Zhang Ding Shan scratched his head, shifting uncomfortably, "But what if we can't win? We'd be dead, right?"

Miao Miao really felt like whipping him, retorting impatiently, "If you're afraid of dying, leave. It's our first day online, and if we end up with zero points, where would that leave our reputation?"

Zhang Ding Shan curiously looked around. These people were not only confident but thick-skinned, probably because they were really skilled. He couldn't figure out which faction they belonged to based on his knowledge of the Yang City base fighters.

The car continued onward. The system would auto-dispatch mutant beasts. Usually, those blocking the path were low-level mutants, with only a few unlucky ones encountering mid-to-high level ones.

A few minutes later, when a wild boar followed by eight piglets emerged from the bushes, everyone's eyes lit up. Miao Miao jumped out of the car, exclaiming, "Nine targets! Did they calculate it based on our group of nine?"

Only after watching the others take action did Zhang Ding Shan make his move, targeting the mother boar. The piglets, though fast, posed little threat and were quickly taken down.

However, Zhang Ding Shan's bullets failed to pierce through the mother boar. Zhou You initially didn't want to compete with him, but seeing the enraged boar charging, he quickly shot an arrow from his crossbow, hitting it in the head.

As this was in a game, he was unsure of the arrow's strength. The arrowhead pierced through the boar's eye into its skull. It screamed and dropped dead, making it seem easier than killing mutants in reality.

At that moment, the system voice announced, "Congratulations player 'Zhou You Travels the World' for killing a low-level mutant pig. Reward: 2 points. Promotion to Junior Warrior."

Zhou You saw a green warrior emblem next to his avatar, and his score changed to 2, while the others remained at zero. Miao Miao grumbled, "The piglets don't count for points? All that effort for nothing."

Zhang Ding Shan approached the dead boar, noting the precise shot that was fatal. Clearly, it was the work of someone experienced.

"However, when anyone first enters the game, their level is the same, that of a newcomer. Over time, they'll grow based on their skills. Currently, the top player has advanced to an intermediate martial artist and is the only one to have slain a high-level mutant beast in that capacity."

"Zhou You came to collect the spoils of the battle. He can opt to click on various parts of the wild boar to gather materials. Once the materials are collected, they're sent to the store. If they're sold, he can even receive a reward."

"Let's move, speed up! We don't want to log out before even reaching the mountain gate."

"Fifty miles from the base, there's a supply station. Many players choose to gather information here: updates on player rankings, locations of high-level mutant beasts, and opportunities to barter goods without spending money."

"As Zhou You's convoy passed by, Miao Miao volunteered to take a stroll. Upon returning, he informed everyone, 'I heard that about ten kilometers northwest, there's a nest of wild boars. Thirty miles south, there's a river with electrifying fish. No one has been able to cross it yet. Also, there's an ant nest discovered at the foot of the southwestern mountain. Which way should we go?'"

Zhou You asked Zhang Ding Shan, "According to the game's rules, only adult mutant pigs score points. What about an ant nest? Do we only score after defeating the queen ant?"

Zhang Ding Shan nodded, "You're right. That's why no one has approached that ant nest for days now. It's challenging and offers little in terms of rewards."

But Shao Qi thought differently, "Given the game's intent, exterminating an ant nest for just two points doesn't seem fair. A nest is much harder to deal with than a group of piglets."

Zhang Ding Shan laughed, thinking he was joking, "How can one possibly exterminate an entire ant nest? Think of the amount of ammunition needed! Most players operate solo and wouldn't dare provoke a nest filled with thousands of ants."

"If it exists in the game, it's meant to be challenged," Shao Qi proposed. "We have numbers on our side, so why not try? Even if the points aren't significant, I noticed some discrepancies with the weapons. Let's use the ant nest for practice."

Everyone took Zhou You's words to heart: "Being well-prepared saves time in the long run. Meeting a high-level mutant beast unprepared, even with a sword in hand, would just mean aimlessly hacking away. Here, players need to acquire martial arts manuals to gain martial arts skills."

Shao Qi had no objections, and neither did the others. They asked Zhang Ding Shan, "We're heading southwest. Are you joining us or finding another team to ascend the mountain?"

Zhang Ding Shan couldn't comprehend their mindset. It was as if they were on entirely different wavelengths. He wanted to leave, knowing there were available vehicles at the supply station, but he was intrigued to see how far this group could go.

"I'll go with you. But can we agree to leave the queen ant for me? I'm just one point away from advancing in rank."

"What's your current rank?"

Zhang Ding Shan answered with a grin, "I'm ranked nineteenth."

Miao Miao exclaimed in surprise, "You're in the nineteenth place with such a score? What are the rest of the players doing? Eating for free?"

Zhang Ding Shan's smile faltered, "Do you think it's easy to score? Talk after you surpass me!"

"Tch!" Miao Miao wasn't mocking him; she just found the competition different from her expectations, realizing she might've been overly confident.

The convoy rerouted and quickly arrived near the ant nest. They parked their vehicles a distance away to avoid having them consumed by ants.

"To exterminate ants, you either use pesticides or fire, and we have neither. We surely can't shoot them with bullets, can we? That would take days."

"The store has pesticides and incendiary grenades available for purchase with points. I checked the prices, and they're quite affordable. My two points should suffice," Zhou You commented, having just browsed the store earlier.