Chapter 23: New Skill! Throwing Level 2!

“North!”

“We’ll break through the woods to the north!”

After a moment’s thought, Yu Fei announced his decision.

Just as James had expected.

The northern woods appeared to be the best route for escape, but in reality, they were a death trap. The only difference was that death would be delayed.

The woods were not especially large. Even if they managed to force their way inside, Umbrella had more than enough strength to establish another encirclement around them.

All they would need to do afterward was gradually tighten the perimeter until everyone inside was trapped.

Or, if Umbrella was feeling “lazy” and did not want to engage them directly, they could simply surround the woods on every side. Without food, the fugitives would die there within two or three days anyway.

Compared with that certain death, the urban district to the south was their only chance of survival. Facing a large-scale assault by Umbrella’s armed forces, there was certainly a strong possibility that they would all be wiped out.

But if they charged together, it was not impossible that they might actually carve out a bloody path to freedom.

One choice meant certain death.

The other meant they might die.

If James were making the decision, he would definitely choose the latter.

He believed Yu Fei would think the same way.

Surely Yu Fei could not have failed to see this?

Since Yu Fei had understood the situation yet still chosen the northern woods, what did that imply?

Combined with his identity as an Interpol agent, the answer was obvious.

They had reinforcements.

As long as they held out for a while, Interpol would certainly come to their rescue!

That answer instantly explained the fundamental reason Yu Fei had chosen the northern woods.

Realizing this, James relaxed at once.

Without reinforcements, the northern woods were a death trap.

With reinforcements, they were unquestionably the best route of escape.

James was not the only one to reach this conclusion. Alice, Kaplan, Rain, and the others had all figured it out as well. Their expressions visibly eased.

The only person who had not understood was Matt, who sincerely believed that the northern woods truly were the best option for breaking through.

Seeing their reactions, Yu Fei could guess what they were thinking, but he had no intention of explaining.

Reinforcements?

As a “fake Interpol agent,” he certainly had none.

But so what?

…

To the north of the mansion.

The group quietly made their way to a corner.

Through the windows, they watched the woods opposite them.

Beneath the silent night, the pitch-black forest resembled a gigantic beast lying in wait. The rustling leaves sounded like demons howling in the darkness, sending shivers down the spine.

The endless darkness looked even more like the mouth of an abyss, slowly opening as it waited for someone to enter so that it could swallow them whole.

Everyone slowed their breathing as much as possible, trying to ease their tension while keeping their eyes fixed on the woods.

They were actually not far from the forest entrance. The nearest point was only twenty or thirty meters away. With a little speed, they could reach the woods in a matter of seconds.

Once inside, they would not be completely out of danger, but the cover provided by the trees would greatly reduce the threat.

However—

“They must be watching this place closely right now. The moment we rush out, we could be met by a concentrated storm of gunfire!”

James spoke in a low, grave voice.

Reality was not a movie.

In films and television dramas, protagonists could recklessly dash about, weaving through a hail of bullets without a single round touching them.

But in the real world, almost no one could survive such a barrage—not even Yu Fei in his current condition.

He could dodge bullets to a certain extent, but not against firepower of this magnitude.

“First, we need to create some kind of disturbance and draw their attention away.”

As the leader of the assault team, James possessed a respectable level of tactical knowledge. He understood how to secure better conditions for his side in a disadvantageous situation.

As he spoke, someone brought over a crate bearing the Umbrella insignia.

When it was opened, it revealed a collection of square metal objects.

They were the time bombs they had originally intended to use to blow up the laboratory.

These bombs had been prepared to destroy the Hive, so their power needed no further explanation. Each one packed quite a punch.

A single bomb could blow apart an entire train carriage.

The only drawback was that they were far too heavy.

Any one of the time bombs weighed at least three to five kilograms. Even James found one rather burdensome to hold.

“We can throw these out to confuse their line of sight and throw off their judgment.”

James held up a time bomb as he spoke to the others.

Because of their weight, they were never going to be able to throw them very far. But since the purpose was merely to confuse the enemy, a distance of twenty or thirty meters—or even ten meters—would be enough.

Yu Fei also picked up a time bomb and casually weighed it in his hand, deep in thought.

Then he suddenly spoke.

“James, where do you think the members of the assault teams are positioned at the moment?”

“Hm?”

James was slightly taken aback. After thinking for a moment, he replied, “They need to keep a close watch on us, so they can’t be too far away. But if they get too close, we’ll spot them easily. I estimate they’re probably somewhere between fifty and a hundred and fifty meters from here…”

“Taking into account the need to form an encirclement and maintain mutual support, they should be in these locations, this location, and this one…”

He sketched a rough map on the ground, then marked several points in particular.

Yu Fei studied it carefully. While weighing the time bomb in his hand, he silently calculated the possibilities as well. Once he had obtained the answer he wanted, he nodded slightly.

“That’ll do.”

“Hm?”

James froze for a moment. Then, as if he had thought of something, he hurriedly warned him, “That’s only a preliminary estimate. Accuracy aside, once the fighting begins, their positions could change at any moment.”

“If we use these positions as the basis for our breakthrough, we could suffer a serious setback!”

From James’s words, Yu Fei immediately realized that he had misunderstood. He did not bother to explain further and merely said, “You all find somewhere to hide for now. Just wait for me to carry out my plan.”

“What?”

James was utterly bewildered.

A plan? What plan?

Wasn’t their plan to confuse the enemy first?

…

“System! Upgrade the Throwing skill!”

One merit point vanished.

Throwing, Level 1: 0/10!

“System! Continue upgrading the Throwing skill!”

Ten merit points vanished.

Throwing, Level 2: 0/100!

Feeling the time bomb become extraordinarily comfortable in his hand, Yu Fei could not help but smile.

“Next, let’s play a little game.”