Chapter 92: Stealth-Sniping (Subscribe for the 4th update)

The next day, Lu Luo buried Chu Qi’s body in the green belt. A few meters away, he placed a tombstone, mainly to prevent future Scavengers from grave robbing. The tombstone was made from a cut piece of floorboard. Apart from the four large characters in the middle, "Chu Qi’s Tomb," there was also a line of smaller characters at the bottom right corner. [In need of one Resurrection Coin.] Gu Fangyi hadn’t spoken since last night, and Qi Xinzhu was even less likely to understand the meaning behind these words. What was a Resurrection Coin? I wonder if the bodies buried in the ground will mutate. Lu Luo thought. [Normally, only an unresolved obsession combined with Dark Energy can generate a force strong enough to cause a mutation. The complexity and difficulty of the mutation process is no less daunting than nuclear transformation. However, Chu Qi passed away peacefully. Although she had regrets, she also found solace, making mutation in this case impossible.] Observer is so meek, did it sense my emotions? Lu Luo found its earnest explanation somewhat laughable. "It seems there’s no such thing as a Resurrection Coin," Lu Luo said. He picked up the small knife and carved a few more words below the existing text. [If not, then forget it.] After burying Chu Qi, the three of them started to clean the battlefield. The Lemillow’s sudden appearance last night meant the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals squad members had left many items behind: weapons, gear, and ammunition. Lu Luo also obtained several of their ID cards. Lu Luo was a very pragmatic person. He wouldn’t forgo these items simply because they belonged to the enemy. On the contrary, he would make them all his own, part of his strength. "Let’s go." "Where are we going now?" Gu Fangyi still hadn’t shaken off his low spirits. Lu Luo picked up a dozen hand grenades, smiling cheerfully as he said, "Of course, we’re going to kill those people! Our positions have shifted. If we speed up and circle around them, setting up an ambush beforehand shouldn’t be a problem. These hand grenades are perfect for traps. They’re definitely going to be much more powerful than the nails I used before! Besides, they’ve seen us. Once Wu Sen gets back, Song Hana will definitely remember us. You’re not thinking of gambling on her kindness to spare us, are you? That’s not how a mature member of Circle Studio should think." Only then did Qi Xinzhu understand Lu Luo intended to proactively kill people, unlike their previous passive encounters. And their targets were from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals. "Lu Luo, are you going to kill people?" Lu Luo looked at Qi Xinzhu. "Are you coming?" "I’m not going." 「...」 Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals’ squad wandered the streets, their expressions defeated and their members listless. "Damn it, nothing’s going right." Wu Sen’s team was down to just ten people. Besides Chu Qi, another woman had been abused to death, with Lu Luo’s classmate Wang Zheng as the main culprit. Even so, Wu Sen wouldn’t punish Wang Zheng, merely reprimand him. Why are there so few men in the Wasteland? It’s because too many have died out here. Outside the Wall, unless a woman possessed combat capabilities, ordinary women were virtually indistinguishable from cargo—a stark contrast to life Inside the Wall. With the mission failed and blood packs scarce, everyone was on edge. Wu Sen needed to stabilize morale; his men needed to release pressure. If one woman’s death could alleviate some of the team’s mental stress, then so be it. There was nothing more to say. "Captain, are we heading back now?" "What else can we do if we don’t go back? The Lemillow didn’t hibernate. That’s not our fault; it’s an error in the Hunter’s intelligence. What does it have to do with us?" Wu Sen had already prepared his explanation; he wouldn’t take the blame for this. At that moment, Zhou Laibing, responsible for reconnaissance, frowned. "Boss, three people just passed by on our right, moving very fast." "Very fast? How fast?" "Probably at the speed of a First Tier Transcendent." Wu Sen furrowed his brows. Despite numerous setbacks, he maintained his rationality. "Did they show any intention of stopping?" "No, they just passed by and left." "I see. Three people isn’t too bad; perhaps it’s a small team passing through. Regardless, stay alert and be extra careful. The closer we get, the more cautious we must be to avoid any mishaps." "Understood," Zhou Laibing nodded. If it were an ordinary Scavenger team, they certainly wouldn’t have paid it much mind. His team of ten, walking through the urban streets, had already encountered two Scavenger groups on their way back and mercilessly gunned them down. Wu Sen didn’t even blink at such killings. Are Scavengers even human? But individuals with Transcendent speed were a different matter entirely from ordinary Scavengers, so they had to be more cautious. To be safe, Wu Sen decided they would rest on the spot for a while. This would put some distance between them and the three who had just passed. They really couldn’t afford any more trouble right now. 「...」 At dusk, Wu Sen led his remaining team members, marching forcefully through the city before stopping in the central area. At the edge of their vision lay the Exiles’ Jungle. The beginning of the street on the opposite side, the Feifei Supermarket area, was where Lu Luo and his two companions had their base. Looking at the Exiles’ Jungle before him, Wu Sen felt a persistent unease, as if he had overlooked something. However, the scout, Old Zhou, hadn’t detected any problems, so Wu Sen could only dismiss his feeling. As team leader, I can’t show any unease now, Wu Sen reminded himself. "We’ll rest here for the night and head back Inside the Wall tomorrow. Everyone, stay alert." "Yes!" "Dismissed." Right as Wu Sen uttered the command to dismiss, a gunshot rang out. BANG! One team member’s head was instantly blown off. The shooter was Gu Fangyi, positioned on the distant clock tower. This was Gu Fangyi’s solo performance: a super-long-distance snipe that not even Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals’ Zhou Laibing could detect. Lu Luo’s trio had taken a detour, marching swiftly to arrive at this location ahead of Wu Sen’s team and set up an ambush. Following Lu Luo’s instructions, Gu Fangyi fired the first shot, killing one to vent his frustration. Lu Luo dared to stage such a blatant ambush primarily because he had previously tested and discovered something. The perception-Sequence member of Wu Sen’s team couldn’t detect them constantly. Or rather, that person’s ability or equipment had a limited perception range, a fact deducible from the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals team’s reactions. These distance and limitations provided Lu Luo ample operational space, allowing Gu Fangyi, with his Hawk Eye, to execute a super-long-distance snipe. However, after Gu Fangyi fired, Zhou Laibing, the perception-Sequence member, immediately locked onto his position. "He’s in the clock tower! There are two people in the direction of the clock tower!" Even knowing Gu Fangyi was on the clock tower, they couldn’t do anything for the moment; they were too far away. Hearing Zhou Laibing’s intelligence, Wu Sen immediately issued a command. "Two people... You five, find cover and circle around from behind. Just stay out of the sniper’s line of sight. Zhou Laibing, you keep him occupied. Be careful not to get your head blown off." "Yes." "How could he? If he dares show his face, I’ll take him down instantly," Zhou Laibing said confidently. The other Blue Sky members reacted quickly, circumventing the clock tower’s line of sight, swiftly assembling, and advancing towards it. In fact, their actions and reactions had all been anticipated by Lu Luo. Just as they reached the entrance to the clock tower’s stairs, the leading member snapped a tripwire, triggering several energy grenade fuses. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! This was why Lu Luo had meticulously prepared his trap. Against an enemy caught unawares, unless one was a super-powerful being capable of ignoring conventional weapons, even the strongest teams with the most skilled members faced certain death. These energy grenades were all items the Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals team members had left behind in the small building. Now, they had become the instruments of their demise. After the explosions, two of the five were dead and one severely injured. The remaining two immediately hesitated. Had they just emerged from the Wall, they would have undoubtedly charged forward. But things were different now. They had suffered too many setbacks and had lost their former edge. As the two hesitated, five or six stun grenades rained down from above. "Stun grenades! Close your eyes!" BZZZZ! Killing was a matter of kill or be killed. Neither Lu Luo nor Gu Fangyi spared any ammunition. Even though the two men were somewhat prepared, the combined effect of five or six stun grenades detonating simultaneously was overwhelming. They were stunned and dizzy, tears and snot streaming down their faces, completely unable to see clearly. Then came Gu Fangyi’s merciless follow-up shots. BANG! BANG! BANG! Gu Fangyi knew these men possessed Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals’ Slow-Death Medicated Serum. So, he shot them repeatedly, not stopping until the energy bullets had mangled their bodies beyond recognition. After stopping, Gu Fangyi pursed his lips and muttered to himself, "I’m not venting my anger; I’m just finishing them off." 「...」 With Wu Sen, Zhou Laibing naturally sensed the fate of the dispatched squad. He turned to Wu Sen and said, "Boss, that team’s gone. The sniper is back up in the building." Wu Sen was enraged. In this environment, a sniper posed too great a threat. "I’ll go myself. You adapt as needed." Zhou Laibing was about to nod in agreement when he suddenly sensed something: someone was rapidly approaching them. "Captain, there’s someone over there, moving very fast, heading straight for us!" Just as Wu Sen stood up, he immediately turned to look behind him. He saw Lu Luo, wearing a red smiling mask, tilting his head at him. That person... it’s that kid. Wu Sen thought. Even though Lu Luo was wearing a mask, Wu Sen recognized him by his clothing and build. He remembered Lu Luo. Back at the 404 Exhibition Hall, Lu Luo had been just an ordinary person. An ordinary person, even if consuming potent medicine daily, couldn’t have become significantly stronger in less than two months. Truly ignorant of death. Just as Wu Sen was about to act, a wire, which had wrapped around Zhou Laibing’s leg at some unknown time, suddenly yanked him. Wang Zheng reacted quickly, grabbing Zhou Laibing to prevent Lu Luo from dragging him into the street. A tug-of-war ensued, with Wang Zheng slowly pulling Zhou Laibing back. Lu Luo used both hands, while Wang Zheng used only one. This suggested Lu Luo’s strength was far less than Wang Zheng’s. This was quite normal. Wang Zheng trained daily at Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals, taking medication, while Lu Luo attended university classes. A power disparity was to be expected. This kid is very scheming, and his plans are meticulous. He’s good with traps and might use bombs or firearms. His long-range tactics and planning are strong, but his close-combat skills are lacking. I need to find a way to get close to him. Once in melee range, he should be easy to deal with. From this, Wu Sen roughly assessed Lu Luo’s capabilities. Wang Zheng, still in the tug-of-war with Lu Luo, noticed the steel cable rising, apparently being pulled up to the second floor by Lu Luo. And Lu Luo, standing in the shadow on the second floor, smiled and hung a grenade on the steel wire with the Fusioner. [To expend 8 points of energy to make one change: Attach a sliding ring to the energy grenade.] With the advantage of height and angle, the grenade, now fitted with a sliding ring, swiftly slid down the wire from the shadows towards Wang Zheng. Wang Zheng couldn’t understand how the energy grenade had suddenly acquired a ring allowing it to hang and slide on the steel cable. But as the grenade sped closer, panic set in, and his reactions slowed. Wu Sen, acting decisively, drew a dagger and severed the steel wire. However, the grenade still flew towards them. As the grenade slid down the wire, Lu Luo’s Fusioner acted again, altering its form to yank the grenade’s pin. BOOM! The grenade exploded right in front of a team member. The outcome, needless to say, was grim. "Captain, what do we do?" Wang Zheng, exasperated at being toyed with, wanted to charge across and tear Lu Luo apart. However, with Gu Fangyi’s sniper rifle aimed their way, they couldn’t even safely cross the street. Wu Sen glanced at Lu Luo in his smiling mask, then at Gu Fangyi still perched with his rifle in the clock tower. He looked at his three remaining team members and the bag of blood packs. Since the operation has come to this, why not take everything for myself? A more ruthless plan formed in his mind. With this thought, he yelled across to Lu Luo, "Lu Luo, right? We don’t have any grudge between us that warrants this, do we?" As he spoke, attempting to delay Lu Luo, he drew an exaggeratedly large-caliber revolver. He also took out a small box and loaded the revolver with two special bullets. "We are a private collection team from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals. If there’s any misunderstanding, please speak up." Lu Luo didn’t respond. He simply pulled the pin from another grenade and tossed it over, continuing to pressure Wu Sen. Wu Sen ducked behind second-floor cover to avoid the grenade’s explosion. Since Lu Luo didn’t take the bait, Wu Sen had no choice but to have the others buy him time. "You guys find a way to hold him off, just for a few seconds." "Understood." Zhou Laibing and the other two began firing frantically at Lu Luo. The intense barrage kept Lu Luo pinned down, unable to raise his head. Seizing this opportunity, Wu Sen ignored Lu Luo and instead aimed at the distant clock tower, firing two shots. BOOM! BOOM! The gunshots roared like thunder, launching two extremely bright projectiles. These were no ordinary bullets; they were more like miniature missiles. Seeing the sudden projectiles, Gu Fangyi thought, Not good! and hastily leaped from the tower. Jumping from such a height would mean certain death, even for him. Thankfully, Lu Luo had made arrangements. He had Qi Xinzhu, positioned in another building, use a rope to catch Gu Fangyi, simultaneously protecting him with Holy Light. This was the only thing Qi Xinzhu had agreed to do for Lu Luo during this operation. The energy radiating from the two projectiles was visible to the naked eye. They carved a massive arc through the air before striking the clock tower’s center and top. RUMBLE... The massive clock tower collapsed from the impact.