"Damn it! Why are they suddenly moving?"
A few minutes earlier, two streets away from the Dragon City Imperial Residence, a squad of soldiers lay in ambush, waiting for the perfect moment to strike a Bacatan airboat. Their anti-tank cannon was primed and ready.
But just as they prepared to fire, the airboat accelerated suddenly. The Bacatan soldiers aboard let out barbaric howls as the vehicle sped off.
Squad leader Jiang Bin, a square-faced man with a steely demeanor, shot to his feet, clenching his teeth in frustration.
"What now, sir?" Deputy squad leader Wang Desheng asked quietly.
"Get in the vehicles and pursue," Jiang Bin ordered in a low voice. "That airboat is a major threat to both survivors and nearby allied units. Since we've located them, we must not lose them. Today, we bring them down!"
Wang Desheng hesitated. "But sir, if we engage them openly… With their numbers and firepower, I'm afraid we—"
Jiang Bin glanced back at his squad.
They were no longer at full strength, down to just nine men. They still had some conventional weapons, but heavy firepower was in short supply. For vehicles, they had only a military jeep equipped with a 12.7mm machine gun and a commandeered civilian SUV.
"Send a distress signal to nearby units," Jiang Bin instructed. "For now, reduce speed and keep a low profile. Let's see where they're heading. If they threaten civilian lives, we'll stop them at any cost."
Wang Desheng frowned. "It's highly likely they're hunting civilians for contribution points. If they left in such a hurry, they've probably already found someone."
Meanwhile, Lin Qun was fleeing for his life, the Bacatan airboat relentlessly pursuing him.
He darted and leaped erratically, his Mario skill enabling superhuman jumps that defied physics. Each leap covered over ten meters, throwing off the Bacatan gunners' aim. Their weapons trailed him but never quite landed a killing blow.
From the airboat, the Bacatan soldiers shouted taunts through a crude translator, their voices harsh and mocking.
"Cowardly vermin! All you know is how to run!"
"Did your mother teach you to be a spineless dog?"
Lin Qun seethed with rage, tempted to turn and fight. But he knew better. Acting impulsively would only get him killed.
How could he fight back when his enemies were ten meters above him? His flesh-and-blood body was at a disadvantage, and his skills were geared for stealth and ambush, not direct confrontation.
But he also understood one thing: A head-on battle with the Bacatan was inevitable.
Ducking into a narrow alley, Lin Qun pressed himself against a wall. The heavy gunfire from the airboat ripped through the structure behind him, sending shards of brick and debris flying like shrapnel. His clothes and skin were nicked and torn.
Without his Mario skill, which let him leap to safety repeatedly, he'd already be dead.
As he paused to catch his breath, an idea struck him—a risky, desperate plan that might just work.
No, it has to work.
If he kept running, he would eventually exhaust his stamina and be gunned down. His only chance was to strike back while he still had the strength.
Lin Qun spun on his heel, determination hardening his expression.
Peering up, he caught sight of terrified eyes peeking at him from a nearby building. Survivors were watching him being hunted, too scared to intervene. In this hellscape, stepping forward was a death sentence.
One hit from a 20mm autocannon would obliterate a person.
The airboat's deafening roar grew louder as it rounded the corner. The four Bacatan aboard were howling with excitement, relishing the thrill of the chase.
But as they rounded the corner, they froze for a split second.
Their target had stopped running.
Lin Qun stood in the middle of the street, facing them head-on.
"Mario Skill: Activated!"
Lin Qun launched himself skyward, reaching an impossible height and arcing toward the airboat.
His plan was straightforward: a mid-air snipe.
From the ground, it was nearly impossible to aim at the Bacatan aboard the airboat. The angle and their elevated position rendered Lin Qun's Headshot Lady skill useless for a clean strike. But in mid-air, with the right angle, he could see their bodies.
As he leapt, Lin Qun relied on his instincts, not precision. He didn't aim for headshots. Anything he could see, he'd destroy.
The Headshot Lady skill wasn't limited to heads. Any visible part of a carbon-based lifeform could be targeted. Headshots were simply the most efficient and energy-conserving option. But in this case, any damage would suffice.
Combining Mario with Headshot Lady, Lin Qun executed his daring strategy: a high-mobility, mid-air snipe.
This was his first time attempting it, but Lin Qun succeeded spectacularly.
Soaring through the air, he passed within striking distance of the airboat. His gaze locked onto the Bacatan at the front, the one raising its weapon to fire.
Before the alien could pull the trigger, its arm exploded in a shower of blood and gore.
The Bacatan screamed, its weapon clattering to the deck. The other soldiers were stunned, not expecting their prey to retaliate.
But they quickly recovered, snarling as they maneuvered the airboat for another attack.
Lin Qun landed on the far side of the street, rolling to absorb the impact. He had no floating or double-jump abilities; his leap was a one-time shot. But that brief moment in mid-air had given him a glimpse of hope.
The mid-air snipe worked.
The airboat swerved, its autocannon swiveling toward him as the Bacatan soldiers roared with fury.
"That's him!"
"Our tracker shows he just earned contribution points! Kill this human!"
"He killed our comrades! Don't kill him too quickly—shoot his legs first! I want to break his bones one by one and make him die in agony!"
Lin Qun gritted his teeth and prepared for another leap. If they wanted a fight, he'd give them one.