King of the Wilderness

After the excitement passed, the three immediately calmed down and began to formulate an approach plan.

Old George analyzed: ”Its current position is great, but ours is poor.”

”It’s downwind, and there’s no cover in between. We have to take a large detour, go through the bottom of the valley over there, climb up the steep slope below it, and find a shooting position upwind.”

It will be a difficult route of more than three kilometers, and it must be completed without any sheep noticing them.

”I’ll take the lead.” Lin Yu’an volunteered.

”I’m fast and can scout the route first, you guys follow behind, keeping your distance.”

With the plan set, the three immediately sprang into action.

They hid their heavy backpacks in a secure rock crevice, taking only the essential equipment.

Their respective rifles, a pistol as a backup, camelback water bags filled with water, binoculars, and a small iron pot along with a small pack of sea salt intended to celebrate victory.

Lin Yu’an took off his thick outer jacket, wearing only a fitted fleece inner lining, abandoning all cumbersome items that might cause friction noise.

”Remember, from now on we have to be as quiet as Netherworld Ghosts!”

For the next hour and a half, it was no longer a simple trek but a long and tense pilgrimage.

Each step felt like stepping on a knife edge, and the straight distance of three hundred meters was stretched out to over a kilometer of meandered path!

First, they had to cross the icy stream; the water was shallow but crystal clear, with stones beneath covered in slippery moss.

They couldn’t wade through like before, they had to remove their shoes and move slowly, inch by inch, enduring the cold.

Finally crossing the stream, they entered a dense thicket of alder, the best cover but also the biggest obstacle.

They couldn’t walk upright, only hunched over or fully crawling on the ground, struggling beneath the dense branches.

The toughest part was the final stretch, they had to climb an almost vertical rock face to reach the predetermined shooting position.

At this point, Lin Yu’an stood out, indicating he would go first.

He glanced at Old George panting beside him, knowing the climb was a huge challenge for him.

Lin Yu’an took out a roll of lightweight climbing rope from his backpack, tying one end to his waist.

”George, Stan, I’ll go up first and find a position, then I’ll drop the rope down to pull you up,” Lin Yu’an whispered.

The two older men didn’t insist, nodding silently, knowing that rational team roles were far more important than individual heroics at this moment.

Lin Yu’an took a deep breath and began his silent climb.

His enhanced physical prowess perfectly manifested at this moment.

His fingers were like iron hooks, precisely gripping every tiny crevice on the rock, toes firmly planted on small protrusions.

His body pressed against the rock face, moving upwards like a gecko.

Watching from below, Stan murmured to George, ”This kid... is barely human.”

Soon, Lin Yu’an reached the top of the rock face, at the chaotic stone slope.

He quickly surveyed the terrain, choosing a shooting position that was both concealed and stable, then firmly fixing the rope to a giant rock and lowered it down.

Stan held the rope below, telling his old pal, ”Alright, George, you go first. Don’t worry, Lin and I will pull you up.”

Old George didn’t hesitate, handing his rifle to Stan for safekeeping, tightly grasping the rope.

With his rich experience, he knew how to leverage his leg strength to alleviate the pressure on his arms.

With Lin Yu’an and Stan’s joint effort above and below, though he climbed laboriously, he eventually reached the shooting position safely.

Finally, Stan used the rope to hoist up the two rifles, then skillfully climbed up himself.

When all three were hidden behind the stone slope, seeing the ram king still leisurely flicking its tail on the plateau, everyone’s hearts almost leaped out of their chests.

They succeeded!

This was the perfect shooting position! They were located on the target’s flank and below, with the wind blowing from the top of the valley, creating an upwind that ensured their scent wouldn’t reach the sheep.

Before them lay countless giant granite fragments, providing natural cover.

Old George used a range finder to confirm the distance once more.

”Three hundred and ten meters.” He didn’t immediately set up the gun, but took a deep breath, lying behind the gun to perform the final observation through the scope.

The ram king lay like a monarch on its throne.

Beside it were two smaller-sized ewes and a half-grown lamb, looking very relaxed, with some chewing cud and others rubbing their horns on the rocks.

”Now is the time.”

He very slowly retrieved the Remington Model 700 Rifle that had accompanied him half his life from the gun bag.

With his fingers, he picked up a bullet with a brass casing gleaming under the sunlight, pushing it into the chamber with a slight ”click” sound, the prelude to Death God entering the front door.

He steadily propped the rifle on a flat rock, with the backpack supporting the stock’s rear, ensuring absolute stability.

Lying behind the rifle, he adjusted the sniper scope’s magnification and parallax knobs, until the world in the scope became incredibly clear!