"Well done!" A player applauded, "With that wicked gorilla gone, this road is clear! Did that guy use a laser gun?"

"Definitely. Only a laser gun has that kind of power, piercing a gorilla's chest in a single shot. And to hit the heart from a moving vehicle? That guy's aiming must be superb."

"Good aim isn't surprising. This is a game. If you can target something with your eyes, the laser gun won't miss. The real question is where he got such a gun?"

"Probably bought it from the in-game store. If you're willing to spend, the store has all sorts of weapons. Even a laser cannon if you want."

"Come on, a laser cannon costs a hundred thousand points. Would you spend that much in a game?"

"Personally, I wouldn't. But if there's a city defense battle or a beast wave, that laser cannon becomes a must-buy. Such decisions are for the top-ranked players, not us low-level folks."

"Did anyone get a good look at that guy? Anyone with a laser gun is either rich, influential, or a true expert."

"Come on, the real masters are still honing their skills at the Samurai level. Do you really believe there are any pros among the top ten on the leaderboard?"

"Nonsense! Who dares to say Tang Jiu isn't an expert? And what about Zhou You, who came in first yesterday? Rumor has it he's a master of inner strength."

"A master of inner strength in the game? Have you ever seen anyone use inner strength in-game? Even if you're a martial god outside, once you enter this game, you start from scratch as a Samurai. What's the use of being an inner strength expert? They've probably got a heads-up about the endgame bosses and took shortcuts. Many suspect they have insider information. Otherwise, why do they seem luckier than others, repeatedly encountering juvenile bosses?"

"Quit being bitter. Even if they have inside information, it's because of their connections. Fairness doesn't exist anywhere in this world. If you're so capable, why don't you score like Tang Jiu?"

"Oh my God, look at the leaderboard! The third place surpassed Tang Jiu. There's no insider info today, right? How did he score more than thirty points in just two hours?"

"Maybe they were just lucky and ran into a group of low-level mutated creatures. Why can't we ever catch a break like that?"

"Give me a break! You think you'd survive if you ran into a horde of mutated creatures?"

Shao Qi wasn't aware that many saw his skills as inflated. As for Zhou You, everyone knew about him. Those who hadn't seen him in action would never believe he was a pro. He seemed so average; how could someone like that be elevated to such a status without some connections or inside scoop?

Zhou You glanced at the point gap between him and Shao Qi, and then focused on driving, avoiding the mutated beasts. He used his extra attention to scan his surroundings.

The forest in this game is incredibly realistic, seemingly modeled after the Yunlan mountain range, with many familiar plants.

Mutations in plants were not rare, but only a few posed threats to humans. If the day came when plants also began attacking en masse, humanity would be doomed.

"There's a mutated deer hiding thirty meters ahead at eleven o'clock. Its antlers are valuable medicinal ingredients. Don't let it escape!" Zhou You, with his keen eyes, spotted antlers protruding from the bushes and alerted Shao Qi.

After killing a monkey that had been toying with him, Shao Qi adjusted his aim and looked in the indicated direction. "How did you spot that? It looks just like a dead branch to me."

"Have you seen any dead branches on our journey?" The forest in the game was lush, with all leaves on the ground being green. So, something resembling a dead branch naturally caught Zhou You's attention.

Shao Qi glanced at his weapon's remaining energy, telling Zhou You, "My laser gun has only about 10% energy left. I think it's good for two more shots."

"Then make the first one count and save the last one in case of emergency."

That was Shao Qi's plan as well. As they approached within ten meters, the deer remained still. Perhaps it believed its hiding spot was perfect, or maybe it was also a predator, waiting for its prey.

When the vehicle finally stopped, the deer's antlers twitched. A magnificent buck leaped out from the bushes, its muscular body supported by slender, powerful legs. Its intertwined antlers stood almost two meters tall, explaining why they couldn't be concealed by the dense foliage.

Shao Qi took his shot when the deer reached its apex, when its momentum was spent and evasion was impossible. The laser struck its neck.

The buck's defenses were weak; the laser easily penetrated, and blood sprayed as it collapsed, flattening a swath of vegetation.

Shao Qi stowed his weapon and jumped off the vehicle to harvest the antlers. They'd bypassed many low-value mutated creatures, but these antlers, given their weight, would fetch a good score.

This haul brought Shao Qi's score tantalizingly close to Zhou You's. With only a few points between them, Shao Qi playfully remarked, "Give me another opportunity like that, and I'll overtake you."

Zhou You was unfazed. "So be it. If we want to level up quickly, this approach is the most efficient." One drove and scouted, while the other focused on hunting.

The mutated creatures they'd encountered so far were mostly low-level and easily dealt with using weapons. Higher-level creatures would not be so simple.

"There's a valley up ahead with many players. Should we detour?" Zhou You emerged from the forest, spotting a line of parked vehicles and a large gathering of players below, all seemingly searching for something.

"It seems a millennium-old ginseng has appeared." Shao Qi climbed into the driver's seat and activated the armored vehicle's telescope function, clearly seeing players below rummaging through the grass and bushes.