Chapter 9, Settlement, Evolution

Have we almost escaped the danger zone

Goo! Goo!

Driven almost by instinct, I began to chew on the leaves in the storage chamber, consuming all the leaves stored within. Finally, I felt somewhat better, my physical strength replenished, and my consciousness slightly restored

Time has passed without my knowledge, and I am unaware of what has transpired during this period. Before falling into a deep sleep, Banbu specifically captured 3 longhorn beetle larvae, dried them, and stored them away. Now, they have completely rotted and become moldy, rendering them inedible

In contrast, humans possess advanced technology and have specialized nutrient chambers where each evolution takes place. There are professional technicians on duty in shifts, providing round-the-clock comprehensive monitoring of various bodily data. An intelligent system performs calculations and fine-tunes nutrient supply, allowing for a very easy and rapid completion of the evolution process

rumbling ... ...

A rushing river obstructed the way

The sudden cry of a woodpecker echoed outside the tree nest

Considering the temperature, the mottled pattern has roughly confirmed that my 19th molting has occurred, and the hibernation period is likely to exceed 1 month, transitioning directly from the depths of spring to summer

Banbu pondered and began to search in the forest for tree trunks that had been bored into by the larvae of the longhorn beetle. He planned to employ the same method as before, killing the insects inside, occupying the tree nest, gradually consuming all the insects on the tree, and then moving on to another tree... continuing that relatively safe nomadic life...

During the search, Banbu discovered another more ideal refuge—a massive black boulder standing in the jungle

Going to check the drainage reservoir again, it is utterly disastrous, the rainwater that has flowed back is slowly rising, about to overflow into the storage compartment

snake scales

The striped cloth struggled to climb up the storage compartment

The sky is about to brighten

The thunderous roar shook the heavens and the earth seemed to tremble

Taking advantage of their small size, resilient tree roots can effectively block intruders

Is it still the jungle python

The absence of the woodpecker's trace and the unknown whereabouts of the python have led to the resolution of a deadly crisis

The thunder awakened me; otherwise, I would have continued to sleep until death

A good place to settle down and establish one's purpose in life

It is even less safe to nest underground like ordinary cockroaches, as predators such as snakes and rats can easily detect the scent and dig them out with ease

Banbu intends to take advantage of the element of surprise, blinding a woodpecker in one eye just before his death; if successful, it would render his demise considerably more dignified

Succeeded

The mottled owl huddled in the corner of the tree nest, raising its forelimbs, while its hind legs gathered strength, intending to rush out at the first moment the tree nest was pecked open, proactively initiating an attack

Almost failed

In the consciousness of the mottled cloth, the sensation of shedding and transformation becomes increasingly clear, the demand for food rises, and there is a greater tendency towards drowsiness

Even if death is certain, one must exert every effort before dying to teach these two detestable woodpeckers a lesson

Food! There is an urgent need for a large quantity of food

The leopard cat cautiously emerged from the tree hollow, quickly peering outside and then swiftly retreating back.

However, upon further reflection, it does not seem right: "What if I am targeted by the woodpecker again? I almost met my end in the belly of a bird yesterday"

It may also be that the streams flow down from the mountains, but at present, I feel too insignificant, which makes them appear exceptionally vast, becoming an insurmountable chasm.

Organizing the situation consumed a considerable amount of mental effort, and I was suddenly struck by a splitting headache

The leopard climbed to the top of a large tree, standing at the summit to survey the surroundings. This place was sufficiently distant from the mountains, and only a faint green shadow remained in its line of sight

Banbu could no longer hold on, retreating to the deepest part of the nest, and fell into a deep sleep

As the burrow slopes downward along the stones, considering the possibility of rainwater backflow during rainy weather, after digging inward for a certain distance, it abruptly turns and continues vertically downward, forming a three-dimensional 'N' shape.

Once a warrior of the Galactic Federation, Banbu underwent rigorous military training and possesses an ironclad fighting spirit

Now reduced to a cockroach, without any technological means of assistance, without external nutritional support, utterly alone, genetic evolution becomes exceedingly perilous, with each molting and growth representing a life-and-death trial

The sky is turning white, dawn is approaching, and it is necessary to lie low.

The first low point is designed with a slightly larger space to facilitate the infiltration of rainwater into the depths of the ground, named "drainage reservoir"; the first high point can serve as a dry storage room for food; the second low point is intended as a hiding place in case of danger, stocked with leaf fragments for emergencies

Early summer? Midsummer? Or have we directly arrived at the late summer rainy season?

Gulu gulu ... ...

The leopard must ensure its absolute safety during its period of slumber

The sound of pecking at the tree trunk came to an abrupt halt

The angry cries, accompanied by the sound of flapping wings, quickly receded into the distance

Tried it with the front claws, it is sufficiently hard

The 19th molting growth represents the transformation from ordinary life to force life, a genetic evolution, and an elevation of the level of existence; the period of dormancy is likely to be quite long

This time, it can be said that Banbu was both successful and unsuccessful; he was merely a hair's breadth away from never waking up, losing his life in a deep slumber. It was the thunderous roar that awakened him, pulling him back from the brink of death

Without further hesitation, he began to dig beneath the giant rock with his claws, expending considerable effort to excavate a passage and create a space for shelter

Moments later, the python slid down the trunk of the tree

Climbing down the mountain range, diving into the vast jungle, running swiftly in one direction

Banbu was surprised, waited for a moment, gathered his courage, and peered out through the hole that had been pecked open. What he saw was a brown and black striped scaled body slowly gliding past the opening

Gulu, gulu...

The hidden tree nest was pecked to a thousand holes, and the striped cloth dared not venture out easily. Anxiously waiting until dark, it took the risk to leave, quickly climbing down to the lower slopes of the mountains, finding a new insect nest, killing the larvae of the longhorn beetle inside, feasting on a meal, estimating that there was no danger for the time being, and falling into a deep sleep.

When the time is just right, take immediate action

Although the tips of the toes are sharp, they are too small to penetrate the feathers of the woodpecker. Even if they could penetrate, the damage would only result in superficial injuries; it is necessary to attack the eyes.

... ...

Bamboo looked around; beside the giant rock was a small patch of grass, and nearby stood dense, ancient trees. There were surely insects smaller and weaker than himself, so there was no need to worry about food

The piercing cry indicates that a woodpecker has likely been ambushed and captured

A mournful and desolate wail

In the late hours of the night, awakening and regaining physical and mental strength, I began to ponder: having lost the protection of the Red Cockroach tribe warriors, the cockroaches residing in the mountains will attract a multitude of predators. I must relocate, distancing myself from this place of conflict

Once, when I was human, I advanced through cultivation and underwent several similar gene evolutions, which also required me to fall into a deep sleep

For the spotted fur, which possesses human-like intelligence, it is not a difficult task. After a brief consideration, it decided to search for a sufficiently large tree with sturdy branches and leaves to rely on, digging into the soil beneath the tree to create a nest

The spring rains will not be so intense, could it be... summer

I am ... ... a banded cloth, a human? A cockroach? A branch of the flying fire cockroach tribe, the red cockroach tribe, a warrior ... ...

The grand excavation project took nearly half a month to complete, and the "Safety Shelter" has finally been constructed

The jungle has returned to tranquility

Banbu awakened

Banbu felt a wave of fear once again

Rest until noon, then continue to dig deeper into the stone.

A feeling of great discomfort, as if I have been completely hollowed out, leaving only an exoskeleton, unable to muster any strength

weakness and fatigue, dehydration, mental confusion, and impaired consciousness

Banbu felt an unprecedented weakness, as if recovering from a serious illness. His physical strength was returning, but his nutritional reserves were extremely depleted. The entire insect seemed to be nothing but an empty shell, with all its internal organs and muscles...

After eating to satisfaction, one feels drowsy; upon waking, hunger becomes unbearable, necessitating a large intake of food