The quiet night, the silent stone mountain, yet the void was perated with a faint whiff of death that sent shivers down the spine. Luo Zheng realized this situation was extrely unfavorable for everyone. He calmly watched the target ahead, his frigid gaze growing even icier, tingling with faint killing intent, his complexion as somber as iron, and he said coldly, "Since it's a deathtrap, attack is not an option, retreat is also not an option, then let's just fight and force the enemy to reveal all their cards."
"That sounds good. All analysis is just one-sided speculation without evidence. A fight might clarify things. But how? Maybe, concentrate fire and take out one person first, and if the enemy still doesn't move, we eliminate them one by one," Lan Xue suggested, her tone icy cold, exuding a chilling murderous aura; the deathtrap had also ignited her temper.
"Ok, everyone else stay put and closely monitor the enemy situation. Xue Er, provide sniper cover; I'm changing locations," Luo Zheng agreed, informing Lan Xue of the enemy's concealed position before crawling forward himself, moving like a python in the night across the rocks without making a sound.
A few minutes later, Luo Zheng, using the surrounding strange rocks for cover, had quietly looped around a distance and stopped. Searching for the target again, he spotted a leg within shooting range, with most of the body obscured by the rocks. Unless he crawled further forward, but that might expose him if he continued to maneuver forward.
Luo Zheng rapidly set up his sniper rifle and aid. As soon as the crosshairs locked onto the target, he saw the target's leg retract as though sensing danger. Luo Zheng was startled at the strong battlefield danger-sensing ability, quickly pulling back and hiding, not reacting to the unforeseen change.
After waiting for a while with no movent from the enemy, Luo Zheng slowly crawled forward a distance, hid again, and began searching. He found the target was still behind the large rock but had changed positions, making it difficult for him to lock on. He needed a wider angle, so, steeling his heart, he continued to maneuver forward.
As he crawled, Luo Zheng's body rose and fell with the stones on the ground, moving fluidly under the moonlight like a giant python, without any sound. After a while, he slid into a recessed area between the stone peaks, slowly stood up, crouched under a rock, and looked forward through the crevice.
This ti, Luo Zheng saw the target, and with himself hidden inside the stone peak, it was unlikely the target could easily hit him. His heart settled, he quickly aid his weapon, ready to fire, but just as he was about to pull the trigger, he saw the target suddenly dart to one side and vanish from the sniper scope. Luo Zheng was startled, but then he heard Lan Xue's voice through the earphone, "Target's calf exposed."
"Kill," Luo Zheng said lowly in annoyance. The enemy had eluded him twice; this one was slippery, and he couldn't let any chance slip by. Luo Zheng believed in Lan Xue's sniping skills and promptly prepared for a follow-up shot.
"Swoo!" A sniper rifle shot shattered the silence of the stone mountain, bizarre to the extre.
"Oh?" A low, muffled groan echoed, barely discernible under the quiet night sky.
Seeing the target hit and instinctively recoiling a bit, which exposed its body perfectly in his sniper scope, Luo Zheng was elated. He quickly focused, kept his breathing steady, and made ready to fire. But as he was about to pull the trigger, he saw the target plunge to the ground and disappear from the sniper scope.
"Trying to escape?" Luo Zheng rapidly moved his rifle's muzzle downward, re-locking onto the target, only to be horrified to discover the target was also aiming back, using a sniper rifle as well. He was shocked, fiercely determined, and without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. In high-stakes confrontations, one must either dodge or fight, without any hesitation, otherwise, death is certain.
This shot was a desperate move by Luo Zheng, a choice made out of utter helplessness. Dodging might not even be an option against a sniper's aim, so he might as well go all in.
"Whiz, whiz!" Luo Zheng and his opponent fired almost simultaneously, their bullets' report overlapping and emitting a bizarre low-frequency blast that was startling. After firing, Luo Zheng had no ti to dodge before sparks flew in front of him, the crisp sound ringing in his ears and leaving them buzzing. Strangely, he felt no impact of bullets hitting him, and, taken aback, he quickly scrambled for cover.
All was silent around him. Panting heavily, Luo Zheng tried to calm his frayed nerves. Being targeted by a sniper was enough to make one's sanity crumble. It took a while before he could steady himself, then he pricked up his ears to hear Lan Xue's voice over the earpiece, "I heard the sound of gunfire from two people at the sa ti. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Luo Zheng responded, remaining vigilant as he surveyed his surroundings. Only then did he notice a large chunk of stone by the crack in front had been sheared off by a bullet. This chunk had fortuitously shielded his head. Had it not been for the stone blocking the bullet, he would have been dead without a doubt, a realization that sent a wave of fear through him, drenching his back in cold sweat.
Turning to lean against a nearby stone, Luo Zheng caught his breath, his heart still racing from the narrow escape. Suddenly, Mountain Eagle's voice ca through the earpiece from the direction they'd ambushed, "A large number of figures spotted in the rear, heading this way, around two kiloters away."
"What's the situation on the left and right flanks?" Lan Xue asked in a low voice.
"All clear," replied Ghost Hand and Snow Leopard in hushed tones.
"Ghost, what's your status?" Lan Xue pressed on.
Luo Zheng, having cald his nerves, whispered, "Target's fate unknown, provide sniper cover, I'll confirm."
"We might not have much ti left, the enemy has been spotted behind us; we need to make a decision quickly," Lan Xue reminded.
"Give two minutes," insisted Luo Zheng, whose brush with death had left him restless. Carefully peeking out, he looked through the crack and saw the target still lying motionless on the ground. Fueled by anger, he aid once more and pulled the trigger.
"Whiz." The sniper bullet unerringly buried itself into the target's head. Through his sniper scope, Luo Zheng saw the target's head burst open, leaving no chance for survival. He exhaled a long breath of relief. He was fortunate; had it not been for the stone by the crevice, the desperate sniper duel might have ended in mutual destruction.
"Target confird dead. Xue Er, continue to cover ; I'm going to take a look," Luo Zheng said in a low voice as he crawled out from behind the rock, cautiously moving beyond the stone mountain. Then, like a leopard dashing through the night, Luo Zheng suddenly picked up the pace until he was crouching behind a large boulder, inspecting the area.
The target was dressed in a black robe, resembling a local, ard with an SVD sniper rifle. Luo Zheng turned the body over but found nothing of value, so he confiscated the sniper rifle and ammunition. He was about to flank the enemy when Lan Xue's urgent warning ca through the earpiece, "Not good, a large group has been spotted one kiloter ahead."
Luo Zheng was alard. He lifted his binoculars and saw a large group running towards them, followed by a few vehicles. Setting down his binoculars, he pondered his next move. With enemies in front and behind and Death God lurking on the sides, breaking through seed like suicide. What should he do?
User Comments
0 comments from readers