Chapter 106: The Biological Campaign (3)

Thousands of ants quickly formed a long, ten-centimeter-wide column across the jungle clearing. In the center, tiny worker ants crowded together like a dense black carpet, while along both sides, two rows of gallant soldier ants stood guard. Facing outward, they braced themselves on their four articulated limbs, their soft abdomens pressed against the ground and their upper bodies held high. Their front limbs flexed and extended, and with the crescent-moon-shaped horns upon their foreheads, they presented a ferocious, menacing appearance, vigilantly watching every living thing nearby.

The massive male insect was effortlessly hoisted by these seemingly insignificant worker ants and passed forward along the black "highway." Each group of ants was responsible for transporting the male for about ten meters before the next group took over, ensuring a constant, rolling momentum while preserving the energy of each group for potential combat. The soldier ants took no part in the transport. At the head of the black procession, the two largest soldier ants led the way, forming two crude triangular "wedge formations," ready to launch a suicide charge against any enemy that might appear.

Vayne was perplexed. "Why are these ants so on edge? Is this male insect some kind of treasure?"

Before Ling Mo could answer, the scene unfolding before them provided a clear explanation. A "triceratops" chameleon, moving with measured steps, slowly crawled down from a sapling and marched decisively toward the advancing army of ants.

This creature was a species unique to the Albertine Rift Valley: the three-horned chameleon. While its body resembled that of an ordinary chameleon, its head was truly peculiar. On its broad forehead, three conical horns, each at least ten centimeters long, were arranged in a triangular pattern. The tips were dark and hollow, clearly serving as venom-delivery devices.

The three-horned chameleon appeared from the left side of the transport column. As soon as it emerged, the soldier ants reacted. The vanguard of the left wedge formation launched a silent charge at top speed. The dense mass of ants, originally huddled in a small area of four or five square meters, spread out rapidly during the charge to avoid being wiped out by the chameleon's tongue. Remarkably, even as they dispersed and their footprint expanded tenfold, the triangular wedge formation remained perfectly intact.

The chameleon’s body tensed; it realized it had encountered an elite colony. Its protruding, 360-degree rotating eyes widened, fixing intently on the front. Its closed mouth parted slightly, and a thick, sticky tongue shot out like lightning. With a flick of its head, in less than half a second, it swept a fan-shaped area with a two-meter radius.

Thousands of ants at the tip of the wedge formation were swept away in a single strike, stuck to the chameleon's tongue, and swallowed in one gulp. A large area was cleared, yet the death of a thousand comrades did not cause the slightest hesitation in their ranks. Reserve ants quickly filled the gap in the formation. Before the chameleon could lash out a second time, countless soldier ants vibrated their vestigial wings, leaped high into the air, and swarmed onto its body.

*Hiss!*

A faint sizzling sound rang out. Each soldier ant that landed on the chameleon drove its crescent horn deep into the creature's skin. Their abdomens shriveled as they injected a mixture of formic acid and brain fluid, which caused the chameleon’s flesh to smoke and char. Hundreds of ants working in unison burned the chameleon's skin into a pitted, scarred mess within seconds, leaving large black carbonized patches.

Pain caused the chameleon to let out a shrill, piercing cry, sounding like a human infant. Despite the agony, it did not stop. Taking three more steps, it was now less than three meters from the transport column. Unable to advance further due to the relentless assault, it lowered its head and drove its three sharp horns deep into the ground.

The base of the horns bulged, and a circle of purplish-black light flashed. A pool of black, bubbling, toxic sludge erupted within a two-meter radius. Any ant that fell into the pool was dissolved and vanished without a trace in less than a second.

Vayne gasped. She had never expected this unassuming chameleon to be capable of casting a Level 4 Dark-type spell—Poison Swamp—without any incantation.

With the obstacle cleared, the chameleon stood directly before the male insect. It pulled its horns from the ground, rotated its compound eyes to survey the surroundings, and confirmed there were no other threats. It opened its mouth, and its thick tongue shot out once more toward the male insect.

A chameleon’s tongue can reach speeds of up to a hundred meters per second. To the eye, it seemed as if the moment the mouth opened, the tongue was already touching the target. However, a sharp, crescent-shaped blade of light had already formed. Flying horizontally at high speed, it grazed the male insect and intercepted the path of the tongue, splitting it clean down the middle from tip to base. The blade’s momentum remained, slicing the three-horned chameleon itself in two!

It was the soldier ants on the other side! While the left flank had sacrificed themselves to stall for time, the soldier ants on the right had been glowing with a faint golden light. This energy followed a fixed path, converging onto the lead soldier ant to form a crescent-shaped blade of golden light. The leader manipulated the projectile, leaped backward, detonated its own abdomen, and launched the blade, slaying the approaching chameleon in one blow.

Vayne and Catherine were dazzled. A Level 4 magical beast had fallen to a swarm of moon-horned hunting ants, creatures considered lesser than Level 1 magical beasts. It was a victory of exquisite coordination and precise division of labor. The triangular wedge charge, in particular, had completely overturned their understanding of magical beasts.

Once the chameleon was dead, the ants returned to their calm routine. The black highway of worker ants continued to transport the male insect forward. A group of workers detached to carve up the chameleon’s carcass into smaller pieces to be carried back to the nest. Just as Catherine and Vayne thought the matter settled, a piercing birdcall shattered the scene. A black-winged meadow pipit dived like a cannonball, snatched the male insect in its beak, tossed its head back, and swallowed it in one gulp.