Li Chang’an gave a sudden wave. Han Ruoxi reacted with lightning speed, raising her palm. Several bolts of blue-and-white electricity shot from her fingertips, instantly striking the handful of Insect Race scouts.
In a flash of electric light, the insects’ bodies were pierced through, and they collapsed on the spot without a sound.
"Nicely done," Li Chang’an said quietly, turning to the others. "We need to pick up the pace!"
"Heh heh, when I let the electricity fly, no Insect Race scout stands a chance!" Han Ruoxi grinned smugly. "This is what I do best!"
Sun Yang stood off to the side, scratching his head as he stared at the insect corpses. "Damn, that was fast. You guys finished them off before I even had a chance to raise my gun!"
"You’re too slow. Of course you didn’t have time," Shen Qiuyue said bluntly.
"Easy for you to say!" Sun Yang muttered. "Let’s see you smiling when we run into a real swarm!"
Li Chang’an ignored their bickering and waved a hand. "Enough chatter. Let’s move. There might be more scouts up ahead!"
The squad quickly fell back into formation and pressed onward.
Along the way, they were all completely focused. The jokes and idle chatter ceased—after all, this was a life-or-death battle.
Their surroundings remained silent, but the unsettling, oppressive feeling grew stronger.
"Brother Chang’an, something feels... off," Han Ruoxi said in a low voice, her brow furrowed. "I feel like the Insect Race shouldn’t be this quiet."
Li Chang’an nodded slightly. "I feel it too. The Insect Race is reacting too slowly. Normally, they would’ve made a move the instant their scouts were taken out."
Bai Lin remained silent, continuing to monitor their surroundings. Suddenly, he froze his hands and said in a low voice, "Large-scale Insect Race presence detected two hundred meters ahead!"
"How many?" Li Chang’an asked.
"Around thirty of them. It’s probably a small patrol squad."
Hearing this, Sun Yang snapped his fingers. "They’re here! Just in time to stretch my legs! Chang’an, say the word. This is my time to shine, right?"
"Not so fast, Sun Yang," Li Chang’an said calmly. "Let’s not rush to engage. We’ll observe their formation first. Don’t just charge in."
"’Formation’?" Sun Yang complained impatiently. "What tactics could that bunch of bugs possibly know? They’re just a mob of dumb brutes that charge straight ahead."
"Don’t get careless," Shen Qiuyue said coldly. "You almost got ambushed by the Insect Race last time precisely because you underestimated them."
Sun Yang looked embarrassed. "Ahem, that was a fluke! A total fluke!"
Li Chang’an lowered his voice. "Alright, everyone be quiet. Take cover!"
The Insect Hunter Squad quickly found a hiding spot, peering out from behind vegetation and rubble toward the area ahead.
Before long, an Insect Race squad slowly came into view.
"These things look bigger than the ones we saw last time," Han Ruoxi said with a frown, a hint of worry in her eyes. "And there are more of them than we anticipated."
"Just as I thought, something’s wrong," Li Chang’an said quietly. "This group of the Insect Race probably isn’t just on patrol. They might be engaged in some other activity."
"So what’s the plan?" Sun Yang was getting antsy, his hands itching to use the Pulse Gun. "Are we engaging or not?"
Li Chang’an kept his eyes locked on the insects’ movements. After a moment of thought, he raised his hand slightly. "Prepare to engage. But don’t make any sudden moves. We’ll take out the ones on the perimeter first, then gradually push forward."
"Understood!" Han Ruoxi immediately began to gather Electric Energy, ready to unleash it at any moment.
Sun Yang licked his lips, an excited grin on his face. "Heh heh, finally my turn. Don’t go stealing my credit this time!"
Shen Qiuyue drew her High-Energy Sword and shot Sun Yang a cold look. "Just focus on not screwing up."
Bai Lin, as usual, remained silent, his fingers tapping on a terminal as he monitored their surroundings, ready to provide intel support.
Li Chang’an glanced at Bai Lin. "Report any changes the instant you see them."
Bai Lin nodded. "Don’t worry. No problem."
Once they were all ready, Li Chang’an waved his hand, signaling the start of the attack.
The first shot was a bolt of electricity from Han Ruoxi’s hand, which precisely struck the outermost insect. It collapsed instantly, unable to even react.
"Nice shot," Sun Yang whispered in admiration, then tightened his grip on his Pulse Gun and slowly aimed at a second insect.
"Don’t rush. Take your time," Li Chang’an reminded him quietly. "We can’t alert the rest of them."
With the second insect dispatched, the Insect Hunter Squad gradually advanced toward the center of the enemy squad’s position.
Seeing his chance, Sun Yang took aim at a slightly larger insect and decisively pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The Energy Bullet from the Pulse Gun shot out, scoring a direct hit on the insect’s head.
The insect’s body went rigid for a moment, then collapsed lifelessly.
"Nice shot," Li Chang’an said with an approving nod.
Han Ruoxi, meanwhile, teased from the side, "Brother Yang finally didn’t miss for once!"
Sun Yang gloated, "Of course! My marksmanship is flawless—I never miss!"
The words had barely left his mouth when Bai Lin suddenly cut in, "Careful! There’s unusual movement from the swarm ahead. They may have discovered us!"
The color drained from Li Chang’an’s face. "Fall back! Don’t get drawn into a fight!"
The squad members immediately began to fall back. As expected, the insects reacted much faster this time, and a large number of them began to converge on their position.
"Han Ruoxi, block their line of attack!" Li Chang’an ordered as he tightened his grip on his Saw Chain Sword, ready to fight at a moment’s notice.