Chapter 35

Through the scope, the Scavenger observed his target, a little girl named Sangsang, who was about seven or eight years old. However, when he saw the little girl, the Scavenger furrowed his brow. Although her face was dirty and the white princess dress she wore had turned gray and was somewhat torn, her large eyes were very lively.

The moment the Scavenger saw those eyes, he could determine that this little girl was not some mutated creature but a real human, a real person. Just as the Scavenger was puzzled, a massive figure walked into his field of view. It was a werewolf, even stronger than the one the Scavenger had sniped last time.

Seeing the werewolf approach the little girl, the Scavenger's finger was already on the trigger, preparing to shoot the werewolf. Whether to protect the little girl or to complete his mission, the Scavenger could not let the little girl be killed by the werewolf.

But just as the Scavenger was about to shoot, something unexpected happened. The little girl, who had been sitting there, looking around with some fear, seemed to sense the werewolf's approach and turned her head to look at it.

If a fierce werewolf appeared in a child's world, the child would definitely be scared and scream incessantly. But when the little girl saw the werewolf, the fear and unease on her face turned into a smile, the kind of smile one sees when they see their parents in a moment of fear.

The approaching werewolf, with its fierce face, also showed a hint of expression, one that resembled a pet's flattery and affection when it sees its owner. Then the werewolf extended its sharp claws, which could tear apart a large pig, and in the palm of its claw, there were a few fruits.

The little girl took the fruits from the werewolf's palm and began to eat them as if she were starving. The werewolf, meanwhile, curled up and lay down beside the little girl like a domestic dog, vigilantly watching the surroundings. This scene left the Scavenger, who was observing through the scope, stunned, unsure of how to react.

"Fatso, what's the name of this mission?" After a while, the Scavenger came to his senses, pressed the earpiece, and spoke to Tao Hua Yan.

"The Legend of the Werewolf, what's up?"

"Oh, nothing."

"You're acting weird." Tao Hua Yan replied and ended the call.

The Scavenger's brow furrowed, feeling that something about this mission was off. Observing the little girl and the werewolf through the scope for a long time, his doubts grew. Especially when he saw the little girl fall asleep on the werewolf's broad back after eating the fruits, with the werewolf standing guard, his doubts intensified.

"Could it be that I need to shoot this werewolf and take the little girl away? Since the mission is called 'The Legend of the Werewolf,' it makes sense that a werewolf would be with the little girl?" the Scavenger couldn't help but speculate.

Aww... Just as the Scavenger was deep in thought, the werewolf, who had been standing guard with its ears perked up and not moving a muscle to avoid disturbing the sleeping little girl, suddenly let out an angry roar in a certain direction. The roar was full of warning and even a hint of hatred.

The Scavenger's gun barrel moved in the direction of the werewolf's roar, and a person appeared in his scope. The Scavenger recognized this person. It was one of the five players who had been sniping the large pigs from a vantage point earlier. The player's face was pale from fear but then showed a look of surprise, the kind of expression a player has when they see a boss and go from shock to elation.

The angry werewolf stood up, waking the sleeping little girl. As the werewolf stood, the little girl slid down from its back. Her originally calm expression now showed some fear, not from the werewolf's anger but from the sudden appearance of the player, or perhaps from something the little girl associated with the player.

Swish! After the little girl stood up, the werewolf charged forward. At this moment, the Scavenger was even more certain that this werewolf was stronger than the one he had sniped last time. Although the last werewolf hadn't fully displayed its boss-level strength before being killed, the Scavenger was now absolutely sure of his judgment.

The player, who had gone from shock to elation, was still immersed in the excitement of suddenly encountering a boss. Seeing the rapidly approaching werewolf, the player screamed and scrambled to run away. However, compared to the werewolf, the player's speed was much slower. In just a few breaths, the werewolf had covered the hundreds of meters between them and was behind the player.

The werewolf's claws, each over a foot long and sharp like daggers, extended from its paws and swiped at the player. The Scavenger instinctively placed his finger on the trigger and aimed at the werewolf's ear. From his position, the ear was the only weak point he could target from the side.

Bang! The gunshot rang out, but as he pulled the trigger, the Scavenger slightly moved the gun barrel. This was not to follow the werewolf's movements to ensure a hit but to avoid hitting the werewolf.

At the moment the Scavenger fired, the little girl seemed to shout something, though the distance was too great for the Scavenger to hear. However, the werewolf, with its keen hearing, clearly heard it. The claws that were about to strike the player, who was lying on the ground, pale-faced and eyes closed, waiting for death, paused in mid-air, stopping just half a foot from the player's forehead.

This sudden pause made the Scavenger, who had intended to shoot the werewolf, feel as if he had done something wrong. As the bullet left the barrel, the Scavenger tried to move the gun barrel to change the bullet's trajectory, not wanting to hit the werewolf.

However, for a sniper rifle with an effective range of 1,000 meters, the Scavenger's subconscious reaction after pulling the trigger was too slow. The bullet followed its original trajectory.

But just as the bullet was about to pass through the werewolf's ear and into its brain, the werewolf's innate sensitivity to danger seemed to kick in. It bent down, preparing to strike the player's head, but at the moment the bullet left the barrel, it turned to look in the Scavenger's direction.

Thud! The bullet hit its target. However, because the werewolf had turned to face the Scavenger, the bullet did not hit its ear or brain, causing significant damage. Instead, it grazed the werewolf's cheek and passed through its raised ear.

Roar! Blood droplets slid down the werewolf's cheek, and the werewolf, which had been crouching, suddenly stood up and let out an angry roar in the Scavenger's direction. The sharp eyes of the werewolf and the Scavenger's eyes through the scope met, and sparks flew.

The Scavenger quickly loaded a second bullet, placed his left hand on the sniper rifle's stock, and aimed at the werewolf's eyes. If the werewolf charged, the Scavenger would shoot it, regardless of the doubts that had arisen.

The werewolf's fur stood on end, a sign that it was in danger and preparing to attack. The Scavenger's finger began to press the trigger, ready to shoot if the werewolf dared to charge. But just as the two were locked in a standoff, the little girl seemed to shout something.

The werewolf turned to look at the little girl and let out a roar, as if trying to say something. Although the Scavenger couldn't understand the werewolf's roar, he could hear anger, hatred, and a hint of confusion in its voice.

Before the Scavenger could fully process the emotions in the werewolf's voice, the werewolf, which had been standing with its fur on end, let out a whimper like a wronged dog. It then gave a fierce look to the player, who was lying on the ground in shock, and let out another angry and warning roar in the Scavenger's direction before turning and running towards the little girl.

The Scavenger moved his gun barrel to follow the werewolf, who seemed to sense the danger still following it and stopped to let out another warning roar, its fur standing on end again.

But at this moment, the little girl seemed to shout something again. The werewolf gave a fierce look in the Scavenger's direction and then returned to the little girl's side. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the werewolf used its body to shield the little girl, as if trying to protect her from the Scavenger's gun.

The werewolf placed the little girl on its back and let out another warning roar in the Scavenger's direction before running deeper into the monster zone. The little girl, sitting on the werewolf's back, turned to look in the Scavenger's direction.

She didn't know who was in that direction or that a gun barrel was aiming at her. As she turned, the crosshairs of the scope settled on her forehead. If the Scavenger pulled the trigger, the little girl would be killed.

She just turned her head, seemingly instinctively, after the werewolf roared in that direction. This glance made the Scavenger's heart tremble, something that had never happened to him before.

When the Scavenger was sniping, although he wasn't cold-blooded, his strong heart was not something an ordinary person could achieve. After all, through the scope, you could see the target clearly and the blood splatter at the moment of the shot, the final bloom of life.

Without a strong heart, the sight of the blood splatter could leave a nightmare that would haunt you for life. So, when sniping, the Scavenger treated all targets as if they were already dead, as sniping a dead person wouldn't cause any guilt.

When the Scavenger aimed at the little girl, his deeply ingrained sniping habits made him treat her as if she were already dead. But in the moment the little girl turned her head, all his usual composure shattered. The Scavenger's heart was in turmoil, even though he hadn't intended to shoot the little girl. The moment his ingrained habits met the little girl's gaze, a long-dormant turmoil resurfaced in his heart.