“Disgusting.” The Earth Horse frowned and spat out two words before raising the ice ball above her head and hurling it straight at Joe Keung.
Joe Keung employed the same strategy as before, roughly predicting the ball’s trajectory based on the Earth Horse’s movements. He swung the bat horizontally, intercepting the ice ball mid-flight.
“Bro Joe…” White Nine blinked, watching the scene unfold with an indescribable unease in his heart.
This time, Joe not only took three steps forward but also swung the bat even earlier.
Even now… was he still improving?
Could he really adapt to the attacks of an “Earth-level” opponent?
**CRACK!**
A sharp, loud snap rang out as Joe’s bat struck the ice ball cleanly. Unlike before, the ball didn’t fly off wildly—instead, it shattered into countless white fragments upon impact.
What should have been a moment of triumph turned grim as the group noticed Joe’s hands trembling faintly around the metal bat.
Qi Xia’s eyes widened in alarm. He wanted to rush forward and check on Joe, but then he remembered the Earth Horse’s earlier warning: *No one is allowed to enter the game area.*
“This is bad…” Qi Xia muttered under his breath, his mind racing. “I need to think of something… fast.”
Saturday, standing beside him, noticed his distress but before she could ask anything, Joe staggered in the distance before collapsing to his knees.
Blood trickled from his hands, his forearms, and even his bare torso—his skin riddled with tiny wounds as if pierced by countless needles.
“An ice ball that shatters into fragments at this distance…” Qi Xia gritted his teeth. “Just how…”
Joe used the bat to steady himself, remaining motionless for several seconds before slowly rising to his feet. He hefted the bat back onto his shoulder with a strained grin.
“What a hassle…” he muttered bitterly. “Hitting it is bad… not hitting it is worse… I really don’t know what to…”
Before he could finish, he coughed lightly.
The shattered ice fragments felt like tiny bullets embedded in his body—he couldn’t even pinpoint the worst of the pain, only that his entire upper body was screaming in agony.
“Hey!” A voice suddenly called out from the distance.
Joe turned with difficulty to see the speaker—none other than Luo Shiyi, the man he had once defeated by sheer endurance.
“Seriously?” Luo Shiyi shrugged. “An ice ball is just frozen water, isn’t it? You’re kneeling just from getting splashed? How could a little water make you feel pain?”
Joe stared at him in confusion, his lips parting slightly. “Aren’t you the guy who ‘doesn’t feel pain’? Why don’t you try it yourself—”
Before he could finish, the pain in his body abruptly vanished. His grip on the bat steadied, strength surging back into his arms.
“Who said anything about ‘not feeling pain’?” Luo Shiyi scowled. “I’m Luo Shiyi, the ‘Forgetful of Sorrow.’ Last time, you didn’t earn my respect, but now you have. Take my ‘belief’ with you and smash everything she throws at you.”
Joe nodded. “‘Forgetful of Sorrow,’ huh? I’ll remember you.”
The Earth Horse watched in bewilderment as Joe, despite his grievous injuries, suddenly regained his vigor.
*What’s going on? How many ‘Echoers’ are even in this game?*
*Have they truly mastered their ‘Echoes’ to the point of influencing others without physical contact—just through words?*
Joe swung the bat forcefully a few times, relishing the absence of pain and even the biting cold.
But with each swing, his wounds bled more profusely.
“Let’s end this quickly.” Joe motioned for the others to push their cart forward a few more meters.
He, too, advanced another three steps, now so close to the Earth Horse that he could make out every bristle on her equine face.
Yet, strangely, the Earth Horse didn’t reach for another ball. She simply stood still, letting the seconds tick by.
Joe glanced at the countdown on the wall and frowned. “Damn it… you’re stalling?”
The game’s rule was clear: *Complete one round trip within fifteen minutes.* But if the Earth Horse refused to act, were they just supposed to wait?
Qi Xia caught on immediately and called out, “Keep moving. The first wave of attacks is over.”
“Over?”
The group nodded and pushed the cart forward, step by step, until they reached the endpoint. As Qi Xia predicted, the Earth Horse remained motionless the entire time.
Only when they turned the cart around did she finally retrieve another projectile—this time, not one, but two black spheres linked by a rope.
With the group now dangerously close, Joe positioned himself directly in front of the Earth Horse, locking eyes with her.
“So your attacks come in phases?” he said. “What cruel trick do you have this time?”
“This time…” The Earth Horse smirked humorlessly. “Care to guess?”
“Let me apologize sincerely—I can’t guess underhanded tactics.” Though his tone was calm, Joe’s focus never wavered, tracking her every move. If she threw those balls at the cart now, all their efforts would be wasted.
“If you can’t guess… too bad.” She tossed the black spheres lightly, giving Joe a better look.
The two balls were unnaturally smooth, their material unlike coal or iron, and noticeably larger than the previous projectiles.
As the group retreated a few steps, the Earth Horse shifted her stance, swinging the linked spheres idly.
Two men in the group tried to push the cart faster toward the starting point, but Joe sensed danger. White Nine swiftly stopped them.
“Wait!” Joe turned back. “If we move too fast, I can’t protect everyone on the cart!”
Given the length of the bamboo tube, the Earth Horse had at least one more ball left—meaning she still had three projectiles and two attack opportunities.
At her throwing speed, the cart wouldn’t reach the finish line before someone was fatally struck.
The Earth Horse gripped the rope between the two black spheres, raising them slowly overhead. Joe swung his bat into position, adjusting rapidly as her aim shifted.
*Too low—*
The trajectory was alarmingly low, but Joe managed to strike one of the balls with the tip of his bat.
He expected her to aim for his legs, but instead, she hurled both spheres straight at the ground between his feet.
**CLINK!**
The black spheres shattered upon impact, releasing a thick, dark liquid that spread rapidly beneath their feet.
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