After this rapid exchange of communication, the mutated Qurio mother excitedly vibrated its wings. In an instant, one mutated Qurio after another flew out from among the Terastal branches and buds and, following the queen's command, began swarming toward that single exit.
Under the sunlight, they were like sprites from a fantasy world. The transparent wings with blue patterns refracted a band of blue light.
At this moment, the mutated Qurio mother was truly happy. The instinct engraved into the deepest level of its genes over endless ages, even under the influence of an unknown energy that had mutated it to this extent, still had not had its drive to seek symbiosis erased.
Even though it already had an excellent place for reproduction and development, seeking a "host" with whom it could live in symbiosis was still what these "demon insects" from the depths underground desired the most.
Originally, for the mutated Qurio mother, that group of Fire Wyverns at the Ancient Tree that would from time to time pass by outside the nest already counted as a relatively qualified symbiotic partner.
But the Qurio were, after all, high-level insects that had lived in symbiosis with a Disaster Level Elder Dragon for who knew how many ages. The life level of the ordinary Fire Wyverns in the Ancient Tree Fire Wyvern group still left the mutated Qurio mother somewhat unimpressed. The one it most wanted to find was still the true master of the energy flowing within its body.
And today, this mutated Qurio that had gone out to expand the swarm actually reported that it had found one!
How could it possibly not be excited?
Thus, the cats who were in the middle of searching for the location of the mutated Qurio nest saw hundreds of mutated Qurio flying over their heads. The path they traveled along appeared incomparably magnificent under this icy blue radiance.
"Not good, hurry and chase them, meow! We can't let them disturb Boss Fire Wyvern!!"
"For Boss Fire Wyvern!!"
Amid a cacophony of meowing, the cats launched attacks toward the mutated Qurio. With the commotion made by the cats, even some Fire Wyverns that were patrolling their territory took notice over here. Although they did not know what had happened, just from the cats' behavior they knew what they should do.
Thus, this large group of mutated Qurio, under the lead of the mother at the center, began a difficult "pilgrimage road" undertaken solely to seek recognition!
One mutated Qurio after another fell from the air under the cats' and Fire Wyverns' attacks. Even the Research Commission hunters who noticed the commotion and rushed over to assist had not expected these insects to be this troublesome!
They were clearly only passively defending themselves, allowing the Fire Wyverns and cats to attack them; yet these insects showed absolutely no behavior of scattering or fleeing. Combined with their not-weak physical defense and extremely exaggerated elemental resistance, even a large group of cats working together with several Fire Wyverns surrounding and attacking them was still unable to stop their advance.
What the hunters could not believe the most was that the fire attacks—attacks that were extremely troublesome even for them—were actually ineffective against these insects!
Even the occasional ones that were knocked down were all due to the impact from the explosion of fireballs.
The Qurio were, after all, special insects that collected life energy for Gaismagorm, and for monsters below Elder Dragon level, they were disasters!
Other insects wanting to parasitize large monsters had to do so sneakily, relying on their small-size advantage. But the Qurio parasitized openly and forcibly, and then forcibly drained a monster's essence.
The original Qurio already had such abilities. Not to mention the mutated Qurio now, whose fire resistance had been directly maxed out. Although their original abilities had been replaced by the unknown energy, making it impossible to determine for now which was stronger compared to the original species, their foundation was always there. If not for their wish to reach their destination for "pilgrimage" as fast as possible, these few Fire Wyverns blocking the path truly would not have been a match for this swarm of mutated Qurio.
One could only say the Qurio were too fast. By the time Tonkotsu received the news and organized personnel to raise a huge net temporarily woven from Ahtal-Ka's silk, the mutated Qurio had already gone full power, gathering into a cloud of insects and rushing forward.
At the outer edges of the insect cloud, under the high temperature, the air faintly distorted. Seen from afar, it looked like a huge mass of blue flames hanging in the air.
"Prepare to meet the enemy!"
Just as the squad led by Tonkotsu drew their weapons, flames ignited on both ears, and they prepared to directly charge the insect cloud—
Logan slowly strode out from the shadows of the nest, lifting his head proudly, quietly watching the blue fireball in the sky not far away.
The main figure has appeared!
As soon as Logan appeared, he drew the attention of all the mutated Qurio. Sensing that scorching energy like a blazing sun, that unknown energy which shared the same origin as the one inside them yet was even denser and more abundant, instantly jolted the nerves of these mutated Qurio.
Without even needing the mother Qurio to give an order, the mutated Qurio swarm buzzed their wings and rushed toward Logan at high speed.
The Qurio were very fast, but to Logan, they were just so-so. Given Logan's current strength, when facing these insects, he simply did not need to dodge at all.
He slightly spread his wings, and blue-violet calamity flames instantly covered his whole body. Under Logan's exquisite control, the flames only wrapped around him without igniting the surroundings.
Yet in the face of such a Logan, the mutated Qurio, whose ice-blue scale dust was constantly scattering as they rapidly fluttered and sparkling brilliantly under the sunlight, still rushed into the calamity flames one after another like moths to a flame.
In the next second, Logan's originally calm pupils contracted. From the scales on his body, he sensed the touch of foreign objects.
These insects that seemed not to be creatures of this world had actually endured calamity flames of this level and managed to touch his scales.
"How is that possible!"
In an instant, Logan's body reacted. Both wings vibrated at high speed, the airflow rapidly compressed, and as the temperature of the flames rose even further, he planned to sweep his wings and fling these insects off.
But in the next second, a very pure life energy carrying a trace of Terastal energy poured into his body just like that.
Although, compared to Logan's current sea-like total life energy, this bit of energy was not much to speak of, it was undeniable that as more and more mutated Qurio rushed into the calamity flames, the total amount of life energy in his body gained a minute increase thanks to the continually injected pure energy.
Therefore, Logan's originally intended movement suddenly stopped, and under the somewhat nervous gazes of Tonkotsu and the others, he voluntarily dispelled his flaming body.
As the calamity flames dissipated, Logan's current condition was revealed to everyone.
One mutated Qurio after another was now clinging to Logan's silver scales. Their needle-like proboscises, which looked very soft and fragile, had nevertheless pierced the surface of the scales and stabbed shallowly into them.
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