Underground parking lot,
The area right by the entrance was packed with guarding Zerglings.
Especially the iron shield on the side used for entry and exit, where several were piled up, completely blocking it.
This arrangement was mainly to prevent human reconnaissance drones.
Without any gaps, the drones couldn't fly in.
The Special Forces Squad leader, John, who had entered before, used the invisible communication and remote observation equipment on his eyes to let the human army outside know about Walker and a group of Zerglings.
But fortunately, the entrance was far from the Hatchery inside.
The other side didn't know about the Hatchery's existence, nor were they aware of the Zerg's incubation methods and reproduction speed.
This is Chu Fan's advantage, and also his biggest one.
If used properly, the Zerg can develop more easily and get through their weak period.
If the enemy notices this in advance and takes it seriously, the consequences could be a devastating blow, perhaps even a targeted missile strike.
Therefore, concealing information about the Hatchery is crucial.
Deep inside,
In front of the Hatchery,
The tentacles extending from the nest are wrapping up the Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle corpses just brought back, sending them into the open cavity at the top to decompose and absorb them, converting them into energy nutrients.
Several injured Zerglings are quietly lying on the creep, recovering from their injuries.
This included the Zergling that had single-handedly fought a Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle in the experiment.
"I need to hatch some Drones when I have extra Energy."
Chu Fan watched the Hatchery's tentacles dragging the corpse personally.
Drones are the basic support units of the Zerg.
They don't need to evolve a spawning chamber and can hatch directly from a Larva.
But Drones have no combat ability. Besides taking care of the Hatchery, their primary role is to find and collect Energy Minerals suitable for the Hatchery to absorb.
The corpses of hunted monsters are only the lowest-level Energy conversion materials.
Energy Minerals are the high-level Energy conversion materials, and can make the Hatchery absorb more efficiently.
Strictly speaking, the Zerg's main "food" was actually Energy Mineral.
Energy Mineral not only provided more Energy, but more importantly, the minerals it contained could greatly increase the carapace strength of the Zerg, even resisting bullets.
It was equivalent to collectively evolving the entire Zerg one level.
But, putting aside whether there were any suitable, absorbable Energy Minerals in Doomsday City.
Even if there were, in a place filled with monsters, hatching defenseless Drone to go out and search was the same as sending them to their deaths.
At this stage, there wasn't even extra Energy to breed these temporarily useless, auxiliary Zerg.
Ahead,
The Hatchery was decomposing rapidly.
In a short while, the Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle corpse that was swallowed first turned into a stream of energy liquid.
Because he was bound to the Hatchery's consciousness, Chu Fan could easily sense the changes in the Hatchery's energy storage chamber.
Previously, it was empty.
Now, there was a warm current-like feeling.
Although it was very little, it was very clear.
With a thought,
The system's Zerg information interface immediately unfolded before him.
[Zerg Species: Zerg]
[Evolution Stage: Initial]
[Hive Structures: Primitive Hatchery, Spawning Pool]
[Swarm Leader: 1 (Zergling Leader Walker)]
[Swarm Population: 83 (80 Zerglings, 3 Larva)]
[Hive Energy: 8 (Energy Chamber storage limit 10,000)]
With the system's assistance in analysis and calculations, the energy was displayed in numerical form, which was indeed more intuitive.
"A Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle's corpse can only be converted into 8 Energy?"
Chu Fan frowned slightly.
Just then, a surge of warmth flowed into the Hatchery's storage chamber in his perception.
At the same time, the Energy value on the information interface changed instantly.
"It increased to 20 Energy?"
"The second decomposed Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle's corpse converted 12 Energy?"
"So, each Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle can be converted into a different amount of Energy? Some more, some less?"
Chu Fan looked at the interface information.
This probably had something to do with the Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle's strength.
Although each Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle looked almost the same in size and appearance, there must be subtle differences.
For example, some were a little stronger, while others were a bit weaker.
This slight difference affected the amount of Energy converted after they were broken down and digested by the Hatchery.
As expected,
the Energy values added to the system interface varied as each Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle was broken down and absorbed.
Some added only a few points,
while others added over ten.
Once the Hatchery had absorbed all fifteen Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle corpses, the Energy value reached 185 points.
That is to say, a Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle provides an average of about 10 Energy.
"Converted,"
"Hunting a Tiger-Striped Blade Beetle allows for the hatching of two Zerglings."
"With Walker leading the hunt, zero casualties can be maintained among the Zerglings under his command. Tomorrow's target of over 200 Zerglings in combat power can definitely be achieved."
Chu Fan's furrowed brows gradually relaxed.
He then immediately issued an order to the Hatchery: to nourish the remains of his sister stored within the storage chamber, and to fully hatch Zerglings.
After deducting the 10 Energy needed daily for nourishment,
175 Energy remained available for hatching Zerglings.
Three Larva entered the Spawning Pool to hatch together, consuming 30 Energy per hour.
175 Energy could sustain them for over 5 hours.
Even if Walker's hunting efficiency was slow, it could still keep up, allowing for a continuous and uninterrupted proliferation.
"Hmm?"
"Something's wrong at the entrance?"
Sensing the sudden collective agitation from the Zergling group guarding the entrance, Chu Fan's heart sank.
Without a moment's hesitation, he immediately picked up the Iron Shield and Rebar Spear placed beside him and rushed over.
On the slope inside the entrance,
Dozens of Zerglings remained perfectly still.
But at this moment, they all stood up, their sharp, combat forelimbs on their backs vibrating violently. Pairs of scarlet eyes were fixed on the side, at the iron-sheet-covered entrance.
"Buzzing..."
As soon as they got close,
a faint but very obvious rumbling sound could be heard.
"Disperse!"
Chu Fan sent out a wave of will.
The few Zerglings that were piled up and blocking the inside of the entrance quickly jumped down and scattered.
Chu Fan went behind the concealing iron sheet and lifted a crack to peek outside.
"Drone?"
A few meters away,
a small four-winged drone was hovering in the air, only a few dozen centimeters in size.
The buzzing sound just now came from its four miniature propellers.
And above the drone's camera, a long iron bar was fixed, extending forward.
"No bombs hanging, not an attack."
"Then it's here to scout?"
Chu Fan wasn't surprised by this; it was within his expectations and precautions.
The Special Forces Squad of five that had been sent had been wiped out, and they'd also seen Walker, that humanoid, armored monster, as well as dozens of Zerglings.
Logically, out of curiosity, the army outside the walls would definitely try to find a way to investigate the specific situation inside this underground parking lot.
And small drones would naturally be the first choice.
Just as Chu Fan was watching,
the drone in the air outside suddenly moved, emitting a strong buzzing sound as it charged in.
Bang!
The iron bar fixed to the front of the drone slammed hard against the entrance's Iron Shield, prying it open a bit.
Clearly, the purpose of this iron bar was to smash open the iron barrier blocking the entrance, allowing the drone to fly in.
It failed on the first attempt.
The drone immediately retreated slowly,
moving back several meters before accelerating forward again.
But just then, the entrance's iron sheet was suddenly opened from the inside.
Chu Fan suddenly emerged, catching the operator off guard. Perhaps startled, the operator caused the drone to shake violently, almost causing it to crash.
Fortunately, the reaction was quick, and emergency controls allowed the drone to barely stabilize and hover.
The overhead camera focused on Chu Fan, who was now right in front of it.
A voice then rang out.
"Attention, Chu Fan, the sole survivor of Doomsday City. Abandon any fantasies of escape and cease resistance. Your fate is sealed; any struggle is futile. Surrender to the Special Forces Squad on their next deployment and cooperate with the designated personnel for execution."
"On what grounds?"
Chu Fan suppressed his anger, asking coldly.
The words used by the voice were "execution."
It was likely they intended to capture him alive, just like the five-person Special Forces Squad, before executing him by firing squad.
He found it odd why they insisted on going to such lengths.
Wouldn't it be easier to just send people to shoot him?
Or, launching a few missiles would be even cleaner.
Although the other side wasn't the federal military, but a mercenary army suspected of being from the Umbrella Corporation, since they even had tanks, they likely wouldn't be short on missile launchers.
Ahead,
The drone was silent for a moment.
Perhaps a high-ranking officer in the army had taken over the operating microphone, and a deep, authoritative voice, filled with undisguised rebuke, came from it:
"You don't need to know the reason, nor are you qualified to know. All you need to do is obey orders and die obediently. Don't think that because you used some means to tame a group of Zergling monsters and unexpectedly killed five Special Forces Squad members, you have the capital to resist. In front of an army, your few Zergling are just trash, which will be easily dealt with. You will also be executed by firing squad according to the rules. Fighting to the death is meaningless."
"Really?"
Chu Fan nodded with a cold expression: "Then come on."
Since the other side wasn't speaking, he stopped wasting words.
With a swift hand, he brought the rebar spear down, directly smashing the drone to the ground.
Then,
he went forward and stomped on it hard,
grinding it under his foot!