Steel Thread Worms were tough in combat, but their minds were relatively simple. Hearing its hesitant answer, Ryan Carter didn't hold back.

  "Heh, don’t act like you know everything. That’ll get you struck by lightning."

  "Who said I didn’t know? I just didn’t want to tell you!" snapped the worm.

  Every worm’s message echoed within a 300-meter radius. Being humiliated in front of that many peers was too much.

  "Of course I know where the Cherryfall Fruit is. There’s a tree inside a Blackwing Bat nest."

  Ryan rolled his eyes. Saying it's in a Blackwing Bat nest was as good as saying nothing. He hadn't even seen one of those beasts, let alone knew where they nested.

  "I’ve been to a Blackwing Bat nest before. Never saw a Cherryfall Fruit," another worm chimed in.

  A surprise ally?

  Before Ryan could rejoice, the first worm snapped back, "Just because you didn’t see it doesn’t mean I didn’t."

  "They wouldn't let you near the tree. Blackwing Bats are ruthless."

  "Yeah, one of my friends got torn in half by one."

  "Their fangs are the sharpest. If we see one, best to run."

  "But their meat is so good..."

  "I once found a dead one and took a bite. Felt stronger immediately."

  "Great for evolution... if you survive the encounter."

  As the worms buzzed, Ryan’s mind clicked. Blackwing Bats—deadly, numerous, but their nest might hold the key. The Cherryfall Fruit.

  "Cowards, all of you!" Ryan declared through Resonance. "Yes, they’re dangerous. But so are we! We outnumber them a hundred to one. If we swarm their nest, we’ll crush them. This swamp belongs to us!"

  "Too bad most of you are too slow and scared to evolve."

  His bold declarations stunned the worms. But under the surface, he could feel their rising excitement.

  "You think... we can win against the Blackwing Bats?"

  "Of course," Ryan pressed on. "They can only handle us one-on-one. But we’re a mountain. A swarm. When we descend, they’ll fall."

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  "Only weak worms scavenge scraps. We’re better than that. We’ll hunt. We’ll rule the Dreamsworn Marsh."

  "We are the sovereigns!"

  "We shall feast on glory and meat!"

  Steel Thread Worms, while physically resilient, weren’t very intelligent. Normally, no one could incite them like this. But with Resonance, Ryan’s manipulative broadcast whipped them into a frenzy.

  "We are the sovereigns!"

  "Feast and conquer—with Blackwing meat!"

  Some worms even relayed the message to others across the marsh.

  Within minutes, a sea of Steel Thread Worms surged toward Ryan’s position, flooding in from all directions.

  Ryan backed off two hundred meters, mentally guiding the worms away from himself, designating his form as a weak, harmless beast—“the toothless, hornless runt,” he dubbed himself.

  The sea of worms grew into a mountain.

  A hundred-meter-tall, writhing, churning worm-mountain.

  The mass moved slowly, but every beast in its path fled in terror.

  Ryan even watched a massive 30-meter Twin-Horn Crocodile turn and bolt when the swarm approached.

  Those who couldn’t flee were swallowed whole.

  "What the hell am I doing?" Ryan muttered, rubbing his nose.

  He had altered the balance of power in the marsh.

  He stooped to pick up a chipped low-grade beast crystal from the swarm’s wake.

  "Not my fault. I just want the Cherryfall Fruit."

  The Blackwing Bat nest sprawled across a dry ridge dozens of miles wide—a true fortress.

  When the worm swarm first appeared, the bats launched a frenzied defense. Fast and fierce, their fangs could cleave worms in two.

  But sheer numbers overwhelmed them.

  Within seconds, the worm-mountain slammed into the nest.

  Even Bloodline Warrior-level bats were tangled by the swarm, unable to use their power.

  Individually, a Steel Thread Worm was no match. But together, they were a net—countless indestructible threads ensnaring even the mightiest foe.

  "Screee! Scree!"

  The sounds of battle echoed as more bats fell.

  Within minutes, the surviving bats began to flee. The worms feasted.

  "Delicious!"

  "We’re unstoppable! Evolving now!"

  Messages flooded Ryan’s mind, but he ignored them. He had work to do.

  The bats were gone. The nest was his.

  In the eyes of the worms, he’d become a kind of general. Many knew he was nearby—but none attacked, obeying his silent commands.

  Now came the real problem—how to get the Cherryfall Fruit.

  With this many worms crawling everywhere, navigating the space was nearly impossible.

  "Anyone know how to grab an item surrounded by a sea of bugs? Asking for a friend."

  As he considered this dilemma, more messages buzzed.

  "Blackwing Bats? Weaklings!"

  "Even the Frost Serpent can’t stand against us!"

  "That damn snake stole the Origin Stone. It was ours!"

  "We’ll take it back! Death to the Frost Serpent!"

  Ryan had no idea what the Origin Stone was, but he knew one thing—these worms were drunk on victory.

  He decided to weaponize that pride.

  "The Origin Stone belongs to us!"

  "Let’s eat the Frost Serpent too! Its meat will make us unstoppable!"

  The worms, now fully riled, exploded with excitement.

  "Yes! Kill the Frost Serpent! Take everything!"

  "Devour the serpent, and the marsh is ours!"

  Their frenzy reignited, the swarm surged again—toward the serpent’s domain.

  Ryan exhaled. Finally, he’d cleared the area.

  Now, he could enter the Blackwing Bat nest in search of the Cherryfall Fruit.

  Just before the swarm left, he’d resisted asking about the fruit, fearing they might destroy it out of spite.

  Now, with the swarm gone, he stepped into the nest with eager anticipation.