No matter how curious Qin Chen was about his brother's love life, he couldn't run up to him and ask him about related topics casually. Given their current awkward relationship, that person would probably ignore him.
Qin Chen stood where he was, pursed his lips, and stared at the group of officers in black uniforms from afar, clenching his fists.
The officer with a scar on his eyebrow noticed his gaze and thought Qin Chen wanted to fight with the people from the Sixth Base. He poked his abdomen with his elbow and reminded him, "Don't look. The place they are going to is not on the same level as us. It's too dangerous."
"Do you know where Marshal Qin and his men are in charge?"
Qin Chen didn't expect that his companion was so well-informed.
"of course."
The officer's fellow officer sneered: "Marshal Qin is the strongest among all the marshals. Isn't he always in charge of the most dangerous places?"
"And the current situation on the Sixth Base front always reminds me of the Seventh Base."
He grabbed a handful of hair and lowered his voice: "I don't know if you feel it, but the insect swarm this time is very fierce, and it is somewhat similar to the Seventh Base. Marshal Qin and the other marshals should have made plans long ago. We just need to take care of our area."
His companion was still chattering on and on, but Qin Chen found it difficult to listen. He recalled in his mind what his companion had said, that person was always in charge of the most dangerous places, and he felt inexplicably uncomfortable.
"What are those two over there doing! Hurry up! It's time to leave!" The lecture from the officer not far away made Qin Chen and his companions come back to their senses quickly.
"yes!"
The two responded immediately. Qin Chen didn't think any more and followed his companions back to the main group.
On the other side, after Adjutant Soran arranged everything according to the Marshal's instructions, he went to report the current situation to Qin Qi.
"Marshal, the people in charge of each area along the route have already left according to the previous plan and are ready to act at any time."
"Well, let's go."
Qin Qi turned off the computer and glanced at the thirty officers behind Soran. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, his expression was sharp and cold.
The black combat boots stepped on the yellow sand, and the steps were firm and unwavering as they walked in a certain direction.
The thirty officers behind him immediately followed.
They will be responsible for the most dangerous S area together with the Marshal. This is not their first operation. All thirty of them are well-known in the base. They are capable and have ruthless eyes that show experience in the battlefield. Any one of them can fight against the S-level magic insects directly.
These are the elite warriors selected by Qin Qi for this operation.
The officers in black uniforms followed the figure in front of them, quietly moving through the eerie and dark woods, occasionally strangling the flying demon insects.
At other times, they would have chosen to use aircraft to go directly to the destination area, but now in order to ensure the survival of more comrades, the marshal specifically ordered them to take the shortest shortcut and consciously eliminate high-risk magic insects along the way.
At first the subordinates were a little puzzled. People living in this era had seen many insect swarms, especially officers like them, who had seen at least twenty large-scale insect swarms, if not fifty.
Although such a large-scale insect swarm as the current one rarely occurs, several other bases have sent support, and there are many officers in each area responsible for killing the magic insects. The marshal's arrangement is actually a waste of time.
However, after passing through two areas along the way, their thoughts changed completely. This insect swarm was obviously very strange.
There were an abnormally large number of types of demon insects along the way. Not only that, all of them exuded an indescribable madness, and some even showed signs of killing each other.
The officers looked solemn, as the mad demon insects had lost all regard for the lives of their companions and themselves.
If weaker officers encounter such magic insects, even the weakest one among them will be enough to give them a hard time, not to mention that S-level magic insects appear from time to time.
Soran dodged, and the sickle in his hand drew a silver stream of light in the air. In a moment, a huge multi-legged demon insect fell down. He put away his weapon as usual and continued to follow the marshal. Suddenly, his optical brain vibrated. Soran took a look and immediately reported to Qin Qi:
"Marshal, a large number of bone-eating insects have been found 300 meters to the southeast. The danger level is above S-level. They need to be strangled on the spot."
Demon insects of this level often do not appear in this area. If they are not dealt with, the casualties of the officers in charge of this area will only be more severe.
"Um."
Qin Qi quickly put away his gun, changed direction, looked towards the southeast corner with his dark eyes, and walked towards the deep woods. Several officers behind him followed after killing the demon insects.
Osedax is a kind of magical insect with pink tentacles. It has a soft body, is good at deformation, and has a strong survival ability.
It ranks among the most dangerous of all known magic insects, but even in the S-level danger zone, the number of bone-eating insects is extremely rare. Only a few of the thirty officers have ever encountered bone-eating insects.
Therefore, when the officers who saw the bone-eating insects for the first time saw the scene before them, they could hardly help but feel nauseous.
The huge pit was littered with bones.
The pink tentacles densely climbed on the rotten flesh like greedy parasites. The fishy smell filled the air. The soft tentacles covered the rotten flesh, and the transparent mucus used to digest the prey dripped. A crackling burning sound was heard the moment it covered the flesh.
As if they had sensed the movement outside, countless bone-eating insects in the deep pit raised their heads, their black eyes and mouths wide open, like human faces, which immediately made people feel scared.
“Back off.”
Qin Qi appeared very calm from beginning to end.
The officers present had followed the marshal through life and death dozens of times, so they naturally chose to trust their marshal without hesitation. Upon hearing the order, they quickly evacuated from their original positions, either by jumping directly onto trees or by hiding in the forest.
Bang!
Just as they left the spot, a huge noise suddenly rang out, soil splashed, and dozens of tentacles emerged directly from the ground, waving ostentatiously in the air. It can be imagined that if they had not left in time, these seemingly soft tentacles would have pierced them without hesitation.
Just as the officers were filled with horror, the pink bone-eating insects had already crawled out of the deep pit. Although they looked very clumsy, their movements were as agile as spiders, and they appeared under the tree in the blink of an eye.
"Do it."
After these two cold words came out, the officers who were still on guard acted quickly, subconsciously took out their weapons and killed these disgusting tentacles.
Osteed worms are agile and can quickly grow new tentacles even if their tentacles are cut off. Once the suction cups on their tentacles stick to the human body, they can suck the opponent into jerky in the blink of an eye.
However, these officers were the most powerful taboo holders in the Sixth Base. Soon, the officers who were originally at a disadvantage gradually adapted to the battle with the bone-eating insects. The ground was stained with red and pink blood, and the air was filled with the stench of blood and the death of demon insects.
Soran, wearing a gas mask, flashed to the side of a bone-eating insect. When several tentacles stabbed straight at his body, he turned around and used his sickle to cut its body in two. When Soran was about to continue his action, he accidentally saw the torn black cloth on the ground and his feet suddenly stopped.
The next second, a bullet rushed towards his feet.
Soran's heart sank, and just as he reacted, the bullet had already split the pink tentacle extending from the ground into two.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, he immediately left the spot and used his sickle to kill the bone-eating insect that had just emerged from the ground.
The battle became more intense.
Soon, the taboo masters who had mastered the weaknesses of the bone-eating worms wiped out all the magic worms. The officers also began to recuperate and rest. They had to recover their strength as soon as possible so that they could rest for the next time they strangled the magic worms.
On the other side, Soran walked to the side of the marshal and thanked the marshal holding the silver spear in his hand: "Thank you, Marshal."
If the Marshal's bullet hadn't saved him just now, Soran would have been seriously injured if not dead.
"What were you thinking about just now?"
Qin Qi said coldly that being distracted on the battlefield is tantamount to losing one's life, and this is not a mistake Sauron would make.
Soran knew he had made a mistake. He was silent for a moment, and a dull voice came from under the gas mask: "Team No. 0162 should have been defeated here."
There were a lot of pieces of meat in the deep pit. Judging from the state of decay, the victims must have been killed not long ago. After the battle, Soran picked up the black rag he had seen before. It was a corner of the numbered nameplate, and the familiar number also confirmed his guess.
0612 is a small team of only five people.
He is also a veteran of the Sixth Base.
Soran still remembered that the captain of 0612 was a clumsy and introverted young man who couldn't even drink, and his subordinates were all socially anxious.
But now they have all become bones and rotten flesh in a deep pit.
The atmosphere was a little stagnant for a moment.
"knew."
Qin Qi nodded calmly, and then said: "Notify them to continue searching after the one-minute rest. If there are no S-level magic insects, we will leave this area."
"yes."
After receiving the order, Soran turned and left.
Qin Qi looked at the white bones in the deep pit and the pieces of flesh eaten by the devil insects with a deep look in his eyes. Death on the battlefield was inevitable. This was just the beginning. When the insect tide gathered, there would be even more deaths.
At this moment, the optical brain vibrated.
It was a message from Yaxiao.
[Marshal, how is the situation over there? ]
Qin Qi looked at the message sent by Yaxiao and seemed to be able to guess the boy's expression and tone when he said this.
[Heading to destination.]
Qin Qi sent the message truthfully. When he saw Yaxiao's expression of encouragement, his solemn and deep expression was gradually replaced by a barely perceptible smile.
He took back the optical computer.
There is still a lot to do next.
Qin Qi's dark eyes looked far to the northeast, which was their destination and also the Wuxia Mountain where the Insect Mother once lived.
At the same time, after seeing Qin Qi's answer, Yaxiao's tail hidden in his trouser leg shook twice. Qin Qi was on the battlefield, so after asking two questions, he didn't ask any more questions.
Yaxiao turned off the computer, turned around and smiled at Wei Shi who was standing beside him.
"Okay, thank you."
Wei Shi breathed a sigh of relief. The medical station was very busy and the organization of supplies was troublesome. He still didn't quite understand it until now.
I heard that Yaxiao got the hang of things quickly on the first day he arrived. Wei Shi thought, no wonder the director of the medical station thinks highly of Yaxiao. After all, there are really not many staff members who can adapt so quickly.
"fine."
Yaxiao curled his eyes and was very happy to have a good relationship with Weishi. After all, he didn't hate the protagonist.
In the final analysis, the protagonists just wanted to find out the truth about the destruction of the Seventh Base, or in other words, they were unwilling to believe that the Seventh Base was destroyed by Qin Qi. However, the "truth" they discovered later forced them to face "reality."
Yaxiao knew that the destruction of the Seventh Base was essentially the result of the plan of the demon insect Smythe. However, these were all confidential and could not be told to non-military people, not even the protagonists.
And these have nothing to do with demons.
Yaxiao ignored the matter with peace of mind, worked on time at the medical station, picked out interesting goods in the mall in his spare time, and waited to chat with Qin Qi when he was not busy.
The days passed one after another.
For nearly a month, the officers who were killing the magic bugs outside suffered heavy casualties, with a large number of officers dying almost every day. The entire garrison was filled with blood, but there was also good news that was encouraging - the number of magic bugs was decreasing.
"According to the current situation, the war situation will be stabilized in about a week." Wei Shi revealed to Yaxiao.
Wei Shi is, after all, a private detective who runs a jack of all trades. Even though he is not very professional, he still has some skills in gathering information.
"hope so."
Yaxiao had also heard Qin Qi say on the computer that the war situation was about to stabilize, and he was looking forward to the war ending as soon as possible.
Although the garrison would occasionally be invaded by demon insects, they were too weak and Yaxiao could not fight them to his heart's content. Once the battle situation stabilized, he would make Qin Qi fight with him.
Or take yourself to fight powerful magic insects, that way you will have fun!
Thinking of this, Yaxiao's eyes brightened.
Of course, there was another reason why he was looking forward to the end of the war - he didn't want to see so many humans get hurt anymore.
There were too many soldiers who were still dancing with joy the day before and saying that they would be able to fight the devil insects after their injuries were healed, but never woke up the next day. The devil didn't want to see this scene again.
Now everything is going in a good direction.
Without the insect queen, the magic insects can no longer produce new races as before, nor do they have the ability to become stronger. Nearly a month is enough to defeat this large insect tide that has not yet formed and stabilize the war situation.
"Marshal, when will you be back?"
Yaxiao asked with a smile while video chatting with Qin Qi in the evening.
This was their first video call in a month. Before, Qin Qi needed to be wary of the magic bugs and mostly responded through chatting on the light computer. This time, Qin Qi took the initiative to send a video, and Yaxiao was a little surprised.
It seems that the situation has indeed improved.
Yaxiao looked at the man's figure on the screen. The shadow of the campfire was imprinted on the other's angular profile, making him look a little deep. From the surface, Qin Qi was not injured.
Yaxiao glanced at Qin Qi and nodded with satisfaction. The best news was that his partner was not injured!
"soon."
Qin Qi paused for a moment, and then he said calmly, "I have asked Soran and his subordinates to return to the garrison to rest. If nothing unexpected happens, I should be back within a week."
Currently, the S-level danger zone is also within controllable range.
"What are you going to do?"
Yaxiao sat on the bed, supporting his chin with his hand, and tilted his head in confusion, "All the subordinates have returned, and the magic insects in the area under the responsibility of the Sixth Base should have been basically cleared out. Why did Qin Qi still stay there?"
Qin Qi was silent for a moment, then said hoarsely:
"I'm going to confirm the source of the contamination in the barrier."
Source of pollution
Looking at Qin Qi's expression, Yaxiao suddenly remembered that the elders had given Qin Qi the option to destroy the barrier, and Qin Qi did destroy the barrier in the end.
He knew that the barrier was destroyed because the magic insects did something to it, but Yaxiao was not very interested in what they did specifically at the time, so he did not understand.
So, it was the demonic insects that contaminated the barrier
Thinking of the destination Qin Qi was leading his troops to and the location of the insect nest, Yaxiao asked, "Is it in Wuxia Mountain?"
The man on the screen nodded slightly: "Yeah."
"Marshal, please be safe." Yaxiao looked into the man's eyes and said word by word, "If there are any changes, remember to tell me."
"I'm very strong too!"
Yaxiao added one last sentence.
The destruction of the Seventh Base has always been Qin Qi’s concern. He doesn’t think there is anything wrong with Qin Qi going there, and he doesn’t mind helping if needed!
In fact, Qin Qi was not sure whether the source of pollution was there. This was just a guess based on his grandfather's diary and his years of investigation.
Hearing Yaxiao's words of support, Qin Qi paused for a moment. He looked at the fair and soft-skinned boy in mid-air with his blue eyes slightly curved. There was complete trust in his eyes, as if no matter what decision he made, the other party would support him.
Qin Qi felt a little warm in his heart.
He did not continue to talk about the matter, but took out a black object from his pocket.
"what is that?"
Yaxiao looked at the gadget in Qin Qi's hand that he had never seen before. The center of the black crystal was faintly filled with pure white mist. The condensed shape of the mist looked very much like a white skull, which was weird yet exquisite.
Kind of cute.
Yaxiao commented.
"Heart Stone."
This black crystal is only found in S-level danger zones. It is extremely priceless in the black market of the central city and is sold at a sky-high price every time it appears.
A few days ago, after the battle, Qin Qi met him by chance. He felt that Yaxiao would like him after just one look. He stroked the Yaoxin Stone with his thumb, stared at Yaxiao, and said hoarsely, "I'll give it to you when I get back."
Is this a gift
Yaxiao curled his eyes and immediately agreed: "Okay."
Demons rarely accept gifts.
He is looking forward to receiving gifts from his boyfriend.
When Qin Qi saw the deep smile in Yaxiao's eyes, the corners of his lips also curled up slightly.
Yaxiao was in a very good mood for the next few days. When Sauron and his group came back, he even went to join in the fun.
Qin Qi should be back soon.
Yaxiao counted on his fingers and his gift would arrive soon.
As a result, after one day, two days, and until the third day, Qin Qi still hadn't returned, and even lost contact. Yaxiao became impatient.
Or should he go to Wuxia Mountain to find Qin Qi now
Just as Yaxiao was about to discuss with his fourth uncle, the system suddenly sensed something and immediately took out Qin Qi's life doll.
The scarecrow in black military uniform seemed to have lost his mind and started pulling the straw on his body.
Yaxiao blinked and disappeared on the spot.
—Somewhere in the Foggy Gorge
The remnants of fragments in Qin Qi's body completely disappeared, and the surging blood flowed back in an instant, as if trying to break through the skin. The blood continued to flow down his fingertips, and various voices kept ringing in his head.
The crunching sounds of the demonic insects chewing, the sharp screams of fear, the crying of young children, and the sound of blood dripping kept echoing in Qin Qi's ears. He stood where he was, his head aching as if it was about to explode.
[Qin Qi, the choice is yours! ]
[It's all your fault! If it weren't for you, they might not have died! ]
Qin Qi's breathing was rapid.
The tail covered with silver scales behind it slammed heavily on the ground, and the blood-stained ground sank instantly.
As if it couldn't control itself, the silver tail quickly changed direction after hitting the ground and stabbed towards Qin Qi's abdomen.
Just when it was about to pierce the body, the black wings passed by, and the tail as sharp as a knife seemed to hit a hard black wall.
Huge black wings wrapped Qin Qi's body.
Qin Qi's confused consciousness could sense someone laughing in his ear. He said:
"Marshal, I'm here to receive my gift."
(End of this chapter)