Chapter 1151: Ambush at Sector Nineteen

In just thirty-eight minutes, Zhu Zhenming led his squad of thirteen over the rugged terrain of Mount Six and into the ambush site deep in Sector Nineteen.

Since humans were much slower than the Evolved Wolves, Xia Qing didn’t bother having anyone help her—she ran the whole way on her own. Not only did she keep up, she didn’t fall behind even once.

When Zhu Zhenming finally called a stop, Xia Qing leaned against a rock wall fighting the urge to throw her head back and howl in excitement.

“See that, you four-legged beasts? I’m not slow at all!”

But now wasn’t the time for howling. Xia Qing scanned their surroundings through her night vision goggles, forcing herself to settle down and steady her rapid breathing and pounding heart.

Half a minute later, having caught his breath, Zhu Zhenming asked over the walkie-talkie, “Sister Qing, have you been here before?”

“No, this is my first time,” Xia Qing replied.

Carrying out a sniper mission in a completely unfamiliar area at night was no easy task. Luckily, the crescent moon above provided enough visibility to give Vision Evolutionaries an edge.

“Tang Zhou, contact headquarters and confirm the target’s position. Shiyue, move to Sniper Point Two on the mountain’s east side. Sun Sigang, check the southern peak for sniper spots. Xie Yun, take two people and move 500 meters ahead to scout the target…”

After assigning tasks to the rest, Zhu Zhenming ducked into the newly-pitched tent with Xia Qing. He pulled a laptop from his backpack and brought up a 3D virtual map to show her the terrain. “We’re at the fourth peak of Sector Thirty-Nine. To our south is Territory Sixty-Eight in Hui Five. Southwest is Mount Twenty-Nine in Hui One. So this spot? It’s right at the border of all three bases… If that squad invades our base, they’d have to cross through here.”

Once Zhu Zhenming finished explaining, he let Xia Qing study the map and commit the layout to memory. Then he pointed out Shiyue’s position at the east-side sniper point. “Shiyue and I are over here. Sun Si is on this side. Sister Qing, pick your spot anywhere in this area. When things kick off, Shiyue will take the first shot, Sun Si is second, and you’re our trump card. Don’t expose yourself or open fire until you’ve locked onto a target and see their sniper beyond two thousand meters.”

“Got it.” Xia Qing knew her opponent tonight might be a top sniper from the other side.

Xia Qing was calm, but she’d only had a year of firearms training, and this would be her first time facing an elite sniper. Zhu Zhenming was worried, too, and warned her, “It’s fine if you can’t get the upper hand over their sniper. If something feels off, pull back immediately.”

Even if this mission ended with nothing gained, they couldn’t risk their base’s newest top sniper getting injured.

“Understood.” After parting with Zhu Zhenming, Xia Qing quickly reached her assigned sector. It wasn’t the best nearby sniper nest, but that was intentional—those prime spots were reserved for the first sniper. As their hidden ace, she needed to be somewhere unexpected.

Xia Qing quickly picked out four locations that could serve as sniper positions and began setting up, planning out her escape routes as well.

“Real-time temperature is fifteen degrees, humidity at eighty-five percent, wind speed at force three, Devastation Element activity slightly above average, magnetic field moderately disrupted…”

Zhu Zhenming’s voice came through the walkie-talkie, reading off environmental data. Temperature, humidity, and wind could all affect shot accuracy, while Devastation Element levels muddled advanced electronics. For snipers relying on high-tech gear, this info was crucial.

Xia Qing was a level-nine-and-a-half Vision Evolutionary. Like Luo Pei, as long as visibility was good, she relied only on her rangefinder scope for shots, not other gadgets. Still, as she pried rocks loose, she listened closely to Zhu Zhenming’s report. Learning the habits of other snipers could boost her success rate.

After taking cover, Xia Qing suddenly glimpsed two flashes of green light in the Evolved Forest to the southwest.

Xie Yun reported in, “Captain, Evolved Wolves sighted in the southwestern forest, one thousand eight hundred meters out.”

Eighteen hundred meters. That was already alarmingly close.

Zhu Zhenming responded calmly, “This isn’t the Wolf Pack’s core territory. We shouldn’t run into trouble with them. Tang Zhou, prep the bait. If the wolves approach, lure them away at once.”

“Roger that.”

Xia Qing kept her eyes on the forest to the southwest, trying to figure out if those were the same old wolves, when Shiyue’s voice cut in over the radio: “That owl circling above us is likely a Tamed Bird. Everyone, keep out of sight.”

The appearance of a Tamed Bird meant intruders couldn’t be far. Xia Qing froze motionless in her hiding spot, watching the forest ahead through the low-light night vision goggles the Idol had given her.

She might be the least experienced fighter on the team, but she wore the highest-grade protective suit, which also blocked infrared. As long as she stayed flat against the rocks, the owl’s sensors wouldn’t pick her up.

But for some reason the owl started circling right above where Xia Qing was hiding. In the Western Sky, the crescent moon kept casting the owl’s shadow over the rocks in front of her. Xia Qing trained her breathing and pulse—right now, she was just a rock, pinned under rock and thick grass, with no room for panic or emotion.

“Rustle—”

“Pa—”

A small animal streaked past her, knocking loose some dew from the blades of grass. The droplets plinked softly as they struck the rock.

The shadow on the rocks grew, and the circling owl swooped down, snatching up a little mouse just two meters from Xia Qing with its sharp talons before beating its wings and flying off.

Keeping her voice low, Xia Qing reported, “The owl isn’t carrying a camera, but there’s a locator ring on its leg—confirmed, it’s a Tamed Bird, likely controlled by a Brain Evolutionary.”

Zhu Zhenming answered quietly, “Copy. Stay hidden.”

“Tap-tap, tap, tap-tap-tap—”

The walkie-talkie played a rhythmic tapping sound Xia Qing didn’t understand, but Tang Zhou caught on. “They’ve moved from Hui Five into Hui Three. Three people total.”

Zhu Zhenming gave the order, “They’re just scouts. Let them come in. Everyone, get ready for battle.”

“Understood.” Xia Qing echoed the others, acknowledging his command.

Five minutes later, Xia Qing spotted the intruders through her night vision goggles. Her eyes lit up. “Captain, these three are equipped with crossbows and shoulder bags, just like the scavengers who broke into the western part of Hill Forty-Eight before the third Devastation Rain.”

“Copy that. Intruders are likely scavengers.” Zhu Zhenming responded, voice low. “Stay concealed.”

“Understood.” Xia Qing kept her eyes on the three scavengers, then stole another glance toward the spot where wolf eyes had flashed in the forest. Her finger slowly tightened on the trigger.

This batch of scavengers had been dodging the Azure Dragon Squad for days. They picked this moment—when Hui Three’s army and combat teams were busy hunting and protecting their territory and the Safe Zone, leaving no patrols in the Evolved Forest—to sneak across the base border. There was no way they were here for a casual stroll.

Xia Qing had two theories in mind:

On the bright side: Tonight might net them a real haul.

On the downside: She’d forgotten to strike a deal with the base director about how to split the spoils!