CHAPTER 415: CHAPTER 415: LAST RESORT

The night passed without incident, in tranquillity.

At the crack of dawn, Mengyao woke up, and only after Ye Fan ensured she was well hidden did he leave.

At the Lone Wolf Mercenary Corps’ fifth squad’s camp, everyone was ready to go. Suddenly, gunfire erupted, and bullets pierced through five or six bodies instantly. The entire fifth squad was jolted awake, and they began their counterattack, filled with rage.

The sounds of gunfire shattered the morning calm, shocking not only the fifth squad but everyone else around.

"This is the fifth squad’s camp," a nearby ally exclaimed, rushing towards the source of the gunfire.

In an instant, the wilderness trembled; even the wild animals that had ventured out for food were startled and fled in panic.

"Charge and take him down," the fifth squad leader ordered in anger, as the team members spread out to encircle the area, unleashing a barrage of bullets in Ye Fan’s direction.

"Rat-a-tat-tat!" The torrent of bullets ripped through trees and shattered rocks and soil.

"Boom boom boom!" Grenades exploded, turning the ground upside down, with rocks flying and soil scattering.

Suddenly, the battlefield erupted in flames, enveloping everything in a deadly aura.

Ye Fan switched battlefields, using the guns obtained from the third squad to unleash a thunderous assault.

"Ah..." Screams occasionally rang out as members of the fifth squad kept falling.

Ye Fan retreated while counterattacking, and the fifth squad pursued him like wolves and tigers.

Five minutes later, a group arrived to assist the fifth squad, joining the assault to encircle and kill Ye Fan.

Ye Fan did not linger in combat; after exhausting his final magazine, he began his rapid escape.

From behind, the pursuers were relentless, but soon enough, they lost sight of Ye Fan. After several minutes more of fruitless pursuit, they couldn’t find a trace of him, leaving them stomping with rage.

By this time, Ye Fan had stealthily slipped through the gaps of the pursuers and fled to the rear.

Half an hour later, War Wolf, Beauty Snake, and Climbing Tiger, the three captains, gathered together.

"Continuing like this won’t work; damn it, it infuriates me. Initially, I thought we’d showcase our might today, letting the prey die in despair, but, but..." War Wolf shouted with frustration, "The entire third squad was wiped out, and the fifth squad also suffered heavy losses. If this continues, when will it ever end? We can’t even touch the prey’s hair."

"The deaths of the third squad were bizarre. From what I see, even if Ye Fan were possessed by a demon, he couldn’t have so easily handled the entire third squad, yet all of them are dead," Climbing Tiger said murderously. "I’ve checked the third squad’s camp. It wasn’t their carelessness but rather Ye Fan’s incredible strength. I have a bold conjecture: if Chu Mengyao didn’t need care, given enough time, Ye Fan might be able to wipe us all out. We might be hunting Ye Fan and Mengyao, but who’s the prey now? Given the current situation, we’re in trouble."

At this moment, everyone involved in the siege of Ye Fan and Mengyao was overshadowed by a sense of dread. The demise of the third squad and the heavy losses of the fifth squad were ironclad facts indicating one thing: Ye Fan was too formidable, and they had underestimated his strength. He seemed even more powerful than they had ever anticipated.

"What do we do now?" Beauty Snake asked uneasily. "The hateful thing is that we can’t find Chu Mengyao’s hiding place. If we could find it, we would certainly inflict devastating damage on Ye Fan, and hunting him would become much easier. As it stands, we’ve fallen into a disadvantage."

"We’ve suffered a decisive defeat, but who can accept that? This is a blatant humiliation for us as the rulers of the forest, who pride ourselves on missing nothing. But now, it looks like we’re inferior," War Wolf said, his voice filled with indignance. "It’s impossible for us to concede so easily, but what can we do to turn the tide?"

Beauty Snake and Climbing Tiger exchanged glances, their eyes filled with dejection.

To be honest, this hunt has been disheartening, with their prey becoming the hunter controlling their fate.

"It seems we need to consolidate our forces and stop spreading out squad by squad, which gives the prey opportunities to exploit our weaknesses," Beauty Snake said. "Originally, we thought that by today, even if the prey didn’t starve to death, they’d be rendered immobile by frostbite. But now, it seems our thinking was too naïve. Continuing to hunt like this will only lead to more loss."

"Dispersing into squads can’t find the prey’s hideout, and while consolidating our forces might ensure our safety, it will also significantly increase the difficulty of finding the prey," Climbing Tiger analyzed rationally. "I think we should report this to the Master and see his decision before we plan our next move."

"That’s all we can do," War Wolf and Beauty Snake agreed wholeheartedly.

When Meng Yinglong and the butler received the news, they were utterly stunned.

"How is this possible?"

"How could this be possible!?"

"We had anticipated that no matter how strong Ye Fan’s individual power might be, it couldn’t rival someone like War Wolf. But how did this happen?"

"Even in a direct clash with the third squad, it’s hard to say who would win, so how did Ye Fan manage to silently eliminate all of them? It’s just incomprehensible."

Meng Yinglong couldn’t stay calm; his face even twitched, and his heart trembled.

"It seems we’ve underestimated Ye Fan’s strength. I fear he might be an eight-star level powerhouse," the butler said worriedly. "But even an eight-star powerhouse shouldn’t be this monstrous, able to kill the entire third squad unnoticed and without alarming other squads. That’s some terrifying skill."

"Things are becoming more and more extraordinary. I almost feel like I’ve seen a ghost," Meng Yinglong said bitterly. "Ask yourself, which eight-star powerhouse in the world isn’t a colossus, and how could that kid Ye Fan be such a force?"

"Master, we must activate measures we’ve reserved for desperate situations," the butler said sternly. "We must gather everyone hunting the prey together to eliminate Ye Fan and Mengyao in one swift strike. We can’t delay any longer."

"Yes, we can’t delay any longer. The more we drag on, the greater the threat and heavier the casualties," Meng Yinglong replied coldly.