First Battle

The Mother Nest would take three hours to hatch, but Qin Mu didn't just sit around waiting. Instead, he began setting up defenses around the area.

After carefully observing the surrounding terrain, Qin Mu planted landmines in several key positions and moved some of the thermal weapons from the vehicle to place them near the Mother Nest.

Once all the arrangements were in place and safety was somewhat assured, Qin Mu, drenched in sweat, finally allowed himself to relax a little.

Qin Mu glanced at his Tactical Watch to check the time.

It was now two in the afternoon. The jungle was inherently muggy and damp, and with Qin Mu wearing a full Combat Suit, even a little movement left him drenched in sweat.

But no matter how hot it got, Qin Mu had no intention of taking off his Combat Suit.

In this jungle, venomous insects and snakes were everywhere. Without the protection of the Combat Suit, it would be suicide.

Returning to the vehicle, he cranked the air conditioning to max, took a long gulp of water, and finally let out a deep breath.

It was July, the hottest time of the year, and at two in the afternoon, the scorching sun was like a furnace.

This time was actually calculated by Qin Mu in advance. Although it was hotter, it was relatively much safer.

This kind of high temperature wasn't just unbearable for Qin Mu—most ferocious beasts also hid in the shade.

"Next, it's just waiting. Once the Mother Nest hatches successfully, I'll be safe."

After cooling down a bit, Qin Mu picked up his weapon and carefully patrolled the area again, making sure no monsters were interfering with the hatching Mother Nest.

Time ticked by second by second as Qin Mu waited anxiously. The fleshy mass, originally only about as tall as a man, grew larger with each breath-like pulse, until it reached over five meters in height before slowing its growth.

Centered on the fleshy mass, a purple Fungal Carpet covered an area twenty meters in radius. Some flowers, grass, and even venomous insects and snakes that hadn't managed to escape were all covered and digested completely.

"Almost there. The hatching progress is over ninety percent. Soon, the Zerg will appear on Earth."

Looking at the Mother Nest about to hatch successfully, a smile spread across Qin Mu's face.

Then, the next moment, Qin Mu's expression changed. An unusual sound suddenly came from the jungle.

"Crack—"

The sound of a branch breaking startled Qin Mu. He gripped his Po Jun Spear tightly, took a few steps back, and assumed a defensive stance.

"Something's wrong. It's a ferocious beast."

From deep within the jungle, the figure of a large, muscular canine monster with spots and a streamlined body emerged.

"It's a Tiger Mastiff!"

Qin Mu was startled, quickly recalling the information on the Tiger Hound.

The Tiger Hound was astonishing in both speed and strength among canine monsters. A single charge could deliver over 2000kg of force.

Though a bit panicked inside, Qin Mu forced himself to stay calm.

It was just a Primary Beast Soldier-level Tiger Hound. He was already a Pre-warrior, and his strength wasn't weaker than this monster's.

After all, in the practical assessment for Pre-warriors, one had to hunt at least three Beast Soldier-level monsters to pass.

The Tiger Hound was just one of the most common monsters in the assessment.

Right now, he was well-equipped and fully prepared. A single Tiger Mastiff wasn't enough to make him afraid.

Watching the Tiger Hound slowly approach, Qin Mu glanced at the path ahead of it. A landmine was buried there.

In this area, there were three more landmines like that!

He also glanced back at a loaded rifle and a Quad Rocket Launcher behind him, and his confidence surged.

These thermal weapons could easily kill this Tiger Hound.

Qin Mu gripped his spear tightly, assuming a defensive stance, and moved to the right to draw the Tiger Hound's attention.

As the Tiger Hound followed Qin Mu's movement, it naturally changed direction, and under Qin Mu's guidance, it avoided the landmine ahead.

If it had stepped on that landmine, even an Iron-Haired Wild Boar, the best at defense, would die!

Qin Mu didn't plan to use the landmine to kill it, because the sound of the explosion would easily attract more monsters.

Suddenly, the Tiger Hound stopped. It stared at the five-meter-tall fleshy ball behind Qin Mu, its expression tense, showing hesitation and struggle.

Monsters weren't mindless fools. Faced with the unknown, they too felt fear.

It had caught an unfamiliar scent in the jungle, detected an extremely fierce and violent aura, and that aura was growing stronger. It hadn't wanted to take the risk, but hunger had driven it forward.

The Tiger Mastiff let out a low growl, saliva dripping from its sharp fangs onto the ground.

The next moment, the Tiger Hound burst forward, lunging at Qin Mu.

"Swish—"

Qin Mu quickly sidestepped, dodging the Tiger Hound's frontal charge. Then, a cold glint flashed in his eyes as he thrust his spear fiercely, leaving a bloody hole in the Tiger Hound's body.

"Owww—"

The Tiger Hound yelped in pain and quickly counterattacked, its whip-like tail sweeping across, forcing Qin Mu to pull back his spear to defend.

"Die!"

Qin Mu swept aside the incoming tail with his spear, then thrust straight again, like a hidden dragon emerging from water, forcing the Tiger Hound to retreat step by step.

"Owww—"

The Tiger Hound let out an enraged roar, twisting its body as it opened a blood-red maw, baring sharp fangs and releasing a thick, rancid stench.

"Such speed!"

Qin Mu's heart raced, but his long spear did not hesitate as he viciously swung it toward the Tiger Hound's head.

"Clang—"

The long spear clashed fiercely with the Tiger Hound's right claw, producing a sound like metal striking metal.

A tremendous force traveled up the spear, jolting Qin Mu's tiger-mouth grip and nearly sending the weapon flying.

Fortunately, Qin Mu had been prepared; he smoothly swung the spear in an arc, a sweeping strike that forced the pursuing Tiger Hound back.

"This beast has incredible strength!"

A cold glint flashed in Qin Mu's eyes as he pondered his next move.

The Tiger Hound surpassed him in both speed and strength, but he still had an advantage—his long spear was long enough and sharp enough.

The Tiger Hound stood barely over a meter tall at the shoulder; how could its claws and fangs match the reach of Qin Mu's spear?

Weapons were one of humanity's greatest advantages against monsters!

Dodging sideways, he retreated several steps, evading the Tiger Hound's attacks, his mind growing steadier.

The Tiger Hound couldn't even touch him, and it had been wounded from the start, blood streaming freely.

With the Mother Nest about to hatch, Qin Mu was in no hurry.

Time was on his side!

After several failed attacks that couldn't land on Qin Mu, compounded by its injuries, the Tiger Hound grew frantic.

"Awooo—"

The Tiger Hound sprinted on all fours, racing around Qin Mu through the jungle at breakneck speed.

Qin Mu dared not be careless; he locked his eyes on the Tiger Hound, turning his body, refusing to let his guard down.

"Whoosh—"

A black shadow, hidden by the jungle, suddenly burst out from behind a large tree and lunged at him.

"I've been waiting for you!"

Qin Mu sneered, twisting his body with agility, dodging the pounce. As he turned, his long spear shot out like a venomous dragon.

The spear sliced across the Tiger Hound's soft belly, carving a gash over a foot long.

A heap of intestines and entrails spilled from the wound.

"Thud—"

The Tiger Hound's body crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Qin Mu didn't rush in recklessly. He held his spear, watching the fallen Tiger Hound. After waiting a few minutes, he stepped forward and thrust the spear into its neck, finishing it off.

"Good thing I got lucky at the start and stabbed it; otherwise, killing it wouldn't have been so easy."

Just as Qin Mu finally slew the Tiger Hound, the giant insect egg behind him suddenly convulsed violently and burst open with a bang.

The flesh ball formed by the Worker Bug transformed into a meaty mountain nearly six meters tall, then abruptly contracted and exploded with a "boom," turning into a massive Mother Nest spanning tens of meters.

The Mother Nest looked hideous and terrifying, with a central tower rising high, topped with several curved spikes.

Around the entire nest, spikes jutted out like the claws of some monstrous beast, while the surface was covered in warts and holes of various sizes.

These holes twitched and writhed incessantly. The moment it burst open, the Mother Nest's surface began to harden rapidly, forming a thick carapace.

The Mother Nest had hatched successfully!