Chapter 157: Chapter 124: Winged Tiger Frenzy, New Tier Two Zerg Race

"What’s wrong?"

Under the dim solar-powered lights of the camp, Shen Jie asked when he saw Lin Feng’s expression turn grim after hanging up the phone.

Lin Feng pulled his gaze back from the distance and shook his head.

"It’s nothing. After successfully breaching our first line of defense, the Hai City Mother Empress is about to advance to the Tier Three Middle Stage. She’ll likely be able to hatch even stronger Tier Two Zergs."

"Right. The Zerg Race can also absorb human Superpowers and the genes of Blue Star Creatures..."

"Just like your Devouring Assimilation. From now on, they’ll be targeting Human Awakened more specifically."

"On other fronts right now, newly born Tier Two Zergs have emerged. They have a pulse attack that can disrupt electronic communications, posing a massive threat to humanity’s high-tech weaponry."

"I suspect our last decapitation strike instilled a sense of crisis in the Zerg Race Mother Empress."

At this, Lin Feng shrugged.

"Come on. This is a headache for the Thirteenth Division. Let’s go test out your Superpower."

The two of them exchanged a look and nodded.

Lin Feng glanced at Shen Jie’s current Attributes:

[Shen Jie, Lv. 20/29]

[Life Value 200, Physique 210, Spirit 205]

Shen Jie’s Attributes were incredibly balanced after his Upgrade, with his Physique reaching a staggering 210.

Thanks to his Devouring Assimilation Superpower, his Black Knight form—a fusion with Black Spine Zerg genes—had helped him overcome and repair humanity’s genetic flaws.

’It’s probably related to the change in his appearance, too.’

’In this state, his Assimilation Form after using his Superpower should be even stronger.’

After some thought, Lin Feng decided it wasn’t appropriate to experiment here. He led the other two to an open area outside the camp, with the East Taihu Lake wetland nature reserve behind them.

The wind and waves of the midsummer midnight made it a perfect spot to test all sorts of abilities.

Once they confirmed they were alone, Shen Jie began to channel the Superpower within him and enter his Assimilation State, speaking as he did:

"I’ve already devoured the flesh of a Tiger Spine Zerg. The absorption and fusion process was unusually smooth, probably thanks to the foundation laid by the Black Spine Zerg..."

The next moment, his narrative was cut short as his muscles bulged and he transformed into a new form, covered in Black Armor and sharp spikes.

The two-meter-long blades that had previously extended from the sides of his arms transformed into two Heavy Sabers, each thirty centimeters wide and two-and-a-half meters long. The tips were hooked and barbed like a Tiger Spine Zerg’s Giant Mandible. When he brought his arms together, they formed what looked like a miniature version of a Zerg’s Giant Mandible.

Flame-like, flowing patterns appeared on their surface—an external characteristic derived from the Tier Two Tiger Spine Zerg, just like the patterns on the Land Patrol Battleship and the Flying Tiger Armor.

The other changes to his form were even more savage.

His thigh muscles bulged to the point that his black-and-yellow Outer Armor could barely contain them. When he flexed, one could see the veins beneath pop, slowly writhing and swelling.

Two bulging, tumor-like buds erupted from his back on either side of his shoulder blades. Meanwhile, compressed by his Back Armor, his spine sprouted a series of sharp spikes, giving him a monstrous, terrifying appearance. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Lin Feng’s eyes narrowed. He could see that in his Assimilation Form, Shen Jie had even sprouted two extra limbs, one on each side of his abdomen.

This transformation was no longer constrained by the original human structure; it was evolving more and more toward a Zerg-like form.

But two extra limbs meant he could wield more weapons, giving him a higher chance of victory in battle.

These two extra limbs weren’t fully formed yet; their ends resembled the blades of a Cyan-winged Zerg.

Because this was Shen Jie’s first time entering his Assimilation Form since his Upgrade, the pain he felt was nearly as intense as his initial Awakening...

At the final moment of the transformation, he let out a pained roar and leaped straight into the air!

His bulging thigh muscles unleashed terrifying power, launching him like a locust over a hundred meters into the air.

He now looked like a humanoid insect magnified countless times. The strength of his physical structure, which could withstand the pressure of explosive bursts of power, even surpassed that of the higher-leveled Lin Feng.

Once Shen Jie reached the apex of his hundred-meter jump, his upward momentum was canceled out by Blue Star’s gravity, and he began to plummet...

Only then did he realize that if he fell straight to the ground, he would end up seriously injured, just like a Cyan-winged Zerg.

’Physical Strength doesn’t equal Defense. A Tier Two Tiger Spine Zerg’s Giant Mandible can withstand cannon fire, but the rest of its body can’t be that hard. A ten-meter-tall body couldn’t support that kind of weight, and its movement speed would plummet, turning it into a living target like a Mother Empress.’

’You can only ever choose between agility and Defense.’

Of the two people on the ground below, Zhang Liying clearly hadn’t reacted, but Lin Feng noticed something was wrong.

He acted decisively, activating his Flying Tiger Armor’s Flight Mode and soaring into the air to catch the plummeting Shen Jie.

However, Shen Jie’s Assimilation Form was covered in sharp fangs and spikes, leaving no place to grab hold. Besides, Lin Feng had never trained for mid-air captures...

In a moment of desperation, he had an idea: he kicked Shen Jie, sending him flying.

This changed his straight descent into a parabolic arc, sending him toward the surface of the nearby Taihu Lake.

The lake water would cushion his fall; he probably wouldn’t be seriously injured.

But that one kick ignited a powerful sense of crisis in the panicked Shen Jie...

It was like the final, desperate struggle of a death-row inmate walking to the gallows.

A deep roar escaped from his mandible-like jaw, and the bulging, tumor-like buds on his back suddenly burst open, revealing two pairs of folded, transparent Membrane Wings.

In the face of mortal danger, they began to beat furiously.

Just as he was about to hit the water, he finally stabilized himself in mid-air.