Nest Encounter

Why don't I feel this fear and sadness when facing death?

As Mu Fan was pondering, he suddenly stopped, his brow furrowed, and pointed to a patch of grass swaying about 300 meters away, saying, "Something's happening over there!"

The group looked over and saw that only one of the outermost squads was very close to it.

A student from the Dingchuan Academy seemed to notice the commotion and, without consulting his teammates, went straight over with his gun.

Suddenly, a line began to appear in the distance as the grass spikes swayed.

Something's up!

Finally, Old Wolf spoke, his tone firm and serious.

At the same moment, the red grass behind the student suddenly shortened, and a dark shadow shot out instantly.

Puff!

Sharp forelimbs suddenly appeared on the student's chest.

The trainee stared blankly down at the reddish-brown limbs protruding from his chest, blood gushing from the corner of his mouth. He pulled the trigger of his gun but didn't manage to raise the muzzle in time, and then his head slumped down limply.

"Bang!" The sound of a bullet hitting the ground drew everyone's attention.

With a thud, the body fell to the ground, and the dark figure disappeared into the bushes.

"Enemy attack!"

"Form ranks!"

"Firepower coverage!"

Da da da! Da da da!

Compared to the trainees' chaotic shooting, the Special Operations Team soldiers' firing almost formed a fan shape, blocking all escape routes in that area.

Puff puff puff!

"Squeak!" A sharp cry rang out, and the grass began to sway rapidly.

However, the firepower coverage was much faster than the movement over there.

In a full minute, the grass was cut more than 20 centimeters shorter.

Dark green liquid kept splattering out.

People stopped when there was no other sound.

Lin Hao said coldly, "Who was just attacked?"

"Reporting, sir, Snow Scorpion Squad, this year's specially recruited trainee— Jiang Ke."

Upon hearing the name, the trainees, guns in hand, stared blankly at the corpse on the ground.

These were their teammates who had fought together for half a month, and who had just set foot on this land when they gave their lives here forever.

Many people felt a chill in their hearts because the death came so suddenly, and even now they haven't seen what exactly attacked Jiang Ke.

The captain of the Snow Scorpion Squad looked at Lin Hao, gritted his teeth, and saluted. "Reporting, sir, the Snow Scorpion Squad has failed to provide adequate care; we request disciplinary action!"

Lin Hao stared intently at him, finally relenting. "Go check what's in those bushes over there! Everyone, prepare for fire!"

"Yes, sir."

The captain, holding Pulse Rifle, slowly parted the grass with his foot and then advanced step by step.

In just over three minutes, the area was completely exposed to people's view.

A large piece of limb exoskeleton was scattered among them, already smashed to pieces, and viscous juice stuck to the bottom of the grass, still dripping down.

The captain pulled out his biometric scanner and scanned a relatively intact piece of carapace before turning back and saying, "Major, it's Zerg Race Nest Bureau Beetle."

Enraged, Lin Hao pulled out his military Sky Communicator and dialed Major Zheng Rui's number. As soon as the call connected, Lin Hao launched into a tirade. "Didn't they say they cleared 35 square kilometers?! It showed as a safe zone, so why was it attacked?"

"Attack? Where are you?"

"6 kilometers from No. 3 Base."

"We have cleared 50 square kilometers of safe area, but this is not absolute, because the Zerg Race invasion method is very strange, and we cannot guarantee 100% safety." Zheng Rui's voice came quickly, "At the same time, your area is no longer within the safe area."

"My student is dead! And now you're telling me there's something wrong with this map?"

"I'm sorry. There's nothing wrong with the map; it's our Expeditionary Force's identification map, and it's for a pending safe zone. The color is different from the base. Also, after we withdrew from Base 3, we didn't conduct any routine clearing of the nearby areas."

"You..."

"Reporting, Major, the remaining carapace is 9 millimeters thick and has excellent radar filtering properties."

"Damn it!" Lin Hao looked at the brownish-yellow exoskeleton armor that had been presented to him and shouted into the Sky Communicator again, "Where are your Exoskeleton Armor? We need twenty! Quickly!"

"I'm sorry, Major Lin Hao, but I can't give these to you. To my soldiers, they are a second life. The Expeditionary Force can no longer afford such a rapid rate of attrition."

Snap!

Sky Communicator was slammed to the ground by Lin Hao, the hot breath coming out of his nose like that of an enraged bull.

"What's wrong, Major Lin?" someone next to him asked.

"It's alright! Everyone, go to alert, form Close-in Weapon System, and return to base."

"Why?"

"What's wrong, Major!"

"Quiet down!" Lin Hao looked at the group of students who were raising questions and said, "Our situation is probably worse than we imagined. The Expeditionary Force is refusing to provide Exoskeleton Armor and other necessary exploration equipment! Furthermore, their so-called safe zone markers are not open to us at all. So from now on, we must rely on ourselves for everything!"

Everyone returned as Lin Hao had instructed.

On the way back, everyone was in low spirits.

The first mission ended in failure, with one of their comrades sacrificing his life.

Fortunately, they didn't encounter any more Zerg Race all the way to the base.

As soon as they entered, Lin Hao called away all the captains of the Special Operations Squad.

A dark voice rang in Mu Fan's ears. "I've seen the synchronized videos on your Helmet. These are the lowest-level Zerg Race insects, far inferior to real combat Zerg. I reckon you'll be redistributing equipment and tactics soon."

"Mu Fan, I'm about to infiltrate the base's central system. When you're fighting the Zerg Race, your sense of smell and hearing are sometimes much more useful than your sight." After saying this, Hei spoke silently, presumably already preparing to infiltrate the base's central control system. However, Mu Fan didn't think much about why Hei would take such a proactive infiltration action.

The fact that the black machine automatically enters the network in its area must be a spontaneous instinct.

Mu Fan shook his head, not thinking any further, because he had already seen Luo Jianjin return and was waving at him.

"What's wrong, Captain Luo?"

"Come here for a moment. The mission has been rescheduled. There was a batch of supplies on our Star-borne Ship, but it was originally ship-specific equipment, which Major Lin just used his authority to unload it all."

"What do they have?" Old Deer and Yin Shuai asked at the same time, showing their interest.

"20 Load-bearing Exoskeleton, 25 Individual Combat Exoskeleton, 60 sets of individual light armor with built-in life support systems, 2 Spider War Chariot, 10 Class B Explorer Mecha. There is also a shipborne small repair robot production workshop."

Did they empty out the Starship?

So, this Star-borne Ship is just an empty shell now?

Seeing the questions on everyone's faces, Luo Jianjin said solemnly, "The death of this student was too sudden, which has put a lot of pressure on Major Lin. Moreover, the Planet 131 Expeditionary Force is very unfriendly to us. The Major's idea is to build basic wartime facilities in No. 3 Base in a short period of time."

"Biological Repair Pod, Ore Smelting Device, Solar Energy Collector, Freshwater Purification Collector, Small Mechanical Manufacturing Workshop..." These terms left the two of them dazzled.

Meanwhile, Mu Fan, who was standing to the side, was drowsy and couldn't understand any of the technical terms.

However, the first to speak up was the voluptuous Tracy, who yawned and lazily said, "Gorilla, just tell us what you need us to do?"

"The major said that our combat scenarios will be faithfully recorded through Tactical Helmet and shipboard detectors. Now that we're here, we must do something. The Expeditionary Force will expand outwards from Bases 1 and 2, while we will expand northwards from Base 3."

"What is the scope and purpose of this expansion?"

"Conduct topographical surveys to confirm mineral reserves, and then eliminate the Zerg Race near the Crystal Mine."

"Understood. How should we arrange the order of the team's attack?" Mu Fan asked.

"We are Team One, so we will be conducting the first round of area reconnaissance immediately. You will be driving, Old Deer. The Spider Vehicle is a combat vehicle with excellent off-road capability. We will use the vehicle-mounted drone to first reconnoiter the surrounding environment. It is equipped with the latest SRA Radar, which can detect electromagnetic waves and heat sources in combination. This is a high-end gadget from Star-borne Ship."

Luo Jianjin pointed to an automated transport robot that was slowly approaching behind him. "The above is the detection equipment I just mentioned. You can choose for yourself. The mechs will not be equipped for the time being due to energy supply issues. They will remain at the base to provide mobile support at any time and serve as the main force in the assault."

Tracy grabbed a set of light gray light armor and carried Sniper Rifle toward the Spider War Chariot that was already parked there, while Yin Shuai chose a set of Individual Combat Exoskeleton, the mechanical armor covering it looked quite imposing.

The remaining Old Wolf, Old Deer, and the others only replenished their ammunition before heading towards the vehicle.

"Captain, why aren't they choosing?"

"Rookie, these devices all require energy to operate. For me and Old Deer, one is for reconnaissance and the other for driving. What we need is more agile limbs."

"Ignore them, Mu Fan, you make the choice," Luo Jianjin said.

"I don't need it, thank you Captain Luo." If he had a choice, Mu Fan would only choose the mecha.

However, Mu Fan refused any equipment that would hinder his speed and physical coordination.

"Alright, then come with me to choose some weapons. You have to choose them this time." Luo Jianjin compromised, but made a mandatory request.

Mu Fan looked at the equipment on the giant pallet of the transport robot, and his eyes lit up when he saw a silver Alloy Staff that was more than a meter long.

"I want this one."

Luo Jianjin glanced at it, frowned, and said, "You want Laser Spear? What about firearms?"

It turned out to be Laser Spear. Mu Fan almost blurted out that he wanted the stick, but upon hearing Captain Luo's words, he shook his head. "My shooting skills aren't good enough, so I'm not going to choose a firearm."

"That reason doesn't hold water. With your good coordination and physical attributes, your stability when holding a gun far surpasses others. Fine, you're indeed quite good at close combat, and Regimental Commander Ruan specifically instructed me to 'give you extra 'spice,' so consider this special training."

Mu Fan helplessly rubbed his nose. So, his easygoing nature was partly due to Ruan Guangtou's influence. Regardless, he really disliked firearms now; his first encounter with them almost cost him his life.

From Luoqie Star to Zicui Star, he had almost died under the gun several times, and the innate aversion in his heart was still hard to get rid of.

If forced to use a gun, Mu Fan would definitely remove the Vulcan Cannon from the tank without saying a word.

After Luo Jianjin got into the Spider War Chariot, he connected the tactical map in his hand to everyone's military Sky Communicator.

With a furious stomp of the Old Deer, the Spider War Chariot's four massive Lunzi spun rapidly, and the Tiger Hunting Squad disappeared from everyone's sight.

"That poor kid is gone. I hope he dies out there," someone next to Young Master Zhang Tang said obsequiously.

However, his attempt to curry favor only earned him a cold snort from Young Master Zhang Tang.

"Shut up. If something really happens, none of us will escape."

As the drone swept overhead and the Spider War Chariot rolled forward, Luo Jianjin had already controlled the Vulcan Cannon to clear out more than a dozen areas where Zeg Beetles were hiding.

The excited Old Deer shouted, "Hahaha, this is so awesome! The Spider Vehicle can't be driven that far! Boss, your coordination with the drones is amazing!"

"Hehe~" Luo Jianjin smiled innocently, but he wouldn't let go of the Vulcan Cannon in his hand even a little.

Sitting next to Mu Fan was Yin Shuai, who was intently wiping a pair of goggles in his hand.

The combat Exoskeleton Armor was temporarily stacked on the back seat of the vehicle.

Without a continuous energy source, we must use every bit of our strength in combat.

"This time it's a real 15-kilometer probe. Heh, I wonder if I'll have another chance to shoot down those bugs later."

"Stop talking nonsense, White Hair. Remember to place one of these environmental monitoring devices every 300 meters. Our team's pioneering achievements all depend on these things."

"Alright, alright, I got it." Yin Shuai waved his hand and clipped a string of metal balls to his waist.

"We're almost there. Our drone radar is having trouble scanning the jungle ahead, so everyone be extra careful. Once we reach our destination, split into pairs. Old Wolf will go ahead alone to scout, and we'll share the data in real time."

"Understood." Old Wolf pulled down his combat mask, a piece of equipment unique to reconnaissance soldiers.

"Tracy, find a sniping position. Old Deer, set up the mines next to the tank Mu Fan, come with me. Yin Shuai, you can assist with setting up the mines or come with us."

"I'm with Mu Fan."

Upon hearing that he wasn't grouped with Tracy, Yin Shuai decisively chose to go forward with Mu Fan.

Da da da da!

Boom!

Suddenly, a burst of gunfire came from afar, and the sound of portable rockets exploding could even be heard.

The people on the bus exchanged glances.

What's wrong?

At this moment, Old Wolf's tone suddenly changed as he looked at the Electronic Map: "A large number of... friendly forces have been spotted ahead? They're from the Expeditionary Force! They seem to be retreating."

A dozen green markers appeared three kilometers ahead of his Tactical Hand Plate.

Luo Jianjin looked at Old Wolf and asked, "Does the drone transmit video footage?"

"No, Captain, there's a river ahead, and the other side is jungle! The drone can't capture images. What do we do now?"

The Luo Saihu's face appeared even darker when he frowned, and he continued to ask, "How far is it from our combat zone?"

"Six hundred meters!"

"Let's go over there first and see what's going on. If they need support, we'll give them some firepower."

"Yes, boss."

Seeing that no one in the car had any other reaction, the White Hair curled his lip in bewilderment. Why would those damn Expeditionary Force members help? Anyway, he wasn't planning to do anything, and besides, it wouldn't make a difference if he did.

The Spider Vehicle leaped and raced wildly across the Red Plains, rapidly tearing apart and crushing the dense grass.

After the car made a sharp turn and bypassed the gently rising hills, the group finally saw the quietly flowing river and the lush, layered forest.

Sizzle! ~~~

With a sudden drift, the Spider Vehicle remained stable.

"Tiger Hunting Squad!"

"Exist!"

"—Attack!"

Tracy stretched out her shapely long legs, leaped down, and then ran a few steps to the riverbank, her left hand in the same way.

A black grappling hook shot out, covering a distance of more than thirty meters, and struck the tree canopy on the opposite side. Then, using the force of the grappling hook's retraction, it disappeared into the jungle on the other side.

Old Deer had already put on a special electronic assist Helmet and jumped off the Spider Vehicle to lay mines around the area.

Luo Jianjin took the lead, maneuvering his Exoskeleton Armor into the river.

As for Old Wolf, he has disappeared.

Mu Fan drew his unactivated Laser Spear, touched the combat dagger strapped to his leg, and exchanged a glance with Yin Shuai: "Let's go."

As the two watched Luo Jianjin's figure disappear behind a hill, they suddenly heard Old Wolf's voice. "The Expeditionary Force 14 men is currently engaged in combat with the Zerg Race!"

"The Zerg Race is numerous, initially estimated to be over 200. Among those discovered are beetles about half a meter in diameter, and guards about two meters in diameter. And... five tiger beetles!?"

Old Wolf's voice grew urgent, "The simultaneous appearance of tiger insects and low-ranking beetles means there must be Zerg Nest nearby!!"

"These Expeditionary Force have swept through a Zerg Race stronghold!"

"It's an encounter battle! The whole team find firing positions. Mu Fan and Yin Shuai, get away from the battlefield!" Luo Jianjin finally gave the order for the two to evacuate.

However, Mu Fan and Yin Shuai, who were lying on the fallen giant tree, looked at each other, their eyes burning with intense passion.

"We won't retreat!"

"Only a fool would retreat!"

*******

ps: Thank you to the book friends "Suicide with Feces", "Ranjiaba", "Autumn Rain's Fallen Leaves", "dgcyc" and "Stardust" for 100 coins!

Thank you to reader "Ping Ping) " for 20 coins!

(This is a long chapter of 4800 words. Because this chapter needs to explain a lot of things, I will not split it and will just publish it as a single chapter.)