บท 59: Bloodstained Beetle
The events were simple. The man with glasses and Wei Xun were classmates at the same school. After the apocalypse struck, they both became Professionals. As they left the school, they saved many people along the way and eventually took refuge in an air-raid shelter.
The spectacled man clung tightly to his sense of justice. Even after facing danger repeatedly, he would venture out to search for food and bring it back to the ordinary people hiding in the shelter. However, Wei Xun grew increasingly impatient, threatening to abandon the elderly, the weak, and the sick, seeing them as useless burdens. This stark difference in attitude created a deep rift between them.
Shelters?
Chen Feng wasn't interested in Wei Xun's relationship with the spectacled man. Instead, his attention was drawn to the air-raid shelter. "Is the shelter nearby? Take me there," he demanded.
As a structure built for disaster prevention, an air-raid shelter was indeed a fortress.
Unconditional Obedience.
Wei Xun nodded, not daring to refute Chen Feng. The gap in power was too vast, and Wei Xun had quickly recognized his place.
Glancing one last time at the corpse on the ground, a flash of guilt passed through Wei Xun's eyes but was quickly replaced by resolve. He didn't regret his decision. If he had continued living as before, he knew he would eventually die.
Survival.
He reassured himself, believing it was merely a defiance against fate.
As they walked a bit further, a dark crack suddenly appeared next to the spectacled man's body. In the next second, a dozen pale arms wrapped around the corpse and dragged it into the crack.
Bronze Realm.
As an abomination skilled in devouring corpses, it was a nourishing supplement for the Dretch.
The arms of an awakened were far stronger than those of an ordinary person. Chen Feng was curious to see what would happen when the Dretch's arms were replaced with those of Professionals.
A dozen arms from Professionals—if they ensnared even a Silver Realm, it would be difficult for them to break free without considerable effort.
They encountered no trouble along the way.
Soon, the two arrived near the air-raid shelter.
An air-raid shelter is a structure dug to prevent damage from enemy airstrikes. Though its entrance is narrow, the inside is expansive, capable of housing thousands of people.
However, it seemed that the shelter now had some uninvited guests.
Insects.
Chen Feng stopped and observed a dozen or so bugs hovering near the entrance.
Bloodstained Beetles.
These beetles, the size of calves, feed on carrion. They have sharp pincers on their mouths and were covered in fist-sized bloodstains, giving them their name.
Next to them lay scattered viscera, colorful and indistinguishable as intestines or kidneys. The entrance to the shelter was piled high with the remains of bodies—men, women, and even a few children. If Chen Feng guessed correctly, these Bloodstained Beetles intended to make the shelter their nest.
The beetles were working together. Some used their pincers to cut up the bodies while others transported the remains into the shelter. Behind them, seven or eight smaller beetles, the size of human heads, occasionally scuttled forward to snatch up a piece of intestine or organ, chewing on it like children sneaking snacks during the New Year.
But now…
The world had undergone a drastic transformation.
Humans had become the food, and beetles that could once be crushed underfoot had grown into massive monsters, capable of slicing an adult in half with a single pinch.
"What's going on here?" Chen Feng asked, pointing at the bugs, his tone puzzled.
Wei Xun, familiar with the scene, responded respectfully, "The area around the shelter is damp, attracting bugs and other monsters. We've faced this issue several times after returning from food runs. In those moments, we had no choice but to drag our exhausted bodies into battle, slaying all the monsters before we could even get inside."
Chen Feng tilted his head and asked, "Can you kill them?"
Wei Xun, understanding that Chen Feng wanted to test his strength, nodded without hesitation and prepared for the fight.
A Chance to Prove Himself.
He wanted to demonstrate his value.
The Bloodstained Beetles had no realm, but their appearance was ferocious. Their constant diet of corpses gave them a cold, rotten stench that was difficult to bear.
Ordinary people standing near them would feel nauseous and might even vomit.
Having survived in the apocalypse for some time, Wei Xun had fought many battles. He roared, his body becoming covered in scales, his pupils narrowing into slits, and a tail sprouted from his back. In an instant, he transformed into his Lizard Warrior form.
Boom!
There was no psychological burden in killing the insects. Wei Xun charged into the middle of the swarm, smashing the head of one beetle with a punch and stomping another larva to death. In just a minute, his body was covered in their foul-smelling blood.
The blood of their companions triggered the ferocity of the Bloodstained Beetles. Undeterred by fear, they rushed at Wei Xun, determined to kill him.
Chen Feng stood by, not intervening, using this opportunity to observe Wei Xun's strength.
The Bloodstained Beetles surrounded Wei Xun. One beetle seized the opportunity to clamp its pincers around his waist. The sudden pain sent Wei Xun into a frenzy. He roared, grabbed the beetle's pincers with both hands, and with a sharp 'crack', he tore it in two, green blood splattering across the ground.
A Slaughter.
More than half of the Bloodstained Beetles were dead or dying. Finally, their morale broke, and the remaining beetles began to flee.
Lizard Warrior.
In front of Chen Feng, Wei Xun had been as insignificant as an ant. But in front of this swarm, he revealed his brutal side, killing the beetles with his bare hands in the most savage way.
"The bravery is there, but he lacks some agility."
Chen Feng muttered to himself, offering his assessment. Wei Xun was like a warrior, relying on sheer brute strength. His fighting style depended on his tough scales and venomous claws, making him a formidable adversary.
Seeing Chen Feng's expressionless face, Wei Xun felt a pang of disappointment. He wasn't sure if he had proven his worth as Chen Feng had asked. Next, Wei Xun removed the corpses from the entrance of the shelter and conducted a rough cleanup.
Though the smell of blood was strong, it was much cleaner than before.
Thump, thump…
Once everything was finished, Wei Xun knocked on the iron door inside the shelter.
"Open the door, I'm back…"
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