Slaughter
Lu Heng wedged his feet firmly between two forked branches, using the protruding splinters to steady himself, with half his body pressed against the shady tree trunk. The bark was frozen hard, and the chill seeped into his back through the thin fabric. He paid no attention to the snowdrifts piled on his body, his gaze fixed on the middle layer of the swamp below, refusing to look away.
The previous tug-of-war between the ant colony and the ordinary slippery fish has ended, and the battlefield situation is now undergoing a dramatic change. Without any buffer or preparation, all changes are immediate counterattacks driven by biological instincts.
The Digger Ants had previously covered the entire muddy snowfield had always had a clear division of labor, splitting up to surround and block the scattering slippery fish. They swam along the cracks in the mud, blocking the prey's tunnels to hide in the soil, inch by inch compressing the parasite's range of activity. All their attacks were directed only at the rampant slippery fish at the bottom of the ground, without spreading outwards, and without actively provoking any foreign wild animals watching from the edge.
But at that very moment, the Digger Ants's movements suddenly synchronized.
The pincers that were gnawing at the body of the slippery fish loosened their claws, those crouching in the mud crevices turned back, and those chasing fleeing prey in short-distance pursuits abandoned their targets. The entire black Insect Tide transmitted no signals, their orderly movements were eerily strange, and they all abandoned their gains, rushing at full speed towards the raised frozen ground at the very center of the swamp battlefield.
The Insect Swarm flowed along the mixed snow and black mud, forming a dense, thick black wave. All their forces had poured out, completely abandoning their initial mission of clearing out the ordinary slippery fish. Lu Heng narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze piercing through the scattered snowflakes falling from the sky, staring intently at the core area that the swarm was heading towards.
Deep, muffled tremors continued to emanate from beneath the permafrost. Patches of surface snow cracked and crumbled, with snowflakes mixed with wet mud sliding down the slopes. The common slippery fish, which had previously desperately evaded the ant swarm, were now turning back towards this area in droves, their limp bodies piling up on top of each other, huddled together in the cracks of the permafrost, seeking refuge in the aura of the strongest member of their kind.
A muffled thud as the earth cracked open.
Large swaths of silt, soaked in black water, surged outwards, and a gigantic creature, several times the size of an ordinary slippery fish, pushed through the thick layer of soil, completely exposed to the cold, damp sunlight. Its body was thick and muscular, covered in a thick, sticky fluid. With a slight twist of its body, large swaths of soft mud beneath it would sink, emitting a pungent, sweet-smelling odor mixed with rotten earth. A gust of wind carried this strange smell along the branches to Lu Heng's nose, causing him to instinctively furrow his brow.
Without even raising his hand to activate his Wristband for scanning, Lu Heng could tell from the oppressive aura he sensed with his naked eye that this was Bronze Tier Swamp Slippery Fish lurking in the entire swamp, the true overlord of this muddy swamp.
The Slippery Fish King, having just broken through the soil, made no attempt to survey its surroundings; its only instinct was to slaughter. Ordinary slippery fish that huddled together for cover had no time to dodge and were easily crushed by its massive body. Their soft bodies were instantly torn apart, and slime and bits of flesh smeared on the surface of the mud before being pressed deep into the mud by the Slippery Fish King's body. For it, its own kind held no kinship; they were merely food readily available after breaking through the soil.
Just as it took hold of the frozen soil and firmly established itself, the Digger Ants crashed heavily into its body.
Completely different from the previous gradual and steady hunting method, the ant swarm now made no probing or restraints, relentlessly piling up layer upon layer on the head, torso, and tail of the Slippery Fish King. The Digger Ants at the front were stuck to their limbs by the thick sticky mucus, unable to move, and would be crushed into dust by the writhing body of the Slippery Fish in the next second, their corpses plastered on the Slippery Fish's body. But the ants and insects behind them continued to frantically fill the gaps, and not a single ant turned to flee.
The inter-tribal warfare that had maintained a balance has now devolved into a deadly stalemate. These Digger Ants, who have been lying in wait in the forest soil for years, waiting for the large-scale emergence of the slippery fish, are now fighting with all their might, willing to sacrifice most of their population to kill this overlord who dominates the entire swamp.
The commotion at the center of the battlefield suddenly intensified. The rustling sound of soil turning over, the soft rustling of millions of ants rubbing against the ground, and the muffled thuds of slippery fish twisting and hitting clods of mud intertwined in layers. A heavy fishy smell mixed with the dampness of the soil continued to spread outwards, blowing towards the edge of the forest with the cold wind.
At the edge of the woodland where the swamp meets the forest, the previously law-abiding group of Black Iron Tier predators were completely shaken.
Several Black Iron Giant Centipede, as thick as a forearm, had limbs adapted to the damp and cold environment year-round, unfazed by blizzards and freezing temperatures. Previously, they had been hiding in the shadows of broken logs, only daring to scavenge scattered insect corpses and broken fish meat at the edge of the battlefield, never crossing the boundary to step into the middle layer of the main battlefield. Two or three small Anteater curled up in the crevices of the snowdrifts, only picking at lone, injured, or immobilized Digger Ants. Their long-standing survival instincts made them keep to their limits and never get involved in the head-on battle between the two groups.
But right now, the center of the battlefield is littered with dead and wounded. The entire ant colony is besieging the Slippery Fish King and has no time to pay attention to the surrounding commotion. Dying Slippery Fish and swarms of dead ants can be seen everywhere. The readily available resources have completely shattered the caution of these beasts.
The two largest Black Iron centipedes moved first.
The multi-legged creature quickly cleared away the snow, slowly leaving the safe area of the woodland, and tentatively crawled deeper into the middle layer of the swamp, its head swaying from side to side, its eyes fixed on the fresh carcasses of prey in the midst of the battle. Close behind, two Anteater lowered their bodies, skimming the mud and snow as they quickly crossed the boundary, burrowing into the pile of wreckage in the shallow battlefield, and began to gnaw on the fallen ant carcasses.
Their understanding was still stuck in the past stable ecological balance, thinking that they could still hide on the sidelines and plunder the scraps, completely unaware that the Digger Ants had already lost all restraint.
Once the ant colony is engulfed in flames, it no longer abides by any natural rules. Killing the Bronze slippery fish is its only objective. Any living creature that intrudes into the battlefield, attempts to plunder the spoils, or interferes with the fighting will be seen as a threat that must be eliminated.
Without a moment's hesitation, the ant swarm that was attacking the Slippery Fish King instantly dispatched a massive force, like a black curtain being spread out, rushing straight towards the few predators that had rashly crossed the boundary.
Indiscriminate cleaning, no maneuvering, no mercy.
The centipede's hard shell could not stop the layers of ant mandibles. The flesh beneath the Anteater's thick fur was constantly being gnawed and torn. A few short, sharp struggles and hisses pierced the wind and snow. After a few breaths, the movement on the ground completely disappeared. The few wild beasts that had just been greedy were covered by layers of ants and were quickly devoured and mutilated.
The other predators that had been eagerly waiting at the edge of the forest froze on the spot, their limbs tense. They hurriedly retreated to a blind spot deep in the forest, not daring to move forward even half a step. They could only shrink back at a distance, and even the courage to peek out and observe had vanished.
Lu Heng leaned against the tree trunk, his fingertips unconsciously digging into the rough texture of the bark, taking in the entire unfolding events. The pungent, fishy stench continued to fill his nostrils, and the dense Insect Tide below sent a shiver down his spine. He subconsciously shifted his body, creating some distance between himself and the insects.
He knew in his heart that this battle had long since deviated from the normal ecological balance.
Initially, the ant colony's swarming of the rampant common slippery fish was a stable cycle of restraint between predator and prey; however, after the appearance of Bronze Tier slippery fish, the entire ant colony was mobilized for a desperate battle, risking the survival of the entire colony; when predators rashly intruded, the ant colony began an indiscriminate clearing operation, and the survival rules that this swamp had maintained for many years were completely shattered.
The entire process was overly well-organized, with each step seamlessly connected, without the slightest abruptness or chaos. The rampant proliferation of slippery fish, the dormant ant colonies lying in wait, the swamp overlord breaking through the soil, the deadly battle between the two groups, and the complete elimination of outside opportunists—all these scenes, strung together, clearly resembled a fixed cycle that had been repeated countless times.
The wind and snow continued to fall across the mountains and fields, freezing the ground and soil in the low temperature. But all the creatures fighting in this battlefield were not restrained by the severe cold. They only followed the instincts of fighting, plundering, and survival etched in their genes, purifying and killing each other again and again.
Lu Heng looked down at the treetops dangling in mid-air, then at the ravaged swamp below, a sense of lingering fear rising in his heart. If he had hesitated even slightly when retreating from the swamp and hadn't managed to rush out of the swamp's edge in time, he would probably be one of the remains of the Insect Tide by now.
He silently surveyed the horrific battlefield, his judgment growing ever clearer. This chaotic battle was no accident, a mere coincidence triggered by the blizzard. Every year when temperatures dropped and snow fell, causing birds to plummet, this cruel cycle of life and death would play out in this frozen swamp. He was simply a bystander who had stumbled upon this hidden ecological secret and was fortunate enough to be standing in a safe, elevated position.