Its flattened body, hundreds of kilometers wide, is brightly colored, proclaiming its intimidating nature and regal aura. Its legs are no longer legs in the traditional sense, but have all evolved into various aggressive limbs, because legs are no longer of any use to it, and there are no planets large enough for it to walk on.
Before this giant worm, all the simulated worms in the fleet bowed their heads in submission. This was the basic hierarchy within the worm swarm, with higher-level worms possessing absolute authority over lower-level worms.
"You shouldn't be here. Get to the front line immediately."
A crystal-clear message was received by the fleet; insects at this level are no less intelligent than humans.
"Is this a message from this giant worm?" Li Zhixiong said.
"It should be. We have to reply, otherwise it will attract its attention," Chen Peng replied.
"We've already attracted its attention, but it hasn't questioned our identities yet. Fortunately, Academician Zeng's simulation is very realistic; it can not only evade the Insect King's Consciousness Field but also receive its brainwave information."
"The message is clear: we shouldn't be here; we should be on the defensive line. Strange, with so many bugs, how did it determine where we were originally? The crucial point is, we weren't even on the defensive line originally."
"I have an idea," Academician Zeng said from the side.
"Academician, please speak quickly."
"The giant insect probably has no idea whether we're in the defended zone or the occupied zone. It's just judging from our direction of travel, or perhaps it's unhappy with our reckless movement here and is sending us to fight in the defended zone. For the swarm, the defended zone is also a dangerous place; this is a kind of punishment for us."
"Academician, how should we respond?" Chen Peng asked.
"I know how to reply. Just reply as we did before: say that a civilized fleet has broken through the defense line and we're here to pursue them."
"Hmm, I think it's a good idea." Academician Zeng nodded.
"I think it's alright too. Let's hurry up. If we delay any longer, this guy is not to be trifled with. Our fleet might not even be enough to satisfy him."
"A civilized fleet has intruded. We and our companions are giving chase. The civilized fleet is very fast, and we have lost track of them..." The information was converted and sent out as simulated insect radio waves.
"No civilization fleets pass through within a hundred light-years of this location. You should either go elsewhere or return to the defensive line. Otherwise, I'm getting hungry."
"Yes, yes, yes, we'll leave right away."
The fleet immediately bypassed the giant worm and changed direction. Looking back at the giant worm, they were relieved that it hadn't followed them. Although Chen Peng and Li Zhixiong appeared indifferent, their backs were soaked with sweat. They weren't afraid of sacrificing themselves, but rather of the safety of so many academicians.
" Zhuge Xiong, that was too dangerous," Chen Peng said in a low voice, afraid that raising his voice would attract the giant insect's attack.
"Don't talk to me, I need to go take a dump."
"Is that all you've got? Come on, let me see if your pants are wet."
"Get lost! Do you think Laozi 'm that cowardly?" Li Zhixiong retorted defiantly before rushing to the bathroom.
No one could remain absolutely calm in the face of such a being, especially when they first saw this giant insect. The academicians' legs went weak. It wasn't that they were afraid of sacrifice; it was a biological instinct of fear. Humans evolved from ordinary creatures, and although Mr. Daozi intervened, this biological instinct still existed.
"Academicians, are you alright?" Chen Peng noticed that Academician Zeng Zeng's head of white hair was soaked with sweat, so he tried to distract him by asking some questions.
Academician Zeng wiped the sweat from his face with his sleeve. "It was terrifying. I've lived for tens of thousands of years, and this is the first time I've felt this kind of fear. But thankfully, our hearts can still handle it."
"Academician, we're actually scared too. We were just holding on. To be honest, I almost lost the will to fight. This kind of thing probably requires the intervention of Great Star Region Civilization. Even with the Reaper's strong defenses, it's likely to be in trouble."
"There are probably only a few dozen people in the entire fleet who aren't afraid of this thing."
"Phew... Academician, you mean Academician Xiao and the others, right?" Chen Peng said with a long sigh.
"Who else could it be but those inhuman beings?" Academician Zeng laughed.
"By the way, Academician, how did this insect know that no fleet had passed through within a hundred light-years?"
"They have no monitoring system and cannot possibly know what is happening within hundreds of light-years. The only possibility is that they observe the three-dimensional universe through the fourth dimension. Just like when we look down at the ground, nothing can escape our field of vision."
"Then aren't we in great danger, Academician? There must be insects watching these spaces all the time. We're still 20,000 light-years away from our destination. The chances of being discovered by the insects are too high."
"Not necessarily. Look, we've traveled ten thousand light-years without attracting the attention of these high-level insects, which means that not all of the universe is under surveillance. Moreover, these insects are at least level 25. Although their numbers are considerable, each insect can only cover a region of one hundred light-years. And I estimate that not every insect will perform this task, so we still have a good chance of getting through."
"Furthermore, unlike us, the insect swarms don't have a comprehensive understanding of the entire river system, so they can't possibly monitor the whole system."
"Academician, why don't we go outside the galaxy and enter it once we reach the area above the coordinates? This way, we'll have the least amount of time in contact with the insect swarm, and it should be safer."
"No, please!" Li Zhixiong rushed in.
Why not?
"While the insect swarm may not be able to monitor the entire galaxy, they must have deployed various surveillance forces at its edges."
How can you be so sure?
"It's very simple. The swarms win by sheer numbers, so our galactic civilization doesn't need to deploy surveillance along the entire edge of the galaxy. As long as a large-scale swarm appears and moves, the fleet can immediately follow. As long as the defense line is monitored in all directions, it's impossible for the swarms to cross in large numbers."
"Human fleets are different. They only need small groups, like ours. Once we sneak deep into the Zerg swarm's territory, we can easily inflict huge losses on them. Don't doubt that. Although we can't do it yet, it doesn't mean other civilizations can't, especially those in the Great Star Region Civilization. Therefore, the Zerg must have deployed surveillance forces along the edges of the galaxy. Once they discover a fleet, they will relentlessly pursue it. Our flight outside the galaxy is basically telling the Zerg that we're here."
" Little Zhuge is right. Now that we've infiltrated and even fooled a major figure, we might as well continue."
" Chen Peng, I suddenly have an idea. Since acting alone will attract the attention of these high-level insects, why don't we get all the insects moving? That way, we can hide in plain sight."