Chapter 5: The Seed

"Don't move. These grasshoppers are herbivorous insects. As long as we don't provoke them, they shouldn't attack us," Ji Chang whispered.

Though he said that, he remained prepared for combat at any moment.

Given the command from their master, the ants adjusted their mandibles and their stout front legs combed their antennae a few times, poised for action!

Who knew if these grasshoppers in front of them would strike out of curiosity. If that happened, Ji Chang could only respond in kind.

While the ants were much smaller compared to the grasshopper in terms of size, their strength surpassed the grasshopper's. Besides, they had Huang Mang, the cement man, to assist them.

So, in Ji Chang's view, they weren't completely powerless.

Time ticked away, each second passing by.

Following Ji Chang's instructions, Huang Mang remained still, not making any sudden movements.

Both of them held their breath and stared intently at the grasshopper not far away, seemingly assessing them.

Soon, under their gaze, the grasshopper's hind legs pushed against the ground, launching it into the distance, disappearing from sight!

As they felt the forceful wind and the tremors of the earth once again, Ji Chang and Huang Mang both breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, Ji Chang hurriedly called out, "Mangzi, let's go!"

Following Ji Chang's command, the ant quickly moved forward and held onto a locust tree leaf. Huang Mang acted just as swiftly, his cement body rapidly shedding layers until only his arms remained. Together with the ant, they supported the leaf.

The sudden arrival and departure of the grasshopper didn't harm them, but after this incident, Ji Chang understood that dangers lurked everywhere in the small courtyard.

This time it was a herbivorous grasshopper, and seemingly uninterested in them. They were fortunate.

However, if it were another insect or creature, who knows? There was a real possibility they would be in grave danger.

Ji Chang didn't believe that the goddess of luck would always stand by their side.

Simultaneously, Ji Chang felt his own lack of strength. A strong desire to enhance his own power ignited within him.

But for now, he knew very little about his own strength, let alone how to improve it.

Moreover, controlling just one ant was already pushing his limits. Just during the ant's "battle preparations," Ji Chang had sensed a subtle unease in his body.

This sensation was akin to the fatigue one felt after completing strenuous labor.

Though the fatigue was minor, Ji Chang could clearly sense it.

Regardless, Ji Chang understood that only by becoming stronger could they survive in this world, which had been reduced three hundredfold.

At the same time, he gazed in the direction the grasshopper had disappeared, lost in thought.

...

Compared to Ji Chang's current thoughts, Huang Mang, who was pulling the locust tree leaf, was similarly contemplative.

He knew that if they had encountered something other than a grasshopper—a fly, as Ji Ge mentioned, or a sparrow-like creature of ancient times—they would likely have met their end today.

Under these circumstances, Huang Mang could only exert all his strength to pull the leaf.

He understood that their temporary safety lay in returning to their room as quickly as possible.

Looking at his cement arms, a fervent desire to enhance his own strength surged within Huang Mang.

...

Just as Ji Chang and Huang Mang rushed back after experiencing the grasshopper incident, Chen Lingxue, along with everyone else, was not idle.

They had chosen the bedroom closest to the main entrance as their base. Of course, it was just the corner behind the bedroom door.

Unlike the cement floor in the living room, the bedroom was tiled with ceramic tiles and had baseboards. Chen Lingxue took advantage of the gaps formed by the ceramic tiles and baseboards in the corner behind the door. In her view, this was a natural "trench."

Given their current small size, the large gaps were sufficient for all of them to lie flat inside. Moreover, with the door blocking the way, it could significantly deter the invasion of larger insects or animals.

To enhance the defensive capability of their base, she had also gathered many pieces of rubble to stack at both ends of the gaps. Of course, these were considered rocks, but before the shrinking, they were just residue on the cement floor.

For the gaps, they had placed a piece of cotton tissue paper.

With everything done, everyone sat exhausted on the ground, suffering from hunger and thirst. Wang Lingling, who had exerted the most effort flying around carrying things, perhaps due to excessive energy consumption, had dimmed the glowing wings on her back.

Zheng Haiyu, who was continuously chipping ice shards from his fingernails and placing them to shore up the gaps between the stones, was also visibly fatigued. The ice shards on his fingernails had changed from deep blue to light blue, and their hardness had decreased to the point that they shattered with a gentle touch.

Remember, initially, they were so hard that they wouldn't break even if smashed against the cement floor.

Chen Lingxue also took a brief rest. The green mist she sprayed from her palm had an unclear effect, so it didn't consume much energy, just leaving her slightly tired.

At this moment, Chen Lingxue looked through the gap in the door toward the direction of the bedroom window.

Gazing at the slightly dim sunlight streaming in through the window, it was already evening. Estimating the time, Chen Lingxue knew that Ji Chang and Huang Mang would be returning soon.

"Rest here for now; I'll go meet Ji Chang and Huang Mang," Chen Lingxue said as she got up.

"Squad Leader, I'll come with you," Dong Xuan also stood up and said, "If we encounter any danger, the flames I can conjure from my fingers might serve as a deterrent!"

Though a bit tired, she hadn't used her flame abilities just now, so the consumption was low.

"No need to worry; I'll go alone. You stay here to protect them!" Glancing at the several people resting on the ground, Chen Lingxue shook her head and continued, "The main entrance isn't too far from here, so it shouldn't be very dangerous. You're needed more here."

"Alright, Squad Leader. Be careful, and don't worry about us. We're safe here!"

Dong Xuan looked at the other classmates, then nodded firmly.

Afterward, Chen Lingxue passed through the gap of the bedroom door and walked toward the direction of the main entrance.

Meanwhile, Dong Xuan widened her eyes, standing watch by the side of the group, her hands prepared to conjure flames at any moment.

As she watched Chen Lingxue's departing figure, a hint of determination appeared on Dong Xuan's face.

Since the shrinking, she had been constantly afraid.

Although she had awakened extraordinary abilities, the deep-seated fear within her could not be eradicated.

As she shrank, various insects and things seemed to be magnified countless times, inducing a chilling sensation from the ceiling-like rooftop, the mountainous door, and the abyss-like windows.

And then there was that ant they encountered before.

The fierce face of that ant seemed to be etched deeply into her mind like a nightmare.

Even though Ji Chang had controlled the ant and it wouldn't harm them, she still couldn't bring herself to look at it, let alone get close!

However, at this moment, she knew she had to be strong.

She had to protect her classmates' safety.

When disaster struck, no one could escape.

Everyone was putting in effort, and she had to do something as well.

In this moment, a seed was planted in Dong Xuan's heart—a seed of hope, a spark like the flame on her fingertip!