After observing carefully for a long time, Li Yao discovered that, although the metal oncomelania were mostly the ones on the losing end, they were not entirely defenseless.
When the metal oncomelania gathered to a certain number and broke through the critical point in their panic, they would turn around and launch counterattacks at the metal starfish.
The metal oncomelania used to be silver bugs, but they had all turned black and were thinner and longer, as if they had entered the "battle state" and were as hard as nails.
Countless metal oncomelania shot themselves at the metal starfish as if they were bullets, riddling the hunters who were chasing after them with holes.
The metal starfish's body was made of liquid metal and naturally boasted the ability of self-recovery. When there were not enough metal oncomelania, the wounds that were pierced through would be healed in only a few seconds. The metal oncomelania, on the other hand, would be embedded in the starfish's body and swallowed easily.
From that point of view, the metal oncomelania seemed to be committing suicide.
Even if some of the metal oncomelania pierced through the metal starfish's body, they would slowly sink into the magma as if they had run out of vitality.
However, when countless metal oncomelania attacked the metal starfish fearlessly, the limits of self-recovery of the liquid metal would be greatly exceeded. The wounds that were torn apart could not be healed anymore, and the tentacles were all broken. The incomplete body of the metal starfish, together with the pieces of the metal oncomelania, slowly sank to the bottom of the magma lake.
What a gory "suicidal attack"!
The enormous magma lake was divided into different areas in various colors. As far as Li Yao could see, almost a hundred 'metal starfish' and tens of thousands of 'metal oncomelania' were chasing and attacking each other. The battles were like small wars, or rather, a game of two survival strategies.
Li Yao was almost fascinated by them.
He discovered that the relatively weak metal oncomelania seemed to have two survival logics.
First of all, if survival was their primary instinct, they would naturally try to preserve themselves as much as possible. Then, when the metal starfish lunged at them to hunt, they would often choose to disperse and flee in all directions first.
However, their average speed was always slightly lower than that of the metal starfish, which meant that if they dispersed, all the metal oncomelania would be caught and swallowed.
In order to survive for a long time, it seemed that they had to restrain their instinct of running away. Instead, hundreds of "metal oncomelania" had to be gathered together, and all the "people" had to die together with the "metal starfish" fearlessly. That was the only way to increase the odds of survival of the entire species.
For the metal starfish, there were also two survival logics.
Li Yao speculated that, in the cruel and weird "ecosystem", the metal oncomelania was a relatively low-level "species" that fed on the light and heat of the magma.
The Metal Starfish was a relatively advanced "species" that was at the top of the "food chain" and fed on the Metal Oncomelania.
Then, for survival and development, the metal starfish had to swallow the metal oncomelania without a moment of rest. Hunting was the only mission and meaning of their life.
However, if the swallowing reached the limits and forced the metal oncomelania into desperation, it would be very likely that the metal starfish would be killed.
Therefore, the metal starfish had to control the pace of hunting carefully. On one hand, it could not push the metal oncomelania too hard. On the other hand, it had to pay attention to the metal oncomelania. Once the number of prey reached a critical point, it would be the metal starfish's turn to flee.
In such a delicate situation, it also had to calculate carefully to swallow the prey that was alone and could be swallowed as much as possible.
The result of the collision of the two simple rules was the ever-changing survival strategies and hunting scenarios. Li Yao observed the hunting of a hundred metal starfish at the same time, only to find that none of them were the same.
"This is truly incredible!"
Although they were low-level spiritual puppets in a very simple structure, Li Yao sensed an indescribable feeling from them that he did not sense from the high-level battle puppets.
Those tiny metal creatures did not seem to be under the control of a certain mainframe crystal processor. Instead, they seemed to be living and fighting spontaneously under the guidance of the simple logic of survival!
Li Yao smelled the primeval air from the magma lake deep below the ground.
He explored along the lakeside and passed through the steam, reaching the other end of the magma lake very soon.
The temperature here was obviously lower than the other end. The magma was orange. There were clusters of messy metal threads that were entangled next to the lake. One end of the metal threads extended into the magma lake, while the other end grew barbarically in a raging manner.
"Are they … plants?"
For some reason, such a ridiculous idea popped up in Li Yao's head.
Of course, those metal threads were not real plants, but they boasted the features of certain plants. Their 'roots' were deeply inserted into the magma lake, absorbing the light and heat of the magma, while the other end of the metal threads released feeble waves incessantly.
Li Yao estimated that the insignificant ripples could drive certain super-tiny chips that were as thin as cicadas' wings. In other words, it was a wireless energy supply system.
The metal clusters absorbed the light and heat of the magma and released feeble energy waves to drive the super-tiny chips nearby, like plants releasing oxygen for animals to breathe through photosynthesis.
"This is almost a primitive forest in the form of metal!"
Li Yao was both surprised and amazed. He looked past the 'metal forest' to the shore where the temperature was even lower, only to be truly shocked.
He saw a … 'city'.
Although 'city' was not the most appropriate word to describe it, he really did not know how to describe the clusters of buildings large and small that looked like buns before his eyes.
Those 'buns' were mostly around half a meter in diameter and height, and the smaller ones were only the size of fists. All the buns were densely packed with holes, making them look like inverted honeycombs.
Countless spiritual puppets the size of ants were entering and exiting the holes and moving along the 'roads' that were marked out among the buns.
Occasionally, there were some spiritual puppets that were slightly larger and boasted the ability of flight, but they were merely humming among the relatively larger buns.
The entire cluster of buildings was well-arranged, orderly, and vigorous.
If the shapes of the buns and the spiritual puppets were ignored, it was just a busy town!
Li Yao noticed that some of the tiny spiritual puppets were even shuttling between the 'city' and the 'forest', dragging certain items that looked like capsules to the messy clusters of wires before they inserted the capsules into the ends of the wires. Very soon, the previously gray capsules were glittering like weird fireflies.
The spiritual puppets shipped the glittering capsules back to their 'city'.
Therefore, was it because the power of wireless power was not enough, and they had to collect energy in such a way, like how human beings cut wood in the forest to obtain sufficient heat?
If the magma lake was regarded as an ocean in the primeval age, the scenes before his eyes were exactly the embryonic form of the 'ancestors' who fought against nature and developed their civilization!
Li Yao did not know whether he should 'click his tongue in amazement' or 'feel creeped out'.
The entire underground space seemed to be in the shape of a calabash. At the end of the magma lake was a narrow, long crack that was exactly the waist of the calabash. Li Yao heard laughter from the other side of the crack.
The laughter sounded somewhat familiar, which made him both loveable and loathed.
Pondering for a moment, Li Yao squeezed through the crack openly.
As he expected, there was something else on the other side of the crack. It was a tiny underground space where the temperature was much lower than on the magma lake's side. Deep blue minerals were embedded on the walls of the cave, emitting coolness that refreshed Li Yao's spirits!
He observed more carefully, only to discover that on the diagonal of the cave, two high platforms made of stone pillars were sitting cross-legged on which two children between the ages of seven and eight were sitting cross-legged.
The boy on the left looked vigorous, with killing intent and fighting will beaming out of his round eyes. He was obviously a fearless troublemaker.
The girl on the right seemed quiet and well-behaved, but there was mischievousness beaming out of her eyes now and then. Her slightly curled lips suggested that she was confident of her victory. She was perhaps even trickier to deal with than the aggressive boy.
Between the two children, on the other hand, were thousands of super-tiny spiritual puppets, which were exactly the ants that Li Yao saw in the 'city' just now.
The ants were emitting red and green brilliance. Manipulated by the two children, they attacked and killed each other.
Li Yao soon discovered the rule. As long as an 'ant' was bitten by two 'ants' of the other side at the same time, it would automatically turn into the color of the other side and join the other side.
Naturally, when all the ants turned into the same color, the winner of the game would be decided.
When Li Yao arrived, the game had already reached the end. The boy's remaining red ants were heavily besieged by the girl's army of green ants. No matter how hard he tried, he could not break out. Instead, he was weakened layer by layer by layer by the girl patiently, until there was only one red ant left.
According to the rules, it was impossible for a red ant to be transformed into a green ant.
The boy lost.
"The great civilization will never surrender. Let's go!"
The boy roared and manipulated the last red ant to charge forward, only to be swallowed by the tide of green ants very soon.
Li Yao was secretly amazed. Although it was just a game between children, the unpredictable tactics and the delicate timing of attacks were as good as the most professional military games. It was a hundred times more complicated than the fierce battle in the magma lake.
Deep below the ground, next to the magma lake, two children were manipulating metal ants to play a war game. What a weird picture it was!
Also, why did Li Yao feel that the two naughty children looked so familiar?
"What is this place? Who are you exactly?"
Li Yao coughed and reminded the two children of his existence. He asked warily, "Where are your adults? Now that you have invited 'Vulture Li Yao' to this place, why are you hiding? Are you ashamed? "
"Ha!"
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