Chapter 81: Firepower Coverage, Harvest, and Awakening

As soon as Lin Feng finished speaking, Shen Jie volunteered to step forward:

"Reporting in, I'll go!"

Beside him, Zhang Liying wanted to accompany him, but Shen Jie stopped her:

"You stay behind; they need you to lead them."

He then selected two other guys, forming a small team that boarded a patrol SUV. Under Lin Feng's watchful eye, they slowly drove into the insect heartland.

Before they left, Lin Feng stood by and advised:

"Don't go too far, within three kilometers is fine. Insect patrols are quite tight now, so you won't have to wait long to encounter them."

"Once you engage, turn around and run. After gaining some distance, have the other two shoot from the back to draw the patrol of Black Spinal Bugs to chase you."

"Don't drive too fast, maintain seventy to eighty km/h for safety. Black Spinal Bugs aren't actually that fast, about fifty to sixty km/h, so you can easily outrun them in a car."

"I'll provide fire support from behind, but I won't be too far. You need to lure the Black Spinal Bugs out first."

"Then we can safely take them down."

Lin Feng handed over a walkie-talkie from Chen Yanyan, which Han Yuxin had brought back. It was standard issue for the security bureau, useful for maintaining communication during missions.

"Remember to listen to the car radio for updates. I'll contact you as soon as we spot anything."

Lin Feng detailed the mission, emphasizing the life-saving tips, which were crucial.

Shen Jie and his team took it to heart, nodding seriously.

Watching the patrol SUV speed off, Lin Feng climbed to the second level of the armored vehicle, instructing everyone else to return inside to avoid Blue Wing Bug attacks.

Though they hadn't engaged in battle, Blue Wing Bugs weren't usually attracted unless there was a commotion, but with the Empress's nest under attack, no one knew what might happen.

Lin Feng had to remain on high alert.

This was why he didn't risk sending the armored vehicle first, to avoid provoking the Empress and attracting a massive swarm of Black Spinal Bugs, which could jeopardize the live capture mission.

This was one reason he was training new recruits.

The armored vehicle's firepower was too strong and likely marked by the insects, doubling the risk each time they ventured deep.

Having Shen Jie and his team drive ordinary vehicles significantly reduced the risk. The insects would assume they were regular invaders, unlike the armored vehicle, which would trigger a swarm attack.

As the patrol SUV entered the insect territory, Lin Feng used telepathy for the first time.

Instantly, a subtle wave of mental energy spread from him like sonar, highlighting any life form with more than fifty health points in his mind.

The higher the health, the brighter the point; the more clustered the creatures, the denser the light points.

This way, all lv5 and above insects within three kilometers appeared in Lin Feng's mental map.

Unexpectedly, the telepathy covered not only the sky and ground but also detected underground activity.

Though the mental energy spread underground was limited to a 300-meter radius, it could alert Lin Feng hours in advance of insects tunneling for surprise attacks.

While not immediately useful, this ability would be invaluable during the Wu City defensive battle, particularly at the forward base.

Lin Feng assumed the military had similar detection methods, but none as convenient and omnipresent as his.

Pleased with the surprise bonus, Lin Feng ignored the five or six tunnels dug by Red Beetles beneath him, focusing on the group of fast-moving light points two kilometers away.

Judging by their speed and brightness, he identified them as the nearest Black Spinal Bug patrol.

Wasting no time, Lin Feng picked up the walkie-talkie, instructing Shen Jie and his team still scouting:

"Do you hear me? The Black Spinal Bug group is 500 meters southwest of you. Turn around, turn around and head back, then fire to draw them in!"

The walkie-talkie had a three-kilometer range, but on the open plains, signals could reach five kilometers.

Shen Jie, driving with tense focus, heard Lin Feng's command. He executed a sharp U-turn, pushing the patrol vehicle to its limits.

With the pedal to the metal, the engine roared, accelerating from ten to ninety km/h in an instant.

Thanks to his swift maneuvering, the Black Spinal Bugs charged onto the road seconds later, nearly cutting off their escape.

Shen Jie reacted quickly, realizing the swarm was behind them, and sped out of the encirclement.

On the highway, they could reach high speeds to evade the Black Spinal Bugs.

With the swarm close on their tail, Shen Jie's two companions in the back smashed the rear window, crouching to fire.

This way, they didn't have to lean out, avoiding Blue Wing Bug attacks.

After escaping the jaws of death, Shen Jie maintained a speed of seventy to eighty km/h, keeping a 200-300 meter gap from the pursuing swarm.

To ensure they took the bait, he activated the patrol car's siren.

The wailing siren agitated the Black Spinal Bugs, making them more relentless.

Meanwhile, two kilometers away, Lin Feng stood on the armored vehicle's watchtower, using telepathy to confirm the swarm's numbers and location.

There were twenty-six in total, including three late first-tier Giant Black Spinal Bugs.

Without a reinforced company equipped with heavy weapons, it would be tough to handle them.

But Lin Feng's Lv19 grenade launcher wasn't just for single shots; its firepower coverage could unleash the might of an entire artillery company!

With a massive 10,000 sqm coverage area, instantaneous 40 damage, and a two-second charge boosting it to 100 damage, it was like dropping a grenade every square meter.

This saturation firepower and speed would overwhelm even a vast Black Spinal Bug army.

One weapon could single-handedly cover an entire battlefront.

Handling twenty-something Black Spinal Bugs was trivial.

To avoid killing them all with firepower coverage, Lin Feng didn't charge but waited for them to close within 400 meters of the patrol SUV before unleashing his firepower.

He saturated the 200-meter stretch of road they occupied with 40 damage per square meter.

After aligning his aim, Lin Feng pulled the trigger on the swarm trailing the SUV.

A red glow gathered at the muzzle, and in the next instant, countless bullets fired, the recoil absorbed by Lv19 Lin Feng.

Seconds later, the highway erupted in a chain of explosions, from the lead Black Spinal Bug to the rear, engulfed in meter-wide blasts.

The explosions shredded their limbs, each suffering around 100 damage.

Early first-tier Black Spinal Bugs were on the brink of death.

The larger ones, though not fatally hit due to even distribution, suffered multiple hits, enough to severely wound them.

Dragging their blasted limbs, they tried to flee.

But Lin Feng's team soon arrived, severing their limbs and jaws, leaving them thrashing impotently on the ground.

Lin Feng instructed Shen Jie and his team to kill one each, taking their jaws, while Chen Yanyan dispatched the three large ones.

Their size was cumbersome, hard to control safely.

Killing them preserved the valuable jaws, useful for vehicle upgrades or reinforcing armor, more worthwhile than selling them off.

With Shen Jie's team assisting, gathering the jaw materials was swift.

In just two minutes, they followed Lin Feng's orders, each killing a Black Spinal Bug, collecting eleven pairs of jaws, and loading the remaining fifteen live bugs into the vehicle's trunk.

Lin Feng sat at the watchtower, merely on lookout for Blue Wing Bug disturbances.

Far more relaxed than working solo.

The first mission with newcomers went smoothly. Lin Feng, through telepathy, sensed more Black Spinal Bug groups approaching...

He ordered a prompt retreat, avoiding lingering.

Having met his objectives, Lin Feng never lingered to attract more insect attention.

Returning, each team member beamed with satisfaction. Shortly after Lin Feng's group departed, a Black Spinal Bug patrol arrived to investigate...

A late-stage lv19 Giant Black Spinal Bug regurgitated an egg-like sac, dropping it.

After they left, several Red Beetles arrived, lapping up the Black Spinal Bugs' blood.

Two Red Beetles sniffed the sac, catching a familiar scent.

Suddenly, a slime-covered hand tore through the sac.

A human, covered in translucent slime and reeking of insects, emerged, standing on the highway.

Cheng Zhan slowly opened his eyes, the bump on his neck receding into his spine.

Shaking off the slime, he glanced at the curious Red Beetles, which scattered in fear.

Then the man looked toward Wu City, crossed the highway barrier, and disappeared into the woods.

...

Returning to the service area, Lin Feng marveled at the completed forward base.

The bastion was 80 meters long, 60 meters wide, and 15 meters tall, with an elliptical shape and five protruding sections to bolster flanking firepower.

Its inverted trapezoid structure allowed for unlimited harvesting of Black Spinal Bugs from the bunkers.

Admiring it, Lin Feng gave Han Yuxin five Black Spinal Bugs, leaving the remaining ten for Hu Fei to transport.

Entering the hotel, he ensured Shen Jie's team was well-fed and rested before initiating their superpower awakening to the first tier.

This time, eight awakened simultaneously.

Lin Feng hoped at least one would gain a unique power beyond the commonplace physical enhancement.

His best bet was on Shen Jie...

He wondered what ability this determined, courageous young man might awaken.

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