Xia Tianming quickly assessed the enemy's firepower. The main threats to him were the two armed helicopters circling overhead and the M1A2 Main Battle Tank.
The rifles in the other soldiers' hands probably weren't much of a threat, as long as their aim wasn't exceptionally accurate—accurate enough to land a headshot every time.
He remembered that in the movies and games, these Umbrella mercenaries had Stormtrooper-level aim. Hopefully, reality was the same.
Xia Tianming planned to use his current camouflage to sneak around behind the soldiers, then launch a surprise attack and take out the tank and helicopter crews threatening him first!
Captain Kromi glanced at the restless horde of zombies up ahead. Their target still hadn't appeared, and he had a bad feeling about it. He immediately contacted Monitor again. "Don't those Sky Eye Satellites have thermal imaging? Turn it on and scan that horde."
Ordinary zombies infected by the T-Virus were already walking corpses, and their body temperatures were far lower than those of living creatures.
Even if the Mutant was infected too, its body temperature should still differ from that of an ordinary zombie.
As soon as Monitor received the order, he activated the satellite's thermal imaging and scanned the restless horde.
The scan showed that the zombies' body temperatures were all more or less the same. There were no unusual readings, just something like an octopus tentacle writhing among them and causing the commotion.
Monitor relayed the results to Captain Kromi.
Captain Kromi was taken aback. Was the enemy trying to create a diversion?
He told Monitor to scan the zombies in other nearby areas, especially any stragglers.
Monitor did so. Before long, he found a "zombie" whose body temperature differed from the others. It was also approaching the military's position on its own. He immediately reported this to the captain.
At the news, Kromi snatched up his binoculars and looked toward the area Monitor had indicated.
Sure enough, he spotted a zombie behaving strangely, sneaking toward the rear flank of the troops.
A closer look revealed that the "zombie" was merely covered in blood; its skin hadn't rotted at all. Still, it imitated a zombie's movements remarkably well.
Without the satellite's thermal imaging, they might never have noticed him.
Seeing this farce, Kromi sneered. "You're pretty good at pretending, aren't you? Let's see how long you can keep it up!"
He took the sniper rifle his deputy handed him, rested it against the vehicle's window, and lined up the "zombie's" leg in his sights.
This anti-materiel rifle could blow away half a person's body with a single shot!
His superiors had said to capture the target alive. Whether the man ended up crippled wasn't his problem.
Xia Tianming still had no idea he'd been spotted. He continued imitating a zombie, limping as he crept toward the rear of the military's position.
Suddenly!
He felt the viral tendrils on his body begin to writhe again!
His Blacklight sense had been triggered—a warning that danger was imminent!
Had they spotted him?!
Bang!
A thunderous gunshot rang through the air!
But the warning from his Blacklight sense had come in time. Xia Tianming threw himself to the side!
A moment later, a fist-sized crater appeared where he'd been standing, with a smoking, thumb-thick bullet inside it!
If he'd been even slightly slower, his right leg would have been blown clean off!
"Hm? He dodged?"
Kromi was a little surprised. He adjusted his aim and pulled the trigger again!
This time, Xia Tianming had no chance to dodge. He could only turn both hands into Blacklight Claws in an instant and cross them in front of himself to block the shot!
Clang!
Another gunshot rang out!
One of his hard, biomass claws was blown off and clattered to the ground!
Xia Tianming stared in shock at the broken claw. The weapon they were firing at him was some kind of heavy gun?!
There was no time to hesitate!
Xia Tianming sprang to his feet and charged toward the troops, running erratically to make himself harder to hit before they could fire again!
He shed his disguise and formed a black hooded sweatshirt from the viral tendrils on his body, blending into the night.
As he sprinted, tiny anemone-like tendrils extended from the Blacklight Virus sweatshirt's surface, streamlining it like a sports car to reduce drag. Combined with the leg muscles enhanced by the Blacklight Virus, he could cover a hundred meters in just three seconds!
The ground beneath him sank with every stride, leaving deep footprints and spiderweb-like craters. His explosive strength was terrifying!
Naturally, Captain Kromi couldn't hit a target moving that fast with a sniper rifle, so he shouted an order. "Everyone, turn your guns on him! Open fire as soon as he's in range!"
The distance between Xia Tianming and the troops was about one kilometer.
If he maintained his sprinting speed of a hundred meters in three seconds, he would reach the enemy in about half a minute!
As the distance between them steadily shrank, both sides fixed their eyes on each other, but neither backed down.
On one side was a Blacklight Virus carrier stripped of the ability to feel fear. On the other was a U.S.S. black-ops unit hardened by the brutal apocalypse.
When they clashed on this desolate land, one side would have to emerge victorious!
Fifteen seconds later, Xia Tianming finally entered the troops' firing range!
Captain Kromi didn't need to give a second order. The soldiers all pulled their triggers, and an endless stream of gunfire echoed through the air!
Xia Tianming turned both hands into Blacklight Claws to shield his head as he charged, weaving unpredictably to close the distance.
Even when a few bullets struck his body, it was no big deal. The Blacklight Virus pushed the bullets back out of him, without slowing his charge in the slightest!
Twenty seconds later, less than three hundred meters separated them.
At the terrifying sight of the man bearing down on them, claws swinging, the soldiers finally began to sweat.
This enemy seemed fiercer than any they'd faced before!
Even Alice, who had once fought them after perfectly fusing with the T-Virus, wouldn't have dared charge through a hail of bullets like this.
It was as if the man before them couldn't feel pain.
Captain Kromi saw the formation beginning to falter and barked, "Hold your positions! Tank crew, aim the cannon at his projected path. Wait for my order to fire."
"But sir, weren't we told to capture him alive?" the deputy asked in surprise.
"Hmph. He won't go down that easily. As long as his head stays on, I bet he'll survive. If we don't stop him, we'll be the ones dying next." Kromi frowned deeply as a long-dormant premonition of death began to spread through him.
Xia Tianming was about a hundred and fifty meters from the troops. The moment he was about to charge into the tank's pre-aimed firing zone—
"Fire!"
Boom!
At Captain Kromi's command, the gunner obeyed without hesitation!
The tank shell hit the ground right beside Xia Tianming, triggering a massive explosion. A thick, fiery mushroom cloud billowed upward, engulfing everything within ten meters!
Had they done it?!
Seeing the terrifying enemy swallowed by the artillery blast, the soldiers instinctively started to relax.
Suddenly!
A human silhouette wreathed in flames burst out of the inferno and charged straight toward the soldier at the front...
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