Hunting Party

Luo Jun sighed inwardly. If it weren't for the limitations of his Cultivation Method, he would already be at the third level of the Body Refinement Realm and ready to cultivate the Foundation Establishment Realm.

But on the surface, they still had to maintain a cool and aloof demeanor.

"Thanks for reminding me."

Su Yun smiled, then suddenly paused, looking up.

Luo Jun followed his gaze and, through the gaps in the tree canopy, saw a dozen large insects flying in formation across the sky.

"They're Flying Ant!"

"So much?"

Someone in the crowd exclaimed in surprise. Flying Ant occasionally appear near Lingyun City, and many hunters recognize them, but it's usually just one or two here and there. It's rare to see so many appearing at the same time.

"We're getting closer and closer to the anthill." Su Yun's expression turned serious. "What lies ahead will become increasingly dangerous and increasingly grotesque..."

Luo Jun was slightly taken aback. He understood the danger, but what did he mean by ugly?

Soon, the answer appeared before Luo Jun's eyes.

As the procession moved forward, the light gradually brightened.

The sun, which had been hidden by the trees, now shone its rays relentlessly on everyone's heads.

Because the once lush branches and leaves have been completely eaten away, leaving only bare tree trunks standing crookedly on the ground. Many trees even show signs of dying. The roots have been bitten off, the soil has been turned upside down, the trunks have collapsed and been hollowed out, and even the flowers and grass on the ground have been pulled up clean. There are also scorched marks in many places, and there are no signs of animal activity!

Although it is still in the jungle, it gives people a sense of desolation as if they were in a dry land.

"These... were all done by Firemane Ant?"

Exclamations of surprise rippled through the ranks.

Most hunters spend several months recuperating in the Main World before venturing into the Savage Wilderness for a month of hunting. Even the most diligent hunters have to take turns every month. So for the vast majority of hunters present, it had been several months since they last came here, before the Firemane Ant had even developed.

Seeing the familiar, lush jungle transformed into wasteland was a shock to the hunters. This also made them realize that this hunt was not just about making money; the appearance of these pests had threatened the nearby ecosystem and even Lingyun City.

"Firemane Ant are creatures that thrive in darkness," Su Yun explained loudly to the nearby hunters. "During the day, they mostly hibernate in their nests, and even when they do come out, their activity level is low. At night, the ground we're standing on is covered with Firemane Ant. They expand outwards every day, and they have a very diverse diet, devouring everything from plants to animals!"

After hearing his explanation, the hunters' expressions became serious.

Soon, the team arrived at their destination: the lakeside northwest of the anthill.

This lake isn't very big, only about three or four kilometers in length and width. Because of its clear and sweet water, it's called Sweetwater Lake and was the main water source for nearby animals. But now, no creature dares to drink from it anymore.

The group stopped here and looked southeast, where they could already see a huge ant nest standing among many dead trees.

The anthill was roughly cylindrical, but slightly narrower at the top and wider at the bottom, resembling a tall tower. The material looked like concrete, exuding a cold, hard, and rough texture. The anthill was riddled with holes, densely packed and unsettling. Judging by appearance, it was at least four or five hundred meters tall and about two hundred meters in diameter, several sizes larger than the description on the task list!

"Let's make this our meeting point," the guides instructed the hunters. "How many ants you kill next depends on your skills. A few of us will stay here to provide backup. Remember, be back here before five o'clock, and the team will depart on time. Otherwise, when the sun sets, the Firemane Ant will swarm out, and no matter how skilled you are, you'll likely end up as their prey!"

Although the Wildlands World cannot produce very small clocks, the sunlight here is similar to that of the Earth's equator, and the length of day and night hardly changes throughout the year, so you can roughly judge the time by looking at the position of the sun.

Moreover, there are those like Luo Jun who have designed their Hundred Treasure Box as a type of watch, which makes them convenient for keeping track of time.

After the guides finished explaining the precautions, the hunters dispersed and headed towards the anthill in their respective small teams.

Luo Jun had no teammates and had to act alone. However, he was also careful and tried to stay close to larger groups so that he could easily ask for help if he encountered danger.

Fortunately, the surrounding area had been completely eaten away by Firemane Ant, leaving nothing but large patches of dead trees, so there was basically no need to worry about dangers other than ants.

As the guide said, Firemane Ant prefer to hide in their nests during the day, and hunters find little to no success on the outskirts. Only a few teams manage to catch a few lone Worker Ant, whose antennae are not worth much.

"It seems that if we want to gain anything, we still have to go to the anthill."

Dong Huicheng grabbed a handful of dry soil and frowned as he looked at the anthill ahead.

As a Senior-level hunter, Dong Huicheng has been hunting in the Savage Wilderness for over three years. During this time, his best achievement was killing a level 5 Giant Claw Crab on his own last year. Many experts at the Heart Refining Realm find this kind of monster troublesome, and the fact that he, a mere Foundation Establishment Realm, was able to successfully kill it is due to his solid basic skills.

That hunt earned him some fame in Lingyun City, and he finally managed to build a five-person team this year. However, running a team is ultimately different from going it alone. With so many mouths to feed, insufficient funding became the most frequent problem, even more so than the dangers of hunting.

So when Dong Huicheng saw this large-scale mission, he joined without hesitation.

Ants aren't the kind of prey that move around in twos and threes; these things often come in hundreds or thousands. If things go smoothly, once this job is done, the team can go back to the Main World to recuperate for a long time.

However, it now appears that the task is not as simple as it seemed.

Firemane Ant don't come out during the day, so if you want to get loot, you have to risk getting close to the anthill.

"Go ahead! What's there to be afraid of!"

The tallest warrior in the group, Deng Yuanlong, carrying a giant axe and Great Shield, laughed and said, "Soldier Ant are just level three monsters, nothing to worry about!"

"This time it's different!" Xu Hao, a fair-skinned and lean man carrying a short bow, shook his head. "Three or five level threes are certainly not a problem, but if hundreds surround us, let alone us, even Elite-level groups will have to retreat."

"What's the point of doing a mission if you're afraid of this and that!" Deng Yuanlong scoffed. A soft laugh came from beside him, "Don't worry, we're not the only team. There are hundreds of people. There will always be some who go further than us."

The speaker was a tall, short-haired girl named Han Xiaoying. She carried two knives, one long and one short, at her waist and hips, making her an agile assassin.

"I'm more concerned about the person behind me than the hunt." The last person in the group was an intellectual beauty with frameless glasses named Bai Renxin. She was the only one in the group with the Heart Refining Realm, but her awakened ability was in the healing aspect, and her combat ability was not as good as the others.

Bai Renxin pushed up her glasses and turned her head to the side behind her. Her teammates looked in the direction she indicated and saw a young man dressed in plain clothes, carrying a long spear and narrow shield, and wearing a mask, following them at a distance.

"I noticed that too." As an archer, Xu Hao had already developed a tendency towards perception. "Shortly after we disbanded at Sweetwater Lake, this kid followed us. I wonder what his purpose is."

"He's probably scared..." Dong Huicheng recalled his own early days in the Savage Wilderness, struggling alone. "His equipment is very basic; he must be a newbie. If he wasn't forced into it, why would he participate in such a dangerous mission alone? Let him come along; if anything happens, we can lend a hand if we can."

"In this barbaric Savage Wilderness teeming with monsters, all human beings are our brethren."

(End of this chapter)