### Chapter 4: Return (5)
===================================
Compared to the new players who had barely survived for over a month in terrible conditions, Strong Brother and the gang were practically veterans.
In the vast and boundless Asking Dao Continent, they might not have had a clue about everything, but they had mostly sorted out the general situation.
Besides the Three Races, who ruled their own territories, the wilds were crawling with monsters that had a respawn mechanism—an ideal spot for most players to level up.
They thought they had enough knowledge about this alternate world,
But the moment that giant—towering like a ten-story building—burst through the snow, even Strong Brother was momentarily stunned, leaving him utterly clueless about how to respond.
Even if they suspected the enemy might have unexpected surprises up their sleeves,
When their trump card actually showed up, the Extermination of Immortals Guild almost completely lost its composure.
The giant took a single step forward, and the players assigned to defend were already screaming and fleeing in panic, half of them gone before you could say “giant.” The few who stayed behind trembled as they fired crossbow bolts, which either flew wildly or lacked any strength. Only a few hit the giant’s legs, bouncing off his tough skin with a “dinging” sound like metal!
This terrifying scene sapped the courage of the remaining players, and they promptly dropped their crossbows and scattered like cockroaches when the lights turn on.
The so-called guild constraints were entirely meaningless when it came to saving their own skins. They were just trying to make a living, not shedding bl**d for the sake of a petty name.
Everyone can paint a pretty picture, but the Extermination of Immortals Guild had a masterpiece of a unique kind that had never seen a promise fulfilled.
The powerful organization everyone talked about so highly, ever since its inception, hadn’t shown a single soldier from the Extermination of Immortals.
This made players equate the Extermination of Immortals Guild with a regular guild.
Now that other guilds had actually sent a giant to their doorstep, it’s safe to say if they didn’t run, they were asking for it!
In just a moment, the players who had been passionately defending the guild scattered like leaves in the wind, leaving only four to five hundred core members surrounding the guild’s main building.
But Strong Brother had every reason to believe that once their casualties hit a magic number, those old players who idolized him and Cold Little Rain would surely crumble and vanish.
The nightmare of the Extermination of Immortals Guild wasn’t over; that giant, like a child playing with action figures, swiped the hard-earned wooden barriers they had built aside, revealing a broad avenue.
Behind the giant, the members of Qilin Guild were practically bursting with excitement.
They had only heard rumors about how well the Extermination of Immortals Guild treated its members, and surely there would be hoards of supplies and food hidden in their lair, which seemed far more enticing than gold or silver to players currently starving.
Especially with a giant leading the charge, they felt invincible, unbeaten!
“Ha ha! Our boss is amazing! You can’t tell where he found such a strong ally. With it, we can practically swagger across the entire continent!”
“Not kidding! No wall’s too high for this giant to leap over! I bet you within days, Sky Void City will be ours!”
“Ha ha ha! This is awesome, so freaking awesome!”
Strong Brother fixed his gaze on the approaching giant, his expression growing more serious by the second.
What to do? What to do?
If he ordered a retreat, it would mean the Extermination of Immortals Guild was completely abandoning Sky Void City, with no chance of turning back.
After all, they still kept their early stockpiled food and supplies in the basement. This was the foundation of their guild; if it fell into enemy hands, rising again would be impossible.
d*mn it, he really underestimated the enemy’s resolve and power.
He never thought Qilin Guild would strike so quickly, and with such a powerful secret weapon. How could they not lose?
“Strong Brother… let’s retreat!”
Cold Little Rain rushed to his side, urgency lacing her voice. “You know what they say, save the green hills and you don’t need to worry about firewood. Our guild’s nearly out of resources! If we keep this up, all our efforts will go to waste!”
Strong Brother chuckled bitterly. “Do you see the refugees outside the city? Do you know why they’ve managed to hold on this long without food?”
Cold Little Rain was stunned into silence.
“A month ago, they were all refined citizens living it up in the modern world! But now, every survivor has probably eaten someone at some point. Without that, they wouldn’t be alive. Their only hope is for more people to be around them so they can survive until spring.”
“If we abandon the supplies and leave Sky Void City, we each need to be ready to eat people.”
“Are you… are you ready for that?”
Cold Little Rain gasped and nearly threw up, fortunately, she hadn’t eaten much that night, only managing to bring up some bile.
Strong Brother’s eyes pierced through the open window at the giant, closing the distance between them.
“I don’t want to eat people; I want to preserve the last bit of dignity as a civilized human. We either d*e fighting or win—there’s no other way for me.”
Cold Little Rain wiped her tears, feeling more shattered than ever.
Even if the game system disappeared, she had always been sheltered under Strong Brother’s wing, never lacking for clothing or food. But hearing him talk about such brutal topics made reality crash down on her harder than she had imagined.
She squatted down, rubbing her eyes, her voice choked. “I don’t want to d*e, and I don’t want to eat people.”
Strong Brother sighed, “You go find Si Yan and tell her it’s my order. Si Yan can transform into a Silver Fox and travel a thousand miles a day; maybe she can help you escape the dilemma.”
“And what about you?” Cold Little Rain lifted her head, tears streaming down her face.
“I need to delay for you guys.”
Without waiting for her response, Strong Brother drew his sword and jumped out the window.
“Brothers, let’s meet this giant! d*mn it, it might just be all show! It came to scare us!”
“Ha ha! With Strong Brother, our luck has never been bad! Let’s go!”
About fifty veteran players followed Strong Brother towards that audacious giant.
Cold Little Rain covered her mouth, watching the affectionate dog head dwindle into the distance, understanding for the first time what it meant to face life and d*ath.
She had always cried at those similar scenes in dramas, dreaming of a day when she would experience the same emotional turmoil with her beloved man.
But now, when such a situation actually unfolded in front of her, her heart felt like it was being ripped apart.
She couldn’t bear to let that particularly noticeable dog head leave her sight.
“Strong Brother!”
Just as Cold Little Rain was about to leap out the window, her arm was suddenly yanked back by Si Yan.
“Let go! Let go of me!” Cold Little Rain shouted, her voice hoarse.
“Strong Brother ordered me; you can’t d*e.”
Si Yan pulled her back into the room, lowering her head to gently rub her stomach. “I can’t d*e yet either…”
“Si Yan! Take care of yourself!”
Li Xiaocong’s voice came from below the building.
He looked up, realizing his eyes were already moist without him realizing it.
But before he could say another word, players from Qilin Guild charged in from the sides, clashing fiercely with the few defenders left.
Li Xiaocong drew his weapon and yelled as he charged at the enemy.
With tear-soaked eyes, Si Yan dragged Cold Little Rain out of sight.
That night was destined to be extraordinary.
