"Don't be scared. The little beetle that just passed by is harmless; it's a herbivore!"
Zhang Chen said with a reassuring smile.
If they were on the outskirts of the beast forest, where the mutated plants and monsters emerged, he might need Lian Ke as a guide.
But venturing into this ancient, post-apocalyptic forest felt like coming home. He wouldn't need Lian Ke to explain things, and it was likely she hadn't even seen many of these species.
Zhang Chen had known these creatures intimately through the hidden prompts.
Seeing them again now felt exceptionally familiar.
"Herbivorous? And that big?"
Miao Qi's mouth hung open in surprise.
"That makes sense. Look how tall the plants are here. Herbivorous insects have abundant food, so they naturally grow large!"
"Some carnivorous animals are much smaller than their vegetarian counterparts, ensuring a sufficient food supply!"
"This is all stuff we learned in class. You clearly didn't pay attention!"
Miao Yin analyzed matter-of-factly.
"Caw!~"
Suddenly, a colossal shadow, as vast as the sky, descended from above.
It was a vibrantly colored bird with a wingspan of dozens of meters. Its head alone was as large as the beetle they had just seen.
It skillfully weaved through the branches of the giant trees, precisely snatched the beetle in its beak, and flew away.
The immense shadow swept across the ground, and across everyone's hearts...
"Didn't you say... carnivorous animals aren't as big as herbivores..."
Miao Qi trembled, witnessing the scene.
"Well... I overlooked one point. Those were insects, herbivorous insects. Insects are indeed generally smaller than animals..."
Miao Yin's face flushed with embarrassment as she tried to salvage her explanation.
"If such a massive creature was an insect at the bottom of the food chain, then... what would the creatures at the top of the food chain be like! How terrifying!"
Miao Qi's voice quivered with fear.
She deeply regretted not asking the True God to let her fight humans.
Why did she have to come to such a terrifying place? She felt like any bug here could devour her.
Rumble!
As soon as Miao Qi finished speaking, the ground began to tremble.
Then, a colossal Earthworm Mother, massive in size, burrowed out from beneath the earth. The part of its body exposed above ground was as tall as a dozen stories.
It emanated a pungent odor, and its carapace was as thick and sturdy as steel plates.
"Roar!"
At this moment, the ground beneath their feet began to churn as if it were water.
Countless giant earthworms broke through the soil.
"What is this? I want to go home!"
Miao Qi was so terrified she couldn't even cry.
"Pull yourselves together! Protect the True God!"
Miao Ke shouted.
"Damn it, there are too many bugs! These things appear in swarms, they're the most troublesome!"
Lian Ke had never encountered an Earthworm Mother before. Seeing a few adult earthworms was already difficult enough.
This time, they had stumbled right into their nest.
"Don't worry, they're not here for us!"
Zhang Chen said with a calm smile.
"Huh? Not for us?"
The four women exchanged a surprised glance.
Indeed, the giant Earthworm Mother, with its disproportionately small wings, flapped them vigorously and flew towards the distance.
The surrounding adult earthworms formed ranks, escorting the mother worm as it slowly departed.
Before long, their figures disappeared into the dense forest, leaving only the faint hum of high-frequency wingbeats.
"You're right, they left?"
Miao Qi's face finally showed a rare smile.
"Yes, the Earthworm Mother sensed imminent danger and fled immediately. When those earthworms appeared, I could already tell they were prepared to sacrifice themselves to protect the mother's escape!"
Zhang Chen explained as they walked.
"Something even more dangerous than that terrifying creature?"
"Then shouldn't we hurry and leave? Is something more terrifying nearby!"
Miao Qi exclaimed excitedly.
"There's no point in rushing. This is the core area of the beast forest. There are terrifying monsters like this everywhere. Where else can we go?"
Lian Ke shrugged helplessly.
"No way, don't you know who that terrifying entity is that scared away the Earthworm Mother?"
Miao Yin pouted, looking at Miao Qi with an expression of concern for the intellectually challenged.
Her second sister was wonderful in every way, except for her dislike of studying and her slightly lower intelligence.
"Could it be... the True God?!"
Miao Ke exclaimed, enlightened.
Indeed, for Zhang Chen to dare tread into the core area of the beast forest and casually name these monsters.
If the most dangerous and terrifying existence wasn't the True God, then who else could it be?!