Chapter 938: Chapter 938

Although the squad was initially pinned down by the mercenaries, unable to raise their heads, the situation changed once everyone steadied their footing.

Lin Chen's marksmanship was extremely precise. His large-caliber rifle demonstrated its deadly precision, nearly every shot a headshot, forcing the enemies opposite him to stay out of sight.

Lan Xingyue's shooting was equally sharp, constantly firing pinpoint bursts from her light machine gun.

Mu Yuqiu leaned against a tree, her eyes gleaming with coldness as she aimed her sniper rifle and fired.

Nearly every shot resulted in a splatter of blood from the enemy.

Zhao Xiaohua also wielded a light machine gun. She hid behind a tree and kept suppressing the enemy with a sweeping barrage, leaving them incapable of counterattack.

An Xiaodi and the others also fired back with their guns. Though the mercenaries outnumbered them, the two sides found themselves evenly matched for the moment.

Lan Xingyue furrowed her brows and said to the group, "We can't confirm if the enemy has reinforcements, so we must avoid getting bogged down. We need to find a way to break through."

Lin Chen glanced at the enemies' hiding spots and said, "This squad consists of thirty-two people equipped with advanced gear from M Country's special forces. If we keep dragging this out, it'll be hard to eliminate them in a short period."

"How do you know such specifics?" Lan Xingyue looked at Lin Chen, surprised.

Lin Chen struck a confident pose, oozing smugness: "Of course, by listening to the gunfire!"

"You can tell how many people there are just from the gunfire?" Lan Xingyue looked at him, unconvinced.

Lin Chen continued, "The direction at three o'clock is where their rookies are stationed. If we break through from that side, we can carve a path out."

"Are you sure?" Lan Xingyue looked at Lin Chen.

Lin Chen gave a faint smile: "Please don't underestimate a military genius."

The enemy's attacks grew increasingly fierce, even launching assaults with rocket launchers.

Lan Xingyue gritted her teeth and ordered the group, "Retreat!"

According to Lin Chen's suggested direction, those mercenaries indeed couldn't hold their ground and were scattered by their charge.

The squad managed to tear through the encirclement and force their way out.

However, to Lin Chen and the others' surprise, the enemies didn't pursue them and merely fired a few shots at their backs before falling silent.

After running for several kilometers, the group finally stopped to catch their breath.

"Damn it, why are there mercenaries in this primeval forest?" Wang Zixuan gasped as she spoke.

Lan Xingyue's gaze sharpened, her face cold as ice.

"Wang Zixuan, tell me—where were you, and what were you doing when the enemies showed up?" Lan Xingyue's icy stare seemed capable of piercing through a person.

Wang Zixuan's face reddened as she muttered quietly, "I... I accidentally fell asleep."

Lan Xingyue's face darkened immediately: "Asleep? You say that so casually! Do you realize that everyone's lives were nearly lost because of you?"

Wang Zixuan looked aggrieved: "How could I have known there'd be enemies in this primeval forest? You didn't warn me beforehand!"

"Still arguing? If this were a battlefield, I'd have executed you by now." Lan Xingyue snarled furiously.

"Alright, Xingyue. Zixuan is handling a gun for the first time, and just like she said, no one expected mercenaries to appear here. Let's give her a chance to improve next time," Lin Chen interjected.

"Next time? I don't want to see a next time! Wang Zixuan, if you make another mistake, you'll leave immediately." Lan Xingyue said coldly.

Zhao Xiaohua suddenly spoke up: "This group of mercenaries likely wasn't targeting us. This seems like a chance encounter, something they didn't anticipate either."

"A chance encounter?" Everyone was stunned.

Zhao Xiaohua explained further, "Their attack formations were extremely loose earlier. And did you notice? They've probably been in this forest for at least a month. Their physical strength and spiritual power are already stretched to the limit."

"The Skull Legion is an armed unit under the Ghost Society. Their sudden presence in the African forest—what exactly is their motive?" Lan Xingyue pondered aloud.

Initially, Lan Xingyue believed their squad was the enemy's target. But if this was a chance encounter and the mercenaries had been here for a long time, something felt suspicious.

"Did anyone notice? The enemy was primarily defensive, seeming more panicked than we were. Also, did you see the bearded guy? He was carrying some strange box on his back, and their strongest firepower was concentrated near him," Lin Chen said, his eyes lighting up.

"So that means they might be escorting something important and accidentally ran into us," Lan Xingyue concluded.

"No wonder they didn't pursue us! Their mission wasn't to eliminate us—it's to protect something." Lin Chen stated with certainty.

"Let's turn around and go back!" Lan Xingyue suddenly declared.

"What do you mean go back? They've got thirty-plus people, while we only have six!" Wang Zixuan exclaimed.

"Sure, they have numbers, but after being stuck in the forest for so many days, both their stamina and combat capabilities have waned significantly. Plus, they'd never expect us to strike back after retreating. It's the perfect opportunity to wipe them out," Lan Xingyue's eyes burned with determination.

The Skull Legion is infamous worldwide for countless bloody massacres in the dark underworld. Eliminating them here would be worthwhile, even if there's nothing valuable on them.

"I agree! We might find some unexpected gains," Zhao Xiaohua chimed in.

Lin Chen sighed, "You two are absolutely insane. Well, I guess I'll join you for this madness."

Having decided on their course of action, the group retraced their path.

"The enemies are positioned at five o'clock—they've stopped moving, likely resting," Lin Chen said gravely.

"How do you know that?" Lan Xingyue asked curiously, glancing at Lin Chen.

"I told you, I'm a military genius!" Lin Chen replied smugly.

In truth, all the intel—personnel count, breakthrough direction, current location—was provided by "Little Handsome."

But Lin Chen used it as an opportunity to boost his image, which worked brilliantly; even Lan Xingyue was beginning to admire him.

The group advanced stealthily, and before long, Yue'er returned from scouting ahead.

"Miss, the enemies are at the five o'clock position, currently eating," Yue'er reported.

Hearing this, Lan Xingyue gave Lin Chen a peculiar look. Lin Chen had been with them the entire time, yet he could sense what was happening a kilometer away. His perception was downright astonishing.

Yue'er continued, "Eight of them are posted as guards in four directions. To ambush them, we'll need to take out these eight first."

Lan Xingyue nodded thoughtfully and assigned roles: "Lin Chen, you take care of the two on the eastern side."

"Got it!" Lin Chen nodded.

"Sister Xiaohua, you handle the two on the western side," Lan Xingyue instructed Zhao Xiaohua.

"No problem." Zhao Xiaohua drew her knife confidently.

"Yue'er, the northern side is yours. I'll tackle the southern side," Lan Xingyue added.

"Understood!" Yue'er replied.

Lan Xingyue turned to the others and said, "Take advantageous positions. Once we've succeeded, launch a full assault immediately."

"Yes!" Their eyes were brimming with killing intent, ready to execute a decisive ambush.