The muggy, humid air, thick with the smell of decay, instantly enveloped Lilith.
In the primary rainforest.
Ancient, towering trees blocked out the sun, vines hung down like gigantic pythons, and the ground was covered in a layer of humus accumulated over countless years.
The chirping of insects, the calls of birds, and the rustling of some large creature crushing undergrowth—these sounds formed the ecosystem here.
The moment Lilith appeared here, she instinctively flapped her Bat Wings, rapidly ascended, and hung upside down from a high branch.
Her Bat Wings folded in, and ultrasonic waves silently spread out from Lilith's center, scanning the ecosystem within a hundred meters like precise radar.
Fifteen meters below, a nest of dormice in a tree hollow had rapid heartbeats.
In the swamp to the front right, a caiman lay in wait, half its head exposed, awaiting prey.
Further away, there was a turbulent river, murky waters, and a waterfall dropping from a cliff over ten meters high.
There was no wreckage of boats or signs of human activity here, which proved that the plot had not yet begun, or at least had not progressed to this location.
A flash of light crossed Lilith's scarlet eyes. Since this was the case, it was the perfect time to plan her next steps.
The blood orchid grew on a cliff face near a deep pool, guarded by a Blood Python. Given her current size—even after mutation, she was only slightly larger than a normal bat—trespassing into the snake's nest would be equivalent to serving the giant python an appetizer.
She needed a second mutation and greater strength. Only then could she increase her chances of survival and successfully steal the blood orchid from the Blood Python's territory.
The seven days allotted for this plot arc were enough time for her to prepare thoroughly.
The ultrasonic waves focused, scanning downwards.
Beneath the humus layer, countless tiny life signals flickered like stars. One type of signal was astonishingly dense.
That was an ant colony; their individuals numbered in the tens of thousands, and their activity was highly efficient.
Lilith spread her wing membranes and glided down to low altitude like a white phantom. She landed on a broad frond of a fern, hanging upside down to look at the ground.
In the area obscured by the forest canopy, a huge mound stood, which was the ants' nest.
Compared to ordinary ants, these ants were black and much larger than normal ants. Although she didn't recognize the species, given her current body size, these ants were undoubtedly the best hunting targets.
They were numerous and widespread. If she wanted to quickly acquire a complete gene, these ants were definitely the best choice.
Lilith did not rashly approach the center of the ant colony. She observed for five seconds, locking onto the scattered worker ants.
After confirming she wouldn't be swarmed by ants or have them climb onto her back, Lilith lightly flapped her Bat Wings, swooped down, landed, and flattened her body on the ground. She opened her small mouth, used her tongue to scoop the ant directly into her mouth, and swallowed it whole.
The ant was swallowed by Lilith before it could react. For efficiency, Lilith didn't even chew.
The Gene Dominator allowed Lilith to digest any creature and acquire its genes, so Lilith didn't have to worry about indigestion, nor did she worry about the ant surviving briefly inside her stomach.
[Devoured Giant Bowback Ant, acquired Giant Bowback Ant Gene Fragment +1]
[Current Giant Bowback Ant Gene Integrity: 0.02%]
0.02%. That meant she needed to devour 5,000 ants.
Lilith raised her small head, her tiny red eyes looking at the dense swarm of Giant Bowback Ants around her. Although 5,000 sounded intimidating.
Compared to the entire colony of these Giant Bowback Ants, synthesizing a complete gene was only a matter of time.
Lilith moved. She began hunting again, focusing her devouring on the isolated Giant Bowback Ants.
Lilith consistently patrolled the edge of the nest, targeting only stragglers and those who fell behind.
Every dive resulted in a precise capture, and after succeeding, she immediately ascended, never staying in the same spot for more than three seconds.
One, two, ten, a hundred.
0.02%... 0.04%... 0.2%... 1%... The Giant Bowback Ant Gene Fragments were being steadily collected.
Time flowed by in the muggy rainforest environment. The sun climbed past the canopy, and the light shifted from green patches to golden spots, then gradually darkened into deep blue.
Lilith was tireless. Her Gene Dominator talent converted everything she ingested into pure energy. She no longer needed rest; she only needed continuous hunting.
By dusk, her gene integrity surpassed 10%.
As night fell, gene integrity reached 23%.
Lilith was like a programmed machine, tracing a never-repeating patrol path above the ant nest.
The ultrasonic waves continued scanning, not only locking onto the Giant Bowback Ants but also remaining vigilant against surprise attacks from any large predators.
Late at night, the rainforest entered the carnival time of nocturnal creatures. The chirping of insects grew louder, the croaking of frogs sounded like drums, and sharp warning cries from a monkey troop could be heard in the distance.
Lilith finally stopped. The gene collection rate for the Giant Bowback Ant had reached 47.13%.
When she locked onto another solitary Giant Bowback Ant and plunged down again, just as Lilith's sharp claws were about to touch the ant.
The humus layer below—what was supposed to be the ground—suddenly moved.
No! That wasn't the ground.
It was the coiled Blood Python. The scales on the Blood Python perfectly blended with the surrounding dead leaves, preventing Lilith from noticing its presence all this time.
Its ten-meter-long body completed the sequence of coiling, launching, and opening its mouth in an instant! The Blood Python's massive maw opened nearly 180 degrees, a stench of blood rushing out! It lunged straight for Lilith's face!
Lilith's nerves had already been taut since the ultrasonic feedback reported an anomaly.
Her wing membranes flapped with full force! Not upward, but diagonally backward and to the side—a sharp turn that defied the conventional flight path of a bat!
The snake's mouth snapped shut, grazing the edge of her wing membrane. Sharp teeth scraped against the keratinous edge, leaving a harsh sound and a scratch mark!
Lilith used the force to spin and ascend! Her heart hammered rapidly in her chest.
She hovered twenty meters high and looked down.
The Blood Python slowly coiled its body, its neck raised. Its golden vertical pupils glowed coldly in the darkness, locking tightly onto the white silhouette in the air.
It flicked its tongue, seemingly assessing the distance error of its missed strike. After a moment, the Blood Python finally slid slowly into the bushes, the rustling sound of its scales against the branches fading away.
But Lilith knew it hadn't gone far.
It had memorized her scent, her flight pattern, and her hunting range.
This Blood Python seemed very intelligent.
"It looks like..."
Lilith licked the ant acid residue off her sharp fangs, her scarlet pupils glowing in the night.
"The collection work needs to speed up."
Lilith looked toward the entrance of the ant nest, which was still bustling in the darkness.
Then she looked in the direction where the Blood Python had disappeared.
The count for the gene fragments began ticking up again in her consciousness...