Chapter Nine: On the Road

The members of Team Two were all highly efficient; they agreed that once a decision was made, there would be no hesitation or second-guessing.

Qi An took some time familiarizing herself with the low-end spy drone. They had already pulled at least ten kilometers ahead of the Degenerate Insect convoy.

The sky remained clear, but a gentle breeze had risen.

This time, Su Qingran was operating the reconnaissance drone to locate the convoy. Although the wind made the task more difficult, she performed admirably.

The neural control device allowed instruments to be manipulated by brainwaves, much like controlling one’s own limbs with the mind.

Despite the drone’s limited sensors, Qi An was able to pilot the low-end model at full speed with ease, likely due to what Teacher Tang had described as “exceptionally promising mental reinforcement.” Soon, she caught up to the rear of the Degenerate Insect convoy.

At that moment, the convoy had stopped to rest. Qi An carefully pressed the drone into the grass, motionless, observing cautiously.

The drone’s camera served as her eyes. Peering through the gaps between the blades of grass, she saw the group of Degenerate Insects.

There were indeed six of them.

Their massive bodies resembled humans weighing around 300 pounds, with at least three pairs of long, thick tentacles rippling and twisting freely in the air. Their entire bodies were covered with ulcerous bulges that pulsated rhythmically, secreting viscous slime. Countless agile eyes were embedded all around them!

These creatures bore no resemblance to anything of this world, yet they stretched out comfortably under the sunlight.

Qi An could bet that just this clear glance alone would raise someone like Zhao Bohan’s resistance and contamination levels by more than five percent.

Among them, three Degenerate Insects surrounded one in the middle—the smallest and least harmful to the eyes. This one was undoubtedly a Wise Insect, either a “Singer” or an “Apprentice Priest” among their ranks.

Wise Insects were the overseers of the Degenerate Insect group, either military commanders or religious leaders. The former were formidable fighters; the latter emitted greater contamination.

The “Singer” was the lowest rank of priest, equivalent to a military “Captain,” while the “Apprentice Priest” was one rank higher, akin to a “Sergeant Major.”

Inside the vehicle, Yu Shuang asked anxiously, “The listening function isn’t on, right? The insects aren’t singing, are they?”

Qi An replied, “No.”

This was a lie, for the Wise Insect was indeed opening its mouthparts, its tentacles gracefully undulating.

It was chanting, like a human casually humming during rest. It sang a venomous melody, its twisted sounds echoing across the hillside and resonating inside Qi An’s mind.

This melody alone could induce a level three mutation in Zhao Bohan within a minute, yet Qi An only furrowed her brow slightly; her contamination level rose merely by the five percent caused by visual pollution.

This made no one in the squad doubt the truth of her words.

Near the Degenerate Insect convoy, two of the insects awkwardly carried small backpacks on their backs. They busied themselves on a sunlit slope some distance away, seemingly pulling weeds.

Qi An waited a full half hour until the two foraging insects returned and the convoy restarted. After they had traveled 500 meters, she controlled the low-end drone to catch up once more.

With the drone’s poor endurance, its battery was down to the last bar.

Everyone was holding their breath. Qi An focused intently, controlling the drone to fly no higher than the vehicle’s wheels, slipping beneath the chassis on the roar of the engine.

She found a stable spot on the inner side of the chassis beam, maneuvered the drone to cling tightly, and deployed a tracker that adhered firmly before burying the drone in the soil.

When the battery died, the Degenerate Insect convoy drove on without noticing.

The red dot on the onboard navigation and tablet appeared as expected—steady, solid, and clearly visible.

Cheers erupted from both vehicles in the squad.

Yu Shuang was moved and lightly patted Qi An’s shoulder sincerely. “You’re amazing, Xiao Qi! I apologize for not trusting you before.”

Such frankness brought an immediate smile to Qi An’s face. “Team cohesion takes time. I’m grateful to the captain for giving me this opportunity.”

She seldom smiled, and this radiant expression momentarily stunned Yu Shuang and Zhao Bohan.

Her delicate, bright eyes curved like crescent moons, as if stars shone within them—utterly beautiful.

Yu Shuang’s heart overflowed with affection, wishing she could gently squeeze Qi An’s fair cheeks, while Zhao Bohan’s gaze softened.

But this was no time for leisure or banter; their vehicles were still moving.

Their squad’s cars were naturally much faster than the Degenerate Insects’ neglected, filthy, and broken-down vehicles. Soon, they closed in once again on the convoy’s rear.

Along the way, they retrieved two more spy drones to continue surveillance.

This time, the convoy drove for a full five hours before stopping—and then remained stationary for quite a while.

“There’s a highway service area up ahead,” Yu Shuang raised an eyebrow. “Could it still be operational?”

“Where there are buildings, there might be a stronghold,” Zhao Bohan said cautiously. “And this place isn’t far from the second suspected stronghold, Hualin County. Let’s scan it with the drones.”

The low-end drone was dead without battery power, and the base’s spy drones were utterly useless. They had to rely on the large, multifunctional drone with a wide basin-like frame to perform high-altitude scans.

Though the mutants had some thermoregulation abilities, infrared detection still provided a sharp contrast compared to warm-blooded humans.

They concluded that “abnormal heat sources were concentrated within the service area.”

After a moment’s thought, Yu Shuang commanded, “Find a concealed spot to park. We’re going to check it out.”