Chapter 225 - Doomsday Escape 31
His teammates were all asleep. Ye Qi was wrapped in a thick down jacket as he sat by the fire.
Shao Qingge was sitting next to him with hands and feet tied, his mouth blocked by a cloth ball. It was unknown what he wanted to say. Ye Qi tried to connect with the heart channel but unfortunately, there was no connection. Therefore, Ye Qi ignored him.
However, Shao Qingge was frowning and sweat was constantly dripping from his forehead. Ye Qi couldn't bear it so he took the cloth ball away from Shao Qingge's mouth. "What do you want to say?"
Shao Qingge exclaimed angrily, "You know I'm a bug yet you're bringing me to the fire?"
Ye Qi, "......"
Sorry, he forgot. Ye Qi touched his nose in a hesitant manner. He moved the fire to one side and asked curiously, "Why aren't you pretending to be Chief Shao? You admitted so easily that you are a bug."
Shao Qingge was stunned. After a while, he replied, "I was dizzy from the fire and didn't care about disguising myself."
The two looked at each other and were embarrassed for a while.
The IQ of the bug inside Shao Qingge shouldn't be particularly high. Otherwise, it wouldn't be suppressed by Shao Qingge last night. Ye Qi saw the face that was distorted in an ugly expression. In any case, he was bored. He would chat with the bug and perhaps he could get some information.
Ye Qi wondered, "Are you an alien?"
"It's a secret. I can't tell you."
Ye Qi made a sound and then asked, "Do you want to destroy humans? Is this why you occupied the city?"
"It isn't about destroying humans but integrating with them. A human's physical fitness is too poor. With our help, your physical fitness is doubled and you can live longer."
Ye Qi was curious. "Then how long do you live for?"
Shao Qingge replied, "It isn't a problem for low level bugs to live until 150 years old. The high level ones can live to 200 years old."
Ye Qi, "......"
Sure enough, it was a science-fiction set up. These bugs wanted to integrate with humans, occupy human bodies and improve themselves? Of course, they might be reverse integrated by humans to improve physical fitness.
Shao Qingge told him, "Species fusion is an evolutionary process in itself."
Seeing that Ye Qi stopped talking, he smiled and suggested, "Would you like to try it? After merging with me, you can get excellent climbing ability. For example, your human elevator can't be used without electricity. Meanwhile, if you become a bug, you can climb up a 100 storey building in one minute."
Ye Qi, "......"
Shao Qingge continued to seriously persuade him. "After being infected, your running speed and jumping height can be greatly improved."
Ye Qi listened to him earnestly talking about the benefits of fusion for a long time and smiled. "You are a hardworking bug. Your boss should give you a promotion award."
"My boss?"
Ye Qi started to express the cliches. "For example, the bug queen? Her Majesty or something like that?"
Shao Qingge shook his head. "No, the leaders of every batch are created after the integration and upgrading of the bug groups."
Ye Qi was slightly startled. "So the leader of the bugs hadn't emerged? The bugs hadn't moved for the past few days. Was it because they were upgrading to gain a leader? This news was very important. He had to tell Professor Xiao as soon as possible.
Ye Qi and Shao Qingge chatted for a while. Shao Qingge yawned and wondered, "Why am I sleepy again...?'
Hearing this, Ye Qi's heart thumped. Weren't all bugs more capable of moving at night? This bug was actually sleepy? Could it be that Shao Qingge's consciousness was at work to slowly suppress the bugs' consciousness?
He hadn't figured it out when he saw this person's head lowering. Shao Qingge had actually fallen asleep.
Ye Qi couldn't let him sleep in the snow. He had to help Shao Qingge up, give him a pillow and let him sleep next to the tent. Ye Qi threw three eavesdroppers to different positions and listened carefully to the surrounding movements.
Time passed minute by minute.
At four in the morning, Yu Hanjiang woke up and asked about the situation. Ye Qi relieved the bug's words to Group Leader Yu. Yu Hanjiang also felt it was possible and told Ye Qi, "In case the bugs suddenly attack after gaining a new leader, I'll keep watch with you."
Xiao Lou woke up not long after. He walked over and sat beside Group Leader Yu. He and Yu Hanjiang were connected to each other so he knew what Ye Qi had said. So many bugs had been burned to death previously. Since there had been no action for several days, it was likely an even fiercer counterattack would be launched next.
Just then, footsteps were heard in the distance. Ye Qi's three eavesdroppers heard the sound of footsteps on the snow at the same time. Xiao Lou immediately turned on the drone's monitoring and the palm-sized card screen showed a dynamic picture.
Dozens of humans were coming in the direction of the wasteland, many of them with familiar faces. Xiao Lou saw Gao Xiao's team as well as the challengers from the Eternal Kingdom and Luoying Pavilion.
Ye Qi couldn't help staring. "All the challengers? How did they get together?"
Xiao Lou was very puzzled. The bugs could disguise as humans so it was difficult for strange challengers to completely trust each other and work together, unless they experienced the predicament of being surrounded by the bugs before joining forces.
In the supermarket, the Luoying Pavilion team had directly refused the invitation of the bearded uncle from the Eternal Kingdom to work together and clear the instance. Therefore, the latter reason was more likely. In the past three days, Xiao Lou's group hadn't been attacked by the bugs. Perhaps they went to other places to attack the challengers. These nearby teams had joined forces to defend against the enemy.
The group of challengers stopped nearby and a familiar middle-aged man's voice rang in Xiao Lou's ears. "Everyone, "I am the captain of the third team of the Eternal Kingdom, Hu Qiang. These are challengers from other teams. We are calling for the formation of the challengers alliance to fight the bugs together."
Xiao Lou stood up alertly.
Hu Qiang continued. "I have a fire detection card in my hand and found there is a fire source here. Thus, I guessed that there are challengers gathered here. I hope you can join hands with us. Now the situation has reached the most difficult time. A new bug queen has been born and their strength has increased sharply. On the way here, we were almost wiped out by a group of bugs."
Yu Hanjiang's face sunk. "Bug queen?"
Hu Qiang kept speaking, "This is a powerful alien bug and their strength has increased sharply. It is like a group of scattered soldiers gaining a commander. They are almost everywhere and forcing out the challengers hiding in every corner. In the beginning, we also wanted to pass this level alone and not team up with anyone. However, it seems like that won't work anymore."
Xiao Lou was suspicious of the bearded uncle's words.
His team had Shao Qingge, an infected person. Who could guarantee that there were no infected people among the nearly 50 challengers outside? Besides, Chief Shao was infected and it couldn't be kept a secret. What would other people think about Shao Qingge as an infected person? Would they secretly burn him to death?'
Yu Hanjiang decisively refused. "No thank you. We will clear it on our own."
Hu Qiang's tone was serious. "This brother, you are too confident."
Yu Hanjiangs' voice was flat. "Your intentions are good. Go and find other challengers to join forces. We will only take care of our team."
Hu Qiang was silent for a moment and then Gao Xiao spoke from next to him. "Their group really is strong. Since they aren't willing to join forces, forget it. Let's find a place to hide as soon as possible. The bug army will come again soon."
She shouted to Xiao Lou. "You have to be careful. This time, the bugs are much stronger. The ring of fire won't necessarily stop them!"
Xiao Lou answered. "Thank you for warning me."
The group of people gradually went away. Xiao Lou looked at Yu Hanjiang and frowned. "Why do I feel that this isn't quite right? What do so many people want to do when gathered together?"
Ye Qi scratched his head and made a guess. "Could it be that someone was infected so they deliberately incited everyone to gather together in order to eliminate them?"
Yu Hanjiang touched his chin. "No matter their situation, we can no longer join forces with any challenger team. We must take into account Chief Shao's safety. Ask everyone to get up and be prepared. Xiao Lou, if necessary, use the compass' five minutes of invincibility. I will find a place outside to set Li Qingzhao's skill mark and teleport everyone over."
"Okay." Xiao Lou took out the Compass card and drew a circle in advance. It could be released directly when the bugs attacked. Ye Qi turned around to wake everyone up. Yu Hanjiang asked for the teleportation card that was copied by Chief Shao and was in Ye Qi's hand. Then he picked up the city map and carefully observed it to find a place to put the marker.
None of the three noticed that Shao Qingge, who was sleeping next to them, suddenly opened his eyes. Once the other teammates were woken up, they carried backpacks and prepared to evacuate at any time.
Just then, there was a squeaking noise from Ye Qi's eavesdroppers. The sound became louder and louder. Ye Qi turned and looked into the distance. He saw a huge group of humanoid beasts coming from all sides. All the fences around the wasteland were torn apart and they rushed like fierce tigers toward Xiao Lou and the others!
The agility of these bugs had increased and their actions were like the wind. In almost the blink of an eye, they had rushed across a few acres of land! Xiao Lou immediately activated the invincible circle!
The bugs hit the invisible barrier and were blocked. It was difficult for them to break through. Yu Hanjiang flew up lightly. After a few consecutive jumps, he instantly disappeared into the distance. Xiao Lou saw him flying into a sea of bugs and his heart was in his throat. He trembled as he spoke in the heart channel, "You be careful...."
Yu Hanjiang's low and calm voice was heard. "It's okay. I brought the light footwork and the teleportation card. If I use the cards at the same time, I can teleport 50 metres in the air. These bugs can't hurt me for the time being. Stabilize the situation and once I find the marked location, I will bring you over."
Xiao Lou was slightly relieved to hear this.
The teleportation card in Chief Shao's card pack was taken away by Group Leader Yu. He used the combination of the light footwork and teleportation to complete the 'air teleportation' operation. The bugs might be agile but they couldn't fly. If Yu Hanjiang moved 50 metres in an instant through the air, they really couldn't catch up.
Just as Xiao Lou was going to stabilize the situation, Shao Qingge suddenly broke free from where he was tied to the tent!
Ye Qi knew that Professor Xiao's circle of invincibility could last for 10 minutes and wasn't worried about the first wave of attacks. His eyes had never left Chief Shao. Therefore, once Chief Shao moved, he immediately reacted by shouting, "Be careful! Chief Shao has broken free!"
It obviously wasn't a coincidence that he broke free of the white silk the moment Group Leader Yu left.
Everyone got a chill at the same time and they took out all sorts of cards to control him. However, Shao Qingge knew that Ye Qi would use the flute to control him. The moment he broke free, he was like a flying shadow as he came behind Ye Qi and snatched the flute from Ye Qi's hand.
Seeing that the flute was taken away, Ye Qi's heart was cold. He thought that Chief Shao would bite down on his neck in the next moment! He was ready to be infected. However, Shao Qingge didn't bite him. Instead, he put the flute back in Ye Qi's hands, stared deeply at Ye Qi and rushed out of Xiao's invincibility circle.
At this time, several bugs had crawled outside the circle. Shao Qingge's sharp nails slashed at the body of one of the bugs. Everyone saw the bug withering like a plant that had its nutrients absorbed. Shao Qingge's eyes were red and he immediately attacked the next bug. Another bug was merged with him.
Ye Qi trembled and he cried out, "I know what you are doing. It is too dangerous! Come back quickly!"
He had connected to Shao Qingge, even if it was only for a short moment. Shao Qingge had spoken only one sentence in his mind. "I feel sorry to lie down and win every time. This time, I will protect you."
This sentence occurred the moment he handed over the flute to Ye Qi.
Tears formed in Ye Qi's eyes as he saw Shao Qingge personally fighting the bugs outside alone, saw the blood stains on Shao Qingge's body and the countless bugs entering his body through the blood.
What if Chief Shao's consciousness was swallowed during the bugs fusion process? Was he crazy?!
Shao Qingge's laughing voice was heard. "Don't be afraid. I have completely assimilated the bugs and they won't attack me actively. There are still five minutes until the retreat. I want to kill some mobs and level up."
Ye Qi, "......"
The tears that almost fell were forced back by the joke.
'Shao Qingge, can't you speak a bit more seriously at such a dangerous time?!'
Chapter 226 - Doomsday Escape 32
Shao Qingge actually ran out alone to fight these bugs? Xiao Lou was panicked and hurriedly asked Ye Qi, "Xiao Ye, what's going on? Why did Chief Shao suddenly run out?"
Ye Qi's face was white and he clenched his fists as he stared at Shao Qingge. He spoke in a trembling voice, "He... Chief Shao said that he assimilated the bug and wants to take advantage of this time to fight the mobs and upgrade..."
Xiao Lou was taken aback and turned to watch Shao Qingge. He saw the tall man moving like the wind through the group of bugs. His hands seemed to have changed. His fingernails were extremely sharp and he scratched the arms of several infected people in the blink of an eye.
Countless bugs crawled into his body along the blood from the wound. Xiao Lou felt numb just seeing the scene!
However, Shao Qingge seemed to feel no fear at all. There was a faint smile on his face and his actions were as fast as lightning. One after another, the bugs were scratched and merged with him. All his teammates were stunned by the scene and glanced at each other.
Long Sen's eyeballs were about to fall out and he couldn't help letting out a coarse swear word. "Fuck, what is Chief Shao doing? He is taking the initiative to merge with the bugs? Isn't he afraid of being integrated instead?"
Qu Wanyue made a guess. "Perhaps his ability was stronger after assimilating the bugs. Look carefully, none of these bugs are daring to attack him actively. It is as if they are all shocked by Chief Shao."
Liu Qiao touched her chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is because Chief Shao has experienced assimilation so his level is higher than these ordinary bugs?"
Old Mo exclaimed. "It is possible! You see, these bugs seem to be afraid of him and don't dare get close to him!"
Shao Qingge fought even more fiercely and in the blink of an eye, he had merged with six or seven bugs. His body was covered with blood and this blood seemed to attract the surrounding bugs to him to merge with him. Xiao Lou saw this scene and couldn't believe the man fighting in front of him in a bloody manner was Shao Qingge who always said with a smile, "I want to lie down and win."
At this time, was it Shao Qingge himself or was he controlled by the bugs? This attack power was too fierce!
Xiao Lou nervously asked, "Ye Qi, can you feel Shao Qingge's consciousness?"
Ye Qi tentatively asked in his mind. "Chief Shao?"
Soon, a deep voice was heard in his mind with a laugh. "I am here. These bugs are afraid of me. Perhaps it is because I have assimilated with the bug and have a higher level than them." This was consistent with the analysis of Liu Qiao, Teacher Qu and the others.
Ye Qi heard this voice and immediately felt relieved. "You should be more careful. What happens if you lose consciousness because you merged with the bugs? Everyone is worried about you!"
"It doesn't matter. The bugs who enter my body are obedient and merged with my consciousness. I have found that the bugs have a strict hierarchy. The higher the level of the bugs, the more of a deterrent effect they will have. The low level bugs won't take the initiative to hurt or attack me. They will only submit to me."
Ye Qi wondered curiously, "So what do you feel now?"
Shao Qingge laughed. "It feels like a delicious meal."
Ye Qi, "&#k2026;&#k2026;"
Delicious? These bugs looked disgusting! Their teammates were worried half to death while he was still in the mood to joke around?
However, this time of Shao Qingge felt familiar to Ye Qi. Currently, Shao Qingge's combat effectiveness was exploding and he wasn't afraid to be alone in a large number of bugs. However, in essence, he was still the shameless and joking Chief Shao.
Looking at this man covered with blood, Ye Qi's eyes became hot. He resisted his runny nose and told Xiao Lou, "His consciousness is still present. He said that these bugs surrender to him and can't affect him. It might be because he assimilated the bugs that he directly evolved into a high level bug."
Xiao Lou carefully observed Shao Qingge. Apart from his fast speed and strong climbing abilities, the smile on his face was exactly the same as the previous Shao Qingge.
It seemed that after Shao Qingge was infected, he wasn't controlled by the bugs and became a puppet of the bugs. It was actually a blessing in disguise because he assimilated the bugs in reverse and gained an extremely strong mutated ability?
Just then, Yu Hanjiang's voice was heard in his mind. "Xiao Lou, I have found a safe point and am ready to transmit."
Xiao Lou gave Yu Hanjiang the 'received' signal and called out to Shao Qingge, "Chief Shao, we're going!"
Shao Qingge looked at the bug army reluctantly before returning to the compass circle like the wind. People just felt like there was a flower in front of them and then the man was already standing by Ye Qi's side.
This speed was similar to the teleportation card but Shao Qingge's teleportation card was being used by Yu Hanjiang and his card pack was in Ye Qi's hand. Obviously, he hadn't used any cards. It was just that the evolved bug ability had greatly improved his physical fitness!
Since Shao Qingge was a teammate with his name on the contract book, he could easily pass through Xiao Lou's compass barrier. However, the bug army behind him was blocked by this transparent barrier. The thing that shocked Xiao Lou and the others was that the group of bugs didn't try to attack Shao Qingge. They just crawled outside the circle and looked at Shao Qingge like... they were trying to make him stay?
The next moment, Yu Hanjiang used Li Qingzhao's Stray Into the Depths of the Lotus Flowers skill. The team members could return to the point that was marked five minutes ago.
It had been six minutes since Yu Hanjiang left. Yu Hanjiang used the light footwork and teleportation cards at the same time and teleported through the air. He found a safe place and after setting the mark, he pulled the team members over. This skill of Li Qingzhao could only be used once a day but the effect was very strong.
The bugs found that the people in this place suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Xiao Lou and the others just felt their vision flickering and then they collectively arrived on the top floor of a building. Yu Hanjiang actually found the roof of a six storey building as the marking place. Everyone had suddenly come to the top of the building and were a bit confused for a moment.
Seeing his teammates, Yu Hanjiang took a step forward and calmly explained, "There was a fierce battle here not long ago. There were burnt corpses everywhere. The challengers who set the fire had already run away and the bugs were chasing us. It should be safe to come back here."
The bugs went to chase another group of challengers. Xiao Lou's group could occupy the roof of this building as a temporary base since the bugs wouldn't return.
Xiao Lou agreed. "The place that Group Leader Yu found is good. We will rest here first."
In any case, Li Qingzhao's skill could be used again tomorrow. As long as the bugs didn't come again in one day, the old technique could be repeated. Compass made them invisible for 10 minutes while Yu Hanjiang found the next safe point and pulled the group to teleport. This type of 'guerrilla warfare' was currently the best way to deal with the bugs.
Yu Hanjiang's eyes swept over the group and found Shao Qingge. He saw that the white silk tying Shao Qingge was broken and frowned slightly. He stared sharply at Shao Qingge. The two pairs of eyes met before Yu Hanjiang raised his hand and suddenly threw out the white cloth. The white cloth emerged like a snake and aimed at Shao Qingge!
The white cloth was about to control Shao Qingge when Shao Qingge kicked his legs vigorously and jumped more than 10 metres away. He avoided the white silk in a thrilling manner! This type of movement was like the most ferocious beast in a forest.
Yu Hanjiang was taken aback and wanted to tie him up with the silk again but Xiao Lou hurriedly called out, "Don't fight. Chief Shao has already assimilated with the bugs!"
Ye Qi also proved it. "Yes. don't fight. He isn't a bug anymore. His consciousness belongs to Chief Shao.
Yu Hanjiang frowned, put away the white silk card and stared at Shao Qingge. Just now, Yu Hanjiang had been concentrating on avoiding the bug army and looking for a safe place. He didn't have time to communicate with Xiao Lou and didn't know about Shao Qingge's mutation.
Shao Qingge smiled and told him, "In fact, when the group of challengers came at four in the morning, I had already assimilated the bugs and was pretending to be asleep. Thanks to Group Leader Yu, I didn't dare act rashly. I was afraid to fight him and couldn't explain clearly. Then once Group Leader Yu left, I broke free and grabbed Xiao Ye's flute. It was very difficult to trap me. Then I told Xiao Ye that I assimilated with the bugs to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings."
Shao Qingge's abilities might've improved after assimilating the bugs but Yu Hanjiang's combat effectiveness was also very strong. Shao Qingge didn't want to fight Group Leader Yu who had a gun in his hand. Therefore, he only broke free of the white silk when Yu Hanjiang left to find the marking point.
Yu Hanjiang raised an eyebrow. "You assimilated with the bug? What is going on?"
Shao Qingge walked over and explained with a smile. "This is thanks to Xiao Ye's help. The bugs are the most active at night but Xiao Ye was afraid I would be cold. At night, he placed the mineral water bottle in the bed and covered it with heat. The bug was so hot that it was about to collapse. I could slowly suppress its consciousness. Then in the early morning, Xiao Ye brought the bug to the fire. The bug fainted and I took the opportunity to conquer it."
Ye Qi heard this and his ears turned red. "Uh... I forgot that the bugs are afraid of heat. The temperature is too low on winter nights and I was worried Chief Shao would get a cold, so I brought him to the fire."
He held the water bottle to sleep at night and brought the bug to the fire during the night watch. He hadn't expected to knock the bug out from heat and Shao Qingge was given an opportunity.
Shao Qingge gently patted Ye Qi on the shoulder. "It is thanks to Xiao Ye's help that the consciousness of the bug became weaker and they were completely swallowed up by me. So don't worry. I can now fully control my body."
Xiao Lou was curious. "You just integrated with the bugs. Are there any effects on your body?"
Shao Qingge replied, "Of course, there is an effect."
Everyone watched him nervously and Shao Qingge smiled. "It is a positive effect. It is like absorbing a lot of nutrients. I am full of physical strength and energy. You see...."
He rolled up his sleeves as he spoke. Previously, Shao Qingge had fought with the bugs and his body was covered with blood. He obviously suffered a lot of injuries.
Everyone took a closer look and found that there were bloodstains covering his arms. There was almost no completely intact skin on his entire arm. They were all traces left behind by the bugs' sharp nails and it looked shocking.
Ye Qi saw these injuries and his eyes became hot. He wished for these injuries to be transferred to his own body. Shao Qingge felt Ye Qi's thoughts and his heart softened. He told everyone, "There might be many wounds but I don't feel any pain at all."
Xiao Lou was a bit surprised. "Are the pain nerves paralyzed?"
Shao Qingge shook his head. "No, it's more like the bugs' self-repairing ability. The bugs who were in my body told me that they have a long lifespan and strong survivability. They can regenerate if their limbs are cut off. I think this ability might be at work. The injuries don't hurt like there is hard armour inside my body. These wounds are only on the surface.
He gently scratched his left arm with a nail of his right hand. A long bloody scratch was drawn on the skin. The man's arm muscles were clear. Currently, this arm was dripping with blood but Shao Qingge's expression was calm.
A deep wound could be cut directly on his skin with only his nails, indicating that his fingernails were as sharp as the bugs.
His body was bleeding but his face didn't change, showing he really didn't feel pain. These wounds didn't affect the bugs, just like scratches on the surface of a car wouldn't affect the performance of the car.
Shao Qingge told them, "The bugs have a very strong repair ability. These wounds will heal automatically unless they are burned to death. If a limb is cut off, they will immediately grow new ones.
He took out a knife and pointed it at his fingers, wanting to cut it off. Ye Qi immediately stopped him nervously. "Don't mess around. We believe you!"
The team members, "......"
So after being parasitized, Chief Shao didn't become the puppet of the bugs. Instead, he conquered the bugs in his body, integrated the abilities of the bug and became a 'human and bug' big boss? Cut off one leg and they would soon grow a new leg? The faces of the team members were very excited as they looked at Shao Qingge like they were seeing a boss.
Shao Qingge smiled at them. "I used to always lie down to win. In this secret room, I can finally play a role."
'Lying down to win' might be a joke but it was true that Shao Qingge wanted to contribute to the team. In their team, Yu Hanjiang was currently the strongest in combat and Xiao Lou was the strongest think tank. Everyone had their own role... Shao Qingge couldn't just count money for everyone, could he?
In some secret rooms, money couldn't be used at all. For example, in 8 of Spades. Even if he moved a bank over, he wouldn't be able to use money to kill the bugs.
He thought that if this powerful ability could be brought out of the secret room or a corresponding card drawn, he might not be a salted fish only responsible for 'lying down'. At least in critical moments, he would have the ability to protect Ye Qi and other people instead of letting his teammates protect him.
Shao Qingge's idea was clearly heard through the heart channel.
Ye Qi's eyes were hot and he whispered in his mind, "Chief Shao, don't think like this. No one thinks you are fishing in troubled waters. The Hearts and Spades secret rooms aren't your strong points. I have also lied down to win many times in the team. Everyone is good at different things. Chief Shao, you are actually excellent. We wouldn't be able to get to today without you."
Shao Qingge smiled. "I know but I want to get better."
In the cruel Card World, it was only by becoming stronger that you could protect the people you wanted to protect, right?
Chapter 227 - Doomsday Escape 33
Throughout the day, everyone launched a guerrilla war against the bugs.
The existence of Shao Qingge, an evolutionary bug, provided great convenience to the team. There was no need to use Ye Qi's eavesdroppers anymore because Shao Qingge would know their course of action before the bug army could get close.
Xiao Lou and the others couldn't understand these 'squeaky' calls but Shao Qingge could understand them. After assimilating with the bugs, he didn't just gain their power. He also merged with the memories of the bugs in his body.
Shao Qingge told them many stories about the bugs.
This race came from an unknown star field. The way they multiplied was through parasitism. They reproduced in human bodies and continued to spread, infecting more humans.
Every batch of bugs would merge with each other to produce a leader, whether it was a queen or a king. Once the leader was born in the bug empire, they would act according to the leader's instructions, completely occupying a planet and multiplying.
The bugs didn't only had a long life span and strong jumping and climbing abilities. They also had a self-repairing ability that modern medicine couldn't explain.
Shao Qingge spoke emotionally. "The regeneration and repair capabilities of this race are even more terrifying than earthworms. If the body of an earthworm is cut in half then both halves can survive. For the bugs... if you chop their bodies into dozens of pieces, they can regenerate quickly and grow new ones. The only way to completely kill them is to burn them or steam them with steam above 100 degrees.
Old Mo joked, "If we knew, we would've taken you to the steam sauna after you were infected. Maybe the bugs in your body would've been steamed unconscious!"
Long Sen laughed. "Our Xiao Ye is really smart. He directly took the bug to the fire to be roasted!"
Ye Qi, "......"
In front of the fire, Ye Qi's face turned red. He hadn't expected this thing to actually help out Chief Shao.
Xiao Lou inquired, "Chief Shao, you absorbed several bugs right? What is your level now?"
Shao Qingge carefully calculated it. "The parasite in my body itself was a level 2 bug. After being assimilated by me, I was promoted to level 3. Those who besieged us at the time were all level 2 bugs. I merged with eight..."
Xiao Lou directly gave the answer. "Two level 2 bugs merged into one level 3. Two level 3 fusing is one level 4. Then you should be considered a level 5 bug right now. Do you know the highest level?"
Shao Qingge removed his smile and lowered his voice. "The level 10 bug queen has been born."
Ye Qi's eyes widened with surprise. "Can you feel the presence of the bug queen?"
Shao Qingge nodded. "I can feel her calling us. There is no sound but it is a strange signal&#k2026; it is like a special sound wave that only the bugs can feel. It was just launched."
Yu Hanjiang heard this and frowned slightly. "What did she say?"
Shao Qingge closed his eyes and listened carefully. "She is telling the bugs to gather. She didn't clearly state the specifics as for why."
He stood up and stared into the distance. The entire city had been plunged into a deep darkness at this time due to the destruction of the circuit system.
It had started to snow again tonight and the heavy snow almost completely buried the city. Shao Qingge pointed into the distance and opened his mouth. "Do you remember the bridge at the junction of the central city and the east district? The bug queen is ordering everyone to gather on this bridge."
The group looked at each other.
Yu Hanjiang nodded. "Then Chief Shao has become an undercover agent in the bugs."
Shao Qingge rubbed his nose and smiled. "She is sending a mass signal so that all the bugs can sense it. I think she might be planning something. Should we avoid it or should we go over and take a look?"
Yu Hanjiang turned back to seek Xiao Lou's opinion and Xiao Lou told him, "I don't think things are that simple."
Shao Qingge also nodded. "It is the 10th day of the secret room and this level can be cleared in four days. The more conservative approach is that we continue the guerrilla warfare method to avoid the bug army. My presence means we can gain insight into the bugs' plan in advance. In addition, there is Li Qingzhao's group teleport and the Compass' invincibility. Avoiding them is easy."
Xiao Lou frowned slightly and there was a sudden uneasiness in his heart.
The bug queen had summoned all the bugs to gather at the bridge. Wasn't she afraid of traitors or undercover agents among the bugs? After all, a bug parasitized the human body and wouldn't kill humans immediately. Rather, it would put the human consciousness into a deep sleep and manipulate the human body to multiply and expand. This process involved certain risks.
What if human willpower was strong enough to assimilate the bug and gain the bug's ability? Those humans could hear the bug signals.
She broadcasted a mass signal like this and those who gained the bug's ability would know the plan. Then couldn't they smoothly avoid it? Was the bug queen so innocent that she didn't expect this? Or did she deliberately set off a smoke bomb?
Xiao Lou mentioned his confusion through the heart channel to Yu Hanjiang.
Yu Hanjiang whispered, "If the queen was so mindless then she wouldn't have evolved into a level 10 queen."
Xiao Lou agreed. "So the signal to gather is probably a smokescreen and her real purpose isn't here."
As the two people were communicating, Shao Qingge rolled up his sleeves and pointed at his smooth arms with a smile. "Look, the wounds from this morning have all healed."
Everyone, "......"
It wasn't just healing the hideous wounds. After the repair, the skin on his arm was smooth and delicate like it was new.
It was exactly four in the morning when everyone teleported away. Now it was seven in the evening. This was 15 hours and all the wounds were as good as new. The repair ability of a level 5 bug was scary enough. So how strong was the repair ability of a level 10 bug queen? If her arm was cut off, would she just grow a new one in seconds?
Everyone couldn't help getting chills at the thought.
Xiao Lou said, "She summoned the bugs to gather at the bridge. This should be to confuse us. She might know that some assimilated humans among the bugs won't listen to her command."
Ye Qi was nervous. "Chief Shao can feel her. Then... can she also sense Chief Shao?"
This question stunned everyone. That's right. Shao Qingge could feel the signal of the bugs so the level 10 bug could certainly feel them. In this way, couldn't she clearly and accurately locate the 'disobedient' bug?
Shao Qingge finally reacted. "I understand why she called the bugs to gather at the bridge. Most of the low level bugs and high level bugs willing to listen to the queen's instructions will gather. However, those who are assimilated by challengers or other humans definitely wouldn't be stupid enough to run to the bug's lair to die. In this way, she will be able to distinguish those who are unwilling to follow her instructions."
Xiao Lou added, "Then she will use the bug queen's powerful perception ability to accurately locate where these disobedient bugs are hiding and lead the elite troops to eliminate them one by one?!"
The team members heard this and their faces turned white. The queen hadn't called the bug army to gather to launch an all-out attack. It was to quickly find the location of the disobedient bugs.
Shao Qingge's existence as an 'undercover' meant he could perceive the bugs' plan but in the same way, he was a fixed-time explosive bomb. He might attract the most powerful bug boss at any time.
Shao Qingge thought up to here and suggested, "Why don't you keep hiding here while I go to the bridge to see the situation?"
Yu Hanjiang immediately objected. "No! You said it earlier. The queen is using the group signal to summon the army. There will be thousands of bugs on the bridge. If you go alone and encounter a bug that has a higher level than you, won't you be assimilated by them?"
Xiao Lou agreed. "Yes, it is too dangerous for you to act alone. The bugs are highly hierarchical and you are now classified as level 5. If you encounter a level 7 or 8 bug that attacks and fuses with you, it is highly likely your consciousness will be swallowed. Once your consciousness is swallowed, you will be directly eliminated and erased from our contract. How can you escape the Nightmare Room alone?"
Ye Qi had experience with the Nightmare Room and paled nervously. He stared at Shao Qingge and spoke in a nervous voice. "Don't go to the Nightmare Room! The difficulty of the Nightmare Room is more than twice that of a normal room. 8 of Spades is already very difficult. I can't imagine a double difficulty..."
Shao Qingge frowned. "However, if I stay with you then the queen can perceive my position at any time. This is too dangerous for you.
Xiao Lou looked at Shao Qingge earnestly. "No matter what, we won't let you take the risk alone."
Their teammates nodded.
Shao Qingge's heart warmed and he smiled. "Yes, since you won't let me go listen to the queen, let's go to a bug nest. I still have another method that requires everyone's cooperation."
Yu Hanjiang told him, "You say it."
Shao Qingge's eyes narrowed. "The queen has just sent a signal and many bugs haven't had time to rush to the location. What if we think of ways to block some of the bugs heading to the bridge? Let me kill a few and level up. Perhaps I can get to level 9 or 10?"
Everyone, "........."
Ye Qi exclaimed helplessly, "You are addicted to leveling!"
Chief Shao might have the ability to repair his body but Ye Qi still couldn't bear to see this man's bloody struggle.
Shao Qingge looked at Ye Qi. "This method might be risky but it is worth a try. Otherwise, if the queen really does search for the disobedient bugs to be eliminated one by one, it isn't certain if we can defeat her elite army. I will strengthen myself in advance. If I increase my strength then there will be more chances of winning, right?"
Yu Hanjiang simply stood up and decided. "Just do it!"