Infinite Ebullience
Chapter 998 - 46: The Hunt

Chapter 998: Chapter 46: The Hunt

The starship, sunk and invaded by the Insect Race, had become infested with nests over the years. As the food supply dwindled, the bugs grew increasingly hungry, driving them to madness, and the entry of the six Trojan Squads was like a spark thrown into dry kindling, igniting a huge blaze.

Even the lower-level members of the Insect Race had a way to communicate with each other, so as time went on, more and more bugs began to close in on the Trojan Squad, gradually forming a circle of encirclement. The faster bugs had already encountered the survivors.

The leisurely journey of the Noodle Squad had come to an end as they were attacked by the Insect Race.

Although Camel Bugs were rubbish, they had the advantage of numbers, and that gave them the power to wage battle. When a massive swarm of bugs surged towards their enemies like a tide, the visual impact was incredibly shocking.

Camel Bugs piled on top of each other, nearly filling all the passages in sight. The roars spilling from their vocal organs merged into a cacophony that nearly tore apart the eardrums.

Zeng Fanghai and Lin Chen, leading the way, felt their pressure double. Revolvers and Thunderstorm rifles swept in bursts of fire, a whistling barrage turned the vanguard swarm of bugs into broken flesh, blood spraying in all directions. But before the corpses could hit the ground, the bugs behind them were already rushing up, using their swarm tactics to suppress them.

Xu Nian took out two Zippo lighters, flipping them playfully. His thumb rubbed the strikers, sparks burst into life, and two fire dragons surged forth, engulfing the entire passage.

Boom, the air was sucked dry, a feeling of suffocation came crashing down.

The bugs were submerged by the sea of fire, their screams incessant. Their skin crackled from burning, along with loud pops from their burning fat.

A large amount of black smoke rose, mingled with the stench of charred corpses, flooding into the nostrils. Tong Ping didn’t need to command—everyone else had already donned their gas masks.

Tong Ping took a deep breath, his lungs expanding, then he exhaled a stream of translucent spheres that shot into the swarm. These caused a collapse in space, grinding the bugs as if they had been thrown into a meat grinder, instantly turning them into meat slag.

"Don’t stop, keep assaulting," said Tong Ping. Although he was Third-order and individually powerful, his command skills were poor. Fearing a stationary position would lead to encirclement, he wanted the team to break through the bug blockade as early as possible. Despite no casualties for the moment, this still depleted the Conquerors’ energy substantially, which would hinder later combat efforts.

"Too hasty, we should retreat, fight a guerrilla war," said Su Ameng, who could already anticipate the challenges ahead. These swarms of bugs were merely the appetizer. Unfortunately, her suggestion went unheeded.

"Group Leader Su needs help, we must regroup as soon as possible," stated Zheng Xiaxia, a fool more than capable of wrecking rather than building, her infatuation for Su Han clouding her ability to think rationally and stubbornly proceeding alone. "Everyone, put in more effort, once we find the Group Leader, we’ll be safe."

Perhaps due to feeling suppressed for too long by Tang Zheng’s group, which resulted in an inferiority complex, Tong Ping’s party also wished to meet Su Han sooner, so Zheng Xiaxia’s words met with agreement.

Helpless, Su Ameng could only follow them, doing her utmost to carve a bloody path through the sea of bugs, although their advance notably slowed down.

...

The Warhammer team was not having an entirely smooth experience either. Bugs were omnipresent—in ventilation ducts, drainage systems, anywhere there was space, there they were. After missing the Noodle Squad, they blocked Tang Zheng and his party’s path.

For safety, Shen Qingshuang deployed a Mechanical Scout Dragonfly. At a distance of two hundred meters from the fleet, it captured footage of a throng of bugs swarming in.

"There are bugs, get ready for combat!" Dantai turned on the communicator. Just as he finished shouting, about a dozen bugs leaped down from the ventilation duct above the passage, a few even landing on the bus.

Tang Zheng reacted swiftly. Just as he poked his upper body out of the carriage, a black shadow flashed before his eyes. A bug lunged at him head-on.

With his left fist clenched tightly, Tang Zheng swung it out fiercely, sending the bug flying. It rolled on the ground a couple of times, tried to get up to attack again, but Tang Zheng’s Magnetic Storm Ball shot out, hitting the bug’s head with precision, blowing half of its body apart.

"Lin Wei, Qin Yan, you handle those on the ground," said Tang Zheng, tilting the muzzle of his gun upwards to spray bullets at the channel entrance on the ceiling. Several bugs that had just leaped out were immediately killed, falling to the ground.

With one hand holding the gun to shoot, Tang Zheng flipped his other hand to pull out a bundle of Cluster Hand Grenades, bit off the safety pins using his mouth, and tossed them powerfully into the ventilation duct.

Boom, the explosion occurred, flames bursting forth, the entire metal ceiling was damaged and bulging due to the blast force, and charred bug corpses fell down.

Several main combatants with swift reactions began to fight, gunshots abounded.

"Don’t stop, keep moving forward." The bugs’ attacks were scattered and posed little danger, Dantai wanted to leave the area as soon as possible, but the bus driver wasn’t cooperative.

The guy was a newbie, already scared silly at the sight of the bugs’ assault, he instinctively hit the brakes. Then a few bugs pounced toward the bus.

"Don’t stop, drive!" Jian Fan grabbed the AK74 rifle, pulled back the bolt, and aimed at the windshield, firing a sustained burst at the bugs charging head-on.

Bullets pierced through the glass, leaving spiderweb-like cracks on its surface, then buried themselves into the bodies of the bugs. Alas, the bullets lacked enough stopping power, failing to kill or even repel the creatures.

Lu Tao reacted swiftly, shouldering the stock of his gun and steadily shooting with both hands. The other newbies didn’t have such composure. Attacked by the piercing gunshots and the roars of the insects, they screamed and dove for cover behind the seats.

"Don’t be scared, stand up and fight back!" Jian Fan shouted, urging everyone to fight. Sadly, it was to no avail.

Bang, an insect shattered the windshield, and just as it was about to burst through, Bai Guo shot it dead. Its broken flesh and blood splattered across half of the carriage from the impact, drenching the newbies in the front row.

A piece of broken flesh slapped onto Yu Mei’s face, spattering meat that stuck to her skin. The warm, wet sensation was disgusting, and she subconsciously licked at the bits of meat on her lips before realizing it was insect flesh. She turned pale, and vomited the undigested food from her stomach, the sour and pungent smell filling the air.

Lin Weiguo withdrew his Beetle and ran toward the bus. An insect lunged at him, but he knocked it aside, pulled open the bus door, and jumped into the driver’s seat.

Turning the key, he revved the engine, and the engine roared back to life, restarting the bus.

"Xin Lan, Bai Guo, get on the bus and cover Brother Lin," Tang Zheng shouted, standing on the roof and firing at the insects, "Qin Yan, you’re responsible for the rear. I’ll go assist Dantai."

Although the swarm of insects had caused panic among the fleet, the danger wasn’t significant. Comparatively, Trojan Squad had managed to hold off an entire sea of bugs, and Tang Zheng’s team was merely dealing with some stragglers, facing little pressure.

When the fleet passed by Tong Ping’s battleground, the sight of the stacked corpses shocked the newbies, instilling immense fear in them. The bus tires rolled over numerous bodies, jolting violently, causing their hearts to race.

The Conquerors breathed a sigh of relief. If it weren’t for Tang Zheng’s decisive action, they too would have been surrounded by these insects.

"To be a member of your team is such a blessing, Group Leader. You’re amazing," Teng Yuangxiang complimented through the car window, looking at the ravaged passage and admiring Tang Zheng who sat next to her.

Although Jing Xiang didn’t speak, her adoring gaze fixed on Tang Zheng spoke volumes.

"For the lost Trojan Squad, shouldn’t we have a drink?" Teng Yuangxiang turned to Jing Xiang, who looked startled but quickly fetched a pack of beer and handed it to her.

"Thanks!" Teng Yuangxiang’s face was all smiles, but inside she despised Jing Xiang. How could such a clueless fool be worthy of standing beside Tang Zheng? After glancing at her Space Wristwatch, Teng Yuangxiang felt it was unfair; it should’ve been hers.

"Come on, let’s celebrate." Teng Yuangxiang, now in Protective Clothing, had enough strength to open bottle caps barehanded. Watching the foam overflow, she licked the top of the bottle and then offered it to Tang Zheng.

Tang Zheng did not accept; he didn’t want to impair his judgment with alcohol. Occasional gunshots still sounded outside, where Bi Yun and Bai Guo were exterminating the remaining bugs.

"It’s low-alcohol. A little won’t hurt," Teng Yuangxiang slurred, leaning into Tang Zheng, pressing against him tightly, "Group Leader, you should learn to relax. Otherwise, you’ll wear yourself out. Come on, take it, and let me massage you."

"Sit up straight!" Tang Zheng frowned, wedged his hand between them, and pushed Teng Yuangxiang away.

"Okay then, how about some plain water? Look, your lips are all chapped." Teng Yuangxiang showed a concerned expression, set aside the beer, asked Jing Xiang for water, and then placed her hands on Tang Zheng’s thighs, massaging them.

When it came to attending to a man, Jing Xiang was definitely not as cunning as Teng Yuangxiang. Helpless, she was too simple, and given her personality, she wouldn’t be able to do what was necessary.

"Jing Xiang, don’t just stand there. Help the Group Leader relax with a massage," Teng Yuangxiang, worried that Tang Zheng would refuse her, pulled another into the endeavor.

"No need. Stay alert and get ready for combat," Tang Zheng brushed away Teng Yuangxiang’s hands and closed his eyes to rest.

Teng Yuangxiang felt incredibly frustrated. This guy was truly impervious, and with Jing Xiang around, she couldn’t make any bold moves. It was maddening.

"People who want to be Liu Xiahui are either gay or impotent," Teng Yuangxiang slandered Tang Zheng in her heart, venting her frustrations.

Seeing that Tang Zheng hadn’t touched that woman, Jing Xiang breathed a sigh of relief. Tang Zheng truly was a gentleman. However, she remained worried—as they say, ’a girl chasing a boy is separated by a mere veil’, especially with someone as shameless as Teng Yuangxiang. Tang Zheng could withstand once or twice, but surely he couldn’t endure it indefinitely.

Looking at Tang Zheng’s serene face, Jing Xiang couldn’t help but recall her training sessions with him, feeling a sudden heat in her body. Right, her body had been seen by him in its entirety.

.......

PS: There will absolutely be three Chapters today! (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)