The three bikers who got off their motorcycles cautiously approached the general store where Xia Leng was hiding. They were armed with shotguns, deadly at close range, powerful enough to make even second-tier defensive warriors think twice about taking them head-on.
Although they had the upper hand in firepower, their enemy was a Baptized, so they had to be careful. Their palms were sweaty with anxiety, and they wished their trigger fingers could move as fast as their eyes. They wanted to pull the trigger the moment they saw their target, turning him into Swiss cheese.
Xia Leng, meanwhile, was crouched in a corner of the store, hidden from their view. He aimed his gun at the path ahead, ready to take out the first person who appeared.
The three thugs outside were extremely cautious, taking several minutes to cover just ten meters, inching closer. However, their slow progress only increased the pressure on them, as they were still in the open and under the scorching sun.
One of the bikers, still wearing his sunglasses despite the intense heat, was starting to feel dizzy. He didn't notice a raised concrete block underfoot and tripped over it.
"Damn it!"
He cursed instinctively as he lost his balance and stumbled forward, crashing to the ground.
In that instant, he tumbled into Xia Leng's line of sight.
The unlucky biker, falling to the ground, saw Xia Leng crouched in the corner, gun pointed directly at him.
Bang!!!
A gunshot thundered across the small town. As soon as the biker appeared in his line of sight, Xia Leng reflexively pulled the trigger. He lifted the gun, locked onto his target, and fired, all within a fraction of a second. The bullet, spinning rapidly, pierced the center of the biker's forehead before he hit the ground.
The whole process took less than half a second.
The two remaining bikers were stunned. Their comrade had merely tripped, but now he was lying dead on the ground with a hole in his head.
"Shit!! That bastard's got a gun!"
They quickly moved to take cover under the eaves of a nearby wall. One of them raised his powerful shotgun and fired blindly toward the direction of the previous gunshot.
Boom!!
The decayed, damp wall was no match for the shotgun blast at such close range. It crumbled instantly, leaving a gaping hole. Fortunately, Xia Leng had already moved from his original position after firing the first shot, so he wasn't hit.
However, through the newly created hole, Xia Leng could now see the second biker. Without hesitation, he raised his gun and aimed for the man's head.
Click.
But the "Peace Gun" lived up to its name. After killing the first man, it seemed to have had a change of heart. When Xia Leng pulled the trigger a second time, it jammed.
Xia Leng and the biker stared at each other, both momentarily stunned before reacting simultaneously.
The terrified biker quickly aimed his shotgun at Xia Leng and squeezed the trigger.
But Xia Leng was faster. He hurled his jammed gun at the man's arm with all his strength. Knowing he couldn't outrun a bullet, he opted to throw his gun instead.
Smack!
Caught off guard, the biker flinched as the gun hit his elbow, causing his aim to jerk upward. The shotgun blast struck the rotting ceiling, blowing a large hole in it and sending a cloud of dust raining down, enveloping the store in a thick haze.
"Boss!! That bastard's out of ammo!! I've got him pinned down inside!"
The biker outside, called "Boss," heard this and rushed inside, joining his remaining comrade as they aimed their guns at the smoke-filled room.
Xia Leng, crouched in a corner of the store, took advantage of the dust to conceal his position. Though he was now weaponless, he had no intention of fleeing. While his vision was obscured, he relied on his sharp hearing to track the bikers' movements.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bikers, unnerved by the situation and unsure of where the Baptized was hiding, began firing wildly into the smoke. Their shotguns sprayed steel pellets in wide arcs, and with plenty of ammo on hand, they intended to pepper the entire store with bullets, hoping to hit their target.
As the sound of shotgun blasts grew closer, Xia Leng knew he couldn't stay put any longer. He pulled out the military dagger he had taken from the camp leader, listening carefully for the source of the gunfire. Then, he hurled the blade in that direction with all his strength.
Whoosh~
Powered by Xia Leng's formidable arm strength, the knife flew swiftly and accurately toward the biker who had escaped death twice already.
Just as the blade was about to pierce his throat, a wooden board from the ceiling suddenly loosened and fell, landing between the biker and the knife, blocking the deadly blow.
"Damn it! That bastard's throwing knives at me!! He's over there!!"
The biker, once again saved by sheer luck, swung his shotgun toward the direction the knife had come from and fired.
Boom!!
This time, Xia Leng wasn't quick enough to dodge. The shotgun pellets tore into his thigh, sending a wave of searing pain through his leg.
As he bit back a scream, Xia Leng couldn't help but marvel at the biker's incredible luck. First, his gun jammed; then, a falling board blocked his knife. Was this guy secretly a luck-type mystic? And did he not even know it himself?
Fortunately, the biker's aim wasn't perfect. Only a few pellets lodged in Xia Leng's leg, allowing him to continue moving, albeit with difficulty.
"Damn it!! He's out of ammo! Let's rush him and finish this!"
The leader tightened his grip on his weapon and ordered his subordinate to take the lead as they charged toward the corner where the knife had come from.
Hearing their approaching footsteps, Xia Leng gripped the edge of a nearby counter and pulled himself to his feet.
Finally, as they all came into each other's view, they simultaneously launched their attacks.
The two bikers raised their shotguns and fired at Xia Leng, who grabbed a piece of broken glass from the shattered window and hurled it at them.
Boom!!
Splat!
The shotgun blast slammed into Xia Leng, sending him flying into the wall. The steel pellets ripped through his body, leaving him in excruciating pain.
But the shard of glass Xia Leng had thrown spun through the air, slicing through the leader's throat. Blood gushed from the wound as he collapsed to the ground, convulsing as he felt his life slipping away.
Now, only the biker who had miraculously escaped death three times remained standing in the room. He watched in shock as his leader's eyes glazed over and the man died.