Chapter 135: Are You Okay

Chapter 135: Chapter 135: Are You Okay

"Bang."

"Bang."

Desmond Ulrich watched as the barrel of that person’s gun was pointed right at his forehead. He knew there was no way to escape, but then, before the other could fire, there was another gunshot—quicker than the first. Two shots rang out in quick succession.

With a "bang," the opponent’s head exploded—they were the first to be knocked out. The bullet meant for him veered off course, scraping the edge of his helmet with a crisp "clang" before landing somewhere in the hills behind.

"Team Blue’s sniper, Renee Morgan, scores one point. Total score: 90."

Desmond Ulrich jerked his head up. From where he was, he still couldn’t see anyone—only the faint hint of a black gun barrel hidden in a patch of grass.

The viewers in the livestream erupted, all voicing Desmond Ulrich’s inner thoughts: "Oh my god!"

With their spirits soaring, the twenty-odd members of Team Red were quickly wiped out in one go by Team Blue.

As the group prepared to retreat, they ran straight into Team Red’s reinforcements—a massive force.

The sixteen members of Squad 5 and Renee Morgan hurriedly pulled back to the mountainside of the valley. Any farther and they’d be at a sheer cliff—there was no way to retreat.

Louis led at the very front of the squad. He was the first to spot the girl in the crowd and gripped his rifle tightly, charging forward without hesitation.

But they were still a bit too far away, and the area was littered with barrels, brush, and obstacles. By the time Louis reached the base of the slope, Team Blue had already slipped back into the gully and undergrowth along the mountainside—there was no trace of them to be found.

Louis knew Renee Morgan was a deadly sniper and didn’t dare charge in recklessly. He pressed himself behind a giant tree, waiting for the main force to catch up.

The bulk of Team Red quickly arrived. Spotting Louis, they all came to a halt.

Louis signaled for everyone to keep quiet, to split up and move in teams, to rush in and take them down in one burst—the other side only had a dozen or so people. No matter the cost, they had to wipe them out of the game.

Renee Morgan, now back at the highest spot on the ridge, could clearly see shadowy figures moving at the base of the mountain—she knew Louis had brought the main force.

Jay Monroe had mentioned earlier over comms: Team Red’s reinforcements this time were about 150 strong. Jay and Bama had taken out more than a dozen on the way, but there were still over 130 left.

Seventeen people against over 130—the gap in strength was massive. No matter how good her aim, there was no way to fight them head-on.

A beeping sounded in her earpiece—suddenly, the comms for the team leader, Jay Monroe, and Dane all opened up at the same time.

"Renee Morgan, hold on! We’re making a flank from behind—we’re almost at Team Red’s border post!" the team leader’s rushed voice sounded.

Jay Monroe: "Morgan, Bama and I are tailing Louis’ squad. They’re at the bottom of the hill now—are you guys still holding at the mountainside... Are you okay?"

Dane, hearing Jay’s last question, swallowed back everything he wanted to say. He fell silent.

He and the team leader were flanking with the main force, but hadn’t yet reached Team Red’s border checkpoint. Even at full speed, it would take them ten minutes to reach the mountainside.

Could Renee Morgan and the others hold out?

Renee Morgan peered through the sniper scope. The words from the leader and Jay Monroe echoed in her earpiece, one after another.

At some point, the livestream chat had gone quiet. When Louis was chasing after Renee Morgan, the viewers’ hearts had been in their throats.

And now, hearing Jay’s update, the mood grew even heavier.

It was obvious to everyone just how much danger Renee Morgan and her Squad 5 teammates were in this time.

One by one, new messages began scrolling across the once-silent chat.

Most were cheering Renee Morgan on, giving her encouragement.

[If Renee can survive this round, she’s truly God Renee. Renee, you have to hang in there!!]

[If Renee is eliminated this time, I won’t watch anymore. It’s just too heartbreaking. Ooo...]

[Oof, I’m so sad. If she goes, my daily mental support is gone...]

[I want to cry too. I knew the stream would end one day, but I never expected it to end like this. What a pity.]

[Hey, Morgan’s not out yet! How come you guys are crying already /crylaugh/crylaugh]

The usual petty trolls seemed to sense their moment and all jumped out, wearing smug grins.

[Oh wow, is Renee Morgan finally about to die, finally about to be knocked out? Watching her prance around the show every day annoys me. Just because she has a decent-looking face, every guy in the game looks out for her. The plot armor is so obvious.]

[Agree +1. There’ve been hundreds of exposés online about Dane and Jay Monroe’s identities. Real or not, their strength is unquestionable, yet they all serve as backdrop for Renee Morgan? This is a competitive show using the script of a female lead drama—props for the producers’ creativity.]

[Come on, if Renee Morgan isn’t out soon, then there really must be a script. Since episode one, this woman has been unbeatable.]

[What do you mean if? There is definitely a script, just a lousy one. Time and again they dumb down the cast (Wendy Aldridge) and all the other players to prop Renee up. Someone who just has a bit of martial arts background suddenly becomes invincible? If it’s not a script, what is it? I bet the producers realized it couldn’t go on, so they just arranged a glorified exit for her right before the end.]

Many viewers saw these comments and were so angry they didn’t even know how to respond.

The authority of the Base is recognized internationally; there’s no way they’d script or fake it—but these people refuse to believe it. Renee Morgan’s growth, they turn a blind eye to, blaming it all on "scripted content."

Basically, if Renee Morgan was laid-back and unambitious, they scorned her for being spineless. If she worked hard and made real progress, achieving impressive results, they accused the show of being fake or contrived.

The international chat was equally somber.

Most users there were Renee Morgan’s fans—none of them wanted to see their goddess leave the game early.

The livestream cameras zoomed in on Renee Morgan: under the blazing sun, she was lying flat in a mountain gully, hands on her sniper rifle, helmet pulled down, her ponytail soaked and twisted up high. Her already porcelain skin was tinged with a sickly paleness in the sunlight, her cheeks burning red like two flames. Her lips parted to breathe, warding off the heat, but her eyes locked on the scope remained cool and steady.

For a moment, everyone felt a strange calm wash over them.

[Renee has already proven herself. If this battle ends here, she lives on in my heart forever.]

[God Renee, in my heart forever!]

[God Renee, forever!]

[God Renee, forever!]

Chinese viewers, just finished with lunch, tossed their takeout containers only to return and see the entire chat filled with "God Renee, forever." If they hadn’t already figured out "God Renee" meant Renee, that Renee was Morgan, they’d almost think they’d landed in the wrong stream.