"What are you doing here?"

The deafening roar of the Chainsaw Swords made it difficult to hear.

Lin Feng barely made out the words and shouted back,

"This might be a trap!"

"New Tier Two Zergs are lying in ambush for you!"

Qin Hu shook his head. The battle ahead was winding down. Many Tier One Late Stage Awakeners, wielding powerful Chainsaw Swords, had successfully scored their first kills against Tier Two Zergs.

Once they returned to the second line of defense, they could undergo Tier Two Deep Awakening and become Tier Two Awakeners themselves.

Combined with the genetic modification surgeries from the Research Institute, a new batch of Genetic Warriors with strength comparable to the Tier Two Middle Stage would soon be ready for deployment.

In the midst of it all, even Shen Jie had managed to grievously wound a Tiger Spine Zerg with his Shotgun before finishing it off with his two-meter-long Arm Blade, harvesting the Upgrade Energy.

As the battle concluded, the group retreated to the outer entrance of the Zerg Cave for a brief rest.

Lin Feng and Qin Hu continued their conversation.

Using Identification, Lin Feng saw that Qin Hu had already reached Lv. 22. ’That means he’s killed at least five Tier Two Zergs. But he hasn’t entered the Genetic Assimilation state... he must be relying on that extraordinary Close Combat Weapon in his hands.’

Qin Hu took a deep breath and said excitedly,

"This is humanity’s first victory against a Zerg attack deep inside the Wormhole! But I didn’t expect the scale of these underground Zerg Caves to be even larger than we imagined!"

He pointed to the Zerg Cave they had just exited.

"According to the Research Institute’s intel, that should be a Third-Level Hive. It’s probably three or four square kilometers, about the size of a commercial complex."

"It’s home to over a thousand Tier One Black Spine Zergs and a dozen or so Tier Two Tiger Spine Zergs. We went in and drove out the Low-tier Zerg Race, but we were cornered and cut off by the Tiger Spine Zergs. We ended up having to fight our way back to the Zerg Path."

"Good thing you intervened. If we had to face that Tier Two Late Stage Tiger Spine Zerg, we would’ve definitely lost people."

Lin Feng shrugged. ’Honestly, after upgrading myself and my Electromagnetic Cannon to Lv. 2, I’m not that eager to jump back into the fight. There’s not much to gain from killing more Tiger Spine Zergs. Besides, stuck in these underground caverns, I can’t even bring back many biological materials for fusion upgrades. Unless I run into new types of Tier Two Zergs, like Pulse War Scorpions or Tank Flame Armors. When it comes to Tier Two Tiger Spine Zergs, I’d rather let Shen Jie or the other Awakeners have the chance to get some Upgrade Energy. After all, Tier Two Zergs are still pretty rare, and this kind of close-quarters combat experience is just as valuable. It’ll help the Awakeners get stronger, faster.’

After hearing Qin Hu’s account, Lin Feng asked,

"So you’re planning to stay and keep fighting in the Wormhole to complete the mission from the Research Institute?"

"Those new Tier Two Zergs won’t be easy. Compared to Tiger Spine Zergs, they’re more specialized, more purpose-built. It’s the difference between a regular grunt and a sniper or a rocket trooper. They’re extremely hard to deal with."

Qin Hu nodded, removing his mask. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag.

"Exactly. But we have this!"

He raised the Chainsaw Sword in his hand, exhaled a cloud of white smoke, and continued,

"Our mission—our duty—is to gather intelligence on the new Tier Two Zergs and get it to the Research Institute so they can figure out how to fight them."

"Victory in this war depends on this intel. The capital dispatched several squads of Genetic Warriors, but they were facing multiple Mother Empresses and the complex structure of the Wormhole Caves. So far, not a single one has made it back alive..."

"Hai City only has one Mother Empress, and it has only hatched a small number of new Tier Two Zergs. This is one of the few perfect opportunities we’ll get."

"Besides, we’ve made other gains on this trip."

Qin Hu glanced over his shoulder at a seated squad member—the team’s deputy commander, a Lv. 19 Awakener.

He was also a Genetic Warrior. Both Lin Feng and Shen Jie could smell a strange odor wafting from him, and they noticed a flicker of madness in his eyes.

The deputy commander chimed in,

"Hello, Sergeant Lin. I’ve heard a great deal about you."

"I’m Chen Shu, former commander of the 98th Company, now serving as Colonel Qin’s deputy."

Chen Shu took a pouch from his backpack, showed it to Lin Feng, then carefully tucked it away again.

It was a medical biohazard PE bag, stamped with a yellow skull and crossbones warning symbol. Inside was a substance that gave off a faint green glow, resembling a fungus or slime mold found on decaying wood.

Chen Shu habitually pushed at a pair of phantom glasses on his nose. ’He must have been a top student,’ Lin Feng thought. If it weren’t for the Alien Zerg Race invasion, a man like him would never have had to risk life and limb deep in Zerg territory.

After showing it to the group, Chen Shu explained,

"This is a type of bioluminescent slime mold we found in the Hive. It seems to produce some kind of nutrient. From a distance, I saw a Red-Armored Beetle feeding on it."

"If we take it back for research, we might be able to uncover the fundamental life cycle of the Zerg Race. If we can find a way to destroy this glowing substance or the environment it needs to grow, we could cut the legs out from under them—destroy the very foundation of their survival."

"Wipe out their primary food source."

"That would be a more significant victory than anything we could achieve on the front lines."

Lin Feng nodded. ’It’s a valid strategy.’

Qin Hu stubbed out his half-smoked cigarette and said with a grin,

"See what a difference an education makes? We grunts can’t compare."

His expression then turned serious as he looked at Lin Feng.

"So, are you with us? Or are you heading out? With you and your ranged attacks on our side, I’m confident we could easily take on these new Tier Two Zergs..."

With his eyes fixed on the Chainsaw Sword clutched in Qin Hu’s hand, Lin Feng nodded.