228: Christmas Tree Race

"Understood!"

The the five people arrived at the city square, where a new portal had opened. Behind the portal was a magical forest, covered in frost yet lush and vibrant, exuding a festive atmosphere.

The the five people did not hesitate and immediately stepped into the portal again.

Inside the Christmas Forest, light filtered down in dappled patterns through the giant, snow-covered tree canopies. The air was filled with the scent of pine needles and honey. Christmas trees adorned with blank ornaments were everywhere, as were professional players from various countries who had arrived earlier and were bustling about.

Dawn Squad immediately sprang into action.

Xu Bai repeatedly pointed his bone staff, summoning several small "Abyssal Stealth Bats" and "Shadow Walkers." They silently blended into the forest shadows, beginning to search for decorations from different directions. Shadow Claw, relying on its keen sense of smell, tracked the scent of the "stealing goblins."

Yu Yue carried his giant shield on his back, like a mobile fortress, collecting Xu Bai's summoned creatures and the decorations Han Ruoxue found.

Han Ruoxue cast "Moonlight · Agility" on all team members, significantly increasing their movement speed. She herself, along with Silver Pupil, moved like Moonlight elves through the forest, rapidly searching for "blessed Christmas elves" and areas dense with decorations.

Ji Linghan transformed into a human-shaped bolt of lightning. With each swing of his war hammer, any "stealing goblins" daring to approach were instantly electrocuted into charcoal, clearing obstacles for the squad with extreme efficiency.

Chu Yixing, treading on his green lotus immortal sword, hovered dozens of meters above the forest. His sharp gaze swept over the vast area below. Azure Heaven circled beside him, occasionally letting out a low growl, pointing towards a direction rich in decorations.

"[Squad Channel]"

Xu Bai: Northeast direction, 300 meters, found a candy cane cluster, about 20 canes, but guarded by two elite goblins. Coordinates (211, 95).

Ji Linghan: Leave it to me, arriving soon!

Han Ruoxue: Found a Christmas elf in the northwest corner. It needs help finding its hat, which was blown to the treetop. Completed. Obtained "Blessed Ribbons" x10 and a "Temporary Luck Boost" status.

Yu Yue: Received. Ling Han, after you're done, bring the candy canes back to coordinates (150, 150). There's an open space here suitable for concentrating decorations.

Chu Yixing: Discovered the shadow of the world tree, right in the center of the forest, very tall, emitting powerful energy fluctuations. Several squads are already observing around it, including teams from Eagle Country and Bear Country. No one has made a move yet, seemingly waiting for something.

"The shadow of the world tree..." Chu Yixing's eyes were grave. That giant tree was like a mountain made of emerald, its trunk so thick that dozens of people would be needed to embrace it, and its canopy pierced the clouds, exuding a terrifying pressure. In the clearing beneath the tree, Eagle Country's Royal Knights Squad, Bear Country Polar Lights Squad, as well as Neon Squad's Moon Shadow Squad, Goryeo's Destiny Squad, and other strong teams were wary of each other, forming a delicate balance.

"Captain, should we go over?" Yu Yue asked in the channel.

"No rush." Chu Yixing calmly replied, "Decorating the shadow of the world tree is by no means easy; the amount of decorations needed is probably astronomical, and there will surely be powerful Guardians. We'll first accumulate points by decorating ordinary trees, improve our squad ranking, and at the same time, closely monitor the situation over there. Ruo Xue, try to approach the World Tree area, scout the specific situation, and be careful."

"Understood." Han Ruoxue's figure moved, applying a layer of Moon Shadow status to herself, then silently stealthily moved towards the central area with Silver Pupil.

Dawn Squad began efficiently decorating ordinary Christmas trees. Due to their clear division of labor and tacit cooperation, their efficiency far surpassed most other teams.

Yu Yue was responsible for transporting the decorations to the selected trees, Xu Bai's summoned creatures and Ji Linghan were responsible for vigilance and clearing the area. Han Ruoxue also joined the decorating work upon her return; her Moonlight Power could even slightly increase the decorating speed.

Soon, Christmas trees adorned with colorful baubles, sparkling stars, candy canes, and ribbons were decorated, emitting warm light and cheerful music, continuously bringing in points for the squad. Occasionally, some ignorant goblins or other squads tried to take advantage of the situation, but they were easily resolved by Ji Linghan's violent lightning and Yu Yue's sturdy shield.

During this time, they also encountered Kyushu's own Panshi (Bedrock/Boulder) Squad, who adopted a more cautious strategy. They occupied a smaller decoration rich spot, steadily advancing with their strong defense. Although their completion speed per tree was not as fast as Dawn Squad, they excelled in stability, and their points were close behind.

Time passed minute by minute. On the squad leaderboard, Dawn Squad, relying on its extremely high completion efficiency and quantity, remained at the forefront, alternating positions with strong teams like Eagle Country's Royal Knights and Bear Country Aurora Borealis.

Approximately three hours after the event began, a sudden change occurred in the central area.

"Roar—!"

A deafening roar came from the direction of the shadow of the world tree, accompanied by a powerful pressure that reached the outer edges of the forest.

Chu Yixing immediately ascended on his sword. He saw a giant face made of bark appear on the thick trunk of the World Tree, and at its roots, the soil churned as several giant "Guardian Ancient Trees" made of thorns and roots rose from the ground, launching indiscriminate attacks on the various squads below who were eager to make a move.

"The World Tree's Guardian has been activated!" Chu Yixing's eyes narrowed, "It seems someone couldn't hold back and made the first move!"

"[Squad Channel]"

Han Ruoxue (speaking a little faster): It's Neon Squad's Moon Shadow Squad. They tried to use stealth to directly decorate the star at the top of the tree, triggering the Guardian mechanism. Now the Guardian Ancient Trees are attacking all professional players within a 500-meter radius of the World Tree. The Guardian Ancient Trees are estimated to be above Level 55, with extremely high physical and magic resistance, and they can control surrounding plants to attack.

"Guardian Ancient Trees above Level 55..." Xu Bai mused, "Forcing our way in would not be wise."

"But this is also an opportunity." Ji Linghan's fighting spirit was boiling, "Everyone is at the same starting line. Whoever finds a method first will get the first kill."

Chu Yixing made a decisive decision: "Everyone, move towards the edge of the central area at coordinates (20, 20). We won't be the first to stick our necks out, but we must observe from close range and look for an opportunity. Yu Yue, prepare the Holy Light Barrier; we might be hit by stray attacks."

The the five people quickly gathered at the outer perimeter of the World Tree area. Many teams had already assembled here, all observing from a distance as those mountain-like Guardian Ancient Trees indiscriminately attacked nearby teams.

The Eagle Country Squad raised a combined Holy Light Shield, while the Bear Country Squad, relying on their powerful individual strength and ice magic, maneuvered around the ancient trees' roots. The Neon Squad appeared somewhat disheveled, dodging with difficulty under the slightly mocking gazes of the Goryeo Squad.

---

New author, new book, welcome everyone to point out errors, give suggestions, advice, inspiration, etc.!

First time writing a book, please be gentle with criticism, and please leave comments, likes, recommendations, and add to your bookshelf!

Recruiting supporting characters and villains! You can send me names and background information via private message or write them in the comment section!

Recruiting future plot ideas! Everyone can write down activities, plots, conflicts, etc., that they wish to see in the book review section!