Diplodocus, Leopard
There's no suitable new Flying Insect Gene for him. However, this template insect is suitable for mass production to fill the unit gaps in the Swarm's air force.
Perhaps, soon, the first Arboreal Sub-base of the Swarm base will be officially established.
However, something revealed within these genes surprised Rowan. It turned out that the Flying Bug had indeed located him through pollen.
However, it wasn't through smell.
Rather, it's the special refraction of light produced by pollen mixed with saliva. This allows Flying Bug to pinpoint the location of the insect precisely among the trees and flowers.
Thinking about it this way, the Gatling gun shells didn't actually stop them by smell, but rather by the rising white smoke that obstructed their vision, which was a lucky accident.
However, if you don't understand the secrets behind this, and blindly rely on smell to target them next time, you might experience what it feels like to crash and burn.
After catching his breath, Rowan wasn't really in the mood to rest. Although his escape had seemed fraught with danger, he hadn't actually been injured.
After staying for a while longer, unable to fall asleep, Rowan crawled out of the cave, intending to continue exploring.
As you travel downstream, the trees gradually thin out.
Rowan had been here a few days ago and saw the source of the vibrations he had sensed.
Through several rounds of gene fusion, his field of vision is now almost the same as that of a human in his early days. Moreover, at close range, the clarity is much better.
From a great distance, Rowan spotted the large creature.
That was truly a gigantic creature, and there's absolutely no exaggeration. It resembled Diplodocus from Blue Star, with a body length of over thirty meters, a shoulder height of seven or eight meters, a small head, and extremely thick limbs.
Although it is very large, its neck is seven or eight meters long and its tail is about fifteen meters long. So its main body is not large, but even so, its weight is estimated to be over ten tons. Every time it moves, it makes a rumbling sound.
Judging from its chubby little head and neat set of teeth, this guy must be a vegetarian.
And indeed, Rowan observed it for a long time and found that it did not engage in any hunting behavior other than eating leaves.
Come to think of it, with that size and build, it's probably not a sprinter. Plus, with such a long neck, it would have a hard time even catching a Fat-Tail Rat. Rowan suspected that with the sparse vegetation here, it might have eaten everything up.
Although this dinosaur was the largest creature Rowan had ever seen, it posed no threat to Rowan whatsoever. After learning the source of the tremors, Rowan felt much safer and even slept more soundly.
After all, the unknown is the most terrifying thing.
Although the large creature posed no threat to him, Rowan didn't rush forward. The food was simply too big; he couldn't possibly digest it all before it rotted. He'd better let it roam free for now. After all, there was plenty of food here, and it wouldn't be far away anytime soon.
After wandering around the outer edge of the forest without making any new discoveries, Rowan decided to return to base.
He hadn't been back for a long time since he acquired the remote control of the Swarm Network. After this period of development, especially after the Type III Ant Queen entered the production sequence, the Swarm experienced a massive population explosion. Unbeknownst to many, it had already occupied half of the Big-Headed Ant Nest.
It's estimated that it won't be long before they can completely clear out the Big-Headed Ant and take over this place.
However, the current composition of the Swarm's forces is somewhat unbalanced, consisting mainly of worker Worker Ant and assassin-type Spy Ant, lacking a main combat force. Moreover, the old tactics of direct confrontation are no longer suitable for the current situation.
The insects in the ant template have outdated target acquisition and tracking systems. They are at a significant disadvantage when facing fast-moving targets like the Fat-Tail Rat or Small Dinosaur. Not to mention the Flying Bug and various birds that fly in formation.
The Swarm urgently needs the addition of new units to establish a new integrated air-ground, coordinated combat system.
However, the Swarm's resource reserves and unit production are not yet fully replenished. Rowan still has some time to consider how to combine different unit types.
On the way back, while lost in thought, Rowan suddenly caught an unusual sight above and to his side. He immediately snapped out of his reverie and focused intently on it.
On a thick branch beneath the tree canopy, a Leopard- like animal was lying prone, poised to attack.
It is about two meters long, only slightly larger than Fat-Tail Rat. It has a well-proportioned body and muscular limbs, making it look very agile. It is covered with yellow fur with black rings. It has a small head, a long tail, and particularly sharp claws.
Its target was naturally not Rowan; his Optical Stealth System was now almost a passive skill, constantly active. Although he had suffered a setback with the Flying Bug last time, the value of the system could not be denied; it could still deceive most creatures that relied on sight to detect enemies.
With a quick glance to the side, Rowan spotted the Leopard's target. It was a bird-like creature about thirty centimeters long, with beautifully colored feathers and a delicious taste; Rowan had eaten quite a few of them.
As he thought about it, he started to feel hungry. He couldn't finish the Diplodocus earlier, but this Leopard should be no problem, and he could also collect some genes.
I don't know where this Leopard came from; it probably hadn't been around here before. The birds here are used to living without natural predators, so some of them are a bit silly.
After lying in its cocoon for a while, it seemed to have finally found the right posture. With a swift leap, it pinned down the little bird that was preening its feathers.
Just as it lowered its head to enjoy its meal, a fisherman was stealthily approaching it.
Judging from its appearance, the Leopard was clearly an assassin, so its nature was naturally very cautious. It seemed to have heard some noise, stopped moving, and its small ears twitched a few times.
Such an obvious movement was naturally captured by Rowan's high refresh rate lens, and he immediately stopped. The Optical Camouflage, which had been slightly shaky just moments before, stabilized instantly.
The Leopard looked around for a while, but found nothing unusual. It pretended to yawn, but its body was tense and its eyes were still scanning its surroundings warily.
Rowan didn't expect this guy to be so clever. Unfortunately, his acting was too obvious, and if he participated in a talent show, he would be eliminated in the audition stage.
After putting on a show of acting for a while without finding anything unusual, the Leopard finally relaxed, lowered its head again, and was about to bite down with its mouth wide open.
Just then, a sudden gust of wind blew. The Leopard was about to make a move when it felt a heavy weight press down on its body, followed by a sharp pain in its neck.
Despite being several times the length of Rowan, this Leopard was actually not much heavier Rowan Leopard terms of weight.
Suddenly subjected to immense pressure, and with its neck throbbing intensifying, the Leopard began to struggle desperately, letting out threatening growls. But don't forget, this was over twenty meters in the air; the tree branches beneath it, though thick, offered no room for a proper struggle.
With a series of pitiful howls, the Leopard fell from the tree with Rowan on its back. Even in mid-air, it didn't give up struggling, and cleverly positioned itself with its back facing down, intending to use Rowan as a cushion.
Rowan, known as an amphibious soldier, Walking Leg against the Leopard's back with his foot, separating himself from the Leopard. In that instant, he didn't forget to reach Walking Leg and grab the small bird from the Leopard's claws.
Both fell apart. Rowan spread his elytra and flapped his membranous wings a few times to regain his balance.
The Leopard was at most a soldier who could climb trees. He looked at Rowan with astonishment in his eyes and fell heavily to the ground.