"No problem, Captain!" Han Ruoxi said with a faint smile, her fingers already gently wrapped around the controller’s switch. "I definitely won’t let my hand tremble this time!"
"Sun Yang, don’t be so quick to shoot. Wait until the Insect Race breaks our line before you open fire. Don’t waste ammunition!" Li Chang’an continued to command.
"Relax. I’m the fire support expert, so I definitely won’t do anything rash!" Sun Yang nodded, aiming his Pulse Gun at the Insect Race charging toward them.
Shen Qiuyue stood to Li Chang’an’s left, the High-Energy Dueling Sword in her hand emitting a faint glow.
Her expression was calm, her gaze locked ahead, ready to strike at a moment’s notice.
Bai Lin stood at the rear of the formation, rapidly adjusting the Tactical Feedback System. He periodically glanced down to check the data, ensuring every squad member’s status and tactical position remained optimal.
"Fifty meters!" Bai Lin suddenly warned in a low voice.
"Han Ruoxi, prepare the shock!" Li Chang’an commanded loudly.
"Copy that!" Han Ruoxi activated the Electric Power Device without hesitation. Blue arcs of electricity instantly erupted from her palms, forming a dazzling Electric Barrier that shot toward the Insect Race up ahead.
"Watch this!" she said confidently. The Electric Energy struck the foremost lesser insects, whose bodies instantly convulsed and twisted as the current hit them, sending them tumbling to the ground.
"Nice one!" Sun Yang couldn’t help but shout when he saw this. He then pulled the trigger of his Pulse Gun. A dense stream of firepower erupted, pinning down more of the Insect Race.
"Maintain suppressive fire!" Li Chang’an ordered in a low voice. At the same time, he leaped into the air, his Saw Chain Sword roaring to life as he brought it down on a command-caste insect.
The command-caste insect let out a piercing shriek, trying to block Li Chang’an’s attack with its long forelimbs. But Li Chang’an’s Swordsmanship was precise and ferocious; the Saw Chain Sword instantly sliced into the creature’s torso with a sickening, grinding tear.
Shen Qiuyue wasn’t idle, either. Her Swordsmanship was exquisite, with almost no wasted motion. The High-Energy Dueling Sword in her hand traced a brilliant, blade-like arc through the air, precisely piercing another insect’s abdomen and felling it in one clean move.
"So clean and decisive!" Sun Yang watched from the side, dumbfounded. He couldn’t help but marvel, "The Sword Skill you two have... it’s not something a normal person could ever learn!"
"Don’t just stand there watching! Keep up the suppressing fire!" Li Chang’an commanded without turning around. "There are too many of them. Don’t let them get close!"
"Got it!" Sun Yang quickly adjusted his aim and continued to use his Pulse Firepower to keep the distant insects outside their effective range. The Insect Race was constantly forced back, but they stubbornly kept trying to break through the Insect Hunter Squad’s defensive line.
"Captain, there are far more of them than we expected, and they’ve got reinforcements coming up from the rear. What’s the plan?" Bai Lin warned in a low voice.
Li Chang’an glanced into the distance and, sure enough, saw more of the Insect Race pouring out of fissures in the ground, surging toward them like a tide.
"We can’t fight them head-on. Retreat!" Li Chang’an ordered decisively. "Sun Yang, cover our rear! Han Ruoxi, keep up the electrical suppression!"
"No problem, leave it to me!" Sun Yang shouted in response, the Pulse Gun’s firepower growing even more intense as he tried to hold back the surging swarm.
Han Ruoxi once again unleashed a powerful wave of Electric Energy. One after another, blue arcs like bolts of Lightning streaked through the air to strike the Insect Race, temporarily slowing their advance.
"Move!" Li Chang’an led the retreat, all the while continuing to observe the movements of the Insect Race.
He knew full well that the number of enemies before them was enormous. In a head-on engagement, they had neither the firepower nor the personnel to deal with such a ferocious horde.
Shen Qiuyue and Bai Lin quickly fell in step with Li Chang’an. With Han Ruoxi and Sun Yang covering the rear, the squad executed an orderly withdrawal from the battlefield.
"Captain, where are we falling back to?" Sun Yang asked, still firing as he moved.
"The nearest defense line isn’t far. We’ll fall back there!" Li Chang’an responded as he ran. "The border line has heavy fire support. The Insect Race won’t dare attempt a reckless assault!"
"Got it!" Sun Yang gritted his teeth and continued his retreat, a weave of Electric Energy and Pulse Firepower covering the squad’s withdrawal.
The shrieks of the Insect Race gradually faded into the distance as they finally broke free from the combat zone and made it back to the cover of the border defenses.
"Captain, looks like this mission was a lot more complicated than we thought!" Han Ruoxi panted, leaning against a wall. Her face was covered in sweat, but her eyes held a trace of excitement. "There were way too many of them. We were almost surrounded!"
"Yeah, but at least we completed the recon mission!" Sun Yang plopped onto the ground, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Good thing we had your Electric Energy and Sword Skills. Otherwise, we probably would’ve fought until we were completely out of ammo!"
"This is just the beginning," Li Chang’an said grimly. "The Insect Race’s activity is clearly far more frequent than before. We need to report this intelligence to Command and have them reinforce the border defenses as soon as possible!"
"Right. Looks like we’re going to be busy," Bai Lin nodded, quickly sorting through the data in his hands while continuing to relay tactical information.
"Alright, everyone get some rest. We’ll wait for feedback from Command!" Li Chang’an clapped his hands, signaling for them to take a breather. "Today’s mission was dangerous, but you all did a good job!"
"Heh, now that’s what I like to hear!" Sun Yang grinned. Despite his exhaustion, his face was full of satisfaction. "Guess that means I distinguished myself today, huh?"
"Don’t get so cocky!" Han Ruoxi shot him a look. "If we hadn’t been helping you, you would’ve been swarmed by those things ages ago!"
"I’m not that helpless, you know," Sun Yang retorted stubbornly. "I’m the heavy firepower of the 42 Combat Group! My performance wasn’t half bad, was it?"
"Alright, break it up!" Li Chang’an said with a smile, his gaze sweeping over each of them. "You all did great today. But there are more battles ahead, so don’t let your guard down!"
"Understood!" they all replied in unison, confident smiles appearing on their faces.
Li Chang’an stood up and brushed the dust from his clothes, his gaze once again sweeping over the distant wilderness.
The Insect Race had been repelled for now, but he knew this was only the beginning.
"Captain, are we staying put or heading to Command to report in?" Han Ruoxi asked, wiping the sweat from her brow. Her tone had relaxed a bit. "To be honest, back there... I really thought we weren’t going to make it back."
"We have to report to Command first," Li Chang’an said firmly after a moment of thought. "There’s no way the few of us can hold the border line on our own.
Something’s off about their numbers. We have to let the higher-ups know the situation and get more troops sent as reinforcements!"
"Alright, let’s get a move on then!" Sun Yang scrambled up from the ground and rolled his shoulders, muttering, "To be honest, even though that fight was a rush, I’d rather not run into another massive swarm of those things!"
"I thought you said you liked a good fight? Wasn’t that the perfect chance?" Han Ruoxi teased, a mischievous grin playing on her lips.
"I like a good fight, but I don’t like getting completely surrounded by bugs!" Sun Yang scratched his head. "I want to earn my glory and live to tell the tale, not throw my life away on a suicide run!"
"Then why were you charging in so eagerly just now?" Han Ruoxi retorted, her tone dripping with teasing.
"I was doing it for the good of the team, you know?" Sun Yang explained with a straight face. "We’re an Insect Hunter Squad. We have to charge bravely when we face the enemy. It’s about showing them our fighting spirit!"
"Alright, enough nonsense," Li Chang’an said, clapping him on the shoulder and cutting off the pointless argument. "Everyone, pack it up. We’re heading back to base immediately to deliver the intel to Command.
If we dawdle any longer, the Insect Race will probably regroup and come back for more!"
The squad members immediately began to pack up their gear, their movements practiced and efficient.
Sun Yang picked up his Pulse Gun and slapped his gear bag. "Alright, I’m good to go!"