Chapter 1078: Standoff in the Canyon: The Sniper’s Gamble

Year Eleven of the Calamity, last day of August, 9:30 a.m.

Deep in the massive gorge marking the border between Hui Three Base’s southwestern Mount Twenty-Six and Hui One Base’s northern twenty-ninth mountain range, a slender fissure in the cliffs, easily missed among the wild grass, hid a pitch-black gun barrel.

Behind that barrel lay Xia Qing, Hui Three’s newly crowned top sniper and an advanced three-path evolutionary.

Scavengers knew this terrain even better than Elder Wolf.

After leading the wolf pack through the smoke vent, Xia Qing and her wolves retreated into this cave, leaving traces behind on the ground. She and the main pack had crawled back and forth in the chimney passage, so both her boots and the wolves’ paws were streaked with black.

Even without anyone with evolved senses of smell or sight, the Scavengers could track over two kilometers just by following prints on the dirt and stone and hunt down this tired squad where over half the members were either old, sick or weak.

Old? That referred to Elder Wolf, currently convalescing, who’d lost stamina and strength—run too long and he’d get leg cramps.

Weak? That was Little Wolf’s little sister, only six months old, lacking battle experience and quick to panic.

Sick? Of course—the trio of newly rescued wolves still so weak all they could do was lie deep in the cave.

The Alpha of the Northern Wolf Pack had clearly figured all of this out. Lying beside Xia Qing, its golden eyes watched the gorge entrance, both furry ears perked straight up as it focused on every stirring, every whisper of grass in the canyon beyond.

Exhausted Little Wolf’s little sister huddled just behind Mother, eyes locked on the four wolves lying deeper in the cave, wary of any sneak attack. The Handsome Huge Wolf squatted by the other gourd-shaped exit, keeping watch there, while Black Wolf sat behind him, keeping a close eye on that group of strange wolves.

As for Broken Back? He’d gone out to scout. Right now, nobody knew where he was.

This cave wasn’t the ideal sniper’s nest, but Xia Qing wouldn’t leave. Protecting the wolf pack took priority over taking out a target.

“Owooo—”

The Alpha’s ears twitched and it let out a low warning growl. Instantly, every wolf—even those still lying down—lifted their heads and tensed in alert.

Xia Qing curled her finger around the trigger, sight fixed on the wild rocks and shadows of the gorge.

“Thud, thud, thud—”

Heavy footsteps thundered closer. Xia Qing swung her barrel right. A giant brown-and-black lizard—no collar—soon burst into view, a whole pack of frantic small animals stampeding in its wake.

Crouched with her rifle, Xia Qing quickly called out, “Queen, don’t let Little Wolf’s little sister run out!”

The Alpha gave a deep bark, stopping the pup who’d already started to rise.

“Leading the charge is that giant lizard from earlier. They smeared it with a meat-scented pesticide, so a bunch of animals are chasing it,” Xia Qing whispered to the Alpha, briefing it on the situation. “Those humans who caught the evolved wolves—they’re using the lizard to lure away the helicopter so they can move unnoticed.”

Though the giant lizard wasn’t collared now, the marks left by its regular collaring were plain around its neck. Xia Qing had seen it earlier in the cave and there was no chance she’d mistake it.

This cave was clearly compromised. The Scavenger Squad’s next step would be escape. The real question—would they bolt straight away or try to grab the supplies Xia Qing had taken first?

Why hadn’t the wolves chased after the lure’s scent? Because Xia Qing had already dabbed the idol-mixed antidote at the tip of their noses.

That lure was a must-have in the Scavengers’ shoulder bags. It was made from seeds of the meat-scented Scourge Grass that grew along the passage of Section One’s territory. Six days ago, the bigshot in Territory Seven got his hands on those seeds, brewed up an antidote to block its effects, and spiked it with blood-red pesticide before spraying it through the passage.

The antidote’s scent combined chemically with the meaty aroma of the lure. Right now, the wolves smelled only foul stench, not roasted meat.

Just two minutes after the herd of animals passed, the furious thumping of helicopter blades grew louder, slicing overhead above Xia Qing’s cave.

Xia Qing rolled her neck and flexed her fingers, readying herself for battle.

“Sister Qing, it’s Xie Yu. My team’s close to the objective. Was that herd that just drew off the chopper your doing?”

Xie Yu’s voice crackled through the radio. Xia Qing finally exhaled a little. “It was the Scavengers. They sent out that lizard dosed with predator lure. Captain Xie, ignore the animals and head straight for the target. They might try to flee with supplies.”

“Understood.”

Since she hadn’t asked for backup, Xie Yu knew his team wasn’t needed her way. He picked up speed, racing for the objective. With the Scavengers carrying so much Yi Stone and looking to switch nests, now was the perfect time to raid them!

“Owooo—”

A deep snarl rumbled in Xia Qing’s ear as the Alpha led the pack in rising together, ready to attack.

No target in her sights yet, and her own hearing picked up nothing, but she knew the Alpha’s senses easily outstripped hers. Something was coming.

Before she could react, the Alpha shot out of the cave and Xia Qing immediately followed. The Handsome Huge Wolf sprang forward, pinning down Little Wolf’s little sister so she couldn’t dash out after them.

The Alpha burst out through the fissure, streaking right. Xia Qing followed, and took a bullet to the shield that flashed up over her left shoulder—steel sang as it bounced off her protective barrier.

The enemy sniper’s aim was excellent. After missing her with the first shot, he fired three more in rapid succession, pinning Xia Qing behind cover.

Hidden behind a stone pillar, Xia Qing flung a custom grenade in the direction the shots had come from.

“Boom!” The enemy sniper shot the grenade midair and it exploded above.

“Aagh—”

A scream rang out across the upper gorge. Broken Back sprang out, knocking a Scavenger armed with a rocket launcher off the eighty-meter-high cliff.

“Bang, bang, bang!” Using the falling body as cover, Xia Qing squeezed off three shots, shattering the thinnest spot on a mushroom-shaped stone column 700 meters away. The column crashed down with a thunderous roar. The enemy sniper lost his perch and, toppling backward, took a bullet in the right shoulder from Xia Qing, ruining his escape and sending him tumbling into rock-strewn ruin.

The rocket man—a strong evolutionary—tumbled from the heights, rolling hard to blunt the landing and dodging falling boulders. But before he could get up, the Alpha barreled into him, pinning him just as a massive rock crashed down on them both.

Sniper and rocketeer—dead.

Having made it to the best sniper perch nearby, Xia Qing quickly swept the area with her eyes, confirmed there were no lurking threats within two kilometers left or right, then called out, “Queen, Broken Back, hide now. The helicopter’s coming!”

The commotion here had pulled the helicopter, drawn off by the giant lizard, right back overhead. Its thundering blades grew louder with every beat.