"It seems no one has been here; there are no footprints on the ground," said Zhuo Hao as he finished scanning the surroundings. Suddenly, a mutated tiger emerged from the bushes. This was a high-tier mutant beast. Amongst them, the most advanced was only at the martial artist level. Handling such a creature wouldn't be easy.

The group quickly sprang into action. While they had experience dealing with high-tier mutants, their current abilities couldn't match their aspirations. Their formation was swiftly shattered. Miao Miao tried to entangle the tiger's hind leg with her whip, attempting to restrain it. Unfortunately, she was overpowered and got dragged by the beast. The intense pain felt real. As the tiger lunged at Miao Miao's neck, Zhou You's dagger intervened, allowing her a narrow escape. However, she was severely injured and vanished after another clash.

The others were injured as well. Zhou You and Shao Qi bore the brunt of the damage, and still, they couldn't subdue the tiger. Before dying, Zhou You said to Shao Qi, "If only our Little Bai was here, this tiger wouldn't stand a chance!"

Shao Qi was the last man standing. He climbed a tree to catch his breath, but the relentless tiger rammed into it, easily knocking it down. Seizing an opportunity, Shao Qi launched an aerial attack on the tiger's head. Despite his effort, his strike was too weak, and after a few minutes, he perished in the tiger's jaws.

Everyone awaited him at the respawn point. Their deaths weren't surprising, for defeating a beast of a higher level wasn't easy, especially one so advanced. Yet, in the game, attack power was system-determined. Unlike in reality, damage varies even amongst players of the same level.

"We wasted a teleportation token. Are we going back?"

Their destination, chosen randomly from the game map, was 300 kilometers away—a suburban area with vast forests. Few players dared to venture there.

"We have to return. I've never been defeated this way since reaching my current rank. That pathetic feline defeated us so easily; I need revenge!" exclaimed Miao Miao, who had found this in-game death particularly humiliating.

The rest agreed to go back. Multiple deaths in a game weren't daunting. Killing that tiger would not only earn high scores but also much respect.

"We need a new strategy, and possibly a weapon that isn't level-restricted," one of them said.

Over the next three hours, they continuously strategized, re-evaluated, and adjusted their plans, but they couldn't finalize an approach before logging off.

Long Gan mostly listened, occasionally offering his opinion. He had extensive combat experience but not specifically against high-tier mutants like Shao Qi and the rest. Moreover, every strategy seemed impeccable to him, but their low power levels were their Achilles' heel.

Military strategies were inherently different. Long Gan's previous expeditions were mostly ambushes or simple collaborations. This was a novel experience for him.

Li Yunxi, an outsider, mostly remained silent, yet she admired the team's skills, wishing she could someday achieve such mastery.

It wasn't just about martial prowess but an inherent confidence and daring that seemed as if they could conquer any challenge. It was this attitude she yearned for.

"We're out of time today. Let's continue our discussion later and head straight to our target next time. The in-game mutant spawns should be static, so the tiger will still be there," someone remarked.

As they prepared to log off, a boisterous group approached. The flamboyant leader, androgynous in appearance, exuded a contrived sharpness.

"Ah, if it isn't the former top two players?" The leader pointed mockingly. "You're Zhou You, right? And you must be Shao Qi. You defeated the Zhu family's army of 5000 last night? I find that hard to believe."

"Who's this noisy cricket? Both man and woman, or neither? Does your mouth stink from eating dung?" retorted Miao Miao, pushing the leader's finger away. "Want me to break this finger for you?"

"You..."

"You what? Who do you think you are?" Miao Miao's dominance was evident, single-handedly overpowering their entire group.

The leader's followers hesitated, stepping back. Only loyalty kept them from fleeing.

Chapter 154: Night of Carnage

"Hmph, I might respect you in the real world, but this is a game where we all start equally. You're outnumbered and outmatched. Do you really think you stand a chance?"

"Attack! Teach these arrogant fools a lesson. Show them our strength!"

Zhou You glimpsed the leader's ID—it was in English. After the apocalypse, international trade halted, and foreign languages began to fade. Anyone using English now was either from the old times or trying to show off.