Full-Time Public Enemy

Those iron threadworms seemed even more formidable than the last time Chen Gu had exterminated them. One after another, they drilled out from the murals, hovering in the air for a moment. Everything appeared slow, but in reality, it was all over in the blink of an eye. The entire joint search team found themselves surrounded by countless grotesque and disgusting tiny insects.

Then, these insects suddenly straightened, WHIZZING towards them like arrows!

In such a bizarre situation, Chen Gu watched indifferently. However, there was little panic on Benjamin's and the others' faces. They coordinated, combining their abilities methodically and handling the situation in an orderly fashion.

Clearly, they had anticipated what they might encounter down here beforehand.

Yet not a single person had informed Chen Gu.

A vast swath of star wind particle flames erupted from Andrei's body, protecting him. He opened his hands, and an even fiercer stream of star wind particles blasted from his palms, like molten steel poured from a furnace, sending sparks flying in all directions.

The iron threadworms that approached should have been utterly melted by the particle flames burning on his body. But unexpectedly, a faintly visible film of light appeared on the threadworms, enabling them to protect themselves within the particle flames, pass through them, and assault Andrei.

The heavy Mecha couldn't protect Andrei. Empire's products were notoriously crude, with various weak spots that allowed the insects to infiltrate!

Andrei panicked. Layers of star wind particle flames erupted from his body, trying to blast away the threadworms. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

But the faintly visible film on these worms seemed to possess some kind of stickiness, allowing them to remain attached to the surface of the heavy Mecha.

It wasn't until Andrei was almost exhausted that these threadworms suddenly burst forth with tremendous vitality, rapidly boring through the gaps in the heavy Mecha to get inside!

"AHH—" Andrei screamed as the heavy Mecha's hatch opened and ejected him with a BANG.

Countless iron threadworms were hot on Andrei's trail. From Chen Gu's perspective, the vast numbers of threadworms gathering and swiftly chasing Andrei coalesced into what looked like a huge black python!

"Save me!" Andrei shouted, but he didn't know that Andon and the rest were too preoccupied to spare the effort to save him.

Chen Gu could have, but he chose to watch coldly without intervening.

THUMP! The first iron threadworm reached Andrei, who swatted it dead with a slap, followed by the second, the third...

Any delay attracted more threadworms. Just a breath later, Andon was swarmed by countless iron threadworms on his face, covering it completely and then burrowing into his skin... The sight was enough to make one's skin crawl, but Chen Gu watched the whole event with cold detachment. Until Andrei lost all his strength and collapsed heavily.

Still, countless iron threadworms attacked, latching onto his body. In a short time, they all vanished inside Andrei's corpse.

Afterward, Andrei abruptly stood up. The skin on his face twitched eerily and rapidly, reforming into Andrei's original appearance. Then his eyes suddenly snapped open!

In his eye sockets, innumerable insect bodies writhed and entwined, a nauseating sight. After a while, those insect bodies gradually faded away to reveal a pair of blue eyes!

Andon and the others were scared out of their wits. "How can this be..."

But Andrei just cracked a smile and walked toward Andon and the others. As he approached, he said, "Captain, it's me. I'm not dead. I've tamed these worms to serve me. See? I can still use my professional abilities..."

As he reached them, he lifted both hands, and two massive streams of star wind particles blasted towards Andon and his team.

BOOM!

Andon and the others hadn't expected Andrei—who had clearly been hollowed out by the worms and was now just a skin suit—to act like a living person, his reasoning and professional abilities seemingly identical to before. They were caught completely off guard. The defense they had jointly deployed using their professional abilities collapsed on the spot, and they were thrown back, screaming.

It wasn't just Andrei. Four other team members with lower Energy Levels had also been completely consumed by the worms. Now wearing their victims' skins, these impostors began pursuing their former teammates.

Just after landing, before even starting the search, the entire joint search team had already suffered heavy losses.

A thought suddenly struck Benjamin. Disregarding the swarm of iron threadworms rushing at him, he lifted his left foot and gently stomped three times. A soft yet resilient mental force emanated and spread out.

The terrifying scene before them slowly faded, like a holographic projection when its equipment is shut off, revealing the true reality underneath.

Charles, momentarily disoriented, realized, "It's a Brain Domain Hacker's illusory realm!"

"Are we facing a powerful professional?!"

The joint search team was filled with uncertainty. Benjamin, however, examined the bodies on the ground and said, "It's not that simple. Look at these wounds; they were clearly made by the worms."

Andon and Charles immediately stepped forward to inspect, then nodded gravely. "A powerful Brain Domain Hacker collaborating with the Insect Race?"

"Or perhaps… an even more unsettling scenario: the worms have also acquired professional abilities?"

Chen Gu had remained silent all this while, but inwardly he laughed. You know nothing of the iron threadworms' capabilities, yet you think you hold more secrets than I do?