Apocalypse: My Items Upgrade Infinitely

As the humanoid corpse was tossed over, Qin Hu and his team turned, their spotlights illuminating the grotesque three-meter-tall insect. Its monstrous appearance and the humanlike face embedded in its torso made many of the stressed team members shudder, their grips on their Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Swords faltering.

"Ah... ah..."

"Help... help me..."

Before the team could regain their composure, the face on the torso, seemingly agitated by the light, opened its mouth in a raspy plea for help in familiar Federation language.

Qin Hu realized the voice he heard earlier from the darkness likely came from this bizarre creature.

It was a trap.

He narrowly avoided the fate of his unconscious comrade, who had been lured to danger.

Who would have thought these terrifying alien insects could evolve to mimic human structure and use the Federation language to deceive awakeners?

Seeing the twitching face, some weaker-stomached members vomited, expelling much of their recently ingested nutrient fluids.

Qin Hu took a deep breath and addressed Lin Feng:

"This is the most elusive third type of new Tier 2 insect, the Hunter Warrior?"

Lin Feng nodded, holding a complete Pulse Scorpion corpse in his left hand.

The dead Pulse Scorpion, like most arthropods, had its six legs curled inward, creating a basket shape when flipped over, conveniently holding the remaining six plasma tail cannons.

This solved the issue of transporting them.

Having reached late-stage Tier 2, Lin Feng's 980 physique attribute allowed him to exert immense force, easily dragging the ten-ton insect corpse.

With his right hand now free, he wielded a newly upgraded Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Sword, distinct from those of Qin Hu and his men.

Its teeth were wider and sharper, and it no longer required a fuel line for power.

The Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Sword had been upgraded to lv24.

Lin Feng walked past, setting the Pulse Scorpion and Hunter Warrior down.

Checking Shen Jie's injuries, he confirmed there was no life-threatening condition and noted Shen Jie was undergoing an upgrade. He patted his shoulder and turned to say:

"After killing the Pulse Scorpions, I was ambushed by two Hunter Warriors..."

"But I handled them. On the way here, I encountered three more, killed two, and one escaped."

Lin Feng glanced at his chainsaw sword, which had accumulated 6 upgrade points, revealing its new attributes:

"Tiger Tooth Chainsaw Sword lv24/29, Orange Quality"

"Upgrade Points 6/10, Durability: 10/10, Damage 400"

"Extra Attribute: Hyper Speed Cutting (Rotates teeth five times per second, dealing five times base damage, with a two-hour runtime)"

"New Extra Attribute: Bloodthirsty Blade (Killing a Tier 2 insect restores one durability point and adds one hour of runtime)"

"Note: Base damage decreases as durability decreases"

With the Bloodthirsty Blade attribute, Lin Feng discarded his bulky backpack.

It wasn't the weight but the hindrance during combat, especially against the swift and cunning Hunter Warriors. It impeded his ability to wield the sword defensively and required time to face attackers.

During bullet time and Absolute Defense cooldowns, the backpack was cumbersome and obstructed flight mode activation.

Thus, post-upgrade, Lin Feng relied on killing insects to sustain the chainsaw sword, discarding the backpack.

Unexpectedly, he encountered three Hunter Warriors, fighting with the chainsaw sword, unable to use his electromagnetic railgun, allowing one to escape.

As Lin Feng recounted his ordeal, the survivors swallowed hard.

Lin Feng faced the real danger.

They were too weak to even detect the enemy, unworthy of the Hunter Warrior's attention.

Only Qin Hu, the gene warriors, and Shen Jie with his assimilation ability had value as prey.

Qin Hu stared at the Hunter Warrior corpse, the humanlike face losing its vitality, and asked:

"They have awakener genes?"

Lin Feng shrugged:

"Possibly, or they just graft awakener upper bodies, creating hybrids with insect strength and human intellect."

He continued, growing serious:

"These Hunter Warriors can use awakener abilities like gene warriors."

"I encountered a stealth-capable one while cutting a Pulse Scorpion. Guess whose face was on its torso?"

Qin Hu's pupils contracted. He recalled investigating Cheng Zhan, who claimed his ability enhanced his physique and hid his presence, allowing him to escape the insects and reach Tier 2.

This explained everything.

So the Thirteenth Division relaxed their guard.

"It's Cheng Zhan!"

Qin Hu replied confidently.

Seeing Lin Feng nod, he clenched his fists tighter:

"When I was alone, burying fallen soldiers, I heard voices of old comrades—now I realize it was Hunter Warriors baiting us..."

His expression shifted, retrieving an oil canister from a dropped backpack.

Rushing to the burial site, he found the grave empty...

Tracks suggested the Hunter Warriors took the awakener's body.

Qin Hu arrived too late.

The Hunter Warriors aimed to lure awakeners and steal bodies for the queen to create hybrids.

Feeling defeated, Qin Hu returned to the group, who gathered defensively against unseen threats.

Shen Jie had reverted from Winged Tiger Berserk mode, energy from upgrading healing his severe injuries.

His abdominal wound had scabbed over.

Wiping his brow, Shen Jie, now awake, hoarsely reported:

"I faced two Hunter Warriors, lacking stealth but with mid-to-late Tier 2 agility. I barely defended against their blades..."

"My armor saved me."

"I killed them and advanced to mid-Tier 2."

Lin Feng nodded, appraising Shen Jie's stats:

"Shen Jie, lv24/29"

"Health 450, Physique 450, Spirit 350"

"Superpower Awakening: Assimilation—Winged Tiger Berserk"

"Note: Excessive use of assimilation deepens mutation, Physique +50, Spirit -50"

The Hunter Warrior attack worsened Shen Jie's condition. Even out of assimilation, his fingers retained sharp insect-like spikes.

Soon, even triggering a weapon would be difficult.

Shen Jie, realizing his shotgun was missing, recalled it was destroyed blocking a Hunter Warrior's blade in the battle.

Apologizing to Lin Feng, he shrugged:

"Just metal. The Land Cruiser Battleship has plenty. But you should be careful, or even pulling a trigger will be hard."

Shen Jie nodded silently.

Back at the camp, Qin Hu, feeling defeated, addressed his demoralized team:

"We have two new insect corpses. Mission complete, time to leave!"

Their eyes brightened, scrambling to their feet.

Qin Hu approached Lin Feng, eyeing the ground:

"Could you spare two more?"

Lin Feng gestured behind the Tiger Bug corpses:

"There are two more Hunter Warriors Shen Jie killed. They're yours."

"The institute will be interested in these hybrids."

"As for the Pulse Scorpions, seven total, you can take the intact one I brought. I'll keep the six plasma tail cannons."

Qin Hu agreed without hesitation.

With eight left, one injured, one severely wounded, needing support, only five could carry insect bodies.

Some had to protect against further Hunter Warrior attacks, so one Pulse Scorpion and two Hunter Warriors would suffice.

Quickly organizing, Qin Hu retrieved thick woven ropes from backpacks, securing the bodies for transport.

During the wait, he lit a cigarette, chatting with Lin Feng as they stood guard:

"The capital had limited intel on Hunter Warriors. I didn't expect them to be so elusive."

"You're right, they're like insect gene warriors. Unlike the Pulse Scorpion or Tank Flame Armor's insect hybrids, Hunter Warriors target strong awakeners and gene warriors..."

"We must return this intel and samples to the institute, find countermeasures, warn other fronts and the capital."

Lin Feng nodded, adding:

"Protect powerful or unique awakeners to prevent their capture or corpse retrieval by insects."

"I recall a super-bullet awakener trapped when the first line fell."

"Insects naturally have enhanced physiques. If they gain long-range attacks..."

Qin Hu's expression darkened:

"I'll warn them before leaving."

Lin Feng was surprised:

"Leaving soon?"

Qin Hu nodded:

"The capital needs high-level forces. If we return, we'll be the first to delve into a nest and return."

"We'll be sent to the Federation capital."

Lin Feng was puzzled. After Wu City's battle, the Federation planned to abandon the south, and the Thirteenth Division would scatter. Given Qin Hu's strength, he could lead his own team instead of risking the capital.

The capital faced eight queens' siege, its geography making it easily surrounded.

If breached, escape was impossible.

A near-death scenario.

As a southerner, Lin Feng hoped Qin Hu would stay, even as allies in future operations.

But Qin Hu laughed, shaking his head:

"The Thirteenth Division's leaders, my old commander, urged me, even guaranteeing my family's safety..."

He watched his busy team, eyes resolute:

"Staying saves hundreds, thousands, but most survivors have fled to safe zones. The hinterland spans two states, enough for months of insect expansion..."

"Staying makes me a notable but powerless gene warrior. At the Federation capital, it's different."

"There, I can do more than defend—I can lead the Federation, giving humanity a fighting chance."

Qin Hu glanced at Lin Feng, a civilian unconnected to the military, perhaps seeing potential in him, exhaling smoke, confiding:

"I once believed I'd be humanity's hero, that courage and fighting would save my brothers. I skirted death in experiments, enduring by sheer will..."

"But I still face failure—failure against insects, failure of trust, unable to change Wu City's fate or the Thirteenth Division's reduction..."

"Utter failure..."

"I realized one person, no matter how strong, can't save everything. Staying defends a city, a district, but humanity faces extinction."

"Only power can change this."

"Power to marshal resources, advance gene technology, expand gene warriors, minimizing resource use for maximum gain, halting the insect advance."

"This time, I'll prove gene warriors' strength and value in defending the capital!"

"It's the only way to counter Hunter Warriors, right?"

Lin Feng was surprised, seeing determination and a hint of madness in Qin Hu's eyes.

But he was right.

Biotech surgery was the lowest resource-cost method for maximum combat power.

And faster than any weapon production.

But it treated awakeners like consumables, akin to human experiments, ethically challenging to accept.

Look at Shen Jie.

There's also the issue of deeply fused individuals' identity struggles.

While boosting human power initially, it would cause more problems later.

The insect queens realized this, advancing their own research.

This nest expedition showed it.

Most casualties were from Hunter Warriors.

Large Tier 2 insects struggled against gene warriors, but Hunter Warriors, with their strength, were dangerous because...

Producing them cost less than Tier 2 Tiger Bugs!

Ling Yi once said Tiger Bug mandibles were strategic resources for queens, or she'd have offered more than just Tier 2 eggs.

Hunter Warriors' limb armament—four two-meter blades—weighs a tenth of Tiger Bug mandibles.

A pair of orange-quality mandibles could arm over a dozen Hunter Warriors.

They yield high battle damage ratios against human awakeners.

A profitable venture.

Hunter Warriors will only increase.

Qin Hu inferred this from Lin Feng's treatment of new Tier 2 insects, resolving to push the biotech plan forward.

Their conversation ended in deep thought, while the team packed up.

Lin Feng finished absorbing Shen Jie's collected mandibles...

Time to leave.

Lin Feng, with Shen Jie, flanked the team, guarding against Hunter Warrior attacks.

Perhaps due to their unity, or the first wave exhausted...

The route to the surface was clear.

With Qin Hu's insect aura and Lin Feng's Flying Tiger Armor, ordinary Black Spinal Bugs dared not approach, retreating.

The Haicheng queen seemingly realized she couldn't trap them, allowing them to leave quickly.

Reaching the surface, they emerged a kilometer from the first line.

The shattered eastern district was now ruins, skyscrapers toppled, and the space between first and second lines smelled of gunpowder.

Qin Hu and his team were baffled—had a battle erupted during their mission?

Scanning, they saw no Black Spinal Bugs, not even a Red Beetle.

Lin Feng smiled, raising his lv29 railgun, firing a magnetic burst round skyward.

It exploded hundreds of meters up, dazzling blue arcs lighting the sky.

Soon, a battleship, leading eight vehicles, approached with a roar.

This land-cruising marvel...

Left Qin Hu and his team speechless.

I envision Qin Hu as a character akin to the President in "Fullmetal Alchemist." This arc, "The Darkness Descends," will conclude with the queen's death, introducing other Tier 3 insects.

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