C5 Devil Insect

Shen Faang hadn't replied when Wu Qi, like a cat with its tail stepped on, burst out loudly, "Go out and save people? Are you looking to get killed? We're just ordinary folks. What chance do we stand against those zombies?"

"But why can Shen Faang..." Wang Mengyan's voice trailed off, subdued by Wu Qi's outburst.

Their exchange left both of them in contemplative silence.

Indeed, why was it that Shen Faang, just as ordinary as they were, could witness such gruesome scenes without flinching, even managing to single-handedly take down two zombies?

In the midst of their silence, the thin roll-up door suddenly vibrated, emitting a series of clattering noises. Startled, they both stepped back hastily, but the darkness concealed the path behind them, and they stumbled over the stairs in their retreat.

"Open the door!" It was Shen Faang's voice!

Wu Qi leaped to his feet, elated, and hurried forward in the dark, yanking the gate open.

There was Shen Faang, holding two more Devil Insects, which were still alive, their claws flailing and emitting sinister shrieks.

Wu Qi recoiled instinctively at the sight of the creatures and asked awkwardly, "Shen Faang, why did you go outside?"

"To rescue them! But it was too late for those people," Shen Faang said as he stepped inside, instructing Wu Qi to close the gate. He continued, "Devil Insects are hermaphroditic mutants that latch onto humans. When a person becomes a zombie, the insects feed on the living flesh to gain energy and evolve through the three stages of Xuan, Di, and Tian. And once someone is bitten by a zombie, there's no hope; the Devil Insect eggs enter the body and transform the victim into a new zombie!"

Darkness enveloped them once more. Hearing Shen Faang's explanation, they shivered uncontrollably.

Shen Faang had noticed but remained silent. In the pitch black, when his eyes opened again, a ghostly green glow reflected from his pupils, startling them both anew.

"Wu Qi, take her to the supermarket and switch on the electric breaker. Also, give Ziqing and the others a call to warn them to be careful!" Shen Faang suddenly produced a flashlight and deftly placed it into Wu Qi's hand, despite the pitch darkness.

"What about you?" Wu Qi eagerly switched on the light, illuminating the path ahead and Shen Faang's eyes.

"I've still got things to take care of. Get it done as quickly as you can, then come find me on the second floor," Shen Faang instructed, crushing a Devil Insect underfoot. With his free hand, he brutally tore off a dark brown leg and handed it to Wu Qi. "You know what to do, right?"

A shadow of sorrow passed through Wu Qi's eyes, but after catching Shen Faang's determined gaze, he nodded resolutely. He grasped the hefty leg and swiftly brushed past Shen Faang, with Wang Mengyan by his side.

Once again, the darkness settled into a silence so profound it was almost eerie. Shen Faang listened to their retreating footsteps, then stooped to retrieve the Devil Insect from the floor. He ascended to the second floor, where he found the two knives he had used earlier, still shrouded in darkness.

*Crack! Crack!*

The sounds of knives penetrating tough shells echoed as Shen Faang pinned the two late-arriving Devil Insects to the chopping board, immobilizing them. With a casual kick, he aligned two chopping boards in a perfect straight line, their square edges precisely matched, creating a continuous line from one Devil Insect's head to the tail of the one before it.

The Devil Insects fell silent, a deceptive peace that heralded an impending storm.

...

Suddenly, the latter Devil Insect swiftly clawed its way forward, viciously clamping onto the short tail of the one in front and began to suck voraciously. The first Devil Insect, caught off guard by the abrupt attack, deflated rapidly, collapsing into nothing more than a husk.

*Crack!*

Once sated, the rear Devil Insect's eight sharp legs went limp, and it sprawled out to rest. After nearly five seconds, it stirred once more. This brief episode revealed the Devil Insect's appetite to be truly fearsome.

Shen Faang, who was ready for action, seized the moment to slice off a segment of the Devil Insect's tail with a sharp knife. He wrung out the juice and drank it down. Suddenly, Shen Faang's body started making loud popping sounds, reminiscent of cracking knuckles.

Just then, several more Devil Insects scurried over from a distance.

It seemed a fierce battle was only just beginning!

Facing the five Devil Insects before him, Shen Faang inhaled deeply. After a brief glance at the petrified Wu Qi, he charged forward with his knife without a moment's hesitation.

As he closed in, just a meter away from the nearest Devil Insect, he sprang into the air. The Devil Insect tried to skewer him with its knife-like claws in a sweeping motion.

Whoosh!

A flash of cold steel, and the creature's claws were abruptly severed.

Pivoting on his heel, Shen Faang landed a foot on the Devil Insect's body, driving two blades deep into its head. In a flash, a gush of thick, green, nauseating liquid erupted.

Shen Faang quickly withdrew his blades and spun away from the collapsing Devil Insect.

At that moment, the other Devil Insects, with their fangs and claws on full display, closed in.

They brandished their razor-sharp claws, which gleamed ominously in the dim light. Luckily, Shen Faang's swift reflexes allowed him to evade their sudden onslaught.

Out of nowhere, one Devil Insect emitted a deep, angry roar, signaling its rage. Its eyes shifted from dark green to a blood red, its expression turning incredibly menacing.

Wu Qi's face drained of color in fear, his body shaking uncontrollably, his facial muscles twitching in terror.

Seeing this, Shen Faang, concerned he couldn't protect Wu Qi on his own, nudged him and said, "Run! Get as far away as you can."

Wu Qi snapped out of his daze and turned to look at Shen Faang with a blank expression.

In that instant, a Devil Insect leaped toward them. It soared as high as a three-story building, its six legs gathered beneath its belly, spinning wildly.

It was as if six blades had suddenly come together to form a meat grinder.

Wu Qi looked up in astonishment, prompting Shen Faang to become aware of the danger and quickly turn around. He saw the sharp claws, reminiscent of a blender's blades, poised to strike down on him. In a rush, Shen Faang lifted his arms and crossed the two knives above his head.

The blades met the claws with a clash, sending sparks flying above Shen Faang's head and producing a grating sound.