Chapter Twenty-Four: An Intense Will to Survive

With the D-785, as long as he didn't use "Inferno" in rapid succession, he could probably fire it several hundred, maybe even over a thousand times! A smile broke across Fang Mu's face. With the heavy sniper in his hands, he finally felt confident once more.

But soon he suppressed his excitement, knowing that now was not the time to admire the weapon. He had no idea if the people at the first corpse site had come this way—he needed to hurry, lest he be trapped.

He picked up speed, quickly searching the corpse for anything else of value. Suddenly, he noticed something hanging around the man's neck. He paused, took it, and saw it was a nameplate. As he read the inscription, Fang Mu's brows drew together.

Two words were carved on it—"Greedy Wolf."

"He's with Greedy Wolf?"

Fang Mu's brows knitted tightly. At last, he understood their identity.

Greedy Wolf—a powerful legion with great influence on the battlefield. They had numerous Gold-ranked elites among their ranks.

He hadn't expected that those who tried to ambush him were members of Greedy Wolf.

If they were Greedy Wolf, there could be no mistake—their target was definitely the Gale Tiger.

The reputation of Greedy Wolf's people matched their name. Their infamy was well known. They often killed and plundered on the battlefield.

Unfortunately, the One-Star Battlefield was a place where Evolvers were free to do as they pleased. Here, killing was legal. So, although everyone on the battlefield loathed the Greedy Wolf legion, their anger had to be swallowed; at best, people kept their distance.

He hadn't expected to cross paths with Greedy Wolf.

A faint weight pressed on Fang Mu's heart. But after a moment, he shook his head, his expression turning indifferent.

It didn't matter—he had killed, and that was that. He couldn't just stand still and let others kill him, could he?

As for the rest... he would think about it later.

He forced himself not to dwell on it and continued searching. He found a communicator, but it had been burned beyond recognition and was useless.

Nothing else.

"No supplies at all?" Fang Mu glanced around, puzzled. There wasn't even a tactical backpack?

Anyone entering the battlefield knew a tactical backpack was essential. One could be here for days, weeks, even months. Even if you could hunt battlefield creatures for food, you'd need to bring seasonings, drinking water, a tactical knife—at least some essentials.

Moreover, this man was a gunfighter; he should have carried extra ammunition. Yet there was nothing.

Fang Mu soon stopped wondering. This was the second sniper position—maybe, for convenience when relocating, the man had left his pack elsewhere.

"Better to get moving... Wait, is that man dead or not?"

Fang Mu decided to leave, but then recalled something. His brow furrowed as he looked toward the spot where the bald youth had tumbled.

The man was a Bronze-ranked Evolver, his vitality astonishing. Fang Mu's shot hadn't quite hit a vital point—it was hard to tell if it struck the waist or the hip...

He decided to check.

He approached the edge of the cliff and peered down.

It was a slope, not too steep—maybe fifty or sixty degrees. He saw traces of someone rolling, and as he looked further down, Fang Mu's eyes narrowed.

He saw a trail of blood, weaving and staggering, stretching from the base of the hill into the distant mountains.

He wasn't dead after all!

Fang Mu's heart tightened.

The vitality of a Bronze-ranked Evolver was terrifying. Even after suffering "Inferno," because it hadn't struck a fatal spot, the man had survived.

Fang Mu's mind raced, his gaze turning icy.

Since the man had tried to kill him, Fang Mu couldn't let him live.

Especially now that he suspected the man belonged to Greedy Wolf.

Greedy Wolf's vengeful reputation was well known on the battlefield.

"He’s headed straight for the first corpse site—looks like he wants to meet up with his companion… Fine, I'll take this chance to eliminate them both and remove all threats."

Fang Mu honestly couldn't be sure if his face had been seen. He didn't know how long he'd been watched—had they targeted him only when he reached the Gale Tiger, or even earlier, when he was ambushing the beast?

Both were Bronze-ranked Evolvers. Since evolving to Iron rank, Fang Mu's eyesight had improved dramatically; who knew how sharp a Bronze Evolver's vision was? Maybe they could see his face from a great distance.

He didn't want to take any chances.

If his appearance had been exposed, with Greedy Wolf's influence in the battlefield city, tracking him down would not be easy—but it wouldn't be impossible either.

With that, Fang Mu hesitated no longer. His gaze swept over the surrounding mountains as he mentally sketched out a rough map, searching for the best vantage point.

He didn't need to chase them. For a sniper, wherever his eyes could reach, that was his range.

With the heavy sniper in hand, in this terrain...

He was in control now.

...

...

A solitary figure staggered forward in agony, stumbling and limping.

It was Zhou Yang.

But now, his appearance was ghastly.

There was barely a patch of unscathed flesh on his body. His clothes had been entirely burned away, the melted fibers fused to his bloodied flesh, making for a terrifying sight.

His face, once handsome, was now unrecognizable—black ash and crimson flesh exposed, rendering him almost grotesque.

Fang Mu’s "Inferno" shot had inflicted horrifying wounds. After tumbling down the hill, Zhou Yang was battered even more, some spots scraped down to bone, blood pouring ceaselessly. There was a bloody hole in his lower back, still gushing.

For an ordinary person, these wounds would have spelled certain death.

But Zhou Yang was still alive.

He was a Bronze-ranked Evolver, his genetic vitality astonishing, his life force almost unthinkable. As long as his wounds were treated in time, he could survive.

Right now, though, he was filled with terror, unable to stop—he knew his position had been revealed, and his enemy would not let him live.

He was panicked, and deeply regretful.

If only... If only he had just left!

Li Tao was dead. Wang Cheng was dead...

But what did that have to do with Zhou Yang?

And now—he had failed to ambush anyone, and instead, he himself was about to die.

He was filled with regret, panic, and overwhelming fear.

He didn't want to die.

He still had so much life ahead of him!

"Brother Yao, Brother Yao, why haven't you come yet?!"

Zhou Yang was frantic, terrified that the pursuer would catch up.

At the same time, anxiety gnawed at him...

Brother Yao must have heard the gunshot. So why, after so long, hadn't he arrived?

Could it be...

He had been abandoned?

Otherwise, with Brother Yao's speed, he should have been here already!

The thought sent Zhou Yang into utter panic.

But there was nothing he could do—he could only keep staggering forward...

In this desperate plight, he could rely only on himself.

The fierce desire to survive sent his adrenaline surging, drawing forth every ounce of his genetic energy. The terrifying vitality of a Bronze-ranked Evolver barely kept him alive.

But this could not last long. He was only Bronze rank, after all. Such wounds needed treatment.

Otherwise, when his genetic energy ran dry, he would still be doomed...