Chapter 36: I Am Making My Move

Meanwhile, as Black Hawk was being ensnared by a level 5 elite monster, the Soul of Vengeance, Papaya Spirit and Whisperer were encountering different monsters of their own. Although these monsters possessed varied attributes and skills, they all shared one common characteristic: they were incredibly troublesome.

This was no coincidence. In fact, every survivor encountered similar terrain when they first arrived in this world. The number of clouds in each region was essentially the same, and each area had its own unique elite monsters. Apart from a few hidden entities, these elite monsters were the strongest beings in their respective zones. Much like the Gray Rock Giant Wolf that Han Xing encountered in the first area—which had to be defeated to proceed to a new zone—these monsters acted as gatekeepers.

However, that Gray Rock Giant Wolf was merely a beginner-village boss; compared to the monsters Black Hawk and Whisperer were facing now, it was far less formidable. Since Whisperer and the others were ahead in progress, they had finally confronted the most powerful entities in their areas, leading them all into bitter struggles.

Just as everyone was eagerly awaiting the emergence of the final victor, over an hour passed with the top three on the leaderboard suddenly remaining motionless, as if they had agreed to a ceasefire. In the chat channel, many were filled with confusion.

"What’s going on? Why aren't the leaderboards moving? Did the top three make a pact to go to sleep?"

"Don't rush, let's wait a bit longer. Maybe they are all taking a short break to prepare for a final sprint."

"That is indeed possible. Given the current situation, do you think there will be any variables in who takes first place?"

"Don't overthink it. Whisperer has such a massive advantage now; first place is definitely his!"

However, someone retorted unconvinced, "Galaxy had a huge advantage before, and many people said he was guaranteed to take first. But look at him now—he can't even hold onto the top twenty."

"Galaxy? He’s just a guy with good luck; he’s not top-tier material."

No one in the chat channel refuted this. Ever since Han Xing fell out of the top twenty, there had been very few voices left to support him. Suddenly, someone exclaimed in surprise, "Hey, Galaxy just entered the top twenty!"

"What?" many survivors were astonished.

"643 points! What was his score before?"

Because they had lost interest in Han Xing, no one knew his previous score, but the increase must have been substantial! However, those who held prejudices against him still spoke with disdain: "So what if he's in the top twenty? He's still too far behind Whisperer and the others. A gap of nearly three hundred points will take at least a day to close!"

"Yeah, Galaxy has no chance. No need to discuss him anymore."

Yet, what they did not know was that Han Xing had gained nearly two hundred points in just three hours! This terrifying speed was something even Whisperer, a mage, could only gaze upon with envy. Although these people hadn't noticed, Cheng Jianyong had been keeping a close watch on Han Xing's ranking.

After seeing Han Xing's rank soar, Cheng Jianyong asked expectantly in the group chat, "Brother Xing, are you finally going all out?"

Han Xing, who was currently following behind 'Coal Ball' and happily soaking up experience, saw the message and replied with a smile, "Yes."

Cheng Jianyong became instantly excited. "Haha, I knew Brother Xing was just waiting to burst forth at the end! Shen Yun, look at this—a two-hundred-point increase in three hours! That's enough to scare people to death!"

Shen Yun, upon hearing this, was also stunned. "Damn, that fast? Brother Xing, did you take some kind of performance-enhancing drug?"

Han Xing laughed. "I did. I have some here; do you guys want a couple?"

Shen Yun instinctively refused. "No, no, I'm still young; I don't need that."

Cheng Jianyong chimed in, "Haha, Brother Xing, keep that stuff for yourself. Little Yun and I are in tip-top shape; we don't need such things to go three hundred rounds every night!"

However, Han Xing replied with a strange tone, "You guys really don't want any? The effect of this medicine is surprisingly good. One dose, and I guarantee you'll be full of vigor!"

Shen Yun hurriedly declined again. But Cheng Jianyong tentatively probed, "Brother Xing, is it really that potent? How about... give me some?"

"Hahaha!" Han Xing laughed heartily. "I knew it! A married man like Cheng Jianyong is starting to lose his edge! See, I caught you!"

Shen Yun joined in the laughter, while Cheng Jianyong was left looking deeply embarrassed.

Han Xing then said, "Alright, I'll stop teasing you." He sent them a trade request. The two accepted with strange expressions, but when they saw Han Xing dump 20 bottles of Primary Life Secret Potions onto them, a collective intake of breath echoed in the group chat.

"Hiss..." Cheng Jianyong was in disbelief. "Life Secret Potions!" He laughed bitterly, "Brother Xing, so this is the medicine you were talking about that makes you 'full of vigor'?"

"Exactly," Han Xing smiled. "I didn't lie to you. I've verified it; the effects are incredible! As long as you aren't missing limbs or hit with a fatal blow, one bottle can bring you back. If your constitution is high enough, you won't even have to worry about getting hurt—you can just go toe-to-toe with those monsters!"

Shen Yun asked tentatively, "Brother Xing, do you mean..."

Han Xing nodded. "Yes. From now on, we are changing our strategy. With these Life Secret Potions in hand, we can let go of our reservations and challenge those clouds more boldly. I've seen your rankings—Shen Yun at 27th, Cheng Jianyong at 36th. As long as you push yourselves, getting into the top ten shouldn't be a problem for any of us, let alone the top three!"

Hearing Han Xing's plan, both men were astonished. But Cheng Jianyong gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it, with Life Secret Potions and Brother Xing's strong backing, forget the top ten—I'll smash my way into the top three!"

"I'm going for it!" Shen Yun added, equally excited. "Charge!"

At this moment, while Whisperer and his group were stuck dealing with powerful enemies, the rankings of Han Xing and his team began to skyrocket like a rocket.

643 points... 674 points... 712 points...

Every few minutes, one could see his territory score increasing again. Such a terrifying growth rate naturally caught the attention of many survivors in the chat channel.

"Look! Galaxy's rank has risen again; he's 13th now!"

"So fast! That hasn't even been half an hour, right? He's already added over 70 points. This is terrifying!"

"Damn, is this the power of the Great God Galaxy? As soon as he acts, he shatters our common sense!"

Discussions about Han Xing returned to the chat channel. However, many who still held grudges sneered, "So what if he's growing fast? He's still over two hundred points behind Whisperer. I told you, he has no hope."

"Exactly, and who knows? Maybe Galaxy is just lucky."

"Good luck won't last forever."

At this time, no one jumped out to refute these claims. However, some began to notice changes in two other people on the leaderboard. A survivor exclaimed, "Look, 'Lonely Warrior' and 'Yun Tianming' are also frantically raising their ranks!"

"I saw it with my own eyes—they've added over 40 points in just half an hour!"

"What?"

The chat channel was filled with gasps of awe. At the same time, someone remarked gravely, "It seems that at this final moment, everyone has started their final sprint!"