Chapter 010: Apex Predators

The reaction of the air pirate with the injured thigh was swift; at the moment his companion fell apart, he tightened his grip on the assault rifle hanging under his ribs, and without even raising the muzzle, he was ready to pull the trigger

Unfortunately, his enemies were evidently much more ruthless than he had imagined. After slicing open the carotid artery of the air pirate, the blade followed through and cleaved off a significant portion of the air pirate's hand that was tightly gripping the assault rifle.

Although there was no expression on Neil Ao's face, the cold glint in his single eye was striking. What concerned him was not the discovery of the enemy's terrifying trap, but rather that it indicated the fellow had no other tricks left. In a nutshell, it could be summarized as "the cunning of a desperate donkey." As long as they could increase their pursuit speed, what awaited that fellow would be nothing less than death. No, it would be a fate far more brutal than death, a living hell. As long as they could increase their pursuit speed, what awaited that fellow would be nothing less than death. No, it would be a fate far more brutal than death, a living hell.

At the very least, they no longer have to pursue that terrifying opponent. As long as they can return alive to their lair, lie down in the medical pod for a rest, it won't be long before they are back to being a fine warrior again

But in the next moment, Neil's expression suddenly stiffened

The two teams of 12 people that quickly converged through the positioning system, along with the 5 uninjured individuals here with Neil, totalled 17 people

But no one is willing to gamble, risking their own thigh or life. Although a mechanical leg can allow one to run faster, ultimately, one's own flesh-and-blood leg is more comfortable, isn't it

Nevertheless, the pace at which the sky pirates advanced once again became slow

The force of that punch is evident without needing to ask

Neil's face turned ashen, and he finally understood why that fool was able to easily discover the wooden spear traps. It was because the person had deliberately allowed him to find them, with the sole purpose of lowering his guard, so that he would trigger the explosives. This was a trap within a trap, not to mention the extremely malicious intent behind it: taking advantage of the opponent's moment of discovering the wooden spear traps to track down others arriving here, and then blowing them up in front of everyone.

As the grinning thief unconsciously fiddled with his hands, a sudden plume of green smoke erupted from the bushes beside him, followed by a loud bang.

The sudden excruciating pain made the thief unable to help but open his mouth, wanting to let out a long howl. Yet, even this instinctive small wish became a luxury. A fist struck first, landing squarely on his chin with a dull thud. The thief's entire body flipped backward, and as his cries were choked in his throat, he fainted immediately.

The blood that continuously sprayed from the gaps between the fingers formed a mist of crimson, appearing eerily beautiful under the dappled light filtering through the leaves. However, the sound of "sizzle," akin to a balloon deflating, sent chills down the spine of Changsun Xueqing, who was several meters away. That single strike had precisely severed the carotid artery.

The joy of discovering the opponent's arrangement while remaining unharmed is evident, akin to a child who has found their beloved toy

... ...

Although he was very scared, the unfortunate fellow could only grit his teeth and walk at the very front of the entire line. The unprecedented tension heightened his vigilance to the maximum, and he did not disappoint the expectations of others by discovering the malicious wooden spears set by Tang Lang in the bushes dozens of meters away.

The smile of the thief had not even had the chance to change before the entire person was blown away

Even the ruthless Neil Ao himself may not have realized that after enduring multiple blows, the once callous sky pirates, who regarded human life as insignificant, have become wary not only of the enemy lurking in the jungle. They resemble a pack of ferocious wild dogs, who, when confronted with the apex predators of the jungle, can only huddle together for warmth, having lost the earlier courage to surround and kill their opponents.

Glancing at the hesitant steps and inscrutable expressions of the younger brothers around him, even the deep-thinking Neil couldn't help but feel a bit of a headache

Neil even envisioned a scene before him: a faceless enemy, standing not far away, mouthing the words: if you have the ability, come and chase me.

With Neil Ao and three guards in the center, six people on each side formed a V-shaped formation, continuing to advance while searching through the jungle

This time, the sky thief learned from the previous lesson. After continuously discovering wooden spears that were interlaced and slanted like shark teeth, he did not circumvent them. Instead, he carefully avoided the wooden spears and moved forward for over 10 meters before signaling to the leader and his companions behind him: "Boss, there is no problem here."

With each companion lost, their courage diminishes by one point, until it ultimately collapses completely at the end

But clearly, this is destined to remain merely a beautiful wish

The two air thieves who were injured by the wooden spikes could only make their way back on their own, and they felt fortunate not to have been crushed to death by the enraged boss

The aerial acrobat has directly shortened the leader's life by a significant margin. The anti-personnel mines on Blue Star, which can easily claim lives, stubbornly maintain their lethality in this technological era, showing no signs of weakening despite the shifts in time and space

Under the watchful gaze of Changsun Xueqing, who was hiding in the bushes, the strange man who had circled back to climb the large tree pounced down from the five-meter-high branches like a predatory eagle. With a mere flick of his hand holding the "dagger," the sky thief, who was supporting his injured thigh, clutched his neck with both hands and spun around before collapsing.

Although the pain from their wounds made walking somewhat difficult, when they thought of the two companions who had been killed like flies by the wooden beams that fell from the sky—one with a wooden splinter embedded in his thigh and the other with a pierced shoulder—they felt an immense sense of relief deep within.

That index finger, even at the moment it fell to the ground, was still curled and pulling.

Of course, up to now, they still have a search team of as many as 16 people. As long as they can see the opponent's trace, they could overwhelm him simply by sheer numbers. The presence of four "Vulcan" machine guns in the team is their greatest confidence. Not to mention a person, even an old-style mech would be blown to pieces here.

The most terrifying unknown adversary is not the ever-evolving array of deadly traps, but rather the precise understanding of human nature.

As for the sole survivor, it can only be the arrow

Without a doubt, that individual succeeded; before discovering the traps hidden within this thicket, even he could not stride forward confidently, knowing full well that his adversary might be calmly setting another deadly trap just a few dozen meters away in the jungle.

The ferocity of the empty thief can be seen in part; even if he cannot attack, he intends to fire a shot to alert his companions. Although the sound of the Srilanka assault rifle, which fires metal projectiles, is much quieter than that of the assault rifles that humans used to rely on before entering interstellar space, it can still carry over two hundred meters in the stillness of the jungle

However, from Neil Ao to the ordinary air pirate, there was no sense of sadness; instead, they collectively let out a sigh of relief in their hearts. At least, they no longer had to send someone specifically to take care of this fool.

No one dared to easily enter the thicket to rescue him, as the now silent thicket resembled the gaping maw of a monstrous beast. No one knew where in that corner there might be an explosive device capable of taking a leg at any moment. Although all the air pirates were aware, that unseen enemy would not have much time to set up many traps.

The sky thieves cautiously made their way through the bushes. By the time they found their accomplice, who had played the role of an aerial acrobat among the thickets while holding a first aid kit, the accomplice, who had lost a leg to an explosion, had already turned pale and lost all vital signs. In just two short minutes, the sky thief, lacking necessary medical assistance, had lost more than three-quarters of his blood.