Chapter 259: Surround and Rescue
"Damn it! I used this gun to blow chunks out of bunkers made of reinforced concrete, and now this damn shelter has no weak points at all!"
He knew the shot wouldn't break the bulletproof glass, but the harsh reality was too much to bear, and Yu Lang couldn't help but curse.
Shen Hong took a deep breath and said, "This shelter's defenses are probably even scarier than West Hill Base! Our weapons are useless; we need to report this to our superiors."
The rescue team's soldiers were utterly disheartened. They swore that this was the most frustrating fortification they had ever encountered, rendering their years of tactical training and marksmanship utterly useless.
"Retreat!" Shen Hong ordered, and the team began an orderly withdrawal from their cover. Yu Lang handed his heavy sniper rifle back to the soldier carrying it and prepared to retreat. They didn't know that Zhang Yi was waiting for them to reveal themselves.
"Dimensional Gate, activate!"
"Xiao Ai, open the window."
Following Zhang Yi's command, the intelligent system slowly opened the window in front of him, creating an opening. The Dimensional Gate appeared just outside, forming a seemingly vulnerable yet impregnable barrier. The Dimensional Gate was one-way, meaning any incoming attacks would be absorbed, but outgoing shots were unaffected.The retreating rescue team noticed the window opening.
"Captain, the second-floor window just opened!" Two soldiers immediately raised their rifles and fired without hesitation. As elite soldiers, their marksmanship was precise, and they fired three-round bursts aimed directly at Zhang Yi's face.
But the bullets vanished before reaching Zhang Yi, as if swallowed by the air.
Zhang Yi, meanwhile, pulled his own trigger. He aimed at the soldier carrying the heavy sniper rifle. Zhang Yi liked that rifle; even within the military, such a weapon wasn't easily accessible. It was far more powerful than his current sniper rifle, and in his hands, it would be even deadlier. So, Zhang Yi decided to keep it.
"Bang!"
A bloody hole appeared in the soldier's head; even his helmet couldn't stop the sniper shot. Shen Hong saw Zhang Yi at the window, catching a glimpse of his handsome face, and couldn't help but smile grimly.
"Perfect timing! You're digging your own grave!" he shouted. "Fire at will!"
Ignoring the fallen soldier, Shen Hong aimed his rifle at Zhang Yi. Over twenty soldiers simultaneously raised their guns, unleashing a barrage of bullets at Zhang Yi.
Zhang Yi, unhurried, fired back.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
His pace was steady, taking one shot after another. But each shot was a perfect headshot! The soldiers were well-equipped with bulletproof helmets, but Zhang Yi's sniper rifle, combined with his precision ability, could pierce through even their finest gear.
Within moments, six soldiers lay dead under Zhang Yi's sniper fire.
"No way, why can't we kill him?" one of the soldiers finally realized something was wrong. Zhang Yi was fully exposed to their fire, without any defensive cover or even decent gear. Yet no matter how they fired, he remained unscathed, not even a scratch on his clothes!
Shen Hong's pupils contracted as he finally understood.
"He's a Superhuman!"
Yu Lang stared in disbelief. "Are you saying he can completely negate our attacks?"
Superhumans were already beyond the understanding of ordinary people, and each had unique mutations that defied comparison. Zhang Yi's unknown ability instilled immense fear in the rescue team.
"Retreat, retreat immediately! This guy is not someone we can handle!" Shen Hong shouted, ordering the soldiers to retreat quickly. This enemy was too formidable; only a squad leader from the Special Forces might stand a chance against him. But even then, with his fortress-like shelter, a single squad leader might not be enough. How could they fight when they could only be on the receiving end?
Shen Hong and the others were furious to the point of cursing.
"This is just bullying!"
For such an elite unit to fight, such a humiliating battle was infuriating. Some soldiers tried to carry the bodies of their fallen comrades, but lingering for even a second longer spelled death.
"Forget the dead for now! Hide, quickly!" Shen Hong yelled anxiously.
Zhang Yi noticed Shen Hong and Yu Lang, who seemed to be the leaders. He aimed his rifle at them.
"Bang!"
A shot aimed straight for Shen Hong's head. But just as Zhang Yi fired, something eerily familiar happened. Shen Hong's body blurred, leaving afterimages in the air, narrowly dodging the bullet.
"Huh? Another artificially made Superhuman? And their abilities are so similar!" Zhang Yi then aimed at Yu Lang and found his reaction to be identical to that of Shen Hong.
"They have the same abilities. Can Superhumans be created with drugs, or are their powers copied from someone else?"
Zhang Yi marveled at the wonders of biology, but his mission remained. Not all of the soldiers had such powers, and they were still targets.
However, this time, Zhang Yi changed his mind. He noticed the soldiers abandoning the bodies of their fallen comrades and hiding behind the walls of the surrounding luxury villas. From Zhang Yi's vantage point, his attack range couldn't cover the entire battlefield, but he didn't want them to escape easily.
He wanted to kill more intruders.
Zhang Yi's lips curled into a cold smile. He aimed at a soldier who hadn't managed to hide in time, targeting his right leg instead of his head.
"Bang!"
The soldier's right leg exploded into a mist of blood as the sniper bullet tore it apart, leaving it mangled and broken.
"Ahhhh!!!"
The soldier screamed in agony, collapsing onto the snow. Zhang Yi repeated the process with another soldier who hadn't managed to hide, leaving two men writhing in pain on the ground. Even hardened warriors couldn't withstand the agony of shattered limbs.
"Liu Hongtao! Cao Jiayu!!"
Seeing their comrades' miserable state, the other soldiers' eyes reddened with fury. They wanted to rush out and save them immediately! They could abandon fallen comrades, but they couldn't leave those they fought alongside to die without trying to help.
"No one moves! This is a trap to lure you out. No one steps forward!" Shen Hong shouted angrily, stopping any soldier who tried to rush out.
His heart bled as well, but he knew staying calm was the only way. Falling into the enemy's trap would lead to more deaths.
"Smoke grenades and incendiary bombs, deploy them!"
At Shen Hong's command, the soldiers quickly realized the plan. Since Zhang Yi was using sniping tactics to bait them into rescuing, they would disrupt his vision. Smoke and flames quickly engulfed the area around the wounded soldiers, obscuring visibility even through tactical goggles.
Taking the opportunity, Shen Hong dispatched several soldiers to rescue the injured.
Zhang Yi raised an eyebrow. "They're professional soldiers, after all. Impressive combat skills."
Now, he couldn't strike with precision. Zhang Yi's lips curled into a cold smile as he adjusted the direction of the Dimensional Gate. In an instant, all the ammunition it had absorbed was unleashed like a torrential storm upon the area!
In a blink, the two wounded soldiers and the group sent to rescue them were bombarded by a hail of bullets. Even wearing the best combat suits, they couldn't withstand such an overwhelming assault. Seconds later, they were all riddled with holes.
Shen Hong and the others were filled with grief, shouting the names of their fallen comrades. They were furious but also deeply fearful of the man hiding in the shadows. Zhang Yi's tactics were beyond their understanding.
"He's not human! We can't beat him!" cried a young soldier, clutching his rifle with terror on his face. These soldiers had excellent combat skills, but China had been at peace for so long. Facing such a terrifying opponent for the first time and watching their comrades die before them caused some to break.
"Captain, should we request backup? Should we ask the base to send reinforcements?" a soldier asked Shen Hong.
Shen Hong's face twitched with anger, flushed red as he kicked the soldier. "Shut up! We came here to provide backup, and now you want to turn around and ask the base for help? How can we face anyone with that kind of shame?"
"But... that man is too terrifying! No, he's not even human—he's a devil! How can he be invincible?"
The soldiers were utterly demoralized. No matter how strong they were, they couldn't kill someone immune to their bullets. Retreating only made them sniper targets, while attacking was impossible with that impregnable fortress.
"Stay calm!" Yu Lang barked.
"He hasn't come out; he must still fear us to some extent. Don't be too scared!"
The soldiers were terrified by Zhang Yi's strange powers, but Shen Hong and Yu Lang, being modified Superhumans themselves, knew it wasn't supernatural but an unknown ability. Understanding a little about the enemy eased their fears somewhat.
Shen Hong asked seriously, "What do we do? His marksmanship rivals ours. If we show ourselves, we risk getting sniped!"
The villa area was wide open, with only a few houses providing cover. Trying to escape would inevitably expose them.
Yu Lang drew some lines in the snow and pointed to a route. "Blast through these houses and follow this path. As long as we stay out of sight, his marksmanship won't matter."
Author's Note