Chapter 108: Escape Plan

For a thousand years, the dream of flight had only been realized indirectly through tools—undoubtedly a great leap in technology. Chu Ning was grateful for the achievements of those who came before him, as they provided valuable guidance for his own flight.

Having mastered flying, the predicament before him no longer seemed insurmountable. Yet Chu Ning did not give up searching for the mastermind behind the hidden swarm of insects. He blinked his weary eyes; finding a target within the swarm was an exhausting task.

Who could they possibly be hiding from?

No one here was willing to sacrifice themselves selflessly, especially when lives were at stake. Their options were limited: either one among them possessed the ability to change the course of the situation—that is, some means to restrain the insect swarm—or they sacrificed a portion of their group temporarily to carve out a passage, allowing the remaining few to escape safely. But considering the treachery among them, each hoping the other would perish first to emerge as the ultimate survivor, such plans were impossible.

“Hey, the swarm is getting closer!” Tanya’s teeth chattered as she gripped Chu Ning’s sleeve in alarm.

At that moment, a brazen voice rang out again: “What a delicious feast! Surely my little darling can’t wait any longer, ha ha…”

The laughter lasted but half a second before a crisp gunshot abruptly silenced it. Immediately, a barrage of bullets poured toward the source of the voice.

Though they struggled to eliminate the swarm—each bullet taking down one enemy, yet requiring endless time—they could at least take out the one causing the trouble.

Surely, a living person that large couldn’t be missed. When survival was on the line, they could even kill gods if necessary.

***

Locating by sound was a traditional skill—could it be that someone still hadn’t mastered this essential ability?

With the disappearance of the voice, the swarm’s special formation completely dissolved, scattering into individual insects that stubbornly crawled forward. Without a leader’s command, the swarm’s momentum visibly waned, and their terror diminished accordingly.

“Is he dead?” Tanya covered her mouth, recalling the fierce firepower of their erstwhile ally. The ease with which they had acquired firearms seemed illogical.

Chu Ning pondered briefly, then resolutely dashed her hopes. “No. You underestimate others too much. I smell the aroma of cooked food in the air—the guy must be hiding somewhere, mocking us.”

As they prepared to flee, the swarm reassembled into a tight formation, advancing toward the nearest people.

“Stay away from me! All of you, stay away! Damn bastards, ah…”

A man’s curses rang out sharply, as if he had just eaten his fill. In a world where even ghosts could be exploited, no one would willingly forgo a chance to seize coveted resources.

Everyone present watched coldly, seizing the opportunity to observe the devoured specimens and gather research data. By rights, they should have extended aid to those infected by the X-07 virus.

But as the saying goes, when the rabbit dies, the fox grieves.

No one was willing to help. Instead, they watched this cruel spectacle with morbid fascination, as if witnessing the most entertaining show on earth—relishing another’s death.

The fiendish laughter spread like wildfire. Chu Ning clicked his tongue, noting that their opponent had indeed learned from past mistakes, surrounding them in three-dimensional sound. Now, finding this “rat” was truly a formidable challenge.

***

“He’s pretty tough, not even a single cry for help—a real man!” Lin Ke stood aside, sneering knowingly. He was well aware that the moment the victim was bitten by the X-07 virus, trouble began. This confirmed that the virus released toxins upon biting, paralyzing larger prey.

Moreover, since the prey retained consciousness, these substances also had a stimulating effect. Scientific experiments required data validation, and he believed the sacrifice of this stranger served a purpose—it was a warning.

“Sure enough, after hunting prey, the X-07 virus undergoes a brief latency—the time needed to consume the victim. That means there’s a window for us to escape. We must seize that fleeting moment to run!”

“But how many people are needed for that to work? That’s the real headache,” Zhao Qing analyzed calmly, rubbing his temples in frustration.

The swallowing speed of the swarm was fast enough to digest everyone quickly; waiting until they were full to make a leisurely escape was impossible. Thus, Zhao Qing’s clandestine plan to kill some among them was temporarily on hold, as controlling timing precisely proved difficult.

The timing must be perfect for them to break free — there was no second chance. They had to succeed in one try or be trapped in a snare laid by others long ago.