Chapter 160: The Source of Insect Intent and the Battle for Recapture

"Congratulations on destroying a bio-hive!"

"Killed parasitic host—node symbiote"

"Received ten Tier 2 upgrade energy..."

"Received node symbiote's gift: insect intent mental energy."

"Insect Intent Source: Absorbing this allows deep reading of insect secrets, increases mental attribute by 100, with a chance to decipher related intent skills."

"Tier 2 Upgrade Energy: Can upgrade orange-quality equipment or items, or be used for personal advancement."

The deeper Lin Feng read, the more delighted he became.

Ten Tier 2 upgrade energies could address the Land Cruiser's upgrade needs, sparing precious Tier 2 eggs.

This would facilitate the creation of more Tier 2 awakeners and lay the groundwork for forming a Tier 2 corps.

What surprised Lin Feng most was the additional reward from slaying the node symbiote. The description suggested it was akin to his previous experience in the mental realm.

Absorbing this source of intent would allow him to enter the insect's intent legacy, boosting his mental attribute by 100 and possibly granting him high-tier intent skills like gene radiation.

This would give Lin Feng more trump cards against high-tier queens.

But now wasn't the time for absorption; he needed to return to camp and stabilize his condition before trying.

Behind him, Ling Yi was using more Red Beetles to widen the hatchery tunnel.

Her five controlled Tiger Bug guards had died in the defense. Their sacrifice prevented a swarm invasion, avoiding a two-front assault, but blocked the hive entrance.

Now, Red Beetles were widening the walls to retrieve the corpses.

This was Lin Feng's initial concern, but with Ling Yi's help, he wasn't trapped for long.

As Lin Feng approached, Ling Yi glanced at him, her golden eyes narrowing.

She sensed a change in Lin Feng, a mental shift. Previously, his mental strength was slightly inferior to hers...

Now it seemed stronger.

Perhaps absorbing the node symbiote's life energy gave him an extra boost.

Such occurrences were common. Intent, as a field's precursor, naturally spread and affected its surroundings, making cosmic life formidable.

Killing cosmic entities spread intent pollution, fatal to some native species.

This altered their genes, extending the cosmic race's legacy.

Like gene warriors, or Shen Jie, trapped in intent, blurred between human and insect...

"What about these bodies?"

Seeing Lin Feng's smile, Ling Yi pointed to the uncovered Tiger Bug corpses.

Lin Feng swung his lv27 chainsaw sword, severing the mandibles, upgrading his sword further.

Slaying the lv29 peak Tiger Bug and cutting an egg to heal Shen Jie completed his upgrade points.

"Just take the mandibles out."

"Wait, with the node dead, what happens to this hive's swarm?" Lin Feng cut more mandibles, planning to integrate them into the Land Cruiser or its replicas, then pondered the node's death and the Tiger Bugs that vanished...

Ling Yi nodded:

"Yes, they're uncontrolled, in chaos. Survival instinct prevails. The surface soldiers' firepower can handle the Black Spinal Bugs."

"The Tiger Bugs outside, I'm controlling to maintain order."

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow:

"Your mental attribute surpassed the Tier 2 limit, reaching the third stage. How many Tiger Bugs can you control? Over what distance?"

Ling Yi smirked, summoning a giant Red Beetle, sitting on it:

"Guess? Probably over twenty..."

She paused, eyes turning serious, looking left:

"They're here."

Lin Feng gripped his chainsaw sword and electromagnetic cannon, activating psychic sense:

"Haicheng or the north?"

Ling Yi urged the Red Beetles to hurry, multitasking:

"Haicheng. The Tiger Bug hatchery's destruction concerns it. The north won't act until we're vulnerable, then swoop in to reap benefits..."

Lin Feng relaxed slightly, worried the northern queen would come.

The two were just ten kilometers apart.

Given his and the team's fatigue, they couldn't withstand a queen's assault, risking annihilation.

Haicheng's 76th queen was 150 kilometers away, unable to arrive directly, only sending an elite Tier 2 squad.

Like a mixed team of warrior hunters and Tiger Bugs, delaying the human retreat to minimize insect losses.

"Let's hurry!"

Lin Feng shrugged, leading the team, kicking away the Tiger Bug blocking the entrance, thankful the walls only cracked, not collapsed.

Ling Yi guided the Red Beetles carrying eggs and mandibles, following the Tier 2 squad to the surface.

"I'll cover the rear, maybe gather more Tiger Bugs." Ling Yi stood at the entrance, watching Lin Feng in the swarm.

Psychic feedback indicated 40-50 Tiger Bugs nearby, scattered, not easily caught.

"Can you handle yourself? Shen Jie needs me to lead the surface retreat."

"Elite Tier 2 reinforcements are near." Lin Feng warned as he walked backward.

Ling Yi nodded, waving goodbye.

As Lin Feng vanished up the slope, she turned to the deeper hive, softly speaking:

"Come, let's see your depth."

In the dark, Tiger Bugs surrounded Ling Yi.

...

On the surface, in the riverside neighborhood.

The 700 soldiers hid in buildings, guarding the tunnel entrance for the Tier 2 squad.

An hour passed without insect assault, relaxing their vigilance, rotating patrols.

Among the 700, over 100 were Lin Feng's veterans, now late-stage Tier 1, the rest new recruits who awakened during this battle.

Awakener numbers greatly influenced a team's strength.

Especially against Black Spinal Bugs, awakeners' abilities and gear meant easy kills, whereas non-awakeners struggled.

During endless swarm assaults, awakeners' resilience ensured combat endurance, their stamina kept pace.

Two hours later, at 3 p.m.

The Black Spinal Bugs hiding in the city suddenly appeared.

They gathered, aiming for the tunnel.

The lv19 veteran captains looked grim.

They'd faced Black Spinal swarms' onslaught, knowing their danger and destructive power.

This wave was more aggressive than prior probes.

Now, their goal was clear: breach the tunnel, encircle the Tier 2 squad. Even sacrificing themselves to stall the invaders underground.

But their sudden appearance hinted at Lin Feng's plan nearing success.

For the 700 soldiers, holding the surface meant victory!

Seeing the distant swarm, veterans ordered everyone to prepare for battle.

They took positions on each floor, targeting the incoming swarm.

The swarm mustn't reach the neighborhood!

Captains decided to deploy 50 shotgun-armed veterans for close-range defense, preventing stragglers' entry.

Armed soldiers emerged, forming five-man teams, guarding building gaps.

These were blind spots for rooftop defenders.

Battle erupted with a shotgun blast, intensifying as more insects, controlled by the node, swarmed in.

Corpses piled as buildings collapsed, buried in rubble, overlaid by fresh bodies.

Like endless wheat fields.

Tens of thousands of Black Spinal Bugs poured in.

Fearless charges let many late-stage Black Spinal Bugs, treading corpses, breach the fire net, reaching the neighborhood, exploiting shooting angles to near the tunnel!

Only to meet close-range gunfire, wiping them out.

As ammo ran out, veterans handed shotguns to rookies, maintaining pressure while letting them gain upgrade energy.

200 shotguns, 5,000 rounds, could handle hundreds of thousands of low-tier insects.

If the users could withstand the recoil.

Unlike Lin Feng's electromagnetic cannon, these replicas kept basics, simplifying everything else.

Dealing 190 damage meant inheriting recoil.

Each shot felt like a sledgehammer on the shoulder.

Lin Feng didn't equip rookies with shotguns because they couldn't handle the recoil. Even lv10 early awakeners could only shoot once before pausing.

Even replicas needed level and physical-mental attributes to wield fully.

As the battle dragged on...

An hour later, at 4 p.m., the air reeked of gunpowder and insect blood, and the swarm scattered, routed.

Experienced veterans were puzzled.

In their dozens of battles, they'd never seen such a mass rout.

Even when led by sergeants, the alien insects retreated orderly.

Even under pursuit, they regrouped to fight back.

Unheard of in human warfare.

Officers explained low-tier swarms lacked self-awareness, like robots, controlled by high-tier queens...

The panicked, trampling swarm at the street exit...

Suggested a possibility.

"Did the commander win?!"

"Yes, he might've beaten or driven off the queen..."

"This town is reclaimed!"

Captains pieced together the swarm's retreat, overjoyed, spirits soaring.

It was humanity's first reclaimed land from insects, retaking a city!

Though a small town, it held immense significance.

Even Wu City's frontline only cleared surface tunnels, slowing expansion, unable to deep cleanse swarms.

Today, led by the new Tier 2 squad, they reclaimed a city in half a day.

The commander's strength,

Inspired admiration.

And desire to join the Tier 2 corps.

Soon, the surface trembled slightly, signaling the victorious return of the Tier 2 corps at the tunnel.

As Liu Yi and others, clad in insect-bloodied orange armor, emerged...

Hundreds of soldiers descended to welcome the heroes.

Liu Yi wiped insect blood from his visor, looking at the sun.

Its warmth touched his face.

A longing for sunlight's warmth filled him.

The hive's darkness and danger weighed heavily, every moment a trial.

On the return, Tiger Bug harassment occurred. Though free of node control, prior orders persisted, and hive invasion drove them to kill invaders, as elite soldiers.

During the 300-meter ascent, the seven Tier 2 awakeners met three Tiger Bug squads, totaling ten.

They used shotguns to wound them, then finished them in melee!

Now late-stage Tier 2, some even lv29, their strength alone could crush early-to-mid Tiger Bugs.

Lin Feng let them fight independently.

One, to train the new Tier 2 members, two, to earn their skills personally.

Lin Feng granted seven Tiger Bug mandibles, upgrading seven members' Red Armor to Tiger Armor, akin to Flying Tiger Armor without flight.

Facing Tiger Bugs again, they wouldn't fear melee, eager for close combat!

Next, with Ding Fatty's chainsaw sword, Lin Feng's envisioned Tier 2 corps...

Would be complete.

Tier 2 strength, Tiger Armor defense, ranged firepower of shotguns, melee chainsaw swords.

Such a team, even underground, would be unstoppable.

The corps, tasting underground danger, only wanted sunlight's normalcy.

Hundreds of soldiers cheered, witnessing the incredible:

Behind the corps, a mass of Red Beetles, carrying...

White Tier 2 eggs!

Some soldiers instinctively aimed, but Liu Yi, removing his visor, saw their tense faces,

Commanded loudly:

"Lower your guns, they're not enemies!"

Even Liu Yi found it unbelievable.

But the hive's experience was a hundred times stranger.

All they could do...

Was believe.

Believe the bizarre, believe it all, believe they lived...

And unconditionally believe the commander.

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