The nurse bug now boasts a total of 18 legs, arranged in 9 pairs. After undergoing one evolution, 10 of these legs have grown longer and sharper. Typically, it uses either 8 or 6 legs for locomotion.

Kelvier originally planned to engage using 4 legs for stability and 6 for combat, but the thought of being overturned chilled him. Given the unique terrain, he opted to meet challenges with 4 legs grounded.

No matter what, the first step was to secure a firm stance. This way, most of his body was shielded behind him, minimizing the surface area exposed to potential attacks from the King Bugs.

At the sound of several light noises, a few larvae charged towards Kelvier. Seizing the right moment, he skewered them in mid-air, too rushed even to shake off the dying larvae clinging to his limbs. In a flurry of movements, Kelvier speared several more.

Soon, Kelvier’s limbs were laden with larvae, strung together like shish kebabs. Suddenly, the first larva bit fiercely into his "chest," tearing off a chunk of flesh. Quickly, two more latched onto his body!

This was bad!

In desperation, Kelvier tried to shake off the larvae clinging to his forelimbs, and managed a vigorous shake, but their biting force was formidable. He stabbed at the larvae on his body in a frantic scramble as yet more climbed aboard, each one biting down hard.

Many bitten areas began oozing white fluid, but what worried Kelvier most was several larvae that had crawled onto his back.

With a roar, he flopped to the ground and rolled over, trying to confront the enemy with all 10 legs pointed upward.

After the evolution, a faint shell had formed on his back, providing some protection. His immediate goal was to deal with the majority of the larvae attacking him.

At this point, Kelvier spared no second thoughts. His 10 legs thrashed wildly in the air, stabbing indiscriminately, even puncturing his own flesh multiple times.

The larvae were small, and almost certainly doomed upon being speared. Although there were only about a hundred, the chaotic stabbing quickly reduced their numbers.

In a short while, all the larvae were dead, except for two that continued gnawing on his back, having breached the shell beneath his skin. Kelvier panicked, realizing that if they breached further into his body, death was inevitable.

Quickly, he flipped over, desperation fueling his rapid, forceful stabs.

Two faint pops sounded as Kelvier successfully killed the larvae, though in his fervor, he also inflicted two large wounds upon himself.

Relieved, yet covered in “blood” and white fluid from his wounds, Kelvier assessed the damage. Even though these hundred or so larvae together weighed far less than a fraction of his own mass, they had inflicted serious damage.

Frowning, Kelvier realized that facing even a few hundred more larvae would be beyond his capacity. The recent battle had drained much of his energy, but he was adapting, devouring the larvae as one might eat skewers of meat.

"Still hungry..." Kelvier sighed. The larvae were too small to sate his hunger, and venturing out for more food was too risky.

Reflecting for a moment, he retreated to a niche in the cave wall, steadied himself, and began stabbing wildly at the dirt, causing it to cascade down.

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Before long, Kelvier was completely covered.

Many insects do not breathe through their mouths, just like Kelvier currently buried under the soil. His lower abdomen is equipped with a row of spiracles for breathing, and he deliberately maintained a sizeable space around him to ensure air access when the soil fell.

Now buried, Kelvier began to ponder the composition of the King Bug. It was clear that humanity's understanding of the King Bug was insufficient. Previously, he thought that King Bugs, like many beetles, belonged to the Coleoptera order, characterized by a hard outer shell with wings tucked inside, such as dung beetles and scarabs.

Having now encountered the nurse bug and previously cramming knowledge as part of the extermination team, Kelvier knew insects were divided into three types: holometabolous (complete metamorphosis), hemimetabolous (incomplete metamorphosis), and ametabolous (no metamorphosis), all typically featuring a hard exoskeleton. He struggled to remember the details.

Metamorphosis typically involves four stages: eggs, larvae (caterpillars, grubs, etc.), pupae (some forming cocoons), and finally, the adult stage, like butterflies or dragonflies. The King Bug's larval stage already exhibits terrifying predatory traits and appears almost adult-like, just without wings.

What shocked Kelvier was the specialization within the King Bug's lifecycle, already preparing a large, fatty nurse bug for the larvae upon their birth. Who could say the King Bug lacked more intricate divisions of labor?

And about the nurse bug—it clearly serves to nourish the larvae, a creature with no future beyond its current state, suggesting it represents an ametabolous class.

Could there be such diverse insects coexisting? Many entomologists have debated that while mostly beetles and King Bugs have been observed, given the King Bug's ability to consistently resurge, it likely has specialized tactics for relocating its "ground troops" after significant losses, implying the existence of a mysterious, unseen force sustaining the King Bug's rapid recoveries.

Kelvier, due to his professional background, had attended many lectures on these topics but never took them seriously since humanity had been battling King Bugs for seven years, exterminating countless without ever encountering any underground King Bug forces.

However, now, seeing the situation firsthand... Whether King Bugs have special forces is hard to say, such as the nurse bug, which was never mentioned before.

After about half an hour buried, the noise outside gradually subsided. Kelvier cautiously moved some dirt aside and looked out. The area was empty, which surprised him. Perhaps the larvae had moved elsewhere in search of food or other nurse bugs within the cave?

Kelvier wrestled with his thoughts for a while, deciding to stay put; encountering a large group of larvae would be too dangerous. About a day passed, and hunger set in. Suddenly, an idea struck him—typically, insects are divided into three main body parts: the head, housing the mouthparts and most sensory organs; the thorax, responsible for movement, bearing the legs and wings; and the abdomen, containing the digestive and reproductive systems.

However, his current form seemed to lack distinct sections; even his head seemed fused with his body.

After half a day, unable to resist the gnawing hunger, Kelvier cautiously stepped out. He was immediately taken aback. The cave wall he faced was densely covered with pupae.

"Damn, no wonder!" Kelvier thought, deciding to kill the larvae within their pupal stage, just as he had before. He tested his ten legs and found them perfectly suited for climbing the nearly vertical cave walls, feeling as if he could even walk upside down on the ceiling.

The most vulnerable stages for most insects are the egg and pupal stages. Without any hesitation, Kelvier began his attack, thrusting his leg into each pupa and stirring violently. With his stomach growling, he ate as he slaughtered, clearing his way through.

The density of pupae was much less compared to the egg stage, but unlike his nurse bug phase, where he could only kill to eat, Kelvier now ate until he was full and then continued killing without eating. By the end of the day, he had destroyed around ten thousand pupae, similar to his activities as a nurse bug.

Observing the situation, there were still no signs of the pupae hatching, which meant Kelvier could continue this destructive process for several more days.

Now, Kelvier's belly was full, slightly resembling his nurse bug form, though his exterior had darkened and his ten legs had become incredibly powerful. His mouthparts had also become more formidable.

After another half-day of relentless onslaught, sudden severe pain struck Kelvier's abdomen. Surprised and wondering if he was about to evolve again, he couldn't afford to take it lightly and forced himself to climb down.

It felt as though something had burst inside him; with a soft "puff," a small slit opened in his body and white fluid spurted out again.

"Puff! Puff!"

Amidst intense pain, Kelvier felt an odd sense of joy—he knew he was about to evolve once more.