Ning Yu looked in the direction Mu Xue was pointing and saw a huge rock standing tall in the wind and sand, like a natural barrier.
"Quick, let's go there!" Ning Yu made a decisive decision and led the group to move with difficulty toward the boulder.
Just as they were about to reach the boulder, Ning Yu suddenly stopped, staring intently at the ground, his expression becoming extremely solemn.
"What's wrong?" Mu Xue noticed Ning Yu's unusual behavior and asked in confusion.
“Look…” Ning Yu pointed to the sand around the boulder and said in a low voice, “There… it looks like someone has been here…”
“Footprints? Where?” Mu Xue followed Ning Yu’s gaze and initially did not notice anything unusual. After careful observation, she noticed some scattered, messy marks on the sand around the boulder. Unlike their footprints, these marks were shallower, as if they were deliberately avoiding their sight and intentionally hiding their tracks.
"It seems we've been targeted." Ning Yu said gravely, lowering his voice, "Be careful, let's hide behind the boulder first."
The team members dared not be negligent, drawing their weapons and cautiously observing their surroundings as they slowly moved towards the boulder. A howling wind and swirling sand obscured their vision and drowned out all sound, and everyone felt an invisible pressure weighing on their hearts.
The boulder provided a relatively safe area, temporarily sheltering the group from the sandstorm. Ning Yu assigned several team members to keep watch, while the others took the opportunity to rest and replenish their energy.
"Captain, could those footprints have been left by other survivors?" a team member asked in a low voice, his tone tinged with unease.
“I hope so.” Ning Yu shook his head, his eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of coldness. “But we cannot let our guard down. In this world, anyone can be an enemy.”
After a long wait, the sandstorm finally subsided and the sky gradually cleared up. However, the danger was far from over.
"Whoosh!" A sharp sound pierced the silence as an arrow, carrying the scent of death, shot towards the team members on guard.
"Enemy attack!" Ning Yu's pupils suddenly contracted. He shoved aside the teammate next to him, and the arrow almost grazed his cheek before embedding itself in the rock behind him.
Without a second thought, Ning Yu quickly drew his pistol and fired several shots in the direction from which the arrows had come. The gunshots echoed through the empty desert, but apart from a few screams, no enemy could be seen.
"Ah!" "Watch out!" Several more screams rang out as several team members, unable to dodge in time, were struck by arrows shot from the shadows and collapsed to the ground in agony.
"Damn it! Where are they hiding?" Ning Yu roared. The enemy was concealed in the shadows, using the terrain and the chaos after the sandstorm to launch a sneak attack, catching them off guard and putting them on the defensive. Ning Yu was furious. These attackers were utterly despicable, using the environment to their advantage to hit and run, like venomous snakes in the desert, waiting for their chance to strike and deliver a fatal blow. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger. Now was not the time to act rashly; only calmness could lead everyone out of this predicament.
"Xue'er, use your special ability to scan the surroundings and see if you can find any trace of them," Ning Yu said to Mu Xue behind him.
“Understood!” Mu Xue nodded, closed her eyes, and an invisible energy fluctuation emanated from her body, quickly spreading into the surrounding desert. A moment later, she opened her eyes, her brows furrowed. “Their aura is very weak and scattered, as if they are deliberately hiding in the crevices of the sand and rocks, making it difficult to pinpoint their exact location.”
Ning Yu looked around. Although the boulder provided some cover, it wasn't a long-term solution. The enemy was in the dark while they were in the light, and continuing like this would only put them at a disadvantage. He had to find a way to break the stalemate, take the initiative, and expose these treacherous enemies.
"Everyone, listen up! Form a defensive formation back-to-back around the boulder, minimize the target, and cover each other!" Ning Yu decisively ordered. The team members acted quickly, adjusting their formation according to his instructions, turning their backs to their comrades, pointing their guns outwards, and vigilantly watching the surrounding movements.
"Rat-a-tat-tat!" Suddenly, a burst of gunfire came from the right. Bullets rained down like raindrops. Several team members were unable to dodge in time and fell into pools of blood with screams.
"Damn it! Submachine guns! They're over there!" Ning Yu looked in the direction from which the gunfire came and saw several dark figures flash past behind the sand dunes at great speed, disappearing in an instant.
"Chase!" Ning Yu roared, raising his assault rifle and giving chase in the direction the shadowy figures had disappeared. The other team members followed closely behind, launching a counterattack against the enemy. However, the shadowy figures seemed to be very familiar with the terrain. They skillfully dodged bullets using sand dunes, rocks, and other obstacles, constantly changing positions and engaging Ning Yu and his team in a chase.
During the chase, Ning Yu noticed some strange metal fragments scattered on the ground, resembling the remains of some kind of weapon. He bent down, picked up a piece, and examined it closely, a sense of foreboding washing over him.
"Oh no! This is..." Before Ning Yu could finish speaking, a loud bang came from behind him...
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