Chapter 21: The Enemy Arrives

Lu Kuan listened and made a knowing expression. “To put it simply, someone might come looking for trouble with me. Just be careful and protect yourself.”

Qian Duoduo immediately patted his chest. “Don’t worry, master. You don’t have to worry about me~ My monster-killing skills aren’t great, but when it comes to running away, I have plenty of experience~”

Lu Kuan said no more and bent his bow once again, nocking an arrow and aiming at a lone bandit in the distance. As the bowstring let out a soft “twang~”, the feathered arrow struck the bandit’s knee with perfect precision.

Lu Kuan, already adept, swiftly drew a second arrow. Just as he nocked it, a startled scream erupted beside him, causing his fingers to tremble and the arrow to shoot askew into the nearby wooden cabin with a crisp “thunk!”

“My goodness! I must be seeing things—is it on purpose, master? Did you mean to hit his knee? How are you so accurate?”

Qian Duoduo stared as if he'd seen a ghost, clutching his head, eyes wide, hopping up and down in excitement. “They’ve told me about experts like this, but it’s my first time seeing it—how far is that? Over thirty meters, right…”

When Lu Kuan had killed the bandit earlier, the exchange had been so quick that Qian Duoduo barely understood what happened. But witnessing this scene left him truly astounded.

Lu Kuan raised his head and sighed, his face darkening as he stared at Qian Duoduo. “I’m the one who feels haunted here… Buddy, stop startling me. Or you’ll end up attracting every monster in the camp!”

“Sorry, sorry… Hehe, I’ll watch myself next time.” Qian Duoduo quickly shut his mouth, looking like a well-behaved child.

Lu Kuan was helpless. The bandit he had struck was now limping toward them, shouting loudly for his companions. Further away, a three-person squad seemed to notice the commotion.

Lu Kuan exhaled lightly, retreating while firing a concussion arrow, slowly luring the bandit into an open area.

Qian Duoduo followed closely, silent yet busy. He activated the game’s video recording feature, capturing how Lu Kuan lured monsters and killed bandits level 12 and even 13.

Time flew. After two hours, nearly all the bandits in the camp had been slaughtered by Lu Kuan, and his reputation value soared visibly.

They traded again. Lu Kuan took the gold coins Qian Duoduo handed over, feeling especially satisfied. Though the coins carried no weight in-game, Lu Kuan could almost feel his purse growing heavier.

During their time together, Lu Kuan realized Qian Duoduo was a young man with a distinctive personality—cheerful and lively, with a touch of chatterbox. He seized every chance to probe into Lu Kuan’s background.

Fortunately, Lu Kuan’s mental age far surpassed Qian Duoduo’s and he quickly adapted to the other's conversational style. No matter how much Qian Duoduo babbled, Lu Kuan remained unfazed, focusing solely on slaughtering small bandits.

“Say, Old Lu, with skills like yours, why don’t you join a gaming studio? I hear the top players in those places can earn six-figure monthly salaries!” Qian Duoduo, quiet for five minutes, piped up again.

“More freedom this way.” The two were resting on a slope at the moment. Lu Kuan, taking advantage of a lull in the battle, wiped his bowstring with a piece of cotton while answering.

Qian Duoduo’s eyes sparkled. “Ha, I like experts like you—free and unfettered, roaming the magical world alone… Tsk tsk, just imagining it feels so elegant~”

Lu Kuan grinned, turning to glance at him. “Looks like you come from a good family. Why venture into the wilderness? You could get equipment from dungeons—it’s safer, and more people would see your amazing gear.”

“Nonono, that’s so boring! ‘Echoes of the Gods’ is such a vast world; how could I confine myself to tiny dungeons?”

Qian Duoduo shook his head like a rattle and put on a solemn expression. “My dream is the stars and the sea.”

Lu Kuan wore an expression of utter resignation, unwilling to respond further, lowering his head as his gaze fell on a message in his inbox.

“I heard the Glory Guild has formed a party headed for Star Camp, apparently looking to cause trouble for a ranger. If they mean you, be careful~ — Paradise Forever Dim.”

Forty minutes ago, Lu Kuan had received this message. He had already guessed Glory Guild would come for revenge, but he still appreciated Paradise Forever Dim’s warning.

In games or real life, sometimes trouble will pass if you endure it. But at times, endurance only makes the other side see you as easy prey, prompting them to escalate.

Thus, after two lifetimes, Lu Kuan’s rule for life was: either ignore the troublesome people completely, or strike hard enough that they remember you every time with fear.

Qian Duoduo was still chattering away, but Lu Kuan had already withdrawn his thoughts, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the eastern gate of the camp, his expression instantly sharpening.

“It’s about time. Let’s call it a day,”

Lu Kuan stood up and said to Qian Duoduo, “Leave through the western exit. The people looking for me have arrived.”

Qian Duoduo was stunned, turning to look around. He finally noticed the crowd at the eastern gate of the camp—at least twenty people. They seemed to have spotted the pair on the slope and were noisily heading their way.

“Master, are those the people from Glory Guild you mentioned?”

Qian Duoduo’s face was filled with righteous indignation. He fumed, “These guys are too arrogant! Do they plan to openly steal loot?”

Lu Kuan wasn’t sure how to explain to this gaming novice that the virtual world was another reflection of reality, where human ugliness was laid bare even more directly.

“It’s best to hide your equipment’s glow, or you’ll get into trouble. If you’re brave enough, you can come back later.”

With that, Lu Kuan exited the party and crouched, swiftly running down the slope and disappearing into the waist-high dense grass.

Qian Duoduo was startled by Lu Kuan’s words. He glanced at his glowing gear, hurriedly turned, and ran toward the western gate. He was also curious—Lu Kuan clearly didn’t plan to flee. Was he going to confront them directly?

Thinking of this, Qian Duoduo suddenly felt excited, instantly deciding to find a high vantage point and witness firsthand how the master handled player combat!

At Star Camp’s eastern gate.

“Captain, we searched everywhere nearby, but didn’t find the ring,” someone reported in the party channel.

Moonlit Meteor gripped a warlock’s staff, his expression grim. Beside him, the **Expert looked disgruntled and unwilling. None of them had expected that Old Lu would cause so much trouble!

Had they known, they’d never have let the **Expert act so rashly.

If they didn’t reclaim their honor here, Moonlit Meteor’s position as vice president of the branch might not last.

“Look! There he is!”

The ranger responsible for lookout suddenly called out, and everyone’s spirits lifted. Following the ranger’s pointing finger, they saw a ranger appear before the druid temple at the camp’s center, raise his right hand, and from a distance, flash them a middle finger.