Capítulo 132: Chapter 132: Battle in the Insect Nest, Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Sword
Hearing gunfire echoing from the dark passageway within the fortress walls, Lin Feng and Shen Jie quickened their pace, rushing toward the source of the noise.
As they ran, Lin Feng activated his telepathy skill to probe for hidden insects in the direction of the sounds.
Soon, he detected signals within an insect tunnel 800 meters from them. The signals were from a Tier 2 awakener and several late-stage Tier 1 awakeners.
Due to size differences, human awakeners, despite having the same signal brightness as insects of their tier, appeared as only a third or smaller in signal size compared to insects.
This differentiation helped Lin Feng distinguish between awakeners and swarms in his analysis.
These awakeners deep in the tunnel were likely the elite team led by Qin Hu.
As Lin Feng and Shen Jie neared the combat zone, telepathy detected several Tier 2 insects locked in combat with Qin Hu's team deeper in the tunnel.
Fully armed, Lin Feng raised his electromagnetic railgun, signaling Shen Jie, in his Black Warrior state, to hang back and wait for the right moment.
Shen Jie's Winged Tiger Berserk state could last only about five minutes, best used wisely. His close combat skills surpassed Lin Feng's, especially in the tunnels where too many armor-piercing or magnetic burst rounds could cause collapses, burying everyone.
As they approached the tunnel entrance, Lin Feng quietly instructed:
"Cover the flanks and rear; I'll handle the frontal assault."
Shen Jie nodded. In his Black Warrior form, his two-meter-long black-gray arm blades gleamed. After Zhang Liying's modifications, his armor could merge with Red Xuan Armor, effectively doubling his protection.
It could withstand a Tiger Bug's full-force strike.
Equivalent to an extra life.
Seconds later, they navigated the obstacle-laden passageway to reach a main fortress's base.
There, a cavernous 20-meter-wide pit, once a storage for weapons and supplies, lay before them, hollowed out by insects.
Fortunately, the pit sloped downward rather than dropping straight, so they exchanged a glance before descending into the dark depths.
The tunnel reeked of that familiar stench, stronger than in the passageways, but the Red Beetles' excavated underground nest had excellent ventilation, channeling surface air to ensure oxygen 100 meters below.
As carbon-based life forms, insects needed oxidation-reduction reactions to break down nutrients, a foundation for life.
The biological factory's adaptations allowed low-tier insects to utilize oxygen.
Thus, nest ventilation became crucial.
Lin Feng and Shen Jie, with their Tier 2 sensory organs, could detect faint air currents, guiding them through the nest's depths without losing their way.
Unfortunately, Lin Feng's telepathy couldn't map inanimate structures, only living beings' locations.
The explosions echoing from deep within guided them to Qin Hu's team.
As they approached, Lin Feng heard strange mechanical sounds, like factory machinery, echoing in the cavern.
Possibly the Pulse Scorpion's electromagnetic pulse cannon, adjusting its charge to attack Qin Hu's team.
Traversing 200 meters in the dim tunnel, they finally saw distant light.
Qin Hu's team, clad in insect exoskeleton armor similar to Red Xuan Armor, wielded heavy chainsaw-like melee weapons.
The black-yellow weapons emitted high-frequency vibrating hums, slicing into the attacking Tier 2 Tiger Bugs, producing the buzzing sound Lin Feng heard.
The massive chainsaw blades clashed with Tiger Bug mandibles, sparking brilliantly.
In their armor's dim light, Lin Feng saw the chainsaw-like weapons were two-meter-long powered chainsaws!
The buzzing chains cut into the Tiger Bugs' mandibles within seconds, severing them with ease.
Such power captivated Lin Feng, his eyes glued to the scene.
Soon, Lin Feng joined the awakeners' ranks.
He raised his gun, targeting an oncoming lv27 late-stage Tiger Bug.
As he pulled the trigger, the Death's Eye attribute locked onto its head, and a 900-point armor-piercing round struck the Tiger Bug's mandible and exploded inside.
The Tier 2 insect's body burst open!
Its ten-centimeter-thick armor shattered, limbs flying.
Yet, the armor-piercing round's power was absorbed by the Tiger Bug, causing minimal disturbance to the cavern.
With the only late-stage Tiger Bug defeated, the insects' assault waned, allowing Qin Hu's elite team to regroup and retreat.
Qin Hu himself cleaved a Tiger Bug's jaw with his chainsaw sword before turning to Lin Feng, shouting over the noise:
"What are you doing here?"
The chainsaw's cutting racket was deafening.
Lin Feng shouted back:
"It might be a trap!"
"New Tier 2 insects could ambush you!"
Qin Hu shook his head. The battle was winding down, with many late-stage Tier 1 awakeners successfully killing Tier 2 insects with their powerful chainsaw swords.
Returning to the second line, they could undergo deep Tier 2 awakenings, joining the ranks of mid-Tier 2 gene warriors.
During the battle, even Shen Jie injured a Tiger Bug with his shotgun and finished it with his two-meter arm blade, gaining upgrade energy.
With the fight over, they retreated to the cavern entrance for a break.
Lin Feng discussed with Qin Hu.
Through appraisal, Lin Feng saw Qin Hu was now lv22, indicating he'd killed over five Tier 2 insects, yet he hadn't entered a gene assimilation state, likely relying on his extraordinary melee weapon.
Qin Hu took a deep breath, excitedly saying:
"This is humanity's first victory against insects in the tunnels! But the nest is larger than we thought!"
He pointed to the cavern they'd retreated from:
"According to the research institute, it's a Level 3 nest, about three to four square kilometers, like a commercial district."
"It housed thousands of Tier 1 Black Spinal Bugs and a dozen Tier 2 Tiger Bugs. We drove out the low-tier insects, but the Tiger Bugs blocked us, forcing a retreat."
"Thankfully you intervened, or that late-stage Tiger Bug would have caused casualties."
Lin Feng shrugged. After upgrading the lv29 railgun and himself, he was reluctant to fight more Tiger Bugs due to diminishing returns.
In the tunnels, bringing back upgrade materials was challenging.
Only encountering new Tier 2 insects like Pulse Scorpions or Tank Flame Armors justified the effort.
Against Tier 2 Tiger Bugs, Lin Feng preferred letting Shen Jie or other awakeners take the upgrade chance.
Tier 2 insects were rare, and such close combat experiences were invaluable.
They accelerated awakeners' growth.
Hearing Qin Hu's summary, Lin Feng asked:
"So you're staying to complete the research institute's mission?"
"The new Tier 2 insects aren't easy—more specialized than Tiger Bugs. Like regular soldiers versus snipers or rocket troopers, they're tough."
Qin Hu nodded, removing his mask to light a cigarette, inhaling deeply:
"Yes, but we have this!"
Raising his chainsaw sword, he exhaled smoke, continuing:
"Learning about the new Tier 2 insects, providing intel to the institute to counter them, is our duty."
"And victory needs this intel. The capital sent gene warrior teams, but due to multiple queens and complex tunnels, none survived..."
"Haicheng's queen is alone, with few new Tier 2 insects, a rare opportunity."
"And we've gained more."
Qin Hu glanced at his seated team members, specifically his deputy, an lv19 awakener.
The deputy was also a gene warrior, with a distinct scent and hint of madness in his eyes, detectable to Lin Feng and Shen Jie.
The deputy introduced himself:
"Hello, Sergeant Lin, I've heard of you."
"I'm Chen Shu, former Company 98 commander, now Colonel Qin's deputy."
Chen Shu retrieved a bag from his backpack, showing Lin Feng before carefully stowing it.
It was a medical biochem PE bag with a yellow skull warning, containing faintly glowing green material, like fungal slime on rotting wood.
Chen Shu adjusted non-existent glasses, likely a former scholar, forced by the invasion to fight in insect territory.
Displaying it, Chen Shu explained:
"This is a glow fungus we found in the nest. It seems to produce nutrients; I saw Red Beetles feeding on it."
"If researched, it might reveal the insect's basic life cycle. Finding ways to disrupt this material or its environment could cut off their survival..."
"Destroy their food source."
"More meaningful than battlefield victories."
Lin Feng nodded; it was a potential strategy.
Qin Hu crushed his cigarette with a grin:
"Being educated makes a difference; we rough types can't compare."
His expression turned serious, facing Lin Feng:
"Join us? Or leave? Your long-range skills would help against new Tier 2 insects..."
Lin Feng's eyes were on Qin Hu's chainsaw sword, nodding:
"Sure, that's part of why I'm here."
"This weapon is intriguing. Are the teeth made from Tiger Bug mandibles?"
Qin Hu smiled, knowing Lin Feng's interest, demonstrating the chainsaw sword, explaining:
"It's called the Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Sword, the latest single-soldier weapon from the research institute. It uses Tiger Bug mandibles for sharp teeth, with a tungsten alloy body, 2.3 meters long, 1.8-meter chainsaw, 35-centimeter width, weighing 800 kilograms. Without close to ten tons of force, late-stage Tier 1 can't wield it long."
"But for us, it's just right, maybe even light."
"The institute is developing weapons for Tier 2 awakeners."
Qin Hu retrieved three fist-sized Tiger Bug teeth from his pack, replacing worn chainsaw teeth.
"Yes, it's modular; each tooth swaps easily, maintaining combat effectiveness. The backpack holds 30 pounds of fuel, enough for five hours..."
"With this, any close Tier 2 insect dies to the Tiger Tooth!"
Lin Feng nodded, impressed.
The Tiger Bug's mandibles, the hardest Tier 2 organ, made into teeth, could penetrate any defense.
With the chainsaw's weight, awakening strength, and repeated cuts, even Flying Tiger Armor couldn't withstand long.
Swapping teeth in battle was impractical.
Binding it as equipment and upgrading might fix this flaw.
Seeing the Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Sword's power, Lin Feng was tempted.
Qin Hu's full demonstration revealed its appraisal:
"Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Sword lv24/29, Orange Quality"
"Upgrade Points 3/10, Durability: 10/10, Single Tooth Damage 400"
"Note: Chainsaw damage 2000 per second, reduces durability by 1 every 10 seconds, damage decreases with durability, replacing teeth restores durability"
"Evaluation: A primitive yet terrifying melee weapon, highly effective against brutal insects. The world's hardest shield becomes its sharpest spear. Use cautiously, mind durability."
Reading the appraisal, Lin Feng was impressed; the wear rate was faster than driving with the handbrake on.
But considering the note, it could last fifty seconds full, with 1000+ damage per second, killing a Tiger Bug every two seconds...
In theory, a Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Sword could kill over twenty Tiger Bugs before nearing failure.
A great utilization of Tiger Bug mandibles.
Before twenty kills, wielders would likely be exhausted.
Qin Hu, noticing Lin Feng's interest, offered a chainsaw sword from his deputy:
"Try it; you'll like it."
Lin Feng squinted, not reaching for it:
"What's the price?"
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