The evolution of insect swarms from XNUMX million years ago

Chapter 197 Infection with Leaf Claw Worms

The first thing that appeared in the field of vision was a large number of ancient net-winged cockroaches in mid-air. Compared with those years ago, their flight capabilities have been greatly improved, but in other aspects, they don't seem to be much different from those years ago.

The Interceptor Cockroach, a class that appeared for the King-Winged Diver, did not appear again. Perhaps due to lack of demand, this class was gradually forgotten by the terrestrial arthropod nests and the fungi that parasitized them.

A swarm of ancient web-winged cockroaches swept over like a black cloud, or a swarm of locusts that did not exist in this era. Below, the figures of the mesoscythus spider and the giant horseshoe spider moved eight thick steps, one step at a time. Advance step by step.

Before the close combat, the Mortar Terror Spider and the King-Winged Diver had already exerted their power. Biological shrapnel whizzed down. In mid-air, projectiles composed of eggs with special structures inside were splashed everywhere. As long as they were touched, the Ancient Web Wings could be destroyed. Cockroach shot down.

Every time a shell falls, it can tear a huge gap in the cockroach swarm. Biological semi-armor-piercing grenades followed closely, pouring in from the gap and hitting the huge giant horseshoe crab spiders.

Blue insect blood splashed out with the sound of explosions, and in front of the biological semi-armor-piercing bullets falling from the sky, the solid exoskeleton was penetrated on the spot.

Amid the artillery fire, the main battle armor and the Crazy-toothed Saw Ants also launched a charge with the fire support from the rear. Claw blade swipes, jaws bite, projectiles shoot, flames spit, all the attack structures on the body work together to exert their power.

Since the strange ferns in this area have been almost completely destroyed by the chemicals sprayed by the Skywing Divers, the opponent has also lost its special ability to sense this area.

Therefore, several Shadowflies also concealed themselves, waiting for the opportunity to harvest the lives of high-value enemy targets with their pair of bladed appendages that cut their exoskeletons like mud.

But at this moment, the shadowflies suddenly felt some strange vibrations coming from their sensitive receiving organs - and the direction of the transmission seemed to be underground. And it's getting closer.

But it's already a little late. The feeling transmitted back from the roots of the fungus carpet was that something was quickly cutting off their roots. Immediately, the soil surged, making Lin Yi immediately understand what he had encountered.

Behind the head, there are pieces of swimming leaves like Anomalocaris, but the more solid armor-like structure is swinging, indicating the identity of this giant insect - a leaf-clawed worm, the "decisive weapon" of terrestrial arthropod nests. .

Immediately, suddenly, in the core territory of the brood colony, mud splashed everywhere along with the fragments of fungi carpet tissue. Immediately, a pair of astonishingly huge thick long appendages twisted out of the ground, followed by a ferocious semi-elliptical head.

The head is covered with a familiar exoskeleton, but at this time, the color is a strange gray-white, which seems to mean that it is also parasitized by fungi, but it lacks the fruiting body structure protruding from the outside.

Immediately, Lin Yi seemed to have thought of something. On the front line, only a part of the Crazy-tooth Saw Ants were left behind. After stabilizing the front, a large number of main battle armor and Crazy-Tooth Saw Ants turned around and rushed towards the location of the mother nest group at the rear.

But at this time, the size of this leaf-clawed worm is much larger than before. The head alone is almost the same size as a giant horseshoe crab. Based on the body proportions of the leaf-clawed worm back then, I am afraid that It can reach a body size of more than thirty meters.

The opponent used a beautiful move to attack the east and attack the west. A large number of troops feinted from the front to attract Lin Yi's attention and buy enough time for the Leaf Claw Worm to break through from the underground into the core territory.

While thinking, the leaf-clawed worm's huge body further emerged from the soil. The familiar, tarsal clawed feet between velvet worms and true arthropods stepped on the fungus carpet, ignoring the entanglement and tearing of the fungus carpet roots. , walked forward step by step. On the back, some scale-like exoskeleton armor opened, and a large number of ancient net-winged cockroaches flew out, flapping their four wings and forming black clouds over the leaf-clawed worms, covering the movement of the leaf-clawed worms.

Obviously, the other party developed a structure similar to the Dreadnaught's Hagana Cang, which turned the Leaf Claw Worm into a super-grade that could burrow into the ground, break through and intercept the grade individuals in the body, and transport them into the hinterland.

But for Lin Yi, this is not good news.

The huge head of the leaf-clawed worm swayed, and a pair of ferocious appendages, like those of a giant holodont, swung and waved. It slowly moved forward under the guidance of the ancient web-winged cockroach in mid-air.

It has to be said that the location chosen by the leaf claw worms to emerge is quite tricky - in front of them is the "artillery position" where the mortar spider group is located!

This is the first time that the Mortar Spider has been threatened by an enemy-level individual since its birth - and it is such a powerful threat.

At this time, the mortar spiders are still in the firing posture. Although the design concept of self-propelled artillery allows them to quickly switch to the stepping posture, but even so, it is still unrealistic to escape from the winged ancient spiders. of.

A large number of ancient web-winged cockroaches swung their membrane wings and swooped down in groups, immediately submerging the several mortar spiders in the front row. Immediately, blue blood spattered, and the sharp catching feet cut into the Mortar Spider's thin exoskeleton like a thousand knives.

In the current situation, instead of controlling the futile retreat of the Mortar Spiders, it is better to maximize their utilization value.

There was a violent explosion - under the control of Lin Yi, the Mortar Spider directly injected catalytic enzyme into a large number of propellants in its body, detonating it directly, and together with a large number of ancient web-winged cockroaches around it, it was destroyed by high temperature and pressure. Gas engulfment.

The nearby loaders also raised the biological cannonballs between their chelicerae and rushed in the direction of the leaf-clawed worms - for biological high-explosive grenades, it makes no difference whether they are fired or exploded directly, but the mortar cannons inside the spider's body The large amounts of stored propellants, once activated, are more powerful than the shells they fire.

A series of dull explosions sounded, and the ancient web-winged cockroaches that approached the Mortar Spider were severely damaged in this round of attacks. Even the exoskeleton of the leaf-clawed worm's massive body showed a small amount of damage.

Seeing this, the leaf-clawed worm no longer hid, raised its head, and under its appendages, a pair of nozzle structures similar to hornstone funnels were exposed and began to swing. Immediately, two blazing flames shot out from it!

It seems that the leaf claw worm infected by the fungus still retains the ability to shoot fire, and has not been modified because the fungus is afraid of fire.

Two pillars of fire merged in front of the body, sweeping across the fungus carpet and straight towards the Mortar Spider's body. In the raging fire, the smell of burning permeated the air. Facing the raging flames, their relatively weak exoskeletons were less capable of resisting. The other party is actually not much better.

But then, a series of warheads hit the leaf-clawed worm's huge body, interrupting its continued spraying - each mad-toothed saw ant flattened its abdomen, moved its six limbs and joined the battlefield, heading towards the leaf-clawed worm's huge body, Launched a charge!

(End of this chapter)