An Unexpected Jackalman Squad

"Jackalmen!"

Lin Feng was startled.

According to the intelligence gathered by Da Qing and the others, the Jackalmen Tribe was located twenty to thirty li from Gourd Valley.

Generally speaking, even when hunting, jackalmen wouldn't roam this far.

The three jackalmen that appeared near the valley a few days ago could still be explained as an accident. But now, over a dozen jackalmen showing up in a group was hard to dismiss as mere coincidence.

Could it be that the jackalmen had discovered the tribe in the valley?

Probably not yet.

If the jackalmen knew there was a human tribe in the valley, more than just a dozen would have come.

The most likely scenario was that the jackalmen had detected traces of human activity in this direction and sent a squad of over a dozen to scout.

"That's right, jackalmen—thirteen of them. Our squad was hunting outside the valley and happened to spot them."

Chi Tao Tao Hao Liang Liang said.

He was one of the players from the second batch to enter the game and a real-life friend of After Three Rounds of Drinks.

Over the past few days, he had been teaming up with After Three Rounds of Drinks on hunting quests, and his level had already reached 2.

He was an Agility Class player, fast on his feet. After the hunting squad discovered the jackalmen, After Three Rounds of Drinks sent him back to report to the Tribe Leader.

"Did they spot you?"

Lin Feng asked.

"No. The squad leader sent me back to report, and he's leading the other three keeping an eye on that jackalman squad."

Hao Liang Liang replied.

The squad leader he mentioned was naturally After Three Rounds of Drinks.

"Good."

Lin Feng nodded.

Although the valley was remote, it wasn't hard to find.

Since the jackalmen had already sent a scouting party to explore this area, it was only a matter of time before they discovered the valley.

He couldn't pin his hopes on the jackalmen being blind.

He had to take the initiative and eliminate this jackalman squad!

If he could wipe out this squad entirely, it would not only weaken the Jackalmen Tribe's strength but also make them wary of this region.

A squad of over a dozen vanishing without a trace in this area—even for brutal jackalmen, they'd hesitate to send anyone else in to scout before figuring out what was going on.

Of course, the prerequisite was annihilating this jackalman squad completely.

If even a single jackalman escaped back, the Jackalmen Tribe would learn that a human tribe of several dozen was hidden in the valley.

Then, the next thing they'd face would likely be the entire jackalman force pouring out.

After a moment's thought, Lin Feng issued two quests through the system.

At almost the same time, whether players were gathering or chopping wood in the valley or hunting outside it, they all received the same quest.

"Gather at the designated coordinates in the Outer Valley at maximum speed, prepare to ambush the jackalmen!"

Except for the hunting squad led by After Three Rounds of Drinks.

The quest they received was, "Await orders to lure the jackalmen into the valley and annihilate them!"

After Three Rounds of Drinks' squad had five members, minus Chi Tao Tao Hao Liang Liang who had been sent back to report, leaving four.

After spotting this jackalman squad, they had been trailing them from a hundred meters behind, keeping watch.

The wild was thick with bushes and weeds, providing convenient cover for their concealment.

Coupled with the four of them moving cautiously, despite the jackalmen's keen alertness, they hadn't noticed anyone tailing them.

Seeing the updated quest on their quest panels, all four were brimming with excitement.

A unique quest—this had to be a unique quest!

Just look at the triple-digit experience reward in the quest rewards—that was definitely treatment reserved for unique quests!

"100 experience points as a reward—the system's being way too generous!"

The player with the ID "Kakashi" couldn't hold back his excitement and whispered.

He was currently level 2, and the total experience needed to go from level 2 to level 3 was only 200 points.

A quest reward of 100 experience points would let him jump half a level!

This was way too sweet!

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After Three Rounds of Drinks, walking ahead, glanced back at him, raised a finger, and made a shushing gesture.

No one knew just how sharp a Jackalman's hearing was.

If the Jackalmen ahead discovered them, the quest experience would be lost!

Inside the valley.

A Strength Class player swinging an axe to chop trees saw the updated quest on his task panel and couldn't help but grin.

"Haha, time to work!"

Several nearby players also received the quest and stopped chopping trees one after another.

"Haha, finally time to fight!"

"This old man is already level 2 and hasn't fought a monster yet!"

"Let's go, gather at the quest coordinates!"

"This time, we'll make sure those Jackalmen never come back!"

The players excitedly shouldered their axes and headed toward the gathering point.

The quest coordinates were near the valley entrance. After Lin Feng issued the quest, he grabbed his javelin and arrived at the coordinates first.

Watching the players trickle in, a faint smile appeared on Lin Feng's face.

He couldn't command every player's actions individually, but through the quest system, he could manipulate their behavior.

Like playing an RTS game.

This was micro-management!

The players gradually gathered at the coordinates. Soon, aside from After Three Rounds of Drinks and his three companions tailing the Jackalmen, all twenty-six players had assembled.

Thirty players total, one hundred percent online!

Seeing everyone assembled, Lin Feng issued a quest to After Three Rounds of Drinks and his group.

Lure the Jackalmen into the valley!

After Three Rounds of Drinks and the others saw the updated quest in their task panels, their eyes lit up.

"How do we lure them?"

One player asked.

Though luring monsters wasn't technically demanding, they still needed a plan.

They couldn't let the Jackalmen wipe them out before they even reached the valley.

After Three Rounds of Drinks glanced at the distant Jackalman squad.

"Jackalmen aren't slow, especially when they're on all fours—they're comparable to a level 3 Agility Class player. Let's move closer to the valley first, try to get as far away as possible, then draw their attention."

After Three Rounds of Drinks said.

The farther the distance, the longer it would take the Jackalmen to catch up, naturally increasing their chances of success.

"Alright!"

With the plan settled, the four continued tailing the Jackalmen while adjusting their direction toward the valley.

A few minutes later, they reached a spot near the valley's side, with the Jackalmen now two to three hundred meters away.

Any farther, and they'd struggle to catch the Jackalmen's attention and lure them into the valley.

"Let's move!"

After Three Rounds of Drinks stopped.

"What do we do?"

A teammate asked.

"Like this!"

After Three Rounds of Drinks stood upright, cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone, and shouted toward the distant Jackalmen: "Brothers, look over here!"

The sound carried across the wilderness, reaching the Jackalmen's ears.

The marching Jackalman squad halted in unison, turning to look in the direction of After Three Rounds of Drinks and his group.

"Run!"

After Three Rounds of Drinks muttered under his breath, then bolted.

He had seen the Jackalmen's strength—no exaggeration, if the four of them got caught by these Jackalmen, they'd be torn to shreds in under a minute!