Suddenly, Zhou Yan heard a sharp cry from outside: "Ah~~~"
This desperate cry for help startled Zhou Yan. He quickly looked in the direction of the sound and saw it was a soldier. Zhou Yan remembered that this soldier had been with him during their escape earlier. Now, he was calling for help.
Zhou Yan rushed towards the soldier, only to find him lying on the ground, his body bitten in half.
"Damn demonic insects!"
Zhou Yan cursed, then quickly went to the soldier's side and knelt down to examine his injuries.
The soldier was already lifeless. Almost no part of his body was intact; it was all torn to shreds. Blood flowed from his wounds.
"What in the world is happening? Why has it become like this?"
Seeing the scene before him, Zhou Yan was filled with shock. Although the soldiers he led were not top-tier fighters, their average combat power was slightly stronger than ordinary mercenaries. In this situation, they should have been able to protect themselves and escape. But now, it seemed these soldiers had encountered an attack by a swarm of demonic insects, and they were clearly unable to resist. If he hadn't arrived in time, they might all have died here.
But what was going on? Why would the demonic insects suddenly attack a human settlement? Could it really be a demonic insect outbreak?
Zhou Yan's mind was filled with questions. After all, demonic insect outbreaks had only occurred in the last ten years or so, and they were always small-scale, with only one or two demonic insects appearing. According to records, the cause of these outbreaks was always that the insects, after eating their fill, had nothing else to eat, or for some other reason. Whenever these outbreaks happened, many humans died. So, humans would cage the demonic insects and let them breed. Once they were full, they would be released.
However, this method was only a temporary fix because these demonic insects reproduced very quickly and were also very intelligent. They would often hide until people let down their guard, then suddenly appear to devour their prey.
Therefore, this method was not a solution to the problem, but it had been effective over the years, at least in reducing human casualties.
But now, the number of demonic insects was growing, and if this continued, their numbers would soon surpass humans. This was certainly not good news for the entire world!
But he couldn't worry about that now. He should bury the soldier first.
Having made up his mind, Zhou Yan prepared to bury the body.
What about the demonic insects?
Zhou Yan's mind raced, countless questions flashing through his head.
"What kind of demonic insect is this?" Zhou Yan wondered.
"This demonic insect seems to be about three meters long, looks very disgusting, and its teeth are very sharp. If I were bitten by it, I'm afraid even my bones would be gnawed off. I wonder if its venom corrodes the human body? If I accidentally inhaled its poisonous gas, I might also die instantly. What are those demonic insects doing?" Zhou Yan thought to himself.
However, these thoughts only flashed through Zhou Yan's mind. Since these demonic insects had already attacked, no matter how much he suspected, it was useless now.
At this moment, Zhou Yan noticed the corpse lying beside him. This was the corpse of the soldier he had killed earlier. Seeing that the clothes on his chest were completely torn, Zhou Yan immediately understood that the soldier's skin must have been bitten by a demonic insect, which then tore off his skin.
What kind of demonic insect was this? Why did it have so much venom? And why would it attack a human settlement?
Zhou Yan was perplexed, but there was nothing he could do about it now. He could only investigate thoroughly when he had time later.
After burying the soldier's body, Zhou Yan continued his journey.
Zhou Yan walked slowly, afraid to go too fast lest he attract the attention of the surrounding demonic insects. After all, he didn't want to stay in this place for another second. What if those demonic insects caught up to him?
The longer he stayed in this place, the more dangerous Zhou Yan felt it to be. Staying here for too long could lead to hallucinations and extreme agitation. In such a state, someone would be needed to control the situation.
Zhou Yan's current physical condition was not very good. If he really encountered those agitated demonic insects, he wouldn't be able to deal with them. Therefore, he had to leave this place as soon as possible, otherwise, he might be killed by these demonic insects.
With this thought, Zhou Yan quickened his pace.
Just then, Zhou Yan felt waves of fluctuations emanating from his surroundings.
"What's happening?" Zhou Yan stopped in confusion. The sound felt very familiar, as if he had heard it somewhere before.
Zhou Yan recalled carefully, and suddenly, his pupils constricted sharply.
He was all too familiar with this sound. Wasn't this the sound made by demonic beasts?
"Could there be demonic beasts nearby? And a swarm of them?" Zhou Yan looked around in confusion and quickly located the direction of the sound.
On a hillside, over a dozen demonic beasts were roaring, seemingly searching for food.
"What kind of demonic beasts are these? Why are they making such a sound?" Zhou Yan wondered.
He couldn't figure out why these demonic beasts were making such strange noises. Were they planning to attack humans? A hint of suspicion arose in Zhou Yan's mind. After all, the only creatures that could appear in this place besides these demonic insects were demons. So, the number of demonic insects was certain, but if these demonic beasts were demons, they should be hiding in the shadows, not making noises.
Could it be because it was too dark here?
Zhou Yan pondered.
Just then, a giant demonic insect suddenly flew in front of Zhou Yan. A strong stench assailed his nostrils, and Zhou Yan couldn't help but frown.
He shivered involuntarily. The stench was too pungent, making Zhou Yan feel uncomfortable.
The demonic insects, spotting Zhou Yan there, became excited. They opened their mouths and were about to attack Zhou Yan. Seeing their mouths, Zhou Yan immediately remembered the soldier from before. However, these demonic insects didn't seem to recognize him, otherwise, they would have charged at him.
"It seems these demonic insects are looking for prey!"