The chocobo's intelligence far exceeded that of ordinary monsters. Despite being chased by a large group, it remained calm, its alert round eyes constantly scanning its surroundings, using the terrain to evade the players attempting to get close.

To successfully hunt this chocobo, the players relied solely on their numbers, blocking its path to force it to turn around. In doing so, the chocobo’s speed would significantly decrease during the turn, giving the players a chance to dismount and attack simultaneously. If one or two status effects hit the chocobo, the task would become much easier, as it couldn't fly and, even if not immediately killed, the constant application of status effects would eventually wear it down in the face of many attackers.

The trees in Greenlight Forest were massive, requiring two people to encircle them, with dense foliage overhead and tangled roots below. There were some relatively open spaces between the trees, but the chocobo chose routes near the densest areas. In reality, many people would have tripped over the protruding roots, but their mounts had no such concern, allowing them to gallop through the ancient forest.

However, controlling the mounts required skill, and collisions with trees at such high speeds were not uncommon. Gradually, some players fell behind and dropped out of the chase.

After pursuing the chocobo for more than ten minutes, only experienced egg hunters remained. Finally, a middle-aged archer with a square face and simple attire spoke up, "Now we're all familiar faces. Let's follow my instructions and see if we can take down this chocobo and make a fortune!"

"Haha, Old Wood, we've been waiting for you! Without those jerks causing trouble, go ahead and arrange the attack!" Not only did no one object to the archer's suggestion, but the remaining players welcomed it with laughter.

"Alright, stop holding back your speed and follow my instructions. Move to your positions!" Old Wood squinted at the chocobo ahead, exuding confidence. It turned out that the group had intentionally held back their speed!

Following his commands, the group moved in a coordinated manner, spreading out to both sides in a fan formation, unlike the previous players who had crowded around the chocobo.

Once everyone was in position, Old Wood gave another order. Three individuals suddenly surged forward, closing the distance to the chocobo! These three were initially several meters behind the chocobo but soon caught up simultaneously.

Two of them continued running ahead, while the third approached the chocobo, applying pressure.

In response, the chocobo lunged at the player with its massive body. Though it had no offensive abilities, the impact at such speed was significant!

The player's mount stumbled under the force, barely avoiding a fall!

"Damn! This thing is smart!" the player exclaimed, struggling to control the mount. Although the mount didn't fall, its speed greatly decreased, and the player was pulled back several meters.

Seeing two players ahead of it, the chocobo suddenly spread its large yellow wings and flapped vigorously, increasing its speed dramatically! In an instant, it surpassed the two players by several meters, but this burst of speed couldn't be sustained, and it soon returned to normal running pace.

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"Old Wood, this is an adult chocobo, tough to handle. It uses its wings whenever we catch up, and we might end up exhausting ourselves," one of the players commented.

"Everyone, what do you think? We have a chance, but it depends on luck, and the odds are low," Old Wood pondered aloud.

"Chase it! Damn, it’s rare to see a chocobo. I won’t give up until the end!" one player responded immediately.

"Chase it!"

"Chase it!"

One by one, determined voices echoed through the group. Hunting chocobo eggs was a tedious and monotonous task, and this chocobo brought a thrill to their lives, like a lottery ticket with the potential to pay off big.

"Good!" Old Wood praised them, then began organizing the effort more intensively.

Wishes are beautiful, but sometimes they remain unfulfilled. After another half-hour of pursuit, the group sighed in disappointment as they approached a small river seven or eight meters wide.

The chocobo leaped onto the water surface, flapping its massive wings and lifting its body into the air, running across the water without losing speed, reaching the opposite bank directly.

The players, who had chased the chocobo for nearly an hour, could only watch helplessly. Their mounts could cross the river, but their speed would revert to the players’ own movement speed in the water, negating the mounts’ advantage. By the time they crossed, the chocobo would be long gone, lost in the vast forest.

"Forget it. We did our best. Let’s say we had bad luck. Head back to the supply point, and I’ll buy everyone drinks!" Old Wood sighed, then rallied the exhausted players with renewed spirit.

Encouraged, the players shook off their disappointment and headed back to the supply point.

After crossing the river, the chocobo continued running full speed for a while. Only when it confirmed no one was following did it slow down, eventually stopping to rest under a large tree, shaking off droplets of water from its wet feathers. Unbeknownst to it, a gray-black owl circled overhead, keeping a sharp eye on it.

After Abuli took to the sky, Xiao Hua mounted his own ride and followed closely, watching Abuli navigate overhead. His speed was insufficient to keep up, but with Abuli acting as a guide, he could maintain his pursuit as long as the chocobo didn’t move too swiftly.

Continuing along the chocobo’s escape route, Xiao Hua encountered several players who had fallen behind and were returning to the supply point.

Ignoring their puzzled glances, Xiao Hua pushed his mount to its limits, knowing that his speed paled in comparison to the advanced players with high-quality mounts. Despite his efforts, he could only prevent himself from falling too far behind.

Watching Abuli grow increasingly distant in the sky, Xiao Hua occasionally had to find open areas to spot Abuli. Frustration grew within him as he feared losing sight of the owl.

An hour passed, and the situation worsened. Xiao Hua frequently needed to stop and locate Abuli, fearing he might lose the owl completely. Suddenly, he noticed Abuli circling clockwise in the distance!

Ah! This is promising!

Xiao Hua felt a surge of hope. This indicated that the chocobo had escaped and was resting, as per the instructions given to Abuli: clockwise for resting, counterclockwise if trapped.

Assuming the players had given up, Xiao Hua took a detour to avoid detection. If the chocobo was not being pursued, it would likely rest, making it easier for Abuli to track.

After passing a point where the distance between him and Old Wood's group was over a hundred meters, Xiao Hua soon reached the river that allowed the chocobo to escape.

Swimming across the narrow, clear river, Xiao Hua looked up to see Abuli almost within reach!

Continuing on his mount, Xiao Hua estimated that he was close to the chocobo and dismounted, activating stealth and creeping towards the center of Abuli’s circling pattern.

The chocobo basked leisurely in the sun under a large tree, its wet feathers now dry. Exhausted from an hour of intense running, it relished the peace after evading capture. However, its long-term experience kept it vigilant. Lying on the ground, its round black eyes scanned the surroundings, ready to leap and flee at the slightest disturbance.

Seeing the pale yellow chocobo appear in his field of view, Xiao Hua smiled. Since the chocobo wasn't a boss-level creature, he wasn't worried about being detected while stealthed. Additionally, the chocobo's sense of smell wouldn't be particularly sharp, making it unable to detect him.