My Sniper System in a Zombie Apocalypse World-Chapter 116: After the Call

The soldiers, along with Elena and the others, kept their eyes fixed on the infected as they rushed away through the forest. Their twisted figures grew smaller and smaller between the trees.

Jaxon did not waste the chance. While they were retreating, he continued firing from the branches, his finger pulling the trigger again and again with steady rhythm.

Natasha who knew the function of her pistol didn’t waste the chance either, picking off the stragglers at the back of the horde.

Each shot dropped another infected before it could fully escape.

Only when the last of them disappeared from sight did the gunfire slowly stop.

The tension broke all at once.

Several soldiers exhaled heavily, shoulders dropping as the adrenaline faded. Elena wiped the rain and sweat from her face, while Na-rin rolled her wrist slightly, easing the strain from constant firing.

From the branches above, a figure dropped down.

Jaxon landed lightly on the muddy ground, boots sinking slightly as mud splashed around him.

The soldiers who saw him froze for a second. Their expressions were a mix of shock and disbelief.

’Had he been fighting above the trees the whole time... and made it back unharmed?’ One of the soldiers thought.

"You made it out?" Lina blurted, her eyes wide as she looked him over.

Jaxon raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to kill me after I just helped you out?"

"What? No!" Lina quickly shook her head. "It’s just... you suddenly disappeared, and you don’t even have our gear..."

Her voice slowly faded as a memory flashed in her mind. The way he moved between branches the first time they met him.

For a second, she just stared at him, confused.

Then her expression softened into a small smile. "Anyway, you really did save us back there. I guess dragging you along wasn’t such a bad idea after all."

"Are you forgetting someone?" Natasha’s voice came from above.

The soldiers looked up.

She and the others were still on the branches, carefully making their way down as Jaxon stepped closer and helped guide them one by one, making sure they landed safely on the muddy ground below.

"You all too, thank you for your help," Lina said, her voice sincere.

"Yeah, not like we had much choice when someone’s ordering us around," Natasha said sharply, glancing at Annie.

Annie shot back immediately, finger raised at Jaxon. "You came on our own. We only asked for that man!"

The squad leader studied the exhausted survivors and the two stubborn girls from his unit, already piecing together what had happened. The rough-looking man finally addressed Jaxon’s group. "I apologize for their behavior. We were in desperate need of reinforcements."

"Apologies don’t undo what she did," Natasha replied, her tone icy as she observed the squad leader carefully. He didn’t seem unreasonable, so she pressed on. "Her actions put all of our lives at risk. Not to mention, Jaxon helped you out back there."

Jaxon met her gaze but stayed silent, letting her handle it. They were close to the safe zone, and if her words earned them any advantage once inside, all the better.

"I told you, we were only asking for tha..." Annie started, but the squad leader raised his hand to stop her.

"Enough," he said firmly. "Your group saved us back there. Once we reach the safe zone, you will all be properly rewarded. After passing the identity verifications and observations, I will personally recommend that each of you receive C-3 status."

"C-3 status?" Elaine asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"You’ll understand once you get there. Just know it’s a good thing," the squad leader said, not bothering to explain further.

He turned back to his soldiers, but for a brief moment his gaze drifted toward the trees beyond where four of his elite troops had fallen. A flicker of sadness crossed his eyes, but he didn’t linger on it. He had become numb to it. "Head count. Status report, any injuries?"

While the soldiers hurried through their briefings, Lina stepped closer to the squad leader, lowering her voice. "Squad leader, the man who saved us... he took down a Variant all by himself before this."

The squad leader’s eyes widened. "You’re serious?"

"If not for that, Annie and I wouldn’t have insisted on bringing him here," Lina said firmly.

The squad leader turned his gaze toward Jaxon, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "He is skilled," he admitted, recalling the precise headshots during the chaos, not to mention how he’d saved him and his team. "If he’s like this, humanity could really have another elite soldier."

Lina smiled, nodding. "Exactly. So make sure you recruit him into our unit. Annie’s interested in him too."

"Hm?" The squad leader arched an eyebrow, turning toward her. "You interested in him?"

Lina’s face flushed, and she stammered. "Huh? No, that’s not it!" She quickly cleared her throat, trying to regain composure. "I mean... he’s skilled. If he joins, our unit would be stronger."

"Alright, alright, I get it," the squad leader said with a small smile, though his mind was already turning. ’Skilled, yes, but joining the special units isn’t easy. The tests and training are brutal...’

Still, instinctively, he felt the young man might just be able to make it. And judging by the group he came with, there were other capable shooters as well.

Time passed, and even with the infected out of sight, no one let their guard down. The special units led the way, moving with precise, silent efficiency, while Jaxon’s group followed quietly, keeping an eye on the unique soldiers and their specialized gear.

"Natasha," Jaxon whispered, leaning close. "Start quietly collecting our guns again."

She glanced at him, nodding in understanding. Then she whispered back, "I can feel it, from all the infected I killed... my speed’s improved a little. Not much, but I’m faster than before."

Jaxon gave a small nod. "If there are more capable soldiers like these at the safe zone, our safety concerns will be smaller. Switch between my rifle or Mom’s too, it’ll balance your stats." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"What about you? What will you use?" Natasha asked softly.

"I want to try something else," Jaxon said. "The guns in my storage space are fine, but maybe I’ll find something interesting in the safe zone."

Moments later, Jaxon and Natasha moved quietly, gathering their guns while sneakily storing them in Jaxon’s space. The others in the group looked a little confused but didn’t ask. They trusted each other enough to accept that some things were better left unsaid. It wasn’t the kind of secret they felt the need to pry into.

Soon, the exhausted group caught up with Thomas and the remaining survivors. Relief spread across the survivors’ faces as more soldiers joined them.

Thomas gave a small nod to Jaxon and his group, and Jaxon returned it with a silent, mutual acknowledgment.