Their opponents arrived quickly. In the space of a sentence or two, Fan Zhigang and the others had sensed them, too. The three of them joined Xu Huo in speeding ahead to set an ambush.
There were seven of them in all. Judging by their clothes and appearance, they seemed to be Dungeon Players from another district. As the vehicle climbed a hill and rounded a bend, they tossed out several metal balls. The black spheres were magnetic; after bouncing a few times on the ground, they shot toward the vehicle and stuck to its body. Qiu Ming and Dai Song, who had stayed inside, sprang into action, knocking the spheres away and using artifacts to defend against the Short Arrows that followed, aimed at the tires. Since neither side wanted the vehicle disabled, the brief clash caused no further damage, though the vehicle was forced to stop.
Seven Players had come after them, but they didn't rush in all at once. A strange laugh rang out, circling the group in a full 360 degrees. A black shadow, moving so fast it was almost impossible to follow with the naked eye, darted through the woods. They could only sense him flashing past; in the blink of an eye, he was right in front of them!
Thud! A heavy blow slammed into Dai Song's defensive barrier and sent him flying. The fleeting shadow spun around and kicked Qiu Ming in the chest. The blow failed to knock Qiu Ming off the vehicle, however, and instead triggered an artifact Qiu Ming had attached to his clothes beforehand.
"So you think you can get away?" Qiu Ming steadied himself on the vehicle and swung a leg toward the other man's head.
The Player who had tried to seize the advantage with his speed