I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 487 - 487 486. Ice in the Desert_1

Chapter 487: 486. Ice in the Desert_1 Chapter 487: 486. Ice in the Desert_1 Since the mission didn’t specifically require Lu Ban to travel with these scientists, his initial plan was to gather intelligence about the swarm through these researchers, then go alone, use “Cat Addiction” to attract the Queen Bug, obtain the Heart of the Swarm, and make his escape.

But now it seemed the researchers didn’t have very concrete intelligence, so he still had to follow them and feel his way around.

If the others were to act recklessly out of curiosity and track the swarm only to be discovered by it in turn, Lu Ban couldn’t say what fate would befall these three companions.

It was like those researchers who chased tornadoes, who chased volcanic eruptions; though they had obtained much first-hand information about disasters for humanity, they were equally racing against death, and the slightest misstep could leave them broken and shattered.

The next morning, before the sun had even risen, the team was already preparing to move on.

Ruins were a rare sight in the Wasteland, where most structures had crumbled into gravel due to years of weathering, no longer possessed of their former grandeur and splendor from before the disaster, and the few remaining buildings had become playgrounds for the bugs.

Buildings cast shadows, and in the heat of the day, these shadows would gather some bugs, and the ecological chain would begin with these insects.

Therefore, encountering ruins in the Wasteland sometimes wasn’t a good thing.

“It’s so hot.”

Lu Ban felt as if all the moisture in his body was about to evaporate completely.

Fortunately, just as the sweat was about to emerge, it would be absorbed by the plants within his skin, achieving a perfect internal circulation that prevented the loss of any excess moisture.

“We need to replenish our water supply,”

Shuangxin said upon hearing Lu Ban’s remarks.

She wore a hat to block out the sunlight, and Lu Ban wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he felt that this woman didn’t seem to be that bothered by the heat.

“Now?”

Lu Ban didn’t quite understand. In the middle of the desert, with barrenness all around, where could they possibly find water?

He saw the others stop and Shuangxin took out a black column as thick as an arm from the backpack carried by a camel bug. She inserted the column into the ground, and a subtle vibration began to spread from beneath the gravel.

It felt to Lu Ban as if sonar was searching for something.

Suddenly, the trembling of the earth resonated with the vibration of the column.

The next moment, Lu Ban saw the nearby sand begin to undulate, as if something was gestating within it, eager to emerge into the sunlight.

“Is a big one coming?”

Lu Ban asked subconsciously.

Soon after, something burst forth from the ground. It was a massive worm, its body the dull yellow of sand and gravel, its skin rough yet paradoxically conveying a sense of suppleness. Lu Ban estimated the bug to be at least twenty meters long with a diameter near one meter. Its mouth resembled that of a lamprey, dense with teeth among which were many particles of sand. It seemed to subsist by consuming gravel.

No sooner had the worm emerged than Lu Ban saw Moment unsheathe the blade he carried on his back.

The young man’s sword appeared to be crafted from the bone of some creature, dull throughout except for its gleaming edge.

The crystals on his arm lit up simultaneously, their starlike blue glow making the surroundings even darker.

The youth, with sword in hand, charged at the giant worm.

It was then that Lu Ban realized why he was named Moment.

It was not because he had grasped the future, but because he was indeed too fast.

With a swift motion too quick for the naked eye to catch, that crude-looking blade penetrated the rough hide of the worm, slicing open a long gash. The giant bug convulsed from the cut, but its dense teeth failed to capture the target.

In Lu Ban’s True Sight, Moment’s actions were broken down, and it was only then that Lu Ban discovered that, as the Crystal on his arm lit up, Moment seemed to enter some kind of special state, his whole body radiating a blue light. Within this light, his movements accelerated, or rather, the movement of everything else but him slowed down. This gave Moment the gap he needed to easily dodge the Worm’s attack.

If this kid had appeared in Lu Ban’s world, he probably would have been given a name like Flash or Quicksilver.

The pale juice sprayed out of the Worm’s wound, soaking the sandy ground and quickly turning the sand into a deep black color.

Then, the Singer adjusted her collar, revealing a Crystal around her throat like a necklace, and began to sing out loud.

She sang in a language Lu Ban couldn’t understand, or perhaps it was a nonsensical conlang. Despite the acapella, a melodious tune could be heard. In this singing, it seemed as if all despair and gloom were swept away, refreshing the spirit and bringing joy to the heart.

However, with the singing, the creature’s wound showed signs of exacerbation. More of the creamy juice spurted from the wound, as if the song was tearing it open and gouging out more flesh and blood.

The gray Worm struggled continuously, trying to burrow back into the ground, but Shuangxin had somehow made her way to the side of the Worm.

Ignoring the filth of blood and flesh, she reached her hand directly into the gaping wound.

A chill spread from Shuangxin’s palm and along the wound.

Crack—

The Worm was frozen at a visible speed.

Cold frost covered the surface of the creature, and the sprayed juices solidified mid-air into a splendid flower blooming in the desert.

At that moment, the true morning of the Wasteland finally arrived, the sun shining from beyond the horizon, its light reflecting off the ice crystals, glimmering brightly.

Crack—

Shuangxin withdrew her hand from the frozen corpse of the Worm, her palm visibly red, showing signs of a mild frostbite.

Lu Ban realized why she was called Shuangxin.

Her heart must be made of ice.

“Hurry up, we’ll replenish our water supply and then set out,” Shuangxin said while withdrawing the black cylinder.

“This device can emit a special frequency sound that attracts these Worms, which have the water we need inside their bodies.”

Seeing Lu Ban’s puzzled expression, Shuangxin shook the cylinder in her hand.

“Extract water from their bodies?”

Lu Ban looked at the frozen fluids of the creatures with a hint of disgust.

“Don’t worry, these bugs have a water sac inside. They collect water by chewing on sand, which means they have a large supply of clean water in their bodies. It can be boiled and then safe for human consumption,” explained Shuangxin, already taking a pickaxe from her backpack to crack open the frozen Worm, together with the other two, they extracted the large chunks of ice.

As they chiseled the ice blocks out, the temperature had already risen significantly, and the frozen Worm was gradually melting.

They only took a portion of the water, with the rest being enough for a week’s supply. The remaining part slowly sank into the desert, disappearing from sight.

“We’ve got to leave something for the other creatures,” Shuangxin said as she watched the disappearing corpse, muttering as if to herself.