Chapter 89: Chapter 84: Future Famine, Qin Hu LV19, Lying in Wait

The once-bountiful Jiangnan Water Village, under the ravages of the Zerg Race’s invasion, had become a scorched land of black and red. All traces of green had vanished, devoured by their mandibles.

No one knew what the Zerg Race truly subsisted on. All that was clear for now was that they couldn’t stray far from water. They needed vast amounts of it, which they broke down into elemental hydrogen and oxygen to sustain each individual unit.

Lin Feng sat on the second-floor observation deck of the Level 15 Armored Tank, gazing out at the boundless wasteland. Hundreds of earthen mounds, large and small, marked the entrances to their tunnels...

In just a few short days, this place had become an underground base for the Zerg Race’s expansion.

Through his Mind Sensing, he could feel that the land beneath him had been hollowed out into a dense, sprawling network of tunnels.

Their construction speed was no slower than that of humans, though this had much to do with the loose soil of the Jiangnan Region.

The assessment report from the Research Institute predicted that the Zerg Race’s advance would falter and slow upon reaching the hilly inland regions, hundreds of miles from the coast.

The Red-Armored Beetles used their claws to dig, but their progress would slow by a factor of ten or more upon encountering hard rock. Furthermore, years of unrestrained groundwater extraction for industrial development had caused land subsidence. This now served as a blessing in disguise, unexpectedly hindering the Zerg Race’s rapid invasion of the interior.

At that point, the Zerg Race would be forced to swarm to the surface to engage human armies in a decisive, head-on battle in the hills and plateaus.

This was the opportunity Lin Feng had been waiting for.

As he drove along the coastal front, looking out at the devastated Jiangnan Plain and breathing in the strange, acrid smell that filled the air... both Lin Feng in the lead vehicle and Qin Hu, riding in a military jeep in the security convoy, felt their hearts grow heavy.

Most of the world’s developed regions were located along the coasts, thanks to convenient sea and land transport, pleasant climates, and easy access to water.

The scale of these cities far surpassed that of those inland.

But now, every city near the coastline had fallen to the Zerg Race’s onslaught.

For humanity as a whole, it was a devastating blow.

However, that wasn’t the most critical issue. The continent’s geography dictated that most grain-producing plains were located near the coast, just like the Jiangnan breadbasket the Federation was now losing.

Countless refugees had fled inland, but the agricultural output there was nowhere near enough to support the vastly increased population.

For the first few years, they could get by on grain reserves. But as time went on, nations lacking arable land had to face not only the ferocious Alien Zerg Race, but also an impending, large-scale famine.

’If you can’t even feed people, what’s the point of talking about combat effectiveness?’

At this thought, Qin Hu’s hands on the Machine Cannon tightened their grip.

He knew that he alone—or even the entire Awakened Camp, or the whole of the Thirteenth Division—could not stop the Zerg Race’s march inland...

But if they could just delay them a little longer, just enough to guarantee the Lianghu Region could produce grain for another two years, then fewer innocent survivors would starve to death in the future.

Clinging to this conviction, Qin Hu took a deep breath, followed Lin Feng to the front line, and got out of his vehicle to observe.

Compared to the day before, the Zerg territory had expanded forward by more than a full three kilometers. In another three or four days, they would be within sight of Wu City’s defense line.

Qin Hu received a call. On the main front in the suburban area north of Wu City, new recruits had arrived and were undergoing their first live-combat training.

A standard rifle was enough to kill a Red-Armored Beetle, and doing so even granted an enhancement effect.

This was why most people enlisted.

A chaotic era had begun. After the initial panic, survivors who understood the situation were all hoping to seize this opportunity to increase their own strength and face the dangers to come.

After getting the update from Qin Hu, Lin Feng glanced at the sky. Confirming there were no Cyan-winged Zergs, he activated his Red Profound Armor’s full-body mode and descended from the vehicle.

He walked up to Shen Jie and his seven men and said:

"We’re sticking to the plan, but we’ll add one more vehicle. If we can lure two swarms of Black Spine Zergs at once, we can annihilate them all."

With the new recruits causing a disturbance on the front lines, Lin Feng estimated the Black Spine Zergs’ patrols would be spread thin. To ensure efficiency, he needed to send out an extra decoy vehicle to increase the odds of a successful lure.

Qin Hu was surprised. He hadn’t expected Lin Feng’s method for hunting Black Spine Zergs to be so aggressive.

He had assumed they would kill Red-Armored Beetles to attract a Black Spine Zerg Swarm, but Lin Feng was sending men directly into the heart of Zerg territory.

’He’s using human lives as bait for the Black Spine Zergs.’

He watched as the young men, some only a few years older than his own daughter, floored the gas pedal and charged deep into Zerg territory. The sight of the shattered highway in the distance was still horrifying...

Qin Hu lit a cigarette and sighed.

"What are their chances of making it back alive?"

Lin Feng shrugged and tossed Qin Hu a walkie-talkie.

"As long as they’re smart about it, they’ll make it back, one hundred percent."

"Don’t overestimate the Black Spine Zergs. Against overwhelming firepower, these Low-Tier Zergs don’t stand a chance. I’m confident I can get them out, so I’m not about to watch them go to their deaths."

"Still, survival is something you have to earn."

"Same goes for you in a minute. I’ll cripple the Black Spine Zerg Swarm, but you’ll have to be the one to go in and finish them off."

Qin Hu nodded. He had come to the front lines prepared to face the Black Spine Zergs up close again. If he didn’t even have that much courage, he wasn’t worthy of wearing his uniform.

Soon enough, Lin Feng’s Mind Sensing located two Black Spine Zerg patrol swarms. However, they were rushing from the south toward the North District, clearly drawn by the intense gunfire on the main front and preparing to harass the new recruits.

But Lin Feng wasn’t about to let such a prize get away. He immediately told Shen Jie and his men to fire in the direction of the Black Spine Zergs. Even though the targets were beyond visual range, the sound of gunfire would be enough to draw their attention.

Sure enough, dozens of seconds later, swarms of Black Spine Zergs appeared on both sides of the road. Two waves in total, they pursued the two security vehicles as they sped away.

Lin Feng counted them. Forty-seven in total.

More than enough for Qin Hu to complete his next Awakening.

He immediately raised his Level 19 Grenade Cannon, used Firepower Coverage to lock on, and pulled the trigger while the Black Spine Zerg Swarm was still six to seven hundred meters away.

The next second, a terrifying saturation strike descended upon the highway, blanketing all forty-seven Black Spine Zergs.

The chain reaction of explosions was like a cluster bomb, ensuring not a single Black Spine Zerg escaped the blast.

Qin Hu was frozen in his jeep, completely stunned. For a moment, he forgot to tell the equally dumbfounded Li Ran to drive forward and finish off the crippled Black Spine Zerg Swarm.

He knew Lin Feng had reached Tier One Late Stage Awakening long ago, and had likely even achieved Perfection. He also knew Lin Feng’s awakened Superpower, Superpower Bullet, packed the punch of a 155mm howitzer—a single shot could level a house.

This was something the other Superpower Bullet Awakener in the Thirteenth Division could attest to.

The fire support provided by such a powerful Awakener was equivalent to an entire mobile artillery company!

He was enough to turn the tide of battle along a front several hundred meters long.

Paired with a reinforced battalion, he could easily fend off an assault by a thousand Black Spine Zergs.

But Qin Hu had never imagined the Superpower Bullet could be used as a Skill in such a terrifying way.

It was like unleashing the firepower of an entire artillery battalion in an instant—thirty or forty cannons firing in unison, with a blast radius large enough to cover a residential block.

Even seven or eight Superpower Bullet Awakeners of the same level firing together couldn’t produce such an explosive effect.

Lin Feng’s hidden strength far surpassed Qin Hu’s imagination.

It wasn’t until Lin Feng’s voice crackled over the walkie-talkie, urging him on, that Qin Hu snapped out of it and ordered Li Ran to drive toward the blast zone.

Looking at the ground littered with crippled Black Spine Zergs, Qin Hu finally understood why that distant stretch of highway was so utterly shattered.

’So this is what’s left after Lin Feng used a Black Spine Zerg Swarm for target practice earlier.’

As he drew closer, Qin Hu didn’t fire indiscriminately. Instead, he first took out the few Tier One Late Stage Black Spine Zergs that were less severely injured with a few clean shots.

Then he moved on to clear out the rest of the Zergs.

He made sure not a single one escaped.

There were forty-seven in total. Qin Hu, who was at Level 14, only needed to kill forty to reach Tier One Late Stage Perfection.

Activating his Physical Enhancement Superpower, he grew stronger and stronger, fueled by the continuous rush of power from each Upgrade.

His body swelled at a rate visible to the naked eye.

It was a physical manifestation of his muscles growing and his Physique Attribute climbing ever higher.

This scene made Shen Jie and his men, who were preparing to clean up the battlefield from the rear, watch with looks of awe and envy.

They could only feel reverence for the untouchable Boss Lin, but the transformation of Qin Hu’s Superpower was something they could achieve through their own hard work.

Soon, after finishing off forty Black Spine Zergs, Qin Hu completed his final, deep Awakening, gaining a powerful 30% boost from his Physical Enhancement.

In his peak burst State, his Power exceeded seven or eight tons, and his speed approached one hundred meters per second. He could now easily take on several Late Stage Black Spine Zergs by himself.

After completing his final Awakening, Qin Hu rode back to Lin Feng and looked up at the man on the observation deck.

"I owe you for this."

"I’m heading back to the main front. I’ll take a group of Awakeners to deal with the incoming Black Spine Zerg Swarm."

"With my current strength, it should be enough."

Lin Feng nodded, then tossed down a few high-calorie snacks.

"Make sure to eat something on the way."

Qin Hu caught the nut and chocolate bars and waved in farewell.

Watching the newly Level 19 Major Qin drive off into the distance...

Lin Feng slowly breathed a sigh of relief, then turned his gaze back toward the heart of the Zerg territory.

Shen Jie and his men were clearing the battlefield.

As they lingered on the battlefield, the sound of several high-frequency vibrations buzzed from the distant sky...

It was mixed in with a burst of intense gunfire.

Without listening carefully, it would be difficult to distinguish.

But Lin Feng knew. The true target he had been waiting for had finally arrived.

He immediately grabbed his walkie-talkie and ordered Shen Jie’s team—who were busy clearing the battlefield, capturing the seven remaining live Zergs, and cutting off Giant Mandibles—to return to their vehicles immediately.

The live Zergs were already secured in the trunk. There was no need to risk their lives for the remaining Giant Mandibles.

Shortly after Lin Feng gave the order, several streaks of cyan light flashed through the air nearby.

The long-awaited Cyan-winged Zergs had revealed themselves.

In truth, Lin Feng had been avoiding them until now to prevent exposing intelligence about his abilities.

But this time, in addition to helping Qin Hu Upgrade, his true purpose was to hunt these Cyan-winged Zergs.

As the three security vehicles rushed back toward the Armored Tank, they drew the attention of the Cyan-winged Zergs... Lying in wait from his observation deck, Lin Feng ordered Chen Yanyan to use the Biological Radar to lock onto the Cyan-winged Zergs’ flight paths and engage them with the ten Heavy Machine Guns.

The Level 19 Grenade Cannon in his hand had a blast radius of over twenty meters and dealt a terrifying 190 points of Damage.

These Cyan-winged Zergs, which were Tier One Middle Stage at best, couldn’t possibly withstand even a single shell.

The last time Lin Feng had dealt with them, he had used Eye of the Death God to lock on for a headshot, blowing them to bits and leaving nothing behind.

This time, to preserve the corpses as intact as possible for material collection, Lin Feng switched his Grenade Cannon to its Level 9 Divine-level Pistol form... relying on Chen Yanyan’s furious barrage to restrict the Cyan-winged Zergs’ flight paths, he then activated his Metal Storm Attribute and fired into the sky.

Fueled by a limitless supply of ammunition, he instantly wove a dense net of bullets in the air, each one dealing forty points of Damage.

Just two or three hits were enough to cripple a Cyan-winged Zerg.

In order to achieve high-speed flight, the Cyan-winged Zergs’ defensive structure was nowhere near as thick or solid as that of the land-based Black Spine Zergs.

That was why even the Level 9 Divine-level Pistol could easily tear through their fragile Armor.

Instantly, two of the Cyan-winged Zergs had their wing membranes torn by bullets and lost their balance... wobbling as they glided and tumbled toward the ground.