Abyss Summoner-Chapter 314 - 308: Tainted Land

Morning.

Chen Feng led the Dark Group towards the incident location.

Because there was something suspicious, Chen Feng didn’t choose to send a large team to investigate, but opted for a small squad to search for the missing members.

A group of six.

The leaders of the Dark Group were none other than Lu Wei, who had gained demonic power.

Chen Feng was adept at utilizing all resources.

Lu Wei’s current strength was remarkable, thanks to the Devil’s abilities, ordinary Silver Tier experts were no match for him, so upon returning, he was appointed as the leader of the Dark Group, specializing in investigating dangerous situations.

One could say that Lu Wei had soared to new heights.

As a result, his sister didn’t need to toil away anymore; with her brother being one of Chen Feng’s favorites, her status naturally rose with the tide.

At this moment, several members of the Dark Group donned tight black outfits, akin to sharpened blades, following behind Chen Feng and rushing forward.

After more than two hours of long-distance travel, the group arrived near the incident point.

This area was close to Bridge West. Unlike Bridge East, which housed most survivors, Bridge West underwent an earthquake causing tremendous damage to the buildings, turning it into a wild territory where few opted to reside.

Without humans, the presence of other species increased significantly; dimensional creatures, zombies, and insects converged, making Bridge West a paradise for monsters.

Relying on his high skills and courage, Chen Feng dared to venture here. Anyone else might have perished several times over by now.

The monsters weren’t entirely mindless either; those with some intellect sensed Chen Feng’s presence and hid away, not daring to act rashly.

Meanwhile, some brainless creatures recklessly attacked, but they all met the same fate of becoming corpses.

The group’s exploration continued.

The number of monsters killed by them exceeded double digits. At this point, they were filled with a deadly aura, causing commotion wherever they went.

At this moment.

Close to the edge of Bridge West, Chen Feng’s agile figure sped forward. Despite the dust and fatigue, his imposing manner was not diminished. He traveled for over three hours, and even he was showing some signs of fatigue, as evidenced by the sweat on his forehead.

After covering several hundred more meters, Chen Feng suddenly raised his arm, signaling everyone to halt.

Chen Feng’s expression was serious as he whispered, "Listen, there’s no sound around us; there doesn’t seem to be anything alive here!"

The group shared looks, and a scout specialized in perception held their breath, carefully listening to the surroundings.

A moment later, the warrior spoke gravely, "Sir is right, the quiet here is terrifying; there’s no sign of life!"

With a serious expression, Chen Feng softly said, "Bring me the map."

Unfolding the map.

The nearby area was marked in red circles, indicating that this was also where the missing members, tasked with investigating, were supposed to be.

They were approaching the depths of Bridge West, where there were seldom signs of human activity. The group advanced cautiously with anxious faces.

Carefully sneaking forward.

A scent of blood.

After pushing aside some deadwood, the corpses of some beasts came into view, their bodies severed as if by jagged teeth, with erratic cut marks all over them.

The scout took a sniff and immediately pointed in a direction: "Over there!"

The group hurriedly pressed on, and after passing through a factory, their faces turned grim as they saw many body remnants, of both beasts and zombies. However, all the parts were incomplete, resembling a dumpsite rather than corpses, discarded haphazardly.

This was the first time the Dark Group members had seen such a scene, leaving them momentarily unsure of what to do.

Lu Wei squatted down, picking up a small piece resembling a carapace from the ground, examining it closely before declaring firmly, "It’s insects!"

Many such fragments were scattered around, yet no insect corpses were found, making it evident that the orchestrators of this slaughter were the Insect Race.

"Search!"

"There must be insects nearby!"

"Damn it!"

"These creatures were indeed hiding here!"

Frowning, Chen Feng looked slightly angry. Having come this far, it was likely the three missing individuals met a fateful end, falling victim to an insect attack.

Previously, the scout, who had a unique ability though lacking offensive power, could detect signs of life and was considered a minor chief in the search team.

Due to his unique abilities, he was specially recruited into the Dark Group.

He closed his eyes now, pores expanding, sensing the surrounding life force. Time ticked by, and after what felt like an eternity, the scout suddenly paused, his face turning as white as if painted, drained of any color.

"Go... quick, go..."

The scout’s legs appeared on the verge of collapsing, almost falling over. Even with Chen Feng standing nearby, he unabashedly suggested retreat, then stumbled and rushed back along the path they came from.

Chen Feng’s mind flashed with a thought. He looked at the other’s expression, then lowered his head to look at his feet. Perhaps something connected in his mind, as his hair stood on end, and he followed the warrior, running into the distance.

The others were completely in the dark, but with Chen Feng taking the lead, they had no choice but to follow him back the same way.

With that, the group sprinted as fast as they could to the critical point of Qiaodong District. Only then did the scout warrior let out a sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.

With a lingering fear, he glanced back over his shoulder, then looked at Chen Feng and stammered, "Sir... the bugs... are right under our feet... in dense numbers... at least... a thousand of them..."

.........

Qiaodong District.

Xu Hongzhuang was welcoming the population aid from the Economic Development Zone.

After some time in power, Xu Hongzhuang’s momentum had changed somewhat. If she had been merely a pure martial artist before, now she was a ruler with the power of life and death in her hands.

Originally, she had a kind of heroic spirit that was not inferior to that of men. Now, this spirit was even stronger, and her every move exuded an air of decisiveness, leaving people with an impression of swift and decisive action.

A bright-looking warrior approached her and said, "Colonel, this is the aid my lord is sending this time: a thousand pounds of insect meat, three tons of grain, and five hundred slaves. Please check and accept it."

"Hmm." Xu Hongzhuang nodded slightly, satisfied, and said, "Give my regards to your lord. No one will forget his aid to Qiaodong."

Lips and teeth are cold without each other.

Simple truth.

Compared to the Economic Development Zone, Qiaodong District is the main target of the insect tide. To help build the defenses, Chen Feng not only provided food but also sent over five hundred slaves.

"Are these the slaves your lord captured?"

Xu Hongzhuang looked at the dense crowd before her. These slaves were generally about two meters tall, most of them in their prime, with full muscles, clearly indicating they were laborers capable of taking on heavier, more strenuous work.

But at the forefront of this group was a little dwarf, less than 1.2 meters tall, with a bulbous nose, small eyes, hair like weeds, and even holding a dry stick, looking every bit like a beggar.

Goblin warlock.

That’s right!

To aid Qiaodong District, Chen Feng even sent a goblin warlock. Though goblins look ugly, their real skills are substantial; they contributed to 70% of the battle fortresses in the Economic Development Zone.

This time, the goblin warlock stood tall and prideful before the natives, not sparing even a glance at Xu Hongzhuang.

This is the nature of goblins.

Timid and humble, yet incredibly cunning.

This creature has mastered the art of borrowing strength to intimidate others. For this warlock, it has already latched onto the biggest backer, so naturally, it isn’t too considerate of others.

The clever warrior next to him quickly came over to explain, "Colonel Xu, this friend has become an official resident of the Economic Development Zone. He has significant expertise in construction, though his temperament is somewhat odd. Please bear with him."

Official resident?

Xu Hongzhuang showed a hint of interest. She glanced at him. She wouldn’t mind his identity as long as he could help Qiaodong, and she could naturally treat him with respect.

"Arrange them all."

Xu Hongzhuang scanned the natives before her and instructed her subordinates, "Prepare some simple houses for them, familiarize them with daily work, and start working first thing in the morning."

Her subordinate nodded, leading the natives into the city.

Trade exchanges.

Compared to when Hong Jiuling and Feng Zhiyong were in power, exchanges between Qiaodong and the Economic Development Zone under Xu Hongzhuang had already exceeded people’s expectations.

However, compared to previous suspicions, after receiving a large amount of material aid, some conservatives finally began to waver.

This is the charm of money.

Food, weapons, laborers.

One could say that in just a month, thanks to the aid from the Economic Development Zone, all aspects of Qiaodong have changed. Compared to politicians who worried about Chen Feng’s intentions, survivors are a much easier group to satisfy; as long as they have food to fill their stomachs, it’s the greatest happiness for these people at the bottom.

For them, there is no time to worry about who holds power.

As long as life can get better, they would support even the Devil with both hands. In the face of disaster, this is a very realistic choice.

Xu Hongzhuang had no time to spend here.

Now that she’s in this position, she has endless work every day that needs her attention. What should she do next? Right, she needs to organize the warriors and place the newly made Magic Crystal Cannons on the city walls, and then inspect the weapons factory to check on recent production output.

Thinking of this, Xu Hongzhuang started walking towards her destination.

But in the distance, a rapid panting suddenly came. Immediately after, a warrior ran up to Xu Hongzhuang frantically, then pulled out a letter from his chest pocket: "Colonel, urgent dispatch from the Economic Development Zone!"

Xu Hongzhuang paused, a little taken aback. She reached out to take the envelope and opened it. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

It wasn’t a long letter. In terms of word count, there were only eight words, yet these few words made Xu Hongzhuang feel as if she was facing a formidable enemy.

"Insect nest discovered, request assistance!"