The morning sun rose over the forest, casting golden light through the trees. Birds chirped weakly, as if nature was trying to forget the horrors of the world.
But peace never lasted.
Not in the new world.
Liu Feng sat on a large rock sharpening his combat knife. His arm was wrapped in cloth, soaked with blood, but he didn't complain.
Lin Xue handed him water. "You should rest."
"I can't," he replied flatly. "They'll be back soon."
She bit her lip. "Those men from last night… they were hunting people like you?"
"Anyone with a system. Anyone too strong. They fear what they can't control."
Suddenly,his Threat Sense exploded.
Danger. Massive danger. Mechanical.
A loud rumble shook the ground.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The birds flew away in panic. The air grew heavy.
Liu Feng stood and looked toward the north.
From the tree line, a massive machine stepped into view.
It looked like a walking tank,a black mech nearly 5 meters tall, with gun turrets for arms and glowing red eyes.
[System Alert!]
Mech-Type Boss Detected: RX-22 "Hunter Reaper"
Strength: High
Armor: Heavy
Weakness: Cooling Core (Rear Upper Back)
Warning: Equipped with auto-lock cannons and stun blasts
Status: Controlled by Remote AI
Hackable: Yes (Neural Link Chip required)
Liu Feng gritted his teeth.
"So they sent a mech…"
He reached into his backpack and pulled out the Neural Link Chip.
"Let's see if this works."
[Activating Neural Link Chip…]
Searching for nearby AI target…
Target found: RX-22 Hunter Reaper
Hacking in progress… 3%... 12%... 30%...
Suddenly, the mech's head turned toward him.
LOCKED.
The red eyes flashed.
It raised both arms and opened fire.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Trees exploded. Dirt flew.
Liu Feng grabbed Lin Xue and dashed away using Sprint.
"Get to the river and hide! Now!"
Lin Xue ran without looking back.
Liu Feng rolled behind a thick tree just before bullets slammed into it.
[Hack Progress: 48%... 55%...]
BOOM!
A missile shot out from the mech's shoulder.
Liu Feng activated Shadow Step, teleporting behind a large boulder just in time.
The missile exploded where he had been standing.
CRASH!
Flames lit up the forest.
[Hack Progress: 72%...]
The mech marched forward, scanning with red beams.
"Target: Liu Feng. Threat Level: Alpha."
Liu Feng ran again, dodging gunfire, jumping over roots and ducking through bushes.
He pulled out his pistol and fired at the mech's face.
Pew! Pew!
The bullets bounced off harmlessly.
"Worth a try," he muttered.
[Hack Progress: 89%... 94%...]
The mech raised its arms and powered up a large cannon.
"Stun Charge Ready. Firing in 3… 2…"
Liu Feng shouted, "NOW!"
[Hack Complete! Access Granted.]
The red lights on the mech's face turned blue for a second.
Liu Feng grinned.
"Let's turn this monster around."
He linked his mind to the mech's system.
A simple screen appeared in his mind.
[Control Options:]
Manual Mode
Auto Target Hostiles
Self-Destruct
Liu Feng selected Auto Target Hostiles.
The mech immediately turned its guns and opened fire into the forest.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Screams echoed from the trees.
A second squad of human hunters had been hiding, ready to ambush Liu Feng.
But now they were being shredded by their own machine.
The last one tried to run.
The mech fired a missile ,BOOM!—gone.
Liu Feng panted, sweat pouring down his face. His head throbbed from the mental link.
"Two minutes of control," he muttered. "Time's almost up…"
He gave one last command: "Return and destroy home base."
The mech turned and marched toward the direction it came from.
Five seconds later, the connection ended.
Liu Feng fell to his knees, exhausted.
[System Notification]
RX-22 Hunter Reaper successfully hacked
Enemies killed: +14
+11 Strength
+7 Agility
+6 Constitution
Loot Acquired:
Rare Skill Book: Bullet Time
Item: Nano Fiber Armor (Defense +10, Lightweight)
Ammo x30 (Pistol)
Liu Feng sat under a tree and opened the skill book.
[Skill Learned: Bullet Time]
For 5 seconds, your perception of time slows. Dodge, aim, and attack faster. Cooldown: 2 minutes.
He smiled. "Now this… this is power."
He changed into the Nano Fiber Armor. It fit like a second skin light but tough.
Lin Xue came running back. "Are you okay?"
Liu Feng nodded. "The mech's gone. For now."
She sat beside him, breathing heavily. "You're like… a walking weapon."
"I have to be," he said softly. "Because they won't stop. They're scared of people like me."
She looked at him seriously. "Then I'll keep helping you. Even if it's just carrying supplies or scouting. I won't slow you down."
Liu Feng looked at her. The fear in her eyes was gone replaced by fire.
"Good," he said. "Because we're not done."
That night, Liu Feng looked toward the north.
He knew what he had to do.
They weren't just trying to survive anymore.
They had to fight back.
He checked his system one more time.
[Liu Feng – Updated Status]
Level: 9
Strength: 69
Agility: 45
Constitution: 38
Skills:
Basic Combat
Sprint
Tough Skin
Threat Sense
Iron Slash
Combat Awareness
Shadow Step
Bullet Time
Inventory:
Combat Knife (Durability: 47/55)
Nano Fiber Armor (+10 Defense)
Healing Potion x2
Bottled Water x2
Painkiller x3
Pistol (Ammo: 41/45)
Tomorrow, the war begins.