Upon hearing this, Wang Lan immediately looked up and saw a blurry figure appear in the direction of the market. Judging from the movement, it seemed to be running as if it had escaped from the market.

Unfortunately, the two sides were too far apart to see each other's faces clearly, let alone determine whether the other person was infected.

Yu Bin, who also noticed this, reminded everyone, "Be careful at the twelve o'clock position!"

The hunters present were all seasoned veterans. As soon as Yu Bin finished speaking, they lay down on the ground, but leaned forward, their weapons poised to strike.

Wang Lan quickly pressed Sun Muchen down onto the ground.

Then everyone saw the figure running towards them, and the person was incredibly fast, even faster than the infected people they had ever seen running. But every now and then, the person would stop in one place for a while before continuing to run.

"Something seems off about this person," Yu Bin said, frowning. "He seems to be looking for something?"

“You’re right,” Sun Muchen said, also puzzled. “He does seem to be looking for something, but no matter how he looks, it seems he’s always coming this way.”

“That’s right, he’s facing us,” Wang Lan said. “Look closely, see how his head is shaking. Doesn’t it look like he’s sniffing something?”

Yu Bin looked closely and saw that it was indeed the case.

He continued, "So it seems very likely that he uses his sense of smell to orient himself, which means... that guy is most likely not human!"

Wang Lan nodded.

Yu Bin then looked at Lao Zhang and said, "Lao Zhang, get your bomb ready. Once that person gets close and realizes something is wrong, throw the bomb immediately. That person is running too fast; there's no guarantee that something won't go wrong."

Upon hearing this, Old Zhang picked up the bomb without saying a word.

But then a hunter exclaimed, "The target is getting closer!"

Everyone immediately became alert, lowered their bodies, and looked straight ahead.

Seeing that the person was now less than a hundred meters away, Wang Lan was stunned when he saw the person's face clearly.

Sun Muchen was also startled and blurted out, "Brother, is she your old flame?"

It's actually the owner of the clothing store, Mr. Niu?!

Yu Bin: "(?'?'??)?"

Lao Zhang and Fatty: "!!!∑(°Д°ノ)ノ"

The other hunters, "(?°???°)?"

Wang Lan: "Pah!"

At this moment, Boss Niu looked like he had been infected. His face was purplish-blue, his eyes were white, his clothes were tattered, and his exposed skin was covered with wounds.

As Boss Niu got closer and closer, everyone present got ready to unleash their weapons.

Just then, two sharp sounds rang out in the sky. In the blink of an eye, before everyone could look up, they saw two huge corpse-pecking birds land next to Boss Niu.

Wang Lan was completely stunned, because it was the first time he had ever seen such a huge corpse-pecking bird. It was nearly three meters tall when it was standing, and its size was enormous. The terrifying sense of oppression was even stronger than that of an eagle. Although Boss Niu was physically strong, he was no match for the corpse-pecking bird.

Despite the madness caused by the infection, Boss Niu still let out a hysterical roar at the two birds, baring his teeth and taunting the two behemoths in front of him.

Then, right before everyone's eyes, the two corpse-pecking birds opened their beaks, one pecking at Boss Niu's head and the other at his legs. Then, the birds raised their heads and lifted Boss Niu up like in a tug-of-war.

Boss Niu waved his hands frantically, as if making a final struggle, while the two corpse-pecking birds suddenly exerted force and tore Boss Niu in two with a "rip".

Thick blood slowly slid from the half-corpse, followed by the sound of flesh and bone being chewed, reaching everyone's ears.

Although the hunters present were all seasoned veterans, they still felt nauseous and their scalps tingled when they saw this scene.

Yu Bin patted Wang Lan on the shoulder, "Brother, my condolences."

Wang Lan: "???"

Sun Muchen nocked an arrow and said, "Brother, that corpse-pecking bird looks like it's heading this way?"

After the two corpse-pecking birds finished their meal, they raised their heads to the sky and let out a piercing, strange roar. Then, their heads moved erratically, flapping and shaking incessantly, as if trying to sniff out some scent. Finally, their heads turned sharply toward the hunter.

Yu Bin was startled. "Damn it, what's with our scent? Why do these monsters always seem to notice us?!"

Sun Muchen patted Wang Lan on the shoulder. Wang Lan turned around and saw that Sun Muchen was pointing at the fat man.

Wang Lan instantly realized why both the infected and the corpse-pecking birds could accurately pinpoint their location: it was the smell of blood from the fat man's leg wound that had attracted them!

At this moment, the carcass pecking birds were already incredibly close to the hunters.

Yu Bin quickly shouted to Lao Zhang, "Get the bomb ready, keep an eye on that big bird's head and blow it up."

Old Zhang looked flustered, but nodded repeatedly.

"The rest of you will follow the same strategy: ranged attackers will provide support, while melee attackers will be the main offensive force!"

Upon hearing the words, the hunters immediately formed two rows, one in front and one behind.

Seeing the carcass-pecking bird getting close, Old Zhang lit the fuse of the bomb and threw it out.

A few seconds later, accompanied by a thunderous boom, the hunters launched their attack!

Chains rattled as they were flung from their hands, crossbow bolts shot forth relentlessly, and steel cables, streaked with sharp spikes, ripped through the air. The hunters on the long range took the initiative, unleashing a barrage of attacks on the corpse-pecking birds.

The hunters, who primarily engaged in melee combat, followed closely behind, led by Bin.

The carcass bird raised its head and cried out, then spread its wings to fight back.

The battle between humans and birds has entered a heated phase from the very beginning!

But Wang Lan remained motionless.

Sun Muchen, standing to the side, was getting anxious. He drew his bow and arrow, ready to fire, while reminding Wang Lan, "Brother, aren't you going to do it?"

Wang Lan looked thoughtfully at the point of detonation and said, "Look at that crater, didn't it blast a hole?"

Upon hearing this, Old Zhang, who was about to light the bomb, was stunned. Then his eyes widened suddenly as the scenes he had experienced at the livestock farm flashed before his eyes. He trembled and was unable to light the bomb in his hand no matter what he did.

The hunters were locked in a fierce battle with the corpse-pecking birds. The birds used their agile movements to dodge the hunters' attacks, sometimes even launching counterattacks by swooping down. Their huge wings, covered in sharp feathers, nearly cut the hunters several times.

Yu Bin gradually felt overwhelmed, because the infected corpse-pecking bird ignored the pain and, with its super agility, posed a greater danger than the python. He rolled backward repeatedly to avoid the corpse-pecking bird's attack range. When he turned around, he saw Wang Lan and the others standing still in place, completely motionless.

Enraged, he shouted, "You fucking idiots..."

Before they could even utter the word "ne," everyone felt the ground beneath their feet suddenly tremble.