"Gulp—" Everyone swallowed hard at the sight of Zhao Si's mangled, bloody head. Long Er gritted his teeth through the pain, pressing himself lower as he snarled, "Damn it, there's a sniper too. These guys are no pushovers. Are the mortars set up yet?"
"Second Boss, they're ready to fire at any time!"
"Then what the hell are you waiting for? Blast those bastards to hell!" Long Er roared through the agony of his bandaged wound, seething inwardly. As the second-in-command of Zuo Mountain Safe Zone in S City, this was his first mission leading a team—and it had turned into a complete disaster. He'd never hear the end of it from the boss's faction when they got back.
If he didn't salvage some semblance of victory, Eagle Lord would punish him severely.
The artilleryman immediately hefted a shell, ready to load it into the mortar tube. But just as he raised it to the muzzle, before he could release it—
Clang!
A gunshot struck the shell in his hands.
BOOM!
The explosion tore the man apart instantly. The sniper had shot the shell he was holding, detonating it prematurely.
The blast triggered a chain reaction—the shell box at their feet, the vehicle fuel tanks—all erupted in a massive explosion that sent armed men flying through the air.
"Idiots!" Long Er cursed, abandoning all pretense. Channeling the last of his Ability Value, he kicked off the ground with unnatural speed, leaving afterimages in his wake as he fled.
From the tall grass emerged twelve towering Marine Corpsmen, their C14 rifles loaded with Hollow-Point Bullets. They fired at any surviving combatants, the rounds exploding inside their bodies, reducing them to pulp. The C14's devastating power against human targets was on full display.
Bai Wen stood, cradling his sniper rifle, surveying the obliterated enemy forces with satisfaction. Twelve Marine Corpsmen had effortlessly annihilated a hundred armed fighters—the might of the Star Hegemony forces was no exaggeration.
Inside the bunker at the mining site, Wang Ya and the others finally noticed the gunfire had ceased. A collective sigh of relief escaped them—except for Tai Long, who lamented, "I missed all the action. Next time, I'm going with Big Brother Bai!"
"Yeah, and if possible, we should ask him for some of that armor and weaponry. Imagine how badass we'd look wearing that!" Yun Huo chimed in.
"Enough, you two," Yun Duo huffed. "Now that it's safe, get back to work. Weren't you supposed to clean the toilets? Go on—scram!" She pushed open the bunker door and dashed out, clearly desperate for fresh air.
Yan Jiang hurried after her. "Wait for me, Yun Duo! I'm coming too!"
Holding little Ai Ke Ke's hand, Wang Ya suddenly murmured, "You shouldn't let your guard down just because the shooting stopped."
Yun Fei Wu, about to step outside, froze. Trembling, she turned back. "Wh-what do you mean?"
Wang Ya's voice was eerily calm. "The gunfire could have stopped because the other side won... and Bai Wen's group is already dead."
"How... how is this possible? How could those Exoskeleton Armors and heavy weapons lose?" Tai Long said in disbelief.
"Y-yeah, with such powerful weapons... how could Bai Wen possibly lose?" Yun Fei Wu stammered, though she sounded less certain.
Wang Ya suddenly flashed a radiant smile and walked out, pulling Ai Ke Ke along with her.
Yun Fei Wu stood there dumbfounded for a long moment before realizing something serious. She turned to the equally stunned trio of Tai Long and asked in confusion, "Did Wang Ya just speak?"
The three nodded vigorously, their faces melting into infatuated expressions. "S-so beautiful... even her voice is heavenly. Oh god... I can't take it anymore—"
Yun Fei Wu took a deep breath, exasperated, and kicked the three before turning to leave.
As they exited the bunker and headed back to the gate to meet Bai Wen, a piercing scream erupted from the nearby bushes. The relaxed group immediately tensed up again, and Tai Long's trio rushed toward the sound.
"Yun Duo! Yan Jiang! What's wrong?" Yun Shan shouted anxiously, but there was no response.
Wang Ya handed Ai Ke Ke to Yun Fei Wu and vanished. By the time Yun Fei Wu processed it, Wang Ya was already standing motionless in the bushes.
The group hurried over, and when they saw the scene, their eyes widened in horror. Yun Fei Wu clapped a hand over her mouth as tears streamed down her face.
The bushes were splattered with blood. A mangled corpse lay in a pool of crimson, its neck and half its face torn apart beyond recognition. But the clothes identified the victim as Yan Jiang, who had just run out moments ago.
Yun Fei Wu collapsed to the ground, trembling violently as she buried her face in her hands, unable to accept the reality. In stark contrast, the little girl Ai Ke Ke remained eerily calm, showing no fear.
"Where's Yun Duo-jie?" Yun Huo suddenly remembered there was another person.
Wang Ya scanned the area and noted the trampled grass. "She must have been taken. Go find Bai Wen now. I'll pursue them first!"
With that, she dashed off in the direction of the trail. Tai Long and the others didn't hesitate. Yun Huo yelled, "I'll inform Brother Bai! You two take Yun Fei Wu back to the bunker and don't come out until we return. Understood?"
They split up. Tai Long and Yun Shan carried the shell-shocked Yun Fei Wu back to the bunker and locked the door, while Yun Huo sprinted outside to drive the RV and find Bai Wen.
Wang Ya followed the trail for five kilometers before stopping in a barren wasteland. There, she found Yun Duo lying in a pool of blood, her neck savagely torn apart, her face unrecognizable.
Wang Ya frowned. An Advanced zombie could have easily devoured Yan Jiang and Yun Duo on the spot. Why drag them this far before killing them?
Just then, a gust of wind rushed at her from behind. She spun around to see a pair of blood-red claws swiping past her nose.
"It's you?" Wang Ya stared in shock at the Zombie before her—it was the Beautiful Zombie that Bai Wen had killed. She wasn't dead after all, and had even tracked them here?
It seemed she had come specifically for Wang Ya. The reason she had dragged Yun Duo so far away before feeding was purely to lure her here. She had become this cunning now.
"Grooowl~" The Beautiful Zombie gazed at Wang Ya, letting out excited growls as if beholding a delicious meal. Her devouring instinct told her that consuming this woman would make her even stronger.
"Grooowl~" With another thrilled roar, the Beautiful Zombie charged at Wang Ya again, moving faster than before. Wang Ya dodged sideways once more and immediately drew her gun, firing several shots at close range—yet the Zombie managed to evade every one.
(End of Chapter)