Chapter 20: Hunter Becomes the Hunted
The team marched cautiously through the dense alien jungle, tension lingering in the humid air. Captain led the way, her reaction-enhanced reflexes attuned to every rustle in the foliage. Wolfe's team followed at a distance, their mutual distrust simmering under a fragile truce.
Suddenly, the eerie silence was shattered by a robotic chime echoing through their BIOs.
"Attention, players! A new Special Mission has been initiated: Hunter Becomes the Hunted. Alien hunting units have entered the jungle to eliminate all players. For every alien eliminated, you will receive 500 Credits. Survive, and the top contributors will receive additional rewards. Happy hunting!"
Ace's heart raced as the announcement ended. "Alien hunting units? Sounds like they're sending something worse than those jungle beasts."
Shadow frowned, scanning the treetops with her visor. "They're turning us into prey."
Wolfe cursed under his breath. "Great. As if this place wasn't bad enough."
Captain held up a hand to silence them. "Focus. If these aliens are hunting us, we need to set traps and turn this into an ambush. Techie, can you scan for their location?"
Techie fiddled with his BIO, which projected a faint holographic map of the surrounding jungle. "Picking up multiple heat signatures. They're moving fast—closing in from the north and west."
"They're flanking us," Captain muttered. "Move! We need higher ground."
First Contact
The group scrambled up a slope littered with jagged rocks and glowing alien vegetation. The jungle canopy opened slightly, revealing a small plateau. From their elevated position, they saw the first of the alien hunters emerge.
The creatures were humanoid but unnervingly tall—nearly eight feet—with sleek, metallic armor that shimmered like liquid silver. Their elongated limbs ended in sharp, claw-like appendages, and their glowing red visors scanned the jungle with lethal precision. Each carried a weapon that looked like a hybrid of a plasma rifle and a blade, pulsating with energy.
"Those things look like death incarnate," Shadow whispered, gripping her weapon tightly.
"Spread out," Captain commanded. "Stick to cover and pick them off one by one. Remember—500 Credits per kill."
The first hunter locked onto their position, emitting a guttural, mechanical growl. It raised its plasma rifle and fired, a searing bolt of energy ripping through the air.
"Move!" Captain shouted, diving behind a boulder.
Ace rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the blast. He raised his rifle and returned fire, but the alien's armor absorbed the hit with ease. "These things are tough!"
Techie crouched behind cover, rapidly analyzing the aliens' movements. "Their armor is resistant to conventional projectiles. Aim for the joints or the visor—it's the weakest point."
The Fight for Survival
The first hunter lunged forward with unnatural speed, targeting Wolfe. Its plasma blade ignited with a sharp hiss, slashing through the air. Wolfe barely dodged, retaliating with a grenade launcher. The explosion sent the hunter staggering but didn't bring it down.
Captain seized the opportunity, sprinting toward the disoriented alien. Her reaction-enhanced reflexes made her a blur as she closed the distance. She leaped onto the hunter's back, driving her blade into the gap between its helmet and torso. The alien screeched, flailing wildly before collapsing to the ground.
"500 Credits," Captain said coldly, yanking her blade free.
Another hunter emerged from the underbrush, its plasma rifle aimed at Shadow. Before it could fire, Ace sprinted into its line of sight, drawing its attention. "Over here, you tin can!"
The alien charged after him, its blade sparking ominously. Ace led it toward a trap—an explosive device Techie had planted moments earlier.
"Now!" Techie yelled, detonating the device.
The explosion tore through the alien's lower body, sending it crashing to the ground. Shadow finished it off with a precise shot to its visor.
"That's another 500," Shadow said with a grim smile.
Escalation
As the team regrouped, more hunters emerged—this time in pairs. The air was thick with the hum of their weapons and the growls of the alien units coordinating their attack.
"We're being surrounded!" Vega, Wolfe's second-in-command, shouted.
Captain's mind raced. "We can't take them all head-on. Techie, set more traps. Shadow, Ace—draw their attention and split them up."
Ace nodded, adrenaline pumping as he darted between trees, firing potshots to lure the hunters away. Shadow followed, her movements silent and calculated.
One of the hunters pursued them into a narrow ravine. Shadow crouched low, her visor scanning the alien's movements. She fired a shot at its leg, causing it to stumble. Ace took the opening, driving his blade into its chest.
Meanwhile, Captain and Wolfe worked together to take down another pair of hunters. Wolfe's grenades disoriented them, and Captain moved in for the kill, exploiting the gaps in their armor.
Techie's traps claimed two more, the explosions leaving charred remains scattered across the jungle floor.
The Final Push
The battlefield fell quiet for a moment, but the respite was short-lived. A new sound echoed through the jungle—a low, resonating hum that made the ground tremble.
"What now?" Wolfe muttered, gripping his weapon tightly.
A towering alien hunter stepped into view, twice the size of the others and heavily armored. Its weapon was a massive energy cannon that crackled with destructive power.
"Boss unit," Techie said grimly.
"We take it down, or we're done," Captain said. "Spread out and hit it from all sides. Techie, see if you can disable that cannon."
The team moved into position, coordinating their attacks. Ace and Shadow peppered the alien with fire, keeping it distracted while Captain and Wolfe closed in.
The boss hunter roared, firing its cannon and obliterating a massive tree in a single shot. Shadow narrowly avoided the blast, her enhanced speed saving her life.
Techie worked furiously, hacking into the alien's systems through his BIO. "Almost there… keep it busy!"
Captain charged, her blade glowing with energy as she drove it into the alien's knee joint. The creature stumbled, giving Wolfe an opening to fire a grenade directly at its exposed core.
"Do it now, Techie!" Captain shouted.
Techie completed the hack, causing the alien's cannon to overload. The resulting explosion lit up the jungle, leaving the massive hunter in smoldering pieces.
Victory and Suspicion
As the team regrouped, the BIOs chimed again.
"Special Mission Completed. Credits Awarded: 4,500. Top Contributors: Ace, Shadow, Captain."
Wolfe's team exchanged wary glances with Kaito's group.
"Nice work," Wolfe said, though his tone was guarded. "But don't think this makes us friends."
"We don't need to be friends," Captain replied. "We just need to survive."
The uneasy alliance held for now, but the tension was palpable. As the jungle fell silent once more, the team knew the real danger wasn't just the aliens—it was the ever-present threat of betrayal.
4o
Weekly Power Status
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-- Power
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