Strongest Soldier King Chapter 524 524: Lurking Assassination

The sweltering sun baked the tropical jungle, its intensity was unbearable, as if the humid air itself was about to be stead dry. The dense forest blocked any breeze, trapping stale air mixed with the scent of decaying bodies and leaves. Poisonous insects thrived, fierce beasts road freely, and miasma spread throughout. Even an inconspicuous flying insect could be deadly. This place was synonymous with danger, a breeding ground for fear, yet also a paradise for the strong.

In a remote valley amidst the vast forests, a small river andered by. Because the terrain was relatively flat and open, so breeze had managed to sweep through, pushing down the tall weeds to reveal two corpses whose warm blood was still gushing out. A few unidentified flying insects, attracted by the sll of blood, buzzed excitedly towards it, circling above the bodies.

About ten ters away from the bodies, in an inconspicuous patch of grass, there was a large rock that was nearly hidden by tall, dense weeds, hardly noticeable unless one ca close. Beneath this rock, a young man with a determined face lay quietly, slightly sticking out his head, watching the distance with a cold gaze. His eyebrows paired with star-like eyes contained a thick aura of murderous intent, while sweat mixed with dirt streaked down his face — it was Luo Zheng.

Luo Zheng lay motionless, like he had beco part of the rock itself. His clothes were soaked through, and his palms gripping the M4 rifle were sweaty. A light breeze ca gently, bringing little coolness, and instead made the wet clothes stick tighter, making it even more uncomfortable.

The surrounding weeds rustled. The previously chirping birds had long disappeared. Luo Zheng's stern gaze moved across the area, not overlooking any detail. His body was tensed, like a primordial fierce beast waiting for the right mont to unleash an earth-shattering battle intent.

During the wait, three pursuers suddenly stopped about a hundred ters ahead and vanished into the bushes, the strong sll of blood borne away by the wind. As assassins, they were familiar with the scent of blood and could naturally detect it. Luo Zheng had anticipated this and remained still, continuing to wait.

Of the traps he had set earlier, two of the three large traps and five small ones had been triggered. Only one large trap and five small ones remained, but Luo Zheng held no hope they would be effective. The requirents for ambushing from behind the rock were not high — killing one pursuer would be enough. With one down, the threat of the remaining two would not be fatal.

While waiting, Luo Zheng used his family's Breathing Skill to control his body's breath, to avoid giving away his position. His intensely staring eyes also slightly closed, and he pricked up his ears. Being a master who had long lived on the brink of life and death, his instincts were extrely sharp. He could feel when he was being watched and dared not keep a deliberate watch, to avoid alerting his targets.

The three assassins, positioned in a triangular formation and using the tall grass for cover, remained motionless for about five minutes. Then, the one at the front signaled, and the two behind aid their guns forward to provide cover fire. With caution, the leading assassin ran forward, hunched over and fast, covering about ten ters, then held up his gun to scan the area. Seeing no danger, he signaled to another assassin, who then ran forward about ten ters, scanning the surroundings and signaling to the one behind.

All three maintained their triangular formation, cautiously moving forward with expressions as cold as iron and slightly closed eyes that flickered with a cold, sharp light. Their movents were light and fast, and they unknowingly reached about ten ters from the bodies. The lead person signaled for cover fire from the two behind, then started crawling forward.

The suspicious location was too close; crawling was one of the best ways to advance. Additionally, the surrounding weeds swayed in the wind, making it less likely to be exposed. This person crawled slowly, careful not to touch the surrounding weeds too much to arouse suspicion. After advancing about five or six ters, he signaled to the two people behind him.

The two individuals behind him proceeded in a low crouch, sprinting forward, their guns always aid forward, their expressions stern as if facing a formidable enemy. They stopped about ten ters away from the person in front, cautiously observing their surroundings, searching, but they didn't spot anything suspicious. They then gestured to the person in front to continue searching and advancing with combat hand signals.

After receiving the signal, the assassin in front continued to advance and soon discovered two bodies lying ahead. His complexion drastically changed, and he quickly signaled to the individuals behind him. The two people behind did not move but beca even more alert. The assassin in front cautiously crept forward, moving very slowly and carefully, his body slightly arched, ready to dodge any sudden dangers from either side.

After crawling forward about three ters and hearing no gunshots, the assassin in front didn't let his guard down; he stopped to observe again. After roughly five minutes of watching without detecting any danger, he continued to cautiously crawl forward. Unbeknownst to him, he was very close to the bodies, yet there was still no expected gunfire.

The assassin began to feel puzzled. Had the target already left? With this thought, the assassin couldn't help but raise his head, his cold gaze searching the area. Aside from the rustling sound of the wind-blown weeds, there were no suspicious targets and no sense of danger. This made the assassin more curious, but he did not let his guard down and continued to crawl forward.

Before long, the assassin reached the bodies and closely inspected them, determining the cause of death. He was secretly alard; pursuing the target all this way, the assassin had witnessed the ninja's strength—endurance, physical strength, speed, and even a tracking ability that he admired, yet here they were, dead.

Perhaps due to having fought together, the assassin felt a surge of emotion akin to the saying, "When the rabbit dies, the fox grieves." But he quickly regained his composure, slowly lifted the bodies, and held them up. There was no expected gunfire. His doubts deepened—had the target really left? Normally, if soone was exposed suddenly, they would definitely be subjected to a surprise attack.

With this thought, the assassin gritted his teeth, laid the bodies down, and signaled to the people behind him. He suddenly stood up, using his life as bait to draw out the target. He raised his gun and searched all around, but still, the expected gunfire did not co. The assassin secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After searching for a while longer and finding nothing, the assassin's tense nerves relaxed and his gun barrel slowly lowered.

He found nothing; the target must have run far away, the assassin thought, preparing to signal his companions. Suddenly, a red light appeared before his eyes, followed by a small black dot that slowly enlarged in his pupils. A gunshot rang by his ear, and the assassin's face was struck with horror. He hadn't realized the target was hiding not far away; how advanced was their ability to lay low? This thought flashed through his mind as his body instinctively twisted to dodge.

"Dada dada!" Bullets rained down like a torrential downpour, the M4 firing nearly a thousand bullets per minute, which ant over a dozen bullets per second, and with only a distance of a few ters and no cover, the assassin dodged the first bullet aid at his head, but could not avoid the subsequent bullets that followed.