Chapter 2861 - Natives?

Demon Mist Valley, outer region:

Due to the red mist shrouding the Demon Mist Valley all year round, the forbidden land was very humid, abounding with lush vegetation.

Unlike the plants found in the outside world, the plants here seemed self-aware as they constantly moved about slowly. This made one feel they were traversing a maze when they traveled through the valley.

“Dammit! Those people sure know how to run! If they’d just tamely let us kill them, we wouldn’t have to suffer so much!” a Level 143, Tier 4 female Swordsman grumbled in dissatisfaction.

“That might be the case, but we also have to thank these people,” a Level 143, Tier 4 male Berserker standing beside the female Swordsman said. “If not for these native Tier 4 experts, we wouldn’t have an opportunity to earn Alliance Contribution Points.”

“I guess that’s true. So long as we gather a few more points, we will be able to stay in the luxury zone where those major powers stay,” the female Swordsman said, nodding. A hint of anticipation flashing across her eyes, she continued, “I heard that the luxury zone even sells drugs that extend one’s lifespan. We can also use the extra points we earn to exchange for those drugs.”

“I’ve heard about them too. Normally, those things are reserved for the upper-class young masters and young ladies. Ordinary people like us have no chance to touch these things,” said a middle-aged man who was a Level 145, Tier 4 Elementalist. “Now, though, those major powers have no choice but to ask professionals like us for help to take over this backwater world. It’s a pity that the natives here are too inferior. Their control over Mana, Skills, and Spells is terribly clumsy. If they were a little better, we would have more targets to hunt and more points to earn.”

As these Tier 4 players were chatting merrily, a party of players was eyeing them with contempt.

“These mercenaries really know how to dream. Do they think they can exchange for those life-extending drugs so easily?” Jade Leaf commented as she looked at the bragging Tier 4 experts in disdain. “Even our Guild has trouble getting our hands on a few bottles, yet they think mercenaries like them can exchange for some?”

“Jade, you can’t say that. If we don’t provide these people with some benefits, how would we get them to work for us?” Awakened Abyss said, smiling. “Moreover, thanks to this operation, we also get to exchange for those precious life-extending drugs without limit this time. This is a rare opportunity from the higher-ups.” In the world they lived in, life-extending drugs were incredibly precious items. Even children of major families like themselves had great difficulty getting their hands on a bottle. However, they could now use the Alliance Contribution Points they earned from killing native Tier 4 experts to exchange for these drugs-a precious opportunity, even for them. After all, who wouldn’t want to live a longer life?

Before Awakened Abyss could continue speaking, a Level 144, Tier 4 Ranger suddenly approached him in a hurry.

“Commander, we found traces of a group of people. These should be auras left behind by natives,” the Ranger reported in a quiet tone. “Three of the auras belong to the three people we were pursuing earlier.”

“Good! Gather everyone for an ambush!” Awakened Abyss commanded with a smile. “So long as we kill them once, we’ll see how Shining Tiger will continue bringing their members here to grind!”

The main reason the eastern continent’s native superpowers continued to survive was their Tier 4 experts leading teams into forbidden lands to grind. Killing the native superpowers’ Tier 4 experts once would be more than enough to deal a heavy blow to the native superpowers—especially if the death penalty players suffered were increased. While EXP meant very little to Tier 4 players, it was a different story for weapons and equipment. If Tier 4 experts suddenly lost two or three pieces of their equipment, the native superpowers would definitely suffer heartache. It would also be very challenging for these native Tier 4 experts to recover from their losses.

“Understood!”

At Awakened Abyss’s command, the Ranger promptly contacted the other members of their hunting group to gather at the specified ambush point.

In a woodland in the Demon Mist Valley’s outer region…

“If we continue running in this direction for another four to five hours, we should be able to leave the Demon Mist Valley,” Sixteenth Cloud said excitedly as she pointed at a mountain range looming in the distance.

The Demon Mist Valley’s terrain continuously changed. The one constant in this place was the mountains. Meanwhile, the distant mountain range was none other than the one Sixteenth Cloud’s party had passed through to enter the forbidden land.

The sight of this same mountain range meant that their journey was nearing its end.

Once they left the Demon Mist Valley, they could teleport to safety using a Return Scroll. At that time, the Outerworld invaders wouldn’t be able to chase them.

Sorrowful Silence and the Tier 4 Guardian Knight also grew excited when they saw the distant mountain range.

The three of them had been inflicted with a curse that drastically increased the death penalty they suffered and would randomly resurrect them within the forbidden land.

Previously, they thought that they no longer had any hope of surviving this ordeal. Now, their hopes were rekindled.

It would’ve been incredibly difficult for their party of three to escape the outer region by themselves. After all, the outer region had not only Outerworld players hunting them but also powerful monsters roaming everywhere. If they got entangled with monsters for too long, the resulting commotion would definitely attract the Outerworld players to them.

However, when following Shi Feng’s party of four, they actually did not encounter a single monster. It was as if those monsters had vanished from the map. They had to marvel at Shi Feng’s party’s heaven-defying luck.

Now, all they needed to do was run to that distant mountain range. After that, they would be able to fly freely in the sky like birds.

However, when the seven arrived at the foot of the mountain range, a magic barrier suddenly enveloped them. Given its 1,000-yard radius, one could easily tell that it was at the Master standard. Even Superior Mythic monsters would have difficulty breaking out of it.

“Not good! We got fooled!” Sixteenth Cloud’s complexion paled when she saw the barrier forming

She had thought that they had already shaken off the Outerworld players’ pursuit. Evidently, these Outerworlders had simply waited for them to throw themselves into this trap.

With this area sealed with a Master Magic Barrier, they had no hope of escaping whatsoever.

Just then, a savage and brawny Level 145 man emerged from the forest in front of Shi Feng’s group and said with a sadistic look, “You people have made me wait for a very long time. Let’s see how you get out of this situation now!”

The last time his hunting group had come across Shining Tiger’s party, it should’ve succeeded in annihilating the trio. However, the instant Sixteenth Cloud noticed the ambush, she had decisively fled with her party before his hunting group could trap them with a barrier.

This time, his hunting group had discovered traces of Sixteenth Cloud’s party early and managed to discern where the party was heading. And with this information, his hunting group could easily set up an ambush.

At this time, Sixteenth Cloud couldn’t help looking at Shi Feng with guilt. “Guild Leader Black Flame, this is all my fault. If I had suggested we take another exit, they wouldn’t have caught us.”

The Demon Mist Valley didn’t have just one exit. Had they chosen any of the other exits instead, they wouldn’t have gotten trapped.

“Vice Commander Cloud, you don’t need to blame yourself,” Shi Feng said, shaking his head. “After all, I was the one who asked you to find the nearest exit. Even if you didn’t guide us, we would’ve had to clean up these hindrances sooner or later.”

Upon hearing Shi Feng’s words, the approaching brawny man automatically frowned.

“Clean up us hindrances? What big words you have there!”

“Commander Eagle, why are you wasting time speaking with these people? These ignorant natives just don’t know how large the gap between them and us is! Let’s just get rid of them now!”

Shi Feng’s words enraged the Outerworld players surrounding his party. In their opinion, the residents of this God’s Domain were no different from natives living in an undeveloped wilderness. Yet, these natives weren’t kneeling and begging them for mercy but even treating them like annoying flies. Such arrogance was beyond salvation.

However, while the Outerworld hunting group’s 30-plus Tier 4 experts and 100-plus Tier 3 experts were raising a ruckus, the brawny man leading them turned his gaze toward Awakened Abyss’s group.

“Commander Abyss, you’re finally here. May I know if your group will be taking action, or will you leave it to us?”