Su Wan retracted her perception, satisfied.
The Shadow Crystal had been hidden, and the colony’s guards were fully deployed. Next, it was time to set the scene.
Su Wan’s consciousness probed into the ant nest’s storage room.
It was a massive cavity located in the middle layer of the nest, two or three times larger than the Core Chamber. Countless pits were carved into the walls of the chamber, each stuffed with food.
There were remains of various Aberrants, rotting plants, shriveled fungi, and unidentifiable organic matter. The air was thick with a heavy stench of rot, mixed with the sharp scent of pheromones and damp earth—it was nauseating.
Su Wan’s mental power quickly sifted through the mountain of food.
Soon, her mental power locked onto several targets.
In the deepest corner of the storage room lay several massive bones. They were grey-white, their surfaces covered in fine patterns and their texture as hard as iron. Even the scythe-like mandibles of the Soldier Ants could only leave shallow scratches on them.
Su Wan commanded the Worker Ants to haul the bones out.
The bones were large; the longest was as long as an adult’s arm, and the thickest was wider than a thigh. It took over a dozen Worker Ants working together to barely drag one of them out of the storage room.
Su Wan also found several carapace fragments. These were dark brown, their surfaces smooth as mirrors and their edges sharp as knives. They were equally too hard for the ants to chew through.
The fragments varied in size, from as large as a palm to as small as a fingernail, scattered across the corners of the storage room. They were likely the remains of some large crustacean-type Aberrant.
Su Wan had the Worker Ants carry all these bones and carapace fragments out of the nest. Following the guidance of her mental power, they scattered the pieces across the humus surrounding the ant nest.
Some were half-buried in piles of fallen leaves, with only a corner visible.
Others were wedged into the base of vines, tangled with the surrounding vegetation.
Some were simply tossed onto the open ground, left to the mercy of the elements.
Su Wan meticulously planned the placement of every bone and carapace fragment.
They couldn't be too clustered, or it would look like they were placed there by someone. But they couldn't be too scattered either, or Butcher might not notice them.
They had to look like scraps left behind by the Blood-Scythe Ants after a feast—discarded haphazardly around the nest, mixing in with the actual refuse.
Su Wan then had the Worker Ants bring out some dead ant corpses from the Waste Disposal Area, scattering them around the bones and carapaces.
This arrangement made the entire scene look far more authentic and natural.
Everything was ready.
Su Wan retracted her mental power and, under the cover of Shadow-Hide, silently retreated beyond the colony’s perception range.
She found a hidden spot behind a large tree about half a kilometer away from the ant nest. Leaning against the trunk, she pulled up the System Mall and quickly browsed through the 【Special Items】 category.
【Searching for items capable of cloaking aura...】
【Searching...】
【Search complete.】
【Item Name: Breath Cloaking Spray】
【Description: A specially formulated spray. When applied to clothing or skin, it can eliminate an Ability User's energy fluctuations and aura for a set duration. Provides significant cloaking effects against the perception of Level 4 and below Ability Users.】
【Extra Effect: The spray creates a faint perception blurring field around the user, causing the mental power detection of high-level Ability Users to produce deviations. The target will appear blurry or distorted to the detector, making it impossible to clearly discern facial features, body type, or even gender.】
【Duration: 3 hours】
【Price: 8,000 Points per bottle】
【Stock: Sufficient】
Su Wan didn’t hesitate. “Exchange for one bottle.”
【Exchange successful: Breath Cloaking Spray ×1. Points consumed: 8,000.】
A palm-sized spray bottle appeared in her system space. The bottle was matte black with no markings on its surface, featuring only a small nozzle.
Su Wan took out the spray and gave herself a few light mists. A nearly imperceptible mist adhered to her clothes and skin, quickly vanishing from sight.
Her aura began to retract rapidly. Her Level 3 Late Stage energy fluctuations, like a lamp being covered, dimmed bit by bit until they vanished completely.
Su Wan looked down at her hands and closed her eyes to sense her own state. Excellent—even she couldn’t feel any energy fluctuations from herself anymore.
Next, she issued a new directive to the colony through Swarm Command.
Hundreds of Blood-Scythe Ants poured out of the nest, scattering in all directions. They burrowed into the humus, hid in leaf piles, climbed up vines, and slipped into cracks between rocks.
Within a two-and-a-half-kilometer radius, a Blood-Scythe Ant lay in wait in the shadows at regular intervals, their antennae swaying slightly as they vigilantly scanned their surroundings.
These ants would serve as her sentinels.
Su Wan leaned against the tree and closed her eyes, her consciousness connecting to the Blood-Scythe Ants scattered across the area. Each ant’s perception was like her own; though blurry, it was enough to distinguish if any large organism was approaching.
Time passed, minute by minute.
Suddenly, the antennae of a Blood-Scythe Ant waiting about two kilometers to the west twitched violently.
Su Wan’s consciousness instantly focused on that ant’s perception.
A humanoid creature was approaching from that direction. He wasn't moving fast, each step light and precise, avoiding dry branches and loose stones.
It was Butcher.
The corners of Su Wan’s mouth curled into a faint smile.
Through Swarm Command, she issued the 【Monitor】 directive to that Blood-Scythe Ant.
The ant’s antennae swayed gently, its compound eyes locking onto the approaching figure, but its body remained motionless—like an inconspicuous pebble in the humus.
Butcher was cautious. He moved along the edges of the ruins and vegetation, each step landing in the shadow of the previous one, rarely exposing himself in open areas.
But no matter how cautious he was, he wouldn't notice a single Blood-Scythe Ant hidden beneath rotting leaves.
Through the ant’s perception, Su Wan clearly tracked Butcher’s every move.
He advanced about half a kilometer before stopping at the edge of a relatively open clearing. Crouching behind a fallen, withered tree, his gaze swept over the thick vegetation ahead. He was observing.
A few minutes later, Butcher stood up and continued forward. This time, his speed was noticeably faster.
He had spotted a carapace fragment scattered on the humus. His pace quickened further.
Su Wan could feel that his attention had been successfully drawn by the remains. Butcher accelerated, his figure darting quickly through the vegetation.
Through the Blood-Scythe Ants scattered across the area, Su Wan maintained a clear grasp of his route.
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