SniperKing

Chapter 4: A Solitary Battle

13, crouched low, vanished from the plaza the instant the surrounding gunfire erupted.

"Where did he go?" the soldiers exclaimed, their search resembling the frantic movements of headless flies.

Suddenly, a soldier pointed skyward, his voice laced with terror. "He… he's in the air!" he cried, before a swiftly thrown blade, appearing as a silver flash, pierced his skull, silencing him instantly.

Before the knife could fall, 13's left hand snatched it from the air, and in a fluid, lateral spin, he sliced the throat of another soldier who was gazing upwards.

"He's in the crowd!" The once-rigid encirclement dissolved into chaos. 13, eschewing his firearm, wielded his combat dagger in a reverse grip. The screams, the cries of agony, and the staccato bursts of gunfire painted a vivid tableau of 13's terrifying efficiency.

"Rocket launcher! Quickly, use the rocket launcher and blast him to pieces!" the officer's voice was now a hoarse rasp.

13 paused momentarily, his gaze fixed upon a soldier in the distance shouldering a launcher. The soldier, petrified by the four crimson 'eyes' of 13's helmet, squeezed the launch trigger before even acquiring a lock.

13 swiftly drew his modified Glock 12 once more, firing a single shot that was instantly followed by the thick, acrid smoke of an explosion.

The officer, still seated on the ground, gaped in astonishment. "Are you out of your minds?! He even shoots down rockets! Kill him! Use the machine guns! The rockets! The grenades! Just kill him now! Whoever takes him out gets an immediate double promotion!"

"Ignorance," 13 murmured with contempt, lowering his firearm and continuing his grim task with the blade.

Finally, someone comprehended the officer's frantic commands. In the distance, three American-made M1 Abrams tanks rumbled towards the plaza. Hope flickered in the eyes of the remaining soldiers as they scrambled for cover behind the massive vehicles. 13, who had been rapidly decimating those around him, suddenly found himself alone. He was forced to halt once more, his gaze shifting towards the direction of the fleeing crowd. The officer, meanwhile, had clambered atop the lead tank's turret, his laughter bordering on hysteria. "I don't know what you are, but you die now! Fire!" The M1 tanks employed by Taiwan were equipped with German 120mm smoothbore cannons, and a high-explosive incendiary round hurtled towards 13 with terrifying speed.

13 remained rooted to his spot, merely sheathing his dagger and executing a swift sidestep. A deafening explosion erupted ten meters behind him, the concussive force whipping up shards of concrete from the ground.

All cries ceased. The once clamorous plaza was now eerily silent. Even the beating of hearts seemed to have stilled.

For 13 still stood.

"Alas, in this world, some phenomena defy conventional logic," 13 stated, straightening his posture as he addressed the thirty-meter-distant crowd. "Power is among them." With that, he raised the COOL-FIRE rifle in his hands and squeezed the trigger three times in rapid succession. The bullets unerringly pierced the tank's gun barrel, detonating the silent 'killer' within.

In the forest…

"Let's go. There's nothing more to see. 'Punisher' isn't here. What follows is merely unilateral s*******r. We'll wait for him at the main gate," 1 said, turning away.

"What a bunch of imbecilic soldiers! In this situation, they should have deployed snipers in elevated positions for elimination. How could they use a nearly one-thousand-strong force for an encirclement?" 36 lamented the Taiwanese army's ineptitude.

"You think you're so clever. If you were that officer, would you have anticipated a single enemy infiltrating? Usually, it would be at least a small team of twenty or thirty for targeted sabotage," 24 chided, tapping 36's head.

"The bottom line is…" 1 stated, "they severely underestimated 13's capabilities."

After approximately thirty minutes of waiting at the gate, 13 emerged slowly from within. His black combat suit had been stained a dark crimson, and the blood on his armor had begun to congeal into thick clots, giving him the appearance of a demon risen from the depths of hell.

"Took you long enough. Did your hands get tired, 13? This isn't like you," 36 remarked sarcastically.

13 removed his helmet, a rare smile gracing his lips. "Forgive me for the delay. I'm still not accustomed to planting explosives. Let's leave that task to 1 in the future."

13's reaction caught 36 off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless.

"Enough with the banter. Get in the vehicle! We have a second mission to complete," 1 said, already starting the military jeep.

"13, you know what? Sometimes I really don't understand you," 36 said, watching the blurring scenery outside the jeep's window.

"Is that so?" 13's voice was soft.

"How many shots did you take?" 1, who was driving, inquired.

"Roughly over three hundred. I wasn't counting carefully. While the armor blocked most of them, about twenty-odd hit the combat suit itself," 13 replied, lifting his shirt to reveal several purplish bruises on his abdomen.

"Be more careful next time. Luckily, most of them were using assault rifles, and the combat suit can withstand that. If they had used high-caliber sniper rifles, you would have been dead already," 1 scolded.

"Understood," 13 responded before leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes to rest.

The others knew 13 was conserving his energy for the next mission, so they remained silent.

After about ten minutes, 24 in the front passenger seat noticed 13 had entered a light sleep. She then quietly asked, "1, I want to know what 13 said that made you agree to such a dangerous request. Don't give me any of that 'he promised me something, so I promised him something' nonsense. Does the concept of 'equivalent exchange' even exist in your dictionary, 1?"

"You really want to know?" 1 replied with a faint smile.

"Of course. 1, you're the most level-headed among us. I also want to know why you would make such a risky decision," 36 chimed in from behind 1's seat.

"Because he said to me, 'Could you let me try to approach danger quietly, alone?' 13, did you sense any danger?" 1 suddenly addressed the seemingly sleeping 13.

"No…" 13 replied softly, his eyes still closed.

"Is that so?" 1 said dismissively. "But I have already fulfilled my promise to you by deliberately choosing a fortified camp with an ambush to attack. So, I owe you nothing. I won't let you be so reckless in future operations," 1 commanded sternly.

"Understood, Captain," 13 replied, adding softly, "Thank you."

Two hours later, Special Operations Team Seven returned to base. After a brief freshening up (in reality, only 13 washed off the bloodstains), they reported to Liu Tao.

"Report! Special Operations Team Seven has successfully completed the mission. Requesting Commander's second order!" 1 reported loudly.

"Excellent." Liu Tao smiled with satisfaction. "The second mission is an ambush."

"May I inquire as to what type of unit we are to ambush?" 1 asked.

"It's not for you to lay an ambush outside, but within our own base. We need to 'entertain' some 'guests' who will be arriving shortly."

"Commander, are you suggesting that Taiwan will attack the base?" 24 asked, her voice tinged with disbelief.

"Precisely. It should happen within the next day or two. The four of you will take up concealed positions in the east, south, west, and north respectively. If any one of you comes under attack, the others will immediately move to reinforce," Liu Tao stated calmly.

"The probability of that is rather low. Taiwan's total forces in the surrounding area wouldn't exceed thirty thousand. They simply cannot mount a significant assault on our heavily defended base. Keep in mind that the army contingent stationed here alone numbers thirty-five thousand. Moreover, any large-scale troop concentration would be vulnerable to aerial bombardment," 36 analyzed meticulously.

"Just out of curiosity, how many personnel were in the Taiwanese military encampment you eliminated?" Liu Tao countered with a smile.

"The United States will use those four mechs to attack!" 13 stated, his usual icy demeanor returning.

"We can no longer judge our adversaries' actions based on common sense. The moment I boldly dispatched you on that first mission, I knew that what we are now contending with is no longer a matter of troop numbers, advanced equipment, or sound tactics, but rather absolute power. A power that will leave an indelible mark on everyone. America possesses armor that emboldens their arrogance, but we too have something to be proud of – you. I trust you will not disappoint China," Liu Tao said with unwavering confidence, his gaze momentarily resting on 13.

"Understood, Commander!" the four responded in unison.

"Alright, you may proceed with your individual deployments now. 13, remain behind for a moment."

Once the others had left, Liu Tao personally rose and secured the office door and windows. He then picked up a folder from his desk and handed it to 13 with a smile.

"Take a look. We'll talk after you've read it."

13 opened the first page and a rare look of surprise crossed his features. "Level One National Security Clearance?"

"Indeed. I argued with Zheng Yu from the classified information department on the phone for a whole hour to get this. Dammit, I don't even know the names of my own soldiers, and they expect me to command them with confidence!" Liu Tao grumbled like a child.

13 carefully verified the documents before letting out a soft sigh. "The documents are in order. What would Commander Liu like to know?"

"Who are you?" Liu Tao asked sternly.

"Designation 13, sniper of Special Operations Team Seven…"

"I want to know your name," Liu Tao interrupted 13's formal report.

"I…" 13 hesitated for a moment before stating calmly, "I don't have a name. No one ever gave me one. They started calling me 13, 13, even when I was still in the cultivation tank."

"You have no parents?" Liu Tao was visibly taken aback by 13's words.

"No. I am not the product of a s****l union. They artificially synthesized the most superior genes to produce me," 13 replied, his tone still even, though a fleeting hint of sorrow flickered in his eyes.

"How could they do such a thing?!" Liu Tao slammed his fist onto the sturdy desk in anger.

"Is there anything else you wish to ask?" 13 said coldly.

Liu Tao hesitated before asking, "How strong are you?"

"There is no specific comparable reference. When we are equipped with our full gear, no one on the modern battlefield should be able to eliminate us with a casualty rate lower than two thousand to one."

Liu Tao was once again astounded. "You're not afraid of bullets? Tell me about your equipment!"

"1 is equipped with the complete 'Azure Dragon' operational suit. Specific details require personal consent for disclosure.

24 is equipped with the complete 'Vermilion Bird' operational suit. Specific details require personal consent for disclosure.

36 is equipped with the complete 'Black Tortoise' operational suit. Specific details require personal consent for disclosure." 13 paused when reporting on his own equipment. "13 is equipped with the complete 'White Tiger' operational suit. Would you like a detailed report?"

Without hesitation, Liu Tao replied, "Detailed report!"

"'White Tiger' consists of protective, offensive, and auxiliary equipment.

Protective equipment includes arm guards, leg guards, chest armor, a helmet, and the inner ZX7 combat suit.

Offensive equipment includes the heavy sniper rifle COOL-FIRE, the light pistol Glock 12 modified, and a vibration-enhanced combat dagger.

Auxiliary equipment includes ammunition supply packs, a suspension launcher integrated into the left arm guard, and long-range mobility tools." 13 concluded his report, looking calmly at Liu Tao. "Is there anything else you wish to know?"

"A friend of mine told me that you possess detailed information on American individual armor," Liu Tao said, looking up at the ceiling with a sigh.

"Your friend is mistaken. We do not possess their specific data. However, since their armor and our protective gear are manufactured using the same rare metals, we know they are formidable, and their combat capabilities are likely no less than our own. Their designation is the 'Punisher' mech team."

"Alright, now for the final question…" Liu Tao said, his gaze suddenly direct and intense. "What is SEED?"

13's body trembled slightly.

"I do not know where you heard that word, but I believe you would not wish to know."…………

At the same time, in the military encampment attacked by Special Operations Team Seven…

"Captain! The deceased number eight hundred and sixty-seven. Of these, over eight hundred were killed by sharp-edged weapons. The incisions are remarkably clean, each a fatal, single strike…" the reporting soldier said, his voice strained as he fought back nausea.

"Alright, order everyone to continue the investigation," the man referred to as Captain said, pulling off his gloves.

"Yes, sir!"

"Captain! We've discovered one strange corpse!" another soldier reported.

"Let's go take a look!"

They approached one charred body lying prone on the ground, clutching something to its chest.

"The deceased was instantly incinerated by a close-range high-explosive incendiary blast. Judging by the trajectory, he should have been blown off the top of the tank by the explosion's shockwave. But the body appears to be protecting something important?"

"Turn it over!" the Captain commanded without a moment's hesitation, issuing an order he would instantly regret.

"BOOM—!" One deafening roar was followed by a rapid succession of explosions, and the military encampment was utterly obliterated from the face of the earth.

13's mission was complete…