The flash of cyan light was so quick that none of the three people present had noticed it. However, as Lin Feng saw the head roll to his feet, he looked up in the direction it came from and saw a cyan shadow pulling up into the sky.

Because it was in its ascent, its speed had slowed.

But Lin Feng had no time to think. The best way to deal with an unknown danger was to take cover.

Even though it was climbing, its speed was still several times faster than any terrestrial creature.

’I don’t know when its next dive attack will be. First, I need to get back inside the Armored RV!’

He grabbed Chen Yanyan and dove into the cab. The solid, heavy Armor gave Lin Feng a sense of security.

"In the air? Is it a flying zerg?!"

Since the engine was still running, Chen Yanyan hit the brake, shifted gears, and got the vehicle moving. With trembling hands, she turned the RV around and asked her question.

The shock of that last scene hit her like the first time she’d watched a horror movie and seen a disembodied head.

Panic, like boiling ink, drowned her reason.

Thankfully, hidden inside the Armored RV, they wouldn’t have to take that light-speed scythe with their own bodies, unlike Zhao Lu.

Lin Feng frowned slightly. He took out the receiver left by Ding Chenghai and pulled up the introductory file he had sent earlier.

"It’s a flying Zerg Race unit. If I’m not mistaken, it should be called a Cyan-winged Zerg."

"Don’t worry. As long as we’re hiding in the Armored RV, we’re safe. It can’t get in."

Lin Feng offered a word of comfort, raising a hand to her shoulder to steady her nerves.

After all, faced with such an unknown enemy, even Lin Feng had jumped in fright at first.

Chen Yanyan took a few deep breaths and calmed down.

Lin Feng looked through the file and explained in detail:

"The Cyan-winged Zerg is a Low Tier Zerg Race unit, comparable to the Black Spine Zerg. Their structures are similar; both have a pair of Giant Mandibles at their mouthparts, but the Cyan-winged Zerg’s are smaller and shorter. However, its flanking chelicerae are very long and can pierce a target’s brain."

"They are about four meters long and have a wasp-like structure. Their fore-abdomens have three pairs of long, blade-like legs with serrated, barbed ends, which they can use to hook a target and drop it from mid-air to its death."

"But the Cyan-winged Zerg’s most common attack method is to fly to an altitude of six or seven hundred meters and dive like a peregrine falcon. Their maximum speed can approach 400 kilometers per hour, which is equivalent to a sprint speed of 100 meters per second."

"As they approach a target, they spread their cyan Membrane Wings to enter a high-speed glide, opening their blade-like legs on both sides to slice the target using their momentum."

"To achieve flight, the Cyan-winged Zerg’s Defense Power is reduced. They generally don’t participate in direct ground combat. Normally, they are responsible for patrolling the skies around the Mother Empress. In battle, they surround the Mother Empress to counter and resist our aerial attacks."

"Their role is similar to that of an unmanned wingman drone."

After he finished reading, both Lin Feng and Chen Yanyan breathed a sigh of relief. To maintain its flight speed, the Cyan-winged Zerg’s Armor was nowhere near as tough as the Black Spine Zerg’s. It couldn’t possibly break through the Armored RV.

However, they posed a great threat to human aerial units.

Especially against low-flying helicopters, a Cyan-winged Zerg could easily trade one for one.

No wonder they had to send an attack helicopter for the rescue at the Hai City University dormitory last time, and strictly limit the number of passengers. They were afraid of encountering Cyan-winged Zergs.

There could be no factors that might compromise flight performance.

Lin Feng put the receiver away. Although he had skimmed the Zerg files before, he hadn’t expected to encounter a Cyan-winged Zerg so soon. These creatures rarely operated on the ground, nor did they typically appear at the edge of their territory.

He guessed the sudden deaths of the small group of Black Spine Zergs had escalated tensions, prompting the Mother Empress to send this one to investigate.

He never thought that by using the Zerg Hunting Team as bait, Zhao Lu would actually catch such a big fish.

’In the future, for missions, I’ll have to specifically assign someone to stay in the vehicle as a lookout for early warnings.’

After learning that the Cyan-winged Zerg posed no further threat, Lin Feng decided to return the favor. He reassured Chen Yanyan, left the front passenger seat, and went up to the RV’s second-floor observation deck.

With the protection of the roof and the surrounding Armor, the Cyan-winged Zerg couldn’t dive-bomb them, but Lin Feng could use the thirty-centimeter-wide gap to launch a counter-attack.

The Fire Rate of the lv14 Machine Cannon was too low, and the Eye of the Death God’s charge-up pre-aiming required locking onto the target’s figure.

The Cyan-winged Zerg’s normal flight speed reached over fifty meters per second, or more than 200 kilometers per hour.

Lin Feng’s reaction speed couldn’t keep up, so he could only barely manage to use Identification on it. It was a lv12 Cyan-winged Zerg:

Cyan-winged Zerg, lv12/19

Life Value: 120, Physique: 60, Spirit: 8

A basic Zerg Race soldier unit, responsible for low-altitude reconnaissance and intelligence gathering. Attack Power is average and Defense Power is low. It can act as the eyes and ears for high-level Zergs.

Watching the Cyan-winged Zerg circling behind the RV, Lin Feng quickly came up with a solution.

’Although the lv14 Machine Cannon can’t aim properly, I can switch to the Divine-level Pistol mode, activate the Metal Storm Attribute, and create a jet of metal. I’ll win with sheer numbers!’

Lin Feng crouched down, his eyes fixed on the cyan shadow circling back and forth behind the RV. He held his breath and concentrated.

Finally, after figuring out its flight pattern, Lin Feng predicted its trajectory and extended the gun’s muzzle.

At the same time, just in case, he was ready to activate the Red Armor Shield’s Absolute Defense State at a moment’s notice.

This was Lin Feng’s backup plan, in case other flying zergs appeared.

As he pulled the trigger, Metal Storm fired off sheets of bullets. At a terrifying Fire Rate of one hundred and fifty rounds per second, they formed a massive net of metal in the sky.

Each bullet dealt up to forty Damage, and this lv12 Cyan-winged Zerg had 120 Life Value. It would take three hits to kill it completely.

But in reality, just one hit—especially one that shattered its transparent wing membranes—would be enough to ground the Cyan-winged Zerg for good.

And soon, as nearly a thousand bullets traveling at 800 meters per second formed a net of projectiles in the sky along the Cyan-winged Zerg’s likely flight path, it was unable to change direction in time. Caught off guard, it was struck repeatedly in the wings and abdomen.

It wobbled and dove toward the ground, crashing with such force that its limbs shattered and flesh splattered everywhere.

The Cyan-winged Zerg was smashed to death on impact. Unfortunately, since the final killing blow was from the fall and not a bullet, Lin Feng didn’t get any Upgrade Points.

After successfully killing the Cyan-winged Zerg, Lin Feng watched the sky for a while longer. Once he was sure there were no other flying zergs, he returned to the rear compartment of the RV with relief.

He had gone to great lengths to deal with the Cyan-winged Zerg, and not just for a few Upgrade Points. For one, he needed to return the favor and help them both overcome the psychological pressure. For another, according to the system’s description, the Cyan-winged Zerg acted as the Mother Empress’s eyes and ears.

If it had escaped and reported back, the Mother Empress would have learned from its intelligence that a threat like Lin Feng existed among the humans.

This would be extremely disadvantageous for Lin Feng’s future operations.

A forewarned Mother Empress would definitely keep an eye on Lin Feng and specifically target him.

’To avoid that risk, the Cyan-winged Zerg had to die!’

Lin Feng holstered his pistol. Looking through the iron door at the live zergs in the rear compartment, the joy of a bountiful harvest didn’t last long before a sense of urgency rose within him again.

’These are just Low Tier zergs below level 20. What if I encounter Middle Tier flying zergs above level 20 in the future? They’ll fly higher and faster, and their Defense Power will be much greater...’

’At that point, if Metal Storm is useless, the Machine Cannon’s power will be sufficient, but its Fire Rate definitely won’t keep up.’

’Anti-air defense... Ten defenses, nine failures...’

’No, ten defenses, ten failures!’

’I have to hurry and Upgrade the Machine Cannon and the Armored RV to a point where I can defend myself.’

Lin Feng took a deep breath. After killing 10 Black Spine Zergs, the lv14 Machine Cannon had 19 Upgrade Points, enough for two consecutive Upgrades to lv16.

He Upgraded it without hesitation. As for his own lv14 Upgrade, the process was quite intense, so he decided to wait until he returned to a safe area.

"Is the Cyan-winged Zerg dealt with?" Chen Yanyan asked as Lin Feng returned.

Lin Feng nodded, his expression returning to its usual calm.

Chen Yanyan breathed a sigh of relief. ’As long as it can be dealt with, it’s not a problem.’

The appearance of the Cyan-winged Zerg had caused a significant delay. By the time the Armored RV returned to the service area, it was already one in the afternoon.

On this Zerg Hunting mission, the RV had suffered no damage, but Lin Feng’s heart was far from the relief and elation he’d felt after his narrow escape last time.

Parking the RV in front of the repair shop, the two of them deactivated the Shield Armor Form. After getting out, Lin Feng immediately contacted Hu Fei to arrange for the shipment as soon as possible.

A swarm of live zergs was screeching in the rear compartment. If anyone grew suspicious, it could easily cause unnecessary misunderstandings.

Just then, an employee from the Administration Bureau walked up, smiling, and said:

"Congratulations, Mr. Lin. Due to your exceptional merit, you have been promoted to Special Soldier."

"You’re just one step away from becoming an Officer."