The dust stirred up by the Dogheaded Engineers’ explosive bombs seemed to carry the scent of gunpowder, and certainly didn’t lack the infusion of blood, but for soldiers already feeling exhausted, this was the easiest smell to overlook on the battlefield.

At least for Lieutenant Mia, it was.

As a veteran of the Shadow Valley campaign, this young hunter lieutenant is now a rising star in the People’s Army. Her marksmanship, honed under the tutelage of "The Master Sniper" Brother Qu, ranks among the top five in the current military. Moreover, this excellent huntress personally thwarted Old Worgen Manson’s scheme to send Lord Murphy away using the Star-world Tear.

In terms of both expertise and experience, she is the kind of "potential stock" that General Maxim keeps in mind, evident from her rocket-fast promotion from sergeant to lieutenant in just two months.

However, within the vast war system of the Maginot Line, whether you are a rising star or a newly enlisted Big Head Soldier, you must obediently follow orders, enter your post, and hold your position until the next command arrives.

This is exactly what the hunter lieutenant is doing at the moment.

Situated at a fluctuating high point in the center of the position personally guarded by Lord Murphy, she and her hunting platoon are moving between several sniper locations to achieve the greatest tactical outcomes.

Now that the Blood Vulture Claw Rifle has been distributed to the People’s Army soldiers, firepower is no longer a problem for the Transia People. Although these automatic rifles have many flaws, they are able to take out the numerous Armed Gnolls soundlessly.

However, the biggest issue is that it’s very challenging to achieve a one-hit kill on the hardy Werewolves.

Especially in their berserk state, even a shot to the head or heart makes it difficult for them to fall dead instantly, hence the emergence of the hunter military sequence. As an ancient military unit in the Black Disaster, they have been given a special mission.

In situations where the Werewolves charge alongside the Dogheaded Engineers, the hunters must first eliminate the leading Werewolf to achieve deterrence against the Gnolls.

To accomplish this, the hunters use different firearms than ordinary soldiers. Besides the standard Blood Vulture Claw for clearing lesser troops, they also have a modified replica Mosin Nagant that fires Burning Gold Ammo, which is more accurate with greater penetration specifically for hunting Werewolves.

Sharpshooters like Lieutenant Mia are also equipped with the highly specialized "Cannibal Demon’s Hammer" anti-large creature rifle. Its power has been proven in previous battles to be able to instantly kill silver-level Werewolves if it hits a vital spot.

Despite its immense power, a problematic issue is its excessive weight.

A hunter cannot carry this weapon while quickly maneuvering in combat, thus Mia has a sturdy observer to help carry this weapon of mass destruction.

Mia’s hunting platoon was deployed to the position at the start of the battle at dawn. In just one direction, from dawn until now, the number of slain Werewolves at the hands of her well-equipped thirty-man squad has exceeded fifteen hundred, causing countless armed Gnolls’ morale to crumble and significantly relieving the pressure at the front trench area.

But this also put the high-performing hunting platoon under the scrutiny of the Werewolves’ Military Governor.

Just a moment ago, a team of Dogheaded Engineers used tunneling and blasting tactics to hit the relocating hunting platoon hard. In the explosion site filled with the smell of gunpowder, a bloodied Lieutenant Mia shook her head and climbed up, witnessing a scene of chaos.

The hunters suffered losses of one-fifth from this ruthless blasting, with the edge of the explosion pit filled with severed bodies. The surviving soldiers were all wounded to varying degrees. The lieutenant was fortunate; at least her arms were intact, allowing her to pick up her rifle and continue fighting.

Seeing more Gnolls rushing out from the underground tunnel, Mia, still bleeding, grabbed the Blood Vulture Claw in front of her chest, and while half-kneeling, pulled the trigger, sending scorching bullets flying to take out several Gnolls emerging from the tunnel, scaring the remaining ones back inside. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

These dog creatures, without the leadership of Werewolves, are the epitome of "bullying the weak and fearing the strong."

Witnessing the lieutenant suppress the Gnolls’ assault, Hunter Warrant Officer Norse, who had been partnered with Mia since enlistment, gritted his teeth and dashed forward, pulling the pins from the two grenades strapped to his waist and tossing them into the Gnolls’ tunnel before rolling out and lying prone. A few seconds later, two muffled booms sounded underground, followed by silence.

"Quick, treat the wounded!"

Gasping for breath, Mia covered her head wound with her uniform sleeve and commanded her soldiers. The surviving soldiers immediately started moving the immobile wounded alongside for emergency treatment.

Although only simple bandaging and an injection of a stimulant made by Alchemists are provided, it’s enough to keep the injured stable until they are evacuated to the rear. Emergency response is one of the training subjects taught weekly to People’s Army soldiers by the famous Transia physician, Mr. Pantsless Demon.

The lieutenant herself bent down and picked up the heavy Cannibal Demon’s Hammer from beside the explosion pit.

She glanced at her observer, the tall and burly young man, whose eyes were staring blankly at the sky, his lower half blown apart.