"Who could it be? Who?" Zhou You mentally reviewed everyone he knew, finding no significant rivals.

"Heh, it's Young Master Zhou. His ID is easy to guess – 'Cosmic Stars'. You're 'Zhou's World Adventure'. Both your names seem aligned."

"You recognized him from such a generic name? Just because both have the word 'chen'?" Zhou You was perplexed.

"Not just that. Players in the game mentioned he uses the same name in other games. Apparently, he's a competitive pro. By the time I logged out, he already scored three points."

Before long, Long Gan also logged out. He did well today. Acting solo proved beneficial for scoring. Knowing that killing mutated beasts scored points, he plunged into the forest. After three hours of continuous combat, he earned ten points, moving up two ranks.

Cheng Yuran spent more time gathering intel among players. He'd kill any mutated beasts he encountered but wouldn't seek them out. Still, through some deals, he scored a few points – not too shabby.

Since they decided to act independently, they intentionally staggered their log-in times. This way, they wouldn't end up in the same area, competing against each other.

"There are quite a few skilled players in the game, capable of hunting higher-level mutated beasts. They must be seasoned pros. Their scores will catch up quickly. We can't be complacent," Long Gan said before heading to the practice room. Despite battling for three hours in-game, the high-intensity cognitive engagement left an impression, and he wanted to test some moves in reality.

After logging out, others followed suit. Li Yunxi was the first to notice that playing the holographic game for three uninterrupted hours was an excellent cognitive exercise. Not only has her memory improved, but her comprehension skills have also significantly increased. She now understands the previously obtained secret scrolls, making her practice smoother.

"Let's go, how about we enter the game together?" Shao Qi said, pulling Zhou You into the game room. Behind them, Cheng Yuran muttered, "I knew he did it on purpose."

Long Gan gave him a direct look and candidly said, "Give it up, there's no hope."

"Hmph, we'll see. The game's not over until it's over."

"Only if he's blind," Long Gan retorted sharply.

Li Yunxi added with a sarcastic tone, "It's not enough to be blind, one must also be heartless."

"You all..." Cheng Yuran tried to defend herself, but immediately shut her mouth upon seeing Miao Miao's group emerging. She wouldn't dare badmouth Shao Qi in front of these three hardcore fans; she would surely be at a disadvantage.

Li Yunxi ran over and hugged Miao Miao's arm, asking, "Sister Miao, what rank did you end up with?"

Miao Miao made a gesture mimicking a gunshot towards Cheng Yuran and said with pride, "Took out the one ahead of me, moved up a rank." That person she surpassed was Cheng Yuran herself.

Once Zhou You logged into the game, he appeared in the game's main hall. There were quite a few players around, and he heard someone shout, "Quick, look! Another player defeated the big BOSS and got the reward. That's the third one, isn't it?"

Zhou You checked the announcements and indeed saw the update. A player named "Wild Wolf" had killed a crocodile, receiving the same reward as before.

"How did a crocodile become a big BOSS? That's unexpected. I killed one just yesterday."

"Exactly. Mutated crocodiles might have tougher skin, but they're considered one of the lowest ranks among advanced mutants."

"You can't really gauge it that way; it depends on the game developers. Remember those seemingly insignificant ants that turned out to be major BOSSes? They were easier to kill than the crocodile. Who would've thought?"

"From this perspective, the top ten threats are entirely based on game design. We can't identify them using common sense alone. It's all about luck."

Shao Qi approached Zhou You, asking, "Where should we head today?"

Zhou You pointed to the northern part of the map where a river was located. The crocodile Wild Wolf had killed was found by that river. People seldom approached the river because of the dangerous mutated creatures in it. In reality, only fishermen would venture into the shallow waters with tools to catch fish and shrimp. No one dared to swim.

"Look closely at that crocodile. It's different from other mutated ones. If I'm not mistaken, it's likely evolving towards a terror croc. Just last month, the database updated its information. I was actually planning to check it out by the river in a few days."

"Terror croc? The kind that lived during the Jurassic period?"

"Yes, mature terror crocs are enormous with sturdy armor-like skin and an unparalleled bite force. They're worthy of being among the top threats. But since they dwell between land and water, they don’t pose a direct threat unless provoked, which is why people haven't been paying them much attention."

The two chose motorcycles to leave the city. A motorcycle can carry two people. As Shao Qi, with his long legs, got on, he thought of buying a cool motorcycle to take his loved one out for rides.

With Zhou You sitting behind him, Shao Qi grabbed his hand, pulling him close against his back, and said with a smile, "Hold on tight." Then they sped out of the city.

The game's player count kept increasing, and even on the road, they could see groups of players. Zhou You checked the leaderboard on the go. Tang Jiu remained in first place, though his position was precarious. Shao Qi was second, just five points behind. Zhou You was fourth, while the third spot was occupied by the recent announcement's "Wild Wolf", who had surged ahead.

"We need to step it up today. Aren't there supposed to be the most mutated fish in the river? As long as we don't run into any big creatures, we should be able to catch a lot of mutated fish in three hours."

Shao Qi agreed. They had already explored the mountains, but hadn't ventured into the waters yet. At worst, they would just respawn three times, which wasn't a big deal.