Chapter 2: The Chase

1706 Words
The sky was bright blue, the sun blinding, and the desert seemed even hotter. Looking out from the Land Rover military vehicle, the entire great desert appeared like a golden world. It looked beautiful, but in reality, it was filled with the scent of death. For the past month since the game opened, Chu Ge had explored all the areas players had developed around Dream Star City. The surrounding 60 kilometers was all vast desert, home to level 30 creatures like Desert Lizards, Fiery Scorpions, Sand Golems, and more—enough to give players below level 20 a tough time. Dream Star City was surrounded in all four directions by deadly regions: Mirage, Wind Forest Volcano, Blood Wasteland, and Ice Plateau. Four highways led to these dangerous zones, and beyond that lay the dark, unknown areas. No player had dared to venture further for fear of losing their lives. Leveling up in Star Wars World was no easy task; dying once meant losing a level. Chu Ge's level 13 wasn't too bad, but if Malagobi, who was level 26, were to die, he'd need at least ten days to grind back his level in the great desert, and he'd probably cry his eyes out. On the highway, the Land Rover sped along at 130 kilometers per hour, with four people inside. This type of military vehicle had a cool name—Desert Fox—and cost players about 80,000 credits. Its speed and performance were almost identical to a real Land Rover, with passengers barely feeling any bumps. Sister Housewife was driving, while Hot Chick sat in the front passenger seat, holding a gun and looking out into the distance. The wind blew her long hair, giving her a cold, strikingly heroic aura. Unfortunately, Chu Ge wasn't in the mood to appreciate this beauty; he had been down on his luck for the past ten days, and today's job didn't seem promising either. Despite the high reward of 1,000 credits, it might cost him another level. Last time, he had gone with a combat squad from Dream Star City to the Ice Plateau. After a half-day of effort, they finally provoked the area's guardian BOSS. In the ensuing fierce battle, all twenty players were wiped out, leaving the BOSS defeated but with too many minions. Chu Ge was the last to die, desperately lunging for the dropped items and grabbing a sensor at the last second before dying. The cost was steep: losing a level and having his equipment destroyed, including his prized TT camouflage combat uniform and G2 highland combat boots. The worst loss was his most valuable weapon, the "54-style" old pistol, which was a red item he had bought for over 600 credits. With nothing left, he had to go mining. Luckily, he found a high-quality B-grade crystal, sold it for over 100 credits, and bought a basic Mauser. "This is better than nothing," Chu Ge sighed, patting the "Wang Ba Box" at his waist. The attributes of the Mauser appeared: White Equipment Level Requirement: 3 Length: 288mm Weight: 1.16kg Caliber: 7.63mm Magazine Capacity: 10 rounds Accuracy: 82.5% Firing Rate: 1 round/second Muzzle Energy: 576 joules Effective Range: 50 meters Seeing these stats worried Chu Ge; this gun might barely pass in the Ice Plateau, but against the level 35 Flame Warriors in the Wind Forest Volcano, it would barely scratch them. Lost in thought, the car suddenly screeched to a stop, parking steadily by the roadside. Hot Chick turned on the car's TV, revealing a dense red and white road sign electronic map. Chu Ge had seen this type of 3D map before; it was a GPS system, expensive but detailed for developed areas, with unknown regions marked in black. Wind Forest Volcano wasn't fully mapped; only up to mid-mountain was shown. Hot Chick's next actions confirmed Chu Ge's suspicions—she was a skilled gun player. As a shooter, mastering terrain was crucial. You might not know your enemy's strength, but unfamiliarity with the terrain could be fatal. Hot Chick circled three areas on the electronic map with an energy pen, indicating there were only three places Malagobi could hide. As a Conjurer, he could cast powerful spells but was physically frail. He wouldn't venture into unknown areas alone or survive the volcanic ash zone, which could instantly kill anyone below level 20. Even a tank like Malagobi would suffer greatly. With those eliminated, only three regions remained on the map. Chu Ge was impressed; Hot Chick was indeed skilled. "Any questions?" Hot Chick asked Sister Housewife and Oath, who both shook their heads. "And you?" She turned to Chu Ge. Chu Ge muttered, "You're really going all out to hunt someone down." Wind Forest Volcano, as the name suggests, was a massive black volcano, towering and barren, a wasteland of blackness. The distant crater constantly emitted black smoke, threatening to erupt. As they walked up the road, a wave of heat hit them. Sister Housewife was fully armed in a fiery red metal armor, her exposed muscular arms and ample bosom giving her a powerful, imposing look. She wielded a purple energy sword, exuding strength and confidence. "Gene Warrior?" Chu Ge asked. Sister Housewife nodded solemnly, "Once we kill this guy, I'll reach level 24." "Impressive," Chu Ge remarked, turning to Oath, who wore a standard white doctor's outfit. The suit resembled an astronaut's spacesuit, covering her completely, but to Chu Ge, she looked like a firefighter, except for the gleaming scalpel in her hand. "Nervous?" Chu Ge teased. "Cut the crap, lead the way," Oath snapped. Chu Ge nodded, moving to the front and pulling out the sensor from his waist. The sophisticated instrument immediately began working, displaying a 2D map on its small screen. Unlike the 3D car map, this one was simple, with only red, black, and white colors. As Chu Ge pressed a few buttons, the map changed colors, the micro-radar scanned, and various data began to flow: Temperature: 34°C Thermal Energy: +36 Liquid Level: 46% Gas Sensitivity: 61% Vacuum: 2% Biological Units: 4 Mechanical Units: 20 The data was dizzying and constantly changing. Hot Chick, never having seen such an advanced instrument, couldn't understand the information and asked, "Is this really a green item? What does all this mean?" Chu Ge replied, "It's too complicated to explain now. Just follow me, and I'll report any situation." Hot Chick nodded, holding her gun and cautiously following Chu Ge. It turned out her 1,000 credits were well spent. Wind Forest Volcano was more dangerous than she had imagined. The first area was a wide road leading up the mountain, flanked by huge black rocks that blocked visibility. Chu Ge led them in a zigzag pattern. Oath was annoyed, "What kind of route is this? Wasting time!" Chu Ge smiled without arguing, but Hot Chick coldly said, "Shut up. Do you know what you're talking about? He's already led us past four waves of monsters. If we were surrounded by those level 35 mechanical warriors, do you know what would happen?" Oath shrank back, her face pale, and said nothing more. It was true. The sensor showed the monsters hidden behind the rocks, over 30 mechanical units with thermal energy exceeding 57+. The monsters in Wind Forest Volcano were all mechanical guards powered by fuel, and their thermal energy over 30+ could be detected by the sensor. If it exceeded 50, even a biochemical warrior like Sister Housewife would be burned by the intense heat. They passed through the first area smoothly. Hot Chick looked at Chu Ge with some admiration, "You seem very familiar with this terrain." Chu Ge replied slowly, "You should understand, the enemy knows this place even better than we do. He doesn't have a sensor, but the fact that he's not seen means he avoided the guards. Remember, he's a fragile Conjurer, which means he's not an ordinary player. Be careful." Hot Chick and the others were shocked, unable to believe these words came from a level 13 player, so calm and professional. Hot Chick looked at Chu Ge and thought, "You might not have high levels or good equipment, but your judgment is expert." Chu Ge said indifferently, "Because I'm a technical player." The second area was a steep slope with no monsters and a clear view. The problem was the high temperature, already at 46 degrees Celsius, and thermal energy at 64+. As they climbed, these numbers continued to rise. Hot Chick and the others felt extremely hot, their HP dropping at a rate of 2 points per second, clearly burned by the volcano. Yet, the sensor showed no biological green dots, indicating their target wasn't in this area. Oath began casting "Energy Healing," continuously healing the group. Judging by her casting frequency, Chu Ge asked, "Are you a Focus Specialist?" "How did you know?" Oath was surprised. In Star Wars World, each level-up grants extra attribute points, which follow a "specialization" system, like Strength, Agility, Armor, Meditation, Focus, Ranged, and so on. These act like skill trees, guiding a character's development. "Focus" reduces all spell cooldown times. Most healer players prioritize agility, enhancing defense and movement speed since healers lack offensive capabilities and survival is crucial. But Oath focused on Focus, showing she didn't care about her survival. But Chu Ge thought otherwise. Oath, Hot Chick, and Sister Housewife were clearly a long-standing team, relying on Oath's healing and the others' high offense. Their teamwork compensated for their weaknesses, allowing them to pursue their goal with confidence. Thinking this, Chu Ge looked at Hot Chick, "You guys are quite the experts." After the second area, they arrived at a cave entrance. Sister Housewife said, "This is it. That b*st*rd must be hiding inside." Chu Ge fiddled with the sensor, "Indeed, there's a green dot inside, indicating a biological unit. Anyone surviving here must be human and at least level 25." Hot Chick c****d her gun, "Let's go!" "Wait!" Chu Ge stopped them. "What's the issue?" Hot Chick asked. Chu Ge nodded, holding the sensor up to Hot Chick's face, "See for yourself."
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