Capítulo 108: Chapter 108: Unexpected News, Breakthrough, and Winning Hearts
Lin Feng furrowed his brow—could the insect horde be planning an underground assault? This outpost fortress had been constructed under his watch, with special precautions taken to prevent subterranean breaches by the insects. The foundation had been deepened, and the ground was reinforced with nearly two meters of steel-reinforced concrete. This was all sourced locally from the two nearby cities, as the rapid decline of the real estate market had left an abundance of cement products, which were more practical to use than transporting steel and grain to the rear.
Thus, the defensive marvel of the Wu City line was born.
The two-meter-thick surface defense layer was impenetrable to Red Beetles, which would need over half a month to dig through it. Even the Tiger Bugs would require more than ten days to carve a hole.
With smooth walls, the massive jaws of Black Spinal Bugs and Tiger Bugs, which couldn't open to 180 degrees, were at a disadvantage. Red Beetles were more proficient at burrowing.
By the time the insects managed to breach the fortress from below, humanity's strategic aim of halting the insect expansion would have been achieved, and they would have already retreated.
Lin Feng's immediate thought was that the Tiger Bugs intended to launch a pincer attack from the rear of the outpost, catching the garrison off guard.
He pressed the intercom button and replied:
"Don't worry, they can't tunnel through from below."
"Focus on the Tiger Bugs' movements. Keep an eye on the sky for Wind Wing Bugs."
With the outpost's protection, ground attacks could be managed. The real concern was the rapid and agile Tier 2 Wind Wing Bugs. The garrison's reactions couldn't match their speed.
As Tier 2 insects, the Wind Wing Bugs' massive size meant they could easily drop insects into the center of the outpost or onto the walls, infiltrating the shooting layers from above.
Such sudden attacks would undoubtedly cause chaos among the defenders.
Unexpectedly, ten minutes after the Tiger Bugs began tunneling under the outpost, they stopped.
Using only his psychic sense, Lin Feng detected bright sources of energy clustered beneath the outpost, over seventy meters deep.
And there they remained, huddled together, as if plotting something.
An inexplicable sense of danger surged within Lin Feng.
Unfathomable phenomena often herald unknown threats.
Soon, Lin Feng saw Li Ran hurrying over from the opposite side of the outpost.
He stopped in front of Lin Feng, excitedly announcing:
"Brother Feng, good news!"
Lin Feng frowned and urged him to speak clearly.
Li Ran took a deep breath and explained:
"Our brothers who were with Brother Qin are currently in the main fortress on the front line. They've sent me the latest intel."
"The headquarters has ordered them to evacuate from the southern line fortresses and head north."
"Because nearby, a large number of Tier 2 Tiger Bugs have gathered. It's likely the insect horde's mother nest, possibly the Queen's hiding place!"
Sensing something amiss, Lin Feng questioned:
"So, is the headquarters planning to launch nuclear missiles at those locations to kill the Queen?"
Li Ran shook his head:
"Unlikely. The nuclear blast radius is too large to avoid by retreating a few hundred meters."
"Moreover, nuclear weapons aren't ideal for underground targets. It's more likely they're using specialized bunker-buster missiles equipped with conventional weapons that have high biological lethality."
"Like white phosphorus bombs or cloudburst bombs..."
Hearing this, Lin Feng's expression fluctuated, a hint of steely determination surfacing amidst the seriousness.
Unaware of Lin Feng's realization due to the dim light, Li Ran continued:
"If the headquarters' decapitation strike succeeds, heavily injuring or killing the Queen, the controlled insect swarms will descend into chaos. That will be the best time for us to counterattack from the city."
"This is our chance to turn the tide!"
"We can take this opportunity to kill more Tiger Bugs, increase the number of Tier 2 awakeners, and then even Cheng Zhan won't be..."
Before Li Ran could finish, Lin Feng interrupted, deep in thought:
"Run!"
"Notify everyone to grab their heavy machine guns, abandon their posts, and get back to the troop transports immediately!"
"Give them three minutes. In three minutes, I'll open the back gate! We'll break out first!" Lin Feng said as he moved, his tone urgent and fierce.
Stunned by the order, Li Ran stood frozen:
"Why... why?!"
Lin Feng turned back, leaving only a brief explanation:
"Those Tiger Bugs about to be targeted are right beneath the outpost, under our feet!!"
With that, he disappeared down the staircase corridor.
Left in disbelief for a few seconds, Li Ran quickly snapped out of it, loudly instructing teammates and captains to gather the recruits swiftly!
"Run! Hurry!"
"The missiles are coming! We can't stay here!!"
"One minute left, everyone move!"
The soldiers, bewildered, nonetheless followed their commanders' orders, realizing their sergeant major had vanished from the line.
Along with him, other powerful late-stage Tier 1 captains were also retreating.
Upon receiving the alert, Shen Jie and others immediately grabbed their weapons and left their posts, returning to the troop transports at the center of the outpost.
The four large troop transports, converted from trucks, each could hold thirty people, more than enough to evacuate the hundred or so soldiers and carry supplies.
But there was no time for deliberation—the mounted machine guns at the shooting windows couldn't be dismantled quickly.
One by one, they climbed onto the transports, squeezing onto the narrow benches on either side.
Lin Feng directed Chen Yanyan to turn the vehicle around, aiming at the gate about to open.
Outside the fortress, with no more defenders to halt their advance, the insect swarm surged to the walls, piling up.
Many Red Beetles scaled the walls, crawling through the ten-meter-high shooting windows like cockroaches into the outpost interior.
The last soldiers, firing back at the approaching Red Beetles while calling for cover from those on the transports, relied on their Red Armor for protection, mitigating the impact of the beetle attacks.
Timing it precisely, Lin Feng pressed the detonator at the three-minute mark.
TNT explosives planted around the outpost exploded instantaneously.
The violent blast shook the outpost's ground, and as fireballs rose, shockwaves hurled hundreds of insects away.
Lin Feng fired at the gate.
Armor-piercing shells shattered the lock, exploding outside, blowing the iron gates open and annihilating the remaining Black Spinal Bugs.
Chen Yanyan floored the accelerator, the Flying Wing Vehicle leading the charge.
Outside, the service area was littered with insect corpses, piled five to six meters high beneath the walls, all casualties of the fierce explosives.
Yet, from the distant burrow, more Black Spinal Bugs emerged, charging forward.
Climbing to the second-level lookout of the vehicle, Lin Feng wielded three Lv19 machine guns, unleashing a barrage on the insect horde.
Taking advantage of the moment, Chen Yanyan steered the Flying Wing Vehicle onto the highway, followed closely by the troop transports.
Away from the safety of the outpost, the soldiers huddled nervously but, urged by Li Ran and Shen Jie, bravely leaned out, firing at the pursuing swarm.
Heavy machine guns rattled, bullets raining down on the Black Spinal Bugs, slowing their advance.
Meanwhile, the leading Flying Wing Vehicle smoothly merged onto the highway, the transports following suit, leaving the service area.
Behind them, the road was swarmed with Black Spinal Bugs, surging like a relentless black tide, seemingly unstoppable.
Dozens of heavy machine guns and Li Ran's four Hammer Shotgun Cannons were insufficient to halt the fearless, thousands-strong swarm.
And the Flying Wing Vehicle's machine guns had to guard against aerial threats, unable to provide prolonged support.
The Lv20 Armor-Piercing Cannon needed several seconds of charge to deliver a covering bombardment.
The Black Spinal Bug army was already less than a hundred meters from the last transport!
Seeing this, Lin Feng decisively pressed the other button on the detonator.
The remaining twenty C4 clay blocks planted along the road exploded simultaneously.
The fiery blasts lit up the area like the sun, illuminating several hundred meters, with shockwaves creating violent gusts that shook the multi-ton war vehicles and transports.
As the fireball gradually dissipated, a small mushroom cloud rose, accompanied by sand, dirt, and dismembered insect limbs, forming a putrid red, yellow, green, and black rain...
Of the thousands of pursuing Black Spinal Bugs, about half perished instantly, most were severely injured, and only a few hundred at the front remained capable of action, but even they were too shaken to continue.
The explosion seemed to have terrified them!
Their spiritual link with the Queen was disrupted by the blast's energy wave, becoming unstable.
On the rear transport, as the threat evaporated, the survivors erupted into jubilant cheers, raising their guns in celebration.
With the massive Black Spinal Bug horde downed, the pursuit was thwarted. After advancing another three kilometers...
They finally reached the edge of the insect activity zone.
Lin Feng raised his gun toward the north, already spotting the Thirteenth Division's prepared second defense line.
The joy of survival didn't touch him; furrowing his brow, he gazed at a bright streak in the distant sky, rapidly approaching...
He wondered why the headquarters hadn't notified the outpost of the early evacuation.
The Tiger Bugs' behavior underground further confirmed that the Queen was aware of humanity's "decapitation operation."
Taking advantage of the situation, she planned to break through the first line and eliminate him at the outpost!
Reflecting deeply, there was only one explanation: a traitor in the Thirteenth Division's leadership.
A spy for the insects!
It was they who stole and relayed the secret plan to the Queen!
Thus, the identity of the traitor became evident!
It was Cheng Zhan, the major who had unexpectedly returned from the insect territory...
No, he was now a colonel, with full access to internal secrets, enabling him to assist the Queen in executing a deadly scheme!
Like the current missile decapitation strike!
The more Lin Feng thought, the more it made sense.
He had originally intended for Shen Jie and Zhang Liying, who awakened with devour and assimilation abilities...
To infiltrate the insect hive as disguised insects!
To gather intel on the enemy!
But he hadn't anticipated the Queen's swift insertion of a spy, likely because humanity's leaders hadn't considered such a possibility.
To date, only high-tier insects exhibited advanced intelligence...
Low-tier insects, even Tier 2 ones, displayed childlike intelligence, with mental attributes far below human counterparts.
They were mere puppets under the Queen's control, with extremely low intelligence.
But only Lin Feng understood the dire consequences of underestimating the insects.
Humanity would pay for its arrogance!
Seeing no more pursuing insects, Lin Feng ordered a halt, clad in Flying Tiger Armor, stepping from the vehicle to the transport behind.
Li Ran and others jumped out of the cab, donning Red Armor, their relief turning to solemnity.
They, too, realized the gravity of the situation.
And now, witnessing the streak in the sky, heralding the incoming cruise missiles.
Could they really be targeting the outpost!?
Facing the tense soldiers' gaze, Lin Feng pointed to the bright streak and spoke gravely:
"In a few minutes, the missile overhead will strike the outpost we once defended..."
"The missile is already launched; why didn't the Thirteenth Division's leaders warn us in advance!?"
Lin Feng gestured toward the second defense line:
"They sit safely behind, directing us to risk our lives on the front line. If that were all, it might be tolerable..."
"But now, they seek to use our lives to kill the Queen!"
"Do you believe that if we ran back now, we'd be accused of desertion, losing our position!"
"The Thirteenth Division's leadership has let me down!"
"From now on, I, Lin Feng, will no longer follow the Thirteenth Division's orders or participate in the Wu City defense!"
"As for everyone, we've fought together. You can choose to return or decide to follow me..."
"Though I can't promise anything beyond killing insects to grow stronger, one thing is certain: I, Lin Feng, will never abandon any team member!"
As he spoke, a meteor streaked across the sky.
A missile, trailing flame, descended from the sky, hitting the fortress they had once defended.
A colossal explosion followed.
The entire ground shook violently!
The once-impenetrable fortress sank into the earth, collapsing over ten meters...
The undeniable truth lay before them. Recalling the sergeant major's strange orders to evacuate the sturdy outpost...
Had they hesitated, the outpost would have been their grave!
Realizing this, fear spread among them, followed by a deep-seated anger.
Many immediately questioned their company commander, Captain Li Ran from the Thirteenth Division.
When Li Ran confirmed they hadn't received evacuation orders from the higher-ups...
The anger flared into a raging inferno!
Naturally, they chose to follow Lin Feng, breaking from the Thirteenth Division's command.
They were new recruits, driven by patriotism and personal ambition to become stronger.
Having become awakeners with Lin Feng's help, they were unwilling to die for the Thirteenth Division.
Especially after being abandoned and betrayed.
Resentment replaced their anger, eroding trust in the Thirteenth Division!
This was precisely the outcome Lin Feng desired.
As the dust from the bunker-buster missile explosion and the collapsing outpost settled...
The remaining insects, affected by the underground shockwave, scattered like frightened animals.
Lin Feng raised his gun and shouted:
"Since you all wish to stay, follow me back now and catch the insects off guard!"
"Encircle the Black Spinal Bugs! Awaken by killing them!"
"Also, eliminate the remaining Tiger Bugs!"
With that, Lin Feng boarded the vehicle.
He glanced back at Li Ran, who stood out, then led the charge back to the outpost.
Shen Jie and others directed their two troop transports to follow Lin Feng.
After a moment's hesitation, Li Ran looked at the brightly lit second defense line in the distance, then ordered his unit to follow the sergeant major's vehicle...
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