I started with a portal, then turned around and handed it over to the nation.

"Chirp chirp chirp—"

Before the dull thud had even subsided, a series of sharp, tearing sounds erupted from the woods behind Lin Mo.

That wasn't the sound of gunfire.

Ryan had heard the sound of their weapons firing; it was deafening, like thunder.

But this sound was different; it was short and suppressed, like countless angry venomous bees flapping their wings at the same time.

He looked up and was stunned.

The hundreds of goblins that had been standing haphazardly on the open ground in front of them now looked as if an invisible hand had grabbed their necks.

Most of them were still stunned by the flash and the loud noise of the stun grenade, some covering their eyes and spinning in place.

Some clutched their heads and cried out in pain, while others wandered around aimlessly like headless flies.

It was a complete mess, utter chaos.

Death arrived silently amidst this chaos.

The Snow Wolf Special Forces members, like hunters crawling out of hell, had already rushed out of the forest in a fan shape, sparks flying from the muzzles of their Type 191 automatic rifles.

With each "snap," a green-skinned creature shuddered, its head exploded in a cloud of blood mist, and it fell straight down.

Their movements were frighteningly fast, without any pauses to aim; the muzzle of their gun moved steadily with their line of sight, firing in bursts, moving, and firing again in bursts.

The goblins couldn't even mount any effective resistance.

A few goblins who were a little more conscious and were some distance away had just raised their weapons and hadn't even had a chance to shout when another, denser hail of bullets swept in from the shadows on their flanks.

The members of the Fierce Tiger Special Forces surrounded them from the other side, crouching with their rifle butts firmly resting on their shoulders, forming a precise crossfire.

The bullets tore through the air, instantly turning the goblins that tried to retaliate into sieves.

Throughout the entire process, there was not a single shout or command; the team members made only minor adjustments through tactical hand signals.

Offense, suppression, follow-up shots, and cleanup.

The teamwork was as if they had rehearsed it countless times.

Renn lay on the ground, watching as the hundreds of goblins who had been lively just moments before were wiped out in less than a minute.

Corpses lay scattered haphazardly on the gentle slope at the entrance, warm blood pooling into streams that seeped into the soil. The stench of blood assaulted his nostrils, making his stomach churn.

He watched the soldiers walk through the piles of corpses; their faces were expressionless.

He cautiously inspected each fallen goblin, and without thinking, fired a shot at the one still convulsing.

Cold, efficient, deadly.

Raine's throat went dry as he stared at the one-sided slaughterhouse and the "magical weapons" in the hands of the warriors.

Beyond disbelief, there was an overwhelming sense of awe that seemed to spring from the depths of his being.

"Check ammunition. Proceed swiftly as planned! Snow Wolf, advance as scouts!"

Long Fei's voice came through Lin Mo's earpiece, breaking the dead silence.

"receive!"

"receive!"

"receive!"

Three more resounding responses followed.

The soldiers quickly changed magazines, and the Snow Wolf Special Forces didn't stop for a moment. They immediately formed a combat formation, passed over the corpses, and rushed into the bone-crushing hill in front of them.

Ryan suddenly snapped back to reality.

He looked in the direction where the Snow Wolf Squad had disappeared, and at this group of unreasonable "otherworldly visitors," an unprecedented excitement surged through his body.

The fire of revenge burned fiercely in his chest, almost consuming his mind.

This might be his only chance to avenge his father and all the dead villagers!

He dared not delay any longer, leaping to his feet and rushing to Lin Mo's side. Pointing in the direction the Snow Wolf Squad had advanced, he shouted in a hoarse voice:

"Hurry!! Keep up! I know the way!!"

He no longer needed to discern directions; he could walk this road with his eyes closed.

He sped up and rushed to the front, leading the way for this terrifying war machine, a path to revenge.

……

As evening fell, the last rays of the sun cast an eerie crimson hue over the gloomy hills.

The group stopped in the shadow of a mountain wall.

Raine pointed to a clearing surrounded by huge skeletons not far ahead and lowered his voice.

"arrive."

Everyone looked in the direction he pointed.

In the center of the open space, a huge bonfire was burning brightly, and the firelight illuminated several large figures sitting around the fire.

Minotaur.

These guys are even bigger than Ryan said.

Each one was two and a half meters tall, shirtless, with muscles under their dark skin as lumpy as granite. When they sat there, they looked like several small, moving mountains.

Beside them, several huge battle axes were stuck diagonally, their handles thicker than the mouth of a bowl, their blades gleaming coldly in the firelight, each about the height of an adult.

"Take off the drone and conduct reconnaissance. Find a concealed and safe ambush site."

Long Fei's orders were calm and swift.

"The rest of you, stay put and take turns resting. The mission begins at 2:00 AM."

A team member quickly opened the equipment box, and a miniature drone silently took off and quickly disappeared into the dim sky.

The atmosphere in the team was a bit somber.

Looking at the massive size of those minotaurs, even these seasoned veterans couldn't help but gasp.

"My goodness..." a member of the Fierce Tiger Special Forces muttered under his breath, "That guy could probably punch right through an armored vehicle, right?"

"Look at that axe, it's taller than Captain Shi Lei," another voice added.

Shi Lei, the captain of the Fierce Tigers who was singled out, is a burly man who is 1.9 meters tall. He is frowning and staring intently at the minotaur in the distance, his eyes full of seriousness.

"Captain, if you were to arm wrestle with that guy, who would win?"

Medic Li Na's clear voice suddenly rang out on the channel, with a hint of joking.

This joke immediately eased the tense atmosphere considerably.

A few suppressed laughs came from the channel.

Shi Lei retorted irritably, "Get lost! I don't want to compete with a bull in strength."

Soon, the drone operator's voice came through.

"Team Dragon, there is a natural cave at coordinates (127, 453). The entrance is hidden and it can accommodate all of us."

"In addition, two small settlements were discovered on the east and north sides of the hill, each with three to five minotaurs."

"Very good." Long Fei looked at the terrain map on the screen and gave the order decisively.

"Snow Wolf and Tiger, immediately move to the cave coordinates and remain on alert. Eagle Team, stay at the entrance and block the retreat. Report any incidents immediately!"

"yes!"

"yes!"

"yes!"

The three teams sprang into action once again.

The Snow Wolf and Fierce Tiger team members packed up their equipment and, like ghosts, stealthily made their way towards the cave.

Lin Mo stayed where he was. He saw that Ryan beside him looked anxious, as if he wanted to rush up after him.

He grabbed Ryan, pointed to the last glimmer of light on the horizon, then made a sleeping gesture, pointed to the number "2" on his watch, and finally made a forceful punching motion.

Renn stared at his gesture, momentarily stunned.

He understood.

Let's rest first and start when it's darkest.

The anxiety that came from seeing his enemy was gradually suppressed by Lin Mo's calm gestures and his perfectly reasonable plan.

He nodded heavily, the madness in his eyes fading, replaced by the patience and coldness characteristic of a hunter.

No one mentioned setting up a tent during the first half of the night.

Inside the cave, the soldiers each found a dry rock to lean against and closed their eyes to rest.

Several of the most agile team members, like monkeys, silently climbed up the rock walls and tree branches on both sides of the cave entrance, their figures blending into the darkness.

They are the outer sentries, the most vigilant eyes of this team before dawn.

Outside the cave, the night wind rose, howling across the hills like the cries of countless ghosts.

Inside the cave, all was deathly silent, save for the soldiers' steady, suppressed breathing.

Everyone was gathering their strength, waiting for that inevitable bloody battle.