Boom! Boom! Boom!
Missiles launched from behind the main force streaked toward the Golan Heights.
Just then, Seven-Colored Light blossomed atop the highland's Watchtower. The light spread and joined together, forming a Water-Curtain-like Energy Shield.
When the missiles struck the shield, it rippled like a lake struck by stones, but the highland remained unharmed.
Wooooo—
A battlefield horn sounded out of nowhere. Its muffled, oppressive notes seemed to rise from deep beneath the earth, like the low rumble of an Ancient Giant Beast stirring in its sleep.
Clack, clack, clack—
The locks on all the cages snapped open. Green-skinned Orcs kicked down the cell doors, grabbed the Wolf Tooth Clubs from the ground, and charged downhill with furious roars.
In an instant, Green-skinned Orcs covered the mountainside. From above, they looked like green moss spreading rapidly across the ground.
At the same time, a volley of arrows flew from behind the Golan Heights. Thick and long, they traced powerful arcs through the air before raining down on the Imperial Army Formation.
"Fire!!!"
At the Command Center's order, the Legion's various formations sprang into action.
The First Phalanx, made up of Clone Soldiers, spread out into groups of several. In an instant, gunfire engulfed the entire Golan Heights.
Guns spat orange-red flames, each shot accompanied by a fierce kick of recoil. Bullets swarmed forth like steel bees from a hive, whistling toward the Green-skinned Orcs.
The Elite Troops followed close behind. Better equipped, some wore External Exoskeletons, while others donned Power Armor. Armed with Submachine Guns, they provided the second wave of firepower behind the Clone Soldiers.
Clang, clang, clang—
Bullets struck the iron armor, leaving dent after dent as shell casings scattered across the ground.
The Green-skinned Orcs' armor looked battered, but it was made of surprisingly fine materials and could stop Standard Rifle rounds.
Still, if a bullet hit an Orc in the throat, between the brows, or in the eye, death was hard to avoid.
The battle quickly reached a fever pitch.
Green-skinned Orcs fell one after another, while arrows wounded both Clone Soldiers and other Elite Troops.
At that moment, the Earth Dragon Squad stood toward the back of the formation. They had yet to receive orders to join the fighting.
"Qin Tian, your aim's good. You can stay here and kill a few more Green-skinned Orcs. We can earn some Military Merit Points off your kills, too," Xiao Yunlong said.
In the Imperial Army, completing missions earned Military Merit Points. They could raise one's rank or be exchanged for rare and important supplies, such as advanced firearms, natural treasures, and Psionic Cultivation Techniques.
In fact, Qin Dadi and the others had joined the army for the chance to exchange Military Merit Points for supplies.
Qin Tian was part of the Earth Dragon Squad. When he earned Military Merit Points, a portion went to his three teammates. In turn, they shared some of their points with him.
The Battlefield Sky Eye determined how the points were divided, ensuring complete accuracy and fairness.
"Sure."
Qin Tian raised his rifle with both hands, the muzzle tilted slightly upward. The Green-skinned Orcs were charging down from the highland, and no allies blocked his line of sight. They were a little far away, but still within the range of the Dragon Falcon Rifle.
Bang!
He squeezed the trigger. A flash sparked inside the barrel, and the bullet shot out like lightning, wrapped in a rush of hot air. It struck a Green-skinned Orc squarely in the eye.
The tremendous force tore off the top of its skull, splattering foul-smelling brain matter across the ground.
"Beautiful shot!"
Xiao Yunlong pumped a fist, grinning from ear to ear.
"Evolution Points +27"
A line of text appeared before Qin Tian's eyes.
His eyes lit up. One Green-skinned Orc was worth as much as three Shadow Cats. They were big and clumsy, practically perfect live targets.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
He pulled the trigger again and again. Every shot was followed by a Green-skinned Orc dropping dead with its head blown apart.
In just a few minutes, Qin Tian had shot down more than a hundred Green-skinned Orcs. The members of the Special Forces Squad beside him could hardly hide their envy.
"Holy crap, where did the Earth Dragon Squad find that Sharpshooter? Wasn't Huang Xun killed in action?"
"The Military Department must've assigned him. This is favoritism—blatant favoritism."
"I'm not putting up with this. I want a Sharpshooter, too!"
The Special Forces Teams were green with envy. In a conventional special-ops mission, a Sharpshooter might not be as useful as an Ability User or a Psionic User. But on a battlefield, once a Sharpshooter found a good position, he could become a ruthless Military Merit Point harvesting machine in moments.
"Quiet, quiet. Don't distract my adorable teammate."
Xiao Yunlong handed Qin Tian a fresh magazine, grinning so hard his face nearly split. In just a few minutes, they had done nothing, yet already earned a handsome sum of Military Merit Points.
So this was what it felt like to ride someone else's coattails?
Wonderful!
Nearby, Qin Dadi and Liu Zhaozhao were beaming, too. They suddenly felt that taking part in a major battle like this wasn't so bad after all. They could earn Military Merit Points just by standing around.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Qin Tian kept firing, every shot a headshot.
The Evolution Points on his System Panel had passed 2,700 and continued to climb, edging toward the 3,000 mark.
On this brutal, blood-soaked battlefield, dozens of lives vanished every second. Normally, the deaths of a hundred or so Green-skinned Orcs would be no more than tiny ripples, hardly worth anyone's notice.
But Qin Tian's aim was simply too good. Every shot landed in an eye socket, blowing the target's head apart. Before long, he drew some attention.
"Impressive marksmanship. Do we have a new Sharpshooter in the Legion?"
The commander glanced toward Qin Tian's position, his tone carrying a hint of surprise and approval.
"He looks unfamiliar."
The officer beside him frowned. Every Sharpshooter was a prized member of the Legion, and senior officers knew them by sight. But he had no recollection of this one.
"Just a minor diversion."
The commander looked ahead, taking in the entire battle. A trace of worry flickered in his eyes.
The situation wasn't looking good for them.
"Reload!"
Qin Tian removed his magazine and held out his hand to Xiao Yunlong.
Xiao Yunlong swiftly handed him a fresh one and took the empty magazine in return, his movements practiced and smooth.
Just as Qin Tian was loading the new magazine, a sudden stab of pain shot through his temple, as if disaster were about to strike.
Something's wrong. This is Danger Sense.
Qin Tian's pupils contracted. He shouted, "Spread out!"
The Earth Dragon Squad reacted quickly. The moment they heard Qin Tian's warning, they instinctively flung themselves to the side without a moment's hesitation.
The next instant, a flaming arrow plummeted from the sky and struck the very spot where they had just been standing.
Boom!!!
It exploded like a land mine, hurling dirt in every direction. The blast of wind sent Qin Tian flying. He tumbled across the ground several times before coming to a stop.
Qin Tian scrambled to his feet and looked back. Only when he saw that his teammates were all unharmed did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Then a wave of fear crashed over him, and cold sweat ran down his body.
If he had reacted just a little slower, he and his teammates might now be scattered across the ground in pieces.
At that moment, Qin Tian finally glimpsed the cruelty and danger of war. This was no killing ground where he could do as he pleased. One careless mistake could plunge him into a hopeless abyss.
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