After resting for a moment, she closed her eyes again and sank her consciousness into the ground.
Cold soil, intertwined roots, the faint chirping of insects...
The underground world spread out in her mind like a high-definition dynamic map.
“As expected, this is my comfort zone.”
Compared to seeing through human eyes, she still preferred this all-encompassing, panoramic perception.
Just then, an agile life response suddenly flickered on the edge of her perception.
It was a tiny, gray-furred Demon Mouse, buried in the dead leaves searching for food, completely unaware that death had already arrived.
Qimeng didn't even need to move her body, simply commanding a few roots lurking beneath the soil to glide over silently.
Snap!
Without any suspense, the Demon Mouse was trapped to death by the closing roots, leaving no room for it to even struggle.
The pace of the battle was so fast it almost made her want to laugh.
“Isn't this just a free delivery?”
Qimeng looked at the remains, which had been drained of all nutrients, and confirmed her growth mechanism with satisfaction.
As long as she was within this domain, she was the absolute ruler. This feeling of one-sided information suppression was truly addictive.
Compared to increasing the number of branches and leaves, expanding her territory was the top priority right now.
She pushed her consciousness outward, letting her roots slowly advance through the soil, drawing a circle for her private territory.
Just then, an unusual sensation suddenly came from ahead.
It was a cold substance.
Qimeng concentrated her mind, parting the soil to investigate closely.
In the next instant, a rich, deep red glow lit up in her perception.
It was an underground mana crystal vein, surrounded by magic power fluctuations so dense they were almost liquid.
Just by getting close, her roots instinctively cheered.
Compared to the pocket change she got from sunbathing, the magic power here was an endless stream of resources.
The pleasure of being filled almost to the point of overflowing made her narrow her eyes comfortably, her body and mind completely relaxing.
However, before the pleasure could even fade, a discordant wave suddenly broke into her perception.
She discovered that several roots on the edge of the vein actually had chunks missing.
Qimeng raised her eyebrows slightly, her consciousness reaching toward the damaged area.
Sure enough, several broken roots lay in the dirt. The breaks were rugged and uneven, clearly chewed on like snacks by something.
Not only that, but there were also many scraps around the breaks, looking as though they had been treated as afternoon tea for a long time.
At this moment, her relaxed mood vanished without a trace, and a dangerous chill appeared in her emerald-green eyes.
“Eating my roots like an all-you-can-eat buffet and having such a great time?”
“You've got some nerve, little bugs.”
She followed the irritating trail all the way and soon discovered a hidden underground cave beneath a patch of bushes.
As her consciousness seeped inside, the scene within the cave was laid bare.
Inside the crisscrossing tunnels, over twenty red Demon Beetles were nested.
Shaped like rhinoceros beetles, their shells were covered with hideous white patterns. They were gathered together, feasting on the broken roots scattered all over the ground.
Crunch, crunch.
That was the sound of the roots she had worked so hard to grow being chewed to pieces.
Qimeng stood at the cave entrance, a vein on her temple throbbing slightly.
If it were her past self, she might have charged straight in to display some violent aesthetics.
But she had changed now. She was now a self-interested person who pursued leisure.
“A head-on fight? No need.”
“Although I would definitely win, it would be such a pity if my vein got damaged in the process.”
She scanned the cave's structure, then looked at the thick layer of soil above and the dense vines around it.
A simple, highly efficient, and plant-themed bad idea quietly emerged in her mind.
Qimeng couldn't help but chuckle.
“Since you like to eat on my territory, I'll have to add some seasoning to this final dinner, won't I?”
What was the greatest weakness of an underground nest?
The answer was oxygen circulation.
Especially when she, the ruler of the forest, decided to seal off all the ventilation holes.
As long as the ventilation issue was solved, everything would become simple.
With this in mind, Qimeng immediately went into action.
Over the next hour, an exceptionally diligent mover appeared in the forest.
Branches, fallen leaves, dry grass.
Anything that could burn was carried by her to the vicinity of the cave entrance.
At the same time, her roots weren't idle either, constantly searching for hidden ventilation holes underground, then sealing them off one by one.
Soil, gravel, roots.
All usable materials were put to work.
As time passed, one exit after another was sealed off.
Until finally, only a tiny gap remained at the main entrance of the underground nest.
Qimeng looked at the mountain of dry grass before her, a smile spreading from the corners of her lips.
“Next... please enjoy the smoking service.”
The girl casually snapped her fingers.
A spark leapt from her fingertip and fell into the grass pile.
In the next instant, flames rose, and the fire followed the wind, pouring thick smoke into the underground darkness.
Qimeng took a few steps back, looking at her masterpiece with satisfaction.
She had no intention of burning down the nest from the very beginning. After all, the vein was underground. If the fire got out of control, she would be the one suffering the greatest loss.
What she truly needed was smoke. That massive influx of thick smoke was the deadliest weapon.
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