Apocalyptic Wasteland Simulator

Chapter 229 - 224: The Insect Race Arrives!
Chen Pingchuan spat out a mouthful of blood. His Spirit had been reduced to its limit, making it impossible for him to use the ”Empty Hand” skill again.At the same time, the situation around them gradually became clear. The bank’s defenders had also suffered heavy losses. Porcupine had become a mountain of flesh and blood, with crimson streams flowing from all over his body, quickly forming a pool at his feet.

In turn, the Beast Tamers surrounding him were reduced to just over a dozen. Most of them were lucky survivors who had managed to escape both the ”Empty Hand” skill and Porcupine’s brutal power.

Compared to Porcupine, Lilia was in an even more wretched state. The expressionless armored men didn’t care about their own wounds, employing a fighting style that traded injury for injury. Lilia had been unable to dodge in time on many occasions. She was either grazed by lasers or scorched by explosions. Her clothes were charred, and her arms and legs were covered in burns. Though she barely managed to stay on her feet, the way she occasionally winced revealed the intense pain she was in. More than twenty armored men still surrounded her, making up the largest remaining squad.

Wei Hao wasn’t faring much better. His gravity control was greatly restricted against this group of cyborgs. A part of their bodies was always composed of some unknown alloy, rendering his power ineffective against it. If he couldn’t manipulate gravity to control his own movements, his corpse would have been cold by now. Despite this, fewer people survived in his section than in Lilia’s.

One can only say that fate is sometimes unreasonable, especially when it comes to skills based on probability.

The last person, of course, was the team captain, Chen Pingchuan. As the leader of the four-person squad, he not only had to battle the level-six Ren Qiang but also find time to help his teammates eliminate enemies in other formations. Relying on the unreasonable power of a skill like ”Bloody Plunder,” Chen Pingchuan barely endured Ren Qiang’s attacks while managing to cast ”Empty Hand” on the enemies once more. Even so, his Spirit was on the brink of collapse.

”That bizarre skill of yours has limitations, doesn’t it?” Ren Qiang asked. Although his words were phrased as a question, his tone was full of certainty. ”You can only use it on each person once. Am I right?”

He glanced at the various body parts of his men scattered around Chen Pingchuan and felt a chill run down his spine. Just moments ago, his own underwear had suddenly vanished. It had simply vanished into thin air, only to reappear in Chen Pingchuan’s hand. This experience made Ren Qiang truly understand what his comrades had gone through. It was completely unpredictable and impossible to defend against.

But with the battle at this stage, it was clear the scales of victory were tipping in his favor.

A flash of pain crossed Ren Qiang’s eyes as he saw only a handful of his companions left standing. Those were comrades he had known for decades. Now, many had been reduced to piles of gore. How could he not feel sorrow when their faces were forever frozen in his memory?

However, this was all about to come to an end. Ren Qiang’s expression darkened as he charged toward Chen Pingchuan, roaring, ”Today you die!”

Seeing Ren Qiang charge, a flicker of determination flashed in Chen Pingchuan’s eyes. He ignored the splitting headache, took a deep breath, and gathered all his strength to meet the attack. The others did the same, preparing for a final, desperate struggle.

Just as the two were about to clash in a life-or-death duel, an alarm suddenly blared from deep within the bank. It was followed by a powerful wave of energy that began to rise from underground...

The sudden development forcibly halted their deadly battle. Both men turned their gaze toward the source of the energy fluctuation.

At that moment, the ground began to tremble. Dirt and stones churned as a giant insect burst from the earth. It bore some resemblance to the rhinoceros beetles from Chen Pingchuan’s previous life. Its pure black, hardened shell shimmered with a cold, metallic luster under the bank’s bright lights. Its sharp mandibles opened and closed, producing a spine-chilling, creaking sound.

The instant he saw the giant insect, Chen Pingchuan used his Identify skill.

”Identify!”

[Ding! Identification successful. Remaining identification attempts for today: 0.]

[Diamond Insect: A Blue-grade, complete stage creature. It is the vanguard of the Void Insect Race, possessing powerful burrowing, defensive, and offensive capabilities. On the battlefield, it is often used to open secret passages to funnel Scythe Insects into the enemy’s heartland.]

[Ability Introduction]

1. Burrowing Ability: The Diamond Insect’s body structure allows it to travel freely through various geological environments. Its head is equipped with a special, hardened, drill-like organ that is not only extremely sturdy but can also rotate at high speeds. When digging, it uses its powerful muscles to drive the drill, easily penetrating soil, rock, and even weaker building foundations.

2. Defensive Ability: The Diamond Insect’s carapace is its strongest natural defense. It is composed of a special blend of chitin and minerals, allowing it to withstand tremendous impacts. This shell is extremely hard, rendering ordinary weapons almost completely ineffective against it. Even when facing the shockwave of a small explosion, it can rely on the carapace’s toughness to mitigate damage and remain mobile.

3. Attack Ability: The Diamond Insect’s mandibles are large and sharp, possessing terrifying biting power. Its mouth can open like enormous pincers and is filled with sharp, serrated structures. When it latches onto prey, these serrations can easily tear through tissue, whether it be metal, flesh, or other materials.

[Weaknesses: Abdomen and internal organs are relatively fragile. Limited joint mobility. Poor vision and hearing, resulting in low agility.]

[Symbiosis: When you think you are facing a single insect, thousands upon thousands more are already waiting behind it.]

[Strength: Level 5]

[Status: Dazed from exposure to bright light.]

The second after Chen Pingchuan’s identification was complete, a swarm of Scythe Insect soldiers surged like a tide from the gap between the Diamond Insect and the ground.

These creatures were called Scythe Insects for their most prominent feature: massive, scythe-like forelimbs. Extending from the sides of their bodies, these curved, sharp appendages were a full third of their body length, their edges gleaming with a deadly cold light.

The Scythe Insects’ carapaces were a deep, olive green, hard and covered in fine, regular patterns. Their triangular heads sported large compound eyes that resembled crystalline purple gems. Beneath the eyes was a mouth full of sharp, interlocking teeth. The joints of their slightly bent legs bristled with sharp spikes.

”Run!”