Chapter 34

Chapter 34

Milton Su's recovery, coupled with the resolution of the food issue, provided a much-needed reassurance for many.

Outside, an endless tide of insects crawled, their pungent smell wafting through the air, yet the spirits of the people in the cave were gradually recovering.

In desperate situations, one only needs to see a glimmer of hope to easily cling to it and strive to climb out of the abyss.

The day after Milton Su awoke, she was able to move on her own, and the wound on her abdomen was healing rapidly.

During this period, Lin Fu, along with Yan Yan and Yu Bosi, explored the passage they had previously entered.

The location of the passage was quite unexpected, situated at the top of the cave, blocked by a stalactite.

Yu Bosi lifted the huge stone layer, and the three of them crawled out through the dark opening.

Holding the energy ore in his hand, Lin Fu's mind unfolded a systematic perspective image.

It was far clearer and more comprehensive than what the naked eye could see.

This passage was not much different from the one he and Yan Yan had discovered, but its spatial range was much wider, allowing people to walk through upright.

Despite the short distance, the pungent smell in the air was several times stronger, puzzling him.

In just a few days since falling into the cave, the doubts accumulating in his mind were growing.

After about half an hour of walking, Yu Bosi cautioned, “If we continue forward, we’ll encounter the insect tide. Be careful.” He had been cautiously estimating their distance all along.

Lin Fu nodded, his grip on the knife handle tightening as he heightened his vigilance to the maximum. About ten minutes later, the passage suddenly branched off.

It was like a circular transit hub; a ten-meter diameter cylinder hollowed out, allowing one to look up and see the overhead bridges and down as well.

As if a knife had cleaved the world in two, the passageways on their side were eerily empty, while the opposite side swarmed with dense masses of insects, so tightly packed it could trigger a panic attack in someone with claustrophobia.

Even Lin Fu's hairs stood on end in that instant.

It was indeed too dense.

He had thought the insect tide at the bottom of the cavern was terrifying enough, but he hadn’t expected there to be so many here.

More bizarrely, even though the insects had noticed them, they didn’t approach.

Some tentatively extended their antennae. Lin Fu gripped his knife, eyeing their movements closely.

The moment an antenna touched the dividing line, it was swiftly withdrawn and then severed by the other insects.

It was as if the line was coated in deadly poison that would spread on contact.

The three stood silently for a long while, then Lin Fu suddenly stepped over the line, swiftly killed two insects to retrieve the energy ore they held, and retreated back within the boundary.

The rest of the insect horde tried to attack but halted abruptly at that line, pacing back and forth, helpless to cross it.

He looked down at the energy ore in his hand, pondering, "Never cross the line?"

Yu Bosi whispered, “Yes, that’s how it was a few days ago. Once we escaped here, all attacks from the insects ceased abruptly. They wouldn’t cross the line, not even by a centimeter. It’s bizarre, I’ve never heard of such a thing before.”

Lin Fu asked, “Have you tried going up?” pointing to the bridge overhead.

Yu Bosi nodded, “If I’m not mistaken, that route is our most likely exit. Unfortunately, when we tried before, we realized we couldn't just jump up there. We’d have to kill our way through from the other side and take a detour, so we gave up.”

The passage sloped upwards, and if they were to ascend, each time they reached the dividing line, they’d have to travel twice the distance they had just covered.

It's as hard as scaling the heavens.

They lingered there for a while and upon leaving, casually snatched a few insects to settle their dinner.

Milton Su was dozing off against the wall.

They handled the insect meat delicately, while others voluntarily stepped forward to help with the roasting.

It wasn’t long before Milton awoke, her sleep having been restless.

She rubbed her brow with her fingernail and, bowing her head, began unwrapping the bandage around her abdomen.

Yan Yan shifted her position to shield her.

Milton glanced at her nearly healed wound, prodded it with her fingertip, causing Lin Fu’s temple to twitch visibly.

"Soon. Day after tomorrow, let's try to make our way out," she said, lifting her gaze to Yan Yan. "Have you found the best route yet?"

Yan Yan replied in a hushed tone, "Not yet, we need to look further."

Supporting her chin, Milton murmured languidly, “What’s there to see? There are only a few routes back and forth, none significantly easier than the others.”

Lin Fu sat squatting on the ground, thinking that this sister was being recklessly overconfident, seemingly not taking her own life seriously.

With a drooping gaze and an evenly measured tone, he retorted, “Even a bit easier is still easier. We can’t set out the day after tomorrow; we need to wait for the wound on your abdomen to fully heal and the scab to fall off.”

Milton narrowed her eyes, feeling that Lin Fu’s recent amicability had given her the wrong impression, making her forget how he had once rendered Luo Lin speechless upon their first meeting.

“Even if I'm injured, sister still has enough to beat you twice over.”

Lin Fu remained unbothered: “You’ve forgotten that my storage space is still accessible.”

Milton’s threatening demeanor froze, her head experiencing embarrassment as her brows furrowed in chagrin.

She had forgotten about his ability to use the mecha.

Fearing a dispute between them, Yu Bosi intervened, “Milton, why argue with him? He's looking out for you. Even if not for yourself, with so many people relying on you, you can’t be reckless.”

Milton fell silent.

She had never experienced such prolonged helplessness and frustration.

Brimming with energy but nowhere to channel it, the weight of everyone’s expectations left her feeling restless.

Lin Fu fell silent, continuously mapping out the routes and possibilities he had observed during this time.

He caressed his wrist, fingers lingering briefly before the back of his hand brushed against the signet ring on his other hand. The cool touch seeped into his mind, slowing the pace of his emotions.

Cheng Jiu had risen to the rank of major general; had he ever faced such dire straits in the years on the frontline? If it were him, what would he do?

The image of Cheng Jiu from the victory banquet, featured in the official combat video released by the Ninth Legion, surfaced in his mind.

Swarms of high-tier insectoids, not only vast in number but also coordinating and communicating in unified combat. Cheng Jiu's mecha seemed to never retreat.

A warm flutter touched Lin Fu’s heart, prompting an unexpected chuckle.

Why did he think of him?

One day, he would surpass him, standing at even greater heights.

If he couldn’t solve the problem at hand, then surpassing him would be nothing but a joke.

*

After multiple plans and reconsiderations, Lin Fu finally decided to take the suspended bridge route, utilizing his psychic tendrils to probe ahead.

Despite the dangers, as long as they covered a certain distance, they would have a moment to breathe and could disperse to complete tasks.

Other plans seemed simpler at a glance, like climbing back through the tunnel where he and Yan Yan had fallen or breaking through the collapsed cave.

Setting aside the question of whether they could survive an insect tide of that scale, the mere fact that the tunnel lacked any means to isolate the insectoids was enough to discard it.

And for the other two discovered passageways, they had walked a long time without finding an end; the uncertainty was too great to risk so many lives.

Having established the route, Lin Fu began to explain his arrangements to everyone.

Reaching each segment of the suspended bridge would push them to their limits. Lin Fu could momentarily use his psychic energy to simulate a barrier when they could no longer endure. They had to rush into the suspended bridge within this brief window, or all would be lost.

As for the mecha.

In such confined spaces, it was impossible to deploy.

Descending into the cavern below is barely feasible, but the mech's mobility would be severely restricted, diminishing its effectiveness.

After analyzing all the pros and cons, even Milton was left with a clear understanding of his arrangements.

Milton had never been one to take orders; she was always the one giving them.

However, when held in the gaze of Lin Fu's dark, penetrating eyes, she fell silent, acquiescing to his plan.

They set out on the third day after Milton's wounds had fully healed, with Lin Fu checking his storage space to find his stockpile of seasoning plants nearly depleted.

After breakfast, everyone grabbed their weapons and set off.

Yan Yan's weapon was not very effective, so he took a long whip given to him by Lin Fu.

Milton, who was also wielding a whip, cast a sidelong glance his way.

Yan Yan acted as if he had seen nothing.

The grip on his whip tightened.

The students from Hui Lion Academy were the strongest, with a total of seven S-ranked members in the team, including Yan Yan. Lin Fu tentatively counted himself as well. Milton and Yu Bos led two S-ranked members at the front, while Yan Yan, himself, and two others brought up the rear.

Although the enemy was dense, their level was not high. Milton's ferocious combat power surged, and the team cut through the swarm like a sharp sword.

Scattered blue spots were an adornment in the cave. After the insectoids carrying energy ore were killed, one could hear the continuous sound of the ore hitting the ground, creating a crisp sound akin to jade, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

Since no one could release their spirit bodies, Lin Fu had to intercept the insectoids' psychic attacks.

After charging for a distance, someone suddenly released their spirit body, exclaiming with joy, "It's back! We can release our spirit bodies now!"

At these words, spirit bodies began to appear one after another. The roars of beasts echoed in the confined space, tearing apart the insectoids, with green blood splattering everywhere, significantly easing the pressure.

Lin Fu's heart eased slightly; being able to release their spirit bodies was a much better outcome than he had anticipated.

A leopard stepped on an insectoid, effortlessly snapping its antennae with its fangs. With elegant and agile steps, it landed beside Yan Yan, assisting in eliminating the oncoming swarm from behind.

On its belly was a tender new flesh, a scar that had just healed.

Yan Yan's gaze lingered there for a moment, a fleeting touch of distress flashing in his eyes before disappearing.

Lin Fu, witnessing the formidable killing power of the spirit bodies, grew increasingly envious.

He wondered how much he'd need to recover before he could have a spirit body like theirs.

Soon, his mind drifted to the brief lessons he had attended at the guide school and to the tiny squirrel that belonged to Shang Jiarui, which he could easily squash with a single sit.

...Forget it.

His katana whirled, cleaving through an insectoid and splattering its blood across his cheek.

Their journey was long and arduous, but spirits lifted when the corridor veered back in the original direction.

Not much further now; reaching the suspended bridge meant they could rest.

A faint, fishy smell distinct from the insectoids wafted through the air.

Lin Fu almost instinctively wanted to look back when his system informed him: [Host, someone in the middle of the team has been pierced through the heart by an insectoid.]

A momentary tightness gripped his chest as cries erupted from the team: "Joyce!!"

Milton's leopard clamped onto an insect, flinging it away fiercely before swiftly stepping across the backs of others to reach the one who had been impaled through the heart and dragged into the swarm. It pulled the body back and laid it before Lin Fu.

Lin Fu quickly stowed the body into his storage space, his katana never ceasing its dance through the insectoids.

A heavier air of bloodlust inadvertently descended upon the team.

After the turn, stimulated by the recent events, the team's pace briefly quickened, but fatigue soon took its toll, and their speed gradually waned.

The relentless, breathless combat tormented not just the body but the soul.

Lin Fu calculated the distance in his mind: ten minutes, just ten more minutes before he activated the simulation shield.

Yan Yan kicked away a soft-bodied insectoid that lunged at him, murmuring, "Don't overdo it. We'll be relying on you later. If you get hurt trying to show off, none of us will make it out."

Lin Fu replied softly, "I know."

Ten minutes later, the psychic shield activated. All insectoid attacks seemed suddenly directionless, aimlessly seeking in the void.

Some wanted to take advantage of the moment to attack, but were restrained by their comrades.

Any attack would render the simulation useless.

Because the insectoids didn't care if their foes were of their own kind; once enraged, they attacked indiscriminately.

The team abandoned all opportunities for attack, sprinting at the fastest pace they'd ever mustered. Yan Yan unhesitatingly hoisted Lin Fu onto his back to lighten his load.

Every one of the nearly fifty individuals was enveloped within the range of the simulation; it was Lin Fu's first attempt at something of this scale.

The psychic simulation was a skill hastily learned from the system.

He couldn't maintain it for more than a minute; his mind pounded as if struck by a hammer, and something salty and metallic trickled onto his lips.

He reached up to touch it and found it was blood from his nose.

He hurriedly wiped it away, not wanting the others to see.

In the last two seconds before bursting out of the tunnel and onto the suspended bridge, Lin Fu's psychic energy was nearly depleted, the coppery sweetness in his throat swallowed down.

As they crossed into safety, the simulated barrier collapsed, and everyone collapsed onto the ground, panting for life, some unable to restrain laughter mixed with tears as a myriad of emotions surged forth.

Companions of the fallen approached Lin Fu, their eyes red-rimmed, and asked in low voices, "Can you give us the bodies? We need to take them home."

Lin Fu bowed his head, sinking to his knees in exhaustion, "Your storage spaces are inoperable. Once we're out, I'll hand them over."

The group, silenced by his words, sadly turned away.

Lin Fu attempted to access his storage device, but his psychic energy was utterly spent.

Darkness threatened at the edges of his vision.

The system notification came: [A total of 47 individuals rescued. Energy acquisition in progress. Host's psychic energy severely depleted. Initiate optimization immediately?]

Lin Fu responded, "Initiate."

As soon as he answered, he closed his eyes and succumbed to unconsciousness.

Relying on the absolute safety beyond the demarcation line, they rested on the spot, some closing their eyes to sleep.

Lin Fu leaned against a wall.

Yan Yan first glanced at Milton to ensure she hadn't sustained new injuries, then turned his gaze to Lin Fu.

Noticing Lin Fu with his eyes closed, he frowned, a tinge of unease flickering across his face.

Bypassing the crowd, Yubo Si leaned against the wall beside Lin Fu, declaring, "I'm going to catch some sleep. When I wake up, we can think about food."

Yan Yan momentarily eased his concern; Lin Fu's breathing was a bit hurried, but it didn't seem to have any significant impact.

He decided to wait a few hours until Lin Fu had rested before asking.

*

The chaos at the front lines with the bugs had come to a temporary halt.

The battle was strangely enigmatic, as if the bug horde had feinted an attack, drawing in a massive human response, ready for a major clash. However, as the humans braced for battle, the bugs rapidly retreated, showing no desire for prolonged conflict.

To guard against surprises, commanders of the various front-line legions remained stationed at the front for two months to monitor the situation.

In the end, there was still no sign of activity.

Cheng Jiu calculated the time; over three months had passed since the start of the Wild Star Race, with at most a month remaining before its conclusion.

Following the tradition of the Wild Star Race, in the final month, the military would deploy specialized miniature cameras to broadcast live the final battles on the Wild Star.

The viewership soared even higher than the Five Military Academies' Anniversary Games, with many interstellar netizens willing to watch the entire month-long broadcast.

Cheng Jiu had never been interested before.

Having never attended a military academy, he naturally had never participated in the Wild Star Race, and after joining the battlefield, he found it childish and uninteresting.

This time, however, he was quite intrigued.

He was actually quite eager to see how that kid performed in there.

Tsk tsk, encountering the real bug horde for the first time, he wondered if the kid had been scared to tears.

Jing Cun noticed that his boss had been in an unusually good mood for several days.

He even sat leisurely atop his mech, Xuan Zhan, legs crossed, watching the aurora.

Jing Cun glanced at him, then silently averted his gaze, returning to his own work.

At midnight, when the aurora was at its most beautiful, Cheng Jiu opened his light computer and logged into the official website, subscribing to all the channels in a casual manner.

After waiting for a while, he realized that it was still just a notification for the preview, with no live broadcast appearing yet.

His keen senses picked up that something was amiss. His gaze suddenly turned cold as he jumped down from atop the mecha to call Jing Cun.

"Hand over the data on this session of the Barren Star Tournament."

Jing Cun replied with difficulty, "Commodore, we can't get it here for the time being. The information you asked for earlier has to be obtained directly from the council in the Imperial Capital Star."

Cheng Jiu left without another word.

*

There is no light underground, making it hard to perceive the passage of time.

The time on the neural interface is unreliable due to signal disruption, less accurate than a simple timer.

A group of disheveled people sat by the suspension bridge.

Even Milton, who was meticulous about his image, had given up struggling.

Without baths, without changing clothes, even without drinking water, they subsisted on the energy from the insectoid meat, their bodies covered in insectoid blood.

However, their spirit was starkly different from their appearance.

The fighting spirit in everyone's eyes was easily discernible; combat hones one's martial skills, and the solitude and pressure of the underground temper their minds.

Milton lay on the ground, looking up at the remaining five suspension bridges, abandoning all elegance, he cursed coarsely: "Finally, we can bloody see the light."

Yan Yan chuckled helplessly.

Lin Fu was also very happy.

The five suspension bridges represented five levels. Breaking out would take at most two days, but to avoid accidents, they planned to take three days, conserving enough energy for the last day.

Unlike the initial stages where they suffered heavy losses after breaking through just one level and needed several days to recuperate, they now crossed the suspension bridges at a very fast pace with few incidents. After resting for a night, they could continue to the next one upon waking.

Lin Fu murmured, "I wonder what it's like outside now."

Milton said without hesitation, "No matter what the situation is outside, you've saved everyone here this time. If Artemis encounters any trouble after we get out, we'll all help."

Lin Fu raised a smile, "Thank you."

Milton turned his head in disgust, "Don’t smile, it's hideous. All I see are two rows of blindingly white teeth. Wash your face clean before you smile at me after we get out."

Lin Fu nodded, "Sure, one smile for ten thousand star credits."

Milton: "???"

Milton: "Why don't you just go and rob someone! Are you a star pirate or what?"

Lin Fu: "My aunt is a star pirate."

Milton: "...Who's your aunt?"

Lin Fu: "The leader of Uzutamon, Lin Sizhen."

Milton: "..."

She grabbed the whip, "Are you well-rested? If so, let's get moving. No dilly-dallying; I can't stand this forsaken place any longer."

Lin Fu: "You're changing the subject."

Milton: "..."

*

After regrouping, they continued their ascent. As anticipated, it took them two days to reach the top level, and they still had energy to spare.

To their surprise, there was something on the suspension bridge of the top level that nearly trapped them.

Milton crushed the insectoid that lunged at her, attempting to breach the boundary, and picked up the energy core from the ground.

It bore the mark of the council; there was no doubt it was one of the intended targets they were meant to insert.

She smirked wryly, "Don't tell me this place was built by the council."

Lin Fu shook his head, "No, this shoddy construction is obviously the work of the insectoids. Probably brought here by one of them."

Milton casually handed it to Lin Fu, "You take it."

Lin Fu understood her gesture; she was offering him a slot for victory.

He didn't refuse, storing it in his container.

They began to recuperate, preparing for the final challenge, ready to burst forth from the sunless underground world.