Apocalypse: My Items Upgrade Infinitely

Upon hearing Lin Feng's suggestion, Ling Yi rolled her eyes, momentarily dazed before snapping back to reality: "The queen north of the river ranks in the two hundreds, not yet at the early stage of the third tier. Unless faced with a life-threatening crisis, it won't recklessly unleash its domain. Pure intent attacks won't threaten your long-range tactics for now."

Lin Feng nodded: "Want to join? Your abilities and knowledge of the hive could help us eliminate many Tiger Bugs."

"Also, were you just connected to the high-tier queens' information network?"

Ling Yi nodded: "Let's go together. But upfront, if we find Tier 2 eggs, you'll need to give me half to offset the 150 I still owe you."

Lin Feng hesitated, but seeing the fleet already leaving the camp, he agreed. After all, he wouldn't be at a loss in the end.

Ling Yi's face lit up as she continued: "Yes, all high-tier queens, except the fourth-tier cosmic insect king, are the highest commanders in the swarm. They were once called chiefs or divine envoys. We share the spiritual intent left by past kings, allowing us to communicate in the mental world and exchange information."

"As insects became war machines, that mental world began ranking queens and compiling war intel."

"It includes alliances and coalitions too."

"The top hundred rankings are stable, while the rest fluctuate daily."

Lin Feng's interest piqued. After arranging for Li Ran to select newly awakened Tier 1 soldiers, he asked: "The Haicheng 76th is mid-third stage but still ranks in the lower top 100. How strong are the top 50 or top 10 queens?"

Ling Yi shook her head, reflecting: "76th isn't ranked 76th anymore. Initially, it just entered mid-third stage, squeezing into the top 100. Your underground raid cost it many Tier 2 insects, nearly dropping it out of the top 100."

"Now, partnering with the northern queen, it ranks 63rd, its power significantly increased. That's why I came to warn you."

"But alliances have costs; future Lake Tai resources are shared, not solely enjoyed."

"The top 50 queens are mid-third stage, with the top 10 reaching mid-third stage completion, commanding millions of low-tier swarms and thousands of Tier 2 insects..."

"They could easily overrun a city of millions, consuming tens of thousands of human awakeners."

Hearing Ling Yi's description, Lin Feng swallowed hard. Luckily, the Haicheng queen wasn't so overpowered, or even the Land Cruiser battleship wouldn't fare well.

Thousands of Tier 2 insects, including charging Tiger Bugs, tank-like Fire Bugs, long-range Pulse Scorpions, and aerial Wind Bugs.

Forming a land-sea-air combined assault.

Even if Lin Feng upgraded the battleship to lv29, assembling a fleet of nearly a hundred vehicles, it would struggle against thousands of Tier 2 insects assaulting together.

Especially with millions of Tier 1 insects drawing fire.

Without third-stage power and equipment, challenging a mid-third-stage queen was daunting.

It seemed that within the same tier, the gap between early, mid, and late stages widened significantly.

Seeing Lin Feng's worried expression, Ling Yi patted his shoulder, offering comfort: "Don't worry, no queen ranks in the top 10 within the Federation."

"They emerged in America's rich natural resources, especially in South America, where several mid-third stage queens will soon battle, and the victor..."

"May become Bluestar's first late-third stage queen, ruling the entire continent."

"In South Asia's tropics, there's a mid-third stage completion queen."

"That area is densely populated but offers little resistance, ranking third. On paper, it's powerful, but as the only one nearby, it can't quickly absorb other queens' power. No need to worry about it advancing north."

"In the Federation, humans are the most resilient globally. Over a month, only a fifth of the land fell, ranking high among struggling nations."

Ling Yi's detailed account relieved Lin Feng. If Federation queens developed so quickly, his time to develop would be limited.

That said, the capital defense's outcome could change everything.

The concentrated resources, if lost, would undoubtedly spawn a top 10 queen.

With this in mind, Lin Feng didn't hesitate:

"Alright, let's set off quickly!"

Li Ran swiftly gathered 200 newly awakened Tier 1 soldiers and 500 auxiliary soldiers.

This operation might involve deep underground hive battles, so Shen Jie's Tier 2 corps would assume their mission.

Seeing Shen Jie, Ling Yi's eyes flashed with surprise.

Once everyone boarded jeeps and troop carriers, twenty vehicles headed north.

Lin Feng drove a jeep with Ling Yi in the passenger seat. Through the rearview mirror, she spotted Shen Jie:

"I noticed your corps' squad leader. His gene fusion isn't bad. Besides some insect genes, his mental state seems fine."

Lin Feng shrugged; Shen Jie was unique:

"Naturally awakened, he assimilates other genes, unlike artificial synthesis. I'm using his cells to develop minimal side-effect modification."

"But mental breakthroughs are difficult."

Ling Yi nodded naturally:

"Mental aspects relate to intent domains. Even cosmic races struggle; they're the foundation of fourth-stage and above cosmic life."

"Wait, you seem to have mastered it?"

Lin Feng frowned, glancing at Ling Yi:

"You mean the gene seal release? I gained that in the insect mental world."

Ling Yi's face flashed with shock, quickly hidden, pretending surprise:

"So you experienced that memory too?"

Lin Feng focused on driving, simply acknowledging, then explained:

"I killed your parasitic host, gaining its mental energy. Upon reaching late Tier 2, my mental power broke into the third stage, inadvertently entering the insect mental world."

"Perhaps that's the intent legacy you mentioned."

"The high-tier scientists of the past embedded concealed truths in the intent legacy through advanced gene technology..."

"Wait..."

Lin Feng suddenly realized something...

Ling Yi seemed to confirm key information, her lips curving upward:

"Yes, you've grasped the basics of intent, only needing a vessel."

"If you inject insect genes, becoming a gene warrior, you'll inherit insect intent, capable of killing early third-stage queens."

"Even in the domain, you and queens can move freely..."

Lin Feng pondered; it sounded like upgrading his gene radiation skill to a higher-level intent.

He needed a suitable vessel for fusion, making it instinctive rather than costly activation.

Considering this, Lin Feng asked:

"These gene fusions, producing quick hybrids, must have many flaws, right?"

Ling Yi nodded without hiding:

"Certainly. Otherwise, naturally born cosmic life wouldn't be so rare."

"Materially, reaching the fourth stage requires strong mental will and over half the race's gene pool to refine a perfect sequence, allowing bodies to bear immense power, absorbing or releasing energy."

"Hybrids lack long-term natural evolution, insufficient gene richness or numbers to support full cosmic life, even at the fourth stage, physically inferior."

"Mentally, it's even worse."

"Upward compatibility, like primitive humans merging with higher insects, only inherits insect intent, which is manageable. But dual intent risks losing self-awareness, devolving to lower animals."

"Mixing dragon and insect genes is a thousand times more complex than human-insect hybrids, rarely yielding stable fourth-stage cosmic life."

"Some divine domains in the cosmos produce fourth or fifth-stage beast slaves for trade or enjoyment."

"Our insects' endeavors are merely training and exploration, not colonization or invasion. True invasions target races with divine ancestry like us."

Ling Yi's calm explanation, tinged with pride, left Lin Feng's mouth twitching.

The most hopeless truth.

Insects never regarded humanity seriously.

A species unable to control its own star system, insignificant on the cosmic stage.

Lin Feng sighed, extinguishing his experimental hopes, considering other possibilities:

"Forget it. My awakened ability is replication and synthesis. After experiencing the insect mental world, I can briefly use memory implantation, but it costs like your domain summoning, permanently consuming power..."

"If I use this on a queen in a hive, can it stun briefly for a strike?"

Ling Yi pondered:

"It can, but memory activation depends on the target's mental attributes. Stronger minds reduce effect duration."

"Third stage is a threshold; below, insects are stunned for minutes, above, seconds. For mid-third stage queens, less than a second, late stage, negligible."

"Your mental power disparity is too great, their intent can instantly affect you."

"As you said, the cost is high compared to fully mastered intent."

"After multiple uses, can you still kill a full-strength queen?"

"It could stand still, and you can't kill it in seconds."

"Queens' vitality requires nukes; individual power struggles to kill peers."

Lin Feng nodded outwardly, secretly delighted.

He could store more than a few. With three bound items, he could reserve over ten gene radiation upgrades.

As the twenty troop carriers entered Chang City, Ling Yi observed the dinosaur-themed environment curiously:

"Is this a human dragon site?"

Lin Feng shook his head:

"No, just a theme park. But some fossils are exhibited. Want to collect?"

Ling Yi considered, nodding:

"If ancient genes are preserved, like amber-sealed organisms, they could aid dragon cultivation, shortening development."

"Every race evolves over time, altering genes. Gene pools are dynamic, evolving to adapt, absorbing new genes or discarding old ones, forming new species."

"Like humans and dinosaur-era rodents, seemingly different species..."

"But first, let's check north of the river; we'll discuss this later."

Lin Feng nodded; he urgently needed Tier 2 insects for upgrading the chainsaw sword. Reviving dragons was a backup plan.

Crossing Chang City, they reached the river bridge.

The biological furnace explosion's aftermath remained awe-inspiring from the bridge.

A quarter of the dock sank, half shattered, reshaping the river into a massive backwater bay.

Over a hundred awakened yesterday, under Shen Jie's command, expertly formed battle lines, taking positions.

Each pair of awakened soldiers, armed with shotguns, led five enhanced soldiers, forming basic units.

A hundred squads formed a triangular formation, advancing from the highway into the city.

Lin Feng retrieved the chainsaw sword, leading the Tier 2 corps in the center.

Using psychic sensing, Ling Yi spoke up:

"No Tier 2 Tiger Bugs in the city. The queen hid them; 76th likely warned it."

"But many low-tier Black Spinal Bugs and Blue Wing Bugs are scattered on the outskirts, likely planning an ambush."

Lin Feng frowned; Ling Yi's words matched his senses, but as a queen avatar, her insect insight was expected.

He asked:

"Can you find the underground entrance?"

"Maybe the Tiger Bugs are deeper hidden."

Though just a county, the area matched a city. Searching manually could take half a day.

Psychic sensing couldn't map terrain.

Ling Yi didn't disappoint:

After Lin Feng's question, Ling Yi sniffed the air, quickly answering:

"Near the main road ahead, a pheromone-heavy hole, likely a vent connected to the underground hive."

Lin Feng nodded, ordering everyone to prepare, maintain lines, and stay ready.

As commands reached each group...

Gunfire erupted from the rear!

A swarm of black and yellow insects surged from buildings, attacking.

Thousands of Black Spinal Bugs charged fearlessly!

Simultaneously, swarms emerged from three sides, hundreds squeezing the streets.

Shen Jie shouted, preventing haphazard fire:

"Hold formation, stay steady! Don't panic!"

Lin Feng spotted a hotel beside the road, ordering a fighting retreat inside, using the building as cover.

They had to withstand this assault to lead the Tier 2 corps into the hive.

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