Xie Ning, however, stood her ground without moving an inch.

She simply stared curiously at the mass of green light from behind her goggles.

“Doesn’t this thing look a little familiar to you guys?”

As she spoke, Gu Chen’s ball of lightning had already descended into the green light, instantly blasting the verdant cluster to smithereens.

The man rushed over in a few strides, pulled her to his side, and roughly ruffled her hair. “What are you doing running off like that? You need to rein in that curiosity.”

Xie Ning turned to him and smiled innocently. “But you guys are here.”

Gu Chen was exasperated.

Xie Ning tilted her head to look at the others. “Xinxin, Shijun, does it look familiar to you?”

Song Shijun’s eyes widened behind his goggles. He pointed a finger in mid-air and stammered, “That…” for a long moment, seemingly unable to find the right words.

Seeing him stuck, Song Kexin quickly chimed in, “Aren’t they the flying insects we ran into on the mountain with the Fierce Tiger Squad?”

“Lanshan Tower Lake!” Song Kexin blurted out after a moment’s thought. “The little flying insects that swarmed into Lanshan Tower Lake and wiped out the entire base.”

“Yes, that’s them.” Xie Ning nodded with a faint smile. “They’ve just mutated to become stronger and more numerous.”

After all, it had been over a year since the apocalypse began. They were growing, so of course the mutated plants and animals were growing too.

No wonder they had looked vaguely familiar when they flew out of Huang Genmei.

It was just that only a dozen or so of the little firefly-like bugs had emerged from Huang Genmei’s hair, so she hadn’t made the connection right away.

It wasn’t until now, seeing such a large cloud of green light attacking, that the image finally clicked with her memory.

They were the same swarm of small, green flying insects that had rushed down from the forests of Lanshan Tower Lake to attack the base.

The survival rate of these mutated insects was quite high; they had actually grown much more formidable after a year of the apocalypse.

It seemed this apocalypse was truly an ideal environment for mutated insects to develop and thrive.

“I feel like these little flying insects are much bigger than the ones we saw back then.”

“They must have been grinding on the sly.”

Xie Ning led the group up the stairwell, not slowing her pace in the slightest.

However, that wave of small, shimmering green insects seemed to be a one-off. After their surprise attack was dealt with, they didn’t appear again.

Relying on her boldness and skill, Xie Ning ran in the lead. The Guy resignedly followed her, catching up in a few strides.

The group clattered up the stairs. Just as they reached the entrance to the workshop hall, they came face-to-face with a haggard-looking woman.

Song You’ai was silently following her daughter, originally intending to check if Xie Xueli was inside.

But she was nearly run into by the woman who suddenly emerged from within.

Xie Ning dodged aside. The woman stumbled a few steps before a vine shot out from Lu Wei, steadying her and gently pushing her back.

She barely managed to stay on her feet, a flash of panic in her eyes.

The vine wrapped around her retracted almost immediately.

The woman composed herself, raised her eyes to Xie Ning’s group, and was just about to speak when her eyes widened at Xie Ning. She cried out, “It’s you?”

Xie Ning was completely baffled. She had no idea who this old woman, who looked to be over sixty, was.

“Sis, do you know this old lady?” Song Kexin asked curiously.

Xie Ning shook her head.

The old woman opposite them, however, seemed provoked by Song Kexin’s words, and her entire face instantly flushed beet-red.

“You—who are you calling an old lady? You’re the old lady!” The woman’s frantic expression was completely bewildering.

“Who are you?”

“I know you!” The old woman pointed a trembling hand at Xie Ning, her face a mask of fury. “You’re that heartless woman.”

“And you, all of you! Heh, to think you’re not dead yet.” The old woman then pointed viciously at Gu Chen, Lu Wei, and the others.

Xie Ning had been looking baffled, but when she saw the old woman point at Gu Chen and the others, her anger instantly flared.

Before anyone could react, the young woman flicked her Metal Knife, knocking the old woman’s hand aside with a SMACK.

Although she hadn’t used her superpower or any real strength, the old woman felt as if the bones in her hand had snapped. She lost control and slammed into the nearby door.

THUD! At the sound, people from the second-floor workshop all ran over, craning their necks to look.

“Psycho,” Xie Ning muttered irritably.

She didn’t recognize this person at all.

Gu Chen and Lu Wei had no memory of this woman either, but the hostility in her eyes toward them didn’t seem faked.

The two exchanged a look; neither could remember where they might have seen this old woman before.

“Xie Ning!” Suddenly, a piercing shout exploded in everyone’s ears.

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