Li Qinwu was frantic. He wasn't afraid of dying—after all, he would simply respawn at the hideout anyway—but he was terrified of not being able to bring the automatic rifle back.
The footsteps of both sides grew closer, and Li Qinwu scurried about like an ant on a hot pan.
Suddenly, he spotted the large crater left by the shell explosion, along with the blood and gore inside it.
A flash of inspiration struck him. He immediately jumped into the crater and lay down, borrowing an arm from the guy on his left to dangle across his chest, and pulling out a handful of intestines from the guy on his right to place over his stomach.
He then smeared blood and grime across his face, cocked his head, stuck out his tongue, and instantly blended in with the dead bodies.
No sooner had he concealed himself than both sides simultaneously reached the edge of the trench, spotting each other instantly.
Without hesitation, they raised their weapons and opened fire the moment they saw each other!
The PDF squad leader, in particular, wielded a laser rifle—a weapon somewhat uncommon in the PDF—and a single laser blast punched a fist-sized hole straight through the chest of the leading rebel. The rebel's internal organs were instantly cooked by the beam, killing him outright!
However, only the squad leader was equipped with a laser rifle. The other PDF squad members used standard automatic rifles firing solid rounds, which were far less lethal and were often deflected by the rebels' makeshift organic armor.
The rebels were armed with a chaotic mix of automatic rifles, bolt-action rifles, and shotguns. While their weaponry was inferior to the PDF's, they had the advantage of sheer numbers.
The two sides exchanged heavy fire; screams and gunshots rang out incessantly. Li Qinwu lay motionless amidst the pile of corpses.
Fifteen minutes later, accompanied by the blast of a final grenade, the battlefield fell silent.
Li Qinwu waited another five minutes. When he was certain there was no sound, his heart leaped with joy. *Did they wipe each other out?*
He opened his eyes and cautiously surveyed his surroundings. The trench was littered with bodies—the grey corpses of rebels and the green-helmeted bodies of PDF soldiers lay scattered everywhere.
"Time to loot and scoot~~"
Yelling 'Woohoo,' Li Qinwu pushed the bloody detritus off himself and began scavenging the battlefield.
Ignoring the rebels, he rushed toward a PDF soldier's body, grabbed a helmet, and immediately put it on.
Name: PDF Ballistic Helmet
Reference Value: 500 Fertilizer Vouchers
Ballistic Rating: 3
Ricochet Chance: Medium
Durability: 30/30
Material: Ceramite.
Weight: 2.2 kg
Next, he stripped off a piece of armor that looked relatively intact and donned it.
Name: PDF Light Ballistic Vest
Reference Value: 1,500 Fertilizer Vouchers
Ballistic Rating: 3
Durability: 45/50
Material: Ceramite.
Weight: 6.2 kg
He then picked up a PDF soldier's automatic rifle.
Name: PDF Standard Automatic Rifle
Reference Value: Approximately 3,500 Fertilizer Vouchers
Weight: 4.5 kg
Vertical Recoil Control: 68
Horizontal Recoil Control: 52
Ergonomics: 52
Weapon Stability: 53
Accuracy: 60
Hipfire Stability: 72
Effective Range: 600 meters
Muzzle Velocity: 1050
Firing Mode: Full Auto, Semi Auto
Rate of Fire: 750
Ammunition Caliber: 8
Firing Power: High
A single standard automatic rifle was worth 3,500 units! Overjoyed, Li Qinwu discarded all the other junk he was carrying and focused on collecting the standard automatic rifles.
One, two, three, four—Li Qinwu hung four rifles around his neck. The resulting weight, around 20 kilograms, made his breathing heavy.
But he could carry it! Hauling loot to the extraction point was an indispensable part of this 'Search, Fight, Extract' game!!
"What a glorious day, a glorious day~"
Li Qinwu pulled a fifth automatic rifle from the arms of a PDF soldier whose head had been blown open and hung it across his chest. Then, he suddenly remembered: *Didn't the PDF squad leader have a laser rifle?*
Although laser rifles were jokingly called 'flashlights,' that was only because of the sheer number of monstrous entities in Warhammer 40k. On a standard battlefield, this weapon was incredibly potent.
One power cell could fire 200 shots. The laser could punch a fist-sized hole in a human body and penetrate 20mm of steel plate—a feat only achievable by heavy machine guns during the 3K era, yet here it was, a standard infantry weapon!
Li Qinwu searched everywhere, determined to find the squad leader's body. He had been in the Warhammer world for over three months and still hadn't gotten his hands on a laser rifle. *Speaking of which, what level of ammunition did the laser count as? Level 4?*
He searched in a circle but couldn't locate where the PDF squad leader had fallen. Just as he was puzzling over this, he heard a rustling sound behind him. He spun around and locked eyes with a vicious gaze.
"Ah! You're not dead!"
Li Qinwu stared at the blood-soaked PDF squad leader leaning against the corner of the trench, and the muzzle of the laser rifle pointed directly at him.
Fear spread through his heart. He screamed internally: *No! I don't want to lose my loot!*
"Don't shoot! I'm not a re—"
He tried to plead, but before he could finish his sentence, the PDF squad leader pulled the trigger.
The scorching laser beam slammed into Li Qinwu's chest. His chest burned, and his mind went blank, certain he was about to be sent back to the warehouse for redeployment.
However, he neither lost consciousness nor felt any pain. He could only smell a pungent, burnt odor.
He looked down and realized the laser blast had shredded the five rifles hanging across his chest, consuming a massive amount of energy. The residual energy then struck the armor he had just looted, and it held firm.
"You son of a bitch!!"
Li Qinwu exploded in rage. He charged forward and delivered a kick to the PDF squad leader's chest, knocking him flat. He then stomped on the hand gripping the laser rifle, eliciting a sharp scream.
The PDF squad leader had already been hit by bullets during the fight and was running on fumes. He couldn't withstand Li Qinwu's close-range assault and was subjected to a flurry of blows.
Li Qinwu yanked the bayonet from the officer's waist. After confirming the man posed no threat, he snatched the laser rifle, slung it over his shoulder, and then pressed his dagger against the squad leader's throat, preparing to kill him.
Why didn't he use the laser rifle to kill him?
Because Li Qinwu wasn't sure if the laser rifle had a gene lock. The technological standards varied across the Imperium's planets, meaning the level of technology incorporated into the laser rifles varied greatly.
On some planets, laser rifles could be used immediately; on others, they were equipped with advanced features like gene locks, making them usable only by the weapon's owner.
Li Qinwu was just about to finish the man off and head to the extraction point when suddenly, the 'Search, Fight, Extract' system in his mind chimed.
Ding! Emergency Mission: Rescue Sergeant Rudousen.
Sergeant Rudousen is a highly senior and valued officer within the PDF.
His superior had promised him a promotion to Lieutenant Company Commander if he successfully led his squad to retake Trench 2563. It appears, however, that Sergeant Rudousen has failed this time.
Mission Objective: Escort Sergeant Rudousen to the PDF defense line.
Reward: Rudousen Extraction Point. You can now use Rudousen's defensive sector to extract back to your hideout. As his savior, receiving preferential treatment should be expected.
Reward: Unlock Contact Rudousen. You can now sell specific items, purchase specific items, and accept specific missions from him.
Reward: PDF Faction Reputation +10.