In this world, the abilities of insect mutants are usually divided into two categories, which are basic and rare. The basic abilities are generally to improve the body's various functions, while the rare classes are all kinds of bizarre insect abilities. For example, spider silk, wasp acupuncture, bee orientation sensing, etc.

The two innate insectification abilities of iron slag, as well as the "latent parasitism" that was later obtained through genetic devouring, belong to the rare class of abilities.

However, while the abilities of Worm Mutants are varied, most of them only possess basic abilities except for their innate "Gene Devouring". And these basic abilities have many similarities with traditional evolutionaries.

For example, the most common basic abilities are "ant-shaped muscles", "pump circuits", "insect compound eyes", "limb regeneration", "beetle endurance", etc. These abilities can all improve the strength, agility, and perception of mutants alone. Although the way of enhancement is different, the results are similar. As a result, insect mutants with basic abilities can also wear mechanical power armor.

Two years ago, Iron Slag suddenly found that the strength of the old cow was getting bigger and bigger, but not in other aspects. At that time, he suspected that the old cow was a mutant with the ability to transform ants. Later, after the diagnosis of the narcissus doctor, the old cow was a special traditional evolutionary. Because the strength increase brought by ant muscles is time-sensitive, while the strength increase of traditional evolutionaries is permanent, the narcissus doctor made a judgment based on this.

In general, there are many similarities between ordinary Bug Mutants and Traditional Evolutionaries, but there is a big difference between Bug Mutants with rare abilities and Traditional Evolutionaries.

Iron Slag is a B1B2 compound evolutionary, so he doesn't need to strengthen his body's functions through the insectification ability of the basic class, so he will only devour the ability of the rare class. For example, Latent Parasitism, although the scope of this ability is small, but for him, it is more useful than the basic class.

In addition, some rare abilities stack with each other. It is like the latent parasitism of iron slag, which changes from "ordinary ants with soft trunks and short limbs" of gene protos to "armored ants with barbed carapaces and long six-limbed limbs". This is because the gene chain of iron slag contains mutated gene fragments with a sharp carapace and a blade knuckle.

It didn't take long for the armoured ants of Iron Slag to complete the sweep of the alien eggs. Under the command of the main body, the army returned to the intestines to hibernate. These armor-clad larvae quickly die and eventually become nutrients for the host, which are then excreted from the body.

After all this was done, the tired iron slag quickly fell asleep......

Nothing to say all night......

The next morning, the whole crew set off. It wasn't long before five sandmobiles drove into the endless sea of sand with billowing smoke and dust.

At this time, the sand sea was clear, and there was not a single wind blowing. The fine sand is evenly spread on the surface and looks very comfortable.

Ye Xinling, who was sitting in the driver's seat, looked up and saw an endless stretch of yellow sand, stretching towards the junction of heaven and earth. The undulating sand dunes glow slightly white in the sun.

Looking at the calm desert, a strange feeling welled up in my heart.

It turns out that the merciless sea of sand also has such a beautiful side......

"The weather was nice." Iron Slag sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window.

As soon as the words ended, the mechanical synthesis voice of a young girl came from the radio in the car.

[Friend, the temperature is 20 degrees Celsius, which is very suitable for human survival, Alice suggested, friends can organize a picnic]

"Master, the title 'friend' sounds awkward." Ye Xinling couldn't help but say.

"And it's a girl's voice." The old flute, who was sitting in the back seat, chimed in.

"Sort of, indeed." Iron Slag thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you call it 'brother'?" ”

"Don't!" "Don't!" Ye Xinling and Lao Di almost shouted in unison.

[Alice can simulate real human conversations, change the title depending on the situation, friend, please authorize]

"Agree to authorize." Iron Slag said. Then, a ...... came over the radio.

[Hahahahaha...... Little scum! Here comes Alice......]

"Deauthorize." Iron Slag touched his forehead and said.

[Friend, Alice suggests that using a tone that simulates a real human can effectively reduce the error of information transmission]

"Change the title to 'Captain.'"

[Captain, Alice suggests ......]

"Alice, analyze the route I took the last time I traveled in the Endless Sand Sea, when I was at a coordinate for about two hours, and there was a wreck of a flying machine there."

[Yes, my captain] [Analysis begins......] [Didi...... Analysis Complete]

[There is only coordinate and time data in the database, no image data, the closest coordinate is 371 kilometers north, and the captain stayed for 1 hour, 48 minutes and 52 seconds]

Iron Slag recalls the time when he hid in the wreckage of a flying machine for a while to escape a sandstorm. After the sandstorm, You Ge accidentally attracts a sandworm, which eventually causes a swarm of nearby sandworms to chase them. The iron slag preliminarily judged that there was a breeding point for a sandworm colony near the wreckage of the aircraft.

The Sand Storm Bug is an amazing creature that has a primitive social system. Each sandworm has its own colony and territory, and the golden sandworm is the leader of the colony. Usually, they are scattered throughout the colony's territory to feed on their own. During the breeding season, they congregate somewhere in their territory to mate. Sandworms are hermaphroditic creatures. After mating, they produce several sandworm eggs in their bodies. These sandworm eggs hatch inside the mother's body until the larvae are born.

Years ago, scientists in Yincheng discovered that sandworm eggs can refine a substance called "radium-2315", also known as body regenitin, which can repair deadly human wounds. Since then, every season, a large number of hunters will come to the endless sand sea to hunt sandworms and collect sandworm eggs.

Of course, hunting sand and sea storm insects is definitely one of the most dangerous things in the world. But the huge income brought by the sandworm eggs has always driven countless hunters to die in the sand sea.

Iron slag also occasionally hunts sandworms, but it is only petty fighting. This is the first time that a hunting operation on such a large scale has been carried out.

After determining the coordinates, the convoy headed for the wreckage of the aircraft at full speed......

For the next two days, it was all quiet along the way. The whole sea of sand seemed to be silent, so calm that it was a little depressing.

Until the morning of the third day......

The convoy arrived 50 kilometers into its destination when sand and dust suddenly rolled in ahead. Iron Slag immediately called the parking team and climbed on the roof of the car to observe the front. I saw that in the dust, hundreds of sand people were surging in.

"Prepare for battle!"

With the order of the iron slag, everyone turned their guns on the sandman. As soon as he gave the order, countless bullets would rain out.

Iron Slag stared ahead, feeling that the sandman was acting strangely. They have a certain IQ and will take the initiative to attack lone humans, but will never provoke hordes of soldiers. However, there is no time to think about it now. Seeing that the sandmen were about to rush to the front of the convoy 500 meters, the iron slag raised his hand and sank down!

In an instant, everyone's weapons spewed tongues of fire, and bullets rained down on them.

"Dada...... Da Da Da ...... Da Da Da ...... Dadada......"

Accompanied by the dense gunfire, the sandmen in front let out a painful wail and tumbled into the sand one after another. Some of those who were not killed rolled and struggled on the ground, raising a cloud of sand and dust.

After the first round of shooting, hundreds of corpses of sand people lay in the sand 500 meters away. Although they suffered heavy losses, they rushed to the convoy one after another.

Then there is the reload, then the second round of shooting, then the third round of shooting......

There are more and more corpses of the sandmen in front of them, but there are so many of them that they can't be killed at all.

Looking at Shamin's reaction, Iron Slag's face became more and more solemn. The sand people are not very bold, and this kind of loss will definitely collapse. But now these sand people are like ...... It's like something is chasing after them!

Thinking of this, Iron Slag shouted: "Stop shooting, retreat!" ”

After a few seconds, everyone got into the car and began to retreat. In the blink of an eye, some of the sandmen rushed to the front of the car, but instead of attacking the vehicle, they ran away from the side. Iron slag guessed correctly, their purpose is not to attack, but to escape!

At this moment, there were suddenly dark clouds in front of him, and a large area of black pressure seemed to envelop the sky and the earth, and swept towards the convoy at a very fast speed.

"Sandstorm?" Iron Slag had just flashed a thought, but he heard the old flute holding the walkie-talkie shouting, "Desert bee swarm! It's a desert bee colony! Close the windows! I saw him shouting and rolling up the window vigorously.

In less than two seconds, there was a "buzz" from all directions...... Buzz ......" beep. The dense sound is like putting your ears to an electric fan spinning at high speed. Immediately after, the sky suddenly darkened, and in an instant, it became impossible to reach out of sight.

As soon as the iron slag rolled up the window, there was a panicked scream over the intercom. At the same time, there was a "crackling" crunch in the cockpit. Iron Slag listened closely, it was the sound of desert bees hitting the glass window.

Ye Xinling had never seen such a scene, her face turned pale with fright, and she leaned on the driver's seat and didn't dare to move.

Iron Slag scolded in his heart, he didn't see a single sandworm to encounter such an insect plague, it was simply unlucky. At this time, the sound of the desert bee hitting the glass became louder and louder, and the windows of the car kept shaking as if they would be smashed at any moment. Iron slag involuntarily clenched the steroid stimulant in his pocket. If necessary, he a needle and then grows a carapace on his skin, which will resist the needles of the desert bees.

In the darkness, time becomes incomparably long. Under the pressure of a car window being shattered at any moment, every second feels like a year......