All Realms and Worlds: The Lost Home

Beside a cave on the cosmic continent, three landing ships, arranged in a triangular formation, were quietly moored in a pile of rubble.

All the hatches were tightly closed, and each ship's hull was covered with scratches of varying depths. Many of the armor plates were dented and deformed, already scarred and battered, silently resisting the threat of the insect swarm outside the cave.

Inside the three ships, nearly a hundred soldiers, pale-faced, sat or lay slumped against the bulkheads.

Although they were wearing the new special Red Mane Fiery Steed Type 1 power armor, the energy patterns on the surface of the armor were dull and could only barely maintain basic protection.

Many people had damaged armor on their arms and legs, with blood seeping through the bandages. Some didn't even have the strength to lift their hands to operate the armored weapons, yet they still gripped the energy blades that came with the armor, keeping a watchful eye on any movement outside the cabin.

Ye Fan leaned against the bulkhead of the cockpit of the middle ship, feeling utterly exhausted.

The weakness he felt after the second injection of the V3 modified drug did not subside with the treatment. Without the power armor, he could only barely grip a damaged energy gun.

His gaze was fixed on the direction of the cave entrance outside the cabin, and even his breathing trembled slightly.

Yao Guang was on the left side of a ship, standing quietly beside the observation port, his breathing weak and unstable.

Fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead and slowly slid down his cheeks.

Like Ye Fan and all the soldiers, he was gripped by the weakness caused by the V3 modified potion. His grip on the alloy battle sword trembled slightly, but he still managed to maintain his vigilance.

While maintaining a brief communication with the soldiers on the other two ships via communicator, Yao Guang kept scanning the dark corners outside the cabin to guard against a sudden attack by the insect swarm.

Ye Fan and Yao Guang, along with nearly a hundred weakened soldiers, had been holding out for a long time, relying on these three damaged landing ships.

At this moment, the energy of the three ships was almost completely exhausted, the defensive shields of the two outer ships had long since dissipated, and the hull armor was on the verge of collapse.

The shields of the middle ship had also become dim and could dissipate at any moment, and the power armor worn by the soldiers was already running out of energy.

Many people's armor even automatically shut down non-essential functions, leaving only a thin layer of energy shield to barely withstand the outer impact of the swarm.

The roars of the insect swarm outside the cave grew closer and closer, and the suffocating sense of oppression pressed down on everyone's hearts like a boulder, almost crushing their nerves.

"Why haven't the reinforcements arrived yet?"

Ye Fan's voice was hoarse and dry, transmitted to the other two ships via communicator. The weakness made his breathing somewhat rapid.

He lowered his eyes slightly, looking at the damaged energy gun in his hand, knowing in his heart that these three ships wouldn't last much longer.

If any one of the ships is completely destroyed, the entire defensive formation will collapse, leaving them with nothing to rely on.

Yao Guang's voice came through the communicator, his tone weak and grave: "The swarms of insects entrenched on the perimeter are too numerous and too dense. It won't be easy for the support fleet to break through the blockade."

"We and these nearly one hundred soldiers are in a weakened state, the energy of the three ships is almost exhausted, and you don't have any powered armor."

Yao Guang paused for a moment, then continued, "When the moment truly comes when there is no way to retreat, you should try your best to hold the middle ship, and I will lead men to cover you."

Ye Fan gave a bitter smile and slowly shook his head into the communicator: "There's no escaping it."

"If any one of these three ships falls, the entire defense will collapse, and we will be forced to leave the ships and fight the swarm."

Just as the two were talking through the communicator, a very strange sound suddenly came from outside the ship.

The dull chewing sounds, the cracking of bones, and the painful hissing of insects mingled together, creating a jarring and chilling symphony.

The three landing ships trembled slightly at the same time, and the instruments inside the cabins made a slight shaking sound. Many weak soldiers were shaken so badly that their faces turned even paler.

They instinctively gripped their weapons tighter, their power armor emitting a low-power hum due to the tension, yet they were unable to break through the energy limit and activate attack mode.

Suppressed groans could be heard from the communicator.

"Something's happened to the Zerg swarm!"

Yao Guang's expression suddenly changed. Despite feeling weak, she struggled to get up and went to the observation port in the cockpit to look intently. At the same time, she used the communicator to remind the crew of the other two ships.

"It's them! They've started devouring everything again! We've seen them before, but we didn't expect them to be so frenzied!"

Ye Fan gritted his teeth and used all his strength to prop himself up.

The nearly one hundred soldiers on the three ships also struggled to lift their heads, their power armor patterns still dim, and even with their best efforts, they could not make the armor react quickly.

All eyes turned to the observation port, where they could clearly see the swarm of insects outside the cave, plunging them into unprecedented frenzy and chaos.

They frantically tore at and devoured their companions.

Just like the crazy scenes we'd seen before, the devoured insects instantly turned into blood, their energy completely absorbed by the devourer.

This time, the scale of the devouring was larger and more ferocious. The insects that devoured their companions were growing rapidly in size, and their aura was becoming increasingly powerful and violent.

"They're devouring each other! And it's bigger than before!"

Ye Fan's pupils suddenly contracted, his eyes filled with disbelief and solemnity. The devouring he had witnessed before was already extremely frenzied, but the scene at this moment was even more shocking.

Suddenly, Yao Guang pointed to the ground outside the observation pier and exclaimed in a low voice, "Look at the ground! It's not just their companions; they're devouring the continent!"

"We've seen them devour the surface of this continent before, and now they're even more unrestrained, as if they want to swallow the entire continent whole!"

Ye Fan looked in the direction of Yao Guang's finger, and his heart sank.

The cosmic continent beneath their feet, formed by countless insect corpses, was now showing fine cracks, from which a strange black energy was continuously surging forth.

Those frenzied swarms were not only devouring their own kind on a massive scale, but also frantically gnawing at the continent's surface, absorbing the black energy into their bodies.

The ship's tremors became increasingly violent, more intense than during any previous frenzied devouring.

"They are gathering all the energy of this continent to give birth to a new insect king!"

Yao Guang's tone grew increasingly solemn, a hint of shock flashing in his eyes: "We had suspected before that they were gathering energy, but we never expected this day to come so soon, and with such a massive scale!"

Ye Fan's heart sank instantly, and the nearly one hundred soldiers in the cabin showed fear on their faces.

They had already witnessed the frenzied devouring of insects and the formidable power of the Mantis King, whose power armor's energy indicator lights flickered on and off, threatening to completely shut down at any moment.

Everyone knew that this new insect king, which was about to be born, would be even more terrifying than the mantis king, but they were currently in a weakened state and were powerless to resist it even when wearing power armor.

In just a few moments, the swarm's rate of consumption suddenly accelerated.

The insects that had devoured enough energy began to intertwine and merge together, gradually forming a huge fleshy ball suspended in mid-air.

The fleshy ball had a hard, black outer shell covered with sharp barbs, and a constant stream of black energy emanated from it. The intense pressure made it even harder for the already weakened group to breathe.

Many soldiers couldn't help but groan, their communicators filled with suppressed gasps.

"Click—click—"

A faint cracking sound slowly rang out, and cracks began to appear on the black outer shell of the flesh ball.

Blinding crimson rays of light emanated from the cracks, followed by a deafening roar that suddenly erupted, echoing throughout the heavens and earth.

The three landing ships were simultaneously jolted violently by the roar, small parts inside the cabins fell off, and the communication devices briefly emitted static.

The outer shell of the fleshy ball shattered completely, and a dark red worm, as large as a small mountain, slowly broke free from it and floated in mid-air.

Its entire body is covered with hard, thick scales that gleam with a cold, dark light. Its head is covered with sharp fangs, and thick, black venom drips from the corners of its mouth, instantly corroding small holes on the ground.

Its scarlet eyes were filled with violence and bloodlust, its limbs were thick and powerful, covered with sharp spikes, and it had a pair of huge wings on its back that could almost cover half the sky when spread out.

Its aura far surpasses that of the previous Mantis King, inspiring awe in all who behold it.

"This is... the new Insect King?"

Ye Fan trembled slightly. The weakness brought on by the V3 modified drug made him almost unable to stand. He could only lean against the cabin wall to support his body, his eyes filled with horror.

While communicating with Yao Guang via communicator, he kept a close eye on the new insect king.

The nearly one hundred soldiers on the three ships were trembling with fear, and many of them collapsed to the ground, too weak to even lift their heads.

Yao Guang gripped her alloy battle sword tightly, her face ashen, her voice filled with despair: "It has gathered the energy of the entire swarm of insects; we are no match for it!"

The new Insect King let out a ferocious roar and charged fiercely towards the defensive formation composed of three ships.

The thick claws, carrying a strong gust of wind, slammed into the hull of the ship on the left, which was already without shields.

"boom!"

After a loud bang, a huge crack instantly appeared in the hull of the ship, and armor fragments flew everywhere.

Despite his weakness, Yao Guang roared as he activated the remaining guns of the ship.

Several soldiers on the left side of the ship who were still able to move also struggled to their weapons control positions to assist Yao Guang in controlling the artillery fire.

They wore the Red Mane Fiery Steed Type 1 power armor, but could only operate their weapons with their remaining strength. The armor not only failed to provide any assistance, but its weight made their already weak bodies even heavier.

The ships in the middle and right also simultaneously launched their remaining artillery fire, with beams of energy shooting towards the new Insect King.

However, those beams of light only left a few shallow white marks on the new insect king's hard scales, without causing any substantial damage.

"boom!"

The new Insect King delivered another powerful punch, completely destroying the hull of the ship on the left and sending its hatch flying with tremendous force.

Yao Guang was violently thrown away by the shockwave and crashed heavily into the cabin wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood that stained the ground in front of him.

His power armor was also shaken, causing its energy to become disordered and its patterns to flicker.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, the swarm of insects outside the cave rushed in and attacked the ship on the left, while some of the swarm split off to attack the ships in the middle and on the right.

Despite the weakness within him, Ye Fan raised his energy gun and fired wildly.

The soldiers on the middle ships also fought back desperately. Some soldiers' power armor was torn apart by the swarm of insects, and armor fragments flew everywhere. The unprotected parts were instantly bitten by the insects, and blood stained the tattered armor.

The soldiers on the right-hand ship fought off the swarm of insects while trying to contact Ye Fan and Yao Guang via communicator.

However, the weakness combined with the swarm's frenzied attack quickly led to soldiers being wounded and falling to the ground, and the energy guns of the three ships also ran out of energy one after another.

Ye Fan could only grab the rubble around him and throw it at the charging insects. His wounds were multiplying, blood was flowing continuously, and his strength was rapidly depleting.

The ship on the left was the first to fall. Yao Guang, along with the remaining dozen or so soldiers who were still able to move, dragged their heavy power armor and struggled to break out of the ship and move towards the ship in the middle.

With each step, the armor made a heavy scraping sound. Many people, exhausted, fell onto the pile of rubble along with their power armor, but after getting up, they continued to move forward with difficulty.

The ship on the right also gradually lost its strength, with multiple damages to its hull. The soldiers were forced to evacuate and regroup with the ship in the middle.

Moments later, all three ships were lost.

Ye Fan, Yao Guang, and the remaining dozens of soldiers who were still able to move had no one to rely on. They could only gather together and retreat to the pile of rubble next to the cave to hold on for a difficult time.

One soldier, exhausted, was pounced on by a razor bug, and his power armor was instantly ripped open with a large gash.

Just as Ye Fan was about to rush forward to help, Yao Guang saw this and swung his alloy battle blade with all his might, killing the blade insect.

However, due to his weakness, he staggered a few steps and almost fell, and was soon forced into a desperate situation by the new Insect King.

The new Insect King slowly raised its thick claws, carrying earth-shattering power, and slapped them towards Yao Guang little by little, wanting to crush him completely.

The surrounding soldiers wanted to provide support, but they were tightly bound by the swarm of insects, and their power armor could not break free of the restraints, making it impossible for them to get close.

"Yao Guang!"

Ye Fan roared and struggled with all his might to break free from the entanglement of the insects around him, rushing towards Yao Guang.

But after he had only taken a few steps, he was suddenly knocked to the ground by a beetle due to his weakness, and fell heavily onto the pile of rubble.

A tearing pain shot through the wound in my chest, and my vision went black; I almost fainted.

The remaining soldiers, seeing this, were frantic, their eyes turning red, but they were trapped by the swarm of insects.

Their power armor had completely lost its power, becoming a heavy burden. They were even unable to remove the armor, and could only wear the cold metal shell, letting out desperate roars.

Together with Ye Fan and Yao Guang, they were already at their last gasp and had no way to turn the tide.

At this critical moment, when life and death were at stake!

"boom!!!"

A deafening explosion suddenly came from outside the cave.

Immediately afterwards, countless sharp beams of energy shot towards the swarm of insects inside the cave like raindrops, instantly killing a large number of the swarming insects.

The roars of the swarm of insects were instantly drowned out by the sound of the explosion.

"It's reinforcements! The reinforcements have finally arrived!"

Ye Fan was overjoyed. He suddenly raised his head and looked out of the cave. A look of wild joy flashed in his eyes, and even the intense pain from his wounds seemed to lessen a bit.

Hearing the explosions and beams of light, the remaining soldiers were filled with hope and struggled to their feet.

They struggled to activate their power armor, but still couldn't get it started. They could only watch helplessly as the support warships approached, their eyes filled with hope.

Finally, they saw a glimmer of hope for survival.

Outside the cave, countless support warships, like a steel torrent, broke through the insect swarm's layers of blockade and sped toward the cave.

The warship's cannons continuously fired sharp energy beams, bombarding the surrounding swarm of insects and killing off the insects that swarmed towards them one by one.

At the same time, countless unmanned ships equipped with bio-engineered armor also quickly traversed the swarm of insects, heading towards Ye Fan and his group.

The unmanned vessels also diverted some of their forces to clear the remaining swarms of insects around the three damaged vessels.

Several men, carrying a huge protective crate, ran towards Ye Fan, Yao Guang, and the others, shouting as they ran, "Major Ye Fan! Major General Yao Guang! We've come to your aid! Hold on!"

"Quickly! Equip Major Ye Fan with the Red Mane Fiery Steed Type II power armor! Inject him with recovery potions!"

The lead support soldier barked an urgent order at his comrades: "He's at his weakest right now. Only by wearing the armor can he support his body and lead everyone against the Insect King!"

As they spoke, the group had already reached Ye Fan and the others, quickly fending off the remaining insects and covering the trapped soldiers.

The soldiers immediately opened the protective case, and a set of power armor, entirely crimson and resembling a burning flame, slowly appeared before everyone.

It was the Red Mane Fiery Horse Type II power armor that Daidai spearheaded the modification of.

Several soldiers didn't dare to delay and immediately surrounded Ye Fan, carefully helping him to the side of the power armor.

They skillfully operated the armor's control system, and the red-maned steed slowly unfolded its armor, after which Ye Fan entered the power armor.

"Click—click—"

The crisp sounds of machinery running rang out continuously as the various components of the power armor precisely fitted Ye Fan's body.

A stream of green data quickly appeared on the helmet display of the power armor, clearly showing the armor's various performance parameters.

Immediately afterwards, a cold, mechanical voice came from inside the helmet: "Armor donned, all parameters normal, life support system activated, enhancement module ready!"

"Cover with bio-enhanced armor!" Several soldiers then covered the Red Mane Fiery Steed II with bio-enhanced armor.

The moment the armor activated, a warm and powerful energy instantly spread from inside the armor, engulfing Ye Fan's entire body.

The weakness caused by the V3 potion was instantly relieved, the severe pain in the chest wound was also greatly reduced, and the strength in the body was rapidly recovering.

A powerful aura slowly erupted from his body.

Ye Fan stretched his limbs, feeling the powerful force emanating from the power armor, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

The feeling of weakness has been greatly suppressed, and my overall condition has improved significantly.

Despite her own weakness, Yao Guang struggled forward and pulled out a crystal from her bosom that was entirely translucent and emitted a faint green light.

He carefully handed the crystal to Ye Fan, his voice weak but firm: "This is the core crystal obtained when we killed the Mantis King, and it contains extremely powerful energy."

"Using it as the core of your power armor will significantly enhance its power, making it powerful enough to fight this new Zerg King!"

Ye Fan looked down at the core crystal in Yao Guang's hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

He immediately followed Yao Guang's instructions, opened the core interface of the power armor, and carefully embedded the green core crystal into the interface.

"Buzz—"

The moment the core crystal was embedded into the interface, a dazzling green light suddenly burst forth from the power armor.

The color of the entire power armor instantly became more vibrant and eye-catching, with a faint green glow on its surface, and the various parameters on the helmet display screen were rapidly increasing.

The armor's power, defense, and mobility have all been greatly enhanced.

"Core loading successful, energy greatly increased, enhancement modules fully activated!"

Inside the helmet, the cold, mechanical voice sounded again.

Ye Fan could clearly feel that the power transmitted from the power armor was becoming increasingly stronger, more than double what it had been before. That feeling of being in control of everything greatly boosted his confidence.

With the double armor enhancement, Ye Fan's aura exploded completely, becoming so powerful that it inspired awe. He was a completely different person from the weak and feeble one before.

The new Insect King looked at the scene before him, a hint of violence and resentment flashing in his eyes.

It let out a deafening roar, swung its thick claws with earth-shattering force, and slammed them down on Ye Fan, wanting to crush him completely and reclaim its own authority.