Chapter 62

Chu Nan drew in a sharp breath and stumbled back.

The massive headless rhinoceros corpse crashed to the ground, and many insects were crawling out from its severed parts, densely packed, impossible to count at a glance. The entire rhinoceros body seemed to be a nest for these insects, and the blood inside had long been sucked dry by them.

"What... what kind of insects are these..."

Chu Nan's hair stood on end. He barely managed to turn around and saw Su Yao, Shen Mo, Tang Sanli, and others fleeing toward the zoo's back gate. Tang Sanli was shouting as he ran, "Chu Nan, hurry, come over—"

But Chu Nan did not run. Instead, he turned to face another lion charging at him.

The lion emitted a foul odor, clearly dead but still able to move. It was neither a mutant nor a reanimated corpse.

Reanimated corpses, though revived from death, could avoid further decay due to the effects of the pineal gland and the original force. However, these animal corpses emitted a foul smell, indicating they were decaying.

Therefore, this lion was not a reanimated animal.

"No wonder... I didn't absorb any original force after killing that rhinoceros... They can move... because..."

Chu Nan moved his body, and his right hand, equipped with spider claws, swung out forcefully.

The charging lion was sliced in half at the waist by the spider claws.

The lion's body, split into two, rolled away, and no blood flowed from the wounds, only a large number of white maggots-like insects were crawling in and out.

Like the rhinoceros, the lion's body had been completely consumed by the insects, and in some places, the skin had torn open, revealing even more insects.

Chu Nan kicked another gorilla that was charging at him.

The gorilla was kicked into the air, its belly splitting open, revealing an empty cavity filled only with white insects.

Feeling nauseous, Chu Nan retreated.

Shen Mo and the others, who had been fleeing in panic, slowed down. They all noticed a strange phenomenon.

Except for the initial rhinoceros, the other animals, though reanimated, moved much slower than expected, comparable to ordinary reanimated corpses, and some were even slower.

Such movement speed posed no real threat to them.

"God... what... what are these insects?" Tang Sanli suddenly exclaimed.

A squirrel rushed toward them and was smashed by Shen Mo with a steel bar. However, instead of blood and flesh, a pile of white maggots burst out.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines and retreated, fearing these crawling insects.

Chu Nan moved swiftly, his spider claws slicing through several animal corpses, then landed near the rhinoceros horn, grabbing the one-meter-long horn and swinging it. The rhinoceros's head, which had been hollowed out, was easily detached.

Examining the rhinoceros horn in his hand, he found it solid, with no insects inside.

With the rhinoceros horn in hand, Chu Nan moved quickly and soon reached Su Yao and the others. Looking at the approaching animal corpses, he said gravely, "They can move because of these strange insects. Each animal's body has been completely consumed, except for the rhinoceros, which seems to have been better preserved due to the horn."

Densely packed animals swarmed toward them, and the group retreated, quickly reaching the zoo's back gate.

However, the decaying animals that pursued them to the back gate slowed down, appearing hesitant to continue.

"Go." Without hesitation, Chu Nan and the others rushed out of the zoo's back gate, quickly distancing themselves from the place.

The animals, after hesitating, began to return to their original positions.

In the predator area, there was a hole about thirty to forty centimeters in diameter, previously hidden by the animal corpses.

Now, with the animals dispersed, the hole was exposed, and the white maggots-like insects were seen entering and exiting it, suggesting that it led to their underground nest.

Below the hole, there was a strange cocoon about forty to fifty centimeters in diameter, covered with maggots, which seemed to be injecting nutrients absorbed from the animal corpses into the cocoon. After injecting the nutrients, the insects became visibly smaller, then crawled out of the hole to absorb more nutrients from the animal corpses, repeating the process.

As more animals returned and piled up, the hole was quickly covered again.

Chu Nan and the eight others, who had escaped, did not see this scene. They panted heavily, recalling the bizarre events, feeling a lingering fear.

"What are those insects? They can completely consume animal corpses and even control them to attack? This is too strange, completely beyond reason," Shen Mo said, feeling incredulous.

"It's not beyond reason. Similar phenomena have existed in nature before," Jiang Lao said.

Everyone looked at Jiang Lao, curious about what he would say next.

"Have you heard of the zombie ant fungus?" Seeing their confusion, Jiang Lao continued, "This fungus has existed for 48 million years and can release chemicals to alter and control ant behavior, turning them into puppets until they die."

"The scientific name of this fungus is Ophiocordyceps unilateralis. Evidence of its terror was found on leaf fossils in the Messel Pit near Darmstadt, Germany, where the trees lived about 48 million years ago."

"Currently, this fungus still exists on Earth, typically parasitizing wood ants. Once infected, the ants' behavior is controlled by the fungus, which grows inside them and releases chemicals to turn them into 'zombie ants.'"

Everyone felt a chill.

Chu Nan, his face pale, said, "Is there really such a fungus in the world? I've never heard of it." Although he was a veterinarian, this was the first time he had heard of such a bizarre and terrifying fungus.

Jiang Lao looked at him and continued, "Zombie ants, once controlled by the fungus, no longer have their own behavior or life. In their final hours, they crawl to the underside of a leaf and bite into the central vein, trapping themselves and the fungus on the leaf, which becomes their grave."

"The zombie fungus can infect ants, take over their brains, and control their actions. Once the ants move to the most suitable area for the fungus to grow and spread spores, the fungus kills them. After the ants die, the fungus sprouts from their heads, producing spores that are 'fired' at night onto the forest floor, infecting other ants."

"Of course, ants are not the only hosts of these fungi. Many insects, such as wasps, flies, and crickets, are also prey. What we have discovered is just the tip of the iceberg of zombie fungi."

Su Yao's face turned even paler, and she murmured, "There are such terrifying fungi in the world."

Jiang Lao said, "However, fungi play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of nature. They are essential for the health of the Earth."

"Jiang Lao, are you suggesting that the insects consuming the animals are...?" Chu Nan asked, his face turning grim.

Jiang Lao sighed, his expression heavy, "After the earthquake, humans, animals, and even the dead can mutate and evolve. So... why can't these zombie fungi mutate and evolve?"

The others finally understood Jiang Lao's meaning and felt a chill. Shen Mo exclaimed, "Jiang Lao, are you saying that those insects might be evolved zombie fungi? This... this..."

Jiang Lao shook his head, "I can't say for sure, but if nature can have fungi that infect and control ants, wasps, flies, and other insects... then it's not surprising that there could be something that can control animals... or even infect and control humans."

Everyone fell silent, feeling a deep chill.

Parasitizing humans, controlling their thoughts and actions, and ultimately killing the host to find the next victim...

Everyone felt a shiver run down their spines. Chu Nan thought of the dense maggots and the completely consumed rhinoceros and lion, feeling a chill up his spine.

"Thousands of animals, if all infected, how many of these terrifying things would there be... and they would only increase... if they spread... what would be the consequences..." Chu Nan murmured, looking back at the zoo they had fled from, understanding for the first time why it was so eerily quiet and terrifying.

Why did all the animals gather together? There... might be a secret about those insects.

"Chu Nan, what are you thinking?" Jiang Lao suddenly asked.

Chu Nan said, "I'm thinking... do those insects fear fire and high temperatures? Maybe we can set a fire to burn the animal corpses and those cursed insects."

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**Recommended Book: "Medicine God" by Jing Ye Jisi**

Pharmacist Mu Xian felt immense pressure. Despite his promising future at a young age, he was unfortunately transported back ten thousand years. Well, in this era of martial arts desolation, at least he could use his vast knowledge and skills from his previous life to forge a new future. However, his life turned out to be even more challenging: no money, no strength, no status, and to make matters worse, he was born with a blocked meridian, unable to cultivate.

Mu Xian pointed his middle finger at the sky, determined to create his own glory since heaven treated him this way!

Lacking money, he would refine holy pills to gain endless wealth.

Lacking strength, he would use supreme holy medicines to strengthen his bones and reshape his meridians, defying fate and shattering the void.

Lacking status, he would step on countless corpses to ascend to his own supreme throne.