The night outside the railway shed turned red.
Not from fire.
Not from sunrise.
But from the hundreds of glowing Crawler eyes moving slowly across the sand like a sea of metal insects.
Red dots.
Dozens.
Then hundreds.
Coming closer.
Closer.
Qin Mian tightened her arms around Yin Lie.
His body was cold.
Too cold.
His breath slow and uneven.
She whispered into his hair:
"Stay with me… don't sleep too deep… okay?"
His fingers barely moved, brushing her wrist.
"…Mian…"
"I'm here."
Kai stood near a cracked window, rifle pointed out, breathing steady but heavy.
Chen Gu pressed himself against a support pillar, heart pounding so hard he thought the Crawlers could hear it.
Thorne had fainted three times.
When he woke the fourth time, he whispered:
"Why is this happening…? Why do we always almost die…?"
Kai glared at him.
"Because we're unlucky. Shut up."
The shed trembled when the first Crawler slammed its metal leg against the wall.
CLANG.
Then another.
CLANG-CLANG.
Qin Mian flinched.
She wanted to put her hands over her ears, but she didn't dare let go of Yin Lie.
Chen Gu swallowed hard.
"They're testing the walls…"
Kai muttered, "They don't need the door. They'll just tear the whole place apart."
Thorne squeaked, "Are we—are we going to be torn apart too?!"
Kai raised her rifle.
"Not if I shoot first."
But she knew it was useless.
One person against a swarm of killing machines was suicide.
Still, she didn't back away.
She never did.
Then—
a sound cut through the night.
A sound so sharp it sliced through metal and silence at the same time.
PZZZ—BOOM!
One Crawler's head exploded in a shower of sparks.
Kai's eyes widened.
"…What the—?"
Chen Gu froze.
Thorne screamed.
Qin Mian looked up.
Outside the shed, at the edge of the dunes—
A faint flash of blue-white light.
Then another.
PZZZ—BOOM!
Another Crawler dropped.
Then another.
Precise.
Silent.
One shot, one kill.
Kai pressed her eye to the crack in the wall.
A long silence.
Then her breath caught.
"No way… It's her."
Chen Gu blinked. "Her?"
Kai nodded slowly.
"The only person I know who can snipe a Crawler from 300 meters in pitch black."
Qin Mian whispered:
"…Kai… who is it?"
Kai lowered her rifle, expression unreadable.
"A friend.
Or an enemy.
Depends on the day."
Another shot echoed.
BOOM!
A big Crawler—the armored type—fell sideways into the sand.
Kai muttered:
"She must have followed us."
Thorne squeaked:
"Is… is that good or bad?!"
Kai's voice dropped.
"…Both."
More Crawler heads exploded outside.
Each shot cut through the night like a promise.
The machines grew agitated, moving faster now.
Red lights danced across the darkness.
The Crawlers turned toward the hills outside the shed—
searching for the sniper.
Searching for death.
Kai leaned closer to the window.
Her voice softened, barely a whisper:
"You came back… you stubborn idiot…"
Qin Mian held Yin Lie tighter.
"Is she helping us?"
Kai cracked a small, tired smile.
"Yes. Very effectively."
Chen Gu wiped sweat from his forehead.
"Good. Maybe we have a chance—"
BANG!
A huge shadow crashed against the shed wall from outside.
The structure shook.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Thorne dropped to the ground screaming.
Kai's smile vanished.
"…They're changing formation.
They're adapting to her shots."
Chen Gu panicked.
"Meaning…?"
Kai whispered:
"They'll stop trying to break in quietly."
A moment later—
the Crawlers roared.
Electronic.
Metallic.
Terrifying.
And they charged.
SCRRRRRRRAAAAAAAA—!!!
Sand exploded outside.
The walls shook violently.
Screams of metal rang through the night.
Kai gritted her teeth.
"Brace yourselves!!"
Qin Mian hugged Yin Lie so tightly she felt every beat of his unstable heart.
His glow pulsed again.
"Mian…"
"I'm here, Lie. I'm here."
His voice was weak.
"…don't be… scared…"
She shook her head, tears falling.
"You idiot… I'm only scared of losing YOU."
And then—
another gunshot ripped through the dark.
But this one—
was different.
Louder.
Close.
Very close.
The shot didn't come from outside.
It came from—
the roof.
Kai spun around.
"No—she's HERE—?!"
A hole appeared in the tin roof.
Dust fell.
A silhouette dropped down like a shadow with wings.
Boots hit the floor without a sound.
A long rifle swung around her shoulder.
Black combat suit.
Dark hair tied back.
Cold eyes like frost knives.
Kai whispered, stunned:
"…You…"
The woman smirked.
"Miss me?"
Qin Mian froze.
Chen Gu's jaw dropped.
Thorne fainted for the fifth time.
The woman cracked her neck, raised her sniper rifle again, and said:
"You can thank me later.
Right now—move.
I didn't kill all of them. And the next wave is bigger."
Kai stared at her.
"…Why did you come?"
The woman didn't answer at first.
Her eyes drifted to Qin Mian—
then to Yin Lie in her arms.
Her expression changed for a single heartbeat.
Something like regret.
Or guilt.
Then she tightened her grip on the rifle.
"I didn't come for you."
She stepped to the doorway, reloading her gun.
"I came because if he dies—"
She glanced at Yin Lie's unconscious form.
"—the whole city burns."
The Crawlers outside roared again, closing in.
The woman raised her rifle.
"Get ready."
Qin Mian whispered to Yin Lie:
"Lie… someone is helping us… you're safe…"
His fingers twitched, grabbing her shirt weakly.
"…stay… with me…"
"I will. I promise."
Outside, the red lights rushed forward.
Kai took her position beside the sniper.
Chen Gu grabbed a stolen shock baton with shaking hands.
Thorne regained consciousness just long enough to scream.
And the woman on the roof—
the Sniper in the Dark—
smiled like she had been waiting for this fight all her life.
"Let's hunt."
—Chapter 88 End—