(Inside the surveillance vehicle, Kazami Yuya stared intently at the soaring heart rate data of his team members on the screen, cold sweat continuously sliding down from his forehead.
He grabbed the communicator, his voice slightly hoarse from tension: "All units, pay attention! The enemy is extremely dangerous and excels at hidden ambushes! Maintain high vigilance and ensure you stay within visual range of your teammates. Do not scatter! I repeat, do not scatter!"
His orders were transmitted into the forest via radio waves, making the already high-strung soldiers even more nervous. They stood back-to-back, their muzzles constantly scanning every suspicious shadow; any rustle of grass was enough to make them pull the trigger. Fear spread through the ranks like a plague.
Meanwhile, Kuchiba Hiro quickly stripped a reasonably well-fitting bulletproof vest from a corpse and put it on, his cold gaze sweeping over the weapons and magazines seized from various squads. He moved swiftly, stuffing several full rifle and pistol magazines into the pockets of the tactical vest.
Just then, the crow Fukurai, perched on his shoulder, let out a series of rapid, low caws. Simultaneously, more birdsong and rustling sounds from various parts of the forest merged into his ears through some indescribable means.
"More of them... but they've hunkered down..."
Kuchiba Hiro instantly understood the message conveyed by his "friends." The enemy had sent reinforcements, but their tactics had become conservative and defensive.
His eyes sharpened as a bold plan instantly took shape.
He whispered a few short syllables and patted Fukurai's wings. The crow took flight, delivering new instructions to the "allies" in the forest.
The next moment, the harassment throughout the forest intensified abruptly! More swarms of wasps, startled flocks of birds, and even several wild boars deliberately driven forward launched more violent and scattered attacks on the contracting Public Security forces from different directions, creating massive chaos and noise that firmly grabbed the attention of all the soldiers.
As for Kuchiba Hiro himself, he moved like a ghost skimming the ground. Using the cover of the chaos, he traversed the familiar forest paths at an incredible speed, bypassing all the search teams and heading straight for the forest's perimeter!
His target had never been those soldiers.
His target was—the alpha wolf in the den.
Minutes later, he had quietly slipped to the edge of the forest. Hiding behind a massive cedar tree, he clearly saw the road, the cluster of command vehicles parked by the wayside, and the group of panicked but still unwilling-to-leave reporters.
He quickly assessed the situation: four soldiers were on guard with rifles at the cordon, and another six were patrolling around the command vehicles in two groups. Aside from them, most of the forces had been lured by him and trapped deep within the forest.
"Enough," he whispered to himself.
With a slight thought, the wasp swarms circling in the air immediately divided again into several smaller clusters. Like precision-guided missiles, they lunged simultaneously at the faces of those ten perimeter soldiers!
"Argh! Damn it, I've been stung by wasps!"
"Protect your eyes!"
Screams of pain and angry curses rang out instantly. The soldiers subconsciously waved their arms to block or flee, falling into immediate chaos.
Amidst this chaos, Kuchiba Hiro flashed out from behind the tree like a cheetah! The seized assault rifle in his hand was firmly braced against his shoulder—two precise short bursts!
Bang! Bang!
Two patrolling soldiers who were swatting at wasps fell to the ground, hideous blood holes appearing on their foreheads.
The gunshots, like a proclamation from the Grim Reaper, completely shattered the brief peace on the perimeter. The remaining soldiers' adrenaline surged; enduring the sharp pain of the stings, they tried to find cover and return fire at Kuchiba Hiro.
But Kuchiba Hiro's movement was like a phantom, using the trees and terrain as cover while constantly changing positions. His marksmanship was terrifyingly accurate; every time he leaned out to shoot, a soldier inevitably fell.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three more soldiers were accurately headshot while trying to aim.
The mental state of the last three surviving soldiers completely collapsed. The sight of their comrades dying instantly and the relentless wasp stings destroyed their will. The instinct for survival overrode everything; they let out a terrified scream, dropped their weapons, and turned to flee desperately toward the other end of the road.
As for the reporters, they had already screamed and scattered like birds and beasts at the first gunshot. The once-crowded roadside now held only a row of cold armored vehicles.
Kuchiba Hiro's gaze instantly locked onto the command vehicle with the most antennas and the largest volume. That was the one!
Holding his pistol, he cautiously and quickly approached the command vehicle. He tried pulling the side door—it didn't budge, locked from the inside. He raised his gun and fired several shots at the lock and hinges!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The bullets only left a few white dents and splashing sparks on the heavy bulletproof armor, unable to penetrate it at all.
"You inside! Come out!" he growled, pounding the door with his gun butt, but there was no response from within, only a deathly silence.
Kuchiba Hiro's eyes turned cold. He quickly surveyed his surroundings, his gaze landing on the cab window. Although it was also bulletproof glass, it was always a weaker point compared to the body armor.
No one knew better than him how to open a tin can without the proper tools!
He stepped back a few paces, raised his rifle, and fired continuously at the corner of the driver's window!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Crash—!
After the continuous battering, the bulletproof glass finally succumbed and shattered.
Kuchiba Hiro nimbly climbed into the cab through the broken window. Inside the vehicle, Kazami Yuya, hearing the commotion outside, turned deathly pale. He didn't know what the man intended to do, yet he didn't dare go out.
Kuchiba Hiro's gaze swept over the complex dashboard. He violently ripped open the wiring panel beneath the steering wheel and, relying on his understanding of mechanics, crudely hot-wired several cables.
Vroom—!
The engine was forced to start.
"What are you trying to do?! Stop!" Kazami Yuya shouted in terror from the rear compartment.
Kuchiba Hiro ignored him, shifted into gear, and slammed the accelerator to the floor!
The heavy command vehicle let out a roar, tires screeching against the ground as it lunged forward! Kuchiba Hiro gripped the steering wheel tightly, controlling this steel beast. With a sharp turn, he aimed it toward an extremely steep slope by the roadside, covered in trees and rocks!
With a cold gaze, Kuchiba Hiro floored the accelerator, then at the last moment before it tumbled down the slope, he violently pushed open the door and leapt out with agility!
A second after he hit the ground and rolled to dissipate the momentum, the out-of-control command vehicle, carrying immense inertia, roared as it plummeted down the steep slope!
Rumble—!
The heavy vehicle tumbled and crashed wildly, snapping trees and smashing rocks, letting out deafening booms as it twisted and deformed all the way to the bottom of the slope.
Kuchiba Hiro stood up from the ground, walked to the edge of the slope to look down, then quickly followed, muttering to himself, "I hope your luck isn't too bad. Don't die yet.")