Chapter 401 - - ’Number One Player Has Grown.

Chapter 401: Chapter 398 - ’Number One Player Has Grown."I’ll count to three, and if you haven’t returned to your place, I will execute you on the spot," Su Ming’an raised his finger, "three..."

With gritted teeth, Duoya immediately returned to her original position.

She knew that any further fuss was unreasonable, and with the time wasted, Amber was undoubtedly doomed, beyond her help now.

The team pressed on, racing across the bridge constructed of life itself.

Beside him, Sherrod had chosen to bow his head, refusing to look at the people being attacked by sea monsters.

Blood splattered on his golden hair—the blood of those he loved.

With numb eyes and almost stiff sword-arms, people dropped their empty guns and ran like zombies on this deadly path.

Until—

"—I see the Barrier! We’re close!"

In the front, Aiske’s shout momentarily lifted the spirits of the extremely demoralized group. S~eaʀᴄh the Novёlƒire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

By now, the team had dwindled to a third of its original size, with nearly seventy percent of the members dead on the blood-stained path they had left behind. The group had grown sparse, and they were barely able to maintain their formation due to reduced combat power.

They looked up to see the Barrier Ruins, almost within reach. Although the god-given Barrier was shattered, it still emitted a faint golden gleam, waiting for someone to repair it.

At that moment, that faint golden light, in their eyes, almost equated to the light of Paradise.

In Su Ming’an’s live stream, the comments were breathless:

The comments eagerly anticipated the Barrier drawing nearer, but Su Ming’an’s focus was intensifying.

His journey had not been smooth either. Sea monsters indiscriminately attacked the team, and although he was in the safest innermost layer, sea monsters also attacked from above, leaving him at risk of being hit.

Fortunately, around him were the bravest and most well-trained Soul Hunters, including the S-rank Soul Hunter Christie, who had been protecting him all along. Both he and Sherrod, these two crucial figures, remained unhurt and in full condition.

In the team, many were still chatting idly. They were all powerful players who had survived until now. Seeing Su Ming’an constantly shielded, they couldn’t help feeling a bit jealous.

"...He really has it easy, from the start until now."

"Well, that’s the advantage of being favored by the organizers. Look at those NPCs, each one of them revolving around him, unaware of how much his special status attracts."

"That’s his ability, there’s nothing to discuss. Whether it’s direct combat power or NPC assistance, both are tactics that players can utilize. Are you guys, a group of strong players, degrading yourselves by complaining here?"

"...Hmph, I just feel it’s unfair, can’t I even say it?"

"Yes. Even though we know it’s his ability, we can still complain a bit. I just can’t stand seeing someone with combat power hiding behind NPC protection, relying on others to risk their lives for him. Is there anything wrong with that?"

"Um, although, you guys sound pretty jealous."

"Lemons for sale, ten points for three kilos, fresh from players, first come first served—" someone laughed and started hawking loudly.

That’s the nature of players.

Knowing they won’t actually die makes them retain a sense of superiority, even if they fear death.

This led to some of them starting to crack jokes in an atmosphere that was otherwise quite inappropriate.

But this would come to an end soon.

The team was about to face the most terrifying danger that hadn’t yet revealed itself.

"Lord Su Rin! We’re counting on you!"

Aiske shouted loudly from ahead. The spirited Soul Hunter Minister was covered in scars, and his sword was also full of cracks.

In fact, nearly every person in this team was covered in blood and their weapons nearly broken.

They had almost been pushed to despair, their numbers rapidly dwindling. People watching from the city could barely see this team surrounded by Sea Monsters.

If the Barrier didn’t arrive soon, and if this path stretched a bit longer, they would indeed be annihilated on this path.

By now, Su Ming’an had advanced to Third Rank Nine, his experience bar had skyrocketed as if riding a rocket.

He no longer conserved his Mana Points, and as soon as he estimated the distance was sufficient, he teleported.

The spot where he arrived was right at the vanguard of the entire team, with no bridges beneath his feet, nor Soul Hunters beside him for protection.

The moment he appeared, layers of Sea Monsters immediately targeted him, now isolated and still in the air, and they swiftly reacted.

"Damn! That guy is crazy!" a player who had been gossiping watched in shock, "Stepping away from NPC protection, isn’t he going to die right away?"

"He’s repairing the Barrier, you idiot."

"So rash, should we say as expected of the Number One Player?" other discontent players quickly followed up with their criticism.

In fact, many in this team had joined because of Su Ming’an, not just for profit or experience. What they carried was simply pure admiration and respect.

Hearing other players criticize the Number One Player, they had been displeased and were just waiting for Su Ming’an to prove them wrong, enduring until now.

Because they knew, no matter how perilous the situation, the Number One Player would always win.

He would always win.

He couldn’t possibly lose.

All of them thought so, as if they believed in a proven theorem.

"Seeing you jump around like clowns is quite interesting." Rimu Sheng, holding a long blade and with a deep bloodstain on his face, swept past this group of players with a very faint tone.

"Clowns." Luna followed immediately, stabbing a mutated sea monster that lunged at her with her silver sword.

"Hehe, made me laugh, a bunch of clowns." Fang Yuanyi, clutching a broken remote control and sheltered by Duoya’s support, mocked cheerfully.

They all were immensely glad that they had hitched a ride on this big vehicle, joining the Number One Player’s team. Along the way, although there were many dangers, the experience was genuine, and this path had significant benefits for their subsequent actions.

"I think, in the battles to come in the world, we can team up with the Number One Player for a while," Luna’s teammate suggested.

"I think so too." Luna’s eyes filled with admiration, "He dares to lead this team, he must have his own thoughts. I bet, all players who benefit from this team will have a favorable view of him. Including that Fusang man with the Black Blade and that guy playing with toy airplanes, they seem quite strong—has the Number One Player actually learned to collaborate with others, to be cunning? That really surprises me."

"This is a good change," the teammate said.

"Yes," Luna smiled, "It’s a change that makes me trust this guy more, a great change for the whole world— the Number One Player has grown, and I believe most people would be happy to see this."

Su Ming’an teleported into a group of sea monsters, becoming an attractive piece of meat in their eyes.

His expression remained unchanged as he let himself fall, instantly unsheathing the Sword of Yarman.

In the Bright State, his sword specialization automatically guided his body, and at the same time, a Shadow cloning himself in a free fall appeared beside him.

This was why he hadn’t summoned his clone since the Shadow’s death. He needed it now, to use the Shadow’s ability to clear the field directly.

"That really hurt just now," said the Shadow as soon as it was summoned, still in the mood to joke, "You’re so ruthless, throwing me directly when I ran out of mana points?"

Su Ming’an ignored him and immediately issued a command to use Spatial Vibration.

His spirit was intensely focused, constantly on the lookout for the possible appearance of the King of Sea Monsters, and he had no mood to entertain Shadow’s bizarre sense of humor.

"Boom—!"

A violent vibration occurred behind him. Shadow’s Spatial Vibration cleared the sea monsters above his head, and Su Ming’an turned his body, his back facing up and front facing down, falling straight down—

His long sword slashed continuously, carving a path through the sea monsters gathered below, and the 200 points of True Damage inherent in the Sword of Yarman were terrifyingly effective against these high-attack, low-defense sea monsters, acting like a deathly weapon.

Finally, amid the screams of people, he neared the ruin of a barrier below.

He reached out his hand.

The Resource Stones jam-packed in his backpack came into action, turned into white light, and materialized in his hand.

With the help of the energy from these stones, a new, white Barrier gradually emerged before him, rising slowly from low to high.

The intense Barrier construction energy fluctuations drew the attention of the sea monsters; they abandoned the three hundred people’s team that was desperately resisting on the bridge and lunged in his direction.

"Protect Lord Su Rin—"

"Protect Lord Su Rin—"

"Charge—!"

Loud commands resonated through the team. The team, now only comprising strong Soul Hunters and strong players, quickly dispersed, and the white bridge rapidly extended into a descending path, allowing everyone to rush down from a height.

In this moment, they were like a white torrent, rushing through the sea formed by sea monsters, cascading down like a waterfall.

The endpoint, had arrived.

"Watch out behind!"

Aiske charged forward like a runaway horse, always at the forefront. His figure flashed on the bridge, suddenly appearing beside Su Ming’an, who was setting up a barrier, and blocked an attack from a nearby sea monster for him.

In front of Su Ming’an, a white barrier was slowly rising, its luminescent glow shining on his face. The nearby sea monsters, illuminated by the light, screamed as if being corroded, their voices hoarse and filled with immense pain.

But they charged forward fearlessly, with a self-sacrificing fervor, determined to stop Su Ming’an from establishing the barrier.

For them, this was also a battle of the races.

If they didn’t kill this human who was setting up the barrier, they too faced death after their resources were depleted.

In this "Su Rin Defense Battle," Aiske felt noticeably weaker, even old man Clifford beside him began to breathe heavily.

"Su Rin, let me tell you, when this operation is over, you definitely owe me a barbecue. Even if you were the former Su Rin, I won’t let go of a chance to have someone cover my meals—you see, all the way back here, I’ve blocked so many attacks for you, not even a drop of blood splashed on you, asking for a meal isn’t too much, right? For this battle, I even lost my beloved Iron Hoop Ring, it was custom-made by a high-level blacksmith..."

Aiske kept swinging his sword while talking to shift his attention.

"No, the more I think about it, the angrier I get. When I get back, I must climb the city walls and get my treasure back; those are my ’fashion’ statements..."

He prattled on.

If he didn’t keep talking, the shrieking of the sea monsters nearby would drive him mad.

After a prolonged, intense battle, the Soul Hunters were generally unable to hold on; some had even died along the way.

"Let’s talk about it when we get back."

Su Ming’an’s gaze was firmly fixed on the rising white barrier; he had no time to deal with Aiske’s forceful demands for food.

Suddenly, he received a friend notification.

"Ding-dong!"

At such a critical moment, he didn’t want to look, but knowing his friends were reliable, he thought they wouldn’t send any trivial messages that might distract him.

He quickly opened the friend interface and looked down.

At that moment, he heard Aiske’s pained voice beside him.

Warm blood, which had until now been kept from touching his clean, unblemished face, finally splattered across it.

Su Ming’an looked up.

Through the slowly rising barrier, he saw an almost environment-blended, transparent figure, floating above their team.