Chapter Twenty-Seven: Encircled and Hunted

As the sun set in the west, the heat slowly dissipated. Guided by their map, Qin Ming and his companions headed toward their next destination.

“In the wilderness, there are three things you must fear most in a hunt,” Wang Chui continued to share his wisdom. “First, the schemes of other squads. Second, beast tides. Third, encountering wandering beasts of commander rank.”

“Especially in the heat of battle—if another squad ambushes you, the outcome can be tragic.”

“As for beast tides—even the War God can fall. Take the low-ranked beast soldiers, the gray-haired rats. If their numbers exceed ten thousand, a battle general who gets caught among them will almost certainly die. If they reach a million, even a War God stands a high chance of perishing.”

“As for commander-ranked beasts, they are rare, but if you run into one, it's a disaster.” Commander-ranked beasts were on par with War Gods, their intelligence no less than humans.

They raced forward, and after covering a hundred miles, saw a group approaching from the opposite direction. Both sides slowed, intentionally keeping their distance. They stopped only when they were about ten meters apart.

Their shields were raised in front of them. Niu Piaopiao gripped her sniper rifle tightly. Yang Sanbao’s machine gun was angled toward the ground.

“Captain Wang, out again I see!”

“That’s right, Captain Liang. Looks like you’ve gathered quite a haul with all those bags.”

“Not bad. At least it wasn’t a wasted trip.”

“Captain Liang, any trouble along the way?”

“Same as usual. No worries.”

“Thanks, Captain Liang. I’ll buy you a drink when we get back!”

“Haha! Sounds good. Let’s part ways here. You go ahead, we’ll return to base and rest.”

“See you later!”

“See you later!”

After exchanging courtesies, both squads withdrew cautiously. Only when the other group was out of sight did they finally relax.

“Qin, I’ve shared drinks with Captain Liang before. Do you know why we’re so careful when we meet?” Wang Chui spoke, and without waiting for a reply, continued gravely, “Remember, the wilderness is a lawless land. Here, you never know what others are thinking. Whenever squads meet, everyone is cautious. One careless moment and your whole team could be wiped out. Mutual vigilance is an unspoken rule, and it doesn’t sour relationships since it’s about responsibility—to yourself and your teammates. Of course, if a hunter falls into dire straits, they’ll send an SOS through their smart wrist device. Usually, if you belong to the same organization, you’ll go to their aid. If not, it depends on your own circumstances. When rescuing, don’t rush in blindly—help if you can, but if you can’t, turn back.”

“These things aren’t written in the books!” Qin Ming sighed.

“Haha! Books are too vague. Experience is what makes it stick.”

Another hundred miles ahead, the ruins of a city appeared—site number 0289. As far as the eye could see, many fierce beasts were prowling.

They approached cautiously.

Elsewhere, in Captain Liang’s squad:

“Captain, there’s a five hundred million deal. Should we take it?”

“You’ve contacted Hou Chong?”

“Captain, we’re from the same neighborhood. My hand slipped and sent some info. Five hundred million—it’s almost guaranteed! Captain, this job is worth it!”

“If word gets out, our reputation will be ruined. Xiao Zhu, remember, there won’t be a next time, or you’re out of the team!”

“Captain…!”

“This time, I know nothing. If you want to go, go alone!”

“Captain, as long as I live, I’ll never leave your side!”

The last rays of the setting sun faded, replaced by darkness. Out in the wilds, fierce beasts multiplied. They hunted humans—and each other. This was the most brutal battle for survival. Since the Great Nirvana began, it had never ceased.

In a dilapidated building, Wang Chui and his team had just settled in.

“Qin’s got some experience now. No need to waste time. Let’s rest up, then tonight, we’ll hunt for beast generals—take down a few!” Wang Chui declared.

“It’s time for a big score!” The others nodded in agreement.

Killing beast soldiers wasn’t very profitable. The real money came from beast generals—even a junior one was worth at least five million.

The moon was bright as they set out.

Niu Piaopiao climbed to the rooftop, securing the high ground. Even when moving, she leaped between tall buildings—she was the eyes of the team, absolutely vital.

After turning two blocks, they spotted fifty or sixty gray-haired rats, each larger than a cat, devouring a black-haired boar they had brought down.

“Rat beasts are the worst!” Wang Chui signaled for them to bypass the scene, then whispered to Qin Ming, “They’re fast, have keen noses, and are small—very hard to kill. One or two are nothing, but if dozens or hundreds gather, it’s very dangerous. They’re fearless; they swarm their prey, just like the black-haired boar we saw—it was killed by sheer numbers.”

“Captain, you missed the key point!” Niu Piaopiao’s voice came through the wrist device. “The main thing is, they’re worthless!”

“Exactly, not worth the effort.” Wang Chui shrugged.

“Boss…!” Niu Piaopiao’s voice carried a note of excitement through the wrist device. “Around the corner ahead, there’s a spotted leopard—a mid-level beast general!”

“A spotted leopard? Must have come down from the western mountains!” Wang Chui began issuing orders. “Piaopiao, get ready! Qin, stick with me. Yang, Ma, Xiong, cover forward!”

The team moved like wildcats, nearly silent, advancing swiftly under Niu Piaopiao’s guidance.

When they were still dozens of meters away, her voice sounded again: “Boss, it’s sensed you!”

“Go!” Wang Chui commanded without hesitation.

The moment he spoke, gunfire rang out.

Qin Ming saw clearly—the spotted leopard, three meters long and two meters tall, whipped its head around just as the bullet, meant for its left eye, struck its forehead instead.

The expected scene of the bullet piercing its skull did not happen. Its skin burst open, blood gushed, but the bullet lodged in the bone.

“What terrifying animal instincts!” Qin Ming marveled.

Apparently, the leopard hadn’t detected them in advance. Even if it had, it couldn’t evade a supersonic bullet. It must have sensed danger instinctively and jerked its head aside.

In the same instant, Wang Chui and his companions dashed forward, closing in a blink.

The spotted leopard’s roar of pain echoed.

Wang Chui, shield in his left hand, swung his massive hammer savagely at the leopard’s head. But the beast leapt aside, smashing Yang Sanbao, shield and all, aside with a powerful charge.

Its tail, like a steel whip, sent Xiong Tian’ao flying five or six meters.

Speed, strength, reflexes—all were frighteningly extreme.

Coupled with its intelligence, even a mid-level battle general would turn and run if faced alone.

Right now, Ma Decao had no time to react, and Wang Chui couldn’t manage a second attack in a split second.

The leopard was about to break free.

But Qin Ming moved.

He applied the secret technique to his legs, accelerating instantly beyond three hundred meters per second, leaving an afterimage as he darted to the leopard’s flank.

At the same moment, his battle blade slashed down on its left hind leg.

A spray of blood burst forth!