The Atlantic team was still struggling in the wilderness.
“Haah!” Boyang swung his sword and cleanly cut down the charging One-Horned Wolf.
He let out a long breath.
That was already his fifteenth battle.
Turning to look at the group behind him, Boyang felt the sense of danger grow even stronger.
Their pace had slowed significantly compared to when they first set out.
And the threats they encountered were only increasing.
Their numbers had dropped—by a full twenty people.
Some were already on the verge of an emotional breakdown.
“Why doesn’t this damn game have a logout button?!”
“This is premeditated murder!”
“Ahhh! I just want to go back—whether it’s dream invasion or real-world chaos, I don’t care anymore!
I just want out!”
“Ah… Boka’s dead… My best bro is dead…”
“Stop moving forward! Let’s just find a place to hide until the beta test ends!”
“I want to go back to the starting area!”
Hearing these cries, Boyang tightened his grip on the [Razor-Sharp Sword].
It was a reward from killing multiple monsters—sharper than any military knife in real life.
“All of you, calm down!”
He shouted at the group.
The scene instantly fell silent.
Over the past few days, Boyang had built up absolute authority within the team.
After all, he was always the one fighting at the front.
To the others, Boyang felt like a guardian deity—utterly reliable.
But—
Boyang never saw himself as any kind of guardian deity.
He fought for himself.
And he knew full well—
Only by continuing to fight and growing stronger could he survive until the end.
Relying on others for protection never lasted.
Right now, besides the [Razor-Sharp Sword] in his hand, he also had a heart-protecting amulet tucked under his shirt—another system reward.
That said, Boyang had never planned to become a lone wolf.
In this nightmare space, full of danger, being alone was far more deadly than sailing solo across an ocean.
‘Useless as they are, these people might still come in handy when it counts.’
Boyang swept his gaze across the crowd, thinking silently.
“This 24-hour closed beta for ‘Nightmare Zone’—it was made clear from the start that there was no way to quit and that there would be danger. But you still came. What does that tell us? It means you came knowing full well what to expect!”
“And now, the moment things get a little dangerous, you start whining and blaming everything but yourselves. Why didn’t you think it through beforehand? Why didn’t you do your research!? Did you think this was just some game of make-believe?!”
Boyang shouted sharply.
The players who had just been wailing like mourners trembled and didn’t dare make a sound.
“Go back? Hide? Do you think this is just some ordinary game? That monsters always spawn in fixed places? Is that even possible!?”
He stabbed his sword into the ground, and his tone gradually calmed.
“We are a team. We should be united, facing crisis together. Not standing here crying and blaming the world. Trust my leadership. Trust in your own strength. We can survive this!”
***
As soon as he finished speaking, the warriors from the Black Gold organization immediately shouted:
“Captain is right! United, we can survive!”
“Stay united!”
“Survive together!”
“Trust the captain!”
“Let’s live through this together!”
Their voices quickly spread to the rest of the players.
Whether it was genuine motivation or just self-suggestion, one by one they joined in, shouting with emotion.
Seeing this, Boyang was very satisfied.
Even cannon fodder needed a bit of morale.
Now that he had inspired them, maybe they would bring him some returns very soon.
“Awoooo!!!”
Suddenly, a wolf howl came from behind.
Everyone turned toward the sound—dozens of single-horned wolves were charging toward them in a massive arc-shaped formation!
At the rear, one of the wolves stood nearly two meters tall. Its body was muscular, and green light flickered in its eyes.
“The Wolf King!” Boyang gripped his sword hilt tightly and pulled it from the ground, eyes locked on the massive beast.
“Everyone, listen up! Fight with everything you’ve got!”
At this point, running wasn’t an option.
Their only chance of survival was to fight with their lives!
***
“It’s a stream, Master!” Bai Xue exclaimed excitedly as she spotted the water ahead.
After leaving the ant nest, she and Ye Lian had continued making their way toward the city.
Now, they had discovered a stream—perfect for cleaning off her gear.
“I’ll check for danger first.”
Ye Lian strode forward and approached the stream.
But as she looked into the water, her expression suddenly shifted.