Alien Relic Hunter

The 40th year of the New Era, Alpha Star, FS009 War Zone.

An iron-gray transport ship parted the heavy lead-gray clouds and fell towards the sand dunes directly below.

Eight hundred meters... six hundred meters... four hundred meters... The reading on the altimeter is getting smaller and smaller. More than a hundred "Walker" bipedal tactical mechas in the airdrop cabin are also ready to parachute. .

But at this moment, a sharp-eyed pilot suddenly said: "This sand dune... doesn't seem right. Why do I feel like something is moving down there?"

"Is it caused by the wind?" another pilot said.

"No! No! Something is really moving!" At this time, the transport ship was only two hundred meters away from the ground. Through the open hatch and the monitor on the mecha, everyone could clearly see, This sand dune is constantly rolling like waves. In the gaps between the gravel, you can vaguely see dark brown carapace and jointed limbs...

"Levi!" Chi Hanfeng immediately realized the problem and shouted to his adjutant, "Check the airdrop coordinates immediately!" "Yes..." the adjutant responded loudly, but two seconds later, in his voice With a hint of trembling, he said, "Report, report... Major, there is a deviation in the preset coordinates. Our current location is '719, 451'... and the originally planned airdrop point should be '619, 451'... …”

The difference of one number caused their position to deviate a full hundred units to the north... In other words, the sand dunes below were exactly in the hinterland of the habitat of the group of insects. Under these surging gravels, In fact, there are tens of millions of nests...

"Contact the command center immediately! Ask them to modify the preset airdrop coordinates!"

"No! The interference here is too strong and we can't get in touch with the headquarters!"

"Fuck...everyone, abandon your armor immediately. We...are finished! It's too late!" Chi Hanfeng's heart thumped as he watched the indicator light in the airdrop cabin change from red to green.

All "Walker" mechas are fixed on the airdrop brackets by mechanical arms, and the cockpit door directly above is right in front of a metal beam equipped with slide rails. In this case, the pilot has no way to Get out of the cockpit!

The fully automatic airdrop program has been activated, and the chains and pulleys begin to rotate slowly. Each "Walker" mecha is like a poultry that has been cleaned and hung on a hook on a factory assembly line, and is carried to the cabin by a robotic arm. Outside, plunge into the battlefield below...

No...this is not a battlefield at all...but a slaughterhouse...

Valentina nervously grasped the joystick of the mecha. This was her first time on the battlefield. Although she had killed tens of thousands of indigenous creatures on the simulator, at this time, her limbs still couldn't bear it. Lived trembling slightly.

"There's nothing we can do." Chi Hanfeng sighed. His mecha was lined up in front of Valentina. "Valentina, remember, when you get down, go directly to join the group. Keep moving, keep firing, don't Stay in a daze and pay attention to the remaining ammunition and crystals at all times. This battle... This battle may be difficult, and we may all die here... But as long as you are not dead, never give up."

…

Valentina controlled her walker to trek through the gravel step by step. People were dying every second. Looking at the team's communication channel, she could only see a large area of ​​"offline" gray IDs. ...But Valentina couldn't see the battle outside at all - more than a dozen Walker mechas tightly guarded her and Major Chi Hanfeng's bodies in the middle, using her own body to act as a shield for the two. .

Chi Hanfeng kept shouting for his subordinates not to stand in front of him, but the soldiers had a better reason: "Only the major's command body is equipped with high-power communication equipment. If the major's body is destroyed, , then even if others break out of the encirclement, they will not be able to send a signal for help to the headquarters."

…

There are fewer and fewer comrades left. The golden sand dunes are filled with the remains of mechas and the corpses of various insects. Valentina's mind is already blank. She controls the mecha and probes the muzzle of the gun. Go out and shoot around randomly.

Her concept of time and space has been completely blurred, and her hands have long lost feeling, and she is operating the walker mecha only with muscle memory. A series of tiny blisters appeared on her lips, and large dark stains of sweat oozed from the front and back of her combat uniform.

There were very few people alive in the entire Strangler Squadron... Even the human wall surrounding her and Chi Hanfeng began to have gaps, but the bugs continued to come up, seemingly endless.

She didn't know how many hours had passed, but the only mechas still standing were her and the major...

A bug that looked like a giant cockroach suddenly jumped out of the sand and pounced on Valentina's walker. She subconsciously raised the gun and wanted to pull the trigger, but there was a dry "click" sound in the barrel of the gun. But it made her despair - her last box of ammunition belts had been emptied, and she could only watch helplessly as the big cockroach threw herself to the ground -

With a "Crack" sound, a sharp blade instantly penetrated the body of the big cockroach. Chi Hanfeng raised the tip of the blade and lifted the insect pressed on Valentina's mecha. But at this moment, the dying insect moved towards Valentina spat out a mouthful of acid in the cockpit——

"No!!" Chi Hanfeng's roar echoed in the communication channel. Valentina watched in horror as the acid eroded through the armor on the outside of the cockpit and dripped onto her body...

pain! Unbearable pain, like a burning iron!

Valentina suddenly opened her eyes - there were no sand dunes, no mechas, and no bugs. What she could see was an unfamiliar ceiling with a rectangular ceiling lamp attached.

But the excruciating pain didn't go away.

Valentina struggled and rolled off the bed, touched the medicine bottle on the bedside table, poured out a few painkillers from it, and swallowed it directly with her saliva.

The pain gradually eased, and her breathing became calmer little by little.

She picked up the jacket that had fallen on the floor, put it on her body, and then staggered to the door of the room.

This is the headquarters of the God Hunting Group, a temporary staff dormitory located on the fourth floor. The air conditioning is on in the room, and the temperature is the most comfortable 26.5 degrees Celsius after being adjusted by the intelligent program. Compared with the old warehouse that is stuffy and filled with the smell of engine oil all year round, This new place is heaven.

Valentina glanced at the clock. It was now half past two in the morning. She opened the door and walked out.

The corridor was very quiet. There were not many hunting group employees living here, and they were all asleep. She walked quietly to the elevator, hesitated for a while, and then turned to the stairs on one side.

The third and second floors were also dark, with only a few dim warm lights still on in the reception hall on the first floor. She tightened her jacket tightly and walked toward the basement.

The lights in the workshop were on, and the major and another reformer named Layton seemed to be arguing fiercely about something, but Valentina's attention was immediately attracted by the mecha standing behind them. In the past, this was a six-meter humanoid mecha. The streamlined outer armor surface was painted in black, white and orange. It was kneeling on the repair stand, with its head lowered and its arms hanging naturally close to its sides. , a decorative long white ponytail is added to the back of the head, and the white hair is scattered on the shoulder armor. From a distance, it looks like a Valkyrie wearing heavy armor.

At this time, Chi Hanfeng and Leiton, who were arguing, had also discovered Valentina at the stairs. The former's expression suddenly changed, and he walked up quickly and asked in a low voice: "Are you awakened by pain again?"

"It's okay, I've already taken the medicine." Valentina nodded, her eyes still staying on the mecha, and asked, "What's its name?"

"Major Chi and I were arguing about this matter just now." Layton said from the side, "I wanted to name this mecha 'Ersimov', but he insisted on saying that the name was old-fashioned and unpleasant. "

"Don't call me Major Chi. I'm no longer a soldier." Chi Hanfeng emphasized again, "Although your modification skills are pretty good, the name you chose is really not in good taste."

"Then you say I have no taste, but you want to come up with something?"

"...I haven't decided yet, but I can't call him 'Ersimov' anyway!"

The two were about to quarrel again, but Valentina suddenly said a name: "Valkyrie, just call it Valkyrie."