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墨書 Inktalez
The second day had arrived, and when they got up, the four members of the Soldier-Level Hunter Team left the inn.
For an off-road vehicle, the ten-plus kilometers was merely a journey of a few minutes.
Soon, they set off towards a hilly area. On the outskirts of Slyland City, there existed a type of insect that did not actively attack humans. However, other parts of its body could be used to create artificial Hearts, livers, and Retinas. These were not impossible to manufacture; just think about how their existence could help many people regain their sight—it was indeed a worthy death.
"This should be the place," Freyr said as he parked the vehicle to the side and hurriedly covered it with branches to obscure its visibility.
Taking advantage of this time, they rested for a bit. After finishing their meal, they continued on their way. After walking for two or three kilometers, they began to see some creatures hovering in the air ahead of them. They had a pair of Wings and appeared somewhat agile, while their sharp proboscises looked rather frightening.
In fact, that large mouth resembling a proboscis was only used to suck the essence from flowers and plants; for example, feeding on pollen was the primary job of these insects.
Although tutorials stated this, one could imagine that if that large mouth were to stab at someone, even an ordinary person's head would not stand a chance. As it happened, they were hiding in the jungle, and the creatures had not noticed any human presence nearby. They remained calm as they inserted their mouths into the tree trunk and quietly began to feed.
Strangely enough, part of the tree trunk that still had tender shoots gradually withered away; that tree was transitioning from lush to decayed.
From that semi-transparent proboscis, one could see it covered in some green liquid—this was the nutrient of the great tree. The so-called tree sap was essentially a life-sustaining substance produced by the tree to activate its roots, allowing it to grow green leaves regularly each year.
If nutrients were deprived, it would be akin to extracting bone marrow from human bones; humans would certainly suffer greatly, and the growth trend of trees would gradually decline.
"This must be a pest," Xiong Tai muttered upon seeing this. He was about to rush out when a hand reached out from behind him and pulled him back. Freyr's expression was somewhat off; he pointed in another direction and whispered, "Look over there."
Following his finger's direction, Xiong Tai nearly gasped in surprise. Indeed, there were other similar insects over there.
However, each one was even more magnificent than the Straw Worm he had just seen; they wandered through the forest like ghosts.
A cluster of dead wood nearby served as their spoils as they obtained enough tree sap to sustain them for a while.
The lifespan of Straw Worms was generally short—only about two years. Although their lives were brief, their reproductive capabilities were remarkably strong.
The forest often transformed back into a mass of dead wood, with the centers of those trees already rotting. Even if they were used as firewood, it was unlikely they would catch fire.
To minimize the chances of being discovered, they could only wait patiently until there was just one Straw Worm left. Then, they would surround it and kill it in one swift motion. This method was not risky, but it mainly depended on the favor of their master. They could not use brute force to damage the internal muscle structure of the Straw Worm, as that would ruin its usefulness and significantly diminish the rewards of their mission.
Although they had previously tried burning it, that method was also unreliable.
Now, it seemed the only option was to use sharp attacks to directly destroy its central brain and then drag it into the ring for safekeeping.
They lacked experience in medical dissection, so attempting to extract the internal organs and usable parts themselves was impractical.
"Come on." Time passed without them noticing, and the number of Straw Worms quickly dwindled until only one very thin Straw Worm remained. Although it looked thin, it was still much larger than an adult human, having grown over two meters long, perhaps still in its juvenile form.
But after taking a few steps, Freyr immediately crouched down and pointed ahead; there was another larger Straw Worm lurking nearby. "If we had acted earlier, we might have exposed ourselves. Their speed is faster than ours. They are social creatures; while they usually don’t attack humans, once they see us as enemies, they won’t let go easily, even if we flee to the ends of the earth."
Though Freyr might have exaggerated a bit, this type of creature indeed harbored strong animosity.
The others quickly grew tense and nodded in agreement.
With this new information, their target count had increased by two, but the advantage still lay in their hands. As they moved closer step by step, the thrill of having their goal within reach intensified their excitement. Confronting such creatures didn’t always mean they would act cowardly; they were all in now.
"Attack!" Freyr shouted.
The two figures paused for a moment before swiftly turning around, but their response was not as quick as Freyr's. His speed was the most reliable in the team. Xiong Tai, who had been busy since getting into position, finally had a chance to put his sharp wooden stake to use.
He gripped the stake tightly and thrust it forward with all his strength. His speed allowed him to pierce through the brain of the thin Straw Worm in one swift motion. The shock of his action instantly ended its life. However, the other giant Straw Worm struggled fiercely; the other three could not manage to kill it despite their efforts, leading to an awkward situation.
The cries of the Straw Worm could easily attract its companions, and coupled with their inherent hostility, their chances of breaking free were already slim.
In fact, everyone underestimated Xiong Tai's actions. He grasped the enormous long mouth of the Straw Worm and forcefully drove it into the ground. His strength was greater than anyone had imagined, especially since he had chosen Immense Strength as his Gene Endowment. Theoretically, he could lift an object of that size.
With a crash, a deep pit was created in the ground.
The creature continued to struggle, and he seized a stone from the ground, delivering a punch with ton-level speed that smashed through the Straw Worm's head.
Nearby, Freyr was already prepared. He activated Elemental Power, and the ring quickly emitted a gravitational pull that drew in the two recently lifeless Straw Worms into it.
A withered yellow light swirled around the ring, indicating it had not yet reached saturation.
"That was too risky for its value," Freyr explained hurriedly.
Xiong Tai nodded with a smile.
Freyr's eyes showed a hint of tension as he glanced around. After some time passed, he continued, "Fortunately, it wasn't too loud, and we managed to stop it in time. While it's still early, let's take down a few more before heading back."
The others seemed to understand as well and returned to their previous positions.
They wrapped themselves in grass leaves, trying their best to remain silent and avoid revealing their location.
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