Hound, dragging his injured right leg, made a faint sound as his tactical boots crunched on the gravel.
He raised a hand, signaling the team to halt. The four members immediately spread out, forming a standard fan-shaped defensive formation.
"The target is just ahead," Hound whispered, "three people, two injured."
His breathing was a bit more rapid than usual, and fine beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
As a captain of one of the KH organization's teams, albeit not the most elite, a hunting team ranked at the bottom, he had never encountered such a formidable opponent.
Out of a thirteen-person team, only five were still able to fight.
"Group A resupply, Group B suppressive fire," Hound made a tactical gesture, "Remember, leave no one alive."
Just as the team was preparing to move, an almost imperceptible whoosh came from a distance.
Hound didn't even have time to turn his head before the helmet of the team member next to him suddenly exploded.
Whoosh!
Eight hundred meters away, on an oak tree, the suppressor of Marcus's AXMC sniper rifle was emitting a faint wisp of smoke.
The cavitation effect created by the .338 bullet within the cranial cavity caused the entire back of the head to explode, sending skull fragments and brain tissue spraying in a fan shape onto the wall three meters behind.
Bang—!
Only when the red-and-white mixture splattered onto Hound's face did the gunshot leisurely echo from afar.
"Sniper!"
Hound instinctively dove for the nearest cover, his back hitting a marble pillar with a heavy thud.
His heart pounded violently, and his ears buzzed.
"Damn it! It's a large-caliber sniper rifle!" a team member shrieked, his voice laced with fear, "At least 800 meters out!"
Hound forced himself to calm down. He quickly checked his gear: his HK416 had two magazines left, his smoke grenades were used up, and the only good news was that he still had two flashbangs.
"Everyone, attention," his voice was surprisingly steady, "The enemy has thermal imaging; activate IR jamming immediately."
The team members quickly pressed the jammer buttons on their tactical vests. This was KH's latest infrared jamming device, capable of disrupting thermal imaging equipment identification for a short period.
Zhang Jie and the two others pressed themselves against the stone wall, not daring to breathe.
"A professional sniper," James whispered, "The bullet arrived before the sound, at least .338 caliber."
Razor Girl gripped her razor tightly, her knuckles white: "Not one of ours?"
"I don't know," Zhang Jie shook his head, sweat dripping down his chin, "but the enemy is actually attacking KH personnel…"
Another distant gunshot, followed by the sound of shattering glass.
This time, the bullet passed through a second-floor window, pinning an injured, moving KH team member to the wall.
Whoosh!
As the bullet penetrated the 15cm thick limestone, the resulting rock fragments created deadly secondary shrapnel.
The injured person hiding behind had their carotid artery severed by a sharp stone, blood sprayed in a mist onto the ceiling, and they collapsed, weakly clutching their neck.
"Good shot," James praised softly, "At least 1000 yards, perfect wind correction."
Hound crouched behind cover, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.
He had never felt such fear, being targeted by an invisible grim reaper, where every step could be his last.
"Captain, we…"
"Shut up!" Hound sharply interrupted the team member.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to think.
The infrared jammer could only last for three minutes; they had to act within that time.
"Listen up," he lowered his voice, "The enemy is in the northwest direction, we…"
A third gunshot interrupted him.
Bang!
This time, the bullet shattered a corner of the stone pillar they were hiding behind, and flying debris left a bloody scratch on Hound's face.
"Damn it!"
Hound sharply recoiled, his heart almost leaping out of his chest.
He could feel death close at hand; the sniper seemed to be able to see through walls.
Eight hundred meters outside the castle, on an oak tree, Marcus adjusted his breathing rhythm.
He lay prone on a thick branch of a century-old oak, his AXMC sniper rifle steadily propped in front of him.
The rustling of leaves in the night wind perfectly masked the faint metallic sounds of the firearm.
"Number 4."
Marcus murmured softly, pulling the bolt to eject the hot casing.
Through the thermal imaging scope, he saw the blurred heat signature caused by the jamming device.
But this didn't deter him; twenty years of sniping experience allowed him to judge the target's position by the movement of the heat signature's outline.
"Let's see… what will Captain choose?"
Marcus's finger gently rested on the trigger, the 3-pound pull causing the veins on the back of his hand to bulge as he waited for his prey to reveal a weakness.
Hound knew time was running out.
The jammer's power indicator light had begun to flash, meaning protection was about to disappear.
"Disperse and break through," he finally decided, "Everyone evacuate along the predetermined route and regroup at Point B."
The remaining two team members exchanged a glance, both seeing the fear in each other's eyes. But well-trained, they immediately carried out the order.
As soon as the first team member rushed out of cover, a bullet pierced his knee.
The patella instantly vaporized into bone dust, and joint fluid and blood sprayed 1.5 meters from the back of the wound under the impact.
A scream echoed through the ancient castle, followed by a second shot that ended the suffering.
Hound's teeth ground together.
This was no ordinary sniper; this was a hunter, enjoying a game of cat and mouse.
The jamming device emitted a final warning sound, then shut off.
Hound knew that his life now depended entirely on the sniper's mood.
He took a deep breath and suddenly rolled out from the other side of cover, simultaneously throwing a flashbang in the direction of Zhang Jie and his companions.
Amidst the blinding white light and deafening explosion, Hound desperately rushed towards the nearest exit.
Unfortunately, his leg was injured, and he couldn't move any faster.
He could feel bullets whizzing past his ears, but the instinct for survival made him ignore them.
Just as he was about to reach the safe zone, a bullet precisely pierced the shoulder strap of his tactical vest, the Kevlar fibers exploding like popcorn, pinning him to the doorframe.
The radial cracks formed in the stone wall where the bullet penetrated and embedded were clearly visible.
Hound realized with horror that this shot had deliberately avoided vital areas.
But… his body felt as if something had taken a bite out of it, a piece missing.
"No… no…" He struggled desperately, finally experiencing the fear of those he had hunted in their dying moments.
A distant gunshot rang out again, this time aimed at his right knee.
The proximal tibia shattered like it had been crushed by a hydraulic press, and Hound let out a non-human shriek, collapsing to his knees.
Traumatic shock caused his blood pressure to plummet to 70/40, and his vision began to blur.
Marcus watched the scene through his scope, a cruel smile on his lips: "John was right, this kid is worth saving."
He pulled the bolt one last time, and the crosshairs steadily locked onto Hound's forehead.
Zhang Jie and the two others waited until the gunshots had completely stopped before daring to move.
"Is it over?" Razor Girl cautiously looked around.
James, dragging his injured leg, walked to the window and carefully observed the oak forest outside: "A professional sniper, seven shots fired, all hits."
At least it was confirmed that the sniper was not targeting them.
The three remained silent for a moment, then, as if on cue, looked towards the depths of the castle.
There, Oriska was still waiting for them.
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