The Survival of the Wild Tribe

197

"...Mother...Dear..." A sizzling voice interrupted Luo Zhen, catching everyone's attention.

The voice was familiar, yet also slightly strange. Luo Zhen was surprised, realizing that the only creature in this world who would call him "mother" was Lu Yi, the flame ant.

"Lu Yi?" Luo Zhen glanced at Shan Qi.

Luo Zhen entrusted Lu Yi's protection to Shan Qi, who carried the small wooden box containing Lu Yi next to him to avoid losing it.

Only Luo Zhen and Lu Zhan could hear Lu Yi's voice. When Shan Qi noticed Luo Zhen's gaze, he quickly retrieved Lu Yi's small wooden box.

The small wooden box had only two vent holes on the lid and was coated with rosin to prevent it from sinking directly in water.

"Mother...kiss..." Lu Yi's voice became clearer. Surprised, Luo Zhen opened the lid. Since Lu Yi rushed out of the cave to help him deal with the black panther cub Zai, he had been in a coma after being washed away by the rain.

Luo Zhen sensed changes in Lu Yi's body, but he wasn't sure if they were good or bad. This worried Luo Zhen.

Lu Yi waking up in this situation was unexpected. Did he sense the danger they were in? Despite sometimes appearing careless, Lu Yi was more stubborn than ordinary flame ants. He always took Luo Zhen's safety seriously, even biting anyone who dared to hurt him. Luo Zhen had been bitten by Lu Yi's big teeth several times, but Lu Yi wouldn't kill unless Luo Zhen commanded.

Luo Zhen remembered a summer when mosquito repellent plants weren't picked on time. Alone, he was bitten by several big red bumps, making Lu Yi angry. Lu Yi fought tirelessly against the mosquitoes until they were all killed by insecticide.

Inside the wooden box was a small piece of soft animal skin. As Luo Zhen lifted the wooden cover, he was surprised to find a pair of beautiful translucent wings fluttering up and down, emitting a buzzing sound.

Luo Zhen's eyes widened; he hadn't expected Lu Yi to grow wings. During this time, he had taken care of Lu Yi carefully, knowing that a hard shell had formed on Lu Yi's back. He had assumed Lu Yi would molt like snakes, but the appearance of wings changed his expectations.

Lu Yi's body wasn't big, and his wings were just a little longer than his body. It seemed he wasn't used to them. After fluttering in the wooden box a few times, he couldn't stabilize himself and fell onto the animal skin several times.

A Si climbed down from Luo Zhen’s shoulders and followed his fingers to the edge of the wooden box, poking its head inside. Luo Zhen sensed A Si's excitement and even a hint of envy for Lu Yi.

"Lu Yi," Luo Zhen whispered, extending a finger in front of him. Lu Yi followed Luo Zhen's voice, finally finding his direction. His wings fluttered a few times as he landed firmly on Luo Zhen's fingertips.

"Mother," Lu Yi's voice was full of surprise. Flying forward bit by bit, he landed on Luo Zhen's shoulder, his exclusive spot, familiar and comforting.

"Lu Yi, why do you have wings?" Luo Zhen was surprised by Lu Yi's changes in addition to his awakening. He felt Lu Yi's power was much stronger than before, his abilities smoother, as if he had grown up overnight.

Luo Zhen knew that besides worker ants and soldier ants, there were flying ants with wings called princesses and princes, with the ability to give birth to the next generation. They were more likely to become queens and establish new colonies. However, these flying ants were usually bred by a special queen. It was unusual for Lu Yi to suddenly grow wings and become a flying ant.

"I want to be with my mother all the time," Lu Yi gently touched Luo Zhen's face with his tentacles. Being close to Luo Zhen made him happy.

Luo Zhen was stunned. Lu Yi's emotions were clear to him. He realized that Lu Yi had been upset because of the rain before. The ground was soaked, leaving the flame ants stranded on the cave wall, anxiously watching Luo Zhen fight with the returning orcs.