Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

The battle unfolded before Gu Lan's eyes.

The fight between the handsome orangutan and the beastman leader was as wild as two real beastmen going at it.

Both possessed immense strength and unmatched swiftness.

Having been the beastman's opponent herself, she understood the beastman's power better than anyone else.

A brief standoff was manageable, but any longer and she would be no match, especially since she couldn't see any sign of weakness in the beastman as the fight went on.

Like its colossal stature, its stamina was far beyond her own.

Of course, beastmen were of a different race, with attributes hard to estimate.

But what about this handsome great ape?

Also a player, their demonstrated strength and speed even surpassed her own enhanced by "Spiritual Energy," not to mention his reflexes and skills were on par with hers, honed since the start of the game.

She had the backing of an entire guild.

The entire guild's resources were focused on her, to create the gear and strength she now possessed.

But now... a player she had scarcely seen before was capable of standing toe to toe with the beastman, whom she couldn't defeat?

Strong, fast, with quick reflexes and adequate skills, yet not quite as exquisite in martial arts as what he showed.

There was nothing particularly outstanding, but his combined abilities allowed him to stand up to the beastman leader without falling behind.

What force had nurtured such an expert?

Watching the agile figure of the handsome orangutan, awe flickered in Gu Lan's eyes.

"Let me treat your wounds…" Gong Yan had approached Gu Lan at some point, her eyes on Gu Lan's injuries.

Black ash stained the red skirt at the abdomen where the beastman's kick had landed, the torn fabric revealing the sculpted ab lines beneath.

Only now did Gu Lan have a chance to notice the other things around her…

"You… you're alright?" Gu Lan's gaze sharpened upon seeing the handsome young man, unsure if an NPC or a player, obediently following Gong Yan.

Just earlier, this kid was getting beaten as if he was hanging by a thread under the beastman's chase and now…

Her guild didn't lack members who had learned medical techniques, but none could perform the miracle of healing quite like this.

In this world, all knowledge had thresholds, and acquiring such abilities was hardly achievable through the channels she had seen so far.

The importance of a "healer" to a team was clear to anyone who'd played games.

This mysterious trio that had emerged from nowhere... impressive.

But could they also treat injuries caused by shock and muscle strain?

She had no visible cuts or internal bleeding, just a reduction in combat effectiveness due to muscle fatigue.

"Is it possible?" her mature voice was straightforward.

Gong Yan smiled gently, "Of course, trust me."

"Then go ahead, what should I do?"

"Nothing at all, just relax."

Gong Yan took a bottle of orange-yellow essential oil from her medicine kit, warmed it in her hands, and then gently applied it to Gu Lan's body.

The seemingly simple massage brought a warm flow from her palms to the touch points.

Like rain nourishing cracked soil, the sore and tired muscles soon recovered to normal under the nourishing power of the mysterious force.

"..."

Feeling the real changes in her body, Gu Lan's eyes widened, slightly dazed.

Could she snatch away this healer!

"The power you just used, was that Spiritual Energy?" Xu Ruoguang, who stood nearby, couldn't contain his curiosity and, seeking to confirm his hunch, asked out loud.

"Hmm?" Gu Lan opened her eyes from the blissful warmth and looked towards the handsome young man following the healer.

"What, do you also have Spiritual Energy?"

Xu Ruoguang felt a bit shy under the gaze of the goddess and waved his hands quickly, "No, I can't… but I feel like the way you used it just now was a bit crude."

"Oh?" Gu Lan's eyes brightened. She didn't know if the handsome young man in front of her was a player or an NPC until he revealed himself.

If he was a player, he might have access to channels unknown to her; if an NPC, even more likely to possess the knowledge about Spiritual Energy she desperately needed.

She certainly knew her approach wasn't advanced. Currently, she only had two ways of using it—one was to amplify her own three-dimensional attribute performance, the other was to enhance the texture of the weapon she held.

These two techniques, one an instinct that came with the awakening of Spiritual Energy and the other a superficial technique learned after a quest.

High-end techniques for using Spiritual Energy were something she needed more than anyone.

"What do you suggest?"

"Energy shouldn't be held for long. You should learn to control it… like breathing. There should be rhythm, peaks and troughs, so you can exert greater strength when needed, and not waste too much will during downtime."

Spiritual Energy itself was a force governed by will.

It stemmed from the soul and was granted by the will.

[Special Information (Unidentified): Breath of Spirits.]

"..."

Gu Lan stared at Xu Ruoguang, her eyes full of questions—What next?

Xu Ruoguang looked back blankly—That's all I've got.

Seeing that Xu Ruoguang had no further explanation, Gu Lan couldn't help but take the initiative to ask, "Is that it?"

"That's it..."

Are you expecting me to learn some technique of using Spiritual Energy from just that one sentence?

???

Gu Lan rolled her eyes and turned to look at Kuang Xin, who was tangled in battle with the orc leader.

Although this handsome gorilla could maintain an undefeated stance in front of the orc leader, he also had no way to defeat the opponent.

Most of the attacks he made were blocked, and the few that did hit the body seemed to have no effect on the thick-skinned orc...

The most terrifying wound on this orc leader's body was still the gash on his arm from the flying axe in the early stages of the fight.

This was the handiwork of that handsome young man behind her, and had she not seen that moment from afar, she would not have been drawn to it amid the chaotic battlefield.

And obviously, whether it was the efforts of the handsome young man or their current attacks, the effects were limited; perhaps... only the through and through wound on his shoulder was the opponent's weak spot. Stay tuned with empire

We need to find a way to target that...

"I've got your back!" A brisk voice rang out behind Kuang Xin.

Thorn Valkyrie's axe and sword together blocked the orc leader's descending blow, their bodies pressed closely, as Gu Lan turned her cheek to whisper to Kuang Xin, "Pay attention to that wound on his shoulder—find a chance to hit it there!"

Kuang Xin nodded silently in acknowledgment.

The presence of that steamy, rosy face so close at hand might easily have led one's thoughts astray on any other day, but right now it did nothing to distract Kuang Xin.

On the chaotic battlefield, instincts easily triggered, this trait not only significantly enhanced his reflexes and insight during combat but was crucial in allowing him to focus entirely on everything happening around him, pondering only on how to take down his opponent.

With a burst of force, Kuang Xin shoved the orc's massive axe aside and quickly said, "I'll take the lead, you wait for the chance!"

This kind of decisive leadership undoubtedly made him especially charismatic at that moment and Gu Lan easily disengaged.

Perhaps her strength, even her speed, weren't a match for Kuang Xin's, but the advantage was in her lightweight weapon.

A weapon sheathed in Spiritual Energy was hard to destroy and could also bring out the speed and agility of a light weapon.

For her to look for opportunities to attack the weakness was perfectly reasonable.

The two top combatants among the current players separating to attack the orc leader from different directions undoubtedly made it difficult for him, who was still in the midst of growth.

But this slightly pressuring battle was exactly what he craved and sought, excitedly roaring out, "waaaaagh!"

The deep battle spirit in his voice momentarily caused his body to swell, his momentum increasing even further.

This intense bravery spread like a tide, easily enveloping every orc who heard the sound.

The aura of rage inspired every orc child, and in an instant, all the cleaver boys' actions became more ferocious as well.

"Damn it! Tough bastards!"

Ren Fengxing wasn't directly involved in the front-line battle; he was different from those Thorn Valkyries.

He saw himself more as a commander.

He needed to stay calm enough to oversee the whole situation.

At that moment, he had found a wooden watchtower to observe the entire scene, and in just a short period of combat, he easily recognized a fact—

The players' bullets were evidently not very effective against those thick-skinned orcs.

This was almost all the players' first time facing orcs, and they hadn't anticipated bullets failing to penetrate their defenses...

To say their defenses weren't penetrated wasn't quite accurate; apart from a few homemade pistols, most rifles and shotguns could easily break through, but they couldn't inflict damage.

An orc sprayed in the face by a shotgun acted as if the bullets lodged inside his body were nothing, grabbed a player in front of him with his thick hand, and tore off an entire arm with one bite.

Although the player who had their arm torn off was still marveling at this special experience in the game, happily running around and flaunting it, it did not change the fact that, with the players' strength, it was difficult to win.

Not afraid of bullets...

Or rather, not afraid of the current level of firepower of hot weapons.

Those wielding swords and fighting in close combat seemed to have more of an advantage, but it was limited.

First, the number of such players was limited; in a game that felt like a trip back in time, which player wasn't a lurking behind-the-scenes player? If you can hit someone from the shadows, why charge face-first?

Secondly, even those fond of melee combat, given the current strength of the players, were unlikely to gain the upper hand against a common orc.

The physique and body structure of the orcs also made them entirely dismissive of the players' sneaky tricks.

No matter how skilled in infighting, when facing a different species, strength was what ultimately mattered.

This slight realization dawned on him, and Ren Fengxing noted the experience learned from this chaotic battle.

In an instant, he raised the horn in his hand, "Brothers, code red! Retreat!"