Apocalypse: After Being Reborn, I Stocked Up on All Supplies
Chapter 452 - 448: Major Discovery!

Chapter 452: Chapter 448: Major Discovery!

"Ring—Ring—Ring—"

Just as the alarm suddenly blared, Jiang Yan, who had just finished her nighttime space training, had returned to her room and was preparing to enter the space chamber to rest.

She quickly dashed out the door, as Song Haitao and Mo Jingsheng also stepped out of their respective rooms.

"Captain, Doctor, what happened?"

Before Mo Jingsheng could reply, Li Haoyang strode in with long, urgent steps. The walkie-talkie in his hand emitted a cacophony of anguished screams and distorted noises.

Upon hearing the pained screams, Jiang Yan furrowed her brows tightly. "Hua Bao, go take a look!"

"Understood, Mom!"

Li Haoyang saluted and reported each word distinctly:

"Captain, we’ve spotted a massive swarm of unidentified insects on the water, surging rapidly toward the fleet!"

Mo Jingsheng continued walking outward, his composed and serious face betraying no hint of panic. "I’m already aware. Has anyone been injured?"

"No injuries reported from the destroyer or escort ship yet; the icebreaker and cargo ship still require confirmation." Li Haoyang followed up, "Should we deploy firepower for an attack? Awaiting your command!"

"Turn off the lights, erect the electric grid barriers, and inform everyone remaining on the deck—except for the warriors—to retreat immediately to the cabins!"

"Additionally, initiate Level Three Alert from now onward. No one is allowed to leave their cabins without explicit permission!" As Mo Jingsheng finished, he retrieved a pair of night vision goggles from his tactical pack and put them on.

"Understood, Captain!" Li Haoyang hurriedly ran off.

"Captain." Ye Qing and Song Qian, who were scheduled for rest, also arrived on the scene.

"Let’s go take a look together," Mo Jingsheng affirmed, striding ahead with purpose.

Jiang Yan followed closely behind them, heading in the direction of the deck.

Halfway there, Hua Bao returned from scouting, speaking in a slightly forlorn tone, "Mom, whoever did the modifications, it’s all sealed too tightly. I couldn’t find a way out without your help."

The hulls of the ships had undergone extensive modifications.

The glass on the destroyer and escort ships was already bulletproof.

Not only had all the glass on the icebreaker and cargo ships been replaced with bulletproof glass, but it had also been made airtight and coated with protective film.

The ships were already highly sealed, especially the destroyer they currently occupied.

Hua Bao wandered around but couldn’t find even the slightest gap.

Not a single crack.

It was the first time Hua Bao encountered such a scenario.

Jiang Yan gently grasped one of its vines and whispered, "Alright."

Walking at the front, Mo Jingsheng continued giving methodical instructions as they moved.

By the time he’d finished, the group had already reached the cabin door.

The scent of blood drifted in from outside.

Mo Jingsheng paused his steps, instinctively turned around, and caught sight of Jiang Yan. "Jiang Yan, it’s dangerous outside. You and Dr. Song should head back."

After the electric grid went up, it managed to repel large swarms of insects.

Yet their numbers were overwhelming, highly aggressive, and many of them sported wings, which allowed them to leap directly from the water onto the deck.

The ones that reached the deck moved fast and bit anyone they encountered.

Injuries had already occurred.

Jiang Yan shook her head firmly, "I can help, trust me—look for yourself."

It was then that Mo Jingsheng noticed, at some point, a flamethrower had appeared in her hands.

He frowned and said seriously, "You can join, but you’ll have to stay behind the door. If we need anything, we’ll come to you."

"That’s an order."

This wasn’t the time for arguments, so Jiang Yan relented without hesitation, "Alright."

On every ship’s deck, individual squads equipped with special insecticide began joining the battle.

The air reeked of something harsh and acrid.

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!" The noise continued, coming from every direction in overwhelming waves.

"Strange. Insects are usually drawn to light. But with the lights turned off, why are they still swarming in madness?" Li Haoyang furrowed his brows in confusion.

Sun Jingtao’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie, "Dr. Zhang suggests that these insects might have been attracted by both the light and synchronized sonar. He requests an immediate halt in our ships’ movements."

Mo Jingsheng frowned, contemplating for mere seconds before decisively commanding, "Temporarily halt all ships and observe their response before making further decisions."

"Understood!"

Within moments, the fleet came to a standstill.

Insects continued to storm in.

Gradually, however, as more were exterminated and the waves around the ships caused by their motion lessened, the number of incoming insects began to dwindle.

Ten minutes later, only two insects remained on the deck—one was killed, and the other captured alive.

The surrounding waters returned to temporary calm.

Jiang Yan and Song Haitao stepped outside.

Hua Bao, who had been silently massacring insects in the sea, zipped back. It bragged with playful pride, "Mom, I killed most of the insects. It’s a shame I can’t stray too far from you, or I would have slaughtered them all the way back to their ancestors’ homes!"

Not only could Hua Bao not wander far, but it also had to attack subtly to avoid others detecting abnormalities in the water.

Jiang Yan gave it a look of approval and praise, "You did great, Bao!"

"Old Tian! Wake up! Boo-hoo!" A gut-wrenching cry erupted from the cargo ship next door.

Mo Jingsheng glanced in that direction, "Go check it out."

A portion of the logistical and construction teams resided on the icebreaker, another on the cargo ship.

A few personnel were scattered across the three warships.

The cargo ship had been outfitted with the largest kitchen.

Most of the cooks for this journey stayed there.

Li Haoyang quickly explained, "Chief, it’s that couple of chefs who went out for some fresh air on the deck earlier. The husband was bitten to death by insects—he’s already gone."

During daylight hours, ultraviolet radiation was too strong, so everyone was restricted to staying within the cabins unless they had special permissions.

Only at night could people step onto the deck for a breath of fresh air.

On the destroyer, two warriors were also injured.

One had their cheek exposed down to the bone, while the other had lost an arm.

Both were escorted back to the cabin.

To prevent possible transmission of an insect-borne virus, the two injured were temporarily placed in a separate room.

After the onboard doctor had sanitized and stitched up their wounds, virus test results were released.

Zhang Yongliang rushed aboard from the icebreaker, announcing, "No signs of infectivity. Still, I suggest we disinfect the deck entirely."

Mo Jingsheng nodded, giving Li Haoyang a stern glance. Li Haoyang promptly arranged for the cleaning to proceed.

Ye Qing and Song Qian, who had just returned from rescue efforts, bore marks of blood and viscous fluids on their clothing—but none of it belonged to them.

"Notify the biology professors and convene a short meeting."

A small conference room adjacent to the cabin where Jiang Yan and Mo Jingsheng lived was reserved for impromptu gatherings.

Wide awake, Jiang Yan requested permission to observe the meeting.

Since she always showed interest in these discussions, Mo Jingsheng never declined her requests.

Once everyone settled into their seats, Sun Ziqing pulled up the route map and began analyzing,

"Based on our original timeline, we are just five days away from reaching Rong City. What remains unknown is whether these insects are localized to this specific area or widespread across the entire water region.

Furthermore, if nighttime navigation is obstructed, our treasure-hunting schedule could face indefinite delays."

An older professor voiced his concerns, "With glaciers melting and life forms reawakening, the real question is how many more mutated aggressive creatures we might encounter along the way."

Mo Jingsheng furrowed his brow slightly, casting a sharp glance around the table. "Where’s Dr. Zhang?"

"Captain, Dr. Zhang is studying the captured insect. He said he’ll be here shortly," one of the professors explained.

Just as the words were spoken, Zhang Yongliang entered, disheveled and carrying a specially designed glass bottle.

Inside was a shiny black insect. At the sight, Jiang Yan’s pupils dilated sharply.

The creature had an especially bizarre appearance—it resembled a spider, with eight long, hairy legs.

Its head and back notably featured visible gills.

In the middle of its body were what seemed to be two sets of fish fins.

The fins drooped listlessly, making their size hard to gauge.

Perhaps due to the overly bright lighting in the room, the insect suddenly opened its mouth wide, revealing razor-sharp teeth, and emitted an aggressive "Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

"Apologies for being late," Zhang Yongliang muttered while glancing at the serious expressions around the room. He instinctively adjusted his attire, trying to mask a flicker of embarrassment in his eyes.

"It’s alright," Mo Jingsheng said with a brief glance at the insect. "Dr. Zhang, any findings?"

"Yes," Zhang Yongliang responded eagerly. Hearing the question seemed to flip a switch in him—his fatigue faded, replaced by energetic determination:

"Not just findings, Captain... Major discoveries!"