The second week after Corrupters were discovered at Mine 071, more than 500 Celestial Marines stationed nearby had to abandon the base of operations and evacuate from the vicinity.
These bugs were very clever. They knew that penetrating the tunnel with their head was just asking to be killed by Celestial Marines, so they used the tunnels left by Devil Worms, went around the base, and launched a flank.
If it weren’t for the TS Expedition that continuously monitored the life signal near Mine 071 and alerted the stationed troops to withdraw when the bugs crawled to five kilometers underground, the force would have been caught by surprise.
Fortunately, these Corruptors were not as sensitive to sound waves as Devil Worms, so the soldiers and engineers stationed there were able to withdraw in time.
The specimens were also brought back to the base.
Although it was not easy, the Marines still managed to get a few.
In addition to more than a dozen intact specimens, they also captured four larvae!
The four larvae were undoubtedly a pleasant surprise for the base that lacked specimens.
The four Corruptors larvae were kept in separate vials and stored in isolation rooms.
The smallest one was the size of an adult’s palm, while the largest was the size of a washbasin. They were minified Corruptors, except they did not spew venom. Unlike Devil Worm larvae, the small size did not weaken their aggression, instead, it made them more dangerous and lethal!
Researchers placed a bull into the same vial. In less than a second, the bull was attacked by the Corruptor, and its head was penetrated by its sharp tail. While the Corruptor ate the bull, it demonstrated an astounding digestive ability, as half of the bull was devoured in three short days.
In these three days, the size of the Corruptor grew almost exponentially. It grew from palm-sized to half-a-meter-high, and it could spray traces of corrosive acid.
Based on this trend, in the case of sufficient organic matter, it would grow to the size of an adult Corruptor in less than a month.
“Twenty larvae in a single birth, each as big as a washbasin … God, can you imagine it the size of the thing when it becomes an adult!” A researcher in a white coat used his hands to demonstrate the size of the Corruptor as he kept shaking his head. “The experimental environment here is too crude. We must immediately ship the specimens to Celestial City for further research.”
“How long will it take for them to grow up?” Hong Zewei frowned as he examined the restless little thing under the glass cover.
“I don’t know,” the researcher shook his head and looked at the bull skeleton inside the glass cover. “This can’t be used as a reference. There should be no such rich organic matter for them to grow underground. Sample No. 3 that is consuming oxygen-producing bacteria has a growth speed of only one-tenth of this one. ”
“How many bugs are still hidden in this damn desert,” Hong Zewei cursed fiercely.
“I don’t know if you noticed it,” the researcher said after pondering for a moment, “but every time we encounter a new trouble, it’s because of Mine 071 … I’m curious what’s buried inside.”
Hong Zewei processed the information, then frowned, and became deep in thought.
However, at this moment, the alarm on the wall interrupted his train-of-thought.
Hong Zewei immediately looked to the alarm, then rushed towards the entrance of the institute.
…
The sirens rang inside the colony and the entire colony was rattled.
At this moment, Celestial Marines demonstrated their combat abilities. In less than half a minute, the equipped soldiers rushed to the front door from the hallway, opened the storage box, and wielded the kinetic skeleton.
With their clips locked in, Zhang Hai loaded the Gauss rifle in his hand.
“What’s happening outside?” A woman with curly hair walked up and tried to stop Zhang Hai, “There is something else besides the Devil Worms, right? Or you won’t build the wall … ”
“No comment,” Zhang Hai answered coldly. Then he buckled the last button of the tactical helmet, pushed the woman away, and jogged to the buffer chamber.
The woman wanted to say something but was stopped by Brace standing next to her.
“Enough, Jenny, calm down first.” Looking at his teammates, Brace shook his head.
“But …” Jenny looked at the captain anxiously. “They must be hiding something from us! I had this feeling when they built the wall, now—”
“Yes, they are hiding something from us,” Brace shook his head, with a bit of helplessness and self-deprecation in his smile. “Don’t forget that we are in their house now. If you continue to try to get to the bottom of everything, maybe our right to call our family each month will be deprived.”
The woman named Jenny closed her mouth and stopped talking. She looked at Brace with a stiff expression, nodded, and then looked down with a dejected expression.
“I understand.”
“Great.” Brace said standoffishly while he watched the soldiers leave,
His only wish was to return home.
Hopefully Celestial Trade’s trouble would not affect them.
…
Outside the colony, the Corruptors rushed out of the tunnel behind the dunes, poured onto the colony’s wall and formed a black tide of insects.
As soon as Zhang Hai stepped on the alloy floor outside, the commander’s voice sounded in his ear.
“Insect tide is approaching, immediately bring your people onto the wall!”
“Roger,” looking at the coordinates of the zone sent to the holographic map, Zhang Hai reached down and pressed his hand on the helmet to switch to the squad channel. “Attention everyone, immediately go to the wall. Open your safety, freely fire!”
“Roger that!”
The armored vehicle rushed up the firing platform on the wall from the slope, and the gun at the top pointed at the insects surging like a tide as powerful bullets unleashed.
After rushing onto the wall, Zhang Hai gestured his comrades next to him, then leaned against behind the corrosion-resistant alloy plate that served as cover. He began to return fire.
These bugs were smart, at least they were more clever than the Devil Worms.
The formation of their charge was very loose, and they rushed in waves which effectively reduced the hit rate of the soldiers. While the bugs moved forward, some insects were spraying acids, while other insects were charging under the cover of the acid.
From time to time, some soldiers were sprayed by the acids and were pulled down by medics for treatment.
After dodging a stream of acid, Zhang Hai gritted his teeth and raised his rifle. He unleashed the last few bullets in the clip against those nasty bugs, then took a clip from his comrade and inserted it into the rifle.
When he watched the continuous tides of insects flow out from behind the dunes, his eyebrows twisted together and he cursed under his breath.
“Fu*k, where did these bugs come from …”
He didn’t know if it was his illusion, but he felt as if an eye was watching them.
Every time they make a little progress on Mine 071, troubles would ensue.
A coincidence?
He didn’t think so.
