Natural Disasters Strikes: I stockpiled like crazy! novel Chapter 194

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.

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!

"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."