Chapter 1152: Clash in the Evolved Forest

No matter what happens, let’s finish the mission first. Xia Qing peered through her night vision goggles, watching the Evolved Forest stretch before her, twisted trees clawing at the night like sleeping monsters.

Two minutes after the three Scavenger scouts moved out, Zhu Zhenming spoke up. “Four hundred meters to the left of their position, there’s a possible human intruder. Infrared and low-light night vision can’t get a clear image. They must be wearing protective suits made from the new material. Sister Qing, do you see anything?”

These two newcomers aren’t within Xie Yun’s group’s surveillance area.

“I’ll give it a shot.” Xia Qing pressed a button on her mask and retracted the night vision lenses. After carefully observing for half a minute, she reported, “Twelve o’clock, two thousand fifty meters—there are two humans beneath that big tree. Their protective gear is nothing like the last three and they’re both carrying submachine guns. Judging by their movements, one’s got Scent Evolution, the other’s Auditory Evolution.”

With mountain mist in the way, Xia Qing couldn’t make out any more details with the naked eye.

“Still just scouts. Everyone keep hidden. Sun Si, focus on the first three targets. Zhao Quan, you follow the two newcomers.”

Xie Yun lowered her voice. “Captain, another Evolved Wolf just showed up. Looks like it’s trailing the intruders from a distance.”

Before Zhu Zhenming could give commands, Tang Zhou offered a suggestion. “Zhu, according to the captured Scavenger’s confession, the local Wolf Pack hates Scavengers, so they’re not with this batch of intruders. I say we don’t interfere with the wolves’ actions.”

Zhu Zhenming had worked with Tang Zhou plenty and knew he never acted rashly, so he nodded. “Alright. We won’t interfere with the Wolf Pack for now.”

“Got it.” Tang Zhou replied confidently. His certainty didn’t come from the Scavenger’s testimony, or from trusting the wolves—it came from Xia Qing. The reason he brought this up was because Xia Qing had just messaged him.

When it comes to knowing the Wolf Pack, not a single one of these twelve—maybe not even the big boss in Territory Seven—knows them better than Xia Qing. When dealing with the wolves, it’s always safest to follow her lead.

Soon, Zhu Zhenming’s voice echoed again. “Behind the big tree where those two showed up—on the hillside six meters up and off to the left, there’s movement. Possible sniper. Shiyue, heads up.”

“Copy. Target area locked.” Shiyue replied calmly.

The distance from Shiyue’s position to the hillside was about 1,800 meters—well within the range of a senior Sniper, but too far for Zhu Zhenming and his six-star Vision Evolution eyes to catch with bare sight. Still, Xia Qing never doubted Zhu’s intel; the Military’s Special Forces surely have training or tricks to extend an observer’s range.

With the tenth intruder confirmed and no new arrivals in three minutes, Zhu Zhenming quickly divvied up the targets and issued the order. “One, two, three—attack!”

“Bang, bang, bang—”

Shots rang out from Sniper Point One and Two, targeting the two identified enemy snipers as Tang Zhou’s squad charged at the other intruders.

“Ratatat—”

“Bang!”

“Boom!”

Sniper rifles, submachine guns, grenades—the chaos of battle erupted as birds scattered from the Evolved Forest and wild beasts shrieked in terror.

Moments later, Zhu Zhenming reported in. “Enemy sniper down. One tamed bird eliminated.”

Tang Zhou’s side was still locked in fierce combat. Xia Qing lay perfectly still at her perch, every sense trained on the area over two kilometers ahead.

There! A single tracker dot lit up on a cliff, 2,150 meters out. So there really is a top-tier sniper lying in ambush!

Before the gunshot even reached her ears, Xia Qing squeezed the trigger four times, opening her first salvo.

“Bang bang bang bang!”

As soon as she finished shooting, Xia Qing rolled away, ducking behind rocks and trees as she crawled quickly twelve meters to the second sniper perch. Lining up another shot on where the expert sniper was likely hiding, she squeezed off another round.

“Bang!”

She’d just fired when a bullet from the other side slammed into the rock that shielded her, the impact deafening.

Zhu Zhenming warned, “We’re dealing with a top-tier sniper! Careful, Sister Qing.”

“Leave the ace to me. You guys keep fighting.” Xia Qing grabbed the dummy she’d tied together with tree branches, tossed it left to draw enemy fire, then attacked again.

Still no hit on target.

No surprise there. The opponent was a top-tier sniper with more experience than her and the high ground, holding every advantage. But Xia Qing stayed perfectly calm—her goal wasn’t to kill, but to keep the expert pinned down and stop him from supporting the intruder squad.

Slipping back to the third sniper point, Xia Qing didn’t even have a chance to set up before she clearly heard the thinner rock in front of her splitting from a direct hit.

Judging by the bullet’s trajectory, one thing was clear—this enemy sniper was a Speed Evolver!

Zhu Zhenming gave orders with unwavering calm. “Fourth enemy sniper spotted. Sun Si’s been hit. Qing, be careful. That guy you’re facing is probably Hui Five’s ace, Phantom—a six-star Speed Evolver!”

“Got it. I’ll take out the sniper on the left first.”

With Sun Si wounded, only Xia Qing and Shiyue remained as friendly snipers. The enemy had three snipers left. Now more than ever, Xia Qing’s nerves held steady. After three seconds, she suddenly darted left, fully exposed.

The two enemy snipers watching her position thought she was just another decoy and shifted their sights right, waiting for Xia Qing to reappear.

But… this time, it wasn’t a dummy!

Xia Qing threw herself out into the open, fired fast, then rolled to safety behind a huge boulder.

As one enemy sniper toppled from a tree, Zhu Zhenming made the call. “Second enemy sniper is down. They’ve got two left. Shiyue, take the right. Xia Qing, you’re on Phantom.”

Zhao Quan of Tang Zhou’s squad shouted, “Phantom killed sixteen of our brothers, Sister Qing! Give him hell!”

Observer Xie Yun reported, “Captain, now two Evolved Wolves are on the move—heading straight for the Phantom, who’s fighting Sister Qing.”

Phantom’s sniper perch was nearly perfect. With a turn, he’d have a clean shot at the crawling wolves.

Is Number Four among the wolves advancing? Xia Qing shifted tactics at once, shouting, “Number Four, fall back now! Hurry!”

Two and a half kilometers away, one Evolved Wolf paused, then retreated fast.

Her teammates heard Xia Qing’s shout and all thought of the same question.

Tan Yun reported, “Both Evolved Wolves have pulled back.”

Now the doubt was gone. The ‘Number Four’ that Xia Qing yelled at—it’s one of the wolves!

That shout not only drove off the wolves but exposed Xia Qing’s final sniper perch. Now Phantom had her dead in his sights—if she so much as poked her head up, she’d get shot.

Could she move? To get back to the last sniper point, she’d have to break cover and dash through open ground just like before. In other words, their own top sniper was out of action.

With Xia Qing pinned by Phantom, the enemy’s second sniper fought on with Shiyue. The three enemy intruders who’d already started retreating now advanced under Phantom’s covering fire. With no one able to lift their heads, it looked like mission failure for their side.

Just as Captain Zhu Zhenming prepared to call a retreat, Xia Qing spoke up.