Chapter 69

"Are we really going to cross this open area?" Tao Hua Yan, panting heavily, asked while looking at the barren hill in front of him. The hill had no tall trees, and it was estimated to be about two kilometers wide. It would take about 20 minutes to run across, but the system would report the positions of the three people in less than three minutes.

That meant that in thirteen minutes, the armed helicopter would be overhead. This wasn't a dense forest; the view from the helicopter was very open. The three people would have to endure at least seven minutes of the helicopter's gunfire to reach the opposite forest and hide again. This choice was extremely risky.

"The pursuers are getting close. We have to rush through to get the enemies blocking the border to move. Otherwise, we won't be able to break through the layers of blockades," the Scavenger said, taking a big gulp of water and stuffing a compressed biscuit into his mouth, then swallowing it without chewing. "But how do we avoid the helicopter's gunfire for seven minutes?" Tao Hua Yan's eyes were filled with worry.

"You two run ahead and keep a certain distance between us. I've killed the most enemies, so I have the highest hate value. The helicopter will target me first. Don't worry, I can handle it. Holding them off for seven minutes shouldn't be a problem," the Scavenger patted Tao Hua Yan's shoulder, giving him a confident smile.

"Be careful." Seeing the Scavenger's smile and feeling the pursuers getting closer, Tao Hua Yan and Kan Tu looked deeply at the Scavenger, then got up and ran towards the open area.

Although the two were already exhausted, they were still running as fast as they could. This wasn't just to save their lives, but to minimize the time they spent in the open area. The faster they ran, the less time the Scavenger would have to hold off the helicopter, reducing the danger to him.

After the two had run for two minutes, the Scavenger, who had been on guard, also started running. Although the mech he controlled was faster than Tao Hua Yan and Kan Tu, he kept a certain distance to avoid involving them in the upcoming battle.

Panting, panting... When the three had crossed most of the open area, the armed helicopter, which had been tracking their coordinates, appeared behind them. This time, the helicopter didn't drop more pursuers but flew directly towards them.

Rat-tat-tat, rat-tat-tat... The helicopter maintained a certain height, and the pilot tilted it to form an angle with the ground. Two large-caliber machine guns started firing.

Since the Scavenger was closest to the helicopter and had the highest hate value, the helicopter focused its maximum firepower on him, ignoring Tao Hua Yan and Kan Tu.

Clang, clang, clang... Although the Scavenger tried to dodge the bullets, he wasn't invincible. Some bullets still hit the Wolf Mech, causing sparks to fly and dents to appear on its surface.

Clang! Finally, a bullet didn't just spark off the metal but embedded itself in the Wolf Mech's back. Although it didn't penetrate the metal, another hit could push it in and damage the internal wiring, causing the mech to malfunction.

Clang, clang, clang! More bullets hit the Wolf Mech, making it look like it had grown many spots. One bullet penetrated the energy tank. Although it didn't cause an explosion, the energy began to leak out rapidly as the mech moved.

The Scavenger, controlling the Wolf Mech, noticed something was wrong with the energy gauge. The Wolf Mech, running and dodging in all directions, reached out with its massive wolf claw to open the energy tank. The energy inside leaked out even faster, but the energy stone in the slot above the tank took over, supplying power to the mech.

Clang, clang, clang... More bullets hit the Wolf Mech, and a few more penetrated the energy tank. However, since the energy had already leaked out, these bullets didn't cause an explosion.

Rat-tat-tat, rat-tat-tat... The Scavenger, who was running and dodging, heard the sound of a heavy machine gun ahead. The helicopter, which had been chasing him, was hit by bullets, causing sparks to fly.

The helicopter stopped firing, and the Scavenger, who was controlling the Wolf Mech, shouted, "Take cover!"

Whoosh! As soon as the Scavenger finished speaking, a shell flew towards the source of the machine gun fire.

Boom! The ground shook, and a nearby tree creaked and fell, crushing other trees.

"How are you?" The helicopter fired again, and the Scavenger, still controlling the Wolf Mech, shouted while running.

"We're fine. We fired from behind a tree, and the tree was hit, but we're okay," Tao Hua Yan said in the team channel, crawling out from under the tree branches, revealing Kan Tu.

Rat-tat-tat, rat-tat-tat... The machine gun fired again. The Scavenger, taking advantage of the helicopter being distracted, rushed into the forest. The helicopter fired another shell, and Kan Tu and Tao Hua Yan quickly took cover. Although they were lucky and weren't hurt, the machine gun was destroyed.

The helicopter's view was blocked by the trees, and it lost sight of the three. It turned and slowly landed in an open area. The pursuers jumped out and rushed into the forest.

"Are you okay? Run, the pursuers are coming." Seeing Tao Hua Yan and Kan Tu sitting on the ground, spitting out dirt and shaking their heads, the Scavenger pulled them up. They ran forward like drunkards, while the Scavenger stayed behind to cover them.

"What's wrong? Run!" After killing the leading pursuer, the Scavenger turned around and saw Tao Hua Yan standing still. He shouted, "M... mine."

Tao Hua Yan pointed to his foot, his voice trembling. Although he knew it was a game and he could respawn even if he was blown to pieces, he couldn't help but tremble. After all, it was a mine, not a bubble.

"Kan Tu, cover me." The Scavenger's face changed, and he shouted to Kan Tu, then quickly came to Tao Hua Yan's side and jumped into the Wolf Mech. The pursuers were closing in, and the Scavenger had no time to defuse the mine.

"Move your foot slowly, very slowly, just like that." The Scavenger used the mech's arm to slowly move Tao Hua Yan's foot to the side, then the wolf claw replaced Tao Hua Yan's foot on the mine.

"Take cover, quickly." After replacing Tao Hua Yan's position, the Scavenger shouted. When the two were safely hidden, the Scavenger twisted the mech and rolled on the ground.

Boom! The explosion lifted the soil over a dozen feet high. Several pieces of shrapnel pierced the Wolf Mech, and the wolf claw that replaced Tao Hua Yan's foot had a sharp claw shattered and a crack in the palm.

"Follow me carefully, don't step wrong." Without waiting for Kan Tu and Tao Hua Yan to ask, the Scavenger emerged from the Wolf Mech, put it away, and shouted, then led the way into the minefield.

Kan Tu and Tao Hua Yan wanted to say something but held back. They gritted their teeth and followed the Scavenger, stepping only in his footprints and avoiding everything else.

Boom, boom, boom... As they crossed the minefield, the pursuers behind them also arrived. Several pursuers stepped on mines, and the forest shook with the explosions. The Scavenger and the others took advantage of the minefield to quickly leave the area.

"Are... are you okay?" Finally, they temporarily escaped the pursuers and rested in a hidden place. Tao Hua Yan looked at the Scavenger and asked.

"I'm fine. The Wolf Mech's defense is good, and I'm not hurt." The Scavenger waved his hand, signaling the two to rest, while he kept watch.

The explosion's force was indeed blocked by the Wolf Mech, but the shockwave still affected the mech, making the Scavenger feel a bit breathless. His internal organs were clearly shaken, but to avoid worrying Kan Tu and Tao Hua Yan, he didn't say anything.

"Alright, let's keep moving. We'll push forward for two more hours, then we'll circle back. By then, the pursuers on the border should be moving, creating a gap." Three minutes later, the Scavenger checked the electronic device and pulled up the sitting Kan Tu and Tao Hua Yan.