"Damn it, if I’m going to die, you’re coming with me." The man with the broken leg, hating these people who wouldn’t help him to the end, grabbed his rifle and aimed at the team, ready to pull the trigger. But it was too late; several Camel Bugs jumped, pouncing on him, biting him to death and beginning to chew on his flesh.
Tang Zheng didn’t give another glance to the newbie. When your strength is lousy, a bit of luck can sometimes save a minor life, but evidently this newbie was quite unlucky.
"Old Soldier, you’re in charge of the flying bugs." Dantai, seeing that Tang Zheng was dealing with Self-explosive bugs and couldn’t spare any effort, beckoned for Lin Weiguo to take action.
"Roger that." The Old Soldier, having armed his Hellfire, opened the Bullet Nest and started firing a barrage into the sky. After his chest’s Energy Cannon gathered energy, it fired a beam that cut through the swarm like a military knife, vaporizing many bugs. The remnants, a mix of broken flesh and blood, fell like heavy rain, staining everything in sight a deep red as it cascaded down, covering every survivor in a crimson hue.
"Qin Yan, you too!" The firepower still wasn’t enough; Dantai needed a brief surge of firepower to cover a widespread attack on the swarm.
Purple Power Armor, because of its ultra-thin design, was already over Qin Yan, the alloy scales almost as flexible as clothing, accentuating her perfect figure while still reflecting the texture of metal.
Xu Nian had no time to appreciate the view, nor the energy to compete with Tang Zheng over who killed more bugs. Facing the overwhelming tide of bugs, he couldn’t confront them calmly; one slip, and he could die.
The flying bugs arrived, beginning to air-drop Ray Bugs. Their volleys constantly bombarded the squad. Lu Fan released the Desert Barrier, protecting half the team.
"Why are we slowing down?" Su Ameng, sensing the team’s progress decelerate, asked loudly.
"Too many bugs." Lin Chen was also feeling exhausted, releasing his Wind Blades nonstop because a single lapse could lead to a breach.
"We can’t hold on much longer. What’s the point in saving these newbies? Let’s break through!" Zheng Xiaxia, gasping for breath, spoke out bluntly. With just the Conquerors, relying on five sets of Power Armor, they could definitely fight their way out. However, Lin Wei, Tong Ping, and even Lu Fan were partly focused on protecting the team—it was such a waste.
"I second that!" Jesus Man, the voice of reason, supported his comrade.
The newbies glared in anger. Were it not for their lack of strength, this would have sparked an outright conflict.
Lin Chen and Zeng Fanghai wanted to speak up, but were stopped by Tong Ping.
"Tang Zheng, everyone’s lives are in your hands; you should prioritize properly," Tong Ping’s subtext was clear. As the second-in-command of the team, he should bear the brunt of the criticism, not let the group members bear it. After all, Tong Ping did not care about the newbie’s survival; he was only concerned about his own team members.
Su Ameng remained silent, while Li Xinlan and the others hadn’t even considered these issues. Whatever decision Tang Zheng made, they would support him unconditionally.
"Accept it!" Shen Qingshuang muttered, being the voice of reason. Without a solution in sight, they could only resort to desperate measures to survive.
The situation was downright perilous, with more and more flying bugs bringing the Ray Bugs. The ground swarm showed no signs of thinning and was piling up densely. The mixed squad had killed tens of thousands, but it was barely a ripple, and the newbies’ physical conditioning was too poor. If it were only the Conquerors, they could move much faster.
How could the newbies not worry? They all looked to Tang Zheng.
"Xinlan, Lu Fan, build a stronghold with all your might; I’ll take down these bugs." Tang Zheng was ready to use his ultimate ability.
"Tang Zheng, don’t be overconfident. Are you planning to take down this swarm of nearly a hundred thousand on your own?" Xu Nian was indignant. "Don’t make everyone die with you."
"Group Leader Tang, each of your decisions concerns the life and death of the team. I hope you’ll be more cautious." Zheng Xiaxia’s tone was laced with sarcasm; she didn’t believe Tang Zheng had that kind of strength.
"Tang Zheng, once we stop and get surrounded by the bugs, it will be much harder to break through," Tong Ping warned, frowning.
"Everyone, come to me; move in closer!" Li Xinlan didn’t care about the clamor from others, activated her Seed, and began the Ice Age. Circular ice walls rose from the ground around them, encasing everyone within.
"If you’re afraid, you can leave on your own." Lu Fan also began to release his Ability, snorted, and said, "We can’t outrun these bugs on two legs; we’ll be worn down eventually. Better to muster our strength and kill a large number first."
"Easy for you to say—what will you use to kill?" Jesus Man’s retort was cut short as the air at the top of the Starship, like seawater, rippled and revealed a vast expanse of Steel Sky, covering a five hundred-meter radius. It shimmered with a metallic sheen, with mechanical patterns, and seemed to transport everyone back to the Industrial era.
"Steel Sky, activate!" Accompanied by Tang Zheng’s roar, amid the clanking of machinery, the patterns opened and ten gigantic Kirov warships descended rapidly.
Opening their Bullet Nests, the heavy bombs dropped with shrill whistles, and missiles launched from their racks, streaking into the swarm of flying bugs with orange-red trails.
The altitude of the Starship City District was only seven hundred meters, so the ’Steel Sky’ appeared much lower than in reality, further shocking everyone’s visual senses. Read full story at NoveI(F)ire.net
"No way, this is an Ability too?" Zheng Xiaxia’s face showed utter disbelief. Such a Seed Ability was incredibly dominating; the ten Kirov warships, appearing for just seconds, killed over a thousand bugs—and the slaughter continued.