399 Many Insiders

[Alert, the most optimum path based on the first hand investigation has been completed. Do you wish to take it?]

With the assistance of the ten dimensional space eyes and its fast calculating speed, the system had soon formulated the most optimum path based on the current information.

"Yes, immediately."

When Li Yunmu heard it, he agreed without thinking.

[Execution verified.]

Soon, a guidance path created by the system appeared in Li Yunmu's mind. It mentioned the various insect species present in different regions, detailed topography as well as the amount of unknown factors in each area. Everything was completely clear at first glance.

The chosen path was considered the safest by the system after the first investigation. Perhaps, if Li Yunmu waited for some more time, the system could find an even more safe path, but he didn't have the time.

He commanded the eight shadows to break through the siege and dash along the safe route. Not only did he want to settle the crisis with the ants, but he also had to reach the center of the dimensional space before Zheng Quan's group so that he could be acknowledged as the island's master.

He knew that Zheng Quan's group had knowledge about the island, so they would be even faster and more efficient.

Li Yunmu's only advantage over them was that they had greatly underestimated his combat prowess. Moreover, it needn't be said that he wasn't fighting along. He had eight shadows, each of whom was as powerful as him.

With eight such shadows joining hands with the person himself, their efficiency when rushing forth was greatly increased.

The endless hoard of giant ants was like a butter in front of the hot knife spearheaded by Li Yun and Li Feng, and was easily being ripped apart, allowing them to penetrate deeply into the island.

The number of giant ants continued to increase, making the siege extremely thick. The closer Li Yunmu's group got to the center of the island, the more tenacious the resistance against them became.

Although the spearhead formed by the two shadows was extremely sharp, the butter's thickness surpasses the blade's length, so the outcome was that the hot knife could only cool down.

"Something's wrong. Why are these giant ants so crazy? Why are they getting more and more desperate, disregarding everything to attack us?"

Following the path where the siege was the weakest, the party of human and eight shadows had covered a great distance. But Li Yunmu could see that the more he advanced forward, the crazier the attacks of the ants got, which created a lot of problems.

The system pondered for a moment and then put forth a data point which it hadn't spoken about before. [According to the analyzed data, the closer host gets to the center of the island, the stronger mental fluctuations are emitted by the ants.]

"What does that mean?" Li Yunmu followed up.

[There are quite a few possibilities,] the system said after some thinking

[First possibility is that the main nest of these giant ants coincides with the center of the island, and thus these they have mistaken you as a threat to their main nest, therefore they are attacking you while disregarding everything.

[Second possibility is that we are being viewed as some sort of heavenly treasure by these ants. As long as they can eat us, their strength will increase greatly, and so they are crazily attacking us.

[Third possibility, however, is the most likely. These ants should be able to realize that they cannot allow any human to be acknowledged as the master of the island or their freedom will be taken away.

After some more pondering, the system added another statement to the third possibility. [Given the third possibility, the system will define these ants as insiders for the time being.]

"Insiders?"

[That's right. In case of the third possibility, these ants or perhaps the ant emperor knows that if humans obtain the boundary stele, they will lose their everything. This would explain why they are fighting us so recklessly.]

Within Li Yunmu's mind, the system's voice became more certain.

Hearing the system's tone change, Li Yunmu understood that during the brief exchange between the two of them, the system had received some crucial information which allowed it to be more certain about its conclusion.

"Then is there also a fourth possibility?"

Li Yunmu was feeling extremely gloomy. If the third possibility that the ants were insiders was true, then his plans would be greatly ruined. The ants clearly viewed him as their mortal enemy and would fight him to their death.

He was convinced that no one would be willing to lose their freedom. Even if the slaves which were at the lowest rung of the Origin World didn't have their freedom since birth, they still struggled to obtain it.

The ants were also like that. Even if they were only a magnified insect, they still yearned for freedom and wouldn't be willing to place their lives in the hands of others for as long as they lived.

Thus it was no wonder that with the fate of all ants at stake, the whole nest had come out in full strength.

[The fourth possibility is even worse than the third possibility.]

After speaking until there, the system turned silent for a long, not saying anything.

Given how long Li Yunmu had been together with the system, he could clearly understand why it had turned silent at this time, halting their exchange.

There were only two possibilities for that. First, the system itself wasn't certain and therefore didn't want to speak anymore about it, so as not to influence his mental state.

The second possibility was that it was receiving even more important information. Because of that, it had stopped communicating to concentrate on the other matter.

Under ordinary circumstances, Li Yunmu had encountered the first possibility many times, but presently, it was surprisingly the second variant.

Ten seconds after the system had stopped the communication, it spoke up again.

[It has been confirmed that the fourth possibility is the most likely. Just now, the dimensional space eyes flying at the front have been destroyed. It was done by various winged insects. They belong to different species, but still established a cooperation and created a dragnet making the dimensional space eyes unable to escape.

[Notifying the host that of the ten dimensional space eyes, number three has been destroyed.

[ Number seven has been destroyed.

[Number nine has been destroyed.

[Number ten has been destroyed.]

The system's tone became increasingly more solemn.

Hiss.

Li Yunmu took in a shuddering breath.

Apart from regret, he only felt even more regret. He had thirteen dimensional space eyes, three of which belonged to him while ten had been prepared by Battle Sage Vega, and four had already been destroyed.