Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

Getting close, it became crystal clear where the exoskeleton didn't protect, and Bai E pressed his gun barrel directly against the soft flesh beside the mantis bug's spine where the thick chitin shell was absent and pulled the trigger hard.

"Da-da-da-da!"

The gun muzzle spat out flames lightly, and the flash of the Type 77 assault rifle was exceedingly conspicuous in the dark evening.

Metal shell casings flew past occasionally scraping across Bai E's cheek, his calm yet angry eyes reflecting the flames.

[Heavy damage inflicted on the target's weak point, causing 109 points of piercing damage! (Cumulative)]

[Successfully unloaded firepower on the same target, Light Firearms Mastery experience +3.]

Bugs aren't like those metal clunkers, they still have biological organs such as brains and hearts.

While these parts are certainly well protected, the body's vulnerable spots are not limited to the core vitals like the brain and heart.

The flesh exploding at the rear of the spine, the bullet storm that flooded in had turned the muscle tissue into a messy tangle.

The hunt!

Like a predator stalking its prey, the diminutive human launched a death-seeking attack on the monster twice his size.

This scene imprinted in everyone's eyes, something they would struggle to forget for a very long time.

["Lucky Strike" charge +7.]

The expansion data wasn't detailed enough, for instance, whether the mantis bug's projectile bone blades had a minimum interval of use, and so on.

The reason being that such elite members of the Bug Race were not considered an adversary for a regular human infantryman. What they truly had to contend with was the human's heavy machine guns, grenade launchers, and other steel weapons.

It was hard to believe how a human body could fight against them.

The command vehicle was silent.

The fearless warrior had just presented a perfect answer to this trial with his actions.

But...

"Can it be killed?"

The danger of the Bug Race lies not only in their bizarre methods of attack but also in their formidable vitality which serves as their trump card across the battlefield.

"Hiss!"

The mantis bug struggled frantically. From the moment it had gotten close to Bai E, it had been attempting to shake off this seemingly threatening opponent, but in just a few seconds it had suffered unimaginable horrible damage.

Severe injury triggered its ferocious nature, and with a sudden burst of energy, Bai E finally stumbled and fell. As he landed, a nimble roll quickly got him up to regain his balance, preventing the bug from pursuing.

The badly wounded bug had no intention of further entanglement with Bai E.

Retreat! Run!

At the command, countless worker bugs and bee bugs, in an instant, abandoned their opponents, rushing madly towards the direction the mantis bug was fleeing.

And that direction... was exactly where Rose lay on the ground.

"Puh~"

The bone blade pierced through the thin spots in the combat suit, skewering Rose's shattered and powerless body, and blood gushed from the corner of her mouth, frothing with blood.

She was still alive.

Humans do not abandon their comrades.

Shielding Rose's body in front of them, that became their bargaining chip to escape.

The gunfire suddenly fell silent.

The cunning bug even used Rose's body as a shield in Bai E's direction, his most threatening enemy!

"What's there to fear! Fire!"

"Indecisive!"

The commanders, who sought results, did not care about the life and death of one or two synthetics. Killing this mantis bug, which wouldn't have likely been killed otherwise, would make for a perfect answer to the trial!

"Fire..."

Half of Rose's chest shattered, blood foam relentlessly gushed out from the corner of her mouth. Hoisted in front of the mantis bug, she couldn't speak due to weakness, but she managed to smile broadly and mouthed to Bai E, "Fire..."

"Bang!"

The gunshot awakened the slightly quiet battlefield and echoed in the command vehicle for a long time.

Under the dim night sky, the flare of the handgun was blindingly bright.

The towering figure suddenly stiffened, then collapsed powerlessly.

"Dead!"

"They really killed it!"

"What luck! To avoid hitting the comrade and strike the bug."

"Good!" Inside the command vehicle, the old dean suddenly slapped the carriage, his expression excited.

Carlos looked at him, perplexed, wondering why he seemed even more excited than himself?

"It's done," Weslin finally showed a smile on his face. He clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention, "This trial is perfectly completed, and I will report the results to the Senate. Now... clear the field!"

"Yes!"

The army pulled back, armed drones descended from the sky, and speakers blared everywhere in the camp, "The trial has ended. Please, all soldiers, protect yourselves as much as possible; the drones have taken over."

The somber atmosphere ended, and the officers got up to give each other high fives in celebration.

The performance of the new recruits was their performance, and now they could also beam with pride as they reported the trial's outcomes.

Yue Ying, sitting alone in a corner, remained as silent as an outsider.

The dim light obstructed the prying of the cameras, and she could only catch glimpses through the faint light and shadows.

With her eyes slightly closed, her mind replayed the last few seconds before and after the final shot, with the images of Bai E, a bug, and Rose constantly shifting.

"From that direction... it shouldn't have hit."

The carapace and Rose had blocked all vital parts; unless the shot hit the wound opened by the rifle, it would be hard to kill with a handgun.

After a while, she slowly opened her clear eyes.

Unless it was...

"A curve shot!"

"Rose! Rose!" In the midst of victorious celebrations, only Dewa was so anxious it seemed he wished he could fly back to the camp.

...

"Huuh~"

Bai E's body went limp, all his courage seemingly draining away with his strength.

What have I done?

Directly confronting a Bug Race elite—could that really be something I accomplished?

That was close!

Got carried away...

As his consciousness returned to reality, it received information that seemed belatedly, and panel alerts overwhelmed him like a flood.

["Lucky Strike" activated.]

[Triggered Curve Shot! Successfully hit a target behind an obstacle, Light Firearms Expertise experience +8.]

[Hit the target's vital spot causing 151 points of critical damage!]

[Target's breathing has ceased, and basic vital signs are lost.]

[Loot obtained: Bug Tribe Essence Extract*500, 3000 battle experience points, Trait: Bloodthirsty Instinct, Trait: Bug Hive Will.]

[Detection: Current character does not match the Bug Race template; "Trait: Bloodthirsty Instinct" and "Trait: Bug Hive Will" are incompatible and have gone dormant.]

[Side mission—Bug Swarm Assault, completed.]

[Survivor count: 1713. Rewards have been calculated. Mission Reward: General Experience +856, issued.]

"Only a little over two hundred dead..."

Not bad, much better than he had expected.

Bai E didn't zone out for long, actually just for a moment. After briefly checking the prompt messages, he waved his hand, commanding, "Quick, save people!"

Not many dead, but countless injured. Without prompt medical care, the number of those who could die was unknown.

Hearing Bai E's command, most of the soldiers who had freed themselves from the bugs immediately sprang into action. After this battle, Bai E was the unparalleled War God amongst the new recruits!

[Would you like to pay 270 general experience points to upgrade the "Knowledge—First Aid" level?]

Confirm!

["First Aid Level 2" acquired, Technology Points*1 obtained.]

[First Aid (Level 2): Quickly treat all injuries except for instant death, prevent any further deterioration, activate the target's own vitality, target heals +3/H. (This effect requires the target's own action point reserve: 10 points/H)]

Approaching Rose, although the female soldier looked so wretched like she might die at any moment, she still managed a tough-looking smile.

"Am I about to die?"

Her voice was as thin as a thread, and Bai E read her words through her lip movements.

"What are you thinking?" Bai E stretched out his hand to take the first aid kit passed from behind by other recruits, "I won't let you die."

[You are about to attempt first aid...]