Machine gun fire blasted across the vast wilderness, startling the modified vehicles still prowling around the all-terrain vehicle (ATV), causing them to widen the distance. Yet they weren't to be outdone; they brandished weapons and returned fire, bullets pinging off the ATV's door beside Lu Yuan. A few shots were remarkably accurate, shattering both side mirrors.
Given the circumstances, Lu Yuan couldn't launch a drone and had to rely on the ATV's rear camera to assess the situation. Several four-wheeled off-road vehicles, clad in spiked armor plates and gray-green camouflage nets, came into view. Their large tires with wide tread patterns were distinctive, and the steel cables binding them to the ATV were affixed to the narrow arrow-shaped engine hoods beside the wheels. These off-road vehicles were all reversing at full speed, kicking up massive clouds of dust; some sort of plow-like claws had likely been deployed. But even with their resistance, they were still being dragged forward by the powerful ATV.
These four vehicles tethered to the ATV's rear only slowed it down by a few dozen kilometers per hour. But there were more off-road vehicles similarly draped in camouflage nets providing cover, along with several armored trucks, and at least six or seven motorcycles circling the ATV in a menacing display. Lu Yuan could clearly see the riders, their faces obscured by fierce helmets, repeatedly lifting their front wheels in a show of intimidation.
Things weren't looking optimistic ahead either. Two armored vehicles, each at least as large as the ATV, continuously blocked his path, preventing him from swerving to break through. Each was bristling with heavy weapons, their turrets tracking his every move. Lu Yuan couldn't risk guessing whether they held flamethrowers or lethal grenades.
As Lu Yuan quickly considered his options, he realized cutting the tow cables in the back might only leave him vulnerable to side-attacks from the guerrilla motorcycles. Even without the cables, the ATV couldn't outmaneuver those agile bikes, even at full throttle.
At the end of the day, Lu Yuan was only one man.
One of the armored vehicles in front opened a hatch, revealing a rusty loudspeaker, from which came a torrent of unintelligible shouting. Lu Yuan caught a few words and, hooking his foot under the seat, retrieved a universal translator earpiece, switching through various planetary dialects until he landed on Old Earth language.
"Listen up, hunter inside! This is Scorpion Hunter territory!" Lu Yuan grimaced as the garbled shouting resumed, though he could tell they were probably delivering some crude curses involving his family.
"Surrender immediately, or the Scorpions will attack!" The last line was perfectly clear, but Lu Yuan only chuckled derisively. Did they really think such meager threats would make him surrender? While he was doing orbital drops into combat, these yokels were likely playing in the dirt somewhere.
Pressing his earpiece, Lu Yuan responded, "Get lost. Go!"
Without waiting for a response, Lu Yuan slammed the clutch, pushing the cruise mode to full power.
"Boom!" The ATV's fuel engines roared as the turbines reached peak output, the torque so intense that the four off-road vehicles behind him bucked wildly. Their plow claws snapped first under the strain.
The vehicles circling Lu Yuan closed in, not wasting a single bullet as they recklessly approached. He braked and swerved abruptly, ramming one of the vehicles. The ATV's weight sent it tumbling.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Heavy machine-gun rounds rhythmically struck the window. Ignoring it, Lu Yuan whipped the steering wheel again, making a sharp turn that flipped the spiked vehicle on his right.
The ATV plowed right over the overturned vehicle, sparks flying as rounds from the armored vehicles ahead sprayed the ATV's window, shattering fragments against his face.
Lu Yuan wasn't about to take that without fighting back. Without hesitation, he swung the steering wheel, braked, and clutched in one smooth motion, making the bulky ATV drift ninety degrees, flinging mud and dirt to shield its side armor from the attacks.
In the split-second maneuver, Lu Yuan's gaze sharpened. Kicking open the door, he grabbed the assault pistol from the compartment and fired a burst at a motorcycle rider attempting to pass him. The shots turned the figure, wrapped in torn fabric, into a sieve.
But there was no stopping the other motorcyclists from overtaking him. In the time it took to reload, three bikes were already abreast of the ATV. Lu Yuan's eyes narrowed—what were these maniacs planning?
He hurried to shut the door, but it was too late. The motorcyclists threw grappling hooks toward the engine, yanking the door open as exhaust smoke and dust swirled inside.
"Damn," he muttered, reaching for the rifle in the passenger seat. But before his finger touched the trigger, he heard a bike approach, prompting him to swing his elbow back.
The strike sent a motorcyclist crashing, and the trailing bikes couldn't avoid the fallen rider, running over him amidst screams. Lu Yuan ducked back inside, bullets whizzing past the door, forcing him to half-lie down in the cramped seat, ankle firmly pressing the pedal.
With the wind whipping his hair back, Lu Yuan could barely open his eyes. But his hand found the familiar blue-steel rifle, its trigger guard smooth and sharp as he pulled the first few rounds, downing one rider, then another in quick succession.
The surviving bikers veered into serpentine patterns, but Lu Yuan wasn't about to let them go. The rifle barrel glowed, a faint smell of gunpowder hanging in the air before the wind scattered it. Lu Yuan tossed the spent rifle aside, grabbing another, intending to finish the bikers clinging to the ATV's front. But just as he aimed, a sudden heat singed the back of his neck, making him shout in pain.
"Damn you!" he roared, noticing men rising in the back of the spiked off-road vehicles, armed with rocket launchers, launching blasts toward him. One shot scraped past, scorching half his hair.
Explosions rocked the ATV, shaking it as armored trucks reversed and rammed it from both sides, cutting off any escape.
"Shit," Lu Yuan muttered, realizing that this one-man-against-many strategy wasn't working. He needed to find a way to split the two vehicles ahead, ideally outrun them. Both sides had lost patience.
But even in the split-second between breaths, the situation shifted. The armored trucks stopped firing, approaching him slowly and methodically. Two massive beasts closed in, digging into the mud to trap his ATV entirely.
Bumping his head against the seat rest, Lu Yuan gripped the steering wheel and stomped on the brake, but escape was futile. A truck inched backward, pinning him in.
Seeing the futile resistance, the guerrilla bikers regrouped, circling closer and hooking their chains into the ATV's doors. Lu Yuan reached for his rifle to ward them off, but a hail of gunfire from the armored vehicles forced him to duck under the dashboard.
Hearing the sound of saws cutting through metal from the rear, Lu Yuan realized they intended to capture him and his prized ATV.
Lu Yuan had never been taken captive, and he didn't plan to break that streak today. Muttering an expletive, he pushed himself toward the back.
The armored vehicle door cracked open. Roaring, Lu Yuan barreled through, toppling two invaders standing by the entrance. Springing up, he locked his arm around the driver, twisting sharply to snap their neck before taking down the passenger with a brutal punch that fractured his arm.
But this truck had more than just two occupants. As he grabbed the fallen knife, a sharp pain lanced through his back. Snarling, Lu Yuan grabbed his attacker, driving the blade into their skull before pushing forward, using the body as a shield against the bullets of the remaining occupants.
The vehicle swerved violently, striking a rock and tipping sideways. Lu Yuan grabbed the wheel, controlling its spin in an arc until he halted, aligning directly with his ATV once more.
Lu Yuan took a breath, lifting his head, only to laugh bitterly at the sight.
"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, gripping the dusty steering wheel with both hands, every word filled with disdain.