Chapter 635: A Familiar Face
Chapter 635: A Familiar Face
"Damn it! Damn it!"
"Delisa, why is it you? Why?"
"Hey, Cleman..."
"Stay away from me! No, sorry, I know this isn't right. But I just need some quiet time, let me be alone for a while..."
"..."
Moments ago, in the recently cleared mutant's cave.
Lindsey stood beside the putrid corpses, witnessing a scene unfolding not too far away.
He stared for several seconds, finally sighing and turning back towards the camp without saying much.
The time had now reached mid-May.
The expeditionary force had about a month left before they would reach the northern endpoint of their journey and engage in the decisive battle against the Deviators.
Lindsey's troops, empowered by various skills, had been crushing their way forward, even annihilating a Tier Six Deviator.
But as they reached this juncture, the situation within the army began to subtly change.
The further north they ventured, the more lower-ranked Deviators they encountered and eliminated.
When cultivating the Wilted Monarch Flowers, the soldiers would gather these corpses, creating fields suitable for planting.
And among these corpses, some began to recognize familiar faces.
Friends, kin, elders who had once taught them.
Even children or parents.
The Deviators not only bred humans in captivity but also stole human corpses from the surface.
And those stolen remains...
The eventual outcome was corruption by the Corrupting Venom, transforming them into Deviators with putrid bodies.
The warriors in the army saw these familiar faces.
Many were filled with rage, fighting even more valiantly and fearlessly.
However, an inevitable issue arose—some soldiers struggled to take action in battle, overcome by fear and hesitation.
Before Lindsey embarked on the expedition, he had considered various strategic problems, the power of Awakened individuals, and the challenges of the underground environment.
But he never anticipated encountering the thorny situation of facing the corpses of their loved ones.
Even knowing that the bodies were deceased, and they had personally buried them.
But when a twisted body with the face of a loved one appeared before them.
Their emotions would surge, leading to self-doubt.
The Barren Land ground down people's concepts and civilization like a stone mill, but deep-rooted sentiments like familial love couldn't be completely erased within a few decades.
"Sigh..."
"The dead rise, losing their sanity, becoming zombie-like monsters."
"And even if they successfully evolve, reaching higher stages of power and regaining self-awareness, they are still twisted by the power of skills and viruses, hating and opposing all living things."
"Such power is disgusting."
Lindsey returned to the camp.
As usual, he opened the Real-Time Strategy module to plan the tactical route ahead.
The good news was that, after this period of expansion, the number of Insectoids in his army had grown to 2,000.
Although the human warriors were demoralized by this situation, affecting the pace of war.
The overall expedition remained unaffected.
There was still a month's journey to the Deviators' northern stronghold.
As long as this situation was managed well, it wouldn't impact the final battle.
In his mind, Lindsey strategized, and he casually checked the data on the Real-Time Strategy module.
He had aimed to expand the Insectoid forces to 3,000, which would undoubtedly take a long time.
But now, that number seemed within reach.
In just a month's time, the battle against the Deviators in the Green Swamp would coincide with the upgrade of the Insectoid Base.
"Time flies when you're focused on a task," Lindsey noted, adding a mark to his plan.
The campaign against the Green Swamp should also be conducted in a systematic manner. Once the Insectoid Nest is upgraded, the potential of this massive war machine would result in a significant leap in combat power, assuming there isn't a technological or strength-based advantage."
"We've got this!"
A low hum filled the air, and Lindsey's keen perceptive abilities detected strange sounds accompanied by the power of Tier Five Awakened Techniques, causing subtle and intricate vibrations in the air.
"Tier Five power? An Awakener?" Lindsey stood up, following the direction of the sound and unfolding his map.
The source of the noise was a cave where the 17th Legion was cleaning up after today's Deviator hunt.
"The 17th Legion, that squad..."
"Levi?" Lindsey recognized the owner of the voice.
During the Deviator battle a month ago, a young man who escaped from underground had sincerely pledged his loyalty to Lindsey. Naturally, Lindsey had been nurturing this talented individual.
As the leader of the underground escapees, Levi was a Tier Four Awakener, but his combat prowess wasn't particularly strong.
His technique involved sound manipulation, and unlike the multi-sensory training of a Perceiver, Levi specialized solely in sound.
His strength lay primarily in reconnaissance, falling short compared to Awakened combat specialists.
"But this sound is different from before," Lindsey noted, stepping on the ground to dampen the subtle vibrations.
Following the tunnel, he soon reached the location of the 17th Legion.
Levi stood there, next to the human enclosure. Unlike other days, he wasn't alone.
In front of the young man was a girl, recently pulled out from the enclosure, her body infected by Corrupting Venom. She clung to Levi, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Levi, Levi! I knew it, I knew you'd come to save me!" The girl cried.
Levi responded with a trembling voice, "I... yes, I promised I'd find you!"
A faint smile appeared on Lindsey's face. The two young people had shared a past; the girl was an old acquaintance of Levi's from before his escape.
The power that had just erupted was Levi's successful rescue of his friend from the Deviators.
His strong will, combined with the fusion of Essence and Techniques, had elevated his abilities, reaching the level of a Tier Five Awakener.
In the current tense situation with the expeditionary forces, witnessing such a scene was truly uplifting.
Lindsey didn't want to disturb them, but Levi's exceptional hearing detected his presence. He turned and asked, "Lord Lindsey?"
Lindsey smiled slightly and said, "Enjoy your reunion."
As he bid farewell to the young couple, he added, "Levi, don't forget to solidify your technique tonight. Mastering your new power after the breakthrough is crucial for harnessing its true strength."
(End of Chapter)
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