Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

"Bang!"

A muffled gunshot shattered the deathly silence of the unfinished building.

A large-caliber sniper bullet, accompanied by a scorching shockwave, grazed past Liu Ming's ear and pierced deep into the concrete pillar, exploding into a cloud of stone dust.

If he hadn't looked down to light a cigarette a second ago, his head would have exploded like a rotten watermelon by now.

Liu Ming showed no panic whatsoever, not even the cigarette in his mouth fell out. He suddenly rolled to the side, disappearing into the dark corner in an instant, his movements as fast as a black lightning bolt.

Lone Wolf's urgent voice came through the headset: "Boss! There's a sniper on the other side, at three o'clock, 400 meters away! It's a heavy sniper!"

"I know."

Liu Ming's voice was frighteningly calm, yet it carried a hint of excitement.

"Since they brought heavy weapons, they can't operate effectively inside this building. It's too small; they might just demolish the building."

He pressed the headset, his gaze fixed on the rolling, dark Phoenix Mountain Range behind the unfinished building. The area was densely vegetated and had complex terrain, marking the boundary between city and wilderness.

"Everyone, listen up! Abandon the unfinished building and retreat into the depths of Phoenix Mountain."

"Bring them in."

"yes!"

……

The top floor of an unfinished building.

A burly white man with a full beard slammed his fist on the ground in anger. He was a sniper from the "Blood Wolf" mercenary group, codenamed "Hawkeye".

"Fxxk! We missed! That guy's reaction was too fast, he's practically inhuman!"

The captain, "Butcher," spoke in a chilling voice through the headset: "No excuses. He spotted us and is running towards the back of the mountain. Everyone, after him! Don't let him use the terrain to escape! We must bring his head back to the employer tonight!"

"receive!"

Seven dark figures leaped down from between the floors like ghosts, their movements agile and perfectly coordinated. They were dressed in full tactical gear, wearing night vision goggles and carrying silenced automatic rifles, quickly flanking the direction where Liu Ming had disappeared.

In their view, this was the prey's desperate death throes.

Escape into the deep mountains?

That would be suicide. They possess state-of-the-art thermal imaging equipment and tracking technology; in the wild, no one can escape the teeth of the "Blood Wolf."

However, they were wrong.

Big mistakes.

……

Deep in Phoenix Mountain, the night was as thick as ink.

The dense canopy blocked out the moonlight, with only a few streaks of light occasionally piercing through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground covered with decaying leaves.

Liu Ming stopped in her tracks.

He leaned against a huge ancient pine tree, catching his breath. He took off his cumbersome bulletproof vest and even unbuttoned the collar of his tactical uniform, letting the cool night breeze caress his burning chest.

The air here is moist, carrying the fragrance of earth and resin.

This taste... it's so familiar.

It was so familiar that every cell in his body was cheering and trembling.

That's the smell of the Amazon rainforest, the smell of the Golden Triangle jungle, and... the smell of killing.

"Boss, they're coming in."

Lone Wolf's voice came through the channel, "Seven people, in search formation, less than 300 meters away. They have thermal imaging, making it difficult for us to hide."

"Thermal imaging?"

A cruel smile curled at the corner of Liu Ming's lips.

He bent down, grabbed a handful of wet mud, and without hesitation smeared it on his face, neck, and even every inch of his exposed skin.

The coldness of the soil instantly sealed off body heat.

"In the city, I might have to be more cautious. After all, there are surveillance cameras, civilians, and all sorts of rules and regulations."

Liu Ming pulled out the black "Dragon Fang" military dagger from the outside of his thigh and held it in his hand.

The blade traced a silent arc in the darkness.

"But it's different here."

"There are no laws, no rules here, only life and death."

"This is a jungle."

"It's my...home turf."

……

"Be on guard! The target is nearby!"

The butcher, gun in hand, carefully parted the bushes in front of him. Through the green light of his night vision goggles, all was deathly silent, save for the occasional rustling sound of startled small animals.

For some reason, ever since he stepped into this forest, he had felt extremely uncomfortable.

It's like being targeted by some kind of apex predator.

That feeling made the hairs on the back of his head stand on end.

"Boss, we can't find the heat source on the thermal imaging!" the subordinate reported. "That guy seems to have suddenly turned into a stone and completely disappeared!"

"Impossible! How can a person not have body temperature? Unless he's dead!"

The butcher cursed under his breath, his unease growing stronger.

"Shrink the formation! Don't scatter! That kid's a bit strange!"

Just then.

"Click."

A very faint snapping sound came from the left side of the group.

"Over there! Fire!"

The butcher reacted extremely quickly, instantly turning his gun around and unleashing a burst of bullets that sent the bushes flying.

However, there was nothing there.

Only a single, recently broken, withered branch, held by a thin thread, was still swaying in the air.

"trap?!"

The butcher's pupils contracted.

Before he could shout "Take cover!", a dark shadow suddenly sprang up from the darkness on his right!

The dark figure was incredibly fast, making no sound whatsoever; even the sound of the wind was silenced by its perfect movements.

Like a ghost that crawled out of hell!

The mercenary on the far right felt a chill on his neck.

He instinctively tried to pull the trigger, but found that his strength was rapidly dissipating.

"Pfft—"

The sound of a sharp blade slicing through a trachea was exceptionally clear in the silent jungle.

The mercenary clutched his throat, not even having time to let out a scream, before being dragged into the dark bushes by a tremendous force!

"Enemy attack!!!"

The butcher roared, and all the gun barrels instantly pointed to the right!

But apart from the still slightly swaying leaves and the shocking pool of blood on the ground, the place was deserted.

"Damn it! Where is he?! Come out!"

Fear began to spread through this battle-hardened mercenary squad.

They are not afraid of direct gunfights or explosions that send blood and flesh flying. But this unseen and intangible fear, which could take your life at any moment, is enough to break anyone's nerves.

"There! In the tree!"

Hawkeye suddenly shouted and raised his gun to fire.

But he was still a beat too slow.

"Whoosh—!"

A jet-black crossbow bolt pierced silently through layers of branches and leaves, striking Hawkeye's wrist with perfect accuracy!

"ah--!"

Hawkeye screamed in pain as the sniper rifle slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

Immediately afterwards, a man's deep, mocking, yet extremely cold voice came from the darkness.

The sound seemed to come from all directions, making it impossible to discern its location.

"Is this what they call SAS elites?"

"Too slow."

"Also, firing in this environment will only reveal your position, allowing me... to kill you faster."

The butcher suddenly turned around and fired wildly in the direction of the sound until the magazine was empty and the barrel was red-hot.

"Come out! You coward! If you've got the guts, come out and fight me one-on-one!"

"A one-on-one duel?"

The voice rang out again, this time directly above their heads.

"A hunter never fights his prey one-on-one."

"Our job is just... harvesting."

As the words fell, several eerie, cold lights suddenly shone from the surrounding woods.

Tank emerged from behind a large tree, carrying a thick spiked club in his hand, a ferocious smile on his face.

The lone wolf crouched on a high tree branch, his sniper crossbow already locked onto the butcher's forehead.

Ghost Hand, Poison Doctor, Vulture...

The entire Dragon Fang Squad emerged from the darkness like ghosts, surrounding the arrogant mercenary team.

The balance of power shifted instantly.

Just moments ago, they were aggressive hunters; now, they are trapped beasts caught in a snare.

Liu Ming slowly emerged from the shadows, a drop of blood slowly sliding down the military dagger in her hand.

He looked at the pale-faced butcher, a slight smile playing on his lips, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth.

"Welcome to..."

"My World".