Chapter 6

Luozheng moved forward a bit but couldn't see the person anymore. Not knowing if the person was friend or foe, he didn't dare to act rashly. He threw the gun to the side; a gun he couldn't use was less reassuring than the machete in his hand. He gripped the machete tightly and hid behind a large tree, waiting patiently. The surroundings were quiet, with only the rustling of leaves as the wind blew through the treetops, as if nothing had happened just now.

Years of hunting experience told Luozheng that beneath a calm surface often lay great terror. The calmer it was, the more he couldn't afford to be impatient. Luozheng took a deep breath and used the hunting skills he had learned since childhood to blend into the environment, imagining himself as a blade of grass or a tree. Gradually, his breathing became steady and deep, and his thoughts became unusually calm and active.

He didn't know how long it had been, but the surroundings remained as quiet as ever. Luozheng couldn't help but feel curious. Had everyone already run far away? Was he just waiting here foolishly? With this thought, Luozheng slowly poked his head out to observe. Suddenly, he saw a pistol appear in front of him.

Luozheng was terrified and instinctively raised his machete to strike back. A cold, iron-like female voice rang out: "You can try, and see if your knife is faster than my gun." She spoke in a universal language, and a suffocating, icy-cold aura enveloped him. Luozheng felt his blood freeze, his body stiffen, and all his strength drain away, leaving him unable to move.

At this moment, a female soldier with a face painted with camouflage slowly emerged from the other side of the tree. She wore a tactical helmet adorned with dead grass for disguise, was 1.7 meters tall, and her imposing figure was barely concealed by her loose camouflage uniform. Her hand, as white as an onion, held the pistol with a terrifying strength. Her eyes were cold and sharp, her face as frosty as ice, exuding a killing aura. When she saw Luozheng, her lips, which had been tightly pressed together, let out a slight gasp of surprise, and her gaze became more scrutinizing.

Luozheng had no idea when someone had approached him. Facing the black barrel of the gun, he felt death was so close for the first time in his life. His mind went blank. Hearing the slight gasp of surprise and the scrutinizing look, his panicked heart calmed slightly. He suddenly realized the person might be on his side and quickly said, "Don't shoot, I'm one of you."

Perhaps the familiar Chinese language dispelled the female soldier's doubts, or perhaps Luozheng's standard soldier's uniform increased her trust. Her fierce killing aura eased slightly, but her hand didn't move from the gun, which was still aimed at Luozheng's forehead. Her face remained cold as she demanded, "Unit number? Name? Rank?"

Just as Luozheng was about to answer, he suddenly noticed a gun extending from a tree about 300 meters away. He didn't see anyone, and his heart sank. Without time to explain, he shouted, "Be careful!" and, with a sudden burst of strength, lunged forward, grabbing the female soldier and pulling her to the ground.

"Whoosh!" A bullet whizzed by, embedding itself deep into the tree, creating a large hole with its powerful kinetic energy, sending wood chips flying.

The female soldier, realizing what had happened, angrily pushed Luozheng off her. Her body twisted strangely, and she kicked him in the abdomen with a precise movement, sending him flying several meters and crashing into a tree. Using the momentum from the kick, she quickly slid a few meters away, firing her gun with swift, lightning-fast movements, her actions so fierce that they left one speechless.

Almost simultaneously with her counterattack, three bullets hit the ground in a triangular pattern where she had just been lying, sending dust flying and creating three small craters. Luozheng, who had never been in battle before, watched in shock and quickly found a place to hide. When he was safely hidden, he realized the female soldier had disappeared.

"Whoosh!" Another gunshot rang out, and a large hole appeared in a tree. Luozheng looked up and saw the female soldier hiding behind the tree. He rubbed his aching abdomen, recalling the dangerous moment, and realized that if she hadn't kicked him, he would have become a cold, lifeless corpse.

"These people, how can they be so skilled? The one shooting from the shadows is invisible, and you never know where the next shot will come from. The female soldier is no less impressive, managing to survive and even save my life under the gun." Luozheng thought, his mind filled with doubt and fear, hiding behind the tree and not daring to move.

"Whoosh!" Another gunshot came from an unexpected corner, hitting the tree Luozheng had been hiding behind. The tree was pierced, and the female soldier, who had been lying behind it, remained motionless, her face filled with a killing aura as she looked around, seemingly searching for something.

Luozheng, surprised, noticed that the female soldier only had a pistol and that there were no cover options within a five to six-meter radius. If she moved, she would surely be shot. At least two enemies were hiding in the shadows 300 meters away, and the female soldier was completely trapped.

Realizing this, Luozheng knew he had to do something. The enemies were more terrifying than he had imagined, and if the female soldier died, he would surely die too, and any thoughts of revenge would be impossible. Thinking of revenge, the images of his fallen comrades flooded his mind, and his blood boiled. He saw a high-grade weapon lying on the ground and had an idea. He picked up a stone and threw it at a nearby tree, then quickly picked up the gun and hid behind the tree again.

"Whoosh!" A bullet hit the stone, shattering it into powder in mid-air.

"Whoosh!" Another bullet hit the ground next to Luozheng. If he had been a split second slower, he would have been dead.

Luozheng looked at the ground next to him, where a watermelon-sized crater was smoking. A wave of fear washed over him, and his back was drenched in cold sweat. His body trembled uncontrollably. Those who had never been in battle could never understand the terror of it.

Despite his fear, Luozheng knew he couldn't just sit there and wait to die. He looked up and saw the frosty-faced female soldier staring at him in surprise. He smiled bitterly and was about to throw the gun to her when he remembered the enemy's terrifying marksmanship. He wanted to find another stone to create a diversion but realized there were no more stones around. A sense of helplessness washed over him.

"Whoosh—Bang!" A bullet hit the tree, and Luozheng, who was hiding behind it, felt the entire tree shake. He was terrified and quickly moved away, just in time to see the female soldier urgently gesturing to him, apparently signaling him to throw the gun to her.

Luozheng, of course, wanted to throw the gun to her, but he had no confidence. It was time to take a risk. His blood boiled again, and he took a deep breath, suppressing his fear. His heart was still pounding, but he forced himself to calm down. He let out a long cry, threw his backpack to one side, and with all his strength, threw the gun to the female soldier on the other side.