Individual Dragon Hornets were the size of wolfhounds. Lightweight-tier in isolation — but their paper-thin wings beat at extraordinary speed, their eyesight was razor-sharp, and the venom in their tail stingers could suppress and decay Activity. Like ordinary bees, they rarely used the stinger offensively; deploying it meant death for the Dragon Hornet itself. Their developed mandibles were lethal enough on their own, capable of severing metal.

One Dragon Hornet was already a serious threat.

As a species, they had retained their social colony structure. They lived in the Huoshan Oasis and were one of the three known Super-Heavyweight forces there, existing in rough parity with the Disaster Locust swarm and the Iron-Eater.

Above Dayu Town.

Seeing the Antgod surrounded by Dragon Hornets, Shen Cong's scalp crawled.

One of the three known Super-Heavyweight species in the Oasis. The pinnacle of his personal combat record was a solo engagement against a critically wounded Golden Jiao — and at nine-bull strength when he'd done it. He was at ten-bull now, genuinely stronger, but still had no confidence he could take on the Golden Jiao at full health, let alone a Dragon Hornet colony.

Under normal circumstances, even a single Dragon Hornet was worth running from. He didn't take those risks.

Six Dragon Hornets had the Antgod surrounded. None of them had deployed their stingers — which was why the Antgod was still alive despite visible injuries, its flight becoming unstable, its movements degrading.

Rescue, or run?

Sweat at his temples.

The fear of Super-Heavyweight creatures and the worry for the Antgod were both there — but what actually made his chest tighten was the larger implication. Dragon Hornets were supposed to be in the Huoshan Oasis. Huoshan was a hundred kilometers away. If Dragon Hornets were ranging a hundred kilometers out to hunt, that meant the Mingfa Camp fell within their foraging radius.

His thoughts spiraled.

Blackhead came up from the cargo hold into the cab, transmitting frantic distress through the perceptual link. She could feel the Antgod's situation too.

"Blackhead. Do I rescue it or run?"

He said it aloud, not…