72. THE RACE FOR GOLD

What was supposed to be a relaxing journey turned into a nightmare as the players were bombarded with arrows. Everyone ran as fast as they could, fearing an arrow might pierce their bodies. Each player had been warned to protect Princess Brownbeard, so everyone tried to shield Miriam from danger.

They kept running, followed by voices that sounded like wild animals. The tall bushes made the journey difficult, allowing the enemies behind them to get closer.

"Should we fight them?" Ethan asked, breathless.

Garreth quickly shook his head. "Just run."

They all stopped at the end of the narrow path, shocked to see it was a dead end. The edge was a high cliff, with a stream below that might be twenty meters down.

Arrows kept coming.

"Jump!" Garreth shouted.

"No!!" Miriam started to panic.

Some arrows hit other players, though not in vital areas. They groaned in pain and forced themselves to jump into the water.

Seeing the critical situation, Ethan immediately grabbed Miriam's arm and jumped. Garreth and Dane followed. Until...

'Splash! Splash!'

Ethan tried to stay calm underwater and followed Garreth's instructions from their previous diving mission. Ethan quickly swam to the shore along with his friends. They had escaped the threat of arrows.

Dane sat on the ground, bleeding from his arm. The young man quickly opened a holographic screen but turned it off immediately.

"I can't buy a health pack," Dane grumbled.

"Let me see your wound." Miriam approached Dane and examined his arm. "This is pretty deep; your blood will keep flowing."

Tears started to form in Dane's eyes. "It hurts."

Ethan took off his wet shirt and tore off a piece of the fabric. He quickly bandaged Dane's wound with the cloth to stop the bleeding.

"He needs clean cloth," Garreth said.

"Where else? At least this is for now." Ethan sighed softly. "We must finish this mission soon because many players are injured."

Garreth understood Ethan's point. If they took too long, the injured players' conditions would worsen, making their quest for the treasure more difficult.

It would be easier to leave the others behind, but who knew what dangers lay ahead? What if they had to face the barbarians with fewer players?

Ethan felt that the arrow attack was related to new figures who might be blocking their way ahead.

"Come on, we need to go now," Ethan urged.

The four searched for a path or clues to the following location. The other players were still resting, not moving from their spots. Ethan sighed softly; at this rate, everyone would be delayed.

"Everyone, let's go," Ethan repeated louder.

The players' eyes looked at him with dislike. It seemed as if Ethan wanted to become their leader.

"Please. If we stay here, we'll waste time," the young man politely pleaded.

"Have you ever felt your wounds won't heal? It hurts!!" one player shouted. "For god's sake, give us a break!"

"He has gone through a lot, just like you. Don't be a baby!" Miriam snapped angrily.

The players have yet to respond.

"If I fail this game, then we all fail. Do you want that?" Miriam stepped forward with her hands on her hips. "The mission is clear! If I survive and we get the treasure, all players can pass this level!"

Garreth cleared his throat, amused because Miriam was indeed playing her role.

"But it doesn't matter if you still want to laze around. I'll go with those who want to win this level. The choice is yours!" the red-haired woman concluded bluntly.

Hearing Miriam's anger, the other players started to rise and follow Ethan's lead. They entered the dense forest, strolling while recovering their energy.

Miriam looked annoyed but couldn't force the others to move faster. At least for now, they were united, which was progress.

As night fell and visibility became poor, they all stopped. Some players gathered firewood and made a campfire. The cold air made them shiver, and some began showing signs of fever.

"We can't keep going like this; we'll lose to the other team," Garreth whispered, worried.

"So what's your suggestion? This is a team game; if we leave them, we'll also lose. The concept is we have to stay together." Ethan looked at Dane, who was curled up and starting to babble. "I'm more worried about our teammates' condition, Garreth."

"I was just giving my opinion, Ethan."

Ethan nodded. "I understand. We'll rest and continue our journey faster tomorrow. Don't worry, as long as our team sticks together."

Garreth nodded, then moved away from Ethan and closer to the campfire. Some players were still awake, as it was their turn to keep watch.

Carefully, Ethan touched Dane's forehead and felt the warmth. Dane seemed to be struggling to hang on; if his mind gave up, he would have a full-blown fever. Ethan rested his back against a tree trunk beside Dane and closed his eyes.

...

A shake on his shoulder woke Ethan immediately. He saw Miriam's face very close, her expression hard to read.

"We found it, the Gold Beacon treasure!" Miriam exclaimed, pointing to the dense trees ahead. "We were so close, Ethan. Last night, it was too dark to search further."

"Are you sure?" Ethan stood up quickly.

"Everyone has already gone that way; hurry!"

Ethan followed Miriam, and about five hundred meters ahead, there was a towering cliff with a cave entrance decorated with temple-like ornaments. The temple ornaments were golden, and the treasure was confirmed to be the Gold Beacon. It was very conspicuous.

As Ethan and his team entered, another team with red badges approached from a different direction. They started rushing to get inside the temple. However, there were more than five doors to continue the game. The blue and red badge teams remained cautious, as they had different missions.

"Should we take them out here?" Reynald chuckled, seeing Ethan's team in much worse condition than the red badge team.

Reynald drew his curved sword, grinning as he pointed at Ethan.

"You first, Ethan," Reynald hissed.