Even though Jing Shu started in the center of the map, she was stuck in a resource-poor zone. Right after the match began, she used her bugs to comb through the sand and check around the only bit of cover nearby—a massive rock. All she found was a bulletproof vest and the broken butt of some unknown gun. Not even a damn axe.
Maybe it was deliberate, maybe not, but it didn't matter much anyway. Jing Shu didn't know that much about firearms. If she really had to gather parts and assemble one, she'd probably get shot halfway through.
Still, being at the center felt too dangerous.
So the moment the game started, she sprinted toward the big rock, grabbed the vest, and put it on. Staying alive came first.
Just then, a burly American soldier came charging from the other side. He didn't have any weapons either, clearly hadn't found anything, but was rushing to regroup with his teammates.
From the way his team kept yelling positions to each other, it seemed like they planned to meet up before hunting anyone down. Jing Shu's group, on the other hand, had members strong enough to fight solo. Everyone trusted their own skills in a brawl.
The soldier looked surprised to see her, then grinned wickedly and started walking over, cracking his knuckles like he'd just found some easy fun.
The host's voice boomed through the speakers, all excited. "Look at that! Our lovely lady seems to be in a bit of trouble. What do you think that soldier's gonna do when faced with a female opponent? Damn, I hope he takes it easy—she's the most beautiful Asian woman I've seen in years!"
A sudden gunshot rang out—someone somewhere had already found or assembled a weapon. The audience's attention immediately shifted toward the sound.
Jing Shu didn't waste time. She tested the weight of the wooden gunstock in her hand and, under the soldier's mocking gaze, swung it hard at his head. That look in his eyes said it all—pure contempt, like watching a kid throw candy at him. He didn't even bother dodging.
But he clearly had no idea how heavy solid wood could be, or what it could do with enough force behind it. A gunstock without a barrel could still pierce flesh if the blow was strong enough.
There was a heavy thud. The soldier's vision went black, pain shot through his skull, and he felt something jam into his eye. His mind blanked as one of his eyes went blind.
The first scream that echoed through the underground arena came from him. By the time the crowd and the host turned to look, they saw the gunstock buried straight into his eye socket. The soldier roared and lunged at Jing Shu, half-crazed. Even wounded, his training kicked in—eliminate the threat first, think later.
But what happened next made several spectators subconsciously touch their necks and mutter under their breath, "Women really are terrifying."
Jing Shu kicked the frenzied soldier to the ground, yanked the gunstock out without hesitation, ignoring the blood spraying everywhere, and drove it straight into his throat. He spasmed a few times, then went still, his one remaining eye staring lifelessly.
The crowd booed, a mix of shock and excitement rippling through them.
First blood.
The host chuckled into the mic. "Well damn, looks like no one in a B-tier mercenary team is easy to mess with. Women are the most dangerous kind of scorpion there is."
Right after the kill, Jing Shu saw Xiao Hei sprinting toward her, screaming his lungs out. Behind him was a huge, muscle-bound man with a shield in one hand and an axe in the other. It was like watching a cat chase a mouse, and the gap in power was obvious.
The worst part? The guy was fast. In just a few seconds, he'd closed most of the distance.
"Save me! Save me! Tank! Ahhh!" Xiao Hei was howling for Tank, running past Monkey, Snake Spirit, and Ling Ling, but Tank was nowhere in sight. He was on the verge of breaking down. He knew he shouldn't have joined this damn death match—he was really going to die here!
The muscleman looked unbeatable, his shield blocking bullets and his axe ready to split skulls.
The host laughed. "Oh, this is getting good! The big guy's about to take down two at once!"
To everyone watching, Jing Shu seemed like an unarmed beauty about to be crushed by a brute. It looked like another cat-and-mouse scene. The host hyped it up, grinning wildly. "Honestly, I love watching people get chopped up piece by piece. Can't wait to see our big guy turn her into mince."
The audience roared in agreement, chanting "Chop! Chop!" while nobles sipped wine and watched the bloodbath like it was fine theater.
But what happened next shattered their composure completely.
The supposedly delicate, deadly woman suddenly grabbed a massive boulder—one that was meant as a prop—and hurled it straight at the big guy.
How big was the rock?
Big enough it had been delivered by truck, the kind used for cover or visual flair on the battlefield, not for lifting. It was meant to make firefights look more dramatic, not for someone to use as a weapon.
Nobody was supposed to move it.
The boulder crashed down from above. The man instinctively raised his shield, thinking it was some lightweight prop. But a heartbeat later, the ground shook with a deafening boom.
The rock hit like a meteor. The shield held up against bullets, sure, but not against a one-ton boulder.
The man's head was crushed instantly, blood and brain matter splattering across the sand. His body turned into mush beneath the rock, leaving only a pair of half-intact legs sticking out.
Double kill.
Xiao Hei swallowed hard, collapsing onto the ground. He'd almost been caught in that too. Just one step closer and he'd be a pancake right next to that guy. He stared at Jing Shu, who dusted her hands off like she'd just finished a chore, and stammered, "B-b-boss…"
So she was the real leader all along.
Gunfire erupted nearby, deafeningly close. Jing Shu's ears rang, and fear crept up her spine. Being at the center was suicide. Her bugs scurried across the sand, relaying the positions of nearby enemies. She needed to move—fast.
Two more were heading straight for her, and they'd already started firing, bullets raining down like they didn't cost a damn thing.