Chapter 23#
Landing#
The two came out of the rest area, silent the entire way.
When they entered the bridge one after the other, the various stations in the control room were already in position.
“Coordinates A3, Sector 8, one unit deviation!”
“Unidentified flying object detected in Sector 11!”
“All battery fire, concentrate forward!”
“Prepare to intercept the unidentified flying object. Launch fighters once they are within range.”
…
Amidst the rapid broadcasts of the various operators, Ning Feng methodically consolidated the information, as if the unpleasant conversation from just now had had no effect on him whatsoever.
Finally, he turned and saluted Yin Beichen, putting away his usual devil-may-care attitude.
“Sir, target locked.”
Yin Beichen nodded, and Ning Feng turned to bark an order.
“Fire!!”
Boom!!—
Several warheads pierced through the hazy gray sky, seeking the designated coordinates and plunging unerringly toward the planetoid’s surface.
Just then, a flash of intense light suddenly illuminated the space. An electromagnetic pulse swept across the transport boat, instantly turning all the screens blank, only returning to normal after a few seconds.
Neither Ning Feng nor Yin Beichen moved, staring intently at the main screen.
A white cloud rippled across the massive Hive Planet, and vast sheets of dust hung high in the sky. This crude method of greeting had already taken effect on the insectoids.
The insectoid swarm below was jolted awake by the artillery barrage. Like enraged ants, the creeping fungus sprouted rapidly, spreading quickly like a massive carpet of seaweed. Most of the planetoid’s surface was already scarred and in utter chaos; the entire surface looked like a boiling pot of thick porridge, pulsating and undulating like a living organism.
Soon, they stabilized their ranks. Some insectoids with flight capabilities, along with behemoths and other flying creatures, began charging toward the fleet.
The converging insectoid storm swarmed toward the turrets in layers, like moths to a flame. But before they could even get close, they were blown into fiery debris by the fierce firepower. On the hemisphere of the planetoid currently in darkness, sparks of explosive fire erupted from time to time.
The artillery batteries unleashed an airtight barrage, and the insectoid blockade in spatial orbit completely collapsed.
The swarm retreated a short distance, only for the majority to counterattack once more, followed by yet another retreat. They had simulated many possibilities beforehand, but they never expected the insectoids here to be so… fragile.
This was purely a one-sided suppression without any suspense. Perhaps if the Nora dropped just a couple more warheads, the entire planetoid would blow up.
But to the current Ning Feng, whether the planetoid exploded or not no longer mattered.
He stared blankly at the chaotic images below, feeling that the power of a planetary explosion was far less frustrating than Yin Beichen’s words. He felt completely shattered inside, just like this Hive Planet—endless despair seeping from the cracks, threatening to drown him.
Ning Feng stared blankly for a long time, secretly making a decision—
If this disgusting planet was destroyed in the next round of bombardment, he would just let go. He didn’t care if Yin Beichen liked researchers or bugs; he would wish them a lifetime of marital bliss and lock them together forever.
In just those few minutes, Ning Feng had even figured out how much money to put in the red envelope for their wedding.
Unfortunately, their objective this time was not to blow up this moon, but to retrieve the high-order insectoid samples hidden deep within. After the third round of artillery bombardment, Yin Beichen halted the fire suppression and notified the ground forces to prepare for landing.
As a member of the reconnaissance squad, Ning Feng naturally went to the prep room to change into his combat suit.
The Hive Planet had not been destroyed. The man was highly disappointed, yet also felt a tiny bit relieved—though he wasn’t sure if it was because he saved on the wedding gift money. He scratched the top of his head, suddenly feeling weary of what was to come.
After putting on his combat suit and installing his stealth equipment, he finally pulled an amulet out of his pocket.
That love amulet that was said to be incredibly effective.
Ning Feng stared down at it for a long time before stuffing it into his inner pocket anyway.
Forget it. He came here for the high-grade insect toxin samples. If the planet blew up, they wouldn’t be able to make the antidote.
The man let out a sigh, trying his best to focus on the positive, only to turn around and see Yin Beichen changing into his combat suit as well.
Ning Feng: ???
“Why are you—”
“Yeah, I’m going too,” Yin Beichen said without raising his head.
“…Does Captain Qu know?”
“He will know shortly.”
Ning Feng: …
Has this guy’s brain been eaten by bugs?
What kind of battlefield commander goes straight to the front lines to shoot it out with the bugs?
Or does he really want a lifetime of marital bliss with the bugs?
Ning Feng opened his mouth, wanting to persuade him not to go. But on second thought, knowing Yin Beichen’s temperament, once he made a decision, it was hard to reverse. Besides, he was at most just an adjutant; what right did he have to question his commanding officer’s orders?
Whatever. As long as he’s happy.
Maybe he was just worried about his sweetheart getting bullied, so he specifically came down to tag along. Why should he worry? After all, he was the “disgusting” one.
Ning Feng stopped talking and focused on putting on his gear. At this moment, Yin Beichen, who was right next to him, glanced at him imperceptibly, lowering his long eyelashes slightly to conceal the glint in his eyes.
Upon hearing the news, Qu Jingshan was furious but dared not speak out. He glanced at Qiao Xi, who was huddled in the corner with a pale face, and felt a pounding headache.
As a battalion commander, he not only had to command the marines’ assault but also lead the recon squad deep into enemy territory. Carrying a ticking time bomb was annoying enough; now he had to cater to another VIP?
Despite cursing inwardly, Qu Jingshan still obeyed the order.
**
Before their shuttle landed at the outpost, Qu Jingshan had already dispatched five squads of elite marines to lead the charge. Afterward, Ning Feng deployed ground personnel to replenish supplies and step up the construction of defensive fortifications, wasting no time at all.
The roar of engines was deafening, like a continuous roll of muffled thunder threatening to rip the sky apart. Giant columns of smoke rose from the ground, thick billowing smog blanketing this crematorium of a battlefield, as the earth trembled slightly from time to time.
Around the hastily erected defensive fortifications, logistics personnel bustled to and fro, and sentries patrolled everywhere. In the distance, warships maintained fire suppression, the rumbling of artillery making it unclear who was firing or who was being hit. Occasionally, wounded soldiers were brought back on maglev stretchers and loaded onto the ships, only to be quickly replaced by fresh recruits.
Even though it was pure chaos outside, the outpost remained unexpectedly calm, just like when they had first entered high orbit.
Ning Feng fanned away the dust and quickly entered commands on his portable star-charting device.
According to satellite scans, dozens of ground fissures of various sizes had been found near the outpost. Some were very wide, while others were extremely narrow. To save time, they had already arranged for ground troops to place sensors at the target points. The feedback showed that fewer than five fissures were wide enough for a single person to pass through.
“These are the coordinates of the fissures that meet the criteria.” Ning Feng zoomed in on the 3D hologram and highlighted the subterranean conditions.
“Why are they all so deep?” Qu Jingshan clicked his tongue.
“Can you detect any biological signatures?” Yin Beichen asked.
“Nope. Not even a single infected little cutie,” Ning Feng said, leaning back with his arms crossed. “There are plenty of insectoid eggs, though.”
Upon hearing this, everyone’s expressions turned grim.
If it were a wild planet, even if invaded by the swarm, there would still be more or less some infected native species. But now there wasn’t even one. This could only mean that the planetoid had been completely consumed by the insectoids, with absolutely no hope of salvage.
“Eggs? Did you say there are live eggs?” Suddenly, Qiao Xi popped his head out from behind, his eyes shining. “Can I go take a look?”
Qu Jingshan raised an eyebrow and shoved his head back down with one hand. “Please just stay at the outpost and don’t wander off. Once we confirm it’s safe, we will bring you over ourselves.”
That guy had been totally listless just moments ago, having just received a sedative shot from the medic. How did he become so lively the moment the insectoids were mentioned? Although Qu Jingshan always thought of him as a troublemaker, to go to such lengths for scientific research showed a true spirit of self-sacrifice.
Staring at the red dot on the screen with his dark eyes, Ning Feng remained silent.
“What is it?” Yin Beichen asked.
“I think… something is off.” Ning Feng frowned, trying hard to find the right words. “These bugs seem to be hiding, as if they knew we were going to attack beforehand.”
This wasn’t their first time fighting the insectoids. He had witnessed the situation here with his own eyes before; both the numbers and the scale far exceeded what they were seeing now. Even with their aerial advantage, it shouldn’t have been breached this easily.
“You mean the insectoids ‘guessed’ our moves?” Yin Beichen’s eyes flickered slightly.
“If they guessed it, that would still be manageable. I’m just afraid…”
The man didn’t finish his sentence, but Yin Beichen understood. He wiped all expression from his face, looking indescribably stern.
“Confirm the coordinates. We move out immediately.”
“Yeah.”
After a brief discussion, they finally settled on one set of fissure coordinates. Following a short rest, they set off.
The recon squad consisted of five members: Captain Qu Jingshan, Ning Feng, Yin Beichen, and two experienced marines. Ning Feng suggested that the other marine units assemble in fireteams at various locations to avoid exposing themselves due to high numbers. If anything went wrong, they could support each other.
The fissure they selected was quite far from the outpost, taking a two-hour march even when piloting mechs.
They spotted many volcanoes along the way, most of which showed signs of recent activity. As far as the eye could see, there was only rock and dust, with columns of smoke, ash, and sparks floating in the sky—an utterly desolate landscape. Along the way, Ning Feng encountered many circular holes and cracks, typical signs of insectoid activity.
In other words, the swarm either didn’t know they were here, or had already detected their presence but was holding off on attacking for the time being.
And the latter was the most dangerous.
“We’re here,” Qu Jingshan pointed to the ground.
Ning Feng raised his rifle, warily scanning the surrounding area before looking down at the fissure.
This one looked different from the ones they had encountered earlier; it was a long, narrow, and deep crevice that could only accommodate one person at a time. He leaned in and shone his light downward. He could see all the way into the depths of the fissure, where something was indeed moving.
Or perhaps it was just shadows.
The scar on the back of his neck began to throb again. Ning Feng forced down his inexplicably erratic heartbeat and tightened his grip on his machine gun.
Suddenly, Yin Beichen’s stoic face appeared on the small screen of his private channel.
“Scared?”
Ning Feng’s heart skipped a beat, his lips curving into a lazy smirk.
“Me? Scared?” He snorted. “You’ve got to be kidding. I’m Blade. If anyone’s scared, it should be these damn bugs.”
Yin Beichen stared at him for a moment before withdrawing his gaze. “Don’t let your guard down.”
Qu Jingshan rearranged everyone’s tasks and marked their designated areas on the grid coordinates. Looking back at the group, he gave a loud shout.
“Move out!”
He leapt in first, followed closely by the other members. Yin Beichen cast a backward glance at the man before jumping down as well.
Ning Feng, who was bringing up the rear, looked down into the pitch-black opening, took a deep breath, and plunged straight into the darkness.