"This makes it even harder to locate." Zhou You glanced sidelong at the situation. Outside this environment, he could use his mental prowess to pinpoint the queen ant's location. But in this game, devoid of his abilities, they would have to find another way.

Without any sign of panic, Shao Qi tossed a smoke bomb into the pit. As the smoke enveloped the area, everyone retreated. Soon, the queen ant, as big as a basketball and swift in movement, emerged from the ground and dashed towards the mountains.

Zhou You swiftly aimed and released an arrow from his crossbow, but this time it missed its mark. Shao Qi put on a gas mask, drew his knife, and charged. The rest stood watching, only Zhang Dingshan followed, brandishing his own blade.

Once they had dealt with the queen ant together, Zhang Dingshan playfully tapped Shao Qi's shoulder and remarked, "Man, you sure are loaded." Given all the equipment they purchased to exterminate these ants, anyone outside would deem this endeavor a loss. Zhang Dingshan saw them as rich kids—where wealth brings recklessness—it was inevitable.

Suddenly, fireworks erupted in the game's sky. A system announcement echoed throughout, "Congratulations to players 'Qilin', 'Better Dead Than Alive', and seven others for eradicating the ant nest, successfully eliminating one of the game's top ten threats. Rewards: one third-class medal of honor, one secret manual, one piece of equipment, and a treasure chest..."

Everyone was dumbfounded. The ant nest's location was widely known, with most avoiding the area. No one expected someone to take on this challenge, let alone that this simple nest would be ranked among the game's top ten threats. Most ants were easily defeated by ordinary players; how did they qualify as such a significant menace?

However, some players noted that the game's list of hidden bosses had reduced by one. Originally ten, now only nine remained. The vanished boss was now revealed: the ant colony. As per the description, this colony could reproduce indefinitely. Given a few months, they could multiply into billions, capable of leveling mountains—an undeniable threat.

"So it was a hidden boss after all. Those guys got so lucky. I passed by just yesterday and missed out."

"They're just a bunch of newbies. They must've stumbled upon it by accident. What luck."

"It's not easy to wipe out that many ants. There's so many of them. They must have poured in quite a lot of resources. Probably some rich players."

Zhou You and the others were shocked. They hadn't expected such grand rewards for eliminating a simple ant nest. The secret manual allowed them to choose a specific technique, the treasure chest held a choice of weapons, and the equipment was armor or other support items. Besides these, Shao Qi earned ten points, Zhang Dingshan eight, and everyone else five, lifting their spirits.

"I... I've actually entered the top ten!" Zhang Dingshan exclaimed in joy, seeing his ninth-place rank. It felt as though a pie had fallen from the sky.

"What's the purpose of that medal of honor?" Zhou You inquired.

"I'm aware that one can receive a medal of valor for either vanquishing evil or saving others. No one has ever achieved this before. They say that once you gather ten of these medals, a treasure is bestowed upon you, even in real life."

"So, if we were to defeat the remaining nine major bosses, we would accumulate all ten medals. Should we set this as our primary objective? It’s a much faster way to score than hunting down isolated mutated beasts."

"First, we'd need to figure out the identities of these major bosses and then look for them. Along the way, we can also earn points. Sounds like a plan to me."

"Agreed!"

"Suddenly, I’m less interested in ranking first. I'm more curious about what this treasure might be."

"You all..." Zhang Dingshan looked at the eager faces before him, lost for words. This group was not only wealthy but also bold in their ideas. Such audacious thoughts were unheard of to him. Yet, he secretly wished he could join in. What should he do?

Shao Qi checked the time and said, "We haven’t reached the three-hour mark, but it's getting close to dinner. How about we call it a day and resume tomorrow? After all, it's just a game and shouldn't consume too much of our time."

"Agreed," everyone nodded in unison. They were accustomed to practicing their skills after dinner and didn’t want the game to interfere with their routine.

There was no need for transportation to leave, simply logging out would do. In a blink, Zhang Dingshan saw them disappear right before his eyes, leaving him standing alone.

"Seriously? They just left like that? Without even saying goodbye? That's so impersonal." He wasn’t ready to log out, especially after such a rewarding day. He wanted to stroll around the game hall and show off a bit. It would be great if he could meet them again tomorrow. He regretted forgetting to send a team invitation.

But they already had a cohesive group of eight. They might not be keen on adding another. Plus, he had his own companions.

Once offline, Zhang Dingshan was surrounded and congratulated by his teammates. Ranking in the top ten not only meant a reward at the end of the month but also fame. Major powers would try to court him, though he had already been somewhat renowned before.

Removing their helmets, everyone wobbled as they got up from their chairs. Zhou You closed his eyes, circulating his internal energy to regain balance, and said, "It's a good thing there's a three-hour limit. If it were any longer, those with weaker constitutions wouldn't be able to handle it."

"Indeed, these three hours with our brains constantly in high gear are more exhausting than a three-hour exam. The human body has its limits. It’s no wonder they provided monitoring devices. Silent brain failure during the game wouldn't be surprising."

As they opened the door, they saw Mr. Xuan sipping tea on a rocking chair by the entrance. The setting sun cast a warm glow on his wrinkled face, evoking the words: "The serenity of passing time."

"Back so soon? Did you enjoy it?" Mr. Xuan inquired as he sat up.

"It was fun. Sir, you should try it out sometime. There are ten devices available."

"No need. At my age, online games aren't quite my speed. They're designed for your generation. Enjoy, it might be beneficial for you in the future."