boom!!
The explosion occurred at the front right of the van, sending dirt and vegetation flying into the air, and the violent impact nearly caused it to overturn.
?!
"What's going on?!"
"Jesus christ!?!"
The unexpected situation shattered the relaxed atmosphere and left Sears and the four students at a loss, but thankfully none of them let out a pain scream
"Hold on tight! Heads down!"
As Leon shouted a warning, he slammed his right foot on the accelerator, steering the van out of the muddy, dense forest.
Buzz!!
The engine roared, driving the four wheel drive.
Whoosh Whoosh~!
The whistling sound of shells falling and approaching.
Boom! Boom!
Another explosion occurred around the van, with one shell snapping a giant tree in half. causing its upper part to lose support and fall uncontrollably to the ground.
Sizzle!
Seeing this, Leon realized it was a mortar attack and quickly turned the steering wheel to the left, avoiding being hit by the giant tree and becoming a sitting duck.
But he was very confused.
They were just driving an old Volkswagen van produced in the 1980s. Did they really need to be treated with mortars? They sure are paranoid
Could it be...?
Tap tap!
Sure enough, just as Leon thought the mortar attack wasn't targeting them, gunfire erupted from the right, and a fierce conflict broke out instantly.
Ammunition and shells of different calibers cut through the dense forest, more effectively than chainsaws, cutting the thick vegetation between the two sides and creating a clearing.
The air was thick with the smell of gunpowder. Despite being in the rainforest, a place with excellent air quality and filtration, everyone in the car could still smell the strong odor of gunpowder.
Snap!
Several stray bullets pierced through the car windows.
"Oh my God...!"
"Professor...I want to go home..."
Following Leon's advice, the group of teachers and students covered their heads and ears with their hands and curled up as much as possible to avoid being hit by stray bullets.
Fear and despair were visible on their faces, and their minds were filled with regret. Why did they leave their homes and risk their lives to come to this war torn region, putting themselves on the verge of death?
At this moment, Leon had no time to soothe the emotions of the teachers and students; instead, he was fully focused on driving.
And while observing the movements on his right out of the corner of his eye, he could vaguely make out the appearances of the two sides in the battle
The northeastern side was the actual target of the mortars, everyone was dressed in dark green and carrying Soviet-style weapons, clearly standard equipment for rebels.
On the west side, which is the side of the village they are about to reach, there are still rebels dressed and armed in the same way.
Could it be internal strife?
Infighting among warlords or rebels is common due to interests, spoils, and other reasons.
Among the rebels on the side closer to the village, Leon also found many ragged civilians who seemed to have been forced into the infighting.
Leon couldn't explain why the civilians were charging ahead of the rebels, displaying a more aggressive and fierce demeanor.
?
This is by no means a sign of being coerced.
Boom! Boom!
Several more shells landed nearby, and the explosions made the ground tremble.
Clang! Clang!
Shrapnel and fragments, with a force comparable to that of a bullet, flew outwards, making the carriage clang and clatter as well as leaving it in a state of disrepair.
Perhaps there's even better luck to come?
The shrapnel and fragments that could easily pierce the car body did not cause any fatal injuries to the people inside the car.
Only the female student who had tried to flirt with Leon earlier had her left forearm ripped open by shrapnel and needed immediate treatment to stop the bleeding.
but...
Bang!
The tire burst.
"ah!!"
"Help!!"
Amidst shouts from inside the vehicle, the van that had accompanied everyone through the dense forest finally lost its balance and overturned.
Due to inertia, the van rolled several times on the muddy ground before finally coming to a stop after crashing into a giant tree.
Thud... Thud!
The already shattered windshield was completely kicked open by Leon, who quickly recovered.
And the moment he climbed out of the van, he rolled to his feet and took out a USP40 from his holster, looking around.
The accident site was located precisely at the intersection of the village and the dense forest. Just a few meters west would lead out of the rainforest, and looking towards the northeast...
Dak dak dak dak!!!
The distinctive crisp sound of several 40SW caliber bullets leaving the barrel began to blend into the intense gunfight.
It turned out that Leon spotted two rebels armed with AKMs who were about to rush to the rear of the car. So he raised his gun, aimed, and pulled the trigger, swiftly blasting a bloody hole in the forehead of each of the two rebels.
After eliminating the immediate threat, Leon gripped the USP with his right hand to ensure he could still fire immediately, and then pulled Sears out of the car.
The remaining four students were much more agile than their professor, managing to climb out of the car on their own and squatting down next to the engine.
After confirming that everyone was alive, Leon took out the medical kit hanging on his waistband and threw it to the female student, asking her to stop the bleeding and bandage his left arm, which had a chunk of flesh missing.
Although they were forced into a battle and were all terrified, Sears and the others knew that they must not make a sound at this moment.
Doing so might seem like a way to vent emotions and relieve fear, but it would only reveal their location and make Leon, who was protecting them, even more anxious.
In contrast, Leon, the prospective investigator, was equally apprehensive.
Even with the highest mental fortitude and the most rigorous training, this was his first time killing someone, so it was inevitable that he would experience extreme emotional shift and a surge of adrenaline, causing his hands to tremble involuntarily.
Fortunately, he kept Krauser teachings in mind. Leon quickly adjusted his breathing rhythm, took out a smoke grenade, pulled the ring, released the safety, and threw it towards the south of the van.
Sizzle!
The smoke quickly spread, providing more cover.
"Run towards the village!"
"Okay!"
Upon receiving the signal, Sears and the others immediately ran towards the nearest thatched hut
Leon, on the other hand, was at the rear of the group, responsible for dealing with the approaching and following rebels.
As they escaped the rainforest, rounded the back of the thatched hut, and prepared to turn the corner into the village...
"Grahhh!"
The male student at the front nearly collided head-on with a villager who was making a strange roar.
"Oh my god!" The male student retreated repeatedly.
"Grahhh!"
But the villager kept chasing after him and even reached out his hands, trying to strangle the male student.
Upon hearing the commotion, Leon immediately rushed to the male student's side, pointed his gun at the villager's left chest, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Dak dak! Dak!
He fired two quick shots into the chest, then finished the job with a shot to the head.
The villager, who had suffered three fatal attacks, fell to the ground with a thud, his head tilted back.
If it were Leon during his police academy days, he might have shouted "Stop! Or I'll shoot!" first, but police regulations clearly don't apply to the current situation.
Thump! Thump!
But the villager wasn't completely dead. He suddenly started convulsing violently, and then his head exploded.
"Grahh!"
At this point, the villager let out even sharper roars, and large number of thin, thorny tentacles gushed out from their broken necks.