Wizard: I devour the stars with swarms of insects.

"The process of wizard meditation needs to be long and continuous; it cannot be rushed or done too much at once."

After all, the recovery of mental strength is a slow process, and sometimes exhausting one's resources can cause irreversible damage to mental strength.

So, after rubbing his tired and aching brow, Wayne got up from the bed and ended his meditation for the day.

At this point, the incense burning on the nearby Dead Soul Grass had been mostly used up, so Wayne extinguished it.

After thinking it over, I decided to head into the Black Forest to gather materials for my future study of "Thorn Tongue".

While improving mental strength through daily meditation, I also prepared the relevant materials in advance.

In this way, once one's mental strength reaches the required level, one can immediately begin to learn and master such witchcraft tricks.

Wayne looked up and saw that it was already quite late.

As dusk fell, the last rays of the setting sun bathed the room in its golden light.

The setting sun is like blood.

The danger level of the Black Forest at night is on a completely different level compared to during the day.

Even the most audacious wizard apprentices dare not venture into the Black Forest to hunt at night.

So Wayne rested for a night.

The next morning, after packing up the containers and tools I needed to take from the laboratory, I left the Natural Symbiosis Wizard Tower.

At the entrance, summon Isabel and have her lead several knights as guards.

This included two shield-wielding swordsmen, a spearman, and an archer, all fully armored and armed.

Lead them to the Black Forest to collect the tongue of the "Giant Armored Anteater" and other related materials.

Thanks to the modified insect implanted in Wayne's lower abdomen, Isabel now possesses extremely strong burst damage.

Therefore, the original dull and cumbersome armor has been replaced with a lighter leather armor that is easier to move in, with a long sword at the waist.

A loyal guard stood beside Wayne.

In the early morning, a light white mist hung over the Black Forest, seemingly due to the sudden drop in temperature the previous night.

The water vapor that was originally saturated in the forest condenses when it cools, forming countless tiny water droplets, which create this thin mist in the early morning.

The group walked quietly along the forest path.

Someone's boots snapped as they stepped on dead branches in the forest.

The giant armored anteater lives in the Black Forest, in a type of terrain called "Rotten Forest".

This is a special terrain environment.

The soil was damp and loose, covered with a large number of decaying, enormous ancient trees.

There are also hard earthen mounds, two to three meters high, built by giant black needle termites.

The giant armored anteater feeds on these termites.

Regarding the terrain around the Black Forest, Wayne had consulted some maps drawn by former apprentice wizards when they explored the Black Forest in the library.

Furthermore, it has already been scanned using [Honeycomb] intelligence and stored in the database.

Therefore, after retrieving the relevant maps, follow the light blue data grid map intelligently presented by the [Honeycomb] in front of you.

Head to the marked "Rotten Forest" location and begin your exploration.

As we get closer to the area of ​​the "Rotten Forest".

The surrounding environment appeared increasingly dilapidated.

The towering ancient trees were gradually replaced by rotting and falling giant trees, their trunks covered with colorful but poisonous fungi.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, which felt soft and spongy underfoot, and underneath lay slippery moss and tangled tree roots.

The air was filled with the smell of decaying wood and formic acid.

"Lord Wayne, the edge of the 'Rotten Forest' should be just ahead..."

Inside the group, Isabel whispered a reminder.

Wayne nodded and said.

"Everyone, please be careful. The soil here is soft and loose due to termites and decaying vegetation. Be careful of sinkholes. The burrows of giant armored anteaters are usually located near water sources and large anthills."

A pale blue data grid is constantly refreshing in front of them, showing that they have arrived at the entrance to the "Rotten Forest" marked on the map.

Next, Knights Captain Isabel signaled for the team to spread out and assume a state of alert.

After all, Isabel is a knight with rich combat experience and superb swordsmanship. As a knight captain, her ability to lead and command a squad is quite solid.

The knights' escort, protecting Wayne in the center, began to venture deeper into the Decaying Forest.

Meanwhile, Wayne had already quietly projected the remaining four fruit flies from his mind into the real world.

Manipulate them to scatter in all directions.

At the same time, the [Hive] network is activated, connecting to their consciousness and minds.

They share the scene they capture in real time as a warning and alert, surrounding the team within a radius of about 5 meters.

In the event of any emergency, the fruit flies can detect it immediately through these warning systems.

In the dense, misty forest, these tiny, insignificant fruit flies went unnoticed by anyone in the group.

Passing through the gaps in the branches and leaves and through the bushes and grass, you instantly disappear into the surrounding mist and the shadows of the lush foliage.

Although Isabel is a member of the [Hive] network, Wayne did not grant her [sharing] permissions.

Therefore, she can only see her own attribute status, but she cannot know or see the situation inside the [Hive] network.

Next, as the team moved forward...

Gradually, Wayne discovered many abandoned anthills that had been violently broken open and were empty inside, as well as wide footprints on the ground that were unique to giant armored anteaters, bearing three-toed claw marks.

"This direction seems to be...the northeast region?"

Wayne frowned slightly, bent down, and carefully examined the footprints on the ground, which stretched northeastward toward the decaying forest.

So he led the team to continue forward.

As noon approached, the white mist in the woods gradually dissipated, and Wayne and his men spotted their target at the edge of a shallow puddle filled with rotten wood and sparse reeds.

A huge animal was half-submerged in the muddy water, its massive body resembling a rock covered in moss.

It appears to be sleeping.

Its thick carapace reflected a dim, dark light through the sparse canopy of trees, and its long snout rested on a piece of rotten wood, emitting a soft snoring sound.

Not far from it is a huge anthill that has recently been damaged and still has a few black needle termites crawling out.

"Its body size is similar to that of an adult wild boar, and its entire body is covered with a thick, horny, plate-like, dark brown carapace with rock-like patterns."

"The joints are connected by phloem, the head is long and thin, and the muzzle is protruding."

"Furthermore, it possesses a retractable, muscular tongue with a mucus-covered tip, which, if fully extended, can reach a length of over three meters..."

Now, after seeing this target ahead.

I compared it with the descriptions of the giant armored anteater I had seen in books before.

Wayne deduced that the large creature in front of him was the giant anteater he was looking for.

Thinking of the methods for dealing with this thing described in the book, Wayne then gave the order.

"Now, archers, climb the tree and, on my command, shoot at its mouth and nose to provoke it and lure it away from the puddle to the drier, harder ground."

"You two with shields, guard that direction..."

Wayne pointed to the area next to him, a slightly sloping spot.

"If it charges at you, use your shield to block it. Don't try to withstand it head-on. Use the slope to deflect the force."

"The spearmen are responsible for assisting the shield guards, looking for opportunities to stab its joints or eyes."

"Pay special attention to its tongue. Its tongue can launch itself at incredible speed, with enough force to shatter bones. Furthermore, the mucus attached to its tongue has a paralyzing effect..."

"And Isabel..." At this moment, Wayne's gaze turned to the knight captain beside him.

"Your task is to provide support from the side when it makes a mistake, especially when it tries to attack with its tongue."

"Understood, Lord Wayne!"

"Isabel said respectfully."

Meanwhile, the remaining knights and guards were already busy taking action.

The archers in the group climbed up a nearby tree, drew their bows, and nocked arrows.

Next, whoosh—!

A sharp cross-shaped arrow shot towards the location of the giant armored anteater, producing a loud whooshing sound.