Free Web NovelChapter 32: Chapter 32: Can’t Eat Anymore
Long Ming quickly retrieved the flashlight and returned to the entrance.
However, he didn’t use it, instead clipping it to his tactical belt. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
Long Ming didn’t use the flashlight because the beam was too conspicuous. Many insects were extremely sensitive to light; some, like moths, were even strongly drawn to it.
With that, Long Ming headed inside. He stopped once he could barely see, waiting for his eyes to slowly adjust to the darkness.
Seconds ticked by.
Long Ming’s eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, and he could start making out faint outlines.
But this level of visibility wasn’t nearly enough to explore safely; it would be too easy to get ambushed.
Just then, Long Ming pulled a perception potion from his pack, jabbed the injector into his shoulder, and pushed the plunger.
As the drug coursed through him...
Long Ming immediately felt his senses of hearing and smell grow incredibly sharp. Even his vision in the gloom became passably clear.
’This feels amazing,’ he thought. ’The gear from that supply pod is the real deal.’
Long Ming hesitated no longer and began to creep cautiously deeper inside.
The main corridor was spacious, with walls of reinforced concrete. Something, however, seemed to be clinging to their surfaces.
Long Ming moved a little closer to get a better look. He then discovered that the once-smooth walls were now covered in a dense, honeycomb-like pattern of holes, each one filled with translucent insect eggs.
The sight made his skin crawl. ’It’s like I’m walking right into an Insect Nest.’
Still, Long Ming steeled himself and pressed onward.
CRUNCH~
The faint sounds echoed from time to time.
The deeper he went, the more dried insect husks littered the ground, making it impossible to avoid them completely.
Fortunately, the noise wasn’t loud enough to attract any enemies.
A few minutes later, Long Ming passed through the corridor and entered a semicircular transit area. Here, he saw the bodies of a dozen or so soldiers scattered about.
The corpses had been gnawed beyond recognition. Some were just tattered combat uniforms, with no bones left inside.
Instead of immediately moving in to search, Long Ming carefully surveyed the area.
Quite a few gray, fist-sized worms were scattered across the floor, most of them dormant.
’If I’m careful and don’t make too much noise, it should be fine.’
He then looked up at the ceiling.
Metal beams crisscrossed the ceiling, thick with cobwebs. He could faintly make out unknown shapes writhing within them; bugs were most likely nesting up there.
After confirming there was no immediate major threat, Long Ming cautiously made his way toward the remains.
He soon reached the first body.
The corpse was in tatters, but the Baka rifle it clutched was still intact.
Long Ming scanned it with his wristband. The durability was at 82. He reached out and picked it up.
’This gun could sell for at least five thousand Mountain Coins on the current market. Even if the price drops by the time I get out, it’ll still be worth three or four thousand, easy.’
With that, Long Ming moved on to the next corpse.
...
A moment later, Long Ming had six Baka rifles slung over his body. His backpack was stuffed with so many magazines that it couldn’t be closed, and there were still several more rifles in good condition left on the ground.
It pained him to look at the guns he was leaving behind, but he had no choice but to abandon them.
Long Ming looked up ahead. The transit area had three passageways, each leading to a different zone.
With no signs to guide him, Long Ming headed for the central passage.
He quickly passed through the passage into a corridor. The floor was littered with more corpses, all of whom had died gruesome deaths. None of them held any weapons.
Rooms lined both sides of the hall.
’If I’m not mistaken, the disaster at this base must have struck late at night. A lot of soldiers were taken out here before they even had a chance to react.’
Long Ming cautiously entered the first room.
It was an eight-man barracks room, and the inside was completely trashed.
Skeletal remains were scattered on the floor and beds.
Long Ming gave the room a quick scan, his eyes landing on a row of gray combat uniforms, body armor, and tactical backpacks hanging on the wall.
His eyes lit up, and he immediately scanned them with his wristband.
Gray Combat Uniform.
Durability: 95/100
Infantry Body Armor.
Durability: 100/100
Infantry Tactical Backpack (Physical Backpack)
Method of Use: Worn on back
Dimensions: 50*28*22CM
Capacity: 30L
Note: All items are dropped upon death or failed extraction.
’Although the capacity is only slightly larger than my starter pack, this is a standard tactical backpack. I can hang weapons on the sides, and the quality feels much better.’
Long Ming stepped forward and took down one of the tactical backpacks. He emptied his old pack, tossing aside his spare Korg automatic pistol and expandable baton, then stuffed the rest of his belongings into the new one.
Next, he took a set of gray combat fatigues from the wall and changed into them, then swapped his regular body armor for the infantry-grade vest.
Once he was done, Long Ming continued on to search the next room.
Before long, he had searched most of the rooms. The contents were largely the same, but due to his limited backpack space and carry weight, he had to leave most of it behind.
Long Ming continued to the end of the corridor and came to a staircase leading down.
He carefully descended the stairs to a corridor on the first basement level. A foul, rotten stench immediately assaulted his nostrils.
Forcing down his discomfort, Long Ming looked. The corridor floor was coated in a thick layer of slime, beneath which he could see skeletal remains, broken rifles, and warped shell casings.
Rooms with thick metal doors lined both sides of the corridor.
Long Ming held his breath and moved forward. In his peripheral vision, he scanned the doors he passed. Each metal door was dented and warped, bearing clear claw and bite marks.
When he reached the middle of the corridor, he saw the skeletal remains of an officer on the ground.
The skeleton was severed in two at the waist, with clear teeth marks visible on the vertebrae. It was still clutching a shotgun.
Long Ming raised his wristband and scanned the weapon.
Carson Shotgun.
Durability: 90/100
Tube Capacity: 3/7 shells
Long Ming glanced at the information on his wristband, then bent down to pick up the Carson Shotgun. He attached it to the right side of his tactical backpack and continued forward.
Before long, Long Ming reached the entrance to a room whose metal door had been destroyed.
Leaning against the wall, he cautiously peeked inside. The first thing he saw was an overturned cabinet, with numerous files scattered across the floor.
A skeleton lay at the far end of the room.
Long Ming’s gaze flickered as he took in the room’s contents. ’If I’m not mistaken, this must be a records room.’
He stepped cautiously inside and approached the skeleton, looking down at it.
Judging from the skeletal remains, it was likely a young woman.
Just then, Long Ming noticed that the skeleton was clutching a beautiful tactical dagger with a skull emblem on the hilt.
Long Ming immediately crouched down and picked it up. The entire blade had a deep luster; it looked like a high-quality weapon.
Ka-Bar Tactical Dagger.
Durability: 91/100
Overall Length: 26CM, Blade Length: 14.5CM...
The wristband promptly displayed the item information.
Long Ming glanced at the information, a slight smile touching his lips. ’A fine weapon, indeed.’
Just as he was admiring the dagger, a black, centipede-like insect crawled silently out from under the corpse’s clothing.
Just as it was about to launch a sneak attack...
Long Ming snapped the tactical dagger up, pinning the black insect to the skeleton with a single, precise stab.
Viscous liquid splattered.
The insect twitched a few times, then went still.
Long Ming stared at the dead insect, a look of surprise on his face. ’I can’t believe the perception potion is this effective. I could even hear the sound of it crawling.’
’Looks like I need to get my hands on more of these perception potions. They’re the perfect tool for running dungeons.’
