Chapter 202:Ravine.
The convoy rolled forward once more. The open savanna gradually disappeared behind them as the road began sloping downward.
Silver instinctively eased his foot off the accelerator. Ahead, the earth seemed to split apart.
The ravine stretched across the landscape like a colossal wound carved into the Yellow Zone, its rocky walls descending dozens of meters before vanishing into shadow. Jagged cliffs rose on either side, weathered by centuries of wind and rain, while loose rocks littered the narrow road that wound along the bottom.
Even before entering, the temperature seemed to drop. The warm breeze of the plains no longer reached them; instead, cool air drifted upward from the depths below.
Ravenna lowered her window slightly.
"...It feels different."
Silver nodded.
"The walls block the wind and sound."
The convoy leader’s warning echoed in his mind.
’The beasts here know the terrain.’
Unlike the open savanna, this place favored ambushes. Visibility dropped dramatically as the convoy descended deeper.
The towering cliffs prevented them from seeing more than a short distance ahead, while countless cracks, ledges, and caves interrupted the rocky walls.
Every shadow looked like it could be hiding something, and every bend concealed another stretch of unknown road.
Silver tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
The convoy naturally compressed as the road narrowed. Large transport trucks could no longer drive side by side. Everyone moved in single file. There was no overtaking or unnecessary distance between vehicles. If something happened, everyone would face it together.
The descent continued for nearly fifteen minutes before they finally reached the bottom. The atmosphere changed immediately.
The cliffs towered high overhead. In some places they rose well over a hundred meters and only a narrow strip of blue sky remained visible. Loose stones crunched beneath the convoy’s tires.
Occasionally, small rocks tumbled from above, bouncing harmlessly across the road before disappearing into the brush. No one spoke over the convoy radios. Everyone remained focused.
Silver noticed the experienced drivers reducing their speed even further, because they seemed to be waiting for something.
Ravenna rested her sniper rifle across her lap. She hadn’t loaded it yet, but her finger remained close to the bolt.
"...Too quiet."
Silver agreed.
"It won’t stay that way for long."
As if responding to his words, a sharp screech echoed through the ravine. Every head turned upward.
Several dark figures leapt between the rocky cliffs with astonishing speed. They had long limbs, lean bodies, and grey fur blending almost perfectly with the surrounding stone.
"Tier Three!"
Someone near the front shouted.
"Rock Climbers!"
The beasts moved like oversized mountain baboons, except their forearms were covered in thick black scales ending in hooked claws capable of gripping sheer stone.
They barely touched the ground; instead, they bounded effortlessly from cliff to cliff. Silver counted quickly. There were around twelve of them, and more shapes appeared behind them.
The convoy leader reacted instantly.
"Maintain formation! Do not stop!"
Gunfire erupted.
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Several riflemen opened fire simultaneously. One beast lost its grip and tumbled from the cliff, another twisted unnaturally in midair, avoiding a bullet before disappearing behind a rocky ledge.
"They’re fast," Ravenna murmured.
Silver nodded.
"Much faster than normal Tier Three beasts."
The first creature launched itself toward one of the convoy’s cargo trucks, but before it could land...
Bang!
A heavy-caliber round punched directly through its skull. The beast crashed lifelessly beside the road.
Silver glanced toward the shooter. One of the veteran contractors calmly chambered another round. The convoy never slowed despite this.
Then, three more beasts attacked at once. One landed directly atop a military truck, another attempted to claw through a driver’s window, and the third sprinted along the cliff face before launching itself toward the middle of the convoy.
"...Our side," Ravenna said quietly.
Silver had already seen it. The creature descended rapidly toward their vehicle. He kept one hand on the steering wheel while reaching for the pistol resting beside his seat.
Unlike the heavy rifle stored behind him, this weapon could be used one-handed; its reinforced frame had been specially modified for contractors.
Silver lowered the window.
The beast screamed; it was barely fifteen meters away.
His eyes narrowed.
[Phantom Draw Lv3 Activated.]
The movement became instinctive. His hand blurred, and the pistol cleared its holster.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Three shots echoed almost as one. The first bullet shattered the beast’s shoulder, the second entered its chest, and the third pierced directly between its eyes.
Its body continued flying forward from momentum before crashing against the road only meters ahead of their vehicle.
Ravenna smiled despite herself.
"...Still ridiculous."
Silver returned the pistol to the steering wheel side almost immediately.
"Keep watching."
The convoy rounded another bend, and the attacks intensified. More Rock Climbers appeared from hidden caves, using the uneven terrain to stay outside the drivers’ line of sight until the final moment.
Several contractors leaned from vehicle windows, firing continuously. The ravine became deafening with gunfire, roars, screams, ricocheting bullets, and breaking stone. It all blended together into a chaotic symphony.
Silver drove steadily through the center of it. He refused to panic; every movement remained controlled and every turn deliberate.
Suddenly, a contractor several vehicles ahead shouted.
"Above!"
Silver looked up, his eyes widening.
Dozens of loose rocks cascaded from the cliff; several larger beasts had begun pushing them down intentionally.
"Boulder Lizards!" Someone yelled.
Massive reptilian beasts clung to the cliffs with frightening ease, their thick tails wrapped around stone pillars as they dislodged rocks toward the convoy below.
Most were clearly Tier Three.
Their bodies resembled enormous geckos covered in rocky armor. The falling boulders struck several vehicles. One truck swerved violently before regaining control, and another lost its windshield.
The convoy tightened further. Silver carefully steered around the largest rocks while maintaining distance from the vehicle ahead.
Ravenna finally loaded her sniper rifle.
Click.
She opened the passenger window, taking a steady breath; she aimed upward. A Boulder Lizard raised another rock, but before it could release...
Boom!
The sniper rifle thundered through the ravine, and the beast’s neck exploded right after, its body losing balance before tumbling from the cliff.
Silver smiled.
"Nice shot."
She was already chambering another round.
Boom!
A second beast fell. This time another contractor raised a fist in appreciation.
The convoy pushed onward. Every minute brought another attack. None of them individually threatened the experienced contractors, but together, they became exhausting.
Silver fired whenever an opening appeared. Each shot precise and deliberate.
His Phantom Draw skill prevented wasted motion. The pistol seemed to appear and disappear like an illusion.
Several younger contractors nearby began glancing toward him in surprise. Few firearm users possessed such clean fundamentals.
One elderly escort noticed.
"...That kid’s practiced."
His partner nodded.
"Damn, no wasted movement."
Silver ignored the attention. His concentration remained entirely on the road, then something changed. The convoy leader’s voice suddenly echoed over the radios.
"Stay alert! We’re entering the narrow section!"
The road ahead visibly constricted. The cliffs pressed inward until barely enough space remained for two trucks to pass. Tall grass somehow grew between scattered rocks despite the lack of sunlight.
Perfect concealment.
Silver’s expression hardened.
"...This is where it starts."
Ravenna quietly rested another magazine beside her rifle.
"I’ve got the left."
"I’ll watch the right."
Neither spoke again. The convoy disappeared deeper into the ravine. And unseen among the rocks, predators continued watching from every direction.