Laws of the Insect Hive - Chapter 46
Chapter 46: Spider’s Venom Gland And Mouse Killing
As night fell, System searched for the mouse while trying a new attack method. He had obtained it after his third molting.
The target System chose could be commonly seen in the forest. It was a creature that liked to hover in the middle of cobwebs, a spider.
After his third molting, System obtained a whole new organ, which was his tentacles.
His tentacles were abnormally agile and tough; each of his tentacles could wrap around and lift a weight that was equal to his body weight. Also, his tentacles could be stretched at a distance of 10 centimeters.
The tentacles also had the special trait of System’s [Limb Regeneration], meaning they could grow back even if they were severed. It was also much simpler to regenerate the tentacles as compared to his exoskeleton limbs.
Since he had tentacles, System wanted to try using them to kill a spider.
Even if the spider’s venomous fangs were to bite off his tentacles, System could choose to bite off his tentacles to prevent himself from being poisoned.
System flapped his wings and hovered right in front of a spiderweb. Then, he and a grayish-black spider stared at each other silently.
If the spider stretched out its limbs completely, its size would be about 5 centimeters. Also, due to its color, the venom of such a spider should not be too strong.
System slowly stretched out the tentacles on his limbs around the spider.
The spider stayed still, though it was unknown if it did not see what System was doing or it saw but chose not to notice.
System observed the spider’s inaction and recalled a memory of him catching a dragonfly in his previous life.
…
The dragonfly had stopped on the leaf of a horsetail plant. He carefully walked towards the dragonfly as silently as possible and slowly stretched out his hand.
His hands gradually got closer and closer to the dragonfly…
Then, he suddenly made a move!
His hand pinched the wings of the dragonfly, and it was already impossible for it to escape.
…
The scene of him catching the dragonfly was overlapping with his action of moving his tentacles around the spider.
System’s six tentacles suddenly attacked when they were still half a centimeters away from the spider’s body. His tentacles wrapped around a few of the spider’s limbs simultaneously, and he pulled it down from its web.
System’s tentacles tied up the spider’s eight limbs and the spider was unable to even struggle. It could only use its venomous fangs to bite empty air.
As System brought the spider to the ground, he pulled back one tentacle that was wrapped around the spider. Then, he used that tentacle to pick up a hard thorn, which was from the stem of a rose, that he had prepared beforehand.
System’s agile tentacles easily used the hard thorn to pierce through the weak part of the spider’s head. Soon, white juice flowed out, and the spider completely stopped moving. It had died.
…
System used his tentacles to tear off the spider’s limbs and put them into his mouth to chew.
After his third molting, the hunger his body felt had been significantly reduced. Hence, even if System did not eat for a long time, he would not feel hungry.
It might be due to his [Hunger Tolerance Physique] or that his body’s need for food had reduced.
System had discovered that many originally delicacies had now become bland to him. They had turned less delicious while the EXP provided had decreased by nearly 1/3.
As he used his tentacles to tear the spider’s organs, System casually threw away some meat that did not taste good and the gray fur on the surface of the spider.
System used his tentacles to pluck out the venom gland connected to the spider’s mandibles. As always, System was prepared to throw it away, but at that moment, a special feeling coursed through his body.
It was the peculiar skill [Instinct] that he had obtained when listening to the world’s voice!
His [Instinct] told him that the venom gland was extremely delicious and would not endanger his body. On the contrary, it was extremely beneficial to him.
System used his tentacles to touch the spider’s venom gland and dipped one of them in the venom. Then, he placed the tentacle into his mouth…
However, right before he placed his tentacle into his mouth, System stopped.
To eat it or not, he needed to consider carefully.
Regarding eating the spider’s gland, System felt like someone was holding a bag of rat poison in front of him, and the rat poison was then poured into a cup and mixed with water. Afterward, that person told him if he drank it, it would be beneficial to your body!
[Instinct] was an intriguing ability System had obtained, and the effects were much better than his former [Insect Instinct].
However, was such an ability truly trustworthy?
System recalled the scene when he had just awoken. He had accidentally jumped to a place with a toad. If he had not forcibly suppressed his [Insect Instinct], then he might have died long ago.
Undoubtedly, if he ate it, System would be using his life to experiment with the special ability [Instinct].
However, what if he chose not to eat it?
If his body really had the resistance against such a poison after molting thrice and that poison was effective to his growth, he would definitely regret it.
System used his tentacles to fiddle around with the spider’s venom gland while he was thinking.
After a few minutes, his human wisdom allowed System to finally think of a solution. If he directly tried tasting the venom, of course, there would be high risk. However, he could dilute the venom before trying it.
If System still died after tasting a small drop of spider venom diluted a few thousand times, he would deserve his fate.
…
System was using his tentacles to repeatedly hold and release the spider’s venom gland as he was deep in thoughts. Suddenly, System’s antennae heard a special sound—it was the squeak of the mouse!
System threw away the spider’s carcass and spread his wings, flying toward the sound’s direction.
Behind a tree over ten meters away, System found the mouse that had made the sound.
The mouse was using its claws to dig the rhizomes of vines and was eating them with crunching sounds.
That mouse’s body was dark gray, its right eye was tightly closed, and there were some scabs on the fur at the corner of its eyes.
Most likely, that mouse was the one that had nearly killed him and the culprit of crippling Shava.
System’s compound eyes flashed with blue light as he scanned the surroundings.
System flapped his wings and flew to the same type of vine three meters away.
“[Color Change Camouflage] activated!”
After his third molting, System’s [Green Camouflage] had turned into [Color Change Camouflage]. Now, his outer skin could imitate the color and pattern of any plant like a chameleon.
System adjusted his body slightly and bent his body a little. Soon, he was disguised as the rhizome of the vine and looked almost similar.
When facing agile creatures like mice, System still chose what insects were best at—ambushes!
However, that did not mean System did not have the confidence to win against the mouse head-on. He was just worried that if he attacked brazenly and let the mouse escape back into its hole, it would make things more troublesome.
Five minutes passed.
After the mouse finished eating an unknown fruit that had dropped from a tree, it finally noticed the vine where System was located.
The mouse started to dig the rhizome of the vine just like before, and obviously, it did not notice System.
System observed the mouse, looked for an opportunity, and suddenly charged toward that mouse!
His tentacles stretched out in that instant and directly wrapped around the mouse’s four limbs.
As System’s body came in contact with the mouse, the mouse seemed to be shocked. It then agilely rolled on the ground and started jumping.
However, System was well-prepared for his ambush. Before the mouse discovered him and escaped from being startled, its limbs were already firmly grasped by his tentacles. Even after the mouse rolled on the ground, the tentacles were not affected at all. Well, System’s body was nearly flung away.
System adjusted swiftly and executed his plan. He used his maximum strength to flap his wings!
When the mouse discovered that tentacles were around its limbs, it started to bite the tentacles. At that point, System had already brought the mouse off the ground and flown into the sky.
Meanwhile, as the mouse bit off the first tentacle, System had already brought it to the top of the tree.
As the mouse was struggling to bite off System’s second tentacle, System had already flown 100 meters into the sky with his tired wings together with the mouse.
Without waiting for the mouse to continue biting and struggling, System released his remaining four tentacles and his body became much lighter.
To his body, flying with a struggling mouse was quite strenuous.
