Ethan rolled to the cover under the window as he caught his breadth for a few seconds and looked at his hand that was holding the revolver. His hand got a little scratch from a stray sharpnel but everything else was fine.
He quickly wrapped the bandage around his hand and rolled inside the house again. By now his enemies knew where he was. Three of them were dead, four to go. He was successful in injuring a guy but he knew by the amount of medicine scattered throughout the land, the enemy would definitely survive.
Ethan heard shouts shortly as the leader of the four barked orders in maybe Spanish? Ethan slowly backed away and silently left the house. He was going to give them temporary peace as the people were most dangerous when they were pushed against a wall.
Since the commotion happened on east side, Ethan decided to head to opposite direction to look for some more loot.
Although he was able to kill three people by surprise, he knew they had more lethal weapons which they would use in desperation. He needed better weapons to kill them.
Ethan soon entred the house on the Western corner of the small settlement and started looking for any loot. He found some ammo and other random items here and there but nothing useful. As he went on the second floor, he found a strange machine there. It was a huge vending machine that was giving off gentle blue light.
The screen was lit which only one text that said " Gungame " And there was a small nameplate on the counter with only one button on the machine. The nameplate had some instructions for the machine
1. Press the button, it's the only thing you can do with this machine
2. It's your lucky day, there is a surprise weapon in this machine, you can use it.
3. Once you pull out the weapon, the machine would blow up in 30 seconds.
4. These rules are bullshit and maybe machine would blow up as soon as you press the button?
Ethan was super confused now. Should he press the button or not? If there are explosive in this machine ans it was a trap, there was no need to write the forth instructon. This was a mind game.
Ethan thought with a cool head. He observed the machine carefully as he noticed the small timer on the top left corner. The timer had one hour and 17 minutes left. It confirmed his doubt that the machine appeared here recently and if it was here in first place, the group of 7 would have already made a hostage press the button.
Ethan smiled as he pressed the button, he could hear someone enter the house down below. As soon as he pressed the button, the screen flashed with a slot machine like animation as various weapons passed by the screen and after five seconds, the screen stopped on M24 sniper rifle.
It was a bolt action sniper rifle, it was pre-equipped with extended magazine and a scope that provided 8x zoom. this one used the same 7.62 ammo and there was even decent amount of ammo with the gun.
Ethan quickly collected everything as he noticed a small lever get triggered in the box as soon as he lifted the rifle. He assumed it was trigger for the bomb and made a run for it, he swifty went towards the balcony and slid down from the pipeline beside the balcony.
Ethan landed softly on the ground, clutching the M24 sniper rifle tightly. He glanced back at the house just as it erupted in a deafening explosion, sending debris flying in all directions. A satisfied grin spread across his face as he realized he had outsmarted his enemies once again.
With the powerful sniper rifle in hand, Ethan felt a surge of confidence. He knew he now had the upper hand in the ongoing skirmish. But he also understood the importance of staying cautious.
As he moved away from the destroyed building, Ethan found a vantage point overlooking the settlement. From there, he could survey the area and plan his next move. He spotted movement near the eastern side, where the remaining members of the enemy group were likely regrouping.
As night descended over the battlefield, Ethan knew it was time to retreat. With the cover of darkness on his side, he slipped away from the scene, making his way stealthily towards the safety of the nearby mountains. The dense foliage provided ample cover as he moved, the sounds of the night masking his footsteps.
As Ethan reached a suitable vantage point, he took position behind a cluster of trees, his M24 sniper rifle at the ready. Peering through the darkness, he spotted one of the enemy men, his silhouette barely visible against the moonlit sky. He lay flat on his chest as with a steady hand and unwavering focus, Ethan took aim,with deep breadth his finger gently squeezing the trigger.
The shot was a difficult one, the enemy's level 3 helmet leaving little exposed neck for Ethan to target. But with years of training and experience as a sniper, Ethan knew he had to trust in his skills. With a deep breath, he fired, the bullet finding its mark with deadly accuracy.
* Bang! *
The bullet flew towards the enemy as the man felt the time slow down, he could see the reflection of his face on the bullet as if it was a grim reaper's scythe. The bullet reached it's destination as it colided with the edge of the helmet. The helmet covred most part of the neck and from below, the armour protected the chest area so there was bearly 10 mm gap between both armours.
Unfortunately for the man, the bullet hit the edge of the armor which was only able to change it's corse and guide it towards the neck of the man. The enemy fell to the ground,a splatter of the blood appeared on the wall behind the man as a look of shock and disbelief appeared on his face. The man clutched at his neck, blood gushing from the wound as his the life in his eyes faded away.
But there was no time to dwell on his victory. The leader and the remaining enemy had taken cover, their whereabouts obscured by the darkness. Ethan scanned the area, his keen eyes searching for any sign of movement. But try as he might, he couldn't spot them in the shadows.
Same was true for the enemy as they both couldn't see ethan and being in disadvantaged position, they couldn't peek or else they too would get shot just like the man.
Then, a glimmer of light caught ethan's eye. Across the battlefield, Ethan spotted a pile of old gas tanks, their metal surfaces reflecting the faint moonlight. With a sudden burst of inspiration, Ethan realized that he could use them to his advantage.
Taking careful aim, Ethan fired a shot at the gas tanks, the bullet striking true and igniting the flammable contents within. The resulting explosion illuminated the area in a blinding flash of light, casting the leader and his companion into stark relief.