What Kim Doohwan did not know was, at that moment, his crosshair had shifted away from the person he considered his mortal enemy.
In the safe zone, Zhuang, Se7en’s team manager had revived SSR. SSR healed himself while crouching. He spoke at the same time with a bit of saltiness, “This Heavenly Fire… shouldn’t be that jinxed, right?”
“You can ask Guru Long about that,” Zhuang was as equally speechless. He shook his head. “However, he’s already dead.”
“Well, whatever. In any case, the red zone is gone.” SSR looked at Liu Zilang who was still being blocked from advancing behind the tree. “We have to stop him from coming into the safe zone no matter what it takes.”
“He’s already dead to me.”
Zhuang was not a professional competitor, but he still had an eye for assessing a player’s strengths. He glanced at the two people who were in a building not too far away and rubbed his chin as if he was pondering about something. “Those two people… are a little too strong…”
They were not only strong!
They were vicious!
With his opponents who had set up the perfect defense, Liu Zilang had to hide behind the tree the moment he revealed himself.
Swish swish swish~!
Tree bark and bits of wood flew in front of him.
A row of bullet holes appeared on the tree trunk.
The radioactive blue web that was closing in from all sides was almost up to his butt. The circle was unlike the previous ones where he could weather them by drinking an energy drink or by using a bandage.
Furthermore, Liu Zilang did have many consumables on him. Hence, if the standoff went on, he would not last long.
However, seeing that Misaka Mikoto had entered the circle, he was relieved that at least there was someone who would carry the team’s name on.
In any case, Liu Zilang had decided that the tree was not going to be his safe haven forever. Without any hesitation, he lobbed smoke grenades one after another.
Very soon, the area in front of him was covered in smoke.
The people in the safe zone realized that Liu Zilang was about to break through by brute force, and all of them turned their line of fire toward the tree he was hiding behind.
Kim Doohwan, who was also outside the safe zone, saw Liu Zilang’s actions.
He thought in his heart, ‘That person also has a respectable degree of determination.’
Something flashed in his eyes.
‘Only someone like him is worthy to be called my ally.’
Meanwhile, Liu Zilang’s smokescreen had completely blocked SSR’s field of view.
Instead of charging out from his hiding place, he delivered a preemptive strike. He exposed himself from behind the tree and then lifted his SKS to tap-fire a volley of bullets!
Bang bang bang~!
Bullets fell on his opponents like rain.
At that time, Karl and his teammate were thinking of sticking their heads out. However, their opponent’s gunfire suppressed them from doing so.
“Vic is suddenly being very proactive. Is he planning to knock one of them out?”
“No! Vic has already stowed away his gun. Looks like he was only planning to suppress them momentarily.”
Within the two seconds that Liu Zilang exposed himself from behind the tree, he had emptied a full clip of twenty bullets with his SKS.
Then, he stowed away his rifle, and as swift as lightning, he dashed into the smokescreen.
After Karl and his teammate recovered, the first thing they did was blindly spray a volley of bullets into the smokescreen.
Hearing this, SSR and Zhuang concluded that Liu Zilang had to be running through the smokescreen. Hence, they lifted their guns and fired blindly into the smoke!
Countless bullets tore apart the white foggy smoke!
Splat!
Liu Zilang was randomly hit by a stray bullet. A splash of blood bloomed and quickly dissipated into a cloud.
However, he did not stop to heal himself. Instead, he held onto another smoke grenade in his hand and then threw it forward with all his might!
Duang!
The smoke grenade made several revolutions on the ground before smoke swiftly spread out from it!
SSR and their team manager, Zhuang, saw the smoke. Their eyelids twitched upon the sight of it.
Liu Zilang had thrown the smoke grenade in their direction, and he was clearly trying to break through their defense.
“So… we’re being breached?” Zhuang asked vacantly.
“B*stard!” SSR gritted his teeth. “It’s straight-up mockery!”
“Want to get past us? Let’s see if you’re tough enough.”
They had a point though. Liu Zilang was still very far away from the safe zone. It would have been a fairy tale if he had lobbed smoke grenades all the way!
As Liu Zilang was dashing toward the second smokescreen, Karl stuck his head out from the window.
Bang!
It was the crisp sound of a sniper rifle being fired!
Before anyone on the battlefield could react, a striking display of blood appeared by the window on the second floor!
Karl’s level two helmet that was on his head had been shattered instantly. He fell with a thump below the window.
“Azeael knocked out SKK-Karl by headshot with Kar98K!”
With one source of damage gone, Liu Zilang who was in the smokescreen felt a heavy burden being lifted from his shoulders. He took a glance at the notification on the top right corner of his screen and was surprised.
‘Isn’t that Kim… Whatshisname?’
‘But how could it be him?’
Liu Zilang recalled the oh-so-many times Kim Doohwan had fallen victim to his pranks. In the previous match, he was ‘accidentally’ killed by a bus he had destabilized.
In such a crucial moment, this person [stuck out a helping hand toward his tormentor]. What an outstanding display of generosity!
Liu Zilang had a newfound respect for the person!
…
Karl’s teammate immediately moved into action to provide support.
He emptied a clip into the smokescreen as he tried to hit Liu Zilang and then swiftly unarmed himself to revive Karl.
Naturally, Liu Zilang grabbed the opportunity to dash forward within the smokescreen.
Meanwhile, Misaka Mikoto who was already in the safe zone did not stay idle. She took the opportunity when SSR and the others were focused on Liu Zilang to crawl behind a grassy slope near them.
“Shifu, don’t worry! I’ll save you!”
“Wait! Don’t act first, let’s do it together.”
Liu Zilang halted the impetuous Misaka Mikoto. After he had continued forward and met with Misaka Mikoto, rather than restoring his health level which was at half its maximum point, he pulled out a frag grenade and tossed it to the front.
Meanwhile, Kim Doohwan continued to push forward, relying on the indirect cover that was being provided by Liu Zilang.
He had exposed himself with his shot earlier. Once he started moving, SSR’s line of fire was diverted to him since Liu Zilang was already out of range.
At this time, Liu Zilang’s grenade landed nearby them. It was not very accurate. However, it had achieved the effect of suppressing fire.
In that sense, Kim Doohwan’s tactic had worked. By saving others, he had saved himself.
However, Misaka Mikoto realized that something was amiss.
“Shifu! There’s someone behind!” As she shouted the warning, she lifted the MK14 in her hands!
Tut tut tut~!
A series of bullets blazed through the air!
Kim Doohwan, who was running across the flat terrain, did not have his guard raised against Liu Zilang. This was because he treated him like a temporary ally.
He felt his heart skip a beat when he heard gunfire from an MK14. He immediately sidestepped to the left and right!
However, regardless of how erratic his sidestepping was, Kim Doohwan was shocked to find out that the bullets were somehow locked onto him!
He did not expect Misaka Mikoto’s gun skills to be as equally erratic!
Splat! Splat! Splat!
Several bullets struck Kim Doohwan. He stumbled and fell head-first to the ground. He then stumbled forward a few more times before he landed face-up and stared at the sky dumbfoundedly…
‘How…
‘… Is this possible?’
A kill notification appeared on the top right corner of his screen.
“Menhera-chan killed Azeael with MK14!”
‘Menhera-chan?’
Kim Doohwan was shocked when he saw the kill notification appear on his black-and-white death screen.
Something buzzed in his brain as though he had remembered something.
Then, he could feel his whole body shake!
His eyes turned red in an instant!
‘That was him!!!’
…