Scorpions

Is this what's called an "abnormality"?

Well, in a sense, this is indeed an anomaly, and exactly what Rowan needs; his gene pool hasn't had any new members added in a long time.

The moment these Scorpion emerged, his eyes lit up at the sight of their Pincer Limb. His Digging Leg were now somewhat useless to him, and his only means of attack was smashing. If he had these seemingly powerful "pincers," his Rowan's Combat Technique could certainly add a few more moves.

However, the scorpion's Scorpion Tail looked exceptionally sharp, and judging by the Scorpion's behavior, it was likely venomous. But Rowan showed little interest in it.

It wasn't because he was ashamed of having an extra tail on his butt; Rowan had long since given up on his appearance, having completely let himself go in that regard. Anyway, no one had ever seen what this fusion monster, pieced together from various insect parts, actually looked like.

The problem is that Chitin Exoskeleton Armor is now standard equipment, so the hook doesn't really have much room to be used. Moreover, Rowan rarely takes action personally anymore; he already has the Venom Fang he obtained from the spider, so he doesn't need to add a weapon with a similar function.

However, there's no use in thinking about it. He doesn't have the ability to choose his own evolution yet. Maybe he'll go back to sleep and a hooked tail will grow out of his butt.

He was pondering this to himself with great enthusiasm, but the Scorpion over there seemed to have some objections to Rowan's disdain for its Scorpion Tail.

As another Transport Bug leaped past it, the largest Scorpion, the leader, swiftly extended its Pincer Limb and clamped down on one of the Transport Bug's hind legs.

The immense momentum of the Transport Bug's leap almost lifted the Scorpion, but the Scorpion's low-profile position made it more stable. Although its body was lifted, the small claws at the ends of its Walking Leg firmly gripped the rocks beneath its feet.

After the Transport Bug's momentum ran out, it was instead pulled back.

Both sides used the Walking Leg of the Transport Bug as a rope and began a tug-of-war.

Although the Transport Bug was being held by one of its Walking Leg, it still had eight legs. Even if one of them couldn't exert any force, it still had one more than Scorpion. Moreover, the two were not much different in size and had similar strength, so for a moment it even had a slight advantage.

With the Scorpion's Pincer Limb pulling, the trapped Walking Leg bent abnormally, which was actually good news for the Transport Bug. If it could break free of the leg, although it would lose half of its Walking Leg, it could escape the Scorpion's control.

But at that moment, the Scorpion suddenly took a few steps forward, inserted its other Pincer Limb into the body of the Transport Bug, and then used both Pincer Limb together to lift the Transport Bug up, exposing its abdomen.

The Scorpion's Scorpion Tail, which had been standing upright on its head, suddenly shot out like lightning, hooking itself onto the Transport Bug's abdomen and slowly squeezing into its body.

Rowan, watching from the side, understood the Scorpion Tail's tail. He realized he lacked experience as an insect and assumed the hook attacked the enemy's back, but he was completely wrong. How could something that Scorpion had evolved over many years be a useless decoration?

The insects' back armor is indeed thick and not easily penetrated. However, although their abdomens are also covered with armor, it is relatively less hard, and some insects even have soft shells that can be easily pierced by a hook by breaking through the surface.

Moreover, the Scorpion's low-lying position gives it a more solid foothold when wrestling with other opponents, and as long as it can lift its opponent, its venomous stinger will have an opportunity to strike.

On the other side, the Transport Bug finally broke free from the restraints of its two Pincer Limb, but the Scorpion Tail's tail hook was still stuck in its abdomen. The two switched the "rope" from the Transport Bug's Walking Leg to the Scorpion's tail, and began a new round of struggle.

Unfortunately, the Transport Bug was already poisoned and its strength was waning, ultimately leading to its defeat in the match.

After the Transport Bug stopped struggling, the Scorpion, like a victorious general, triumphantly raised its pincers to display its power. Then it crawled to the Transport Bug, ready to enjoy its spoils.

Rowan had already enjoyed the spectacular performance, but it was time to end this farce. He wiggled his tentacles, releasing pheromones, and tens of thousands of Swarm soldiers swarmed out around him.

Rowan waited quietly in place, believing that the new genes would soon be presented to him.

Although the Scorpion fought a close battle with a Transport Bug, it ultimately emerged victorious.

But then hundreds of Transport Bug appeared before it, and these Transport Bug were only a support unit. On their backs were tens of thousands of dedicated combat soldier Soldier Ant, all eyeing it menacingly.

Although these Soldier Ant ants are tiny compared to Scorpion, their numbers make up for the difference in size.

The Giant-Mandible Soldier Ant leads the charge; this type of large Soldier Ant has distinguished itself through continuous combat experience. Its weapons allow it to handle most combat situations with ease. It has now become the main force of the Swarm. Meanwhile, the Big-Tooth Soldier Ant and the Hook Soldier Ant, which were contemporaries of it, are now very rare.

These large combat weapons surrounded the Scorpion in a single charge, instantly executing familiar maneuvers such as pulling its legs and gouging its eyes. While its sharp mandibles had little chance of penetrating the Scorpion's thick carapace, its relatively poorly protected tail and Walking Leg were not.

Although the Scorpion was also fighting back fiercely, each of its two Pincer Limb clamped down on a Giant-Mandible Soldier Ant, while its tail hook was also looking for an opportunity to attack.

But the Soldier Ant were no pushovers either. Their sharp, powerful mandibles bit into the Scorpion's tail, the serrated edges piercing through its armor and into its interior. And the Scorpion's long tail clearly didn't have just one place to bite; seven or eight Soldier Ant launched this attack almost simultaneously.

At this point, the Scorpion's Walking Leg also received the same treatment as its tail.

In the blink of an eye, the Scorpion had all its Walking Leg and tail removed, and the Giant-Mandible Soldier Ant cut it into several pieces that were scattered around the Scorpion's body.

Thick fluid oozed from the Scorpion's wound. Having lost all mobility and weapons, it couldn't even struggle. Yet, it still hissed fiercely at the surrounding creatures, though its threats now sounded more like feeble wails.

The battle ended so quickly that before Scorpion kin could even react and rush to its aid, it was reduced to a living lump of flesh. However, its kind soon received the same fate, being chopped into pieces and left to groan on the ground.

For a moment, it became quite noisy.

Rowan's antennae twitched, and dozens of Small Soldier Ant, modeled after Red Ant, stepped forward and plunged their stingers into the Scorpion's wounds.

Poisoning is not Scorpion's prerogative.

The hissing gradually subsided. The Scorpion's exoskeletons were too tough to eat; it would be better to make them into a beverage.