Chapter 31
Chapter 31: Turn Them Against Each Other
Long Ming walked to the table and looked at the radio. It would be useful for a team, but not for him. It was also huge and likely very heavy, so he left it.
He checked the water cup and other odds and ends on the table, then pulled open the drawer. Inside were a wrench, a flashlight, and other small tools. He left them too. He needed to save weight for better loot.
He finished searching the watchtower, then went to the lookout opening and scanned the whole base from above.
Small worms were scattered around the grounds, but none were very large. At the entrance of the giant round building in the center, though, he saw two huge bugs. They were covered in hard shells with sharp spikes. Beneath their Red Tier eyes was a round, barbed mouth. They looked vicious.
These two were Brown Rot Bugs. One was about 5 meters long. The other was a bit smaller, a little over 4 meters.
Long Ming drew a sharp breath. He knew it was a game, but fear still crept in. The next second, his gaze turned razor-sharp.
He took out the Baka Rifle with the best durability and loaded it full. The Kog Pistol and the M24 Sniper Rifle had already been loaded before he came.
Once ready, he set the Baka Rifle aside, then raised the M24 Sniper Rifle and eased its barrel out the window to watch the two Brown Rot Bugs.
He did not fire right away. They were shell-type bugs. He was not sure his shots could pierce them.
The smaller Brown Rot Bug curled its body and lifted its tail. The tip dripped Red Tier liquid that glistened in the sun.
A Red Moth dove from the sky and began licking the droplets. The Brown Rot Bug slowly raised its awful head and stared at the feeding moth. The moth did not notice the danger. If you looked closely, you could see its mouth slow down, and its body go numb.
In a flash, the Brown Rot Bug snapped its huge jaws shut and bit the Red Moth, catching it.
Before it could enjoy the meal, the stronger Brown Rot Bug charged in, slammed it aside, and stole the moth’s corpse to eat.
The small Brown Rot Bug cried out in anger, but it did not dare to rush in to fight.
Seeing this, Long Ming’s eyes lit up. He inched the muzzle and locked on the bigger Brown Rot Bug. It was his first long-range snipe in this world, so he was not sure he would hit. At least the head was big. Even if he missed the eye, he could hit somewhere close.
A breeze brushed past. He held his breath and waited.
The big Brown Rot Bug paused to swallow. Long Ming’s eyes went cold. He pulled the trigger.
Whoosh.
The bullet sliced the air and punched into its eye.
Bang.
Sticky fluid sprayed out. One of its eyes burst. It screeched in pain.
It did not fall. Instead, it whipped around in a rage, searching for the attacker. The only thing nearby was the smaller Brown Rot Bug, so it blamed that one and rushed it, slamming it hard.
The smaller bug, hit for no reason, also went mad. It charged the larger one. They tangled together, jaws clamping into each other, rolling and tearing across the ground.
Long Ming tried to aim for the other eye, but their wrestling ruined his line. He gave up on the eye and aimed at the big one’s belly instead, then fired.
Bang.
The bullet punched into its abdomen. Thick liquid sprayed. The big bug wailed as life and strength drained away.
The smaller bug seized the chance and locked its jaws on the big one’s neck.
Crunch.
The larger Brown Rot Bug died on the spot.
The victor, though badly hurt, chirped in excitement. Long Ming fired again.
Bang.
The round hit its head. Before it could react, the second and third shots followed. In the end the smaller Brown Rot Bug toppled too. It did not die at once, but it would not live. Death was only a matter of time.
After clearing the two Brown Rot Bugs, Long Ming swept the entrance corners with his scope. Once sure there was no danger, he topped off the M24 Sniper Rifle and slung the Baka Rifle on his back.
He climbed down from the watchtower and kept searching.
On the way to the Central Base there was a guard room and a square building. He entered the guard room first. Two skeletons lay inside, but nothing of value, so he left.
He moved to the square building, peeked in, and found a maintenance area. The place was a wreck: scattered parts, broken military gear, and heaps of debris.
He crouched to search and hesitated. These parts were worth real money. If he hauled them out, he could probably sell them for twenty to thirty thousand. Added to what he had already looted, this run would be barely profitable.
But that was not enough for him. [I don’t need crumbs. I need a haul so big it hurts.]
He stepped out of the maintenance area and looked at the giant building in the center. He knew there had to be good stuff inside, and the danger would be much higher too.
His choice was clear: stop now and play it safe, or bet big. [The bold get full. The timid go hungry.]
He took a long breath, set his jaw, and walked toward the Central Base.
Soon he reached the main entrance. It was a gate tunnel standing open. The passage inside was dim, like the open mouth of a beast.
He drew a deep breath and stepped in. It was pitch-black. All the lights were dead.
He stopped, turned around, and went back to get the flashlight.