Chis?

Heartless?

Spiritual Control?

These beetles, covered with chitin shells and moving swiftly, actually belong to the same race as that deep and bizarre eye worm?

The six-clawed invisible monster from earlier also had purple blood flowing, so that thing is also a Chis?

It's the first time Lin Jun has seen individuals of the same race vary so greatly.

As for "Heartless" and "Spiritual Control," does it mean that these creatures are all controlled by some entity?

Just like how I control the Puki?

It feels somewhat similar but different, after all, judging from the wording, the other side seems to be using some kind of mental control technique.

Thinking about this makes Lin Jun eager.

However, he still needs to deal with the immediate insects. The Pukis that entered the Snake Cave were inevitably attacked by the beetle swarm.

The snake monster was able to withstand the expedition team for so long back then by relying on these various holes and using the terrain to fight a grinding battle with the Puki.

Now these beetles are shuttling effortlessly through the interconnected tunnels, even more agile and swift than the former snake monster.

The Pukis inside the Snake Cave are stuck in a bitter fight.

Over two hundred Pukis are valiantly resisting with mushroom cannons and self-destruction, but the number of beetles is simply too large, their offensive coming in waves.

They swarm in numbers, enduring the Puki's attacks as they charge up, using their pincers to tear open the Puki's soft bodies.

Lin Jun is experiencing the "human wave" tactic firsthand.

The sounds of Puki resistance, muffled explosions of self-destruction, and the hissing friction of beetle shells mixed together, finally subsiding into silence.

The battle ended quicker than anticipated.

The dead Pukis are dismembered into small pieces by the beetles and carried off to an unknown destination.

Yet, it seems that the over two hundred Pukis still don't fill their appetite.

The next moment, they surged out of the Snake Cave's entrance like a breached black flood!

Perhaps they're relying on Refraction Invisibility?

Unfortunately, Lin Jun, who has already switched to the Magic Perception view, sees the position of each insect clearly.

And coming out of the Snake Cave without the advantage of terrain, launching a frontal charge against the long-range skilled Puki?

Under Lin Jun's command, the Pukis launched a saturation attack on the incoming insects.

The charging momentum was forcibly halted, the swarm crashing into an invisible wall of death under the intense remote firepower.

In just a few minutes, the flood that was gushing just now was turned into shattered shells and flowing purple blood under the efficient bombardment of the Pukis.

Their charge resulted in—zero results.

Louisa moved her fingers, collecting a large amount of purple blood.

Each beetle didn't have much blood, but many little bits make a mickle.

Louisa takes this blood to use as an attack method, certainly not for consumption.

Even among demons, this kind of purple blood is considered the most unpalatable.

The number of beetles is still large, but witnessing the first wave of chargers turn to dust, the remaining beetles immediately retreated orderly like a tide, fully returning to the deep holes of the Snake Cave.

Their reaction is swift, orderly, evidently under unified command.

The Pukis cannot venture into the narrow, complex Snake Cave, and the beetles fear the deathly firepower outside, the situation appears to be in a stalemate?

How could there be a stalemate with these insects!

The hallucinogenic Puki, covered with a chitin shell, stepped forward, gradually approaching the cave entrance, and filled every insect-accessible gap and passage with a faint purple spore smoke carrying a strange sweet and acrid smell.

Lin Jun had checked the panel, these beetles, apart from Cold Resistance, had pitifully low resistance to other factors, and couldn't possibly last long in the toxic mist.

Because they had to wait for the hallucinogenic spores to fill each cavity and passage, the Puki's progress was slow, but the effect was immediate.

As the spore's toxic mist spread through the labyrinthine Snake Cave, more and more beetles fell into an irresistible deep coma.

Occasionally, a few beetles from deeper passages tried to launch a desperate assault, but just a few steps into the thickening purple mist, they staggered and fell, utterly losing consciousness.

With the right method, these insects were easily defeated.

As Lin Jun advanced, he ruthlessly crushed the unconscious beetles.

Each Puki had a limited supply of spores, so midway through the advance, Lin Jun paused slightly.

He had to wait for the newly supplemented hallucinogenic Puki to arrive before continuing the advance.

The whole strategy process was anticipated by Lin Jun to take about one day.

But in fact, by this point, the battle was already over.

It didn't even require waiting for the new batch of hallucinogenic Puki to fully deploy. Under the pressure of the all-encompassing toxic mist, the remaining swarm decisively chose to retreat.

They abandoned the Snake Cave, scattering like a receding tide along the intricate tunnels.

And all this was under Lin Jun's watchful eye.

Lin Jun had no interest in those dispersed, fleeing beetles; his attention remained locked on that special eye worm!

Lin Jun watched as it, within the chaotic torrent, selected a specific detour, silently sliding into it, eventually disappearing completely at the edge of his perception range.

Lin Jun marked the location of that passage in his mind.

Not all the beetles escaped, some trapped in dead ends fell into chaos after the eye worm left.

They scurried aimlessly and were soon rendered unconscious by the hallucinogenic spores.

The Spiritual Control in their panels disappeared as well.

So it seems, the other party indeed controlled these beetles through the eye worm.

The Pukis quickly cleared the Snake Cave, which long since lacked any snake monsters.

Lin Jun planned to send some Drilling Pukis over for a transformation of the Snake Cave.

This included collapsing some useless, easily ambushed small holes; widening main passages to accommodate Puki group formations; constructing firepower platforms at critical points, etc.

Turning this place into an advance base.

The terrain here differs from other caves, used well, it's no different than a fortress.

As for what comes next,

Lin Jun advised Little Pig to rest for a couple of days, and continue the expedition deeper once the Fungal Mat is laid in the Snake Cave.

Meanwhile, regarding the Chis, Lin Jun intended to personally control the Puki to search and inspect.

After all, there's no one else suitable for reconnaissance; Edin would be fitting, but currently unavailable.

A character capable of spiritually controlling swarms of demons.

Lin Jun still doesn't know if the opposing party is human, demon, or a demon creature, but two consecutive encounters suggest that there isn't a long distance separating them.

Moreover, the opposite party has demonstrated enough of a threat, not to mention those six-clawed beasts, even just considering this swarm of beetles.

If they suddenly attacked a cave, it's certain that ten cave dwellers with over a hundred Puki wouldn't be able to defend.

In other words, they have the ability to cut off my supply lines and possess a considerable level of intelligence?

Allowing them to roam near the Fungal Mat is something Lin Jun isn't comfortable with.

Checking it out, eliminate if possible, if not at least push them back.

Speaking of which, doesn't humanity view itself in this way, too?

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