“You protect Zaoya, I’ll handle him.”

Wen Renxi sensed no one else nearby, but to be safe, she told Han Jiao to stay with Zaoya. She didn’t want hidden players snatching Zaoya during the fight with Huang Pingyu.

She wasn’t sure if other players had effective hiding items.

As for Han Jiao taking Zaoya and fleeing, trying to claim her alone, Wen Renxi wasn’t worried. Despite their short acquaintance, she had a good understanding of Han Jiao.

Han Jiao knew she couldn’t take Zaoya back alone.

She wasn’t as strong as the others and needed an ally.

“Okay, be careful,” Han Jiao said, stepping back to Zaoya, pulling her away.

“Isn’t my suggestion good? We can take Zaoya back together, then decide what to do at the Hu’s,” Huang Pingyu said. His words sounded inviting, but his malice was clear.

Wen Renxi and Han Jiao had found Zaoya. Why would they work with him, adding a competitor? He wanted to force his way in, using them. He underestimated them.

Wen Renxi looked like a teenager. How much experience could she have? He knew Han Jiao’s level; he could handle them.

He also implied Wen Renxi and Han Jiao weren’t truly helping Zaoya, just tricking her back. If Zaoya became suspicious, it would benefit him.

In another dungeon, he’d let Han Jiao take the lead, as long as he could clear it. But this time, only one could pass. He wouldn’t yield. He’d deal with Han Jiao’s relatives later.

Zaoya didn’t react, head down, clutching Han Jiao’s sleeve.

No pleas, no questions, no doubts.

Huang Pingyu was trained and fitter than Han Jiao, but his strength wasn’t his advantage. He relied on his items and experience.

Humans had limits. His items didn’t. He only trained for baseline fitness.

Wen Renxi knew the best fighter was Qin Guoan, the man on the oxcart. He likely had military training.

That’s why she was confident against Huang Pingyu. She needed to watch out for his items.

Huang Pingyu saw Wen Renxi’s butcher knife and smirked. He assumed she was a “poor player” with few items.

Players were ranked by item quality, not money. Her lack of valuable items confirmed his suspicion.

Anyone in the [Snow Wedding Gown] dungeon was at least level 60. Who didn’t have life-saving items? Why not use them now? Knives? Who used melee weapons?

“I think we’d cooperate better,” Huang Pingyu said, pulling out a gun with a cold, metallic gleam.

It wasn’t a standard gun. It tracked its target automatically, no aiming required. Wen Renxi pursed her lips.

Not unexpected.

Players had all sorts of items. She had even invented some to trick Han Jiao. But to avoid suspicion, hers were all support items, no offense.

Han Jiao stood behind Wen Renxi and saw the gun. She sneered.

They were in this together. If Wen Renxi lost, she would be next, and Zaoya would fall into Huang Pingyu’s hands.

And she hated his attitude.

“Wen Renxi, catch!” Han Jiao hesitated, then threw an item.

Wen Renxi didn’t turn. One hand went to her knife hilt, the other caught the… minigun.

Not the bulky kind, but a modern, optimized weapon, far more dangerous than Huang Pingyu’s. The bullet holes alone were telling.

Wen Renxi: “…”

She hadn’t expected the fight to escalate to guns, let alone a minigun.

If she were the original Wen Renxi, she’d be clueless.

“Don’t worry, it’s unlimited. Just shoot,” Han Jiao said.

Very convenient!

She wasn’t worried about Wen Renxi keeping it. It was a consumable, with only three uses. She’d used it twice. After Wen Renxi’s turn, it would be useless.

“You want items? Let’s see who has more!”

Wen Renxi: “…”

She knew there’d be a catch to the unlimited ammo, but she didn’t care. She raised the gun, aiming at Huang Pingyu.

Let’s duel.

Huang Pingyu’s face fell as soon as he saw the minigun. He quickly applied multiple protective items, gnashing his teeth.

Why would Han Jiao give this powerful weapon to Wen Renxi, not use it herself?

Wasn’t she afraid Wen Renxi would kill her too, after dealing with him?

There was only one way out. Kill the others and find Zaoya for the only chance.

Possible.

Huang Pingyu had thought about it, but discarded the idea.

They were all high-level players. It was uncertain who’d win.

Killing Wen Renxi and Han Jiao here would be ideal, two less rivals.

He planned to do just that.

Only one would leave alive. Who knew what he’d done?

He regretted coming out so carelessly, not ambushing them.

He just needed to kill them before his protections wore off.

“Bang!”

The gunshot sounded. Han Jiao grabbed Zaoya and ran. Then the minigun roared.

Wen Renxi knew Han Jiao had taken Zaoya away, as she wanted. She didn’t want to hurt Zaoya by mistake. But something felt wrong.

Wen Renxi fired first, blocking the incoming bullets, dodging and retaliating. But Huang Pingyu seemed to have a shield, and her bullets didn’t hurt him. His bullets came back, following her.

Dodging among the trees, Wen Renxi kept shooting, but it was useless. Huang Pingyu’s gun was a problem. She narrowly avoided the bullets or deflected them into trees.

Huang Pingyu was frustrated by Wen Renxi’s agility. Wen Renxi had stopped trying to break his shield.

Dodging another bullet, she suddenly lunged at Huang Pingyu. As they passed each other, she grabbed him, turned him, and his own bullets hit him.

The bullets, which shouldn’t have pierced his shield, went through his stomach.

Huang Pingyu was stunned by the sudden pain.

His shield had 15 minutes. Nothing could harm him. But it hadn’t been 15 minutes. Yet, he was hit.

…Impossible.

He turned his head stiffly and saw Wen Renxi’s left hand on his shoulder. Her right had dropped the minigun, replaced by her knife.

“Shield?”

Wen Renxi smiled, not giving him a chance to aim. Her knife moved, and his gun hand fell to the ground.

The pain from the bullets and the severed hand, coupled with the fear of death, broke Huang Pingyu’s composure. He had healing items, but no chance to use them.

After the gun hand, the bloody knife was at his throat.

The thud of the body was loud in the night. Wen Renxi stared at the corpse, wiped the blood on it, and sheathed her knife.

When Huang Pingyu tried to kill her, he became nothing more than an object.

Each era had its rules. This was modern times, killing was illegal.

But if someone wanted her dead, she’d retaliate in kind.

As she sheathed her knife, Wen Renxi sensed movement.

The scent of blood had attracted wild animals.