Chapter 672: Chapter 328: Can You Be a Bit More Reliable? (Part 2)

His voice remained calm.

"The heat signature two hundred meters ahead is exceptionally strong. That must be the swarm’s command unit.

But there’s another problem—the number of heat signatures in that area is significantly higher than we anticipated. Besides the command unit, there are other large-bodied members of the Insect Race!"

"Large-bodied members of the Insect Race?"

Han Ruoxi frowned.

"You mean the elite units? Like those ones we saw earlier, the ones glowing red?"

"More than just elite units!"

Bai Lin adjusted the magnification on his screen, and the data sharpened.

"The bodies corresponding to these heat signatures are twice the size of a normal elite unit. They might even have more special abilities!"

Sun Yang’s face fell the moment he heard that.

"Are you kidding me? More giant bugs? What kind of cosmic bad luck did we run into to find so much disgusting crap on a single mission!"

"Don’t be scared!"

Li Chang’an said coldly.

"Even the strongest of the Insect Race have a weakness.

Stick to the plan. No one does anything rash!"

The squad pushed forward. The mine tunnel grew increasingly narrow, and the surrounding mucus became thicker, even starting to drip from the walls.

Each step was accompanied by a soft SQUELCH, enough to make your skin crawl.

Han Ruoxi muttered under her breath.

"This place is a total nest. If the command unit is really here, it’s not going to let us off easy."

"So don’t get careless."

Shen Qiuyue’s voice was as calm as ever. Her eyes were locked on the path ahead, and her every step was exceptionally cautious.

Suddenly, a faint tremor came from up ahead. The ground began to shake, as if some behemoth was approaching.

"Watch out! Something’s coming!"

Bai Lin yelled over the comms.

Everyone froze, instantly shifting into a combat stance. Their weapons were already aimed into the depths of the tunnel.

A few seconds later, a giant insect slowly crawled out of the darkness.

Its body nearly filled the entire tunnel. A thick carapace covered its shell, and two massive spikes protruded from its head, clearly meant for ramming.

"Holy shit, what the hell is that thing?!"

Sun Yang gasped, instinctively raising his Pulse Gun.

"Why is it so damn ugly?!"

"I don’t know, but it’s definitely not going to be easy to take down!"

Han Ruoxi quickly unleashed an arc of electricity, probing its defenses.

The arc struck the insect squarely on the head, but it only paused for a moment before continuing its advance, now even faster than before.

"Its carapace is resistant to electricity!"

Han Ruoxi gritted her teeth.

"This thing’s defenses are too strong! Ranged attacks are useless!"

"Switch to melee!"

Li Chang’an barked, his Saw Chain Sword roaring to life with a loud WHIRRR as he charged the member of the Giant Insect Race.

"Captain, be careful!"

Shen Qiuyue was right behind him, her Dueling Sword flashing as she aimed a strike at the insect’s joints.

Both weapons struck the insect at nearly the same time, but its carapace was surprisingly thick.

Li Chang’an’s Saw Chain Sword left deep gouges in its shell but failed to break through completely. Shen Qiuyue’s precise strike only managed to tear a small gash at the joint.

The member of the Giant Insect Race let out a piercing shriek and swept its massive forelimbs viciously toward them.

"Fall back!"

Li Chang’an pulled back instantly, and Shen Qiuyue leaped away. They dodged the attack by a hair’s breadth.

"This thing is too strong!"

Shen Qiuyue said coolly.

"If we take it head-on, it’ll wear us down and kill us."

"Circle around and attack from behind!"

Li Chang’an ordered decisively.

"Ruo Xi, draw its attention! Sun Yang, provide cover!"

"Roger!"

Han Ruoxi thrust out her wristband, unleashing a brilliant arc of electricity that slammed into the eye of the Giant Insect Race member.

This time, the arc finally drew a pained shriek from the insect, bringing it to a temporary halt.

Sun Yang seized the opportunity, frantically strafing the insect’s flank with his Pulse Gun, trying to find a weak spot.

Li Chang’an and Shen Qiuyue used the opening to circle behind the insect. They attacked simultaneously, targeting the back of its neck—the fatal weak point for most of the Insect Race.

WHIRRR—

The Saw Chain Sword, revving at full power, finally tore through the insect’s carapace. Green ichor sprayed out.

"One more strike!"

Shen Qiuyue grunted, plunging her Dueling Sword precisely into the wound and tearing its neck wide open.

The member of the Giant Insect Race let out a shriek of Despair. Its massive body convulsed violently a few times before it finally collapsed to the ground.

"Got it!"

Sun Yang breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh my god, that thing was a real pain in the ass! Please tell me there aren’t more of them up ahead."

"Don’t get careless."

Li Chang’an wiped the ichor from his face and said coolly.

"The command unit hasn’t shown itself yet. This was just the appetizer."

They continued deeper into the mine.

In the deepest part of the mine, the target they had been searching for finally appeared.

It was a creature far larger than any insect they had seen before, its body so immense it seemed to merge with the cavern walls.

Its shell was covered in sharp spikes. A pair of enormous antennae grew from its head, the tips emitting a faint Red glow as if controlling the surrounding swarm.

"So that’s the command unit..." Han Ruoxi’s voice trembled slightly.

"Can we really take this thing down?"

"We can."

Li Chang’an’s voice was low and firm as he tightened his grip on his Saw Chain Sword.

"As long as we stick to the plan, there’s nothing we can’t kill."

"Bai Lin, calculate the best point of attack for us!"

Shen Qiuyue said coolly, her gaze locked on the behemoth.

"Analyzing now..." Bai Lin’s voice came over the comms. A moment later, he spoke calmly.

"There’s an Energy Core under the target’s rear shell. That’s the key to its control over the swarm.

Destroy that core, and it’s finished!"

"Understood."

Li Chang’an nodded and turned to the others.

"Stick to the plan.

This is the final battle. No one messes up!"

The battle began.

This giant command unit’s defense and Attack Power far surpassed those of the previous insects. Its antennae and limbs moved with incredible speed, giving the Insect Hunter Squad almost no room to breathe.

"It’s too strong!"

Han Ruoxi shouted, gritting her teeth.

"My electric arcs can’t even dent its defenses!"

"Stay calm!"

Li Chang’an said calmly.

"Keep suppressing its movements! Buy me time!"

He leaped into the air, aiming his Saw Chain Sword directly at the command unit’s core.

The command unit let out an enraged shriek, raising a massive pincer to sweep him aside.

At the critical moment, Shen Qiuyue intervened, blocking its attack with her sword and buying Li Chang’an a few precious seconds.

The Saw Chain Sword plunged deep into the command unit’s core. With a deafening CRACK, green Energy-laced ichor erupted from the core, flooding the cavern like a burst dam.

The entire cavern began to tremble. It was as if the strike had pierced the command unit’s very Spring of Life, and the whole area was convulsing in its death throes.

"Quick! Fall back!"

The moment Li Chang’an wrenched his Saw Chain Sword free, he yelled to his squad, a rare urgency in his voice.

"This place is coming down! Get out of the mine now!"

"Could’ve given us a heads-up!"

Sun Yang clutched his Pulse Gun and booked it, shouting as he ran.

"Who knew one stab could not only kill a bug but bring down the whole mine!"

"Less talking, more running!"

Han Ruoxi gave him a swift kick from behind.

"The mine is collapsing and you’re still running your mouth? If you get buried in here, I’m not digging you out!"

Shen Qiuyue said nothing. Her gaze remained calm as she kept pace with the retreating squad, her Dueling Sword still at the ready for any unexpected threats.

The cavern’s tremors grew more violent. Rocks continuously broke loose from the ceiling, crashing to the ground with a deafening ROAR.

Bai Lin’s voice came over the comms, preternaturally calm.

"There’s an emergency tunnel to the southeast that leads to the exterior of the mining complex. Get to it, now! Don’t waste time!"

"Where’s the tunnel?"

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