Natural Disasters Strikes: I stockpiled like crazy!-Chapter 194: That wasn’t a bullet

Nanzhi stopped, sensing presences at the end of the tunnel ahead.

She had been walking for half an hour.

The Virtual Map was useless—it still displayed the map above ground. Even so, she was certain she was getting closer to the Underground Supermarket, the more ants she encountered.

On another note, the subterranean tunnel network was far more extensive than she had imagined. The ants had expanded their territory this much?

Crrkk.

Nanzhi crouched low against the damp tunnel wall, her breathing slow and controlled. Her body and clothes were covered in mud laced with ant pheromones, masking her presence.

A line of soldier ants and lesser mutant ants marched past, carrying people on their backs.

She was about to intervene when she realized the truth—these people were already dead. From the looks of it, they had been freshly killed.

One of the corpses slipped and sprawled onto the ground. Its sleeve lifted, revealing a skull tattoo.

Wait.

Nanzhi narrowed her eyes.

The Nether Bone Gang?

Did they also come here?

As the last of the ants disappeared down the tunnel, Nanzhi moved.

Ahead, the narrow passage widened into a vast chamber, where the air grew thick.

In her mental exploration, she sensed at least five winged reaper ants and five soldier ants patrolling the area.

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One of the winged reaper ants twitched, hearing a faint sound. Its head swiveled unnaturally before it launched itself toward the tunnel entrance.

The moment it left the other winged reaper ants' range—

A pair of hands clamped over its mouth, cutting off its screech. A bone-crushing force yanked its antennae, and with a sickening crack, its head split apart.

Crack—

In its final moments, it saw nothing but a pair of brown eyes glowing in the dark.

A small stone rolled deeper into the tunnel.

Another winged reaper ant turned at the noise, realizing one of its own was missing. It flew toward the entrance—only to suffer the same fate.

Ke!

Nanzhi's movements were precise, calculated. The moment an ant died, she tossed its corpse into her personal space instantly. Not a single sound, not a drop of blood, was left behind to alert the others.

In less than five minutes, the entrance ant guards were gone.

Nanzhi carefully stepped forward.

Inside, the cavern was massive, filled with thousands of pale, pulsating eggs. They were packed tightly into the uneven earth, like clusters of swollen pearls.

A hatchery?

Nanzhi inspected the eggs.

Ding—

[Mutated Ant Egg]

[Time before hatching: 1 day, 2 hours]

[Mutated Ant Egg]

[Time before hatching: 1 day, 4 hours]

[Mutated Ant Egg]

[Time before hatching: 1 day, 7 hours]

[…]

These eggs had just over a day before they hatched.

What if she had arrived a day later?

Even newly hatched, each ant would have the strength of two fully grown adults.

She couldn't leave them.

Ten minutes later, Nanzhi slipped away.

Just as she was leaving—

An explosion echoed through the cavern.

Boom!

—

The man's eerie crimson eyes gleamed with malice. His gaze swept over Bingwen and Hei Qian, both sprawled on the ground, reduced to broken playthings. His lips curled into a sneer.

A slow clap echoed.

He stepped forward. He was tall, draped in black, his grotesque bone armor pulsing and shifting like something alive. His skeletal gauntlets flexed, razor-sharp spines glistening along his knuckles. His crimson eyes shone in the dim light, filled with a deep, almost personal satisfaction.

Yet neither Bingwen nor Hei Qian recognized him.

The man chuckled.

"I expected more of a fight," he murmured, his voice smooth, almost amused. He relished the agony in Hei Qian's expression. "Then again, it has been a long time, hasn't it? Though I must admit, I didn't expect you to take down my subordinates. But who are we kidding? These people were weak."

His gaze flickered toward the corpses littering the ground—empty, indifferent, as if they were nothing to him.

Bingwen gritted his teeth, struggling to push past the pain. His breaths were labored, but his eyes blazed with defiance.

"You act like you know us. Like we wronged you. But I don't even recognize your damn face. Who the hell are you?" he spat.

Even in his wounded state, he shielded Hei Qian behind him. Hei Qian's right arm was impaled—blood seeped from a white bone dagger protruding from his flesh.

Bingwen wasn't much better. A deep wound marred his left leg.

The attack had come out of nowhere. Worse, their guns were useless against the enemy. They had run out of tungsten and acid bullets.

More importantly—the man's ability rank.

He was at least on par with Brother Lin!

"Oh? You really don't remember?"

The man's expression darkened.

"Once upon a time, you two decided to meddle in someone else's business. You wanted to be heroes. If not for you, how could I have ended up in those three women's hands? I did what any sane person would do! I knew what I did was right! If we hadn't sacrificed those people, none of us would have escaped that place!"

"And yet, not only were they ungrateful, but they also wanted me dead!"

Recognition flashed in Bingwen and Hei Qian's eyes. They finally recognized his voice.

But that was impossible!

The Bei Mingsi they knew was older!

"Remember now?" Mingsi purred.

He raised his fist, clenching it tightly.

"I never expected to meet you so soon." His voice was smooth, yet laced with venom, every word dripping of suppressed hatred.

"After I kill you, I'll kill the rest of your team. Then those three old hags… and everyone they care about. I, Mingsi, will burn that entire military base to the ground!"

His lips curled into a sickening smile.

With a sudden dash, he raised both arms—bone spears and arrows shot forward in a deadly barrage.

Bingwen's eyes flashed.

Without hesitation, he hurled a grenade into the oncoming assault before bolting away.

Boom!

The explosion sent dust and debris flying. The entire cavern trembled.

But when the dust settled—

Mingsi stood unscathed.

The thick bones covering his body slowly regenerated. "Nice try."

A sharp whistle cut through the air—

A bullet-like projectile shot toward him, piercing his shoulder.

"I told you—" Mingsi scoffed, his voice dripping with condescension. "Bullets don't work on me—"

He looked down.

His eyes widened.

On the bone armor covering his shoulder—

A hole.

The dust dispersed.

A lone figure stepped forward.

Her face was ice-cold.

"That wasn't a bullet."