Gentleman Fan had been working continuously for several days and finally completed the third-level mission before the first kill day.
On that day, everyone gathered in the guild territory with seven silver coins, in addition to Jiang Shi’s group, there were also some ordinary gang members who came to watch the fun.
After some picking and choosing, they managed to put together a group of 20 people, although it looked like the number of a full raid, in reality, compared to the core members of the top guilds, these people were at best cannon fodder who could only play a role in critical moments. What mattered most was to rely on Jiang Shi and his team.
During the team allocation, Jiang Shi placed Deep Well Ice Player, Gentleman Fan, and Sweetie Cutie in the same squad. The last position was given to a newly joined player in the guild, a priest named Imprisoned Wen.
Though he had recently progressed beyond the novice stage, he had good talent and better overall performance than the guild’s leader, Island Forest Priest. In Jiang Shi’s situation with limited healing abilities, Jin Gu would fill in the healing role.
Everything was ready around noon. Because it was highly likely to be a protracted battle, Jiang Shi left an extra half an hour for everyone to go offline, eat, and address their five-grain reincarnation needs. This was the final preparation stage.
The Genesis Continent on that day was still very lively but noticeably different from usual. There was a strong undercurrent in all ten major regions, and all players’ attention was focused on the first kill competition for the day. Just walking along the streets, you could hear people talking about the topic.
“Guess what I saw just now? The main force of the Firepower Guild! It looks like they’ve arranged at least five raids for this one. This is going to be a tough battle!”
“Five raids are probably for the basics. I passed by the entrance to the Black Tower Guild’s territory and saw a massive force there. It’s quite a spectacle!”
“As expected, every new boss release day turns into a world war.”
“What can you say? Let the fight begin!”
“Well, today I wanted to join the fun, lying down as a corpse on the ground while watching the big shots battle is pretty cool. Unfortunately, I have to participate in the guild activity, so I can’t go.”
“Coincidence, isn’t your guild’s activity also about boss hunting?”
“Yeah, it is a coincidence. Which boss are you guys going for?”
“Hehehe, do you think I’ll tell you?”
“Really… Professional guilds go for the first kill, while ordinary guilds go for the weekly kill. It’s lively!”
“Alright, anyway, I’m just waiting to see who gets the first kill tonight.”
“Laughing, those who have experienced previous versions can tell you, getting the first kill before midnight is considered fast. Just wait!”
“Wait, do we need to wait that late? Are they having a prolonged battle?”
Jiang Shi had been focused on carving runes with Rune Stones for several days, which also depleted his satiety significantly. To ensure that low satiety wouldn’t affect his accuracy during the battle, he took advantage of some of his team members going offline for lunch and went to a Western restaurant to have a full meal before reassembling.
At this point, the offline team members started coming back online one by one.
The IDs in the team list, which had been dark before, started to light up.
As he looked at the last few people, Jiang Shi made some final adjustments to the formation and asked, “The spawn point for Death Hunter Bruce should be in the Granville Jungle in the ninth area, right? How did you decide to pick him? Did you think the terrain was suitable? It seems pretty smart.”
“Oh, I don’t know how to assess terrain!” Gentleman Fan admitted honestly. “At that time, we didn’t know where to go, and Sweetie Cutie said she knew this boss better. The others didn’t have a strong opinion, so we just picked him.”
After making the final adjustment, Jiang Shi looked at Sweetie Cutie and asked, “Did you choose him?”
“Yes, Death Hunter Bruce is a boss of the Eight Jin Four, and I happened to watch that match.” Sweetie Cutie responded with an innocent smile under the inquiry. She blinked slowly and continued, “Big Brother, as you said, you can suggest any boss you want to fight. So, is there anything inappropriate?”
“No, it’s quite suitable.” Jiang Shi discreetly withdrew his probing gaze, saying, “As you said earlier, the choice of terrain is good.”
Sweetie Cutie visibly brightened, “So, I accidentally made the right choice?”
“Mainly, it depends on who our opponents are at the time.” Jiang Shi responded noncommittally. Seeing that all team members were now online, he issued the first command for the day in the team voice chat, “Let’s go, Granville Jungle, let’s get started.”
Han Yuze followed in the team with Sweetie Cutie’s ID and pondered Jiang Shi’s conversation, which seemed to have a hidden meaning.
After knowing each other for so long, merely some changes in wording were enough to sense the other party’s clear probing. However, Han Yuze didn’t intend to hide his identity perfectly in front of the other person. Instead, he had prepared to reveal his true identity at any time.
After all, it’s not easy to conceal his identity perfectly in front of this person. He thought it was better to enjoy the moment while it lasted, and the [Discovery] of his [Horse Armor] was simply a matter of time.
With these thoughts in mind, Han Yuze casually opened the ignored friend’s messages. The last message was from his good disciple who was still in the Crusaders.
[Green Fanatic: Master, are you sure you won’t go online? Daddy is about to explode over there.]
[Sweetie Cutie: It’s okay, I won’t go online, let him explode.]
[Sweetie Cutie: When the time comes, wait for me at the base, and bring him a few more boxes of Miss Tranquil’s Oral Liquid for Calming the Mind.]
[Green Fanatic: Hahaha, Master, you’re really mean.]
[Green Fanatic: Actually, I also enjoy seeing this brat in a hurry, but today is the first kill of the version’s boss after all. Are you really not going to go take a look? It would be a big loss if your ID isn’t in the first kill list.]
[Sweetie Cutie: I did go to see it. I’m already in the raid.]
[Green Fanatic: ?]
[Green Fanatic: What raid?]
[Green Fanatic: It’s not the Seven Silver Coins’ raid, is it? Did you inquire about it a few days ago for this?]
[Green Fanatic: Is your raid really okay? Does Senior Sister want to get the first kill?]
[Sweetie Cutie: That’s enough, boss is calling.]
He calmly blocked Green Fanatic’s messages, and Han Yuze closed the chat box.
In a way, he actually liked how his disciple was particularly good at picking up on things.
However, thinking about that last message, he felt there could be a better interpretation—effectively, Sweetie Cutie, known for her unique and [Toxic] playstyle, had made a special appearance to create some
Jiang Shi posted coordinates in the team channel and, with the entire Seven Silver Coins team, arrived and quietly laid in ambush.
Compared to others, those who had participated in the battle for Madman Taite earlier seemed to adapt better to the situation.
Especially for Sweetie Cutie, she was noticeably more patient than the first time she participated.
She lay low in the grass, confirming the tactical arrangements with Jiang Shi: “So, I’ll mainly be responsible for leading the teams on the periphery to create disturbances. The rest is up to your main team, right?”
In professional guilds, even if there were divisions, there was still a clear distinction between regular raid teams and the main teams. In the case of Seven Silver Coins, which could only form a main team, it sounded a bit underwhelming.
However, when Jiang Shi spoke, he remained calm and confident. He didn’t show any signs of being shaken due to the smaller team size, and it was as if he had a massive army at his disposal. “Yes, pay attention to the markers on the map when the time comes, and be ready to roam and provide support. The rest is up to us.”
Sweetie Cutie couldn’t help but rub her hands in excitement. “It’s amazing that our guild is participating in a version first kill event. We’re making progress!”
Jiang Shi chuckled silently and added, “Who knows, maybe we’ll make it onto the leaderboard.”
With these simple words, the team’s morale was instantly boosted.
In the small team channel led by Jiang Shi, a message appeared. Since it was impossible to stay with so many people, Deep Well Ice Player took the initiative to scout the enemy, and now he sent the first-hand information.
[[Team] Deep Well Ice Player: I’ve confirmed the surroundings; there are many guilds lying in ambush. Among the professional guilds, it should be Sword and Wine, Rattlesnake, and Crusaders.]
[[Team] Deep Well Ice Player: Hehehe, you could say it’s fate. Those Crusaders chased us and killed us all the way last time, and this time it’s payback for what they did!]
So they had bumped into the Crusaders again? That was quite a coincidence.
When Jiang Shi saw the message, he raised an eyebrow slightly, and an ID popped into his mind.
He had heard that Yu Weize hadn’t been online for a while, but on a day as important as the version’s first kill, he wouldn’t be absent. This man, from their acquaintance to the present, had never missed such an interesting event.
At exactly 2 o’clock in the afternoon, a gust of wind passed, and the seemingly calm Graneville Jungle began to seethe with intense killing intent.
Jiang Shi didn’t let the Seven Silver Coins team move yet. He was waiting patiently. Bosses in advanced areas like the Ninth Region’s wild map were much more challenging to defeat, especially in terms of difficulty. In this situation, it wasn’t necessarily a good thing to be the first to engage the boss.
After all, just with the damage of Death Stalker Bruce, he could potentially cause area-wide explosive damage at any moment. When you had to deal with the boss’s abilities while also fending off attacks from other guilds nearby, it could easily lead to a situation where the whole team could be wiped out at any moment.
At times, you had to be cautious. In professional guilds, there was usually a distinction between regular raid teams and main raid teams. Guilds like Sword and Wine, Rattlesnake, and Crusaders weren’t willing to be the vanguard in such a situation, which was why some medium-level guilds were the first to arrive at the boss’s location and were already engaged in a chaotic battle.
Jiang Shi moved his team cautiously while maintaining cover. By the time they found Death Stalker Bruce’s spawn point, the scene was already strewn with corpses.
Gentleman Fan, eager to get into the action, commented, “A lot of people have died. Should we go in and take advantage of the situation?”
Jiang Shi surveyed the guild names on the players’ characters and replied succinctly, “Let’s wait a bit.”
Gentleman Fan, perplexed, responded, “Wait for what?”
This phrase, “let’s wait,” was incredibly familiar, so much so that it didn’t require any further explanation.
Next to him, Sweetie Cutie remained obedient, following orders without making a move. However, she occasionally glanced sideways at the Light Elf with a look that was filled with curiosity.
Han Yuze naturally knew what Jiang Shi was waiting for. The current players entering the scene were mostly from medium to high-level regular guilds. Known guilds like Sword and Wine, Rattlesnake, and Crusaders had yet to make their appearance, and it was clear that these professional guilds were lurking somewhere, waiting for the right moment to strike.
With the number of players in Seven Silver Coins being less than even those of regular medium-level guilds, their only opportunity to claim the boss in this situation was to “take advantage of the chaos.”
However, both Jiang Shi and Han Yuze were skilled at this kind of situation.
As Death Stalker Bruce continued to rampage and with the ongoing battles between the guilds, the number of casualties grew. Initially, players could respawn quickly, but as the death count in the same map gradually accumulated and the cooldown for respawns increased, the number of “corpses” on the ground also multiplied.
Gentleman Fan, itching for some action, said, “So many people have died. I’m thinking of going over to chat with a few of our fallen comrades.”
Deep Well Ice Player and What Pen Carries Fragrance: “…”
Conceal your peculiar interests!
Jiang Shi noticed that the first teams from those three professional guilds were finally making their way onto the battlefield.
They were not numerous, indicating that they were reconnaissance teams sent out to probe the situation. They were commonly known as “cannon fodder squads.“
Observing the positions where Sword and Wine, Rattlesnake, and Crusaders were infiltrating, Jiang Shi estimated where these three guilds were hiding.
As he pondered this, he suddenly noticed an individual with a unique playstyle. While everyone else was focused on battles and deaths, this player had a different approach, moving toward where the fighting was heaviest.
A scavenger.
This was a unique group that had appeared since the days of keyboard web games.
Their main job was to move through different maps, picking up equipment dropped by players after they were killed. It was common for scavengers to appear in post-battle scenarios, but it was unusual to see them charge into a battle zone with gunfire flying.
It could be said that only those who were extremely confident in their skills would dare to do so.
Jiang Shi was intrigued by the scavenger’s sharp judgment and precise scavenging movements.
It was also at this moment that Jiang Shi recognized the player’s in-game ID.
He paused for a moment and asked, “Old Player, Gentleman, take a look at the southeast at a 28-degree angle from the boss. Does that scavenger look a bit familiar to you?”
Han Yuze had been monitoring the movements of the Crusaders before, but at Jiang Shi’s words, he looked in the direction indicated.
After seeing the ID clearly, his gaze, like Jiang Shi’s earlier, subtly shifted. Then, he heard Gentleman Fan’s voice come through the team voice channel. “Huh? Isn’t that the scavenger who was cursed by the entire server back in the day?”