Chapter Nineteen: The Dragon Raid Battle Formation!

The grassland was tranquil in the early morning, bathed in the crimson glow of the rising sun. The tender red orb hung like a golden gong embedded at the horizon where the Xihe Grassland met the sky, stark and sudden against the skyline. Dewdrops shimmered like sparkling gems, each reflecting the splendid dawn light, quivering as they rolled—reminiscent of a mermaid’s sorrowful tears. Mammoths, woolly mammoths, and black-footed creatures wandered peacefully nearby, foraging. Occasionally, a bird would flap its wings, cutting across the sky before vanishing from sight.

What a harmonious beauty, what an exquisite harmony with nature! Such unspoiled scenes are rare in reality. Since humans first appeared, I have doubted whether there was ever a moment when man truly lived in harmony with nature. In primitive times, survival and reproduction necessitated constant struggle against nature. In modern times, the fight has only intensified with resource plundering and industrial expansion. From a distance, as I approached Dashan and Awei, a massive mammoth collapsed. It seems even in the game, harmony is but an illusion; leveling up and hunting treasure leave no room for mercy.

“Boss!” Awei ran toward me excitedly, a rare moment of sincerity and solemnity from him. Upon seeing the two women behind me, he abruptly stopped, breaking his momentum; otherwise, the force of his charge would have crushed me in a bear hug. Awei gripped my shoulders firmly, the genuine brotherly bond speaking volumes without words.

“Bat, you truly are a miracle! The storm witnessed your strength and terrifying power. You deserve the title of top expert without question!” Dashan praised sincerely.

“No way, when did he become the number one expert?” Xiaoxue asked, puzzled.

“Heh, sister-in-law, you don’t know. Ever since the fantasy game officials released their investigation results on the PK incident, clearing the truth, the players who had blindly joined the fray that day expressed deep regret. A poll among millions on the forum showed over 90% agreed that our boss is indisputably ‘the top expert in the Chinese region’,” Awei boasted proudly. He always took pride in me, even preferring to claim my glory as his own and spreading the word everywhere. Heh... but now he’s in trouble, having carelessly called this sorceress his sister-in-law without understanding the situation. After witnessing her terrifying methods, it’s too late. Amen to that; he’s on his own.

“I remember that day, many players petitioned to have my account deleted! I wonder what the officials mean by calling me ‘top expert’ now—is this some kind of appeasement?” I joked bitterly.

“Awei, don’t take such ephemeral titles seriously. If they can call me ‘top expert’ today, tomorrow they might label me ‘top liar.’ By the way, I forgot to introduce—this elegant beauty here is Snowflower Dance, a level 22 holy sorceress; you can call her Xiaoxue. The ill-mannered, shabby-looking hunter you’ve probably heard about from Xiaoyue is none other than Awei. And this burly, handsome man is our pure and lovely Xiaoyue’s brother, Dashan!” I leisurely introduced them to each other, awaiting Xiaoxue’s anticipated outburst with schadenfreude. Strangely, she was as composed as a refined lady—quite uncanny.

“Boss, how can you insult me in front of my sister-in-law? That’s so unfair! I’ve been praying day and night for your safe return, burning incense, reading scriptures, and now... sob...” Awei put on a pitiful, tearful expression.

*Pfft.* Xiaoxue laughed like a blooming flower, refreshing and delightful. “No wonder Xiaoyue says you’re hopeless—meeting you is even more revealing! But you’re wrong about one thing—I’m not his girlfriend, so don’t mix that up again!”

Dashan’s face darkened upon seeing Xiaoxue, but when she denied being my girlfriend, he brightened and laughed: “Awei is our jester, always out of sorts. If he ever annoys you, feel free to complain to Bat.”

“Hehe, I’m not afraid—I have Xiaoyue to help me!” Xiaoxue shot me a proud glance, as if to say: he can’t even protect himself, let alone others.

Xiaoyue waved her pink hammer arrogantly before Awei, declaring, “If he dares to bully Sister Xiaoxue, I won’t let him off!”

My goodness! You’ve all been deceived by the cunning sorceress’s appearance—I pity you!

...

Mammoths and woolly mammoths hover around level 50, beyond the reach of high-level identification skills, so detailed data is unavailable. The mammoths’ chestnut-brown hides stood like massive rocks on the grassland. They do not attack players proactively, only retaliating when provoked. Their mountain-sized bodies, equipped with spear-like tusks, resemble gigantic tanks—thick-skinned and muscular, charging recklessly, no one dares face them head-on.

Such a leveling speed is a pipe dream if one hopes to climb the character rankings. Dashan and I are the main attackers in the team and earn more experience, but with three tail-end members sharing experience, leveling remains slow.

With a light step, I dodged the whistling, elongated trunk. My crocodile-bone sword, infused with the Noble Spirit Technique, emitted a scorching white glow, cleaving the woolly mammoth’s pillar-like leg like two moons shooting at the sun. The blade sliced through the thick hide and plunged deep into the flesh until the hilt disappeared, blood and muscle flying.

The injured mammoth panicked wildly, shaking its massive head uncontrollably. Unable to counterattack with its tusks, it swung its trunk back, forcefully knocking my sword aside just as I hesitated. The rapid force caused the crocodile-bone sword to withdraw with a spray of blood reluctantly leaving the mammoth’s leg.

“Arooo!” The mammoth, hurt in the leg bone, howled in agony as it collapsed, unable to support its huge frame. Xiaoxue’s “Holy Light” and Xiaoyue’s “Rejuvenation” spells fell upon me simultaneously. Dashan, with powerful axe strikes, quickly finished off the struggling, immobilized mammoth. Meanwhile, Awei, attacking from a distance with a bow, collected the spoils efficiently.

“Wait, Dashan!” I called out to the one about to lure more monsters. The mammoth encounter stirred some thoughts in me, though I hadn’t quite grasped them.

“What’s wrong, Bat? Did you injure your internal organs just now? Are you hindered?” Dashan asked, puzzled.

“We can’t keep going like this—the leveling speed is too slow.”

“Could it be you’ve thought of a better plan?” Dashan inquired.

Watching the mammoth disappearing under Awei’s skinning knife, an idea flashed through my mind. Of course! Such large, clumsy creatures barely have any counterattack force once down. If we just knock them down and wait to harvest, that’s all we need.

“Awei, get back to your old trade—set traps!” The plan formed instantly.

“Boss, you’re joking, right? Setting traps here for mammoths the size of tons? How big a pit would that require? It’s impossible without two or three days!” Awei complained.

“Yeah, Brother Bat, small traps just won’t work on mammoths this size,” Xiaoyue added.

“Then if you have an idea, spit it out! Don’t keep us in suspense!” Xiaoxue urged, seeing me smile silently.

[End of chapter. Please click the next page to continue reading.]