Full-Time Public Enemy

Everywhere they looked was completely overrun by these mechanical ants; their numbers were impossible to ascertain. Moreover, these creatures were extremely aggressive: if two groups of mechanical ants dragging their prey collided, they would immediately fight without a word, the victors then proceeding first.

The Professionals were all very strong, and possessing such power, most tended to have short fuses.

Yet, at this moment... everyone was being very restrained.

The group attempted to return via their original route along the cliff but then tried to find a detour from another side, feeling increasingly apprehensive. If this new path was also blocked, they would have no choice but to backtrack and take an even larger detour to pursue the alien species.

Fortunately, luck was on their side this time. They discovered some huge caves, but at the entrances lay remnants of the alien mechanical species. Clearly, the "owner" of this territory had already "finished eating" and gone back to "digest."

Chen Gu and the others detoured, advancing along the edge of the sand sea. Occasionally, from higher ground, they could still observe the situation within it. The alien mechanical species there remained motionless; only a few of the taller ones still had their heads exposed, while the vast majority had been silently pulled down into the sand!

Lisa suddenly let out a small cry of surprise and pointed in a direction, "Look, something is growing out of the sand again."

Chen Gu and the others followed her gaze. On that patch of sand, all the alien mechanical species had vanished beneath the surface, and then, slowly, black "threads" began to grow out of the sand.

They were far away, but with the superior eyesight of Professionals, they could see that the black threads were indeed very fine, yet numerous.

"What is that?"

Among them, Elton's current position allowed him to see past some boulders toward the valley where the mechanical ants were. He suddenly noticed some metallic ants rushing out of the valley at high speed.

Elton blinked in surprise. "Have those ants gone mad?"

Then he smacked his head abruptly. "No, they didn't come out on their own! Quick, look! It's those weird black threads. They've wrapped around the ants and are forcibly dragging them out..."

In that valley, hundreds of ants were already stumbling over the rocks as they were pulled into the sand sea. Then, just like the alien mechanical species, they were held fast in the sand, motionless!

And more black threads were rapidly "growing" out of the sand sea, spreading in swathes towards that valley.

This time, Chen Gu saw clearly: Elton was mistaken. The strange black threads weren't wrapping around the mechanical ants; they were directly burrowing into their bodies through gaps in their armor, possibly jamming some critical components and rendering them immobile.

"No wonder those alien mechanical species didn't move and couldn't resist being slowly pulled into the sand sea." Chen Gu hadn't finished speaking when a chill ran down his spine. He clearly saw, right in front of them in the sand sea, a patch of ominous black threads rapidly grow and head straight for them!

"Run!"

At this point, they couldn't care less about other dangers; the group fled wildly.

The black threads behind them pursued relentlessly. It was uncertain what these things were, but they were incredibly long. Even after the group had fled for over ten kilometers, the black threads were still extending, chasing them with unyielding persistence!

Gong Shuxu said, "Let me try!"

He had been seriously injured before, and his strength had not fully recovered, but continuing to flee like this was not a sustainable solution.

The Psychological Spy's ability activated. The black threads halted in confusion, as if they had suddenly lost their target.

Then they swayed a few times before slowly retracting into the sand.

Still not daring to stop, the group continued to race ahead for several tens of kilometers. Only when the black threads were long out of sight did they finally slow down.

"What in the world was that?" Lisa asked, still shaken.

Gong Shuxu wore a peculiar expression. "The moment I activated my ability," he said, "I sensed countless targets…"

Sweat drenched Gong Shuxu's temples, the old man appearing extremely fatigued.

For a Psychological Spy, while an ability could strike multiple targets, its energy consumption naturally increased with the number of enemies.

Elton couldn't help but ask, "But there were only a few dozen black threads chasing us earlier!"

Gong Shuxu shook his head. "I have a feeling... that those few dozen black threads might actually be composed of countless tiny life forms."

The group was dumbstruck. Chen Gu was inclined to trust the judgment of a Sixth Energy Level Professional, but this revelation made the black threads seem even more mysterious and unsettling.

"Everyone, be extra careful," Chen Gu voiced his own assessment. "The arrival of the alien mechanical species has likely drawn all the planet's subterranean native creatures to the surface. This world is now countless times more dangerous than before!"

In places Chen Gu and his group could not see, events were unfolding that corroborated his deduction.

The "Gonggong Mechanical Corps" was locked in a bitter struggle, besieged by a swarm of Steam Mechanical Species resembling pangolins. Their numbers rivaled the Insect Race, and they were ferocious and powerful. Having suddenly emerged from surrounding subterranean caves, they had caught the "Gonggong Mechanical Corps" completely off guard.

「…」

Around Base 9, a vast swarm of Energy Gathering Mechanical Species, resembling grasshoppers, launched a ferocious assault. The unmanned base's automated defense system activated, cannons firing in all directions. However, it didn't hold for long before being breached, and the base was quickly and thoroughly destroyed.

「…」

Clad in pitch black, Boles perched atop the head of a towering Troop Nest Beetle. He had not pursued Chen Gu and his companions. After contaminating the entire Insect Race, he had led the Mutant swarm back to their nest. He had just finished utterly tainting the entire nest and hadn't yet had the chance to "unveil his grand ambitions" when a massive horde of alien mechanical species thundered past. This was immediately followed by an assault from various local creatures emerging from the surroundings—Energy Gathering Mechanical Pythons, Steam Mechanical Terror Pigs, Energy Gathering Bat Birds, and more—trapping him in a fierce battle that raged to this moment.

Fortunately, the Mutant Insect Race was also exceptionally strong, and they were slowly gaining the upper hand.

「…」

「Several hours later」

After a laborious detour, during which they dealt with several powerful Energy Gathering Mechanical Species, Chen Gu and his team finally caught up with the alien mechanical species horde once more.

This time, however, the alien horde had stopped.

They were congregated around a colossal meteorite crater, facing an equally massive group of native mechanical species.

The crater was immense. By his estimation, it rivaled the largest city on Empire River Star!

Mechanical species packed densely around the crater's exterior, yet not a single one dared to charge into it.

Conflicts continually erupted at the boundary where the two types of mechanical species met.

The alien mechanical species were all wreathed in a uniform blue fire, while the native mechanical species were a motley assortment, a mix of Energy Gathering Mechanical Species and Steam Mechanical Species.

Once they were no longer in a hurry to "travel," the formidable power of the alien mechanical species became apparent.

Exceptionally large individuals were not common among them, yet at two points of conflict, the native mechanical species were suffering a one-sided rout.