In those days of Plants vs. Zombies

Chapter 537: A large wave of infected people is approaching

If we were to take stock of the most difficult and incurable diseases for plant spirits in the modern world.

Well, apart from the withering disease, perhaps only the infamous "insect disease" can occupy a place.

Insectosis is a high-risk infectious disease that only affects plant spirits. As the name suggests, this disease will cause the infected person's body to mutate, turning them into disgusting and hideous insects.

Initially, not many people paid attention to the plant spirit warriors who suddenly became unwell after returning to their bases or courtyards after completing their exploration mission in the abandoned city.

After a careful examination, the doctors mistakenly defined these plant spirit warriors as "accidentally contracting the flu" based on their daily experience and habitually gave them sunlight treatment.

However, the doctors did not know that this was not a simple flu, but a horrific epidemic that would soon spread its notoriety throughout the entire Garden Planet.

As time went by, extremely terrifying mutations occurred in those plant spirit warriors who were originally defined as "flu patients".

Various insect-specific organs grew on their flesh, replacing their original body parts.

Their reason and self-awareness were also lost, leaving only their instincts. They began to wander around the base or courtyard, attacking their comrades and fellow tribesmen who had not become insects.

The base was destroyed, the courtyard was burning, and in the ruins, only the insects that had shed their flesh and blood shells and regained new life were left, as well as bloody and fleshy residues on the ground.

It was not until Crazy Dave was entrusted by the Federation to develop the first "insecticide" specifically for the insectoid virus that the Federation, which had suffered huge losses from the insectoid disease, was able to stop the continued spread of the disease and recover some of its losses.

Subsequent investigations revealed that the source of the insect-induced disease was the abandoned city insect swarm, which is listed as one of the three pests in abandoned cities.

The cause of insect transformation is the insect transformation virus, which is regarded as "insect eggs" by the insect swarm.

The abandoned city swarms do not increase in number by laying eggs. Their source is a strange and highly contagious virus.

Some plant spirit warriors were unfortunately injured while fighting against the insect swarm, and the viruses carried by the insects entered their bodies through the wounds.

When the temperature is too high or too low, these viruses will enter a latent period and wait for the opportunity.

When the plant spirit warriors return to places with strong vitality such as the base or courtyard, the revived virus will stop lurking and bare its ferocious fangs to the host.

In the early stages of infection with parasitic disease, the infected person will feel listless, fatigued, and have various common flu symptoms such as fever, headache, fatigue, etc.

This also explains why doctors, unaware of parasitosis, mistake the symptoms for those of a common flu.

In the middle stage of infection, the infected person's body parts will mutate and grow various insect organs, such as elytra, antennae, and carapace.

Depending on the type of insect that attacks or infects you, your body will mutate into organs corresponding to that insect's.

The most common mutations are the following four types of insects: beetles, soldier ants, fearless longhorn beetles, and lightning mantises.

At this stage, even if these insect-like parts are forcibly removed, the regrown parts will still be part of the insect.

The virus will tamper with the genetic sequence of the infected person, destroy the original physiological structure, and cause them to gradually lose their sanity and self-awareness, leaving only the instinct to eat.

The infected people who have completely collapsed mentally are like zombies, attacking all uninfected people at all costs and continuing to spread the virus.

At the final stage of infection, the infected person will turn into a cocoon, waiting to hatch.

Either it can successfully break out of the cocoon, completely transform into a bug, and successfully become a member of the insect swarm.

Either the mutation fails and the creature dies completely, becoming an immovable source of infection.

It is by this means that the swarm of insects continues to expand and occupy the abandoned city.

Practice has shown that sunlight treatment is ineffective for worm disease, and the use of certain drugs (caffeine in particular) can also aggravate worm disease.

Only therapeutic techniques and insecticides can effectively treat patients with insecticide diseases.

The perspective returns to the passage, and the person who attacked the exploration team in Courtyard 5905 was actually a person infected with the insect disease.

Judging from its clothes, it seems to be a wanderer making a living in the abandoned city, and encountered a swarm of insects while scavenging.

This unfortunate wanderer was captured by insects and infected with the virus. Judging from the degree of mutation in his body, he was probably entering the final stage of infection and there was no way to save him.

From its sickle-shaped forelimbs and elytra ventral plates, it can be seen that it is transforming into a lightning mantis.

And in the darkness behind this infected person, there are still many infected people ready to move.

"Everyone, please be careful! A large number of people infected with the insect disease are appearing ahead. Prepare to evacuate!"

Mo Chen pointed the gun at the infected person in front of him, put on a deterrent posture, and retreated cautiously.

The three plant-spirit warriors and the legion's intelligent machines also started to move, nervously watching the infected people's every move.

The figures of the infected people emerged from the darkness, each with a different appearance.

The infected person has a strong physique and grows thick tentacles (fearless longhorn beetle).

The infected person with a thin physique has acquired sharp forelimbs (Lightning Mantis).

More normal-sized infected individuals are covered in shells and exoskeletons (beetles/soldier ants).

Even though they were once living plant spirits, they are now just empty shells about to transform into insects.

With so many infected people appearing here, Mo Chen can basically conclude that if he continues to walk along these passages, he will definitely reach the insect swarm's nest.

The Guardians were there, and so was the leader of the swarm.

Although the insect disease only targets plant spirits, the infected and the insect swarms also attack zombies and humans.

If you want to get to the hive, you must clear out the group of infected people blocking the way.

But without knowing the number of infected people, Mo Chen dared not go deep into the enemy's territory alone, for fear that he would be surrounded by the infected and wiped out, or be divided up by the swarm of insects that arrived later and become their fresh food.

For the sake of the several plant spirit warriors around him, Mo Chen decided to retreat temporarily and dispatch his own intelligent machine army to deal with the insect swarm for the sake of safety.

Seeing that the exploration team in Courtyard No. 5905 was retreating, the infected people were not going to give up.

The mantis infected person who had just been slapped away crawled up from the ground and let out a sharp hiss from its mouthparts.

The infected people became agitated, with fierce looks on their faces, forming a crazy crowd and quickly approaching the crowd.

"Retreat! Don't get entangled with the infected! The omnics will buy us time!"

Mo Chen pulled the trigger, blowing up the insect head of an infected person, then turned and shouted at several plant spirit warriors.

"understand!"

Himiko threw the card in her hand, and a fiery chili pepper instantly expanded and turned into a burning wall of fire, blocking the infected people who were swarming in.

Under the command of Prometheus, several destruction machines quickly lined up in a row and prepared for battle behind the wall of fire.

The armed robots also activated their heavy machine guns and flamethrowers, attacking the oncoming infected.

Screams rang out in the flames, and wails resonated with the bullets.

But no one chose to stop and show mercy to a group of enemies who had already died and only had their instincts left.