The Blast Gun fired round after round, the bullets detonating against the Black Spine Zergs’ bodies and blowing off their sharp, sturdy legs.

One after another, they collapsed to the ground.

In the next second, the now-grounded Black Spine Zergs, unable to dodge in time, were struck by the Highly Modified RV traveling at over a hundred miles per hour, their limbs shattering on impact.

The RV’s hard, sharp, triangular bumper plunged brutally into their bodies, crushing and deforming their torsos.

Of the three Black Spine Zergs, the one in the middle was killed instantly. The ones on either side were lucky enough to be sent flying, but they were still critically injured; aside from their heads and torsos, all their other parts were severed.

The Red-Armored Beetles that followed them were crushed under the RV’s solid tires, making a sickening, juicy, CRUNCHING sound, like roaches being stepped on.

"Stop the car. Time to get to work."

Lin Feng spoke slowly. Using the RV’s charge, he had only fired three explosive rounds to take care of three Black Spine Zergs, dismantling the entire Reconnaissance Squad in an instant.

Chen Yanyan’s breathing slowed. With a trembling hand, she slammed on the brakes, then drew the Divine-level Pistol with her left hand and began frantically shooting at the Red-Armored Beetles scattering outside the vehicle.

Lin Feng opened the car door, walked over to a downed Black Spine Zerg, raised his gun, and shot it dead.

He’d picked up two easy kills last time, which left him with a few points after the upgrade. Now he had finally saved up enough Upgrade Points for the Level 10 Blast Gun.

Lin Feng initiated the Upgrade immediately. He then walked to the other side of the RV and saw the last Black Spine Zerg crawling on the ground, clinging desperately to life.

All four of its agile, sharp legs were shattered. Unable to move properly, it was using the chelicerae on either side of its Giant Mandible—normally used to hold enemies in place—to drag itself forward laboriously. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The Zerg Race possessed incredibly tenacious Life Force; even in this state, it was fighting with its last breath.

Unfortunately, its movements were too slow. By the time Lin Feng had finished off the other Zerg and walked over, it had only crawled five or six meters. He had caught it red-handed.

’Before the next Black Spine Zerg Reconnaissance Squad shows up, I need to take this chance to get this legless Black Spine Zerg onto the vehicle.’

Lin Feng slowly raised his gun, switched it to the Divine-level Pistol mode, and shot off the Black Spine Zerg’s remaining chelicerae. Then, he retrieved a braided rope from the RV, about two fingers thick. The thing could withstand five to six tons of pulling force—more than enough to secure a dying Black Spine Zerg.

The data files sent by Ding Chenghai had detailed the characteristics of the Black Spine Zergs. Their pincer-like Giant Mandibles possessed immense biting power. Combined with the tremendous pressure generated by their blade-sharp tips, they could easily pierce through twenty-millimeter-thick Alloy armor.

Light Tanks were helpless against a swarm of them. In contrast, more agile infantry fighting vehicles could use their rapid-fire cannons to deal effective damage.

But for all their immense biting power, the Black Spine Zergs had a fatal flaw: the opening strength of their Giant Mandibles!

Measurements showed it was only about fifty to sixty kilograms. If a grown adult hugged them tightly, they couldn’t open their mouths.

However, the Black Spine Zergs had a countermeasure: a pair of long, sharp chelicerae on either side of their mouths, like the scythe-like claws of a praying mantis, which could assist the Giant Mandibles in shredding targets.

With the chelicerae now broken, Lin Feng took a coil of sturdy braided rope, fashioned a loop, and slipped it over the Black Spine Zerg’s Giant Mandible. He pulled with all his might, locking the mandibles shut. Just like that, the Black Spine Zerg was no longer a threat.

Still feeling uneasy, Lin Feng wrapped the rope around it several more times until it couldn’t move an inch. Only then did he drag the Black Spine Zerg—now just a head and a torso—to the rear of the vehicle.

The crippled zerg weighed four or five hundred kilograms, so he couldn’t just throw it onto the roof. Instead, Lin Feng used the hooks at the back of the RV to suspend it from the rear. After covering it with a tarp, no one would be able to spot it.

If he brazenly brought a live zerg back, a single misstep could cause a panic in the camp and bring disaster upon himself.

After dealing with that, Lin Feng told Liu Yueqi to leave the Red-Armored Beetles for now and go cut and collect the Giant Mandible Material from the other two Black Spine Zergs.

The Thousand Slash Saber in her hands was quite sharp, perfect for severing the zerg’s ligaments and nerves with speed and precision.

Once everything was done and the remaining Red-Armored Beetles were either dead or had fled, Lin Feng tossed all the materials the two women had collected onto the roof and tied them down.

As for the Back Armor materials that wouldn’t fit, he absorbed them all into his own Level 7 Shield Armor. Unfortunately, they were still White Quality items. If he tried to forcibly fuse the Black Spine Zerg’s Giant Mandible or chelicerae, a system prompt warned that the armor might not be able to handle it.

He would have to upgrade it to the Level 9 cap before he could use some Red Quality materials to perform a Tier Jumping Upgrade.

With the battlefield cleaned up, the Reconnaissance Squad—composed of three Black Spine Zergs and the fifty or sixty Red-Armored Beetles they led—had been completely annihilated by Lin Feng’s group of three.

Looking at the scattered armor fragments and severed limbs, Lin Feng revealed a satisfied smile. After getting back in the vehicle, he waved his hand.

"We’re already three kilometers deep. If we go any further, we’re likely to run into large reinforcement groups of Black Spine Zergs. So, let’s just keep roaming around here. Just don’t leave the main road."

Chen Yanyan nodded. On this trip deep into enemy territory, with the help of her Divine-level Pistol, she had killed no less than a hundred Red-Armored Beetles. Even if she only received a tenth of the experience, she had already smoothly upgraded to Level 6. She was just a little bit away from reaching Level 7, which would make her one of the leading powerhouses among humans.

She set a route and followed the GPS, circling the nearby area.

Inside the main cabin, Liu Yueqi sat by the window, hugging her Thousand Slash Saber. Even though the blade was sheathed, she couldn’t help but draw it out a little from time to time to admire it.

A warm current surged through her body, clearing away the fatigue and soreness from swinging her blade so many times. The more she killed, the more excited Liu Yueqi became.

Her upgrade speed was much faster; she had already entered Level 7, and the enhancement effects were quite noticeable.

It was a reward she had earned. The zerg blood staining her Shield Armor was a testament to the fact that high risk brought high reward.

In reality, however, without Chen Yanyan shooting down most of the Red-Armored Beetle Swarm, Liu Yueqi would not have lasted long even with the protection of her Full Body Shield Armor if she had faced a dozen of them alone.

Therefore, following Lin Feng was the best decision Liu Yueqi had ever made in her life. It allowed her to steadily strengthen and upgrade herself while keeping the risks under control.

Just as she was immersed in the joy of her growing Power, she suddenly heard a low growl, like the sound of stones grinding against each other.

The sound was deep and continuous.

Liu Yueqi tightened her grip on her scabbard. Following the source, she paced around the cabin twice before finally pinpointing the strange noise. It was coming from outside, near the rear of the RV.

That was where Lin Feng had hung the live Black Spine Zerg.

Realizing what was happening, Liu Yueqi quickly ran to the front of the RV, calling out to the two in the cockpit through the small door:

"Captain, there’s a problem!"

"That thing hanging on the back of the RV keeps making a rustling sound... I think it’s calling for its companions."

"Remember when we were on the tenth floor of the teacher’s dormitory..."

Lin Feng nodded. It reminded him of the first time he used the Divine-level Pistol’s Metal Storm Skill to annihilate a hundred Red-Armored Beetles. Before that swarm charged, they had struck the ground with their chelicerae, sending out rhythmic vibrations to attract and summon others of their kind nearby.

’If even the lowest-level Red-Armored Beetles can do it, there’s no reason a relatively advanced zerg like the Black Spine Zerg wouldn’t be able to send out a distress call.’

But this was all part of Lin Feng’s plan.

"I know. I’m counting on it to call for help!"

"Otherwise, in this vast, dark Suburban Area, we could be waiting until the cows come home to run into a second Black Spine Zerg squad."

"Since the probability is so low, we naturally have to artificially increase our chances of an encounter."

Hearing her captain’s explanation, Liu Yueqi had a flash of understanding.

’Other squads baiting Zergs are terrified of running into Black Spine Zergs. For us, it’s the opposite—we’re afraid we *won’t* run into them.’

But Liu Yueqi didn’t find it unreasonable at all. Because under Lin Feng’s leadership, they were the strongest team!

At this thought, Liu Yueqi swept away her worries, her gaze toward Lin Feng now holding even more adoration.

As the Highly Modified RV continued its patrol, the Blast Gun in Lin Feng’s hand completed its upgrade to Level 11:

[Blast Gun LV 11/19, Red Quality]

[Upgrade Points: 0/3, Damage: 60, Effective Range: 2 km, Remaining Bullets: 95/300]

[Extra Attributes: Bullet Recovery: 1/min, Spatial Magazine: 300 rounds]

The Damage had increased by ten points. Since it was a minor-stage upgrade, there were no other significant changes, although the Bullet Recovery and magazine capacity had also been enhanced.

Unfortunately, the magazine didn’t refill completely. Otherwise, Lin Feng would have been tempted to use the RV’s mobility to try and solo a small Black Spine Zerg Swarm.

With three hundred rounds, two shots per zerg, Lin Feng could theoretically take down one hundred and fifty Black Spine Zergs. That was more than enough to deal with a small swarm.

But with just under a hundred rounds at the moment, he had to conserve ammo and save it for self-defense.

Soon after Lin Feng finished reading the data for the Level 11 Blast Gun, Chen Yanyan, who was driving, encountered a second squad of Black Spine Zergs.

They appeared directly in front of the RV, only two hundred meters away. Having already spotted their enemy, they were charging rapidly!

This Reconnaissance Squad actually consisted of five Black Spine Zergs, making them exceptionally strong.

Lin Feng used Identification on them and checked their Attributes. One was a Level 14 Black Spine Zerg with a Life Value of 140 and a Physique of 80. Its Outer Armor Defense Power was just as high, if not higher.

This giant zerg was a whole size larger than its brethren, measuring six meters long and four meters tall—comparable in size to the Highly Modified RV.

The yellow stripes on its black body were also more vivid and distinct, appearing exceptionally menacing under the glare of the RV’s high beams.

’But as long as I can restrict this Level 14 Black Spine Zerg’s movement, I’m confident I can take it down in three shots!’

"Don’t panic! Aim for the biggest one!"

Lin Feng placed a hand on Chen Yanyan’s shoulder, steadying her slightly trembling arm as he gave the command.

Chen Yanyan’s expression was grim, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would leap out of her chest. She floored the accelerator, pushing the speed past one hundred and fifty miles per hour.

At the last moment, Lin Feng seized the opportunity and fired several shots. The fiery shockwaves from the explosions disoriented the Black Spine Zergs, and combined with the direct glare from the high beams, they were momentarily blinded!

In the next instant, the Level 14 Black Spine Zerg collided solidly with the sharp, triangular bumper at the front of the RV!

With a deafening series of CRUNCHES, the impact was so powerful it even generated a visible shockwave!

The strength of the Level 14 Black Spine Zerg’s Giant Mandible was clearly far greater than that of the bumper. And in a violent collision with a combined relative speed of over two hundred kilometers per hour...

The entire bumper twisted and deformed. The immense inertia even caused the rear wheels of the Highly Modified RV to lift off the ground. But thanks to its four-to-five-ton weight, it still managed to knock the comparatively frail Black Spine Zerg backward.

Everyone inside was thrown from their seats, only to be yanked back by their seatbelts.

Fortunately, because the Black Spine Zerg was pushed back, much of the impact force was dissipated. As an Awakener, Lin Feng was the first to recover...

He quickly raised his Blast Gun, stuck it out the window, and fired three shots at the Level 14 Black Spine Zerg now caught in the bumper!

Every single shot was aimed at the eyes behind its Giant Mandible!

That was where its brain was located!