Chapter Twenty-Two: Invisible Pressure

Fang Mu pushed his speed to the extreme.

After his evolution, his bones and muscles had strengthened dramatically; he ran like a wild stallion, yet moved with remarkable agility. He charged downward, and in less than a minute, he had reached the foot of the mountain, then headed straight for the peak. He had to be fast—he needed to seize the firearms and leave the summit before his opponents could react.

Otherwise, if the bronze-ranked melee evolvers cornered him, the short distance across the hill would leave little room for his gunfighting skills to shine.

He sprinted all the way.

The spot was only about four hundred meters in a straight line from his previous sniping position, separated by several small hills. From the mountaintop, it looked like a direct path, but in reality, he had to weave around and avoid the lower hills.

Even so, Fang Mu took less than ten minutes to reach the foot of the mountain.

On the other side was the direction in which the melee fighter had rolled down. But Fang Mu paid no mind; without pausing, he raced uphill. He had to get the firearms before those two could recover!

...

...

"Zhou Yang... Zhou Yang!" Li Yao called out loudly, but his headset was met with silence.

Sweat appeared on his forehead as he hid behind a large rock, not daring to raise his head.

He was certain he too had been targeted!

The enemy hadn’t left after all!

"He figured out that we were lying in wait at the corpse site, so he took a detour and came up behind us!" Li Yao clenched his teeth so hard they nearly shattered. He’d heard the gunshots from a direction they had never guarded—their rear.

The moment the shots rang out, he heard Zhou Yang’s anguished scream through the headset. He froze for less than a second, then instantly reacted and ducked behind the rock, not bothering to search for the shooter's exact location.

Or perhaps—

He simply didn’t dare!

The enemy had already shot Zhou Yang; clearly, his own position had been discovered as well!

Under such circumstances, how could he risk showing his head? Popping up would surely mean death!

...

"Damn bastard!!"

For the first time, Li Yao felt truly furious.

The frustration in his heart surged even stronger.

He, a dignified bronze-ranked evolver, was nearly wiped out by an iron-ranked gunman—and hadn’t even glimpsed his opponent’s face?

"What should I do next?"

His mind spun wildly.

Chang Le would take about two more hours to reach Tiger Roar Gorge. But how could he survive those two hours?

The thought flashed through him, and his body suddenly stiffened.

"No, I have to leave first! My position is already locked down. If I stay, he'll eventually find an opening!"

Realizing this, Li Yao didn’t hesitate. Knowing roughly the direction of the gunfire, he chose the opposite side and dashed down the mountain.

He didn’t even touch Li Tao’s corpse and belongings nearby—he didn’t dare.

He feared that stepping out would mean getting his head blown off by an enemy who had him locked in sight.

Every shot so far had hit its mark, proving the terrifying skill of the enemy.

He had no reason to take such risks.

Two minutes later, Li Yao reached the base of the mountain. Scanning his surroundings, he suddenly thought, "Zhou Yang’s fate is uncertain... He seemed to struggle for a while, so the shot might not have hit a vital spot. If the iron-ranked ‘Blaze’ bullet missed and Zhou Yang managed to activate his ‘Gene Combat Technique’ in time... he should survive."

With this in mind, Li Yao quickened his pace, intending to check on Zhou Yang.

But after only two steps, he froze, stopping in place.

"No, no... The enemy killed Li Tao with one shot. Wang Cheng, too, was killed instantly... Why would Zhou Yang be spared?"

"A trap?! Is he luring me in?"

Li Yao’s heart chilled.

Surround and ambush...

It was the classic sniping tactic!

With this realization, Li Yao hesitated.

He was uncertain whether he should go that way.

...

After half a day, Li Yao looked toward Zhou Yang's position, his gaze gloomy, then turned and ran elsewhere.

He felt guilty for Zhou Yang, but his own life was more important.

"Rushing in, knowing it’s a trap, would be the height of foolishness... Zhou Yang, rest assured, when Chang Le arrives, we’ll avenge you..."

Li Yao thought to himself. He then scanned his surroundings, contemplating his next move.

But no matter how he considered it, he couldn't find a solution.

This damned terrain was far too unfriendly for melee fighters! The loss of three teammates had left Li Yao under immense pressure. No matter where he hid, he feared the enemy's bullet might find him, swift and unseen.

His mind in chaos, he suddenly remembered something, exhaled softly, and took out his communicator, dialing a number.

Moments later...

"Li Yao, what’s up? I’ll be there in a little over an hour. Or has the guy already been taken down?"

A lazy voice came from the other end of the communicator.

Li Yao exhaled quietly, then lowered his voice. "Chang Le, you need to hurry. The enemy saw through our ambush—Zhou Yang was shot as well... He’s formidable."

"Hmm?"

The voice on the other end paused, the lazy tone vanishing. After a moment, the voice spoke again, "Tell me everything that happened before."

Previously, Li Yao had only told Chang Le they’d encountered a powerful sniper and needed help, but hadn’t shared any details.

Now, with only himself left—three comrades gunned down, and the enemy moving like a phantom—he hadn’t even glimpsed the opponent's shadow. The pressure was overwhelming. He needed to shift his focus.

He exhaled softly and began, "Our mission was to pass through Tiger Roar Gorge, then ambush at the foot of Spirit Phoenix Mountain. Along the way, we ran into a Gale Tiger. We planned to hunt it—the creature is rare and valuable. But before we could act, someone else moved first. He used two ‘Blaze’ bullets to kill the Gale Tiger. Then, without any precautions, he approached the corpse to process it. At that moment, Wang Cheng proposed killing him for his goods—and acted accordingly. So..."

Li Yao recounted everything, all the way to Zhou Yang’s death.

"I suspect it’s a trap, so... What should I do now?"

Li Yao needed advice. And Chang Le was one of the legion’s ace snipers—his opinion was crucial now.