About an hour later, after continuous hunting, the number of drones reached three, and the zerglings reached four.
This speed might not seem fast, but this was not a game; a life could not be born in just a few minutes. In reality, given the swarm's energy efficiency, it was already near the limit for a nascent civilization.
With four zerglings working together, they could kill almost any creature as long as it did not have thick armor like a pangolin.
Even if they were injured, spending 1 unit of energy allowed them to use the nutrient solution in the Zerg Hive to recover.
Through her connection to the swarm's consciousness, Xia Jin discovered she could share their vision.
Whenever she wished, she could see what the bugs saw.
With the swarm's coordination, the knights' hunting efficiency increased significantly.
Although they had encountered several Tier 2 creatures so far, no one was hurt because the bugs stayed on the front lines.
Xia Jin also considered that these people would serve as her bridge to other factions in the future.
After all, parasitic or mimic type Zerg would not be bred anytime soon. Communicating with other beings as a mere bug would inevitably lead to being treated as an enemy.
Having subordinates meant the possibility of communication.
Others might think: the Zerg are so strong, just steamroll everything, why worry?
But in her memories, part of the reason the Zerg were nearly wiped out by the universe's high level civilizations was their lack of strategy and reliance on brute force.
Conversely, a swarm with incredible potential that also understood diplomacy and tactics was the most terrifying.
Xia Jin decided to develop her swarm in that direction.
Brain bugs should not just be for tactical command; they also needed to coordinate the entire strategy, understanding how to befriend the distant and attack the near, or use various other ruses.
Countless powerful civilizations existed in the universe. No one knew if there were others with even greater potential. Even beings near the level of a transcendent civilization could perish in an instant. Being in the early stages of development, she had to be extremely cautious.
“Your Highness, a very strong monster has been discovered one kilometer to the north.”
A soldier ran to Xia Jin, sounding urgent.
“Very strong?”
She immediately contacted the nearby bugs and mobilized them.
“Have the knight commander head there. The bugs are already on their way to support.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
The soldier was shocked. The princess had done nothing, yet the bugs moved in perfect unison as if they had received an order. This power was truly incredible.
Had the princess really become a witch?
But witches only mastered a bit of magic; they could never command such loyal and terrifying creatures.
The swarm rushed over at high speed. From a distance, they saw a massive, rampaging black bull.
“What a beast.”
With a thrust of its horns, the black bull sent a Tier 1 knight flying.
Ellie stepped in, her shield glowing with a bright white light as she clashed with the horns.
Bang!
Under the terrible force, the lighter Ellie was knocked back into a tree.
At that moment, three zerglings leaped from the sides, their meter long scythes plunging into the bull's vulnerable underbelly.
“Roar—”
The bull let out a wail and swung its head, tossing one zergling aside. It then spat a black sphere from its mouth, which exploded against the zergling's body with a bang.
Thick blood sprayed. A large wound was blasted into the zergling's exterior, and a sizzling corrosive sound came from it, eating away at its flesh.
At this rate, the bug would soon lose its combat capability.
Fortunately, the knight commander arrived at that moment.
“Leave it to me.”
Refined energy erupted, forming a fire attribute glow that slashed into the bull's neck.
The blade struck the bone and was stopped by its hardness, but the artery had been severed. Blood geysered out, painting the ground and the blade red amidst the bull's dying wails.
After a few final struggles, the bull monster collapsed.
【Killed black bull, gained 42 units of energy and 1 unit of high energy crystals.】
A drone immediately arrived to haul the carcass.
Though both were Tier 2, this bull was significantly stronger than the creatures they had met before.
Even Ellie struggled against it.
However, zerglings were among the best of Tier 1 creatures, which was why they could overcome a stronger opponent by coordinating their efforts to wound the flesh and blood of the black bull.
After the battle, Xia Jin discovered the bugs uploaded combat data to the Zerg Hive, which then transmitted it to her consciousness.
“Can the experience learned in battle be instantly applied to the entire swarm?”
The bugs' performance truly surprised Xia Jin.
She looked at Ellie, thought for a moment, and handed her a healing potion.
The female knight shook her head. “No, it is fine, Your Highness. We did not bring many supplies. For a minor injury like this...”
“It is fine, take it. You are my most important combatants in this early stage. Just hold out for a few more days. Once the number of zerglings increases, the fighting can be left to them.”
“Thank you, Princess.”
The knight's face flushed slightly as she took the medicine and drank it.
Rate on N.U.
