"Aaaah!"
A blood-curdling scream rang out from inside as one of the poachers clutched his stomach and collapsed.
As he fell, unconscious, his hands released, and his intestines spilled all over the ground with a sickening splatter.
The stench of iron and rot filled the entire camp in an instant.
Bang bang bang, bang bang bang...
Tevez opened fire.
But his marksmanship couldn't keep up with the movements of the Dark Lion King. Each shot only landed behind its rear, and he even almost accidentally hit his comrades.
The other poachers around the camp also opened fire.
After a chaotic spray of bullets, the Dark Lion King once again disappeared into the night. Three more bodies were left behind in the camp—two of them killed by friendly fire.
"You idiots, stop firing randomly! Everyone tighten up and form a circle!" David shouted.
This guy had once served in the military, in the elite KSK special forces—Germany's top commando unit founded in 1994.
KSK is formed of professional soldiers and civilian mercenaries, all highly skilled and experienced. They're trained to carry out reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, rescue operations, sabotage, and fire support under extreme conditions.
That's why David, despite sounding like a brute, was actually the most combat-savvy among them.
Naturally, a mere musclehead wouldn't have been able to lead a team like this.
Under his command, the poachers quickly closed ranks, forming a circle with their barrels pointed outward.
"Not bad, pretty fast reaction!" Satan said admiringly from the shadows.
...
After giving his order, David pulled Tevez toward the center of the formation and said, "Stay here. Once I take out that black lion, we're moving out."
"Moving out?" Tevez didn't immediately catch on.
"Idiot! Didn't you say we needed to retreat into the jungle before that black ops chopper arrives?"
"Uh, I thought you weren't going to do it!"
"Yeah, I said I wasn't, but in my heart, I'd already decided. Why else do you think I had everyone rest so early?"
Then he added, "But since we're all awake now thanks to that big cat, let's finish it off and move. Damn it, I've got a bad feeling about this."
Just then, a black shadow flashed—the Dark Lion King pounced from another angle.
The poachers on that side shouted and opened fire.
The Dark Lion King, just as it landed, suddenly twisted its body, dodging a rain of bullets and changing direction.
But the poachers on the new path also began shooting.
With no blind spots in the circle, as long as their bullets held out, they could take down this lion that was nothing like any ordinary beast.
"Kill it, and dont aim the head—that can fetch a good price!" David said excitedly.
He didn't notice that, over 150 meters away, a flash of light flickered—and a gunshot rang out.
Bang!
One of the poachers, who had been firing madly at the Dark Lion King, suddenly had a bloody hole blown through his head.
A few seconds later, another poacher's eye exploded in a burst of blood.
"Shit, a sniper!"
"It's the Green Hunters—damn it, it must be them!"
"Get down!"
Panic broke out among the poachers.
...
"BOSS, beautiful shot!"
From over 150 meters out, Satan praised from his heart.
Indeed, it was Martin who had fired.
"Not bad, it was only a 150-meter shot, after all," Martin replied modestly.
"But you're not even using a sniper rifle!"
Satan knew the AUG rifle well—its maximum range is 500 meters, with sights calibrated for 300. Realistically, though, 150 meters is its practical effective range.
To hit a human body at that distance was already impressive. But Martin had landed headshots every time—that was top-tier sniper skill.
"What a waste," Satan thought.
It was a pity that his boss's talent for shooting would rarely get to shine.
Elsewhere—
...
The Dark Lion King, taking advantage of the poachers' confusion, resumed its killing spree.
Tevez, who had been hiding within the circle, was ripped apart by a single swipe to the neck from the black lion.
David instantly regretted not grabbing the bulletproof vest earlier. The ceramic plates in it might've withstood the lion's claws.
He glanced at Tevez's fallen body—blood gushed from the torn trachea, and a severed artery was still spurting.
"What a fucking mess. No saving him. Looks like I'll have to negotiate with the business side myself."
After that quick thought, David stopped caring about his fallen comrade.
Right now, the only thing that mattered was survival.
With the Dark Lion King rampaging inside and a hidden sniper outside, even David—with all his experience—was drenched in cold sweat.
He crouched and hid beneath a nearby jeep, rifle steady, eyes fixed on the black lion wreaking havoc.
"I have to take that damn cat out first," he thought.
At that moment, the Dark Lion King knocked down another poacher.
But whether because the poacher was too bulky or the lion was too tired, it didn't manage to kill him in one strike.
The dying poacher resisted, momentarily tangling up the Dark Lion King.
Opportunity!
David's eyes flashed. He fired.
Bang bang bang, bang bang bang...
The Dark Lion King let out a roar of pain, darted past an off-road vehicle, and disappeared into the shadows.
"Damn it!"
David cursed under his breath.
He had underestimated the cat's reflexes. It was only wounded, not dead.
A second later, a grenade was tossed from outside the barricade.
David caught a glimpse of the grenade's shape and his face changed drastically. Without hesitation, he dove aside and buried his face in the dirt.
Bang!
The grenade exploded—but it wasn't shrapnel that flew out. A burst of blinding light flooded the camp.
"Aaaargh!"
"My eyes!"
"Shit, I can't see!"
Screams erupted, followed by a burst of gunfire.
As the flashbang went off—
David silently counted to three, then lifted his head from the mud and crawled out from under a tarp without looking back.
Run!
That was all he could think of now.
The fighting inside the camp ended quickly. Satan's rookies performed admirably. Except for two who felt ill after the killings, the other five handled it without issue.
A short while later—
"Boss, interrogation's done. One escaped—it was their leader. Name's David. Codename: Owl."