Maughan's Bluebird had expended all its rocks, and Ryan still had a third of his machine gun ammunition left.
"The live-fire exercise is over," Carlos's voice came through the monitoring center's communication system, reaching the pilots of the two Bluebirds: "From now on, you can stop the gunnery training to save ammunition. Proceed with your regular patrol duties."
Carlos issued new orders, and Maughan and Ryan naturally complied, swiftly readjusting to formation.
Maughan couldn't help but marvel:
"Ryan, are you sure you didn't come from a military academy? Has your file been tampered with? I just felt the pressure of being pursued by a top-tier pilot. Look, I've got goosebumps on my arm!"
Maughan extended his arm in front of the screen for Ryan to see more clearly.
Ryan rolled his eyes dismissively:
"That's exaggerated. I'm not that good. A real ace can pull off a dozen fire lines and take out a dozen targets in an instant. This was just a warm-up."
"But that's an A-class fighter, with four machine gun mounts and a chip that's light years ahead of Bluebird's capabilities. How can you compare an H-class patrol craft to an A-class fighter? Is that fair?"
Maughan argued his point, and indeed, the Bluebird's performance did limit Ryan's potential.
But Ryan, having served in the Earth's Space Force, had witnessed the skills of an A-class ace who could fire a dozen streams of shots and precisely destroy over forty Zerbeasts (insect-beast hybrids that combine the traits of insects and beasts, with exoskeletons and segmented bodies of insects, along with the muscular build and predatory instincts of wild animals) in the city within just two seconds.
Of course...
The pilot ultimately sacrificed his life.
Among the Zerbeast legions, there were high-level Zerbeasts adept at stealth and infiltration; a single electromagnetic storm could bring down all the fighters in the sky.
"..."
"What's wrong?"
"You're already so good, what are you still not satisfied with?"
"Still sighing."
"Let me tell you, if I had your talent, I wouldn't just be a regular security officer in a subsidiary. I might be commanding a star cruiser. Believe it or not?"
Maughan spoke with excitement, clearly impressed by Ryan's abilities.
Carlos interrupted the conversation:
"Alright."
"Let's keep Ryan's skills confidential for now."
" Having extraordinary talent is great, but not knowing how to conceal it can lead to trouble. Let's drop today's topic and continue with your patrol duties."
"Understood."
Maughan immediately ceased the discussion.
Carlos then said to Ryan:
"Maughan promised you that if your shooting scores were up to par, he would take you hunting for Ripper Wolf. We keep our word. There are signs of Ripple wolf activity in Sector B4. You two handle it. The best landing point has been marked for you. Have a good trip, and we look forward to your barbecue tonight."
"Thank you, boss."
Ryan expressed his gratitude with a smile.
Hunting such ferocious beasts and obtaining their pancreas was what mattered most to him.
Let's go!
The Bluebird took off and swiftly flew towards Sector B4.
The landing point marked by the monitoring center was downwind, hidden on the backside of a slope, very concealed.
The Bluebird landed smoothly.
Maughan and Ryan stepped out of the cabin fully armed.
The Bluebird's cabin was equipped with pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, and sniper rifles. Ryan held an assault rifle in one hand and a shotgun in the other, with a pistols in his thigh holster.
Maughan carried only an assault rifle and a pistols.
The two exchanged glances and moved forward in tacit understanding.
The monitoring center continuously provided the latest movements and positions of the Ripple wolf, giving precise coordinates.
Two kilometers away.
... ... ... ...
They were heading towards the Ripple wolf.
The Ripple wolf was also approaching them;
They just needed to find a suitable ambush spot to easily hunt the Ripple wolf.
This was the advantage of having unilateral intelligence superiority.
They found two back-to-back rocks on high ground, and Maughan suggested, "Ripper Wolf are very alert, with keen hearing and vision. We can't get any closer. Let's wait in ambush here."
"Alright."
Ryan nodded in agreement.
He looked around.
Suddenly, he regretted not bringing a sniper rifle.
"This spot is great. I should have brought a sniper rifle. One shot would solve everything, simple and easy," Maughan agreed.
But Ryan knew it wasn't that simple.
At such a distance, if he fired, the Ripple wolf's six pairs of compound eyes would quickly catch the muzzle flash and instinctively dodge, making a direct hit to the head unlikely. He planned to leave a penetrating wound on the Ripple wolf, and the blood loss would make it hard to hide and eventually unable to escape.
Hunting such ferocious beasts was not easy.
He kept these thoughts to himself.
After all, it was Maughan leading him now.
Not the other way around.
They waited for a while, when suddenly.
A breeze blew.
Ryan's face changed.
Not good.
The wind direction has changed!
Their position was shielded from the wind by rocks and should not have felt the breeze.
The only explanation was that the wind direction had shifted to come from behind them; they were now downwind.
Maughan had not yet realized this subtle change in wind direction.
At that moment, according to Gabriel's intelligence, the Ripple wolf was less than four hundred meters from the rocks where they were hiding.
If there was a human scent in the air, it would immediately arouse the Ripple wolf's vigilance.
The target is going to escape!
Ryan's heart sank.
The Ripple wolf's speed was incredibly fast, and once it started to run, catching it would be almost impossible.
They had found the prey, and it couldn't escape!
Just then.
Ryan quickly picked up a sharp rock and made a cut on his leg.
Maughan was momentarily confused.
What just happened?
Before he could understand the situation, he heard Kazemi's voice on the communicator:
"The Ripple wolf is accelerating!"
"It's spotted you!"
"Goodness! It didn't run away but charged at you instead. Isn't this courting death?"
"Ryan!"
In the moment Maughan was stunned, Ryan had dropped the rock, quickly shouldered his gun, revealed half his position from behind the rock, and aimed at a wolf figure that pounced agilely.
Bang!
He pulled the trigger decisively.
Gunfire bloomed in the air.
Smoke filled the air, and the flash of fire flickered.
The Ripple wolf's pupils contracted rapidly.
It instantly realized it had been tricked, but it was too late to turn and run.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The gun trembled slightly with the rhythm of the shots, and with roars, shiny casings ejected from the chamber, making a crisp metallic sound.
The Ripple wolf was first hit in the chest and abdomen, then the head.
The powerful impact struck the Ripple wolf's body continuously.
Blood splashed;
The last bullet entered through the open mouth of the Ripple wolf, ending its life completely.
Maughan then revealed himself from behind the rock.
Seeing the Ripple wolf fall, he felt both excited and shocked.
Ryan's act of self-harm just now confused him, but in a blink of an eye, the Ripple wolf had been quickly dealt with.
He vaguely felt there might be some connection between these two actions.
Until Kazemi's voice rang in his ear again:
"How did the wind direction change?"
"You guys are lucky. If Ryan had fired a moment later, the Ripple wolf might have escaped."
"..."
Maughan suddenly understood everything.