily; if he were to slink back... it wouldn't be right in terms of saving face.

"You guys stay away for now, I'll test the waters..."

Richard pulled out a deworming explosive.

Gunpowder exists in this world, but powerful firearms haven't been developed. After all, the Holy See even regulates Glolo's research, let alone weapons like firearms that grant ordinary people power.

As for promoting technological development? Playing with industry? Richard has no interest in that right now. Because in this era and political system, even if industry truly develops, there would first need to be something like a cult of machines…

Don't think about it too much.

Richard pulled out his flintlock pistol and lit the fuse on the explosives...

Time it perfectly in the last five seconds before it explodes.

Throw it out!

He turned and ran!

No matter what kind of bug it is, just blast it first.

……

boom--!

The explosive's power wasn't great, about the same as a single wind blade from a Tier 3 Storm Knight.

But it was enough to shatter the spore-bearing eggs covering the insectoid beast's body.

Until the spore eggs flying all around fell down.

Richard finally saw the true form of the insect-beast.

It was a giant mushroom cap with a pink base and patterns of red, purple, yellow, and blue all over.

As expected of the Mushroom Forest, all the insects and beasts there are mushroom-shaped.

However, the mushroom worm didn't wake up after being blown up by the explosives.

It continues to breathe evenly, and there isn't even a single wound visible on its smooth mushroom cap.

Given this level of protection, Richard estimated that it must be at least a Tier 3 mushroom worm.

But then I thought about it again...

Its four-colored patterns...

"Walk!"

Whether or not his guess was correct... the life stages and physical characteristics of insects are highly correlated!

Just like Yekaterin's, the fourth-order bluish-white lie detector bug, it has four branches on its body...

For example, the spider-like Flame Demon Insect gains an additional flame pattern on its body with each level it advances...

The mushroom worm had patterns of red, purple, yellow, and blue on its body.

If it wasn't a deliberate disguise, then it's highly likely to be a fourth-order complete form!

Then, after being hit by explosives, it remained completely unharmed...

Richard could only take it for now.

Let's get those three trailblazers out first!