"The treaty is signed, yet the truth remains. Some things are destroyed, while the truth is still unknown…" Lu Yuan hummed softly. He didn't know the name of this tune; in the trenches, any form of distraction was welcome. Often, someone would start singing, and whether people knew the words or not, they'd just join in. Over time, even the original singer might lose track of the melody.
Lu Yuan leaned halfway over, reaching for the munitions box near the carriage door, where he kept his precious stash of cigarettes. He had managed to go seven or eight days with only two smokes, but it was time to indulge a bit.
A cool breeze brushed by, making his back tingle. Lu Yuan shivered involuntarily, instinctively retracting his hand. As he glanced toward the munitions box, he noticed thin, shadowy streaks swaying across its smooth surface. Years of brutal warfare had sharpened Lu Yuan's instincts to an extraordinary degree. Following his battle-hardened reflexes, he swiftly drew his gun and spun around!
Before he could fully turn, a foul, putrid wind surged toward him. He felt a gust rush past his face, scraping his temple. In an instant, Lu Yuan sidestepped with a speed few could match, narrowly avoiding the assault. With a resounding *clang*, a giant serpent, nearly as thick as Lu Yuan's arms stretched in a circle, had rammed straight into the car's frame.
A deep-seated fear barely had time to take hold before Lu Yuan suppressed it. He didn't have time to dwell on it now. He raised his gun and fired, but after two shots, the monstrous snake, with sharp, grayish horns extending from its head, was glaring back at him. Bullets ricocheted off its scales, sparking but leaving no mark.
Seeing that bullets couldn't harm it, Lu Yuan did not retreat but instead leaned forward until he was barely a body-length away from the serpent. He let out a low, guttural growl, taking a stance to hold his ground, and looked into the snake's fiery orange eyes without a trace of fear.
The snake, typically the undisputed predator of the wilderness, seemed to be taken aback by Lu Yuan's fearless posture. Having failed its ambush and feeling the sting from the bullet strikes, it coiled itself up, spread its membrane fins, and started to emit a sinister, hissing sound, cautiously assessing this two-legged creature before it.
Lu Yuan knew exactly what he was capable of, and he didn't intend to wrestle this monstrous snake unarmed. Over the past few years in the fleet, he had encountered few animals, but the lush, science experiment-laden jungles of Gaia were filled with colossal beasts. Humanity hadn't evolved enough to take down a python with bare hands.
He began to shift subtly to the side, keeping his aim steady on the snake's tiny, bead-like eyes. With every hiss that grew louder, Lu Yuan raised his own volume and stepped in, ready to shoot at the slightest move from the snake.
Once he reached a favorable position, Lu Yuan slid his hand up to the top of the carriage, flicking the gun's selector to "2" and fired a burst directly at the serpent's eye.
Blood sprayed as the snake reeled back in agony, enraged, lunging forward with a speed that shattered the air in a thunderous sonic boom.
But Lu Yuan had anticipated the move, leaping onto the car roof and rolling toward the cannon turret. As long as he reached the 20mm cannon, he could say goodbye to this creature, even if it were a mythical snake demon from the depths!
Grabbing onto the turret shield, Lu Yuan was just about to drop down when the wounded, vengeful serpent refused to let him escape. Raising its head, it struck, nearly sending him spinning around the cannon.
Lu Yuan swore under his breath, ignoring the pain and the cold sweat running down his back. Grabbing a handle, he vaulted into the carriage just as the snake's crimson, forked tongue was nearly at his face. Slamming the door shut, he felt the car tremble under another impact and stumbled back, landing on the munitions box.
"Damn it!" Lu Yuan spat, peeking through a crack in the window. The snake, enraged, circled the vehicle, its immense body stretching so far it seemed impossible to see where it began or ended. Water-slicked, yellow-black scales reflected a dangerous gleam. No need to guess; this creature was undoubtedly venomous.
As he sat down, he noticed a stray cigarette on the floor and reached for it, but a chill ran down his spine. Remembering he hadn't closed the turret, he grabbed the cannon feed chain just as a segment of the snake's tail slid past his face. Without hesitation, he drew his short blade and stabbed down hard.
The serpent let out a furious scream, thrashing wildly. Lu Yuan, drenched in the serpent's blood, held on to his blade with gritted teeth, forcing a massive wound open on the creature's tail, until it swung around, sending him flying back.
Cursing, Lu Yuan scrambled up, ignoring the pain, and managed to slam the turret lid shut. Stepping onto an old helmet he'd been using as a cooking pot, he clattered to the floor, holding his sore side.
Fuming, Lu Yuan spat blood and vowed never to let this creature get away. Normally, he was never one to hold a grudge, but this snake had left him no choice. Picking up his QF47 rifle, he emptied a magazine into the creature, each bullet spitting fire from the muzzle. The snake writhed, shedding scales and scattering bullet casings across the ground, but barely showed any signs of harm.
Lu Yuan muttered a curse under his breath. Who knew Earth harbored such resilient creatures? He could imagine the fleet's materials scientists going mad over this if they knew. But his loyalty to the fleet didn't extend to handing this discovery over for them to take credit.
Recalibrating his rifle for heavy rounds, he loaded tungsten-core bullets, silently counting down with each shot.
"Thirty," he said, continuing to fire. The serpent, finally wounded, twisted and writhed, diving into the nearby pond as a dark red ripple spread across the water.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Lu Yuan slumped down, realizing he was bleeding from his back. Grabbing the cannon, he considered his luck: if he ever made it home, this story would haunt him to his dying day.
Steeling his resolve, he rigged his drone with life detectors, a pulse radar, and a string of smart grenades, determined to flush the creature out of hiding.
Minutes later, the data fed back to his screen, pinpointing the serpent's location at the pond's bottom, motionless under the drone's rotor wash. Clearly, it lay in wait for prey to approach, springing from its den when a thirsty target arrived.
Lu Yuan tossed a grenade into the water, setting it to detonate on a timer. Though it didn't sink as far as he'd hoped, the blast seemed to startle the creature, pushing it further into the pond's crevice.
In a ground battle back in the fleet, Lu Yuan would have already called for airstrikes. But out here, with just an all-terrain vehicle, there was no artillery, no backup. Muttering a curse, he started the engine, preparing to leave this dangerous oasis. If he stayed, he might wake up face-to-face with the snake's beady eyes—a risk he wasn't willing to take.
Exhaust fumes billowed from the vehicle as it sped away, leaving behind a glimmering horizon. Setting the car to cruise mode, Lu Yuan stretched out on his bedroll, finally allowing himself to rest.
Just as he was about to drift off, a low, rumbling noise broke through the silence. Lu Yuan's eyes snapped open, realizing it was the hum of engines!
Adrenaline surging, he rushed to the driver's seat and squinted at the horizon. Camouflaged vehicles emerged, encircling him. Grabbing a submachine gun, Lu Yuan floored the accelerator, forcing the assailants to veer off.
A hail of gunfire peppered his vehicle, and he knew this wasn't over. Gritting his teeth, he fired up the turret cannon, unleashing a barrage in return as the confrontation erupted into a deadly standoff.
"That place's a lost cause," Lu Yuan cursed under his breath. Not only did the bath nearly get him eaten by a snake, but he also nearly injured his back in the process. If luck was on his side, he'd make it home one day, but he'd never live down such an embarrassing story.
Feeling defeated, Lu Yuan climbed back into the driver's seat. After all this, the drone was out of battery, too. He hit the gas pedal, and the all-terrain vehicle sputtered to life. The last thing he wanted was to wake up in the middle of the night with those snake eyes staring at him. Being brave didn't mean he enjoyed a scare.
A puff of smoke shot from the exhaust, and he was off, leaving behind this rare oasis in the barren desert. The sun was just beginning to dip in the sky, casting a golden glow across the horizon. Lu Yuan squinted, shading his eyes. After a while, he grew tired of it, set the vehicle to cruise control, and lay down on his makeshift bed.
Stretching out his legs, Lu Yuan sighed contentedly. His military bag made a surprisingly decent pillow. The scuffle with the snake, though only a few minutes long, had his adrenaline pumping. Now, his eyes closed involuntarily, slipping into drowsiness.
But maybe today was destined to be an unlucky day for him. Half asleep, Lu Yuan's ears picked up a distant rumble. At first, he thought he was dreaming. But then, a second later, he jolted upright. That was a real engine roar!
All sleepiness gone, Lu Yuan rushed to the driver's seat, squinting into the setting sun. Shadows flickered in the gap of the armored window. After rubbing his eyes, he could clearly see them now: a line of modified vehicles circling him, closing in.
Without a word, Lu Yuan grabbed the short rifle stashed under the driver's seat. He floored the gas, forcing the unfamiliar vehicles to swerve to both sides. Painted in camouflage colors to blend with the desert, the vehicles vanished briefly from view, only to be followed by the relentless "bang bang" of gunfire.
His vehicle decelerated sharply, and Lu Yuan knew things weren't going to end peacefully. His temper flared, and he pressed the machine gun button on the turret, unleashing a series of "thump-thump-thump" blasts in retaliation.