Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The insects swarmed madly in the direction of Artemis, overwhelming the sky and earth. Tu Shengyao, with a face full of guard, stood frozen in place for a long time, completely unprepared for such a turn of events.

Like Tu Shengyao, Roy was equally perplexed.

Their eyes subtly shifted as they observed Artemis and Hui Lion Academy.

The insect attack indicated they possessed more energy cores than anyone else here.

Previously pondering over how many energy cores Artemis and Hui Lion controlled, it now seemed evident that their ranking among the top two of the five major military schools was no fluke.

Milton was already brandishing his large blade, neatly beheading one insect after another.

Sensing Roy's gaze, he rolled his eyes in response.

"Idiot, the insects perceive the energy cores as the combined total of our four schools. If we don't include the one from Saint Mountain Academy and McCarran, the onslaught we're facing should be similar to Xuan Sword Academy."

The energy cores were kept safe in Lin Fu's possession, his storage device being special. While others might run into problems at any time, his was the most secure. The insects, drawn to the scent of the energy cores, charged recklessly, trying to breach the defenses surrounding Lin Fu.

The result was their demise at the hands of Albert and his team, their bodies piling up.

Lin Fu continued slaying insects, his pitch-black mech remaining unstained by even a drop of blood.

The medium-level insects were driven by instinct, but also commanded by the higher-level ones. The scent of the energy cores was the best lure.

The higher-level insects were not within the range of being lured. They had their own thought processes; albeit primitive, they understood prioritization and were aware of what they needed most. Clearly, unclaimed energy cores were more attractive than those guarded by humans.

They converged in the direction where the energy cores resided.

And furthermore... abandoning so many energy cores on the scene, there had to be at least two, maybe even three unclaimed energy cores in this desert, for the higher-level insects to forsake the immediate temptation.

An insect clamped onto his foot, which he swiftly pierced with his blade and kicked aside. The jets on the soles of his feet opened, propelling him into a brief low-altitude flight, leaving the area.

The people of Artemis and Hui Lion Academy followed without hesitation, their actions in unison.

Roy, caught off guard by their sudden move, cursed under his breath, "Damn it! Keep up!"

The less mobile members of the other military schools were temporarily placed on the mechs of Artemis's people, following along to avoid being isolated and surrounded.

Once they broke through, the insects realized the change in direction. They swarmed and chased after them, moving in the same direction as the tide fighting for the unclaimed energy cores, surging ever more like a relentless wave.

The thrusters' explosive power would kick up sand upon impact with the ground, leaving behind a deep crater, accompanied by the deaths of a multitude of lower-level insects.

The velocity increased, and with it, the temperature rose. Even insulated by the mech's armor, the heat seared through, singeing the nerves.

Lin Fu glanced down at the persistent insects on the ground, doggedly trying to gnaw through his mech's armor.

Their speed accelerated once more.

Yan Yan moved to his side and whispered, "The thruster's burst puts a great strain on the body; don't overexert yourself."

Lin Fu's lips curved into a smile, "Don't worry, senior."

When he first arrived at the Wild Star Race, his body indeed couldn't handle such stress, but now things were entirely different.

Even he wasn't clear to what extent his body had been fortified.

The insect tide stretched far, and to keep up with the pace of the entire team, they couldn't maintain low-altitude flight for long. Along the way, lush greenery was strewn about, appearing from above like a verdant stretch in the desert.

As the desert expedition pressed forward, the live broadcast was in a frenzy of discussion.

"Why is this season of the Wild Star Race so terrifying? I've been covered in goosebumps the whole time."

"Isn't this something that requires military extermination? Which planet is this, not a front-line but a Wild Star Race venue?"

"So cool, our kiddo is so strong!!"

"Has the Royal Military Academy completely fallen? Other schools are vying for energy cores, and they're still wandering by the sea. If they're not strong enough, they should vacate the position in the top five military schools for Xuan Sword Academy or Flying Fish Military School, right?"

"I'm so curious about the number of energy cores Artemis Military Academy has. I really want to know how many they possess; seeing how the insects are relentlessly chasing them, it must be quite a few."

"Is Lin Fu a guide? More like a sentinel masquerading as one!"

"The guide of my dreams! Sister, I'd lie down for you in a heartbeat!!"

"So cool!!"

The pitch-black mech, vaguely leading the pack, charged at the forefront, with not a single insect capable of impeding his speed.

When they followed the insect tide to the heart of the desert, the number of higher-level insects visibly increased – a rough count surpassed twenty.

Such a large number of higher-level insects had not been encountered since Lin Fu and his team had burst from the underground.

Unlike before, where the insectoids cooperated with each other, this time they were engaged in mutual slaughter.

All vying for the energy core, various insects entangled in a brawl, mandibles clashing and limbs flailing, showing no mercy even to their kin.

The advancing party abruptly halted, even retreating a distance.

Attracting the attention of these higher-order insectoids now would not be a wise move.

This was a depression, surrounded by tall dunes, with a spring several meters wide at its center, giving rise to a small oasis of no more than five hundred square meters. A couple of burrowing beetles could easily level it.

However, the battling higher-order insectoids carefully avoided the oasis, tumbling over the surrounding dunes.

They had already passed through the region of flying sand, and here the heatwaves rolled, the light was blinding, and the unobstructed expanse of yellow sand offered a very clear view.

Without a doubt, the energy core was in the oasis.

They watched the insectoids’ internal strife from their position, and after a while, teams from Xuan Sword Academy and Flying Fish Military School caught up, stopping at the edge of the battle ring, astonished by the number of higher-order insectoids.

The team leader from Flying Fish Military School couldn't believe it: "The council actually allowed such a number of higher-order insectoids to appear in the Wasteland Tournament?"