Chapter 126: The Undead and the Void (Part II)

"Quite the prolific breeders, aren't you..." Cang Mingyue muttered, her hands tucked into her pockets as she stifled a yawn while facing the oncoming tide of soft-bodied monsters. With a mere flicker of movement, she effortlessly dodged the overwhelming onslaught; despite the sea of creatures, not a single one managed to so much as brush against her sleeves.

From her initial analysis, the capabilities of these monsters had already become clear. Their fission ability was formidable, allowing them to multiply into the thousands. After all, a creature capable of single-handedly wiping out an entire military district was undeniably powerful, but that power was predicated entirely on the fragility of their human prey!

In truth, in terms of individual combat prowess, these monsters were inferior to a common human. Why, then, were they so effective at killing people? It was because they possessed a precise mastery over their own strength. Their raw physical power was actually quite low—a conclusion Cang Mingyue had drawn after examining the soldiers' corpses. The deaths fell into two categories: those whose tracheas had been crushed by the creatures constricting their necks, and those who had been infiltrated through the nose and mouth to have their internal organs consumed.

This method of hunting was remarkably refined. Conventional firearms were not entirely ineffective; it was simply that the targets were small, highly agile, and difficult to hit. Furthermore, their resilience was impressive enough that a stray bullet or two would not be fatal, creating the illusion that modern weapons were useless. But this raised a question: if these creatures were capable of being harmed, a swift, decisive strike would be the logical choice for any predator. The fact that they opted for such a laborious, intricate method proved only one thing: they were incapable of killing a human being through brute force alone.

In other words, without resorting to those two specific methods, they struggled to take down an adult. This was evident from the marks on the limbs of many of the corpses. Cang Mingyue had observed closely that many soldiers had been latched onto by the monsters while fleeing. Though they couldn't shake the creatures off, the soft-bodied entities had been unable to stop the soldiers' movement. The creatures' constriction was strong enough to crush a delicate trachea, but it could not snap a sturdy leg or arm bone.

This meant their explosive power was mediocre. They could only kill inexperienced, ordinary people; against someone with her superior attributes, they posed absolutely no threat, regardless of how overwhelming their numbers seemed.

If Alice could dodge the rain of fleshy spikes through her sense of *qi*, then for Cang Mingyue, evading these monsters was child's play. Could ants kill an elephant? Many might argue, "Of course! Haven't you seen those movies where army ants pick large creatures down to the bone?"

But that was just cinema. In reality, there is no species of ant capable of preying on a healthy human. The so-called "man-eating ant" is merely a product of internet hearsay, exaggerated by adventure films and novels until the uninformed began to believe it.

The "man-eating ant," or *Dorylus*, can grow to the size of a fist and is typically found in the tropical rainforests of South Africa. The legend claimed they were fierce and unstoppable, capable of overwhelming even lions, wolves, tigers, and leopards.

This old rumor was riddled with flaws. First, there are no tigers in Africa. Second, ants with army ant characteristics do not move as quickly as one might imagine; they travel only about a hundred meters per hour. Forget powerful beasts like lions; even domesticated cattle and sheep would not fall victim to them. In fact, they could never catch up to a human's walking pace. Unless you stood perfectly still, the possibility of them catching and devouring you was virtually zero.

The same logic applied here. When there is a vast disparity in individual attributes, relying on numbers to overcome an opponent requires specific conditions. At the very least, you must be faster than your target and capable of inflicting damage—even minor damage—to their body. If you cannot do either, then what does it matter how many of you there are? As long as the opponent doesn't throw themselves into the swarm and allow you to gnaw on them without resistance, how could you possibly kill them?

Clearly, these creatures were faster than an average human, but compared to Cang Mingyue, the difference was that of an ant to a panther. A single step of hers required hundreds of their steps to catch up. As for individual damage, even if one or two managed to crawl onto her, she could use a shockwave to shatter them into pieces, while they couldn't inflict a single scratch on her. Confronted with this opponent, her lack of concern wasn't arrogance—the creatures were simply that pathetic.

Cang Mingyue intended to finish this quickly and then tail Alice and her group, hoping for an opportunity. Many found Alice's obsession difficult to understand, but often, the murderous intent she directed at certain individuals wasn't due to personal animosity, but rather because they were too exceptional. The instinct of the Void was to devour superior genes to evolve; they possessed the most adaptable bodies and the most advanced biotechnology among the ten races.

Yes, the most advanced. In her past life, Guo Lang had heard many scholars debate whether Void or Undead biotechnology was superior. The argument had lasted for ages, but the cleverest minds had grasped the key point early on: regardless of the data, the fundamental truth was that the Undead focused on evolving the soul, while the Void focused on the body. Did one really think the galaxy's top races would lose in their primary field to another's secondary interest?

"Oh, found you. You're quite good at hiding, aren't you?" Cang Mingyue located her target in a remote drainage pipe in the middle of the building. A massive soft-bodied monster was coiled there. For once, a look of genuine interest appeared on her face.

She rarely took interest in things that didn't possess superior genes, but the Undead's mutated creatures were an exception. As she gazed at the monster, a sense of terror emanated from it. Yet, like the Tyrant, it seemed to have lost the ability to speak, lacking a mouth entirely.

"I'm actually quite curious about one thing..." Cang Mingyue smiled down at it. "Your construction is somewhat baffling to me." She stepped closer, step by step, speaking to herself. "In Void technology, we have very little data on mutated organisms. By our definition, they are failed specimens—evolution that is incomplete and carries an irreversible cost."

"You don't understand, do you?" Cang Mingyue reached the creature, staring at its bloated, helpless form. She traced a finger across its head and chuckled. "Let me educate you. A 'mutated organism' refers to an unnatural, sudden evolution where certain organs strengthen, but because it's incomplete, it's called a mutation. For example... if the brain's nerves evolve, the body often becomes paralyzed. If the body evolves too quickly, the brain cannot withstand it; the mild cases become idiots, and the severe cases suffer immediate brain death."

"That's why I find your technology so illogical," Cang Mingyue mused, tilting her head. "Clearly, most of you use human bodies as embryos, but the influx of mixed genes is too direct, leading to an exaggerated evolution of physical capabilities. In such cases, brain death should be irreversible. Yet, every one of you possesses a clear consciousness. It makes no sense!"

The Void also harvested genes, but consuming them didn't instantly grant their target's abilities; it only provided the potential. For instance, the Dragon Knight she had hunted in her past life—after the kill, she had spent at least three years digesting the genes and training rigorously to slowly gain the Dragon Knight's powers. That was the normal way to acquire genes. Forcibly transferring them through biological technology was just a silly trope from science fiction. The idea of becoming Spider-Man after one bite only existed in movies; in reality, it was impossible. Forcing the transfer of powerful genes would only destroy the nervous system. That was common sense.

If anyone had seen Cang Mingyue discussing technological theory so earnestly, they would have been stunned. It was hard to imagine she possessed such a high level of technical foundation! However, those who understood the Void knew better. Every member of the Void was a master biologist, as they had to perform complex calculations and prepare various composite reagents in the laboratory to neutralize genetic conflicts every time they harvested genes. The common belief that the Void were barbaric, mindless creatures only existed because people didn't understand them.

"That's why I'm so curious about your brain structure!" Cang Mingyue’s finger suddenly exerted force. The creature let out a sharp, shrill shriek as its body was sliced in two. But when she saw the internal structure, a flicker of surprise and confusion crossed her face.

"Isn't it a bit ungentlemanly to bully a pregnant woman who can't fight back?"

Cang Mingyue’s pupils contracted. She sensed the voice was less than five meters away. Could the opposing camp actually contain someone of this caliber?

She turned slowly to look, and a spark of inexplicable excitement flared in her eyes. Her pupils turned a deep, obsidian black, as dark as the night. She stared at the figure, her interest deepening. "This is... truly interesting!"

"Is it?" The figure smiled, revealing white teeth. The face was identical to Alice’s!