The glow of the campfire vanished.
The dark forest returned to silence.
Vito, lying prone atop a pile of rocks, moved his right eye away from his sniper rifle's scope, a flicker of surprise crossing his brow.
They had been discovered?
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
He decisively put away the sniper rifle, raised his index finger to tap his earpiece, and spoke to the other two hunters closing in.
"Valit, Xiu, be careful... The enemy are Awakened, likely with enhanced hearing and vision. They've entered a state of alert. Watch yourselves."
Two replies came through the earpieces.
"Understood."
"Received."
After issuing the order, Vito did not hesitate. He pulled the flare gun from his waist and fired into the sky.
A red signal flare rose flashing into the sky, hanging in the night like a scarlet lantern.
Five kilometers away, a patrol squad carrying out a search mission would immediately come to reinforce them once they saw the signal.
At that moment, Valit's voice came through the earpiece. The muscular man spoke with a teasing tone.
"Was there really a need to call for reinforcements? They're just three little girls, at most with a half-dead wounded man and two stupid bears."
In his eyes, his captain was being far too cautious.
He admitted that the disastrous defeat of the 29th Marine Corps was worth being wary of, but there was no need to scare themselves.
Those unlucky bastards who had gotten their heads blown off were just recruits who had served less than two years. Whether in ability or experience, they were nowhere near the same level as elite Marines like them.
Hearing his teammate's teasing, Vito merely replied impassively.
"Better safe than sorry."
Whether the opponent was an old man, a child, or a woman, as long as