As he spoke, Dox looked at Angel: "I’ve done it up to this point, shouldn’t I be the one to probe?"
Dox had gone so far as to marinate the larva; refusing now would be inappropriate.
Angel nodded: "Then go ahead and probe."
"Great! Rest assured, I’ll definitely bring back the most effective information!" Dox placed the larva on the ground, taking advantage of the Moving Mirage’s trait that sound wouldn’t transmit outside, and shouted loudly: "Go forth, Little Stinky Worm!"
Angel: ...Has it been named so quickly?
Watching the sandworm slowly burrow into the surface layer and inch forward, Angel softly said, "If this little sandworm isn’t dead, will you retrieve it?"
Before Dox could speak, Vay answered quickly, "Of course I would! Dox has a lot of love for his sandworms and cherishes them greatly. Don’t be fooled by his current joy; it’s just a facade. Deep inside, he might be crying!"
Dox looked puzzled: "???"
He has a lot of sandworms, losing a few doesn’t really hurt him.
Vay certainly knows Dox doesn’t mind losing some ordinary sandworms. However, if Vay speaks first and confirms Dox’s obsessed image of loving sandworms, lifting him up, would he still refuse?
"Dox’s love for sandworms is sincere. This indicates he has strong principles, even cherishing insects. Moreover, when it comes to interpersonal relations?"
"Right, Dox?"
Dox nodded blankly: "Uh, I guess so."
Vay smirked and continued, "Therefore, if this sandworm isn’t dead, I’m sure Dox will recover it. And Dox will recover it just as it came!"
Vay’s last biting remarks revealed his intentions.
—He wants Dox to return the sandworm the same way! You like performing by spewing sandworms? Later, you’ll swallow it back!
Dox looked at Vay in shock, finally understanding Vay’s intention. Wanting him to swallow the sandworm contaminated by the sewer?!
"You’re so cruel..."
Vay feigned ignorance: "Ah? What are you talking about? Do you no longer love sandworms? Then you can’t be trusted. If you don’t love your bloodline’s sandworms, how can you love others?"
Vay’s words were directed at Angel, reminding Angel that if Dox doesn’t love sandworms, he’s a traitor.
If Dox loves sandworms, he will surely retrieve the sandworm the same way!
Dox was speechless and choked. He couldn’t outright say he doesn’t love sandworms; if he didn’t, why would he use sandworm bloodline as his main bloodline?
But to say he loves them would fall into Vay’s trap...
So cunning!
Dox turned to Angel, hoping Angel could see through Vay’s scheme and treat him fairly!
However, Dox chose the wrong person.
How could Angel not see through Vay’s trap? After all, it was Angel who started the topic.
Originally, Angel intended to set the trap himself, but he didn’t expect Vay to catch on so quickly, stealing his words and placing Dox on a pedestal, lifting him morally only to cruelly bring him down.
This is even more ruthless than Angel’s original idea... This is just perfect.
Angel: "Vay is right."
Dox was stunned, staring at Angel, not believing his ears.
Vay seized the opportunity to follow up, "The lord also is right!"
Dox felt dizzy, as if placed in an endless ice field where the biting wind penetrated his bones, freezing even his blood...
Black Earl: "Let’s put aside the idle talk; your sandworm is about to reach the Webbing."
Dox quickly returned from the icy world to reality, disregarding Angel and Vay’s banter, and began to seriously observe the sandworm’s movements.
Angel and Vay didn’t interfere further; occasionally adjusting the atmosphere is fine, but during important tasks, there must be no negligence.
At this moment, Dox’s plump little sandworm had left the Moving Mirage.
Even so, it didn’t attract the attention of the distant Infant Spirits.
This further confirmed Black Earl’s suspicion—Infant Spirits are controlled, or perhaps they possess intelligence. Otherwise, given their sensitivity to living beings’ aura, they couldn’t have missed smelling the sandworm’s scent.
Infant Spirits have yet to appear; are they planning to... wait for them to voluntarily enter the net?
And their reliance is on this Webbing and red wax?
These questions remain unknown for now, but using the sandworm to test the effects of the red wax and Webbing seems advisable at present.
The red wax covered the ground, but it can climb walls or ceilings to avoid it. However, the Webbing is different; it tightly seals all gaps in the walls.
Now, it’s about Dox’s decision.
Will he walk directly on the ground, touching the red wax first, or bypass it to reach the Webbing?
Dox stroked his chin and ultimately decided to bypass the red wax first. Because the sandworm can bypass it, they can too.
But as for the Webbing, there is no escaping it, facing it is essential; hence observing the effects of the Webbing is crucial for now.
After making the decision, the sandworm began crawling towards the wall and slowly climbed upward, unopposed throughout the process.
When it reached the ceiling, the sandworm then proceeded further.
Soon, the sandworm entered the red wax area, but being on the ceiling, didn’t touch the red wax.
However, just as everyone thought the sandworm successfully bypassed the red wax, Dox suddenly frowned and said, "It seems my control over the sandworm has weakened."
Angel questioned in confusion, "Control weakened?"
Dox paused and said, "Maybe it’s my imagination."
Everyone looked at Dox inquisitively. He didn’t know how to explain. He felt his control over the sandworm did diminish, but now it seemed to return. So he claimed it a delusion.
However, shortly after, Dox once again felt his control weakening over the sandworm. Just as he was about to report to the group, his control came back again.
After that, within a few meters, Dox felt his control fluctuate like a roller coaster, sometimes high, sometimes low.
Dox didn’t mention this situation for now, mainly because, although the control was strange, the sandworm’s aim remained unchanged, continuing towards the Webbing.
Dox wanted to wait until the sandworm was caught by the Webbing to observe any changes.