"Badri, what did you trade with the off-worlders this time? Why all the secrecy?"
In a group just emerging from the forward base of the Earth civilization, an Ikoan looked curiously at his companion, Badri.
"Heh, I got my son a few gifts. He's coming of age soon." Badri chuckled modestly at his companion's question.
"What gifts? All wrapped up like that?" The companion eyed the large bundle on Badri's back with interest.
"Nothing much, just some small trinkets." Badri laughed awkwardly, patting the beast-hide package. He'd traded years of hunting spoils with the off-worlders for its contents.
Soon, the group returned to their village, and Badri climbed up to his treetop home to find his son practicing with a blowgun.
"Dad, you're back!" The young Ikoan, focused on his blowgun practice, looked up at his father excitedly, knowing his father had gone to the off-worlders' base to trade for something he'd long awaited.
"Yes, Sin, I'm back!" Badri smiled at his son's eager look, then unwrapped his package to reveal a sleek silver sniper rifle.
"A White Eagle VI sniper rifle!" Sin's eyes sparkled with excitement. Living close to the off-worlder base, they knew well about these weapons, especially the soldiers' guns, and many Ikoans had tried to acquire such powerful firearms.
After much negotiation, the Earth civilization agreed to sell firearms to the Ikoans, seeing it as an ongoing opportunity. Ammunition would run out, guns would wear down, and they would rely on the off-worlders for replacements. The Ikoans, without an industrial foundation, couldn't produce bullets or repair guns, giving the Earth civilization control over their supply.
"How much ammo did you get, Dad?" Sin asked, aware that without bullets, a gun was just a glorified stick.
"500 rounds," Badri replied, scratching his head with slight embarrassment. Familiarizing himself with the rifle alone would likely consume half the ammo, leaving little for practical use.
"Not much," Sin frowned but then grinned. "It's fine. Once I master the White Eagle, I'll go hunting and trade more bullets with the off-worlders."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
With practiced precision, Sin aimed his two-meter-long sniper rifle at stones his father tossed into the air, hitting each one accurately. Every adult Ikoan was a skilled hunter, and for a hunter, marksmanship was essential. After a short time adapting, Sin was soon landing nine shots out of ten within a kilometer, a natural talent of the Ikoans, akin to the elves of Erathia.
"Dad, I can go hunting with you with the White Eagle now!" After using up nearly half the bullets, Sin declared excitedly.
"Haha!" Badri laughed heartily at his son's enthusiasm.
"Dad, is that an off-worlder ship?" Just then, Sin pointed behind his father with a surprised expression.
"Huh?" Badri turned to see seven 50-meter-long ships hovering above their village.
"What are the off-worlders doing here? Why would they come to our territory?"
Badri frowned at the sight. Though primitive, the Ikoans had a sense of air superiority due to their flying companions.
However, the purpose of the off-worlders' visit soon became brutally clear.
Boom!
Blazing beams shot from the ships, striking the village directly. A deafening explosion followed, shaking the ground.
"What are they doing?" Badri trembled at the hellish scene unfolding before him. Even a simple-minded Ikoan could see that the off-worlders were ruthlessly attacking their village.
"Dad, they're attacking us!" Glaring at the destruction around him, Sin raised his rifle, pointed it at the nearest ship, and pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Bang!
But with the 247th shot, the rifle malfunctioned. Blue energy lines on the gun turned red, then black, and the rifle exploded.
"Ah!" Sin screamed, his hands blown off, his chest bloody and torn.
"Sin!" Badri rushed to his son, cradling him as he felt his son's life slipping away.
Badri looked up at the attacking ships, fury and despair flashing in his eyes. Realizing the off-worlders had sabotaged the rifle, he gritted his teeth.
"What can I do? How can I save my son? How can I protect my village?"
Then, in his darkest moment, an image of Ur King, the mighty figure known for dominating the off-worlders, came to mind.
"If we had a warrior like him, these off-worlders wouldn't dare attack," Badri thought. "If only I had his power..."
With no options left and his son dying in his arms, Badri gripped his spear, prepared to face death with his people.
But suddenly, a golden streak blazed across the sky, piercing one of the ships. The air fell silent for a few seconds before the ship exploded, scattering flaming metal debris.
The booming sound of the impact finally reached Badri, followed by a blast of heat.
The remaining six ships paused their assault, stunned.
"What was that?"
On one of the ships, the captain sat frozen in fear, staring at the wreckage on the screen. Their energy shields were fully activated, yet a single strike had destroyed the ship.
"Warning! High-level lifeform detected. Energy level exceeding ten million!
Warning! Ten million is the detection limit; actual power is undetermined.
Recommendation: Retreat at full speed!"
The ship's AI urgently advised, amplifying the crew's dread.
"Detection shows the lifeform is rapidly approaching. Calculations suggest retreat is impossible at our current speed."
As the AI reported, a golden light appeared on the horizon, like a sunrise piercing through the dark.
"According to calculations, the probability of crew survival is 0.001%. Recommendation: All crew members locate the nearest data terminal and record a final message within 100 words. The AI will transmit these messages to the base's server and send them to your families. End of message."
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