Chapter 86#
Protection#
Beep!——
Ning Feng woke up in the pitch-black darkness.
He sat up by reflex, finding himself in a dim cave, his surroundings dark with no lighting at all. Outside, the wind and snow howled, occasionally bringing in a chilling draft that cut like a knife.
“Awake?”
Suddenly, a cool, clear voice sounded in the darkness.
“Yin Beichen?” Ning Feng was startled. He immediately reached toward the source of the voice, finally touching a warm body. He was groping up and down, confirming whether the other person was missing any limbs, but before he could feel around much, his wrist was caught.
“I’m fine.” Yin Beichen exhaled a puff of white mist, his tone casual and dismissive.
But Ning Feng didn’t believe a single word of it.
With that swarm of bugs charging at them in the end, even if they weren’t bitten to death, they would have been trampled to death. How could he possibly be fine?
He instinctively wanted to activate thermal imaging, but glanced at the remaining 30% battery power and thought better of it.
With the faint light reflected from the snow outside, he could barely make out the other’s silhouette. He saw Yin Beichen sitting on the other side of the cave, leaning against the rock wall, his normally straight back slightly curved. The reflecting snow cast light over him, but most of his body was hidden in shadow. Occasionally, he could see the cold, indifferent profile of his face.
Ning Feng studied him carefully, and indeed saw no obvious external injuries, except for a gash on the arm of his combat suit. The wound had already been treated urgently.
He breathed a sigh of relief, then lazily leaned back, grinning with a nonchalant air. “Good job, Commander. You managed to escape even that.”
Yin Beichen covered the tear in his suit. “I have a stealth device. They couldn’t find me.”
Ning Feng pressed his lips together, his smile gradually fading.
A stealth device only conceals your trace . If the bugs had trampled over him, they would have crushed him into mud just the same. At the time, he himself had already shut down. Carrying a nearly two-hundred-pound hunk of metal while escaping from under the noses of an elite bug squad…
One could imagine how difficult that must have been.
He wanted to ask more, but Yin Beichen simply closed his eyes, unwilling to elaborate. “If you’re done charging, give me back the charger.”
Ning Feng looked down and realized that the charger plugged into him was the one from the combat suit, and the original battery protection device had been replaced with Yin Beichen’s model. He was stunned for a moment before handing the charger back.
Yin Beichen plugged the charger into his own combat suit and let out a long, white puff of breath. An undeniable trace of exhaustion flashed across his face before it quickly returned to its usual indifference.
Fingering the device on the battery, Ning Feng felt a complex mix of emotions.
He had considered the battery issue, but hadn’t expected it to be so non-durable , and in the end, that alert sound had gone off… If it hadn’t been for that noise, he probably wouldn’t have been exposed. Thinking back, if he had prioritized the mission from the start and used Yin Beichen’s device, his battery wouldn’t have drained so severely, and the mission might have been over by now.
Yin Beichen might be a cold person, but when it came to work, he was absolutely meticulous. He himself had been acting somewhat petulant.
Ning Feng rubbed the back of his neck and sat down, side by side with Yin Beichen.
“Your… your combat suit still functional?”
“It can hold out for a while.”
Hearing this, Ning Feng frowned.
A while…
The combat suit regulated body temperature. If this went on for too long, he would be at risk of hypothermia. The indoor temperature was okay for now, but what about tracking them in the wilderness tomorrow?
Maybe it would be better to just contact the fleet to come pick them up.
Yin Beichen glanced at him. “Regretting it?”
Ning Feng half-lowered his eyelids, his voice low. “A little.”
He scratched his head, a bit irritated. “Why is it that every time I run into bugs, I get so… impatient? I just want to wipe them all out in one go, not leave them alive for a second. It was like that with the human-bugs, with the captain, and now it’s the same.”
He paused, his carefree facade starting to crack. “Maybe I just want revenge.”
Ning Feng let out two soft laughs, then gradually fell silent.
The atmosphere between them grew quiet for a moment, with only the wind and snow howling like ghosts outside.
After a long time, Ning Feng spoke in a low voice.
“This one’s on me.”
Yin Beichen stared at him steadily, a faint, deep light flickering in his eyes.
“It’s not the first time I’ve had to clean up your mess. I’m used to it.”
“Hey, when did I ever need you to clean up my mess?” Ning Feng frowned, the trace of sorrow vanishing instantly.
“When?” Yin Beichen let out a cold laugh. “Not long after we entered the military academy, the Empire organized an inter-school league. You and I were on the same team. When we were surrounded, you didn’t say a word and cut straight into the backline to take on five by yourself. The first mission after joining the army, we were assigned to stake out some space pirates, but you sneaked in and blew up their base directly. And the most recent one, sneaking off in the middle of the night to blow up a bug nest, and getting yourself caught in the process—”
“How can you remember all these little things so clearly?” Ning Feng shot him a glare.
“Have you forgotten them all?” Yin Beichen said mildly.
“Didn’t we win that league match?”
“In the end, I had to charge in and pull you out.”
“And we solved the space pirate problem, didn’t we?”
“I had to shield you with my barrier so you wouldn’t get blown to bits.”
“…And the bug nest mission still got done, didn’t it?”
“And what about this time?” Yin Beichen said flatly. “If I hadn’t arrived in time, have you considered the consequences?”
Ning Feng was left momentarily speechless.
If he hadn’t arrived… he’d probably be a pile of scrap metal by now, wouldn’t he?
Yin Beichen subtly moved closer, one hand bracing against Ning Feng’s back, his arm loosely resting against his firm waist. His voice was utterly calm. “Ning Feng, your operational capabilities are very strong, but sometimes you take too many risks. In small-scale engagements, it’s fine. If something goes wrong, there’s still a chance to recover. But on the battlefield, you need to assess the situation. You need to know how to attack, and also how to retreat.”
He leaned in a bit closer, his eyes deep and serious. “Isn’t that what you teach others?”
The two were very close, their voices low.
Ning Feng’s brow twitched slightly, and he leaned back. “You really know how to pick your moments for a lecture.”
He was about to move further away, but Yin Beichen grabbed his shoulder and forced his face back around. His blue eyes stared straight into Ning Feng’s, as if trying to see into his very heart.
“I’m just glad you’re okay.”
A whisper tinged with a sigh, accompanied by the howling wind outside, sounded just a few centimeters from his face, carrying a hint of warmth.
Ning Feng frowned and looked away. “Alright, I’ll be more careful next time.”
Yin Beichen’s eyes dimmed slightly, and he withdrew his hand.
“Last time on the ship, you made the same promise. I don’t expect you to change.” Suddenly, he let out a soft laugh. “After all, you’re Ning Feng.”
“Commander, is that a compliment?”
“Go into standby mode. Save power.”
**
At daybreak the next day, the two set off immediately.
The blizzard had stopped, but it was still incredibly cold, as if the very air had frozen.
Last night’s blizzard had left a thick layer of snow on the ground, covering all traces. Fortunately, the bugs were still following their planned route, though their pace had quickened compared to before. It took them a long time of tracking before they once again found traces of the Eye Worm.
Ning Feng scanned ahead for a while before suddenly sensing something unusual. “Commander, I’m detecting a blizzard disruption field ahead. Communications will be jammed.”
“How large is the affected area?” Yin Beichen frowned slightly.
“Can’t confirm, but it’s a significant area.”
The disruption field would heavily interfere with ground coordinates, affecting the accuracy of fighter jet targeting and preventing localization. If the bugs really went in there, even if they managed to pinpoint the Eye Worm’s location, support wouldn’t be able to arrive in time.
It seemed these bugs were truly heading for this godforsaken place.
But compared to the bugs, Ning Feng had something else to worry about right now.
He looked at Yin Beichen, whose fair face was already red from the cold. With every breath, a puff of white mist instantly condensed.
The combat suit was damaged, affecting its temperature regulation function. Normally, it could maintain a comfortable temperature, but now it could only hold at around 20 degrees Celsius. Ning Feng reached out and touched his back, finding that his body temperature was already dropping.
“How are you holding up?” he asked.
“I’m fine.” Yin Beichen’s expression didn’t change.
Like hell you’re fine.
Ning Feng’s face tightened. He pressed one hand against Yin Beichen’s chest and the other against his back, then raised the temperature of his palms. Feeling the warmth emanating from him, Yin Beichen glanced at him.
“I’ll find those bugs quickly.” Ning Feng’s face was grim, his expression indescribably serious.
Yin Beichen was momentarily stunned, then a faint smile touched his lips. “Yeah.”
After making their corrections, they set off again. Ning Feng took the lead, using his body to shield against the biting wind, while Yin Beichen followed closely.
They trudged along the traces left by the Eye Worm. The glacier path was uneven, full of crevasses and cliffs. The riverbeds were high and steep, and falling into the water would make it extremely difficult to climb back out. They moved in fits and starts, entering the blizzard’s disruption field.
The wind grew stronger, beginning to howl. Instantly, the dark sky merged with the sea of snow, blurring their vision severely. The two pushed on against the wind for another half an hour before finally spotting their target—the Eye Worm.
The Eye Worm was dragging its fat, round body, floating slowly through the white snow. Although it itself appeared completely defenseless, it was surrounded by dozens of high and mid-tier ferocious bug beasts. As the swarm advanced, their clumsy limbs crushed the rubble beneath them without any hesitation or pause, their only concern being to use their bodies to protect the Eye Worm. And perhaps influenced by the previous day’s events, the bugs’ defensive circle seemed even tighter.
The two moved in time with the howling wind, carefully approaching their target.
Several times, Ning Feng had a clear shot, but seeing Yin Beichen give no indication, he ultimately refrained from acting rashly.
Once they were close enough, Yin Beichen stopped. His lips were now bloodless, his face extremely pale. Though his entire body was freezing cold, he still held his back straight, showing no sign of relaxation.
“Stop here?” Ning Feng quickly moved forward to warm him up.
“Yeah.” Yin Beichen acknowledged, with difficulty sending their coordinates to the aerial units. Ning Feng could see his fingers trembling slightly.
Almost immediately, they received a response. The aerial units would arrive in about fifteen minutes. Ning Feng breathed a sigh of relief—as long as they kept correcting the coordinates, they could improve the fighters’ accuracy—
Whoosh!——
Suddenly, the bugs guarding the vicinity scattered. The Eye Worm in the distance trembled. Its massive body slowly expanded, its tentacles stretching outwards from underneath. A huge, dark hole appeared beneath its body. Its body pulsed and writhed continuously, as if something was crawling and deforming inside it. After a few seconds, with a thump, a slime-covered orb fell out of the hole.
The orb rolled a couple of times before quickly unfurling into a body several meters long—it was a sixth-tier Spine Spitter!
Ning Feng’s eyes widened.
This is… a warp portal!
The bugs were opening a warp portal!
This was the first time he had ever seen a bug warp portal with his own eyes.
The Eye Worm was “spitting” out a bug every few seconds, each one different in size and rank, but uniformly hideous. In that brief moment of shock, it had already spat out nearly twenty bugs.
“How much longer?” Ning Feng asked.
“Twelve minutes.” Yin Beichen panted slightly.
Twelve minutes. By the time the coordinates were corrected, there would be nearly a thousand bugs here!
Why even bother with fighters? Just send in the warships. But if they bombed indiscriminately without accuracy, there was no guarantee they’d even hit the bugs, and they’d risk blowing themselves up in the process.
Ning Feng gave a cold laugh. “These bugs really don’t hold back, warping in as fast as they can the moment they get a chance.”
Blowing them up or not was a problem either way.
But there was a third option.
He could use his sniper rifle to blow up the Eye Worm directly, stopping the warp portal. Then he could fire a flare to confirm their coordinates. But this would absolutely trigger a frenzied counterattack from the bugs.
Apart from a broken rock nearby, there was no cover at all. And with Yin Beichen’s current condition… if the aerial support couldn’t arrive in time, then the two of them would really be buried here.
It was a very, very risky move.
If it failed—
Ning Feng rubbed his fingertips together.
Suddenly, Yin Beichen spoke, his voice soft. “Are you confident in your marksmanship?”
Ning Feng’s brow furrowed slightly. “What do you have in mind?”
“Do what you want to do.” Yin Beichen’s voice was low and heavy, as if he was suppressing something. Yet it had a strangely calming effect on the listener.
Ning Feng’s lips moved slightly. After a long pause, he finally spoke slowly. “What? Not afraid of having to clean up a mess?”
Hearing this, Yin Beichen grabbed Ning Feng’s hand and gave it a firm squeeze. “It wouldn’t be the first time.” He looked at Ning Feng, his voice heavy. “Go ahead.”
Hearing this, Ning Feng’s expression hardened, his lips pressed into a thin line.
The raging wind whipped up a blizzard of snowflakes, swirling between them like a dense, white curtain. Ning Feng couldn’t see the other’s expression clearly, but the churning emotions in his eyes were exceptionally vivid.
Suddenly, he grinned broadly.
“Don’t you regret it.”
With that, Ning Feng steadied his rifle and took careful aim.
The snowflakes grew denser, obscuring everything. The Eye Worm’s massive body flickered in and out of view in his scope, occasionally blocked by other bugs. Ning Feng’s gun didn’t waver. He waited patiently, waiting for an opportunity, a moment for…
a single, decisive shot.
BANG!!
A flash of scarlet fire sparked. Yin Beichen fired a flashbang grenade into the sky. A blinding white light pierced through the snow mist, shooting straight towards the heavens. Amidst the fire and explosion, the Eye Worm exploded as expected, bursting into a bloody, pulpy mist.
The surrounding bugs were stunned for a moment before they reacted, raising their heads in piercing shrieks and charging furiously towards the two of them with their massive bodies. Ning Feng didn’t hesitate for a second. He swung his rifle around and fired point-blank into the swarm, while Yin Beichen raised his machine gun and opened fire indiscriminately, without regard for cost.
For a moment, the sounds of gunfire, explosions, and screams melded into a chaotic symphony.
As if it were a drill they had practiced ten thousand times before, the two moved in perfect sync, rapidly beating back the assault. But their combat power was ultimately limited. Facing the relentless wave of hundreds of bug beasts, they were quickly pushed back to within a mere ten meters.
Countless monsters swarmed in from all directions, dense as a colony of ants, seeming to crush everything in their path, making it hard to breathe.
Ning Feng froze in place—countless larvae were crawling up his calves, their sharp claws piercing his skin, gnawing at his flesh… The cabin’s alert sounded abruptly, and the world went dark. He had no way out.
Just… just like the moment before he died.
The engine hummed. Ning Feng’s fingers trembled slightly.
What’s going on?
Forcing down the inexplicable panic, he roared, “Yin Beichen!”
“Yeah.”
Yin Beichen’s voice was still calm, as if nothing could shake his composure, settling Ning Feng’s nerves.
It felt like several minutes, or perhaps just a few seconds. Finally, a rumbling sound echoed from the clouds above. Ning Feng looked up and saw several fighter jets, trailing cyclones orbs of light, tearing through the clouds and sweeping across the battlefield.
Just then, the team channel crackled with static and a human voice.
【Strike inbound in three seconds. Ground personnel, evacuate immediately.】
Ning Feng’s face tightened. He reached out to grab Yin Beichen, when suddenly his vision blurred and a wave of cool, clean scent filled his nostrils. In the next instant, a brilliant blue energy shield enveloped them both tightly.
A rhythmic heartbeat, familiar and persistent…
BOOM!!——
A deafening explosion tore through the air. Smoke billowed into the sky as a massive shockwave radiated outwards, the raging wind tearing at everything, making it nearly impossible to stand. The frenzied bug beasts turned to ash. The insectoid line was shattered in an instant, their forces collapsing into chaos.
The intense bombardment lasted for nearly a minute. The sound of explosions blanketed the entire valley, blackish-grey smoke curling into the air, mixing with snowflakes to obscure their vision. As the area gradually quieted down, Ning Feng slowly raised his head.
Thump!
Suddenly, a weight fell onto him. He looked up and saw Yin Beichen slumped over him, completely still.
Ning Feng stood frozen. He gently pushed him.
“Yin Beichen?”
Yin Beichen’s eyes were shut tight, dark circles under them, his lips pale and almost translucent. Ning Feng touched his body and felt only an icy coldness.
In that instant, Ning Feng’s entire body went rigid as stone.
He immediately pulled the man into his arms, activating maximum power mode to generate as much heat as possible, before quickly opening an emergency channel.
“Attention all units, this is Blade.” His face was taut, his voice low and forceful, but his fingers trembled uncontrollably. “We have a man down. We have a man down. Require emergency extraction. Coordinates S92-N46. Repeat, this is Blade…”
The wind and snow howled. Their world was already blanketed in white. As the low battery alert sounded once more, the fighter jet finally landed slowly in the distance, kicking up a large cloud of snow. Gazing at the distant, blurry figures, Ning Feng looked down at the man in his arms, and gradually lost consciousness.