Seeing another man struck down before their eyes, the soldiers were startled. They frantically scanned their surroundings, yet still failed to spot any sign of the enemy.

Liu Hui stood foolishly beside them, still carrying the corpse of Byrne, and yet not a single person suspected him.

“Captain, this man was also killed by an unknown weapon striking his heart,” the medic reported again.

“Who is it? Who exactly is sniping us from the shadows?” The Captain roared, raising his weapon and spraying a burst toward the ceiling of the ice cave to vent the pent-up fury in his heart. But, naturally, no one answered his question.

Without even glimpsing an enemy shadow, this US team had already lost two men inside the cavern. This didn't just anger the Captain; his team members felt chills running down their spines, as if they might be the next to die.

After releasing his rage, the Captain finally regained composure. He ordered another man to carry the body of the slain American soldier, and the group moved on. This time, they heightened their vigilance around them, guarding against a surprise attack from the darkness. However, it wasn't long before a soldier bringing up the rear was killed again by one of Liu Hui’s ball bearings.

The soldiers immediately began firing wildly to the rear, only stopping when their magazines were completely empty. After seeing a third soldier killed, the soldiers' morale finally began to shift. They started to grow afraid—afraid of the terrifying killer hidden somewhere out of sight.

When they finished firing, they checked again, still finding no trace of the enemy behind them. So, there was one more body to carry. This time, however, after they set off again, none of the soldiers were willing to take the rear position for fear of their own safety.

Thus, the hapless Liu Hui was once again ordered by the Captain to take the rearguard position. Liu Hui feigned fright as he carried Byrne’s body to the back, but this time, the soldier at the very front was the one struck down by Liu Hui’s steel pellet.

The Captain roared in anger once more, but he was helpless. If it were a direct firefight, they would be confident in capturing the target, but when the target launched sneak attacks from the shadows, they were completely powerless.

And so, there was one more body to be carried. The heartstrings of the men in this squad were pulled to their breaking point. Watching their comrades inexplicably die before their eyes, yet unable to even locate the enemy, this desperate fear was driving them slightly mad.

Less than five minutes after they set off again, another unlucky soul positioned in the middle of the group was killed by Liu Hui’s steel pellet. This soldier’s death finally snapped the tightly strung nerves of this group of soldiers. These American soldiers immediately began firing madly in all directions until every last round in their weapons was expended, yet some were still pulling the empty triggers.

This US team had lost five comrades within the ice cave before ever identifying their target. Moreover, the process was incredibly bizarre. Stimulated by these events, the soldiers' spirits began to show signs of collapse, and they developed serious psychological issues, exhibiting brief fits of madness.

The Captain immediately found a strategically advantageous spot within the cave to set up a defensive perimeter, lest they advance further only to be ambushed from the dark. Coupled with the psychological breakdown of the men, none of them wished to proceed. Liu Hui blended in with this demoralized group, feigning panic while cautiously guarding the surroundings.

Seeing the situation deteriorating, the Captain quickly contacted the command center in the rear, reporting the situation. After deliberation, the command center decided to order them to hold their position and await reinforcements, which were scheduled to arrive the following morning at daybreak.

After setting up defenses in place, indeed, no one else was harmed. But they dared not let down their guard, as they were still in a highly dangerous situation. Everyone remained constantly focused, terrified of a sneak attack.

And so, these American soldiers spent an unforgettable night of Antarctic polar darkness steeped in dread and unease. By ten o’clock the next morning, a message came from the command center stating that the reinforcement unit had been dispatched, urging them to hold on until their arrival.

Upon learning that reinforcements were en route, the Captain began issuing orders, commanding his unit to retreat along their original path. Everyone turned and hurried back the way they came. This time, the journey was smoother; they traveled for over an hour without encountering any enemy attack.

Just as they began to let their guard down, a soldier suddenly cried out in pain and collapsed to the ground.

“Who is it? Who the hell is it? Have the guts to face me! Come on, come kill me!” The Captain roared again. His men were being felled before his eyes, yet he couldn't even find a shadow of the enemy, plunging him into a fit of raging madness. But the surroundings remained silent; no one answered his furious shouts.

“Captain, let’s hurry up and move! There must be something strange in this cave. Could there be ghosts down here? Otherwise, how could such a massive natural cavern exist underground?” one soldier said fearfully.

These soldiers had undergone rigorous military training and showed no fear when facing a hail of bullets, but the situation they now confronted was so bizarre. Their comrades were dying continuously, yet they couldn't discover any trace of the enemy, leading them to associate the attacker with supernatural phenomena.

“En, let’s keep moving!” The Captain calmed down, knowing this was no time for emotional outbursts. The most important thing now was to lead these soldiers back to safety; the original mission had long since slipped his mind.

Strangely enough, after the Captain personally took the rearguard position, no soldier was attacked again. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and swiftly returned along the path they had taken.

Finally, they saw the light emanating from the entrance of the cave ahead. Spirits lifted, they rushed toward the illuminated spot, letting out a massive collective sigh of relief—they had finally reached safety.

But precisely at that moment, another soldier among them was struck dead by one of Liu Hui’s ball bearings. Everyone was shocked and quickly dragged the corpse, scrambling desperately toward the exit. Then, another scream rang out, and another soldier was killed. The Captain gritted his teeth, grabbed the body of this soldier, and sprinted out of the ice cave that had driven him to despair.

When this team of American soldiers burst out of the terrifying ice cave, they discovered that the sky outside was completely bright, and the wind and snow had long since ceased. As soon as they were out, they immediately set up defenses, aiming all their weapons at the cave entrance, but there was no reaction from inside.

Having spent the entire night in terror, the soldiers' minds were constantly on the verge of collapse. Once they reached the place they perceived as safe, their physical strength abruptly failed, and they collapsed onto the ground.

Just then, the massive roar of helicopter engines echoed from the sky. Soon, a large CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter descended from above. Over thirty heavily armed American soldiers jumped out of the aircraft.

“Ah, they’re SEALs,” one soldier exclaimed in surprise, spotting the specialized insignia on the highly equipped men.

“If they are here, things should be fine now,” the Captain sighed deeply. His unit was merely a ragtag group, with uneven talent among the members, and they had been utterly terrified by the environment, which deeply embarrassed him.

After the group of SEALs disembarked, another man jumped down from the helicopter. He was a middle-aged Caucasian male, exuding a unique aura. The moment Liu Hui saw this man, his heart skipped a beat. He recognized this person: he was Bina, a special advisor to the US, a terrifyingly skilled master.

The Captain of Liu Hui's unit immediately went forward to meet them, recounting his team's ordeal to the SEAL commander and Bina. Bina and the SEAL commander observed the dejected and lifeless state of the unit, concluding that since they had arrived, there was little point in keeping this auxiliary force around.

Bina subsequently suggested to the base command center that this collapsed unit immediately return to the base for psychological treatment in the military hospital.

The command center considered the suggestion and agreed. In their view, with their ace operative Bina and the SEAL team now on site, keeping the auxiliary unit there served no purpose.

Upon receiving the new orders, the Captain quickly gathered his remaining men and began arranging for them to board the aircraft to return to base.

Liu Hui was overjoyed; his objective had finally been achieved. After a night of continuous intimidation and ghost-like maneuvering, the spirit of this auxiliary unit had finally broken, forcing their return to base. This meant he could blend in with them to get back to the base, significantly increasing his chances of leaving the Antarctic continent once there.

Although Liu Hui was ecstatic inwardly, outwardly he maintained an appearance of timidity. Carrying Byrne’s body, he prepared to board the waiting CH-47 Chinook transport helicopter.

Just then, Bina looked over toward Liu Hui and suddenly said, “Soldier, please wait a moment.”

Liu Hui was startled, wondering why Bina had singled him out. He knew that Bina was extremely difficult to deal with. However, Liu Hui didn't show any unusual reaction. He simply turned around with an air of slight apprehension and watched as Bina approached him.

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～ Thanks to reader: Ambassador (588 coins) for the reward, 6 tickets for 6000-word updates, and 50 favorable review votes. Thanks to reader: di for your support! RO