Han Xiao believed that there were more to this ambush. He slapped on the back of the front chair and said, “Go faster, don’t slow down. Drive to our destination.”
Antonio skillfully changed gear and stomped on the accelerator. The car drifted before it changed direction and sped to escape.
All of a sudden, another jeep, as if it had been waiting in place for days, appeared right in the direction of their new escape route. This time, it was driven by Code 5. He fired his bazooka at them.
The anti-tank war head, driven by the flaming rocket propeller, approached them rapidly.
Antonio’s face slightly paled, and he immediately turned the steering wheel forcefully to make a sharp turn. The rocket brushed past the rear end of the car and landed on the sandy ground.
A loud blast was heard, and sand was flying all over the air.
The shockwave smashed onto the back of the vehicle, tilting it thirty degrees upward before it fell hard onto the ground. Han Xiao, who was sitting on the backseats, was bumped up and down heavily. His butt was in great pain as a result.
“Eh. They dodged it.” Code 3 squinted and said, “Code 9 is waiting for them in front on Thorns.”
Thorns was an armored battle vehicle modified by Su Li. It had extremely strong firepower, massive horsepower, and an ultra-thick armored exterior. It was the perfect fusion of a tank’s attack and defense capability and a jeep’s mobility.
Last night, Code 9 had discovered Han Xiao’s tracks, and they had set up the ambush with the three assassins. Code 9 was their final insurance. He drove Thorns in the direction that Han Xiao placed his trap. They had even discovered the rough coordinates of the trap, so it was impossible for them to fall into it. They then purposefully waited in the direction of Han Xiao’s escape to dash the little hope he had when he so desperately tried to escape!
“He is already dead,” Code 3 whispered.
The battle caused many explosions on the road; countless bullets and rockets were chasing Han Xiao’s vehicle wantonly. Han Xiao fired back as many times as he could, barely slowing the four jeeps’ pursuit. The Red-Falcon sniper rifle complemented the powerful spindle bullet, causing a substantial threat to the Rose Militant. But as his vehicle was now scrambling to escape from the scene, coupled with Code 3 and Code 5’s suppression, his shooting accuracy was undermined to a great extent.
Ohmmm…
A distinct engine sound thundered on the battlefield, like a tiger roaring in rage.
Han Xiao felt his heart tighten, and he quickly looked forward.
A modified battle jeep was blocking their way. Its armored exterior, thick and bulky, was covered with sharp spikes like a hedgehog.
Different kinds of large-caliber barrels were sticking out from the sides of the vehicle. Based on the sizes of the barrels, they were grenade launchers and small missile launchers. On the roof, there was a four-barreled rotating Gatling machine gun— oh wait, it must be a Gatling-type canon with that kind of caliber—powerful enough to be used on air fleets.
Thorns!
The battle jeep was right in front of their final path, circling them with the other four cars. They had no way to escape!
“We definitely cannot withstand the firepower from that damn thing.” Antonio had a grievous look.
They were blocked by the enemies from all sides and surrounded. They were on the brink of death.
“Drive south. You don’t have to worry about the firepower from that vehicle. I will handle it,” Han Xiao said solemnly.
There was only Code 3, armed with a sniper rifle, on the southern path. He was the lowest threat.
Antonio had no choice but to have faith in Han Xiao, and he quickly turned the steering wheel to run Code 3 down.
“Too late.”
Code 9’s expression was icy cold, and he was about to fire the canon on Thorns to blow Han Xiao’s jeep up in the air. Suddenly, Han Xiao turned around and fire a shot in his direction. The round hit the glass window and instantly flashed a blazing light.
Code 9’s eyes were blinded by the light and started tearing. He shut his eyes in the moment of pain.
Flash Bullet!
Hoommmmmm…
A massive volume of flames and smoke was coming out of the Gatling canon on Thorns, but it was fired in the wrong direction. The explosive rounds landed more than ten meters away from Han Xiao’s jeep.
“Crap. How did Code 9 flounder that shot‽” Code 3 was dumbfounded, and he quickly ordered the driver to block Han Xiao’s vehicle.
Antonio was fearless. He stomped on the accelerator, and the vehicle collided with the side of Code 3’s jeep front unyieldingly.
Both vehicles vibrated violently. However, Antonio chose an excellent angle of collision—he was able to force a path out, creating an opening for them to escape the encirclement.
“Pursue them!”
As they had fallen short of success at the last moment, Code 3 was infuriated. However, as he reassessed the situation, his mood eased up again.
They still had the upper hand in the current situation, so he had nothing to worry about. Although Han Xiao was running away frantically from the ambush that they had laid, they would soon catch up with him and blow his vehicle up with Thorns’ firepower and horsepower!
Han Xiao looked behind the vehicle through the glass window—the Rose Militant motorcade was chasing them relentlessly. They were merely two hundred meters apart, and both parties were driving more than a hundred miles an hour. Additionally, Thorns was firing nonstop, erupting waves and waves of sand behind his car. The aftereffect of the Flash Bullet was still being felt by Code 9. His eyes were red and sore, and his vision was blurred. As a result, his shots had zero accuracy.
Han Xiao was not at all flustered. He peeked at his coordinates on the radar and said with great composure, “Antonio, start the nitro boost in 48 seconds.”
“47… 30… 16… 3, 2, 1!”
When the moment arrived, Antonio opened a small cover beside the gearshift, which exposed the button for the nitro boost. He then pressed hard on the button.
Blue flames were gushing out of the exhaust pipe at the back of the jeep, and its speed soared, pulling their distance apart rapidly. The resultant force pushed the two in the vehicle into the back of their seat, restricting their movement.
“A futile struggle.” Code 3 thought nothing of it. He believed that the nitro boost would run out sooner or later. It was just a last-ditch effort to extend their lives. They would eventually be caught up by Thorns and be blown up.
The nitro boost was exhausted when the distance between the two parties extended to four hundred meters.
“They are slowing down.”
Code 5 loaded a new rocket, and he stood up through the roof window and aimed at Han Xiao’s jeep from a distance.
All of a sudden, his car braked at once. The sudden momentum threw Code 5 into the backseat.
“What the hell‽”
Code 5 was shouting when he saw the driver changing gears frantically. However, the vehicle was not responding at all. His heart sank, and he turned around and looked out the window. All their jeeps had stopped moving, including Thorns. They had all lost their driving power.
“All the cars are paralyzed!”
“What is happening?”
Everyone from Rose Militant was frightened. They were like lambs waiting to be slaughtered now that they had lost control of their vehicles. Han Xiao’s jeep parked a distance away.
Ghostly Fox wanted to contact the base for backup only to realize that their communication devices were malfunctioning.
“This is the effect of EMP!” she screamed.
Ghostly Fox felt a chill down her spine as she recalled how Dorothy had died.
“Run!”
The next moment, a high-explosive sniper round flew over from a distance, targeting an area beneath Code 3’s feet. Then, the landmines buried underneath the ground exploded. This time, the explosives included not just the toxic explosive
mines but also the good-quality ordinary landmines from Fabian Company’s warehouse.
The blaring sound of the blast was heard nonstop. Glaring flames shot up into the air, creating a dazzling mixture of orange, red, and white in Han Xiao’s eyes. Flames and explosions engulfed the whole hundred-meter radius of Rose Militant. There was not a single figure in sight.
Han Xiao lifted his sniper rifle on his shoulder and gave an evil chuckle. “Are you surprised? Are you shocked?”
Chapter 97 - Swoop In
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Antonio alighted from his vehicle and stood beside Han Xiao as he watched the explosion. He lit a cigar and took a puff before he chuckled heartily. “It has been a while since I last saw such beautiful scenery. I almost forgot what an explosion looks like after sitting in the office for so long.”
“Go ahead and enjoy the scenery.”
Han Xiao stretched his neck to relieve some of the fatigue as a result of the pursuit.
The flames eventually diminished. Antonio and Han Xiao cautiously approached the scene of explosion. A pungent stench, created by the mixture of smells from burning bodies and toxic gas, blew toward them.
Crap. I forgot that there is some toxic gas remaining!
Han Xiao was dumbfounded as he watched his HP drop on the Interface. He had no choice but to retreat the place, and he could only go back to sweep the battlefield after the toxic gas dispersed.
“Ugh…” A faint moan was heard on the battlefield. It came from Code 3, who was already half-dead. His four limbs had been shattered in the explosion, and his body was covered in red and dark burn marks. He raised his head laboriously and leveled Han Xiao a deadly gaze.
“You… Why….”
Han Xiao gave him a glance and used his Berserk Eagle to silence him before he could even finish his sentence.
Good guys could win battles with their words, and bad guys would always lose and die because they talked too much. There were countless similar lessons in the past. Han Xiao had wanted to try and talk to Code 3, but he believed that he did not belong to the good-guy category, so he had killed Code 3 without saying a word.
This kill has given me quite a lot of EXP. Code 3… what kind of lousy name is that?
Han Xiao looked at his interface while insulting the enemy’s name.
Hold on. There seems to be an enemy missing from my kill history.
Han Xiao’s eyes flashed and immediately surveyed his surroundings. He suddenly fired at the ground twenty meters away.
Fwoosh.
A shadow jumped out from beneath the sand—Ghostly Fox. She dashed rapidly and stabbed her dagger swiftly toward the nearest person, Antonio.
Her Pugilist training had taught her simple ground tunneling techniques. She had escaped the devastating explosion by tunneling into the sand the instant before the explosion. She had intended to continue hiding until all the enemies were gone, but since she had been spotted by Han Xiao, she had to fight for her life.
Sunlight was reflected off the surface of the dagger, emitting an icy glare. Antonio’s eyes narrowed, and he slammed his massive arms rapidly toward Ghostly Fox. His palms were almost as large as those of bears.
Ghostly Fox ducked as her petite build allowed her to do so easily. She circled to the back of Antonio and stabbed her dagger toward his heart. Suddenly, a dark shadow zoomed in before her eyes, and a bear-like palm followed and grabbed her head. The palm was so large that it almost wrapped around her entire skull.
Antonio threw her more than ten meters away as if he was shot-putting. The sheer amount of force created wave-like tracks around her on the ground. She was badly injured from the throw. However, she gritted her teeth hard and dived toward Antonio again. With Han Xiao watching on the side, she would be sniped down if she attempted to run away. She had no choice but to continue the fight.
Poomb. Poomb. Poomb.
Antonio was about to strike back when Han Xiao fired a few rounds with his double pistols, which turned her into a sieve.
[You killed Ghostly Fox (LV29). You have gained 9,400 EXP.]
Eh. Her level was quite high. Why was she so weak? Han Xiao looked at the battle info and realized the reason: Ghostly Fox’s main job was only Lv.8, and the rest of her levels were in her secondary jobs, which were mostly useless.
“You should have given me the opportunity to exercise my rusty body,” Antonio groused.
“The body is still warm. You can use it for some exercise.” Han Xiao nonchalantly picked his nose.
“You really are a jerk.”
Once the toxic gas dispersed, Han Xiao stepped into the explosion site to retrieve his EMP Disruptor.
Han Xiao had been unaware that Code 3 knew his whereabouts, but he was used to making multiple plans at once. He had planted not just one but four traps that night, each on a different position of the road that he was circling. Unless the enemy did not pursue him, they would have fallen into at least one of the traps.
As long as you dare chase me, I will eventually kill you.
After collecting his EMP Disruptor, Han Xiao started scavenging loot from the bodies. He found a substantial number of firearms and ammunition, which could be sold for a handsome amount of money. However, his greatest loot was the modified battle vehicle—Thorns. He would be able to use it after he fixed its internal electronic components.
Next, it is time to borrow some help.
…
“Ghostly Fox lost contact‽”
They had three assassins ambushing and better intelligence, yet they fell into the enemy’s trap!
Luo was heavy-hearted. She had just lost two teams and the modified battle vehicle, Thorns. Now, the base was void of any defense, which was another huge loss.
She contacted her secret sponsor again and explained the situation.
“You guys retreat first,” the person said slowly over the phone.
“… Understood.”
After hanging up the phone, Luo immediately organized her troops to load all the valuable assets onto vehicles in preparation of discarding the base and retreating temporarily. It was not the first time Rose Militant had faced a crisis of this magnitude. All they needed to do was seek shelter somewhere else for a few days before their secret sponsor sent down more personnel. They would gain a firm foothold again by then.
However, only half of the assets were loaded up when a blaring alarm was heard all over the base.
“Enemy attack!”
The sentry was shouting as loud as she could. Luo was astounded. She quickly climbed up the sentry post and looked far ahead, and that was when he saw a wave of sand inching closer. It was a motorcade of the Coutons approaching menacingly.
“Damn it. They are here too soon!”
Rose Militant had suffered great losses, so they were bound to fall prey to other powerful factions at this opportune time, and the Coutons were the prime candidate. The primary purpose of discarding the base was to avoid the hostility from other factions. However, the Coutons came too quickly. Someone must had had tipped them off.
Luo was enraged. Those Coutonian mercenaries were attacking the base from the frontline. If they were to brashly attempt to escape with their vehicles, it would surely become a battle in pursuit, which would make it all the more dangerous for them.
They were in a dilemma!
“Commander, what should we do now?”
“Let’s strike back. Strike them hard!” Luo said unyieldingly.
The militants dropped the supplies in their hand and quickly got back into their defense positions. They began bombarding the Coutonian motorcade with machine guns and grenade launchers. However, the mercenaries were undeterred and struck back.
One could only see rounds flying back and forth between the two sides, forming a curtain of death.
Countless cartridges fell into the yellow sand, and the grenades left numerous darkened sand craters on the ground, making the place resemble the surface of the Moon. Rose Mil
itant had excellent defenses in the base; they shouldered the attack even with insufficient manpower.
Behind the four walls of the base, Luo was seen commanding the militants tirelessly. Su Li walked over and whispered into her ears, “Due to insufficient manpower, one-quarter of our defense system is unmanned. Furthermore, as we are walled inside the base, we will face serious danger if other factions decide to butt in.”
As soon as she finished her sentence, a roaring engine sound was heard from a distance. Luo and Su Li’s hearts both jolted. They recognized that distinct engine hum.
On the other side of the battlefield, Han Xiao was driving the ferocious Thorns. The car jumped down from the sand-hill like a fearsome tiger, drawing a parabolic path on the sky. The repaired exterior reflected a glaring beam of sunlight, and the vehicle’s tires sped furiously.
The vehicle smashed onto the ground, splashing heaps of sand to the side before it charged furious toward the base. It was unstoppable.
Don’t the Thorns only belong to Rose Militant?
Couton’s eyes narrowed, and he quickly ordered his subordinates to pull back their positions. He thought that the Thorns operator was from the enemy side, and he was well aware of the firepower of the vehicle. Thus, he wanted to prepare his defense before the enemy was able to destroy them from their flanks.
He did not know that Rose Militant was even more anxious than him. They were even clearer about the real firing capability of Thorns.
“Quickly stop him. We cannot let Thorns near the base!” Su Li screamed.
Luo was wailing in her heart. Thorns used to be their trump card, and now, it had been taken and was being used against them. What a despicable act!
It was like having your girl snatched by another guy, and he still dared to bring your girl… ex-girlfriend… to show off in front of you. How could anyone endure such humiliation?
Luo could never tolerate such an act. She hated the killer so much that she wished that she could grind him into sand!
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