Translator: AnubisTL
However...
By 2 PM, nearly seven or eight hours had passed since Feng Jiutian, a mechanical race player, broadcast his global speaker message that morning.
Chen Jiang had shown no sign of response whatsoever.
Not only had his kill count remained unchanged, but his voice had also ceased to echo in anyone's ears.
"What are we going to do?"
In a gathering place, about twenty people sat around a table.
They were the Human Race Guardian Association.
"There's nothing more to discuss," the elderly man at the head of the table said, shaking his head wearily. "The human race is weak. Avoiding conflict is the best course of action now. Only by preserving our remaining strength can we hope for a future resurgence."
"Guardian Lord," a middle-aged man sitting at the side of the table rose, his expression grim. "I disagree. If Chen Jiang hadn't made such a show of force yesterday, surrendering now would be understandable."
"After all, when the human race descended upon this world, we lacked the innate power of other alien races. Stripped of our technology, we became utterly vulnerable. Human players have long grown accustomed to the human race's decline."
"But—"
"Yesterday, Chen Jiang utterly crushed the mechanical race, drawing the attention of every human player."
"This sudden victory reignited a flame in the hearts of human players who had long resigned themselves to defeat."
"If Chen Jiang were to concede now, it would be a devastating blow to the morale of most human players."
"Individual combat prowess is only useful in small-scale battles."
"In racial wars involving billions, even tens of billions of combatants, what truly matters is momentum!"
"For a long time, the human race's momentum had been stagnant. But since Chen Jiang has already ignited this momentum ahead of schedule, we cannot let it falter. We must keep pushing it upward!"
"I propose that the Human Race Guardian Association lead all the human players under our protection in a full-scale assault on the elf race's settlement fifty kilometers away. We will then gather all the severely wounded elves and assign a single individual to execute them."
"Chen Jiang may have relinquished the top ranking today, but the human race cannot afford to give up!"
"If the human race abandons the top ranking this time, the momentum we've worked so hard to build will be completely shattered!"
"The flame of hope that has ignited in this desperate situation, once extinguished, can never be rekindled."
"Doesn't the Guardian Lord understand the immense potential that erupts when a race's momentum gathers?"
"I do," the elderly man at the head of the table replied, shaking his head wearily. "But the Human Race Guardian Association has only temporarily united a portion of human players. With our current strength, attempting to annex the elf settlement fifty kilometers away would be..."
"First, we lack the power. We could barely manage it, but the casualties would be significant."
"Second, we certainly couldn't cripple all the elves and then have a single person finish them off."
"This matter is settled. We must focus on developing quietly and maintaining a low profile."
Hearing the Guardian Lord reject his proposal, the middle-aged man standing nearby grew agitated. "How can we lack the power? We have an informant within that elf tribe! They only have..."
Slap!
Before the man could finish speaking, a sharp, crisp sound echoed through the hall.
The middle-aged man froze, realizing he had spoken out of turn. He quickly lowered his head, clamped his mouth shut, and stood silently to the side, his expression shifting between apprehension and uncertainty.
Meanwhile, Chen Jiang and his group had just woken up.
After a hasty wash-up, they climbed back into their armored vehicle.
This "hasty wash-up" was truly hasty.
In the wilderness, green vegetation was scarce. The only common plant was a thick-leaved green grass that often grew in cracks between rocks.
This plant was remarkably succulent. With just a gentle squeeze, bitter green sap would seep out.
Grabbing a handful of this grass and vigorously wiping it across their faces counted as washing up.
When they first arrived in this world, water sources were nonexistent.
The only river reeked of heavy metals. Even an Indian man who ate the periodic table would grimace and fall silent upon seeing it.
As for the three months of rain, there had been barely a handful of showers.
In such circumstances, the only potable water they could find was this bitter green sap.
As for whether it was harmful to their bodies...
When you're on the verge of death, who cares about such trivialities? As long as it wasn't poisonous, it was good enough. After all, they had seen several mutated beasts specifically seek out and devour this grass.
"Huff!"
Chen Jiang casually pulled a stack of bread from his chest pocket, placed it before him, tore open a package, and began to devour it greedily.
This was some of the food they had purchased during their last trip to City 18.
Only then did he glance up at the race kill rankings, noting Feng Jiutian's kill count.
"Almost ninety thousand?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Chen Jiang's eyes. He murmured with a hint of melancholy, "That kid... he's really pushing himself. Even with his skin peeling from the scorching sun, he's still out there, tirelessly slaughtering aliens?"
"What a pity."
"Most of the time, even the most relentless effort only earns you a spot as someone else's backdrop."
"And if you don't try?"
"Then you don't even qualify to be a backdrop."
"Alright."
Chen Jiang slowly rose, clapped his hands, and hopped down from the armored vehicle toward the massive heavy-duty truck parked nearby. "You guys start eating. I'll go check things out."
"Brother Jiang, I'll come with you."
"No need. Just stay put."
"Oh, okay."
Scar Dog nodded thoughtfully, watching Brother Jiang's retreating figure before settling back down. He pulled out two cigarettes from his pocket and offered one to Li Hao. "Smoke?"
"No, thanks," Li Hao said with a wry smile, waving the cigarette away. "I quit a long time ago."
"Damn," Scar Dog muttered, momentarily surprised. He stuck the cigarette in his own mouth and patted his pockets for a lighter, marveling, "How many years did you smoke? Just quit like that?"
"Nine years. I started when I was a kid, trying to act cool and grown-up. It just became a habit."
"Then I met a girl. She hated smoking, so I quit."
Scar Dog froze, his hands still searching for the lighter. He stared blankly at Li Hao for a long moment before rasping, "And then?"
"Then she got married."
"To you?"
"No."
"So why did you quit for her? When you were together?"
"No, we were never together."
"You got played, man."
Li Hao lowered his head, silent for a long time. His eyes reddened slightly as he finally rasped, "Don't say that. She's a good girl."
"The night before her wedding, I went to see her."
"I told her I'd sell my excavator and give her all the money, just for one night."
"And I swore I'd never tell anyone."
(End of the Chapter)
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