Chapter 69: Traces of the Brainworm!

The armory at the outpost was not small. There were dozens of boxes of conventional firearms ammunition, and a full twenty tactical nuclear warheads. Given the size of yesterday's insect swarm, the outpost's defense forces must have been using all their firepower. If it weren't for the outpost's low building defense level, which allowed the tank beetles to create too many breaches, this firepower would have been enough for them to hold out until evacuation.

Zhou Yuan didn't take any firearms and ammunition; instead, he chose to take the tactical nuclear warheads. He removed the plastic padding from the nuclear warhead crate and inserted five tactical nuclear warheads into it.

The conditions for detonating a nuclear warhead are very strict. Even if it were swept with a rifle, it wouldn't explode. At most, there would be a nuclear leak, and a small collision wouldn't cause any panic.

After a brief rest, the team continued on their way. They bypassed the outpost and descended the mountain from the left side of the outpost. The insect swarm was moving in this direction, so they needed to follow the trail to see if they could find some gains.

"Stop!"

Not long after they descended the mountain, Buck inexplicably stopped and gestured for everyone to be on alert.

He stood still for a moment and then informed everyone through the headset, "Gather around me. We need to change our mission area. The transport will arrive soon."

"Captain, is something wrong?"

"Boss, is it a distress signal?"

Many team members spoke up upon hearing that they needed to change the mission area.

"We are heading to the Number 4 mining area. A team there discovered the new insects we are looking for while reviewing the footage."

"That insect just left the Number 4 mining area about an hour ago, so it shouldn't have gone far."

"Now, all teams are heading in that direction."

Buck patiently explained, but his expression did not match the calmness on his face. The Strategic Department had informed him that this new species of insects had the ability to command ordinary insects and might possess extremely high intelligence, possibly representing the upper echelons of the insect race. Therefore, the Strategic Department instructed them to capture that insect at all costs.

It's worth noting that the people in the Strategic Department all believed themselves to be the most intelligent beings in the world. If a new species of insect could be described as "extremely intelligent" by the Strategic Department, then this new species of insect must be something special.

"Captain, do you have a photo of the new insect?"

"I guess it's a combat insect, otherwise it wouldn't be so difficult to find."

"I think so too. It may not have much direct combat capability, similar to the plasma insect."

Upon hearing Buck's words, the team members were excited and began discussing eagerly.

But Zhou Yuan was feeling a little annoyed now. He found a place to sit down, and his enthusiasm diminished a bit. It was good news to have news of the brainworm, but it was bad news that all special operations forces were rushing over. With so many people around, if he were to run into the brainworm, he wouldn't be able to directly take it out unless he wanted to give up his position. For now, he could only take it step by step.

Two minutes later, the transport aircraft arrived, picked up the hunting team, and flew to the area where the Number 4 mining area was located.

The Number 4 mining area was very far from Outpost 3, and it took the transport aircraft nearly ten minutes to get there. By the time they arrived, the Number 4 mining area was already bustling.

"This is a large canyon, looking somewhat like an elliptical cliff, and the 4th mining area is located in the middle at the bottom of the cliff.

There are more than a dozen medium-sized transport planes parked here, and there's a new one added every now and then.

"You all wait here for me."

Buck didn't allow his team members to move freely, but instructed them to stand by around the transport planes.

After scanning the surroundings, he found two other captains who were also in charge of their respective teams and entered the main control room built into the mountainside together.

"What do you think the new bugs are like?" Falcon asked Zhou Yuan as he walked up to him.

Having witnessed Zhou Yuan's marksmanship and listened to him boasting, Falcon had grown closer to him and they often hung out together.

"They possess strategic significance," Zhou Yuan said. "You're a seasoned soldier; you should be clear that if it were just ordinary new insects, the Federation wouldn't dispatch so many special operations forces here."

The Federation right now was like a fisherman who stumbled upon a wild lake. Originally just intending to check out a nest as usual, they instead discovered a big catch and refused to leave without reeling it in.

"I've been thinking the same thing."

"Ordinary bugs wouldn't target human brains, let alone refuse to even eat flesh."

"It must be an extremely rare and formidable character, so rare that it took so many years for us to encounter it."

Falcon nodded in agreement.

"Ding!"

At this moment, everyone's combat devices sounded off, not just their team, but also the surrounding team members, all received it.

Upon checking, it was a video clip and several images.

"OMG!"

"Sh*t! What is this thing?!"

"This creature is so disgusting, I'm about to throw up!"

For a moment, there were continuous exclamations within the mining area, and everyone was stunned by the contents on their combat devices.

"Tsk, foolish locals."

"I knew it long ago!"

Zhou Yuan pursed his lips with no particular feeling.

The content in the video was simple: a group of sand beetles carrying a brain bug was leaving the 4th mining area, accompanied by many soldier bugs.

The images were high-resolution photos of the brain bug.

It had to be said, the brain bug was truly ugly.

The brain bug was about three meters in height and seven to eight meters in length.

It looked like an oversized blood-sucking tick, with a patch of deep red flesh on its face and a row of fist-sized black eyes.

The brain bug's legs were short, too short to support its movement, so whenever the brain bug moved, it had to be carried by a group of sand beetles.

This was the evolutionary path of the brain bug.

The brain bug possessed a special absorption ability that could perfectly absorb the brain tissue of intelligent creatures it ingested, thereby enhancing its own intelligence.

Of its massive body, seven out of ten tons were brain!

That's why it became an expert in mental communication, specializing in brain functions after evolving for countless years as a gifted creature of the Arachnids.

... ...

After waiting for about three minutes, Buck finally emerged from the main control room of the mining area.

"Board the plane!"

Without waiting for the team's inquiries, Buck ordered them to board, then rushed into the cockpit to speak with the pilot.

It wasn't until the transport plane ascended and flew away from the 4th mining area that Buck returned to the cabin.

"You've all seen the monitoring video and photos."

"That's right, our target is that fatty."

"The Federation discovered the Arachnid species ten years ago, but this bug that can command combat bugs is a first-time appearance."

"This means it might have extremely high intelligence, possibly a general within the Arachnid species, so we must capture it at all costs."

"If we can't capture it alive on the spot, then after reporting its location... let it go. Under no circumstances are we to open fire on it!"