T0 Gaming Guild Saves the World.

Chapter 5.5. Is it in this box?

Jiang Heyi and the original flavor fries struggled to get up, each holding a bottle of red-glowing liquid.

The target is too big; there's no need to aim.

The glass bottle spun in mid-air, tracing an arc, the liquid churning and boiling violently. The bright red light dimmed in an instant, without any build-up or transition; the reaction was swift and sudden.

Glass shattered, liquid splattered.

The bottle of original flavor fries hit the ground first, and the moment it came into contact with the tree spirit chieftain's body, it quickly and violently burst into flames. The intense pain caused the vines binding the jailer to twitch.

"boom!"

The sudden explosion sent chills down everyone's spines. The towering tree spirit chieftain managed to stay upright only because of his roots that had sunk into the soil, but all the vines snapped in two.

Jiang Heyi and the original flavor fries used the same agent, [inferior flame agent].

The item description for 【Inferior Flame Potion】 is quite interesting.

"The inferior quality doesn't refer to the quality of the medicine, but to the person who created the formula. She considers it a worthless defective product."

In order to deal with the tree spirits described in the original flavor fries, the two, along with the remaining materials, purchased two bottles of unsold potions from a magician who was selling potions at a street stall outside Windpod City.

The effect was surprisingly good; stabbing with short knives and daggers could only leave white marks, while the hard, stone-like bark was burning fiercely, and the dark green skin gradually turned black.

The jailer, who was nearly swallowed by the pill, rejoined the team, shielded by two others. Since there were no followers in the group, his elemental shield was the primary source of protection for everyone.

The heat wave released by the explosion made the swarming tree spirits around him hesitate, and Zhong Zemo's dented shield got a moment to catch its breath.

Amidst the raging flames, the tree spirit chieftain's already ferocious face was filled with savagery, and his hoarse roar echoed throughout the dark forest.

Despite the item's counter-attribute dealing continuous damage, it remained undeterred, and the trembling vines appeared even more menacing.

Jiang Heyi told Zhong Zemo to stop blocking the tree spirits behind them and instead raised his shield to advance forward.

They underestimated the strength of the monsters in this area. They could easily handle the beasts and slimes on the outskirts of the forest, but once they went a little deeper, the individual strength of the tree spirit chieftain exceeded their ability to cope.

Jiang Heyi decided to lead everyone in one more charge. If they couldn't make it, then they would have to give up...

"Smash it, whatever the skill is!"

After saying that, Jiang Heyi leaped up, and the fire element shield that the jailer had released for him shattered instantly, with the scorching airflow merging into the rusty short knife in his hand.

【Desperate Strike】: Abandon all shields and transform them into a powerful strike.

Just thinking about the skill's name made everything unfold naturally.

In the world of Proof of the Stars, skills are like instincts etched into the minds of every player character. Learning is just a formality; once you think of using them, releasing them is as effortless as eating and drinking.

It's as if it were a real, existing skill.

The roaring flames flickered and died in mid-air. In the instant the explosion rang out, the short sword, which had been thrust out with all its might, pierced into the tree spirit chieftain's hideous face. Then, using the force of the fall, it slashed hard!
The flames shattered the treant chieftain's hard bark armor, leaving the brittle surface as crispy as a suckling pig's skin.

With a "rip," a large piece of bark was torn apart by Jiang Heyi, and the dark green sap boiled under the still-hot bark, making a "hissing" sound.

It's like placing crisp, raw meat slices on a heated iron plate.

Jiang Heyi chose to confront the most dangerous front, while the white-haired female elf controlled by Original Flavor Fries moved with light steps, dodging the waving vines, and came behind the tree spirit chieftain.

She chose the same skill as Jiang Heyi, except that the [Backwater] skill was positioned at the waist.

Kidney explosion is a choice based on the player's personal understanding, but the tree spirits in this world shouldn't have kidneys, right?
It didn't matter anymore; along the gap in the broken bark, the knife also sank deep into the tree spirit chieftain's body.

Zhong Zemo raised the tattered shield high above his head and slammed it down on the tree spirit's head like a pile driver.

"80!"

"80!"

The tree spirit chieftain, who had intended to rise from the ground and escape, was unexpectedly buried in the soil once again.

This became the final straw that broke the tree spirit chieftain's back. In the raging fire, it shrieked mournfully, its body shattered, and the scattered particles of light merged into the four people's bodies.

With the experience gained, the jailer immediately unleashed the Blessing of Wind to accelerate everyone, sucking up the falling debris along the way and leading the group to escape the tree spirit's encirclement.

LOL, they don't dare to linger in battle.

The moment the treant chieftain fell, the approaching, heavy footsteps nearly stopped their hearts and lungs.

Having escaped the tranquil forest and arrived in the open wilderness, the four of them collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.

The game's stamina is a hidden attribute that cannot be viewed through the interface. Some players speculate that it is linked to real-world physical fitness, while others believe that everyone starts at the same point and can improve it through certain in-game methods.

Jiang Heyi didn't know whose statement was correct, but in the end he felt a strong sense of sluggishness. When he thrust out the desperate attack, his body was somewhat out of control, which should be the negative effect of his stamina being exhausted.

"Did you play something wrong this time?"

Now that everyone has survived and escaped the battle, it's time to do a post-game analysis.

This is a classic part of playing games together in the group. The jailer naturally understood that Jiang Heyi meant no harm, so he cooperated by widening his eyes.

"Hey, hey, hey, wasn't my elemental shield applied in time enough? How can that be my fault?"

"But you were the only one who got swept away by the tree spirit."

"You're so selfless, always playing support until the death. Don't you understand the spirit of dedication?"

“I’m a support player too,” Zhong Zemo decided to take credit.

"You have a big shield, you feel so safe, while I'm as flimsy as paper." They're back, they're all back. We used to banter like this when we played together, it was so lively and fun.

If it weren't for the need to argue with life, the voice chat channel would be filled with laughter every night.

"The roster is an issue."

The conversation, ostensibly about sharing dishes but actually just mutual flattery, was interrupted by the calm voice of the original-flavored fries; she always spoke concisely.

She said, "We need a believer to liberate the jailers."

The fact that the jailer was able to use a few wide-range spells earlier did alleviate the predicament of being surrounded and beaten.

"Are there any other believers in the group that you can bring over?"

"They've already formed cliques with smaller groups they're more familiar with."

Zhong Zemo sighed helplessly, "Then it seems we can only find lone wolf players."

Plain Fries glanced indifferently at the jailer: "Before that, the spoils."

The jailer immediately realized what was happening and shouted, "Gold coins are popping!" He then threw everything from his backpack in front of everyone.

Plain fries: "Tsk, all fancy stuff."

A purple, beating heart caught everyone's attention.

[Heart of the Treant]: The dwelling place of a powerful demonic soul.
According to the rarity table of white, green, purple, red, gold, and rainbow drops, this is already considered to be the best drop that players can obtain in the early stages of the game.

Without any guidance, no one knew what other uses it might have besides being sold.

The crowd suddenly fell silent.

"Did you hear that...?"

Before Jiang Heyi could finish speaking, Plain Fries casually said, "I heard it, over there."

not far away.

"Didn't we agree to distribute according to contribution? At least give me a share, right?"

Wearing the believer's outfit initially provided by the system, the human girl looked at her three companions in front of her with a wronged expression as they ignored her requests and began to count their spoils in front of her, her disappointment evident.

The other party didn't bother to explain at all, and chuckled as they discussed where to conduct the transaction after returning home.

Jiang Heyi and his group, hiding in the shadows, witnessed everything. It wasn't just the two scoundrels he encountered who were using the game's allocation settings to trick people.

Before more people discover this pitfall, there will likely be more careless people who fall into it.

"what!"

Zhong Zemo stood up, wanting to do something, but it was too late.

Perhaps annoyed by the noise of the believers, the three who were about to leave each used a skill.

Just like Jiang Heyi's sudden attack that turned the tables, the believers were clearly unprepared and collapsed instantly.

With no neutral units other than the player witnessing the event, the three were completely immune to any assistance from the Judgment Knight.

The fraud, coupled with the attempted murder of the victim, forcing her into an hour-long period of weakness, is rather disgusting.

Zhong Zemo is a very upright person. As a teacher, he sets a good example. Even though it was just a game, he couldn't suppress his anger after witnessing such disgusting things.

Jiang Heyi stopped him.

"If something goes wrong during the execution of justice, death will not only result in weakness but also wear out our current equipment. Now we must prioritize using every penny to power gems."

Seeing that Zhong Zemo was in a bad mood, Jiang Heyi smiled and said, "She is obviously a follower of the Lone Wolf player. Her weakened state lasts for an hour, which is enough for us to find out if she can join the team."

The follower named [Flavorful Orange Tea] still did not choose to return to Windpod City. She manipulated her spirit body and remained silent in place. If it weren't for the sudden appearance of several people in front of her, she probably wouldn't have come to her senses.

Communication is a skill, Jiang Heyi glanced at the prison guard.

This guy is socially anxious, a social terrorist, which is a perfect fit for his profession.

"Would you please step aside for a moment so I can speak more?"

"What's there to avoid?" Jiang Heyi thought to herself, pursing her lips.

Jiang Heyi was somewhat apprehensive about whether to accept a newcomer into a small circle where everyone already knew each other's temperaments and distances. However, the nature of the game meant that no one could deal 9999 damage in one hit, and cooperation was essential for achieving twice the result with half the effort.

This feeling of needing to break out of one's comfort zone again, to give newcomers some space, and to adapt to each other, seems like something I haven't experienced in a long time.

A short while later, the jailer returned with a smile.

"Got it, she's willing to team up with us."

None of us are particularly fussy people. Since we've made a decision and received a response, we'll just go with the flow.

"Can you tell what kind of person he is?"

"A local resident of Chengning City, a freshman in college, whose hobbies are cooking, puzzles, and reading comics, and who is 166cm tall..."

Jiang Heyi and the other two stared wide-eyed, their mouths slightly agape.

Wait, wait, something's not right.

(End of this chapter)