Chapter 31: The Death God's Smile

  Dazed and disoriented, I crawled up from the ground, shaking my head to clear the dizziness. My legs and back were throbbing with intense pain, but I didn't have time to assess my injuries as I quickly scrambled into a nearby thicket and hid in a ditch. Then, I turned around to look up at the sky - it seemed the helicopter had spotted me! Before long, the sound of rotor blades came from behind me, and a "Hind" helicopter appeared in my line of sight, hovering in mid-air as its powerful rotors blew away the treetops, searching for any sign of me.

  I've learned to fly a helicopter, so I know that right now I absolutely cannot move, any movement could expose my position, and once discovered, what awaits me is a hail of bullets capable of bringing down the building.

  Lowering my head, I crouched down as low as possible and lay in the ditch. The pain spreading from my back prompted my hands to touch and remove it. Struggling to suppress the urge to stretch out my hand, enduring the agony, only now do I understand how great Qiu Shaoyun was. On the surface, it's impossible to experience this desperation of being unable to live or die. I even felt my blood flowing from my back down to my waist and accumulating inside my clothes.

  "I'm petrified! I'm a rock! I don't feel anything! I'm a rock! I don't feel anything!" I desperately tried to convince myself of this nonsense.

  The blood and water on my waist are getting more and more, what's torturing me the most now is not the pain, but a feeling of impending death rising from the bottom of my heart. That feeling makes my hair stand on end, making my heart feel like it's turned to ice! I've never felt death so close to me before, I seem to see the blade of the god of death!

  A burst of rocket artillery fire came from the front, and the trees around me kept falling down. It seems that those guys on the plane are getting impatient! This is a good sign! 12.7mm bullets keep flying over my head with whistling sounds, but to me, it's like hearing the enemy's retreat bugle call - I'm thrilled!

  More than ten minutes later, the sound of the propellers on my head gradually faded away, and the plane was gone! I slowly raised my head, but it bumped into a hard object. I looked up to see a tree trunk as thick as a man's hug lying across the top of the ditch. I didn't even realize that I had almost been crushed by the tree!

  I peeked out from under the tree, took a look around, and only when I was sure the plane had disappeared did I slowly get up and open my clothes. Blood gushed out like a waterfall, giving me quite a scare.

  No! Is it an arterial injury? If so, I'm done for! But what artery is in the back? I thought about it for a long time and couldn't figure it out. Gently touching my back with the back of my hand, the sensation told me that they were all small wooden splinters from the exploded tree, the largest one on my buttocks was as long as a pencil, and so much blood was due to multiple wounds!

  I quickly took out the hemostatic powder and swallowed it, tidied up my clothes, didn't dare to move the wound, got up and ran quickly. I knew that if I pulled out the wooden thorns on my body now, it would cause more bleeding, so I only pulled out a few larger ones on my buttocks that affected my movement.

  The plane has left, but this airspace is now locked down and replacement fighter jets will arrive soon, I need to leave quickly.

  I stepped over the fallen tree trunks, and wave after wave of intense dizziness attacked my consciousness. It seemed that prolonged low-grade fever combined with excessive blood loss had pushed my body to its limit. I took out the last "magic weapon" from the medical bag - a stimulant. This thing was given to us by the doctor, he said it was called "the final struggle", using this thing would reduce pain and stimulate our nerves, giving us a chance to struggle on the edge of death for a while longer. If we could get timely rescue, we'd live; otherwise, we'd die.

  Although I'm not sure if this is considered my last struggle now, I know that if I don't use this thing, I won't be able to return to the rebel base.

  Inserted the syringe filled with golden liquid into my neck, watching as the liquid entered my body. Initially, I didn't feel much different, but within two seconds, I felt a sense of lightness and my body pain quickly disappeared, along with the dizziness. Looks like it's quite effective!

  Rushing up the mountain slope, the firing line is just at the foot of the mountain. After crossing this valley, it's the territory of the rebels. The hope that's within sight fills me with the motivation to survive.

  Before I even got down the mountain, a plane engine sound came from the valley on my right side. I quickly lay behind a large stone, and that damned plane rose again from the valley, unexpectedly giving me another strafing run.

  I don't know if it was the effect of stimulants or being annoyed by death, but I had the idea to take them out. Quickly, I replaced the sniper rifle's magazine with armor-piercing incendiary rounds, chambered a round and hid behind a rock, listening to the approaching helicopter sounds, cursing while waiting.

  "Son of a bitch! I'll take you with me, come to Daddy's place, Daddy has gifts for you!!" I was waiting for the plane to dive down after crossing the ridge.

  The plane's noise seemed to be scraping against my skin right next to my face, and I could see the two pilots inside the cockpit as it zoomed past overhead!

  I gritted my teeth and steeled myself, jumping out from behind the rock's cover to charge in front of this massive object. The helicopter had just climbed up and was lowering its head, preparing for a dive, when the pilot and gunner suddenly appeared before me.

  I raised the gun, and in the sight, I saw the driver's terrified eyes. I pulled the trigger, and the bullet pierced through the bulletproof glass, hitting the driver right between his left eye. The brain matter splattered onto the windshield, turning it into a bloody red. I ejected the shell, reloaded, aimed again, but before I could take out the gunner, the plane suddenly dived towards me, its propeller spinning like a giant fan, heading straight for my head.

  Just as the axe was about to fall on my head, I hastily lay down backwards, but it wasn't until my back touched the ground that I remembered there were still a bunch of wooden thorns stuck to my back. "Ahh!" I rolled over to one side and started wailing in pain, tears streaming down my face without me even realizing it.

  The plane suddenly lost its pilot and dived straight into the ground, crashing on a hillside 50 meters away. The massive explosion told me I had dodged a bullet!

  "Damn! Let you chase! If you have the ability, come up!" I spat at the fireball at the foot of the mountain and flipped it off with my middle finger, finally venting my anger.

  I clutched at my waist and ran down the mountain slope, dashing into the woods, racing towards the rebel base, now a hope as reachable as an apple within hand's grasp.

  As I ran through the mountains, I cursed in my heart: "Slow machine, wait for me to come back, I must open a hole in your belly! Damn it, you almost took my grandfather's life! I won't let you go! Fuck!"

  Non-stop running, crossing the line of fire, just as I was rushing towards hope, my left foot suddenly went soft and I fell to the ground, my body like a faint, head-first into the mud. The sniper rifle flew far away. It felt like all my strength had been sucked out at once, everything went black before my eyes, and I almost fainted!

  What's going on! What's wrong with me? Why can't I move?! A string of question marks flashed through my mind. My body felt like it wasn't mine, unresponsive. The effects of the medicine have worn off! Suddenly, I came to and realized that the medicine had worn off, and my over-exerted body was unable to move anymore.

  "I don't want to die here! I refuse!" I desperately cried out in my heart.

  I bit my tongue hard, the pain spread throughout my body, and only then did I have a little feeling of having a body. Looking at the village in front of me, I tried to open my mouth but couldn't make a sound. I didn't expect to die on the edge of my own base, how ironic!

  Looking at the base close at hand, I bit my lip and wanted to make a last effort. I clenched my teeth and bit my tongue hard, using the pain to locate my hands. Then, I put all my strength into my hands, hoping to touch the pistol on my waist. The gun was signaling! However, when my fingers touched the holster, the catch that usually opened easily like a zipper now seemed as difficult to open as a safety lock.

  I pinched the card holder, I exerted myself three times and still couldn't open it. The air stuck in my chest made me dizzy again, and I really couldn't take it anymore! I felt a strong sense of powerlessness!

  Maybe I'm going to die here, and the memories of my life are flashing before my eyes. They say that only people who are about to die can see these! It seems like I've reached the end, and the god of death hasn't left me yet. Although I'm already in a semi-comatose state, I just don't want to close my eyes. I know that if I close them, I'll never be able to open them again. Maybe I still have some hope!!

  A rustling sound reached my ears, and my groggy head somehow managed to distinguish that it was the sound of military boots rubbing against leaves. The rebels didn't have military boots - enemies! The first thought that flashed into my mind wasn't about saving my life, but at the same time I felt a wave of heat spreading from my waist, followed by a thread of strength that actually allowed me to open the holster and pull out my pistol!

  The once-light MK23 now feels like a mountain in my hands, I can barely lift the muzzle, and the slide is stuck as if rusted. All I can do is point the muzzle at the sound of footsteps and desperately try to rack the slide, I don't understand why I'm making this futile last stand.

  Just as I used the last bit of my life's energy to press the shutter, a large hand grasped my wrist. "F**k! It's me, Butcher!" An angel-like voice entered my ears, and then darkness swallowed me!!

  Click to view picture link: The first generation of .50 sniper rifle - RAI 500