Chapter 13: The First Battle
The incubation of the Mother Nest required three hours, and Qin Mu didn't just wait idly; instead, he started setting up defenses around the area. After carefully surveying the surrounding terrain, Qin Mu placed landmines at strategic locations and unloaded some of the vehicle's heat weapons, positioning them near the Nest.
Once all the arrangements were made and a certain level of security was ensured, Qin Mu, who was drenched in sweat, finally relaxed a little. Qin Mu glanced at his tactical watch to check the time. It was now 2 p.m., and the jungle was already stiflingly hot and humid. Wearing a full set of combat gear, Qin Mu was sweating profusely from the slightest movement. Yet, despite the heat, Qin Mu had no intention of removing his combat suit. In this jungle, there were all sorts of venomous insects and snakes. Without the protection of the combat suit, it would be tantamount to seeking death.
Returning to the vehicle, Qin Mu turned the air conditioning to the maximum and took a large gulp of water before heaving a long sigh of relief. It was July, the time of year when the sun was at its most scorching, and it was 2 p.m., with the sun blazing like an oven.
This timing was actually calculated by Qin Mu in advance, as it was relatively safer despite the heat. Such high temperatures were not only unbearable for Qin Mu but also drove most of the ferocious beasts to seek shade.
"Next, it's time to wait. Once the Nest hatches successfully, we'll be safe," Qin Mu murmured to himself.
As the temperature cooled slightly, Qin Mu, armed with his weapon, carefully patrolled the area to ensure no monsters would disturb the incubating Nest.
Time ticked by as Qin Mu waited anxiously. The originally man-sized tumor grew larger with each breath-like pulsation until it reached over five meters in height before slowing down its growth. A purple fungus carpet covered a radius of twenty meters around the tumor, enveloping and digesting some plants, as well as venomous insects and snakes that hadn't managed to escape.
"It's almost there. The hatching progress has exceeded 90%. Soon, the Zerg will appear on Earth," Qin Mu said, a smile spreading across his face as he watched the Nest on the verge of hatching.
Then, in the next moment, Qin Mu's expression changed. An unusual sound suddenly came from the jungle.
"Crack—"
The sound of a branch breaking startled Qin Mu. He gripped his long spear tightly, took a few steps back, and assumed a defensive stance.
"Something's not right. It's a ferocious beast," he muttered. From the depths of the jungle, a tall and robust figure emerged, a large canine monster with spots and a streamlined body.
"It's a Tiger Mastiff!" Qin Mu exclaimed, his mind quickly flashing through the information on the Tiger Mastiff. The Tiger Mastiff was known for its astonishing speed and strength among canine monsters. A casual charge from it could exceed 2000kg in force.
Although Qin Mu was somewhat panicked, he forced himself to remain calm. It was just a Tiger Mastiff at the level of a primary beast soldier, and Qin Mu was already a prospective fighter, not weaker than this monster.
After all, the practical exam for fighters required hunting at least three beast soldier-level monsters to pass. This Tiger Mastiff was just one of the most common monsters in the exam. With his excellent equipment and thorough preparation, Qin Mu wasn't afraid of a mere Tiger Mastiff.
Watching the approaching Tiger Mastiff, Qin Mu glanced at the path it was taking, where a landmine was buried. There were three more such landmines in this area. He also glanced at the loaded rifle and the quadruple rocket launcher behind him, feeling more confident. These heat weapons were enough to easily kill the Tiger Mastiff.
Qin Mu gripped his spear tightly and assumed a defensive posture, moving to the right to attract the Tiger Mastiff's attention. The Tiger Mastiff, following Qin Mu's movements, naturally changed direction and avoided the landmine in front of it. If it had stepped on the landmine, even the most defensive Iron-Furred Wild Boar would have died. Qin Mu didn't intend to use the landmine to kill it, as the explosion would easily attract more monsters.
Suddenly, the Tiger Mastiff stopped and stared at the five-meter-high giant meatball behind Qin Mu, its expression turning tense with a hint of hesitation and struggle.
Monsters were not mindless fools; they too feared the unknown. It had smelled a strange scent in the jungle and detected an extremely fierce and violent aura, which was growing stronger. It hadn't wanted to take the risk, but hunger drove it forward.
The Tiger Mastiff let out a low growl, saliva dripping from its sharp fangs to the ground. In the next moment, the Tiger Mastiff burst into action, pouncing on Qin Mu.
"Swish—"
Qin Mu swiftly sidestepped, dodging the Tiger Mastiff's frontal assault, and then, with a flash of cold light in his eyes, he thrust his spear fiercely, leaving a bloody hole in the Tiger Mastiff's body.
"Awoo—"
The Tiger Mastiff yelped in pain and quickly retaliated, its tail, like an iron whip, sweeping towards Qin Mu, forcing him to withdraw his spear to defend.
"Die!"
Qin Mu parried the sweeping tail with his spear and then thrust it straight out, forcing the Tiger Mastiff to retreat continuously.
"Awoo—"
The Tiger Mastiff let out an angry roar, twisted its body, and opened its blood-red maw, revealing sharp fangs and emitting a strong, foul stench.
"What incredible speed!"
Qin Mu was alarmed, but his spear did not hesitate, striking fiercely at the Tiger Mastiff's head.
"Clang—"
The spear and the Tiger Mastiff's right claw collided intensely, producing a sound like metal clashing.
A tremendous force transmitted through the spear, jolting Qin Mu's wrist. The spear almost flew out of his grasp.
Fortunately, Qin Mu, who was well-prepared, immediately swung his spear horizontally, pushing back the Tiger Mastiff, which was about to pursue.
"This beast has such great strength!"
Qin Mu's eyes flickered with cold light as he pondered his strategy.
The Tiger Mastiff was faster and stronger than him, but he was not without advantages. His spear was long and sharp enough.
The Tiger Mastiff was only about a meter and a half at the shoulder. How could its claw and tooth attacks compare to Qin Mu's long spear?
Weapons were one of humanity's greatest advantages against monsters.
Dodging to the side and retreating several steps to avoid the Tiger Mastiff's attacks, Qin Mu grew increasingly composed. The Tiger Mastiff couldn't reach him, and it had been injured from the start, bleeding profusely. The Nest was about to hatch successfully, and Qin Mu wasn't in a hurry at all.
Time was on his side.
After several failed attacks and the added injury, the Tiger Mastiff grew impatient.
"Awoo—"
The Tiger Mastiff sprinted on all fours, circling Qin Mu at high speed in the jungle. Qin Mu didn't dare to be careless, keeping his eyes fixed on the Tiger Mastiff as he turned, not letting his guard down for a moment.
"Whoosh—"
A shadow, under the cover of the jungle, suddenly darted out from behind a large tree and pounced.
"I've been waiting for you!"
Qin Mu sneered, nimbly turning his body to dodge the pounce. When he turned again, his spear, like a venomous dragon, struck out fiercely. This strike sliced through the Tiger Mastiff's soft underbelly, opening a foot-long gash. A pile of intestines and internal organs spilled out from the wound.
"Thud—"
The Tiger Mastiff's body crashed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Qin Mu didn't rush forward. He stood with his spear in hand, watching the fallen Tiger Mastiff for several minutes before stepping forward to thrust his spear into its neck, delivering the final blow.
"Lucky I managed to injure it at the beginning, or it would have been quite difficult to kill it," Qin Mu said to himself.
Just as Qin Mu finally killed the Tiger Mastiff, the giant cocoon behind him suddenly pulsated violently and exploded with a bang.
The meatball transformed by the worker bug finally became a nearly six-meter-high mound of flesh, which then contracted sharply before exploding with a "bang," transforming into a massive Nest that covered an area of dozens of meters.
The Nest looked somewhat terrifying, with a tower-like structure in the center that rose high into the air, adorned with several curved spikes.
The entire Nest was surrounded by spikes resembling the claws of some giant beast, and the surface of the Nest was covered with various sized tumors and holes.
These holes continued to twitch and wriggle. The moment the Nest's surface exploded, it began to harden continuously, forming a thick shell.
The Mother Nest had successfully hatched.