The defensive position of the base was an open area encircled by a sturdy steel wall, with only a small passage for entry and exit. Rows of unmanned automatic machine guns made of fiberglass glinted coldly in the sunlight, their presence formidable. There were at least thirty of these guns positioned along the walls.
In the front, five colonists armed with Orion rifles crouched behind sandbags, with only their heads exposed, making them difficult targets. The entire setup resembled a fortified barbican.
Given such an impregnable defense, breaching it would be a monumental challenge.
"Here they come!" Li Mufan shouted, spotting more than twenty hunters clad in black armor charging toward them. He calculated the timing and called out, "Fire!"
"Da da da da!!"
Thirty drone guns and the rifles held by the colonists erupted into action, creating a torrential barrage of fire. Countless sparks exploded as the first hunter was hit.
"Ding ding ding…" The sound of bullets striking armor resonated as the hunter collapsed to the ground.
"Instant kill!"
Even with super-strong armor, the hunter couldn't withstand such overwhelming firepower.
As the drone guns entered a three-second cooldown after the initial volley, two more hunters rushed in and began to fire back.
"Ding ding ding!" Their bullets struck a drone gun, but the fiberglass machine gun remained unyielding.
"Da da da…"
Three seconds later, a new rain of bullets descended, dropping two hunters to the ground. A flash of purple light burst from one of them, as if something had exploded.
Li Mufan narrowed his eyes, catching a glimpse of a card whizzing past.
After a relentless half-hour of gunfire, the Hunter Fleet was completely wiped out, with only four drone guns lost in the skirmish.
Walking onto the battlefield to survey the carnage, Li Mufan commanded, "Grab the ones who are still alive! Peel the armor off the dead and throw everything into the warehouse!"
"Yes, Master!" the colonists replied, quickly starting the cleanup.
Cuihuan approached him, asking, "Master, should we give medicine to the prisoners?"
Medicines were still relatively scarce. In the past, Li Mufan would simply apply a casual bandage to the prisoners, leaving their fates to chance. However, this time he thought differently. "These are all resources. Use herbal medicine to save their lives!"
"Yes, Master!"
After a while, Li Mufan examined the purple card he had picked up, curious. "System, what is this? I've never seen it before."
"The purple card is a technology card. The host has two options: the first is to use the card to randomly acquire a technology that can be utilized in the outside world. The second is to recycle it through the system, yielding 5,000 silver."
"Technology that can be taken into the outside world? This could be huge! What if I get nuclear technology?" he pondered.
"The higher the era of technology, the lower the chance of acquiring it. For nuclear energy technology, the odds are one in ten thousand," the system explained.
"Alright, I'll try my luck!" Li Mufan decided, excitement coursing through him.
"Ding dong! Host, are you sure you want to use the technology card?"
"Absolutely!"
"Ding dong! The host has acquired technology: Soil Cultivation."
"Ding dong! Please designate a colonist to accept this technology. The colonist must already exist in the outside world."
"Cultivating the soil? This is fantastic!" Li Mufan laughed, elated. "Assign it to Cuihua."
"Ding dong! Colonist Cuihua has accepted this technology."
Ten Days Later
Ten days flew by. Li Mufan's vision darkened before brightening again, signaling his return to his original body.
On the eighth day, Cuihuan had successfully converted the two remaining prisoners from the previous batch into loyal colonists, injecting them with genetic enhancers as was customary. Over time, their genes would strengthen, boosting their bodily functions to 40% beyond normal human limits.
In addition, Li Mufan had captured eight highly effective hunters during the attack, all of whom had survived. When he checked their attributes, he was pleasantly surprised to find that while they lacked other skills, they all possessed first-level Body Refining Realm strength. One woman, named Black Dragon, had even reached the second level!
While these captives could be sold for 2,000 silver each, Li Mufan hesitated. Ultimately, he decided to keep them. While he could earn money now, one never knew when such powerful allies would come in handy, especially given the random nature of the Hunter Fleet's attack.
Beyond the captives, he had also acquired a wealth of weapons, equipment, and armor vests. Preliminary estimates suggested he had gained at least 50,000 silver from this battle. He wondered how much the lost drone guns would be worth.
"The Hunter Fleet is rich, unlike the tribe, which is poor. It seems fighting is indeed the fastest way to wealth," he reflected.
This time, he hadn't brought anything back. The food supplies would last for a while, and an influx of supplies could cause unnecessary trouble in the camp.
With that thought, he glanced at the sleeping girl beside him and quietly got up to leave the bed. It wasn't that he intended to do anything—he simply needed to relieve himself. After all, everyone has urgent needs.