Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

"What are those...?"

The glass of the car window reflected the gradually weakening sunlight of the late afternoon, and Miss Aryan's delicate, petite face, pasted against the glass, stared blankly at the giant insect figures receding into the distance.

Under the lead of Vehicle 1, everyone escaped safely.

However, an unknown confusion weighed on their hearts; nobody knew what exactly the monsters that had burrowed out of the ground were.

"Did the Bug Race undergo some kind of mutation?" Gregory's brows were tightly furrowed, his mood heavy.

Humanity had survived on this planet for thousands of years; there were almost no native creatures left completely unseen. Moreover, near the Bug Race's hives, whenever something entirely new appeared, it was almost certain to be related to the Bug Race; even if not the Bug Race itself, their genetic pollution undoubtedly had an influence.

This ability for survival mutations of an extraterrestrial species was something human biotechnology's imagination couldn't keep up with.

Just like the main forces of the Bug Race... The insects that landed on the planet centuries ago were entirely different from today's insects. Back then, the insects primarily consisted of aerial forces, with air creatures named "Gargoyles" and "Winged Serpents" rampaging through the skies.

The "Drop Pods" descending from outer space brought countless "Servants," "Horn Beasts," "Soldier Insects," and other castes in a mad invasion against human defenses, a fierce battle.

Today's Worker Insects, Bee Insects, and Mantis Insects had already mutated or adapted.

To humanity's complete unfamiliarity, the Master—a core insect—had shown itself not long ago and taught humanity a harsh lesson. And now... a new type of insect had appeared.

What had caused this new wave of mutations in the species?

"Commander, should we turn back and report to the military district?" a soldier asked beside him.

The prohibition engraved in his genes made him constantly concerned about the safety of all humanity. If humans weren't prepared for an underground attack, the Bug Race's sudden strike from below could cause heavy losses for humanity, even crippling injuries.

Gregory frowned in thought for a moment before shaking his head, "No need; we continue forward."

They had their mission, and the military base wouldn't be completely blind.

The Master, that kind of core insect, was a special case—there was only one, hidden deep within the hive, never revealing itself, refusing to initiate an attack unless humans reached its main lair.

But the number of insects they had just seen was not small; it would be difficult for them to move unnoticed on ordinary days.

The military base sent out patrols every day for reconnaissance, and if these insects showed any signs of movement within a certain range of the city, they would hardly escape the keen eyes of those elite scouts.

Protect your comrades, but also trust them.

Patrol and reconnaissance were the scouts' duty, executing this military operation was the mission they themselves had to accomplish!

The only odd thing was... why didn't those insects launch a targeted attack on the three off-road vehicles?

Were their sensory organs incapable of detecting the human flesh and blood beneath the cold steel, or did this type of insect not bear the burden of assault?

This information could actually be gathered and reported back to the Scientific Research Institute for analysis.

Withdrawing his gaze, Gregory remembered how Vehicle 1 had led everyone out of the chaotic upheaval of the ground insects and deftly avoided all danger, feeling a sincere sense of relief.

This internal selection mechanism had indeed been rigorous, equipping him with quite a few excellent soldiers—Vehicle 1's driver had performed unbelievably well during this unforeseen event.

In the midst of unknown chaos, daring to shoulder everything, this kind of composure and decisiveness in the face of danger, and courage to forge ahead, shone brighter than his skills.

"Was it 166A11 that led everyone to safety just now? Well done."

There was a brief silence in the channel, before the calm voice of an experienced soldier slowly came through—

"...It was 95B27."

"..."

That number again...

["Lucky Strike" energy charge +7.]

The notification sounded unobtrusively as Bai E casually glanced through the rearview mirror at the giant insect figures growing distant.

Insects...

Another completely unknown new type of insect...

From the frequency of occurrences, they resembled the Elite Insect Race like the Mantis Insects, only without the capacity as a "Hive Mind" node.

Their bodies were almost entirely covered in a thick layer of black Chitin Bone Armor. In the sunlight, the bone blades, row upon row like knives, reflected blindingly cold light.

In the wars to come, one would have to be wary not just of what's in front and far away, but also of what's underneath...

"Let me drive from here; they didn't bandage the back properly," said the yellow-skinned soldier, full of admiration, from behind Bai E after they had left the danger zone.

With just two interventions, this honest and straightforward soldier was completely convinced.

Bai E gently pressed on the brake and smoothly carried out the exchange.

"It's not serious; it'll heal after some rest, but for now, it's best not to exert any force," Bai E advised the soldier known as 'Big White Bear,' the chief driver, after examining and bandaging the wound.

"But as for driving..."

"Just rest, leave the driving to me."

Moreover, a long stretch of road ahead had even terrain, and the yellow-skinned soldier was capable enough to handle it on his own.

After two medium crises, the journey had become stable again.

All the jostling had fatigued everyone inside the vehicle.

Until the red sun sank into the ground, and the twilight filled the treetops, the distorted silhouettes of the jungle showed their fangs and claws far off against the twilight horizon.

From dawn... to dusk.

The last stop, the Beastified Jungle...

It was getting dark...

The journey grew increasingly rough, the terrain in the hilly area was rugged. Even when they tried to find the smoothest paths possible, the bumps were inevitable, and their speed slowed down considerably.

The Asian soldier twisted uncomfortably and asked the man behind him, "Brother B27, maybe you should take over driving..."

The heavy responsibility panicked him, but evading it only filled him with self-reproach.

Bai E patted his shoulder and smiled away his worries, "You're tired too, let me take over."

The target base was located deep within the Beastified Jungle ahead in the distance.

Built hundreds of years ago with deliberate avoidance of populated cities, the once suburban hills now wore a mantle of marshland after centuries of abandonment.

The jungle, influenced by extraterrestrial factors, exhibited astonishing vitality and aggressiveness.

Lacking any conscious will, driven only by the instinctual triggers of lying in wait.

For those beastmen, this was the perfect playground, but for human convoys trying to penetrate its depths, it was undoubtedly a significant barrier.

According to the plan, they were to reach the edge of the jungle before darkness fell completely; whether to proceed would be decided based on the conditions observed and the actual time of arrival.

After all, the target base was a considerable distance from the jungle's outskirts, and advancing further today would enable an earlier arrival at the base tomorrow to initiate reconnaissance and attack.

The three vehicles slowed down, and someone inquired over the voice channel, "Commander?"

"Slow down, but keep moving forward," Gregory scanned the horizon with his eyes.

There was still time, at least two hours left before night would fall completely—they couldn't afford to waste it.

The status of the target base was unknown, and it was always better to carry out reconnaissance by day than to engage in combat at night.

According to the data received, bioengineered soldiers' nighttime abilities far surpassed those of normal humans.

"Yes!"

On an operation, the commander's order was an absolute ironclad rule, executed to perfection.

In the quiet, unpopulated wilderness, the three vehicles drove a snaking S-curve, with their headlights piercing the increasingly dense twilight, as if willingly diving into the mouth of a demon, slowly entering the twisted, sparse jungle.

Almost every tree that met the eye was a centuries-old behemoth, unimaginably thick, not necessarily very tall, but requiring at least three to four people to encircle, standing apart in stark relief.

"Creak, creak~"

Dry vines and branches snapped crisply under the wheels, the vehicle body jolted lightly over the exposed, hefty roots, as if the disturbed green branches swiftly recoiled, wrapping into bundles alongside a giant tree like clutching human hands.

Occasionally, small creatures that formed a symbiotic relationship with the jungle flitted through the network of vines and branches, their green sheen obscured whatever native species they might be.

With humanity having lost dominion over the planet for hundreds of years, subject to various external influences, the planet itself had undergone drastic changes, native species evolving little by little to adapt and mutate for survival—nothing could be more normal.

The rustlings of those small creatures made the place seem even more serene.

All the soldiers inside the vehicles quietly gripped their machine guns.

They didn't fear a fiery, head-on battle, but the uncanny and unknown always accelerated the heartbeat.

Fortunately, they truly hadn't encountered any danger along the way.

Bai E carefully controlled the speed and path, avoiding "offending" those "beastified giant trees" where danger lurked, unless it was impossible to evade.

The meandering path before and behind them sent the beams of six headlights straight into the depths of the hills, some blocked by small mounds.

Only when it became too dark to see one's hand in front of them did Gregory's voice sound in everyone's earpieces, "Stop the engines; everyone rest inside the vehicles! Assign shifts for duty, and preserve your energy."

"Yes, Commander!"

"Yes, Commander!"

Bai pressed the brake but didn't leave the driver's seat.

Even while resting, he had to do so at the driving position to ensure he could get everyone out of danger at the first sign of trouble.

The vehicle's dim light came on as everyone made final preparations before resting.

"Come, eat something."

Steaming ration packs were passed forward by a composed soldier, "Here are blankets too; cover yourself to avoid catching a cold at night."

"Thanks, got it."

"Eat up, you sleep first. I'll wake you for the second half of the night."

"All right."

After briefly addressing personal needs, the lights were turned off, and the vehicle fell silent.

Soft snores began to rise from all around.

Reflecting on the day's journey in the darkness, gazing at the resting figure on the left side of the cockpit, the seasoned soldier inexplicably felt a wave of reassurance.

It felt as if with him on a mission, nothing was too difficult.

This sense of stability was something he couldn't feel when occasionally teaming up with genetically optimized soldiers or Spiritual Energy users—it might be due to... his seemingly unflappable character? His decisive actions even amidst unforeseen changes?

Or perhaps it stemmed from the man's reputation—single-handedly saving more than four hundred lives on a battlefield against the Bug Race!

He wasn't a direct participant, but having a soldier who had accomplished such a feat as a teammate made him feel backed up.

Without demonstrating sufficient personal capabilities, unity and noble qualities were but gentle traps; with ability, all nobility of the soul gained its foundation.

In any case, it was like a bright moonrise in his heart, bathing his spirit in cold light on this moonless night...

"Creak~"

"Creak~"

The branches moved slowly...