Chapter 36: Giant Corpse Beetle
Evening.
Five hours had passed since they joined the troop, and the group had traveled farther and farther without delay.
Their numbers swelled as more survivors were rescued. With the increasing manpower, the efficiency of gathering supplies improved dramatically. Along the way, they had looted three large supermarkets, leaving everyone laden with daily necessities and food.
Chen Feng remained silent throughout the journey.
There were no monsters worthy of his attention. Occasionally, swarms of insects refered to as Zerf would appear, but the soldiers swiftly mowed them down with gunfire, leaving behind piles of lifeless bodies.
These Zerg had been gorging themselves, indulging in a feast they had never experienced in their original world. Emerging from the cracks, they launched frenzied attacks on humans without a shred of mercy, viewing pregnant women and children as nothing more than sustenance.
Unlike other monsters, the reproduction rate of these insects was staggering. With ample food, a pair of sulfuric acid bugs could multiply into dozens within days.
Boom!
The bugs fell in droves.
For now, firearms still proved effective, especially against these sulfuric acid bugs with their fragile exoskeletons. A well-aimed shot could easily end their lives.
However...
As monsters evolved, the effectiveness of guns would diminish.
In the future, the strength of a faction would be judged not by its arsenal, but by the number and quality of its Professionals.
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Nightfall.
There was no way they could make it back to Qiaodong today, so Feng Zhiyong decided to rest for the night and continue the journey in the morning.
After scouting the Economic Development Zone, the number of survivors kept increasing. To ensure their safety, a spacious place was needed for them to rest.
First Middle School.
A prestigious school in J City, it was once the dream high school of countless students. With impressive faculty and excellent school culture, many families had fought tooth and nail to get their children admitted.
But now...
When the apocalypse struck, there were still many students in the school. These children, the pride of their parents and the bearers of their families' hopes, met with the most brutal fate.
As the gates swung open, the scene on the playground came into view, and the stench of blood hit them like a wave.
Some people's legs buckled, and they collapsed to the ground. Others vomited on the spot, horrified by the gruesome sight. They had witnessed much death over the past seven days, but nothing like this. In peacetime, such a scene would have terrified anyone into unconsciousness.
Hundreds of mutilated corpses were strewn across the playground, and dark shapes moved among them, gnawing at the flesh.
These creatures were about half a meter long, roughly the size of a three- or four-year-old child.
Chen Feng's expression grew grim as he stepped forward, staring at the swarm of insects covering the playground. He frowned. "Giant corpse beetles?"
Giant corpse beetles.
They had thick, armored exoskeletons and grotesque appendages, with mouths like petals that could easily tear through flesh.
Giant corpse beetles were carrion feeders. They thrived in cold, damp environments, and during their breeding season, they would burrow into the bodies of living hosts, laying eggs inside them. The host's flesh and blood would then nourish the next generation. Once the larvae hatched, they would devour the host from within, quickly maturing into adults.
These creatures relished decay. Their method of storing food was peculiar—after killing their prey, they would deliberately leave the bodies to rot before consuming them.
Disgusting things.
But that wasn't the most troubling issue.
The real danger lay in the fact that giant corpse beetles were social creatures, like ants or bees, ruled by a single queen.
Giant corpse beetles typically lived in colonies of 40 to 60.
A nest.
The school had been overrun by these creatures. The corpses on the playground were their carefully preserved food supply.
"Damn it!"
Chen Feng cursed under his breath.
All they wanted was a simple place to rest, but instead, they had stumbled upon an entire nest of giant corpse beetles. These creatures weren't heavily armored, but they had the ability to burrow underground. If they launched a surprise attack from beneath, it would be a disaster for the survivors.
Chen Feng approached Feng Zhiyong, his tone heavy. "We need to leave...now."
"Giant corpse beetles are social creatures. This looks like a medium-sized nest, with around 50 of them…"
"These insects are adept at tunneling underground. There's no telling how many more are beneath us. If they attack, the survivors won't stand a chance."
"Giant corpse beetles?" Feng Zhiyong frowned, clearly unfamiliar with the name. What puzzled him even more was how Chen Feng knew so much about these creatures.
But seeing the grim look on Chen Feng's face, he realized this was no joke. In truth, when he saw the horde of insects swarming the playground, he had already been considering retreat.
Feng Zhiyong made a swift decision, ordering the group to abandon the area and withdraw slowly.
Chen Feng carefully observed his surroundings, his focus on detecting any movement underground. He muttered to himself, "A giant corpse beetle nest... It seems some monsters are settling in for the long haul. The soil on the playground has been disturbed—they're already altering the environment…"
This was a common phenomenon.
Like insects, some skeletons and dark creatures would go to great lengths, even conducting mass sacrifices, to create an environment suitable for themselves.
Burial grounds.
These creatures would strip the land from humans and mark it as their own.
The survivors were paralyzed with fear. When they heard Feng Zhiyong's order to retreat, many panicked, creating a chaotic stampede as they scrambled to escape the terrifying place.
Chen Feng's expression darkened, irritation flashing in his eyes.
Giant corpse beetles could sense vibrations from footsteps. The frantic stampede had likely alerted some of the creatures lurking underground.
Preparations had to be made—quickly.
Chen Feng pressed his hands to the ground, an ominous feeling settling in his chest.
Zzzt…
A strange noise suddenly emanated from the earth. Two grotesque insects emerged, one of them biting into a man's waist. Blood sprayed everywhere as the man was severed in half, dying instantly.
Bronze-level corpse beetles?
And there was more than one!
Chen Feng's pupils contracted. His premonition was spot on—this was going to be a brutal fight!
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
AbyssSummoner
AbyssSummoner Zerg and Insect will be used interchangeably, Zerg refers to insects from other dimensions, but hard to tell which is which so will just use both :P
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