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After saying goodbye to Chu Yuhang, Xiao Yun and the others quickly reunited with their last teammates.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and the autumn morning was a little chilly.

Qin Zhou exhaled a puff of hot air and greeted Xiao Yun:

"I've been waiting for you all for a while. Is everyone here? Shall we set off?"

"Wait a minute, let me form a team."

Qin Zhou was taken aback and subconsciously asked:

"Isn't it already assembled? What's the point of assembling it again..."

Before the words were finished, a crisp notification sound rang in my ears.

[Ding! Player Xiao Yun has sent you a team invitation. Do you accept?]

[Team: Deer Hunting Squad]

[Captain: Xiao Yun]

[Team Type: Temporary Contract]

Team size: 4/10

[Team Formation Requirements: Designated personnel required to form a team]

[Ding! Congratulations, the team panel is now unlocked...]

Everyone was stunned for a moment when they saw the pop-up window that suddenly appeared in front of them.

What was supposed to be a simple deer hunt turned into a huge surprise before the operation even officially began.

Moreover, after everyone had a general understanding of the team panel, they discovered that this so-called "temporary contract" was not simple at all.

The team formation panel includes three team formation modes: free team formation, random team formation, and contract team formation.

The first two team-up methods do not require anything; as long as both parties have the team-up panel enabled, they can team up.

However, there is no guarantee of safety in the team, with only one penalty: "You will only receive 50% of the reward you are entitled to after killing a teammate."

This punishment is too lenient and almost meaningless.

But Xiao Yun's contract team-up is something else entirely.

As a system-certified contract, all members of the team must abide by the three basic principles of non-harming, shared risk, and freedom and equality, as well as the remaining nine regulations that guarantee equality and safety.

As the team leader, Xiao Yun also has the right to set three special rules, but they are subject to restrictions—the effectiveness of the special rules cannot exceed the three basic principles, and they cannot conflict with the basic team formation rules.

Moreover, the principle of equivalent exchange must be followed.

Special Rule 1: Team leader Xiao Yun is responsible for protecting the lives of the other team members. Without violating principles, other team members must obey the team leader's instructions.

Special Rule 2: Within 24 hours, all special rules will be monitored and enforced by the system, which will make the final decision. However, the team formation time is shortened from 72 hours to 24 hours.

The first two clauses are very reasonable, which shows Xiao Yun's thoughtfulness and sincerity.

But the last one seems a bit strange.

Special Rule 3: During the team formation period, the team leader Xiao Yun will not participate in the distribution of any valuable items obtained by the team. All physical gains will be distributed among the remaining nine team members according to their contributions.

Additionally, 50% of the score corresponding to items obtained by the team during the team-up period will belong entirely to the team leader, Xiao Yun.

"Why... do you need so many ratings?"

Chen Liming looked puzzled, while Xiao Yun's words were somewhat vague:

"Let's test the daily score cap. Of course, this will definitely affect everyone's daily score. If anyone has any objections, they can choose not to join the team."

Upon receiving the [Team Contract] and seeing its feature description, Xiao Yun immediately thought of this method of use.

I tried it today, and it actually worked!

Although the cost is high, it means that Xiao Yun will not gain any tangible benefits today.

However, if the combined efforts of ten people can help them achieve a score of 120 or higher, meeting the requirements for awakening a profession, then it's all worthwhile.

"I don't have any objections, but... is 50% of the rating enough? If you need it, Brother Yun, you might as well take it all."

"Haha, actually I thought so too, but the rules require equivalence, and 50% is already the limit."

Xiao Yun smiled and patted Huang Haoran on the shoulder, his expression slightly shifting.

This guy is as good at handling things as ever.

After listening to Xiao Yun's explanation, Huang Haoran accepted the team invitation without hesitation.

After hesitating for a while, Chen Liming and the others also joined the group.

For them, the highest score they could get each day was only thirty or forty points, so exchanging half of it for more supplies was undoubtedly a worthwhile deal.

Moreover, it's obvious to anyone with eyes that Xiao Yun has immense potential, and he happens to need points, so agreeing to the conditions is also a way of doing this future big shot a favor.

The team of ten quickly reached its capacity, and during the time it took to form the team, the group arrived at their destination.

Because we set off very early, it was not yet eight o'clock.

"This is probably the place."

Xiao Yun pointed to the stream in front of him, which was less than half a meter wide, and then to the sparse woods and bushes beside it.

"We split into three teams and cordoned off this area."

"Don't you need to dig traps or anything to deal with large animals like deer?"

"No need, the terrain here isn't suitable for digging traps."

Xiao Yun gave a brief explanation, then took out a net gun and a [Hypnotic Blowdart] item card and distributed them to the others.

"The net gun restricts movement, the hypnotic blowdart renders the giant stag helpless, and my magical shockwave provides backup—that's enough."

Everyone nodded and took out the prepared props.

"I have a few gillnets here that can also be used; we can just throw them at the deer."

"Veterinary anesthetics can be applied to weapons and have some effect."

"I settled some tripwires a few days ago; they should be able to deal with deer too."

"I just borrowed a few compound bows from the guild, let's share them..."

"Okay, everyone take your walkie-talkies and communicate promptly if there are any problems."

After allocating the props and equipment and discussing the general plan, it was almost nine o'clock.

We'll be there in about an hour and a half before the giant antlered deer arrive.

As autumn deepens and the northwest wind begins to blow, the air grows cooler.

The group split into teams, went downwind, hid in the grass, ate their dry rations, and waited quietly.

At 10:30, the temperature gradually rose as the sun shone.

A thin mist drifted through the leaves.

The dappled sunlight filtered through the tree canopy, through the hazy mist and dust, and shone on the stream in shimmering rays.

"Yo—"

The melodious calls of deer echoed through the forest, ethereal and song-like.

rustling sounds—clicking sounds—

The sound of leaves and bushes being squeezed could be heard from time to time.

Each time the sound rang out, everyone's heart skipped a beat.

Thump—thump—

Whether it was the sound of deer hooves pounding the ground or someone's heartbeat, it became the only sound in this silence.

Like the rapid drumbeats before the climax in a symphony, or the muffled thunder before a storm...

Tata—Tata—

The drumbeats became crisper and denser, louder and closer, until finally it felt as if someone was banging a drum right next to my ear, making my ears ache.

This isn't a heartbeat; it's the footsteps of a herd of deer.

The throbbing pain in my ears wasn't an illusion; it was the vibration caused by the giant beast trampling the earth.

The Giant Horned Deer arrived as promised, less than 500 meters from where Xiao Yun and the others were lying in ambush.

With the help of the Invincible Crow King's vision, Xiao Yun was able to observe the deer herd in advance.

More than a dozen enormous beasts, each the size of a small car, roamed the forest. Their massive bodies blocked out the light, and their giant horns rose like mountains.

The lead giant stag was nearly as tall as a building, with two enormous antlers the size of millstones on its head. Its thick, yellowish-brown fur was as stiff as steel needles, and under the sunlight, it shimmered with a steel-like luster.

Is it really possible for people like us to hunt animals of this size?