Shen Qiuyue seized the opportunity to leap onto the insect’s back, her Dueling Sword plunging viciously into its spine. With a spray of blood, the creature finally collapsed.
"Nice work!"
Li Chang’an glanced around. "Keep moving. Watch out for ambushes!"
The Insect Hunter Squad continued deeper into the Vortex Zone.
The deeper they went, the worse the environment became. A thick stench of the Insect Race mixed with the damp, rotting air, making it almost impossible to breathe.
"This place is nasty!"
Sun Yang muttered as he waved away the flying insects around him, "Captain, is this place some kind of Insect Race garbage dump? It smells so foul, even the bugs must have it rough living here, right?"
"You think the Insect Race cares about a bad environment?"
Han Ruoxi shot him a glance. "As long as they have a place to hide, they couldn’t care less about this stuff!"
"Fair point!"
Sun Yang nodded, raising his Pulse Gun to scan their surroundings warily. "Still, I feel like it’s too quiet around here. Something’s not right."
"Quiet means danger."
Li Chang’an stopped and signaled for the team to stay alert. "Han Ruoxi, scan the area for any electrical anomalies. See if any of the Insect Race are lying in wait."
Han Ruoxi nodded. She tapped her Electric Gloves lightly, releasing a low-intensity electrical wave.
The wave spread out rapidly, and a clear feedback signal soon returned.
"Anomaly fifty meters ahead!"
She frowned. "Not many of them, but the Energy fluctuations are strong. Could be mutated ones!"
"Mutated ones?"
Sun Yang swallowed hard. "Captain, are we really going to face them head-on?"
"You want to turn back instead?"
Li Chang’an didn’t look back as he drew his Saw Chain Sword. "Prepare for battle.
Han Ruoxi, set up the Electric Grid. Sun Yang, find cover. Shen Qiuyue, you protect Bai Lin.
We need his data collection!"
"Understood!"
The squad sprang into action. Han Ruoxi began setting up an Electric Grid in the vicinity. Shen Qiuyue drew her Dueling Sword and stood by Bai Lin’s side, her gaze fixed warily on the path ahead.
"They’re here!"
Bai Lin gave a sudden, low warning as his terminal screen began to flash with red alert signals. "More than expected. At least five of them!"
Before the words were even out, the ground ahead erupted, and several massive, mutated insects appeared in their line of sight.
Their carapaces gleamed with a dark luster, and their sharp limbs whistled through the air with a hum each time they moved.
"Go!"
At Li Chang’an’s command, he was the first to charge into the swarm of insects.
He swung his Saw Chain Sword, engaging the nearest mutated creature directly.
The Saw Chain Sword sliced cleanly through the insect’s carapace, but the creature’s reaction speed was astonishing. A huge claw swiped at him in an instant.
Li Chang’an dodged to the side, parrying a second attack with his sword before kicking the insect’s abdomen and sending it stumbling back several meters.
"Sun Yang, cover fire!"
he yelled.
"Roger!"
From behind cover, Sun Yang raised his Pulse Gun and fired continuously at the insect’s head.
The blue energy beams struck the insect’s eyes precisely, causing it to let out a piercing shriek and temporarily lose its ability to move.
"Han Ruoxi, the one on the right is yours!"
Li Chang’an glanced to the other side, where another insect was trying to bypass the Electric Grid for a sneak attack.
"Got it!"
Han Ruoxi raised her hands, and a powerful arc of electricity shot out, instantly piercing the joints in the insect’s legs.
The insect collapsed to the ground, but it still struggled to crawl forward on its forelimbs.
"Let’s see you survive this!"
She released an even stronger current, putting a decisive end to the insect’s struggles.
"Captain, three more left!"
Shen Qiuyue warned, raising her Dueling Sword to block an attacking insect.
Her movements were swift and clean, each swing of her sword striking an insect’s vitals with precision.
However, the carapaces of these mutated ones were tougher than those of ordinary insects, and killing them required more time and effort.
"I’ll help you!"
Li Chang’an rushed over to fight alongside Shen Qiuyue.
He swung his Saw Chain Sword, severing one of the insect’s claws and creating an opening for Shen Qiuyue to counterattack.
Shen Qiuyue seized the chance to leap onto the insect’s back, piercing its spine with a single thrust of her sword.
The insect let out a bloodcurdling screech and collapsed, unmoving.
"Two left! Finish them, quick!"
Li Chang’an took a breath and threw himself back into the fight.
The two remaining insects seemed to sense the danger. They didn’t attack rashly; instead, they retreated a few steps and began to let out low-pitched roars, as if summoning their kin.
"Damn it, they’re calling for reinforcements!"
Han Ruoxi’s expression changed. "We have to end this fast, or we’ll be surrounded!"
"Sun Yang, full-on assault! Bai Lin, hurry up and collect the data!"
Li Chang’an ordered loudly, simultaneously swinging his sword as he closed in on the insects, trying to finish them off before they could summon reinforcements.
Sun Yang cursed through gritted teeth as he fired. "These damn bugs are so annoying! They can even call for backup? That’s just unfair!"
Meanwhile, Bai Lin had already begun to collect samples from the fallen insect.
He crouched beside the insect’s corpse, carefully inserting a needle-like collection device into its body. A progress bar on his terminal screen slowly filled.
"Collection will take thirty seconds! Hold them off!"
Bai Lin’s voice was calm and clear.
"Got it!"
Li Chang’an swung his sword with all his might, completely severing one of the insect’s forelimbs. At the same time, he kicked its abdomen, knocking it out of the fight.
"Last one left!"
Shen Qiuyue shouted as she split the insect’s faceplate with her sword. But this one seemed more tenacious than the others, continuing to counterattack wildly even while injured.
"Han Ruoxi, support, now!"
Li Chang’an yelled as he dodged.
Han Ruoxi raised her Electric Gloves, and a powerful current instantly struck the insect’s head, causing its movements to stiffen for a moment.