Chapter 834: The Hunter’s Team

After landing, Xia Qing quickly recoiled her rope and sprinted toward a new sniper point on another peak, reporting to Xin Yu as she ran. “Enemy helicopter has been shot down. I’m covering your rear for defense. Leave all enemies to me—don’t reveal your position. Just report any enemy that gets within fifty meters of your location. Reinforcements will arrive within half an hour.”

“Got it.”

The four captured enemies were well-equipped. It was highly likely these intruders had advanced infrared or radar tech. Though Xia Qing and Xin Yu wore new protective suits, even the latest materials couldn’t provide perfect stealth from high-end detection.

Worse yet, Xin Yu had an unconscious brown bear and a snub-nosed monkey beside her, both lacking any protective gear. If she tried moving them, radar would definitely pick it up.

If the enemy had heavy weapons, a single shell could wipe out everyone there.

So if the enemy closed in—no matter their numbers—Xia Qing had to draw all their fire and attention to herself.

A brilliantly colored venomous snake slithered two meters ahead of Xia Qing, swallowing a poisonous frog before trying to escape, only to be snatched up by a silent swooping hawk.

After the hawk flew off, a porcupine, driven from its den by a bear, dodged the hawk then spotted Xia Qing’s hiding place in a bush. Smelling bear odor, it bristled its quills and, huffing in frustration, hustled its babies away to keep fleeing for their lives.

Xia Qing stayed perfectly still. Though the sound of running water interfered with her hearing, her vision skill was still sharp.

A thousand meters ahead, a branch of a tall pine tree shook strangely. Seconds later, Xia Qing spotted a short, non-reflective black gun barrel poking out, scanning for a target.

From that barrel alone, Xia Qing recognized the gun model—the CM82, the same as her own.

She kept her voice low and reported to Xin Yu, “Enemy sniper spotted a thousand meters north of us.”

“Copy,” Xin Yu replied coolly.

Five minutes after the enemy sniper was in place, Xia Qing located five search team members. They all wore Level-Three Wilderness Protective Suits. Two carried man-portable rocket launchers, three wielded automatic pistols. This high-end gear and that helicopter proved these were a core combat squad from one of the base’s top ten teams.

With two ranged, three melee, and one sniper, this enemy lineup was seriously tough to handle.

They seemed impatient—probably hoping to eliminate the Hui Three Base’s evolved fighters guarding this Evolved Forest before support could arrive, then escape using the tranquilized evolved bear.

Today was the fifth day after Devastation Rain. The lush Evolved Forest was still damp, and the tracks left by humans and animals were easy to spot.

Even if this squad lacked someone with enhanced scent or vision, they could still judge by footprints, flattened leaves, and grass that there were only two defenders. So their plan was to take advantage of their numbers, find the drugged brown bear fast, then use the helicopter to escape before Hui Three’s backup showed up.

The whole plan hinged on whether they could fix their helicopter within thirty minutes.

That meant at least one or two people were back repairing it.

Xia Qing’s mind raced. She filled Xin Yu in on her strategy.

“Copy. Stay sharp.”

“Don’t worry.” Xia Qing didn’t wait for the squad to get within 800 meters of Xin Yu—she launched her attack first.

Her first two shots took out both enemy rocket operators.

Then, lining up her third shot, she aimed for the enemy sniper.

Her sniper rifle had a muzzle velocity of 1000 meters per second. With this head start, she had a sixty percent chance of taking out the enemy sniper within a kilometer, even if they were a speed evolver.

After all, while his sniper spot had great visibility, his location was exposed. The only escape routes on the tree were up or down.

But Xia Qing had underestimated her opponent. As soon as her shots dropped the two rocket men, the enemy sniper located her position. Realizing he couldn’t counterattack, he quickly used a springing move to change locations before she could lock on.

His ability was Evolved Elasticity! Choosing a tree as his sniper perch wasn’t arrogance—he could maximize his power up there.

With the enemy’s artillerymen down, it became a duel between snipers. Xia Qing was at a disadvantage—they still had a four-person squad.

It was Xia Qing’s first real sniper-versus-sniper fight. She remembered every lesson Luo Pei had drilled into her: never give the enemy time to react. The moment she saw him vault away, she shifted her sights and fired a fourth round.

A well-prepared sniper should memorize all possible cover within 1500 meters and have plans for killing foes hidden inside.

Xia Qing had scouted that area twice before and, with her elevated view, she’d already mapped every hiding spot into her mind.

She wasn’t aiming for the enemy sniper—she shot at a jutting boulder. The force knocked it loose, causing three giant stones above to crash down, pinning the enemies hiding behind the rocks below.

“Aah—”

“Aah—”

Luck was on her side; that spot had two enemy team members hiding.

Only two enemies left.

“Bang!”

The enemy sniper’s shot struck a rock right in front of Xia Qing. She ducked fast and rolled to a new position. When she lifted her head again, she knew things had gotten dicey.

The last enemy melee fighter had to be a speed evolver—he’d grabbed the man-portable rocket launcher from the fallen artilleryman while Xia Qing was rolling for cover!

Xia Qing immediately abandoned her sniping post, darting away under cover of rocks and trees.

“Bang!”

“Bang!”

“Boom—”

After two sniper rounds, the new rocket operator launched a shell that landed just five meters from Xia Qing. If she hadn’t developed a speed close to level four and a half, she’d have died right there.

With icy calm, Xia Qing stopped, fired a counter-shot at the enemy sniper, then kept running.

“Boom—”

Dodging the second shell, Xia Qing once again took aim at the gunner.

“Bang!”

“Bang!” The moment Xia Qing’s bullet flew, the enemy sniper fired back instantly.

“Boom—” Three seconds later, the gunner’s shell exploded nearby.

Now several hundred meters away, Xia Qing attacked again. The enemy still gave relentless chase. It was dangerous, but Xia Qing had reached her goal—drawing all enemy fire her way. “Xin Yu, I’m luring the enemy away. You’re in charge of contacting the support team. My hearing’s shot—I can’t hear anything right now.”

“Understood.”

Even though Xia Qing couldn’t hear, Xin Yu still responded. Squeezing a grenade tight, she silently prayed for the support team to hurry up and cursed herself for not bringing Little Jade along.

If Little Jade were here, she could have ordered her to blow the enemy’s gunner to pieces!

In the darkness, Xin Yu failed to notice the unconscious brown bear’s giant paw twitch ever so slightly.