The flashlight's beam was very conspicuous in the desolate rainforest, but there was no other choice.
Surrounded by impenetrable darkness, they had to navigate through numerous muddy puddles, making it impossible to move without the flashlight.
Traveling at night was far more difficult than during the day.
From dusk till dawn, the toxins were already creeping up on them.
There was no time to stop and eat; they had to snack on the go.
The third player maintained a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
As they got nearer to the safe zone, the trees became sparser, revealing the footprints of other players on the ground.
Suddenly, gunshots rang out ahead.
The red dot labeled "3" on the map was rapidly moving toward them, with gunfire following closely behind.
Ye Nianchu frowned; the third player seemed intent on dragging them down.
She and Qin Mubai only had one gun with a single bullet, a frustratingly inadequate setup.
They stood behind a tree, not hiding deliberately, as the map revealed their location, limiting their options for concealment.
---
“She’s running toward those two big shots; should we still chase her?”
What awaited them wasn’t just that one player but two high-ranking ones.
The man lowered his gun, pondering for a moment. “Let’s wait by the edge of the safe zone. I refuse to believe she won’t enter the circle.”
“What if she teams up with those two?”
The man sneered, cutting off his subordinate, “She’s just panicking. Not everyone will want to ally with her.
Let’s assess the situation first; we still have two days, no rush.
Many players want to take down the third-ranked player; if she truly teams up with the first and second, we can also join forces with others.”
Without a team to rely on, those in the top three couldn’t boast enough personal strength to deter others from targeting them, making them inevitable targets.
Players uninterested in ranking would be rushing toward the circle, distancing themselves from the top three and avoiding conflict, looking for a hiding place to survive until the end of the game.
---
Their footsteps weren’t particularly quiet.
Ye Nianchu observed the girl before her, raising an eyebrow slightly, not at all surprised.
He Miao wore a friendly smile, her gaze shifting from Ye Nianchu to Qin Mubai as she casually said, “Long time no see.”
But the two here weren’t buying it; Qin Mubai didn’t even lift his eyes.
Ye Nianchu smirked, waiting for He Miao’s next words.
“I want to team up with you.” He Miao glanced at the approaching toxins. “All three of us are targets for other players.
Having a strong teammate isn’t a bad thing for you. How about we cooperate for mutual benefit?”
“That sounds reasonable,” Ye Nianchu replied.
But it only sounded that way.
They all knew how He Miao had played the game before; this was just a repeat of the same old trick.
Cooperate for mutual benefit?
It was about using them to advance.
He Miao then looked at Qin Mubai. She understood that on her own, she couldn’t secure her current ranking.
What she really wanted was to team up with the stronger Qin Mubai.
Ye Nianchu glanced sideways, her gaze growing colder.
“Sister, I don’t trust her.” Qin Mubai tugged at Ye Nianchu's sleeve, his voice faint. “I only want to be with you.”
It would be better to eliminate such a troublesome person.
He Miao paused, clearly not expecting the top-ranked player, who had been ruthless before, to clutch someone’s sleeve and plead so weakly.
Ye Nianchu turned to He Miao, slowly speaking, “Don’t think about targeting him.”
Just because it wasn’t necessary to act didn’t mean they couldn’t.
He Miao’s fingers tightened slightly. “I truly want to cooperate. With so many players in the safe zone, even you two, no matter how strong, will find it challenging to handle things alone, right?”