Daily News: Insect Girls' Heavy Dependence

As night fell, the pioneers did not stop and continued their rapid march.

The third-tier ox-horse-men, relying on their thick skin and flesh, walked side by side in front, acting as human mine-clearing devices, crushing countless lurking insects along the way.

It wasn't until Richard ordered a rest that the group quickly cleared a temporary campsite in the dense forest.

As the team members moved in one after another, the camp was surrounded by low walls half a meter high made of stones and trees, which were winding and intertwined, resembling a simple maze.

This is not for defense against insect beasts. Even if they encounter insect beasts in the late stage of the third-tier mature form, they would only be prey delivered to their doorstep against this fierce team.

The true purpose of building the wall was to protect against the cold winds. The dangers of the northern snowfields are never limited to insects; the extreme cold weather is sometimes more terrifying than fourth-tier fully-formed insect beasts.

Numerous bonfires were lit within the campsite, their flickering flames dispelling the darkness and bringing precious heat and warmth.

Richard sat by the fire, habitually taking stock of his day's achievements:

After visiting ten locations, they only collected sixty bottles of the essence insect liquid... not even enough for their own monthly use.

What made him even more suspicious was that he had been in the Mushroom Forest for some time and had not encountered even a single mushroom person.

This is really unusual.

Could it be... that those we encountered before were all there was? Was this forest actually not inhabited by a large number of fungus people at all?

If that's the case, then my and Govi's initial deduction was probably wrong, and the name of this "Fungi Forest" on the map should be changed...

While pondering.

In the camp, the silence of the night was broken by the sound of two squad leaders arguing.

Yes, Richard was in charge of a force of over two thousand people, so it was impossible for him to manage every single person in detail.

The organization of this pioneering team was modeled after the standard knightly order system of the Kingdom of Kiel: fifty men formed a knightly order, and five hundred men formed a large legion.

Richard only needed to issue orders to the four captains.

At this moment, the dispute stems from within one of the squads:

"Do your men even know the rules?! Wounded and bleeding, they dare to come straight into the camp? Don't they know how much the smell of blood attracts?! Take him to the water and clean his wounds immediately! Do you want to attract high-level insect beasts and kill everyone?"

A squad leader spoke sternly, pointing to a member of another team whose arm was bleeding.

The squad leader who was being criticized clearly didn't take it seriously, and raised his voice:

"Stop spreading alarmist rumors! Young Master Richard is more than happy to have insect beasts delivered to our doorstep! Perfect timing! We have over a hundred Tier 3 brothers, what's there to be afraid of? We'll kill as many as they come, a perfect snack!"

His words carried the confidence of someone who had just advanced to the third rank and the assurance of his newfound power.

"Fool! I think you've gone up in life level, but your brain hasn't kept up!"

The first squad leader's face turned red with anger: "Even if we can kill them, it's pitch black. Do you have the night vision of the insect beasts? If a fight breaks out, it will be chaotic. Who knows what accidents might happen?!" His concerns were more about the uncontrollable factors in actual combat.

"I can't be bothered arguing with you!"

The other party waved impatiently, clearly finding the other party too conservative.

"There are so many fires in the camp, where is it pitch black? Okay, okay, I'll take him to treat his wounds right away, alright?"

He verbally agreed, but his tone was clearly defiant and perfunctory. He then pulled the injured team member and walked towards the river far from the camp.

This minor friction at the grassroots level naturally doesn't require Richard's personal intervention.

The pioneers are all here for profit; it's not worth ruining relationships and needlessly offending people over verbal disputes.

But this little incident, like a thorn, pierced Richard's thoughts, plunging him into silence.

A voice reminded him that blood attracts insects, a major taboo for survival outside the walls! It was common sense that the old pioneers had proven with their lives.

But another voice echoed: this team is indeed not what it used to be; more than a hundred Tier 3 bull-horse warriors are enough to sweep away most threats in this area...

This feeling of near invincibility led the team members, and even some squad leaders, to begin to underestimate the potential dangers of the northern snowfields.

But this is definitely not a good thing!

Losing his awe of the North set alarm bells ringing in Richard's mind.

He seemed to foresee that if this mentality were allowed to spread, this powerful team might suffer a major setback at some unexpected moment due to negligence or underestimation of the enemy.

He kept reminding himself that he must make the team more cautious and careful tomorrow, proceeding step by step.

However, a new problem arose.

In the eyes of the pioneers, Richard was an extremely powerful being capable of tearing apart a third-tier insect beast with his bare hands, and a creature that was suspected to be a fourth-tier fully evolved being...

How could he convey this caution without his teammates misinterpreting it as... cowardice?

After all, he was only twenty years old.

How to skillfully manage subordinates, maintaining high morale while remaining vigilant.

Finding the right balance is still an unfamiliar subject for him to explore.

After treating his wound, the pioneer returned to camp in silence. Once the wound was carefully bandaged, no one spoke further.

A heavy silence quickly descended.

Only the crackling of a few campfires and the faint footsteps of the watchmen remained.

Richard lay in his tent, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

It wasn't because I was still hung up on the argument about treating the wound or my own inner turmoil... nor was it because I was missing the warmth of my little maid, Sally, warming my bed.

It was because the fourteen-winged Killer Knight belt wrapped around his waist was sending him frantic alarms through the sniffing insect cocoons inside!

A trace of something extremely subtle, yet it contained the stench of decay and death.

That was definitely not the smell of an ordinary rotting corpse, but the smell of highly toxic meat enzymes produced by the fermentation and putrefaction of chunks of meat deep in the intestines, which could not be digested in time and under the combined action of bacteria in a humid and warm environment!

What's even more chilling is that this aura of death not only didn't move away, but was instead approaching the camp at an alarming speed!

This is no coincidence! It's definitely the scent emanating from a powerful insect beast!

Although it is impossible to accurately determine its life level based solely on smell.

But to be able to hunt enough in the food-scarce snowfields of the North to have enough food to rot and pile up in one's stomach...

Richard could almost picture these insect-like beasts rushing around, their gaping maws bulging as they gasped for air!

His heart sank.

This must be at least a late-stage, third-tier mature form! Even…

Before the thought had even finished, he suddenly slapped his belt!

"Rustle... rustle..."

A dense, low chirping of insects, like pebbles thrown into stagnant water, instantly broke the silence of the camp, echoing clearly in every corner.

Those pioneers who snored so loudly. That sound was etched into their very bones; the chirping of insects would instantly silence their snoring!

"alert!"

No orders were needed, no explanations required. The instinct for survival outside the walls, deeply ingrained in them, reacted faster than thought. Everyone sprang to life like taut springs, instantly grabbing the powerful crossbows from beside their pillows.

The crossbow arm was cold, the bolts were chilling, and their faint glow gleamed deadly in the firelight. In the wild, these life-saving tools were always ready to be drawn and fired!

The rustling warning insect chirping lasted for more than ten seconds.

However, in Richard's perception through the sniffing insect cocoon, the enormous stench of death and decay... did not recede or turn away upon being exposed.

Instead, it seemed to be completely enraged, its speed suddenly increased, and it charged straight at the camp with even greater ferocity!