The Wild Hunter at the front trembled visibly, as if he wanted to retreat, but two Wild Hunters behind him pointed their guns at his back.
Everyone knew that the front was the most dangerous position, but someone had to be there. Even in this clearing team, there was an obvious food chain where the strong preyed on the weak.
Xu Kui naturally stood at the top, followed by his two powerful subordinates, Luo Kui and Lu Han, and then the direct warriors.
At the bottom of the food chain were naturally the Wild Hunters who were lured by the high reward.
Amongst the Hunters of the Wastelands, there were differences in status as well. Qi Yuan, Butcher, Scar Face, and Viper, who were strong and united, were naturally at the top of the hierarchy. The other Hunters of the Wastelands were divided into different tiers based on their secret struggles.
But no matter how they were divided, the one at the front was definitely the weakest!
The atmosphere in the team was getting more and more tense. As they continued to move forward, more and more black-toothed rats died because of the scorpion poison. Along the way, Qi Yuan had already seen no less than 20 black-toothed rat corpses, and this was only the main tunnel. In the other tunnels with more complicated terrain, there would definitely be many more black-toothed rat corpses.
This meant that the first wave of poison bait had killed at least 100 black-toothed rats. This was a powerful force that was enough to wipe out all the Wild Hunters.
The deeper they went, the more frequent the attacks of the black-toothed rats. The most dangerous time was when five black-toothed rats appeared at the same time. Although most of the black-toothed rats were killed on the spot, a few Wild Hunters were killed. Only Xu Kui's direct warriors remained at full strength.
Butcher's face was gloomy. He quietly walked behind Qi Yuan, and under the cover of the friction between the soles of his shoes and the gravel, he whispered.
"It's only black-toothed rats now, and almost half of the hunters in front are dead. If this continues, it'll be our turn soon!"
Qi Yuan knew what he was thinking. He nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll walk in front. You guys pay attention to support at any time."
Butcher nodded with a serious expression.
"Don't worry, as long as you block the first wave of attacks, we'll be able to kill it quickly!"
Qi Yuan gave a noncommittal grunt. If the Black-Toothed Rats attacked, as long as there weren't too many of them, he wouldn't be in too much danger. The real danger in this mine was that Xu Kui and the others had no choice but to sacrifice the lives of the Hunters. Powerful Insect Beasts like the Scaled Snakes and Shadow Lizards!
This small group might be able to hold on until they met with real danger, but once the truly powerful insectoids appeared, with the Hunters' habit of fighting their own battles, the alliance of the four would crumble instantly.
As the scarred man moved forward, his right hand touched the surrounding soil. Suddenly, his eyes trembled, as if he was frightened.
"The Black-toothed Rats are here again, and there are a lot of them!"
Although Scarface tried to lower his voice, the hunters in front of him still heard him.
The face of the Hunter who was walking at the front instantly turned pale, and he almost couldn't hold the weapon in his hand. There were already a few unlucky people in front of him who had been torn apart by the Black-toothed Rats right in front of them. This time, it might be his turn.
Qi Yuan also gripped the weapon in his hand. There were only thirteen of the cannon fodder hunters in front of him left. If there were more than ten Black-toothed Rats attacking them, it was very likely that they would be directly pierced through.
With Scarface's warning, the Hunters who were walking at the front finally discovered the tracks of the Black-toothed Rats ahead of time.
At the end of the cave where the torchlight couldn't reach, pairs of scarlet eyes appeared, just like the gaze of the Grim Reaper.
The numerous scarlet eyes meant that there were more than ten black-toothed rats attacking them!
"Scram!"
Under the threat of death, the Hunters, who were terrified to the extreme, madly fired in the direction of the Black-toothed Rats. In addition to a few modified rifles, a few more powerful submachine guns also joined the battle. More than ten tongues of flame intertwined into a deadly barrage of bullets, covering the sky and covering the earth as they strangled the Black-toothed Rats.
Viper and Scarface, who lacked long-range attacks, didn't attack. Butcher also took out his large-caliber revolver and joined the fight against the Black-toothed Rats.
This time, Lu Han, who hadn't opened fire all this time, finally moved. With a cigarette in the corner of his mouth, he took out a Falcon from his waist. However, he didn't fire. Instead, he aimed the muzzle at the Hunters in front of him from behind.
Bang bang!
Bang bang bang!
Countless bullets were fired at the Black-toothed Rats that were attacking them. In an instant, the two Black-toothed Rats at the front were killed. However, the Black-toothed Rats at the back still charged forward without fear of death.
The continuous gunshots instantly drowned out the screams of the Black-toothed Rats. At the back of the team, Xu Kui turned his head and said a few words to Mystery. Mystery just shook her head and didn't say anything. Xu Kui's face suddenly turned ugly, but he didn't say anything else. He just silently watched the exchange of fire between the Hunters and the Black-toothed Rats in front of him. His eyes were a little uncertain.
At the cost of four corpses, the bloodthirsty Black-toothed Rats finally closed the distance between them and the clearing team.
With a squeak, the first Black-toothed Rat broke through the suppression of the firepower and rushed into the crowd. The narrow terrain limited the attack range of the Black-toothed Rats and also limited the Hunters' space to dodge.
The Hunter at the front had just pulled the trigger for the second time when the Black-toothed Rat, covered in blood, pounced on him and bit his neck.
The teeth of the Black-toothed Rats were strong enough to crush ore. Biting off the neck of a Hunter was not a problem at all.
The Black-toothed Rat was quickly killed. The Hunter's neck was also bitten off by the Black-toothed Rat. He lay on the ground, waiting for death to come.
The death of the first Hunter quickly set off a chain reaction. Several Hunters, unable to suppress the fear in their hearts, tried to turn and run.
Their retreat not only allowed the Black-toothed Rats to attack, but also blocked the shooting paths of the other Hunters behind them. Seeing that the Hunters' line of defense was about to collapse, Lu Han finally pulled the trigger.
Bang bang!
After two consecutive shots, two Hunters who were retreating in panic were shot in the head, the Hunters at the front finally engaged in close combat with the Black-toothed Rats.
Several experienced Hunters pulled out their daggers and engaged in a fierce battle with the Black-toothed Rats, which were riddled with bullet holes. The Hunters at the back kept firing to support the Hunters at the front.
Butcher kept pulling the trigger, killing a Black-toothed Rat with each bullet. Soon, he had emptied the bullets in his revolver. Only then did he manage to suppress the Black-toothed Rats' attack.
Among all the Hunters, only he could kill a Black-toothed Rat with one shot.
The rest of the Hunters could only kill the Rats by attacking their vital points or accumulating damage.
The pressure on the front increased sharply as Butcher reloaded. Two Hunters were torn apart by the Black-toothed Rats, and the Hunters' line of defense instantly fell into a difficult situation.
Qi Yuan took a deep breath and walked toward the Black-toothed Rats. A Black-toothed Rat suddenly flew out from the top of the mine and opened its mouth to bite Qi Yuan.
Qi Yuan's brows furrowed. Facing the biting black-toothed rat, he extended his right hand that was holding the gun and directly passed it through its mouth, sticking the gun into its throat.
The Black-toothed Rat's hard incisors snapped together. Although their incisors were hard and could easily bite off a Hunter's arm, this time, it met with an iron plate.
Under the powerful bite of its chewing muscles, it couldn't even bite through Qi Yuan's skin.
Qi Yuan coldly snorted and pulled the trigger twice with his right hand. Even without the support of the Annihilation Warhead, the powerful penetrative power of the Flying Eagle was enough to shatter the internal organs of the Black-toothed Rat, turning this reckless Black-toothed Rat into a twitching corpse.
Qi Yuan's participation gave the Hunters, who were on the verge of being wiped out, a chance to catch their breath.
Viper also joined the battle with a dagger in hand. He hid behind Qi Yuan, and every time a black-toothed rat tried to go around Qi Yuan to launch a surprise attack, a black dagger would suddenly appear and instantly pierce into the rat's vitals.
With Qi Yuan attracting the firepower, Viper, who was focused on attacking, was extremely fast. Every time he attacked, only a blurry shadow could be seen. Then, the Black-toothed Rats would be heavily injured or even killed.
Qi Yuan and Viper were like an iron gate, firmly blocking the sneak attack of the black-toothed rats.
Under the enhancement of the iron defense, the teeth and claws of the Black-toothed Rats became decorations. They couldn't break through Qi Yuan's interception at all. In addition to the Eagle's powerful strength and Viper's sharp dagger, more and more Black-toothed Rats died under their feet.
When Butcher finished reloading and joined the battle again, the frenzied Black-toothed Rats were finally defeated. They were shot one by one into the mine.
The last Black-toothed Rat's heart was shot by Qi Yuan. A tragic encounter finally came to an end.
Eight Hunters died in battle, two were heavily injured, and in exchange, nineteen Black-toothed Rats' corpses.
In this battle, Xu Kui's soldiers still didn't fire a single bullet. The only one who fired a shot, Lu Han, fired two bullets at the retreating Hunters.
Qi Yuan silently walked into the pile of corpses and gave the last bullet to the Black-toothed Rats that were not completely dead.
A Hunter on the verge of death looked into the void with lifeless eyes. When Qi Yuan walked past him, he reached out his bloodied right hand and pulled Qi Yuan's trousers.
Qi Yuan stopped and squatted down to look into his eyes.
The Hunter panted with difficulty and said intermittently, "Give me a quick death. I don't want to die in the mouth of the Bug Beasts, and I don't want to die in the hands of these sons of b * tches!"
Qi Yuan was silent. These people had no hope of surviving. Whether it was the Bug Beasts or Xu Kui, they wouldn't allow them to leave this place alive.
The remaining Hunter shifted his gaze to the two of them. Under the Hunter's pleading gaze, Qi Yuan moved the gun muzzle and pointed it at the Hunter's chest.
Bang!
After a muffled gunshot.
The dying Hunter took his last breath.
The other two Hunters who were heavily injured turned their heads at the same time. They didn't dare to look at the Eagle in Qi Yuan's hand, nor did they dare to look at the corpses on the ground. They were still holding on to their last hope.
After resting for two minutes, Lu Han's cold voice urged them again.
"Keep moving forward!"
Qi Yuan let out a breath and continued to walk into the darkness with his gun. This time, he took the initiative to walk in front.
The two Hunters who were heavily injured and couldn't walk lowered their heads. Their bodies were trembling slightly, and they didn't dare to look at the others.
Qi Yuan had just walked past them when he heard two consecutive gunshots from behind. Without looking back, Qi Yuan could imagine the scene behind him.
Lu Han used the Eagle in his hand to send the two of them to their deaths.
The deeper they went into the mine, the more oppressive the darkness became. Although they didn't see any traces of the Scaled Snake, Qi Yuan believed that the Scaled Snake must be spying on them in the dark. The Bug Beasts were very vengeful, and the injured Scaled Snake would definitely not let go of any opportunity to take revenge.
Suddenly, the wind blew past their ears. At the same time, there was a strange buzzing sound in the dark. It was getting clearer and clearer, as if something was approaching them in the dark.
Qi Yuan stopped and stared into the darkness with his bright eyes, as if he was looking for the enemy.
Scar Face pressed both of his hands against the ground, trying to determine the direction of the enemy from the vibrations of the ground. However, he couldn't sense anything this time.
"The ground isn't vibrating. Could it be the sound of the wind blowing past?" Scar Face whispered.
Qi Yuan didn't say anything. He just listened carefully to the sound that was getting closer and closer.
Suddenly, Butcher seemed to have thought of something. His face turned pale, and he became even more terrified than when they first encountered the Black-toothed Rats.
"It's not the sound of the wind!
It's the Bloodthirsty Killer Mosquitoes! "
Butcher's shout was like a grenade exploding. Not only was the Hunter Squad in chaos, even Xu Kui's warriors were panicking.
If the Black-toothed Rats' danger level was one, and the Scaled Snake's danger level was two, then the Bloodthirsty Killer Mosquitoes' danger level was at least three.
These giant mosquitoes, which were close to a foot in size, were not as strong as the Black-toothed Rats individually. However, they liked to gather in swarms, not in a few dozen, but in hundreds or thousands. Moreover, their dagger-sharp mouthparts were highly poisonous.
As long as a normal person was bitten by a Bloodthirsty Killer Mosquito, if they were not injected with the antivenom in time, their entire body would definitely rot and they would die. Even if they had the physique of a rank one Extraordinaire, it would still be very difficult for them to resist the poison in the Bloodthirsty Killer Mosquitoes' mouthparts.
When a black mass of shadows flew into the area illuminated by the light, Butcher's eyes instantly became filled with despair. There were at least several hundred Bloodthirsty Killer Mosquitoes in this swarm. This was not a number they could fight against.
Faced with such a terrifying number of Bloodthirsty Killer Mosquitoes, Qi Yuan's trypophobia nearly flared up.
Although he knew that Steel Defense should be able to resist the penetration of the Bloodthirsty Killer Mosquitoes' mouthparts, when they occupied the entire mine, it still brought about an oppressive fear!
This was a chance to leave the group!
Qi Yuan looked at another empty fork in the road. Just as he was about to take advantage of the chaos to escape, a pair of vertical pupils that reflected a brown light in the darkness slowly approached him!
"Scaled Snake!"
Qi Yuan's pupils shrank. The Bloodthirsty Killer Mosquitoes were already difficult to deal with, and now that the Scaled Snake was here, was this going to be GG?
At that critical moment, Qi Yuan saw the situation behind him through the corner of his eyes. Luo Kui had already raised Death Harvest and aimed it at his back.
'Damn it!'
Anger burned in Qi Yuan's eyes, and a brutal thought surged into his heart.
'We're about to be wiped out, and you're still trying to prevent me from running away?!'
Instinctively, Qi Yuan extended his hand to grab the grenade he carried with him and was prepared to detonate it in the next second!
The cold metallic sensation from the grenade caused Qi Yuan to regain a shred of clarity from his rage and brutality. He stopped trying to detonate the grenade.
'No, I'm not at the point where I have to detonate the grenade!'
'The possibility of me causing a cave-in by detonating the grenade at a close distance in this almost sealed underground cave is higher than the possibility of me killing Luo Kui!'
During that short moment of hesitation, the Bloodthirsty Killer Mosquitoes that filled the cave instantly drowned out Qi Yuan.