Chapter 3051: Zone Breach
The two of them watched in silence for a moment. Ding Xiang had originally wanted to say something, but when she inadvertently met Xu Huo's gaze, she swallowed her words back down.
Afterward, the three of them went to regroup with Old Gao and the others.
Rake was already dead, leaving only six of them. Old Gao had no intention of finding new companions either. Since everyone's points had exceeded 100 and their time remaining in the Snake Fang Zone was limited, they needed to find the right opportunity to enter the Bear Hug Zone as soon as possible.
Over the past few days, Old Gao and the others had scouted many places. Based on their observations, the Snake Fang Zone was most likely an entire ring-shaped area encircling the island. While this meant they could enter the Bear Hug Zone from anywhere, it also meant that players inside the Bear Hug Zone could ambush them from any location.
They hadn't entered the Bear Hug Zone yet and didn't know its rules, but no matter where they crossed the barrier, they would inevitably alert the players inside. The best strategy was to feint in one direction while striking in another.
Have some people launch a diversionary attack to draw away the players near the Bear Hug Zone, buying time for the others.
Once the first group entered, they would coordinate a time to create chaos and divert the attention of nearby players, allowing the remaining members to slip in.
"Who's going to be the bait?" Xu Huo asked bluntly. "I don't trust you, and I'm sure you don't trust me either."
"Me, Red Peach Fruit, and Big Foot have less than fourteen hours left, so we need to go in first." Old Gao addressed the group. "This is my proposal. If anyone disagrees, you can leave now. But I think whether you find new companions or try to breach the zone alone, it won't be simpler or safer than my plan."
Scarface clearly trusted him a lot and was the first to agree. "I'm in."
Red Peach Fruit and Big Foot exchanged glances and also agreed.
Next came Xu Huo and Ding Xiang.
"I don't think it's secure enough," Ding Xiang said. "Let me be blunt—what if you go in and don't come back to help us breach the zone?"
"What do you think would make it secure?" Old Gao asked without any irritation, simply seeking a solution.
"Pledge your items as collateral," Ding Xiang said, having already thought it through. "Even if you never come back, the ones acting as bait won't be at a total loss if they get an item out of it."
"No problem." Old Gao didn't hesitate as he pulled off the ring from his finger. "A-grade space item, defensive type. It can block most attack items of the same category."
Red Peach Fruit took off an earring and tossed it onto the stone. "A-grade interference item, can guard against sneak attacks."
Big Foot pulled out a set of miniature hidden weapons from his waist. "A-grade attack item, freely controllable."
Ding Xiang took the space-type defensive item first. "I have no objections now."
Scarface looked at Xu Huo, who then picked up Red Peach Fruit's interference item.
With the terms settled, the next step was choosing the location.
The breach points couldn't be too far apart, but they couldn't be too close either. The edge of the Bear Hug Zone was lined with rolling hills, separated from the Snake Fang Zone by a river. With such a large open area of space, it was impossible to make a move anywhere without being discovered.
"My perception limit is roughly within two mountains." Old Gao drew a simple river line on the ground. "I've observed that this area has thick miasma. Without protective gear, players probably won't stay here for long."
He moved the stick to a river two mountains away. "This river flows from the Bear Hug Zone into the main river at the border of the two zones. At that point, Scarface, the three of you will pretend to be entering the Bear Hug Zone from here."
"Two problems might arise. First, if you don't cross the barrier, the players in the Bear Hug Zone won't act. But once you do enter, you'll inevitably draw the attention of everyone nearby."
"Then the second problem comes—once you enter the Bear Hug Zone, you won't be able to retreat."
"In that case, you might have to take on all the firepower from the surrounding area."
"That's too dangerous." Ding Xiang frowned. "If that's the case, it would be better to find separate spots and enter simultaneously, at least spreading out the firepower."
Old Gao shook his head. "I've watched people who tried to breach the zone before. No one can enter safely; they'll face at least two rounds of attacks. This is probably related to the Bear Hug Zone's rules—no one can escape it. With fewer people against more, the advantage is already on their side. Splitting up completely would just make us easy pickings."
"You need to hold out for at least one minute."
He continued, "If you can retreat from the Bear Hug Zone, then after one minute, whether or not the three of us successfully enter, you return to the Snake Fang Zone."
"If you can't, then after one minute, regardless of the situation in the miasma zone, the three of us will advance toward your position. We'll regroup, and with six people, our chances are better."
This was indeed the best plan for now. No matter who acted as bait, conflict with the Bear Hug Zone players was unavoidable.
"I suspect that once we go in, we won't be able to come back out," Xu Huo said. "The three of us acting as bait will have enough time to cross the big river. How are you crossing?"
Old Gao pulled a climbing rope launcher from his backpack. "I estimated the length—it can cover about two-thirds of the river's width. Crossing time can be kept within fifteen seconds."
For Xu Huo's group of three, crossing the river was much simpler. He was a Spatial Evolver, and although his displayed abilities weren't that powerful, taking people across the river wasn't difficult.
This was also a key reason Old Gao wanted him to join. Whether as a teammate or bait, he was very useful in situations where items and instruments couldn't be used.
After finalizing the plan and specific action times, they rested peacefully, waiting for nightfall.
At three in the morning, when the sky was at its darkest and the forest was silent, Xu Huo's group of six set out for the predetermined location.
Xu Huo's group was closer, and after arriving, they waited another ten minutes before starting the operation.
"Buzz!" The moment Xu Huo's three crossed the river, the pitch-black sky suddenly lit up as bright as day due to the appearance of a triangular icon. Their figures were naturally clearly visible. Just as they crossed this boundary, before even reaching the shore, they were intercepted—an invisible space barrier blocked their path. The three crashed headlong into it and fell directly into the river.
"They have items!" Ding Xiang reacted immediately. While dodging attacks from a distance and mutated fish underwater, she opened her bracelet interface and quickly unlocked an instrument on her body.
The instrument's protective barrier shielded the three of them. Then Scarface unlocked a movement instrument, and the three moved together along the river channel, reaching the shore within five seconds.
But the moment they stepped onto the shore, a powerful space force exploded around them. Ding Xiang's protective instrument was damaged, forcing the three to spread out slightly. In just those ten seconds, over a dozen faintly glowing numbers appeared around them!
"Boom!" A new wave of attacks struck another protective barrier. As the barrier shattered, Xu Huo felt the instrument in his hand vibrate. Opening his palm, he saw cracks had indeed appeared!