Chapter 25: Strangle?
The wind howled violently across a barren, desolate Gobi desert.
A nearly twenty-six-meter-tall insect nest stood here, its surface caked with sand and soil, making it look like a large mound of dirt.
A type of combat insectoid resembling a sand beetle paced anxiously near the nest, because 1,200 Putis were surrounding the area.
Putis (Third-Stage Combat Race)
Speed: ★★★
Destructive Power: ★★★
Defensive Power: ★★
…
In terms of overall capability, Putis were not weak, but they weren’t as monstrous as Demon Beasts. Their destructive power reached ★★★★, while their speed and defense were top-tier for the third stage.
Once the 1,200 Putis surrounded the earth-yellow nest, they seemed to receive some signal and launched their attack simultaneously.
In an instant, shattered carapaces flew everywhere, and sharp bone spikes shot through the air. The Putis weren’t just melee combat insects; they also had ranged attack abilities. Each Putis had three bone spikes hidden in its mouth, each a meter long. After use, they had to return to the nest to replenish them with bio-energy.
After one volley, the earth-yellow nest was riddled with holes, and the mother inside had become a pincushion.
Five minutes later, the battle ended. 1,175 Putis began cleaning the battlefield, while the accompanying Mantis Armors carried fragments of the mother nest on their backs. The insectoid army marched back in a grand procession. This was already the fifth nest they had destroyed.
Two kilometers south of the battlefield, three contractors stood or crouched on a low hill. One of them was observing through a telescope. He wore a tan combat uniform, and his bald head gave him a somewhat fierce look.
“This insectoid army is abnormal. Compared to the combat insects, there are too few basic insects. Under normal circumstances, insectoids follow a ‘collective hive consciousness.’ They rarely attack other nests to develop themselves—that would lead to the entire race’s decline. As a race that has survived on this continent for a thousand years, their evolutionary process wouldn’t allow such behavior.”
The bald man lowered his telescope, his expression serious, clearly the type who was always stern.
“Don’t say so much. Just tell me straight—could this be the madman’s controlled insectoids?”
A girl with a slanted ponytail and wearing a tight-fitting suit spoke up. As she talked, she stretched and even pulled out an electronic scale to weigh herself.
“The probability is over 36.5%.”
The bald man raised his telescope again to observe.
“How did you figure out that 0.5%? Forget the minor details, tell me… what exercise burns the most fat? I’ve been gaining weight again lately, even though I fight all the time.”
The slanted-ponytail girl sighed, worried about her weight. Even powerful female contractors still had a love for beauty—it was only human nature.
“The most fat-burning exercise…” The bald man paused, then said very seriously, “Cremation.”
“Eh~?”
The slanted-ponytail girl was stunned. She felt like he was mocking her, but she couldn’t think of a comeback.
“How did I end up in a team with you two? Follow those combat insects—I sensed a contractor’s mental imprint on them. Someone is forcibly controlling them.”
A wavy-haired mature woman spoke up.
“Jackpot?”
The slanted-ponytail girl holding the scale looked excited.
“Yeah, jackpot.”
All three were contractors skilled in stealth. Without any visible movement, they vanished from the low hill in the Gobi desert.
As soon as they left, blending into the environment, Bubu Wang, who had been crouching on the hill, yawned.
Was it these three who hit the jackpot? Were they incredibly lucky? Of course not. After Bubu Wang discovered them, he immediately notified Su Xiao. Su Xiao calculated their path and selectively attacked that second-stage nest.
Far away, inside the Mist Light Nest, Su Xiao’s eyes opened. The people he was waiting for were almost here.
…
In a mountainous region filled with jagged rocks, the trio of bald man, slanted-ponytail girl, and wavy-haired woman lay prone in a hollow, barely daring to breathe.
Half a kilometer away, a massive nest stood in a valley, surrounded by over a thousand combat insects. This didn’t even include the hunting parties that had already gone out.
Compared to the combat insects, the number of basic insects was pitifully small—only a few dozen Mantis Armors, looking rather shabby.
Originally, the Mist Light Nest had several hundred basic insects, but Su Xiao had dealt with them. So many basic insects weren’t something a nest in non-swarm mode could have.
“Notify Yake Luo. We found it.”
As the wavy-haired woman spoke, the slanted-ponytail girl quickly covered her mouth.
“Shh! Do you want to die? If a thousand insects find us, we’re dead.”
The three began to crawl backward in a prone position, sweat beading on their foreheads. Fortunately, they had discovered it early. If they had waited a few more days, they’d be facing an army of tens of thousands of insects.
The Mist Light Nest’s combat insects, the Putis, stopped developing once they reached 3,500. The nest then began normal hunting, converting all bio-energy into Life Stones for later use in cultivating Demon Beasts.
The trio from Death Paradise retreated in fear, but the news they spread caused a stir in the war channel.
…
In the Sun Tribe, a branch camp.
A fire pit blazed inside a wooden tent. Inside the tent were representatives from the three paradises.
Yake Luo from Death Paradise, Mu Yushi from Apocalypse Paradise, and the big healer from Holy Light Paradise, Afuro.
Afuro was the most eye-catching. Due to her abilities, she exuded a sacred, inviolable aura. Anyone who harbored impure thoughts upon seeing her would feel the burning pain of the Holy Sun.
“The location is confirmed. It’s in this area.”
Mu Yushi from Apocalypse Paradise waved his hand, and a map outlined by water elements appeared before him, emitting wisps of cold air. This was ultra-low-temperature water, colder than ice itself.
Although Mu Yushi had water and ice abilities, he gave off a warm, spring-like feeling, clearly the easygoing type.
“Then let’s flatten it. Every minute we delay, this nest grows stronger.”
Yake Luo spoke. Compared to Mu Yushi and Afuro, he wasn’t a very competent leader. After all, he was a Punishment Knight from Death Paradise, specializing in hunting violators and used to working alone. He had been pushed into this leadership role.
“That’s true, but… who will take the lead? You’ve all seen our situation. In the previous chaos with those madmen, we were basically targets.”
Afuro spoke with a smile, golden particles flickering with every movement. She was a woman born with a natural ‘halo.’
“Of course, it should be our Death Paradise brothers. We miners—to put it bluntly—charge ahead when things go well, but when it’s time to retreat…”
Mu Yushi smiled helplessly. The representatives behind him either coughed lightly or looked away. Leading a charge was out of the question.
“Death Paradise takes the first wave, Apocalypse the second, Holy Light the third. Any objections?”
Yake Luo said in a deep voice. He was already experiencing what it felt like to have two useless teammates.
“No problem at all.”
Afuro bowed slightly in apology, her gentle demeanor fully displayed.
“Death Paradise brothers are formidable. Shall we set out?”
“Let’s go.”
Yake Luo and his group left the tent. Most of the contractors from the three paradises had gathered, totaling 840 contractors. Only a small number were left behind at the ancient ruins.
The contractors moved quickly. In just half an hour, they reached the mountainous area near the Mist Light Nest.
Hidden among the mountains, they saw the sixty-meter-tall dark green nest and at least three thousand combat insects nearby. Most of the Apocalypse Paradise contractors swallowed hard.
“The enemy has spotted us.”
“Expected. There are too many of us.”
“Have the ranged units prepare…”
Before Mu Yushi could finish, he lunged behind a rock, which instantly turned ice-blue.
A mournful whistling sound came from ahead, followed by a dense barrage of bone spikes.
“Take cover!”
An Apocalypse Paradise contractor roared, but the next moment, the mountain he was hiding behind was shattered to pieces. His front half was riddled with bone spikes, and he fell stiffly. There were too many spikes—no chance to dodge.
“Roar!!”
The insectoids’ cries merged into one. The spider-like combat insects, Putis, surged forward, a black mass pouring out. The Mist Light Nest was like a hornet’s nest that had been violently poked.
Boom, boom, boom…
Intense explosions spread, and orange-red flames rose. Large swaths of insects were blown to pieces. Carapaces crackled under the high heat, emitting a pungent burnt smell.
But these insects were fearless. Death was their final destination.
In just over ten seconds, the insect tide surged out of the valley, charging toward the three-paradise alliance contractors.