Ice Age Apocalypse: I Hoard Billions of Supplies

Chapter 244: No Possibility Left Behind

Xie Huanhuan's body fell onto the snow, the scene so abrupt that it seemed unreal. Just moments earlier, she and Liu Ziyang had been joyfully discussing their bright futures. Now, she was a cold corpse. In this dangerous world, there was never a moment of absolute safety. A Superhuman’s head wasn’t necessarily tougher than an ordinary person's and was certainly no match for a 5.8mm sniper rifle, especially one enhanced by supernatural abilities.

Liu Ziyang watched in stunned horror as his longtime partner died before his eyes. Though it took less than a second, it felt like an eternity for him. His instincts took over as he quickly drew his gun and aimed it behind him. In the distance, under the dark sky, he saw a massive shadow—a giant black cat, Huahua. On its back sat Zhang Yi, holding a sniper rifle. From 2,000 meters away, Zhang Yi had shot the wall-passing woman dead with precise accuracy.

In Liu Ziyang’s line of sight, Zhang Yi and Huahua were mere specks far beyond the range of his weapon. Yet before he could react further, Zhang Yi had already reloaded and fired another shot. With the silencer attached, the sound was minimal, and from such a distance, the only way to determine Zhang Yi’s position was by tracking the bullet's path.

Zhang Yi had hoped this shot would take out the large man, but to his surprise, the man’s body suddenly blurred, leaving behind afterimages as he narrowly dodged the bullet. "Damn it, just how many Superhumans are there?" Zhang Yi felt a chill run down his spine. He had anticipated such an encounter, but facing two Superhumans simultaneously was still shocking. Regardless of who they were, he had to kill them both to prevent any information about him from reaching their superiors.

But when Zhang Yi hesitated, Liu Ziyang grabbed Xie Huanhuan’s body and took cover in a snow pit. As he stared at Xie Huanhuan’s lifeless form, Liu Ziyang’s heart twisted with pain. Despite their long working relationship and the feelings, he had never dared to express due to their professional roles, seeing her die right in front of him was a devastating blow.

"I swear, I’ll kill you!" Liu Ziyang’s eyes were filled with fury, but as a disciplined soldier, he didn’t lose his composure. The opponent was an extremely skilled sniper, capable of killing Xie Huanhuan with a headshot from such a distance—something Liu Ziyang couldn’t have managed even during his time in the military. He suspected the sniper’s accuracy was enhanced by supernatural ability.

Knowing he had no advantage in a long-range fight and would only become a target if he attempted to flee, Liu Ziyang calculated his best move. "Wait, I can’t rush. The one who should be anxious is him! If I’m right, he’s the owner of that villa, Zhang Yi. After spotting us, he’s desperate to kill us to keep us silent."

"So, my best move is to stay put and call for backup!"

It would take about two and a half hours for reinforcements from West Hill Base to arrive by snowmobile or five hours by sled. Liu Ziyang quickly retrieved his equipment and sent a distress signal to the base. As Liu Ziyang had predicted, Zhang Yi was eager to eliminate him. But after missing his shot, Liu Ziyang had gone into hiding, leaving Zhang Yi without a clear target for a second shot.

Judging by Liu Ziyang’s quick reflexes, Zhang Yi could tell he was up against a highly skilled close-quarters combatant. In a hand-to-hand fight, Zhang Yi wasn’t confident he could win. "If this drags on, he might send out my intel or even call for backup," Zhang Yi thought, weighing his options. "Should I call Fatty Xu over? But he doesn’t have transportation, and it'll be daylight by the time he gets here."

Looking at Huahua beneath him, Zhang Yi suddenly got an idea. "Huahua, go flush him out, and I’ll cover you with sniper fire!" he ordered.

Jumping off Huahua’s back, Zhang Yi took cover in the snow and gave his instructions. Huahua understood what he wanted but responded with a dissatisfied "Meow," as if protesting the danger.

Zhang Yi reassured the cat, "Don’t worry, you’re tough, and he won’t be able to hurt you. Make him show himself, and I promise I’ll take him down with one shot!"

He added a tempting offer, "If you do this, I’ll give you a hundred fish treats when we get back!"

Huahua licked its big paw, then nodded in agreement. Huahua had a strong sense of territoriality as a cat, and it already despised the two intruders. With the added promise of a reward, it was fully motivated to act.

At first, Huahua charged across the snow, but soon, it curled into a massive black spiked ball, rolling towards Liu Ziyang’s position with a rumble. Liu Ziyang planned to dig in and wait for reinforcements, but the roaring sound alarmed him. He cautiously used his phone as a mirror to peek out, and what he saw made his pupils contract in shock.

"What the hell is that!" he thought, seeing the enormous black ball barreling towards him, something beyond his wildest imagination.

Reacting quickly, Liu Ziyang rolled to the side just in time. "Boom!" Huahua’s spiked form tore through the spot where he had just been, leaving a deep trench in the snow. Liu Ziyang barely had time to catch his breath before the massive black ball suddenly stopped and transformed into a giant black beast not far from him.

"Meow!" Huahua roared, its fur standing on end like steel needles as it charged at Liu Ziyang in a zigzag pattern. Liu Ziyang hastily raised his gun and fired, but the ordinary bullets barely affected Huahua, sparking off its steel-like fur. Though Huahua felt the sting, it wasn’t seriously hurt, and it screeched even more ferociously as it lunged at him.

Liu Ziyang dodged with his ghostly agility, moving through the snow with a speed that matched the cat’s, an eerie display of skill. However, while he could evade Huahua’s attacks, he couldn’t conceal his movements from Zhang Yi, who was waiting in the distance, sniper rifle at the ready.

The moment Liu Ziyang showed himself, Zhang Yi pulled the trigger.

Author's Note