Chapter 35: Lv11 Explosive Gun, Lv14 Black Spinal Bug
The Explosive Gun fired rounds that detonated upon impact with the Black Spinal Bugs, severing their sturdy limbs.
One after another, they toppled to the ground.
In the next instant, unable to leap away, the Black Spinal Bugs were crushed under the hundred-mile-per-hour revamped camper, their bodies shattered.
The sharp triangular bumper pierced through them, compressing their torsos.
Of the three bugs, the middle one died instantly, while those on the sides were flung away, severely injured, with only their heads and bodies intact.
The accompanying Red Armored Beetles were crushed under the camper's solid tires, bursting like stepped-on cockroaches.
"Stop, time to work," Lin Feng said calmly. Using the camper's collision, he had only fired three explosive rounds to take down the Black Spinal Bugs, swiftly dismantling the scout team.
Chen Yanyan took a deep breath, her hands trembling as she braked. She then drew her Divine Handgun, firing wildly at the scattering Red Armored Beetles.
Lin Feng exited the camper, approaching the downed Black Spinal Bugs, and shot one dead.
Having scavenged two previously, his Lv10 Explosive Gun's upgrade points were now sufficient.
Lin Feng initiated the upgrade and moved to the camper's other side, where the last Black Spinal Bug lay, barely clinging to life.
Its nimble limbs were shattered, leaving it to crawl with its mandible appendages in a futile attempt to escape.
The insectoid tenacity was evident; even in such dire straits, it fought to its last breath.
But its pace was too slow, and by the time Lin Feng had dispatched the first bug, it had barely moved five or six meters, easily caught.
With another scout team potentially inbound, Lin Feng had to quickly load the legless Black Spinal Bug into the camper.
He switched his gun to Divine Handgun mode, shooting off the creature's remaining mandibles. From the camper, he retrieved a thick woven rope capable of withstanding five to six tons, perfect for securing the dying bug.
The dossier from Ding Chenghai detailed the Black Spinal Bug's traits: its pincers boasted formidable bite strength, with blade-like tips capable of piercing 20mm alloy armor.
Light tanks were defenseless against them, though agile infantry vehicles could counter with rapid-fire cannons.
Despite its powerful bite, a critical flaw was its jaw tension.
Tests showed it could be held shut with just 50-60 kg of force, easily manageable by an adult.
Black Spinal Bugs compensated with mantis-like appendages beside their jaws, aiding in slicing targets.
With these appendages disabled, Lin Feng fashioned a loop with the rope, cinching it tight around the jaws, immobilizing the bug.
For extra security, he wrapped it several times, rendering it immobile, then dragged the remaining head and body to the rear.
Weighing 400-500 kg, it couldn't be lifted onto the roof, so Lin Feng used the rear hitch to suspend it, covering it with a tarp to avoid detection.
Openly transporting a live bug risked causing a camp panic.
Afterward, Lin Feng instructed Liu Yueqi to pause on the Red Armored Beetles and instead harvest the mandibles from the other Black Spinal Bugs.
Her sharp Thousand Slash Blade was ideal for severing the resilient tendons.
Once finished, with some beetles dead and others fled, Lin Feng secured all collected materials atop the camper.
Excess carapace materials were absorbed into his Lv7 shield, though they remained white quality and couldn't yet integrate Black Spinal Bug parts, requiring Lv9 for red material upgrades.
With the battlefield cleared, the scout team of three Black Spinal Bugs and accompanying Red Armored Beetles was annihilated.
Satisfied, Lin Feng boarded the camper and waved:
"We've penetrated three kilometers; any further risks encountering backup. Let's keep circling here, staying on main roads."
Chen Yanyan nodded. With the Divine Handgun's aid, she'd slain over a hundred beetles, her upgraded Lv6 status nearing Lv7, making her one of the stronger humans currently.
Following the GPS, she looped through the area.
In the rear, Liu Yueqi sat by the window, clutching her Thousand Slash Blade, occasionally unsheathing it to admire.
Her body pulsed with energy, erasing the fatigue from her sword practice, invigorating her with each kill.
Her upgrade pace was swift, now Lv7, with evident enhancement effects.
Her bloodstained shield armor testified to high-risk yielding high reward.
But without Chen Yanyan's extermination of most beetles, Liu Yueqi couldn't have withstood an assault of dozens, despite her armor.
Following Lin Feng proved her wisest choice, balancing risk with steady progression.
Amid her elation, a low grinding noise, like stones being crushed, caught her attention.
The sound was constant, yet subdued.
Gripping her sword hilt, Liu Yueqi traced the noise, confirming it came from outside the rear trunk, where Lin Feng had secured the live Black Spinal Bug.
Realizing its significance, she rushed to the front, alerting:
"Captain, there's an issue!"
"The thing hanging from the back is making a scraping noise... It's calling its comrades."
"Remember in the teacher's dorm on the tenth floor..."
Lin Feng nodded, recalling his first use of the Divine Handgun's Metal Storm skill, obliterating a beetle swarm before their charge, as they signaled with their limbs.
Even the lowest Red Armored Beetles could call for help; the higher Black Spinal Bugs surely could too.
However, Lin Feng anticipated this:
"That's the plan!"
"Otherwise, finding another Black Spinal Bug team in the vast dark suburbs would take ages."
"Given the low odds, we must artificially increase our chances."
Understanding dawned on Liu Yueqi.
While other bait teams feared Black Spinal Bugs, their team sought them.
In Lin Feng's lead, they were the strongest.
Her worries vanished, replaced by admiration for Lin Feng.
As the camper roamed, Lin Feng's Explosive Gun upgraded to Lv11:
"Explosive Gun Lv11/19, Red Quality"
"Upgrade Points: 0/3, Damage: 60, Effective Range: 2 km, Remaining Ammo: 95/300"
"Extra Attributes: Bullet Recovery 1/min, Space Magazine 300 rounds"
Damage increased by ten points, with minor upgrades in bullet recovery and magazine capacity for a minor stage increase.
Unfortunately, the magazine wasn't full, thwarting Lin Feng's plan to test solo against small bug swarms.
With 300 spare rounds, he could theoretically eliminate 150 bugs, sufficient for small groups.
But with only 100 rounds, conservation was crucial for defense.
Soon after Lin Feng reviewed the gun's data, Chen Yanyan encountered a second Black Spinal Bug team.
Two hundred meters ahead, they charged upon spotting the camper!
This scout team had five bugs, notably strong.
Lin Feng identified one as an Lv14 Black Spinal Bug with 140 health, 80 constitution, and formidable armor.
Larger than its peers, it stood six meters long and four meters high, rivaling the revamped camper.
Its black body bore vivid yellow stripes, menacing in the high beams.
Restricting the Lv14 bug, Lin Feng was confident in eliminating it with three shots!
"Don't panic, aim for the biggest one!"
Lin Feng steadied Chen Yanyan, calming her trembling hands, directing.
Chen Yanyan's heart pounded, nerves taut, as she floored the gas, accelerating past 150 km/h.
In the final moment, Lin Feng seized his chance, firing multiple rounds. The explosive flames disoriented the bugs, the high beams blinding them!
In an instant, the Lv14 bug collided with the camper's sharp bumper!
Loud crashes echoed, the impact generating a shockwave!
The Lv14 bug's mandibles, far stronger than the bumper, endured the over 200 km/h collision...
The bumper twisted and deformed, the camper's rear wheels lifted by inertia, yet its weight of four to five tons forced the bug to retreat.
Inside, everyone was jolted from their seats, pulled back by seatbelts.
The impact was mitigated by the bug's retreat, and Lin Feng, the first to recover as an awakener...
Raised his Explosive Gun from the window, firing three shots into the Lv14 bug's trapped form!
Each shot targeted its eyes behind the mandibles!
That was where its brain lay!