These three products from different periods, by some strange twist of fate, came together to form a closed food chain. Such a distorted food chain is truly astonishing.

The wonders of nature are indeed beyond the comprehension of common sense.

Our current position is not safe in a sense; we are essentially standing on the giant ants' dinner plate.

Right next to them is the delicious meal they are about to enjoy. Of course, they wouldn't mind having some dessert beforehand.

Having figured this out, we decided to leave the area immediately. If we were to actually run into the giant ants, we'd be in serious trouble unless we grew wings and could fly high into the sky like Pat.

Otherwise, if we were surrounded by a large number of giant ants, we wouldn't even have a chance to run. Before absolute power, all clever tricks are nothing but a joke.

With this new discovery, our direction is now clearer. We just need to find those recently abandoned termite nests, and we can basically continue our journey along those areas.

With the evidence of *Protozoa*, I have reason to believe that the original location from which these *Protozoa* spread should be the western restricted area.

I reckon that's the only place in this area where the virus could have spread, but I still need to be extra careful.

The original jujube might have been brought out by Haru. Our area is on the outskirts of the western restricted zone, and the Asaida tribe has no jurisdiction over this area. It's possible that Haru might be active here.

We know nothing about the situation in Haru here, we have no idea what weapons they have, or what other trump cards they have that we don't know about.

Compared to insects with little intelligence, Haru is actually more dangerous in this unfamiliar territory.

There are no results yet, so we can only return to my residence. The situation here is unclear, and there are quite a few influential people around.

Whether it's the Giant Ant, Haru, or even the lesser Sand Beast, none of them are targets we want to provoke.

Subsequent explorations revealed undamaged termite nests. On one occasion, we even witnessed a massive army of giant ants attacking those termite nests.

The overwhelming sense of oppression made it hard for us to breathe, but this was also the most valuable exploration we've ever undertaken.

Because we were observing the giant ants from a distance on the periphery, we did not disturb them.

These giant ants are highly efficient; they can clean up termite nests and surrounding organisms in about a day.

When we returned the next day, we found that the entire area had become just like the one we had encountered in the Carnivorous Forest before; the air was eerily quiet.

However, this time we learned the reason why: the giant ants had cleared the way for us, and now it was time to continue our journey.

At first, we were worried about potential dangers in the vicinity and proceeded with extreme caution. However, it later proved that the giant ants' ability to clear an area was beyond question.

Back when I was still in my hometown, giant ants occupied the mountain to the east, and within a few days, they had plundered all the resources of the entire mountain.

So much so that when Top and I later escaped the giant ants and reached the mountains from the lake, we didn't see a single bird.

All we have now is a rough map drawn ten years ago, making it very difficult to find the route the leader once took.

Following the termite nest might be the only way. Ten years later, those *Prosocephalotaxus* may have expanded to a wider area, but their root cause will not change.

It may take us a while to find the Forbidden West, but it's only a matter of time before we discover it.

The journey went more smoothly than expected. Along the way, we encountered two sand monsters that were probably lone and attacked us, but we eventually managed to physically exorcise them.

As long as we avoid direct confrontation with the giant ants for the rest of the time, our situation is relatively safe, even less so than the threat we encountered on the way here.

After two more days of trekking, we finally emerged from the forest and reached an open area.

This time, luck was on our side. After we left the forest, we found a potato field not long after we left.

I had previously learned from the chief that the Asaida tribe had also developed an agricultural civilization and was self-sufficient.

This large potato field in front of me clearly couldn't have grown naturally. The potato stalks were spaced thirty centimeters apart, arranged in neat rows in the field.

In some places, there are signs of digging, indicating that the potatoes in the field have not been fully harvested, or perhaps the harvest has just begun.

Top sniffed the familiar smell in the air. He hadn't eaten potatoes in a long time, and now Top's eyes shone as he looked at the potato field.

Before I could even shout it out, Top had already rushed to the "battlefield" and was already expertly digging into the potato stalks. Soon, all the big potatoes inside were dug out by Top and put into his bag.

Top came running towards us, dragging his rather heavy bag with a happy expression. I wouldn't have cared too much about these things if they were unclaimed.

However, this is something that was grown by someone else. I don't know much about the Asaida tribe. If we cause them to become hostile over this small matter, it would be a loss for us.

Dante seemed to sense my worry and smiled as he spoke to me.

"Don't worry, sir. The people of the Asada tribe are very kind. I heard from the chief that they have helped us a lot."

The walls in our tribe were built with their help after they taught us how to build them.

Hearing everyone say that, I felt a little relieved. However, I still felt that doing it this way was somewhat inappropriate, as it would inevitably affect everyone's image if others saw it.

Top emptied the potatoes out of his bag, thinking he'd go back and get another batch. Top is a good guy in every way, except his greed has never changed.

I reached out and grabbed Top.

"Top, that's enough. It's dangerous in there, don't go any further."

Top clearly understood, but there was still some doubt in his eyes. He had just gone to dig potatoes, and everything was fine; there was no sign of danger.

However, Top still unconditionally trusted my judgment. Since I said there was danger, there must be a threat that he himself could not feel.

The Carnivorous Forest was the best example. It left a deep impression on Top. If I hadn't been there, we might have all been silently swallowed up by those flowers.

I felt a bit helpless at that moment, and that was all I could say. Otherwise, given Top's personality, he certainly wouldn't have let those potatoes go so easily.

Looking at the potato field in front of me, I had a good idea in mind to quickly find the Asaida tribe.