"Don’t move!" Li Chang’an said, raising a hand.
"These larvae are the nest’s outer guards. Killing them might alert the adults!"
"So we go around them?" Han Ruoxi asked, looking at him.
"But there’s only one path!"
Li Chang’an thought for a few seconds, then turned to Bai Lin.
"Can you block their senses?"
Bai Lin quickly scrolled through the data on his terminal and nodded.
"I can try, but we’ll have limited time. We have to be quick!"
"Do it," Li Chang’an said, patting his shoulder.
Bai Lin began working while the other team members stood guard around him.
A few minutes later, Bai Lin looked up.
"Done. Sensory block will last for five minutes!"
"Let’s go!" Li Chang’an ordered decisively.
The squad quickly moved past the larvae and into the deeper mine tunnels.
...
The air inside the mine tunnel grew thicker and stickier. The ground underfoot had also become slick, as if covered in some kind of fluid secreted by the Insect Race.
They had to tread carefully with every step, lest they slip and fall.
"This place is looking more and more like an Insect Race nest!" Sun Yang complained in a low voice.
"You don’t think we’re about to accidentally fall into the main hive, do you?"
"Shut your mouth!" Han Ruoxi shot back, glaring at him.
"Can you stop jinxing us all the time?"
"I’m just calling it like I see it!" Sun Yang said with a shrug.
"Besides, if we really do find the main hive, wouldn’t we get to claim a huge achievement?"
"You, claim an achievement?" Shen Qiuyue’s voice came from behind.
"Why don’t you focus on getting out of here alive first!"
"Alright, alright, I’ll shut up, okay?" Sun Yang grumbled, but he still tightened his grip on his Pulse Gun.
Li Chang’an stopped and raised a hand, signaling for everyone to halt.
He carefully observed the fork in the path ahead and spoke in a low voice.
"The tunnel splits into three paths. Bai Lin, can you analyze which one is most likely to lead to the nest?"
Bai Lin looked down at his terminal for a moment before looking up and saying,
"The temperature in the left tunnel is slightly higher. It might be the main passage to the nest!"
"Left it is!" Li Chang’an waved them forward and led the way inside.
The left tunnel was even narrower, its walls covered with a biological tissue unique to the Insect Race, which looked like the remains of some kind of cocoon.
"These... aren’t failed egg sacs, are they?" Han Ruoxi couldn’t help but ask.
"Don’t touch any of it!" Li Chang’an warned in a low voice.
"They might still be active!"
"Listen to the Captain. You can tell this stuff is bad news just by looking at it!" Sun Yang said, tugging on Han Ruoxi’s sleeve.
"Stop trying to be a hero!"
Han Ruoxi slapped his hand away and said nothing more.
At the end of the tunnel, a spacious cavern finally opened up. Its walls were covered with translucent eggs, and squirming larvae were faintly visible inside.
"Holy crap, this is basically a hatchery!" Sun Yang swallowed hard.
"Are we still going in?"
"Of course," Li Chang’an said coldly.
"This is part of the mission!"
"But... isn’t this place way too dangerous?" Sun Yang hesitated.
"If all these eggs hatch, we’ll be..."
"Enough nonsense!" Li Chang’an cut him off.
"We’re here to confirm the scale of the nest, not to run from the risks!"
"The Captain’s right!" Shen Qiuyue said, drawing her weapon with a calm expression.
"Move out!"
"Fine, we’ll listen to the Captain," Sun Yang said with a helpless shrug, following the team into the hatchery.
The hatchery was filled with a strange, faintly acrid and rotting smell that made it almost hard to breathe.
"Bai Lin, record the number of eggs!" Li Chang’an ordered.
Bai Lin nodded, took out his portable device, and began scanning.
Han Ruoxi moved closer to one of the eggs, carefully observing the larva inside.
"These things don’t look fully developed yet. They probably won’t hatch too soon!"
"But we can’t let our guard down," Li Chang’an said, walking over to her side.
"Keep your distance. Don’t disturb them!"
"Relax, I’m not that stupid," Han Ruoxi said, rolling her eyes.
Just then, a faint scuttling sound came from the tunnel up ahead.
"Is someone coming?" Sun Yang’s nerves tensed instantly.
"No, wait... are they insects?"
"Tighten formation!" Li Chang’an ordered in a low voice.
"Prepare for battle!"
The team quickly closed ranks, forming a small back-to-back circle as they stared warily in the direction of the sound.
A moment later, several adult Insect Race warriors appeared at the end of the tunnel. Their carapaces glinted coldly in the dim light, and a viscous fluid dripped from their mandibles.
"This is no joke!" Sun Yang said, raising his Pulse Gun.
"These things aren’t going to be easy to deal with!"
"Hold the formation! Prioritize suppressing their movement!" Li Chang’an commanded calmly.
"Ruo Xi, prepare an Electric Energy blast. Sun Yang, cover her!"
"Understood!" An arc of electricity formed between Han Ruoxi’s hands, ready to be unleashed at any moment.
The Insect Race warriors let out a piercing shriek and charged toward them.
"Here they come! Everyone, on your guard!" Li Chang’an shouted.
Sun Yang fired first. The energy beam from his Pulse Gun hit the foremost Insect Race warrior but only left a shallow scorch mark on its carapace.
"Their defense is too high!" Sun Yang yelled through gritted teeth.
"Ruo Xi, hit its joints with the arc!" Li Chang’an directed.
Han Ruoxi aimed for the warrior’s leg and unleashed a powerful electric arc, blowing its foreleg apart.
The off-balance Insect Race warrior fell to the ground, letting out a pained roar.
"Nice one! Again!" Li Chang’an shouted encouragement.
Shen Qiuyue calmly swung her High-Energy Sword, precisely slashing at another warrior’s neck.
Although it wasn’t a direct kill, she successfully impeded its ability to move.
Meanwhile, Bai Lin used his portable terminal to interfere with the insects’ senses, minimizing the frequency of their attacks as much as possible.