Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!

That familiar paint job...

Those familiar teeth...

That familiar moon pattern...

Wasn't that TM painted by himself?

There's a thief!

Oh no, wait... my car was stolen a while back!

It was a group of humans.

Many people.

Of course, it was mainly those dressed in black... including one with a bow and arrow.

The injury on his shoulder was left by that hairless monkey, he remembered it profoundly, the only regret being unable to recall his face.

After all, humans all seemed to look the same...

Thinking of that human with the bow and arrow, the orc leader felt a twinge of pain at his own shoulder wound.

Even though he did not possess the sense of pain, he still felt the sharpness of a threat.

Was that hairless monkey here?

But it seemed there was no one in those black clothes?

"waaaaaagh!"

Seeing his property reappear before his eyes, the orc leader charged forward as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood.

Orcs were tall and robust, with powerful legs.

They may not have been as agile in changing directions or reflexes compared to humans, but in a straight sprint, their size was an advantage.

Many of the scattering players were easily caught up to.

"Save me, save me, save meeee!"

"Don't you TM drag me down!"

"I don't care, if I can't live, neither will you! Stop playing!"

Gu Lan was running with one hand on the hilt of his sword, looking back at the individual players falling behind under the pursuit of the orcs, feeling somewhat reluctant, "Let's turn back and fight!"

Mere running would only lead to their defeat one by one, the so-called running faster than your teammates only worked on beasts that hunted to satisfy their hunger.

These orcs, although equally feral, hunted for more than just satisfying their hunger.

The road back to the city was still far away, after all, it had taken them nearly an entire day to get there, and such a long pursuit distance was enough for the orcs trailing behind to completely devour everyone.

Unless these orcs were utterly defeated, no one could leave!

Ren Fengxing's gaze was conflicted, his lack of knowledge in the game made him less confident in his judgments.

The fact that mines were not very useful against these orcs was something he hadn't anticipated at all! And to think those NPCs had sworn those mines would 'blow their ancestors' graves sky-high'.

Perhaps it was because of the shockwave mines? TM, a shrapnel mine might have been more effective.

As for now, he knew that running away was just a slow death.

But the fact that his own men were in the lead was the core reason he hesitated... even if it comes to death, his own people would be the last to die.

Often, when things haven't turned for the worst, few people seriously consider the worst-case scenario as a reality to confront.

Gu Lan's words had intensified the gloom he had also considered deep inside.

Ren Fengxing, who had been running at full speed, suddenly stopped, raised the megaphone in his hand, and stood amidst the crowd fleeing rearward, "TM! Stop running! Turn back and fight!"

No one paid him any attention.

Solo players didn't have that much thought, 'every man for himself, full belly for the family', finding an opportunity to break away from the main group and dart in any direction, surely those orcs wouldn't abandon the pursuit of the larger group for just one or two humans.

There was strength in numbers, and flexibility when fewer.

"TM these dumbasses!" Ren Fengxing stood in place, shaking with fury, but fortunately, he still had a clear head, "You TM think about it! If we die, who's going to secure the mission objective? Even if you run, it's just a wasted effort!"

Some footsteps hesitantly paused.

Their brains, began to turn.

"And these... refugees! If they die, where will you go to learn skills? Running for nothing, what's the difference between that and being dead?"

Some of the players ahead gradually stopped and turned back to observe the reactions of others beside and behind them, only to see that everyone was doing the same.

Ren Fengxing seized on this, striking while the iron was hot, "I, Ren Fengxing, am putting my words down here today—anyone who doesn't leave now, regardless of whether the mission is successful or not, whether we can make it back alive or not, you can come to me for a cash reward afterwards! A thousand bucks! A man's word is his bond!

You can go ask around about the reputation of Black Hole if you didn't know about us before. If I go back on my word, you can bash me all over the internet!"

"TM, if you'd said this earlier, would I not have fought with you?" A player suddenly drew his knife, "I just thought your guild was always dilly-dallying TM like a bunch of girls! I don't want the money, I'm with you in this fight!"

"Who TM do you think you're insulting?" A feisty female player couldn't stand it, "What's wrong with being a girl? Weren't you raised by a woman? TM count me in today, I'll show you what a woman can do."

"If it's death that awaits, so be it, it's just three days! I'm in with you guys!"

With some brave warriors taking the lead, even players who had their own little schemes stopped in their tracks.

Whether they valued the thousand dollars, the rewards within the game... or perhaps they thought Ren Fengxing made some sense, under the sway of the crowd, they finally unified their front.

And then... the rout stopped as abruptly as it had started.

Ren Fengxing felt a surge of joy and continued to share his thoughts, "They may not be completely unscathed either, I refuse to believe they are immortal. There's got to be a limit to their recovery. Pay attention to the varying degrees of wounds on them. We have a chance!"

The fact that the orcs were healing at different rates was ironclad evidence; he had realized this earlier, but it was pointless to mention it when the players were unwilling to fight back.

But to speak of it now... that was the turning point for the counterattack.
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The orc leader, in the midst of a frenzied pursuit, halted, squinting his eyes in confusion.

Based on his past experiences, these weak, hairless human monkeys could never regroup and counter once they began to falter.

But now...

What had sparked their courage anew?

Watching as those scrawny hairless monkeys turned and attacked like they were injected with adrenaline, the orc leader sneered and was the first to charge forward with his battle axe raised.

"waaaaaagh!"

"waaaaagh!"

Resistance only made the thrill of the chase more exhilarating for them!

"We're still no match..." Ren Fengxing frowned slightly, taking stock of the situation.

Steadfast will was just that - will. The undeniable gap in strength could not be overlooked.

The players, compared to the orcs, were still too green, and unless they had access to more powerful firearms, most players who had only recently joined the game were no match for even a single average orc.

Perhaps after returning, he needed to focus on training melee players? Or after a reset?

But no matter what, they would not retreat again this time!

It was just three days, after all. Trading an early wipeout for a major strategic adjustment wasn't too high a price to pay.

...

From the rearview mirror of the car, Dai Lian, driving the overloaded vehicle that couldn't go too fast, caught sight of the players turning back collectively. He clenched his teeth with a hesitant look.

He obviously knew that if they continued as before, it'd only be a matter of time before disaster struck, with the players being caught and slain one by one. And, owing to the car's heavy load and the limits of its fuel tank, running all the way back to base wasn't an option.

Taking this chance to abscond alone while the players collectively covered the rear might be the most sensible choice.

However…

Looking at the players fighting desperately among the crowd, and at the large gorilla dousing fires everywhere... Dai Lian suddenly felt uncertain.

He spun the steering wheel sharply, and the car made a U-turn.

"What are you doing!" a fellow player exclaimed in surprise.

It wasn't just Dai Lian on this mission to sneak into the enemy's territory; as a temporary alliance, trust was a rare commodity, and including Dai Lian, there were four sitting in the car.

One representative from thorns, black hole, and freelance, respectively.

Dai Lian didn't have time to answer his question and simply shot back, "Can you drive?"

"No... I can't," the player sitting in the passenger seat said, somewhat dazed.

He hadn't even touched a car in the game before, and this was his first time in one today; he had no clue how to drive.

"Then when it's time, just hold on and don't move."

With the direction set, he quickly found something heavy to press down firmly on the accelerator. Dai Lian pulled the passenger's hand toward the steering wheel, "Hold the direction, don't move!"

Having said that, he unbuckled his seatbelt and flipped out of the open driver's side window onto the roof of the car.

"What's he doing?"

"I have no idea..."

The three in the car looked at each other with bewilderment.

The wind rushed past Dai Lian's face as he stood alone on the roof, setting up his longbow and pulling out an arrow.

He held the bow against his body while the arrow hung limply on it, his eyes sharp as he scoped out the battlefield not far away, seeking the most suitable angle for an attack from the side.

An angle... where as many orcs as possible were aligned in a straight line!

The bow was newly purchased.

The arrows were custom-made to order.

With money in hand, it was only natural to upgrade his equipment, not just for everyday consumption but to have a few reliable, high-quality weapons at critical moments to settle the fight.

The skill that Dai Lian possessed was regarded by the trio as their ultimate trump card!

Forward, a bit more!

Just a little further!

The howling wind nearly drowned out all other sounds, but Dai Lian tuned out the roar, focusing entirely on seizing that fleeting opportunity.

'Now is the moment!'

As the orc leader launched himself toward the area where the large gorilla and the beautiful guild president were, Dai Lian's voice seemed to traverse time and space, reaching Kuang Xin's ears.

"Big Gorilla! Fall back!"