75: Adult insect commands ignite a deadly situation, a thunderous counterattack breaks the illusion.

Chapter 77: Adult Insect Directive Ignites a Deadlock, Thunderous Counter-Kill Breaks the Fog

The net of the counter-espionage operation was rapidly spreading outward from Dawn City toward the defense zones of the Five Great Army Groups. The red alert system's identification module acted like a precise sieve, checking the background information of survivors one by one, as those hidden Skeleton Serpent moles surfaced one after another.

In the blacksmith shop of Dawn City, the seemingly honest blacksmith kept his head down, wiping a long blade he had just forged. The hearth crackled, reflecting the slight twitching of the muscles on his face. The black capsule in his bosom emitted a faint warmth, and the red light on its casing flashed every ten seconds—the activation signal for the adult insect project.

His gaze flickered from time to time toward the military depot across the street. Half of Dawn City's ammunition and energy inhibitors were stored there; it was the logistical lifeline of the entire main city.

"One hour left," the blacksmith whispered, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes. "As long as I detonate the capsule and release the enhanced pupa spores, the military depot will turn into a living hell. When that time comes, all of Dawn City will fall into chaos."

His finger had already touched the capsule's switch.

Meanwhile, on the red alert system screen in the command center, a red warning marker was flashing at the location of the blacksmith shop.

"Commander, the identification module has captured an abnormal energy fluctuation!" the Technician's voice was urgent. "The target is located at the blacksmith shop in the south of the city. The energy signature highly matches a Skeleton Serpent mole!"

Lin Zhou's gaze suddenly sharpened, and he tapped the marker on the screen heavily. "Immediately pull up the surveillance for the blacksmith shop!"

The surveillance footage popped up instantly. On the screen, the blacksmith's movements were stiff, his eyes were darting around, his fingers were tightly clutching something, and a bizarre smile hung on the corner of his mouth.

"Not good! He's making a move!" Lin Zhou stood up abruptly and grabbed the magnetic storm pistol from the table. "Central Army Group Direct Guard, follow me!"

The alarm sounded once again throughout Dawn City.

Three armored vehicles roared out of the command center, racing toward the south of the city. Hearing the alarm, the survivors on the streets fled into buildings, their faces full of tension.

Inside the blacksmith shop, the blacksmith heard the roar of the armored vehicles, and his face instantly turned pale. He knew he had been exposed.

"It's too late... then we'll all go down together!"

He suddenly pulled out the black capsule and slammed the switch down.

The capsule casing shattered instantly, and a cloud of dark green mist gushed out like a venomous snake, spreading in all directions. Wherever the mist passed, the hearth fire was instantly extinguished, and the metal ornaments on the walls began to sizzle, corroded into small holes.

"Enhanced pupa spores!" Lin Zhou's voice rang out through the armored vehicle's loudspeaker. "Everyone, put on gas masks! Close the vents!"

The armored vehicle screeched to a halt outside the blacksmith shop. Lin Zhou led the Direct Guard, wearing gas masks, as they kicked open the door and rushed in.

In the dark green mist, the blacksmith was laughing maniacally. His body had already begun to mutate, sharp bone spikes growing from his arms and his eyes turning a crimson color.

"Dawn City... be destroyed!"

He roared and lunged toward Lin Zhou.

Lin Zhou's eyes turned cold as he raised his hand and pulled the trigger.

The magnetic storm pistol fired a bolt of blue current that accurately hit the blacksmith's chest. The current instantly surged through his body; the blacksmith's movements froze abruptly, and he collapsed to the ground, twitching.

"Seal off the blacksmith shop!" Lin Zhou ordered sternly. "The Research Team must arrive immediately to handle the source of pollution! Also, notify the whole city to activate emergency defenses. All residents are to stay in their homes; leaving is strictly prohibited!"

The guard soldiers acted quickly, using special sealing materials to wrap the blacksmith shop tightly. Personnel from the Research Team arrived with mist-clearing agents, and the dark green mist gradually dissipated under the agents' effect.

A crisis seemed to have been averted.

However, the expression on Lin Zhou's face did not relax in the slightest.

He looked at the blacksmith's corpse on the ground and the shattered capsule, his gaze growing increasingly solemn.

"This is only the beginning," Lin Zhou said in a low voice. "The adult insect project could never have just this one mole."

His judgment was soon verified.

Just half an hour later, an urgent report came from the Western Army Group's defense zone—a mole in the granary had detonated enhanced pupa spores. Fortunately, the Bud Hunting Squad discovered it in time, preventing large-scale pollution.

Immediately following that, mole self-detonation incidents occurred one after another in the defense zones of the Northern, Southern, and Eastern Army Groups. Although they were all handled promptly, a small amount of enhanced pupa spores still spread, causing dozens of soldiers to become infected.

In the command center, battle reports from the Five Great Army Groups piled up on Lin Zhou's desk.

"These lunatics!" Wang Hu slammed his fist on the table. "Self-detonation? They're actually using self-detonation to spread pupa spores!"

Chen Hao's face was grim. "Commander, this isn't a long-term solution. The moles are hidden too deep; our counter-espionage actions can't keep up with the speed of their self-detonations!"

Lin Zhou remained silent, his fingers tapping lightly on the tabletop. His gaze fell upon the red alert system screen. On the screen was a map of the Five Great Army Groups' defense zones, and the locations where the self-detonations had occurred were connected in a bizarre line.

"No," Lin Zhou suddenly spoke up. "Their self-detonation sites seem random, but there is actually a pattern. Look—"

He pointed to the markers on the map. "The Western granary, the Northern Outpost, the Southern Jungle Barrier, the Eastern Coastal Fishing Village, and our Dawn City military depot... these places are all our lifelines!"

Everyone's gaze followed Lin Zhou's finger, and their expressions changed drastically.

"Their goal isn't to create chaos, but to destroy our logistics!" Lin Zhou's voice carried a hint of chill. "As long as they cut off our food routes, ammunition, and energy, we will collapse without even being attacked!"

"Then what should we do?" Zhao Shanhe asked anxiously.

A sharp light flashed in the depths of Lin Zhou's eyes.

"We will give them a taste of their own medicine."

He looked up at everyone and said solemnly, "Orders! The Five Great Army Groups are to stop the comprehensive screening immediately! All Bud Hunting Squads are to disguise themselves as ordinary soldiers and lie in wait around various lifeline strongholds. Additionally, intentionally leak false information claiming that our grain supply line has a gap and needs supplies transferred from Dawn City!"

"Commander, you mean to..." Chen Hao's eyes lit up.

"Lure the snake out of its hole," Lin Zhou nodded, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth. "They want to destroy our lifelines, so we'll give them the opportunity. I want all the hidden moles to jump out on their own!"

One directive after another was quickly issued.

Dawn City's supply transport team drove out of the city gates in a grand procession, heading toward the Western granary. The transport team's escort appeared loose, but in reality, they were all elite members of the Bud Hunting Squad, and every one of them was equipped with the red alert system's biometric scanner.

On the mobile platform in the distant sea, the Man in the Suit looked at the transport team on the screen, a smug smile curling on his lips.

"They've taken the bait."

He raised his hand and pressed a button on the control console.

"All latent Adults, hear my command," the man's voice reached the ears of every mole through the communicators. "Target: Dawn City transport team. Destroy it at all costs!"

The moles hidden in various strongholds received the directive one after another. A look of resolve flashed in their eyes.

A meticulously arranged trap had been opened.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhou and his Five Great Army Groups were quietly waiting for the prey to walk into the net.

As the night deepened, the transport team's headlights flickered like stars on the highway of the Western Plains.

In the darkness, several dark shadows were quietly approaching.