Chapter 450: Vaccine
Vlad immediately sent a signal, causing his battalions to halt their advance. The warriors, who had been moving steadily forward moments before, froze in place at his silent command. He stood at the forefront of the formation, his gaze fixed on the distant swarm of mosquitoes that hovered in a loose cloud. Although he was worried, it was not as if he and Overlord had not prepared for a situation like this. The armor his warriors wore had been designed to isolate gases and prevent the bite of even the smallest insect. Yet, even that might not be enough in the grand scheme of things. The hive mind was endlessly resourceful, and Vlad needed to be careful.
He wasted no time and dashed forward toward the swarm of mosquitoes at full speed. It did not take him long to approach the insect’s cloud; as soon as the mosquitoes detected his presence, they scattered in all directions.
Vlad’s eyes narrowed. The movements of the mosquitoes were not random; it was clear that the hive mind understood these small creatures posed no real threat to him. Instead of wasting them in a futile attempt at harming him, the hive mind was trying to preserve the biomass. Dispersing the mosquitoes ensured that at least some portion of these units would survive.
Without hesitation, Vlad made his move. He dashed forward again, focusing his efforts on one particular mosquito unit that he managed to catch mid-flight. His hand shot out like lightning, grasping the tiny Levithan creature with a grip so precise that it could neither escape nor be instantly crushed. With his other hand, Vlad summoned demonic flames. A massive burst of hellish fire erupted in every direction, consuming a significant portion of the mosquitoes that had attempted to flee.
After that, he tightened his grip on the captured mosquito, holding it firmly for closer examination.
"A.I. Chip, scan it. I want to learn the nature of this thing and its purpose," Vlad commanded in a calm, measured tone. A faint beep echoed in his mind as the A.I. Chip acknowledged his command.
[Beep! Scanning target.]
The robotic voice of the A.I. Chip echoed in Vlad’s mind. Moments passed as the invisible sensors did their work, analyzing the creature at a microscopic level.
[Beep! Levithan unit carries a virus]