Reign of the Hunters

Chapter 124 Man Proposes, God Disposes

How does the saying go? Speak of the devil…

As Ye Ci was contemplating on accepting Sir Ditty’s invitation, she received a private message from a stranger. It was NightAndDay. His tone was rather polite, “Gongzi You, perhaps you’ve had some misunderstanding with some of my guild members, but this is a fight between Tang Dynasty and Wolf Pack. You don’t have to get involved, don’t you think?”

His reasoning was actually sound. Although Ye Ci did have issues with Wandering Cloud and co., she had nothing against NightAndDay. She did not wish to get involved in a feud between two major guilds either, especially in a situation when her actions would reflect upon Upwards Ho!. Compared to Wolf Pack and Tang Dynasty, Upwards Ho! was very very weak.

She was only here to open Hidden Treasure Bay. It was totally unnecessary for her to get involved.

Before she could give her response, a huge group of Tang Dynasty melee players began charging at her. She was taken aback. What the hell were they trying to do?

NightAndDay could smell danger the moment Ye Ci spoke in the map channel. He creased his eyebrows, looking at Wandering Cloud who was not far away. He had a vibe that Gongzi You did not exactly have a “small misunderstanding” with Mu Qing and Glistening Snow. And with how well he knew Sir Ditty, the person would not let go of the opportunity of Ye Ci’s appearance. He would definitely persuade her to join his side. That was the reason why NightAndDay immediately sent a private message to Ye Ci.

Before he could get a response from Ye Ci, Lazy Blue shouted out in the guild channel, “Gongzi You, that bully! Follow me guys! Let’s take this Huntress out! Do not allow her to join forces with Wolf Pack!”

If Gongzi You was the only one mentioned by Lazy Blue, not many would have followed him into battle. But he had associated her with Wolf Pack, and such an action provoked the players’ animosity towards Ye Ci. A number of the melee players fighting at the front line had turned around and dashed towards Ye Ci along with Lazy Blue.

“No! Hold it right there!” shouted NightAndDay, who noticed how bad the situation had turned. He could feel that Gongzi You was already on her way to leave the battlefield, but with his members attacking Gongzi You right at that moment, the situation would definitely take a turn for the worst.

NightAndDay was 2 seconds too late. Within that 2 seconds, the melee players had already charged at Ye Ci.

“Hold still! Those who attack Gongzi You will have 500 DKP deducted!” NightAndDay roared into the guild channel. He was, however, too late.

The dozens of melee players were already dead before he could even finish his sentence. Lazy Blue, was of course one of the casualties.

Ye Ci was never one to sit and wait for death. Although getting involved in the fight between Tang Dynasty and Wolf Pack was the last thing she wanted, it did not mean that she would just laugh it off when somebody was trying to attack her. Ye Ci summoned and mounted on Ol’ Four, then commanded the beast to cast Tremor.

All enemy players within 30 yards of Ye Ci were Stunned, while some softer targets died almost instantly. Those who had tougher defences were dispatched one by one with Ye Ci’s crossbow.

After taking care of the opponents who were attacking her, Ye Ci accepted Sir Ditty’s invitation and joined Wolf Pack’s party.

“Well met, Gongzi You! I’ve heard a lot about you.” Sir Ditty, who had given up hopes of trying to persuade Ye Ci into joining his side, was surprised when she joined the party.

“The pleasure is mine.” Ye Ci chuckled. After dispatching the last player who was Stunned, Ye Ci headed straight towards Wolf Pack’s party.

She was directly behind Tang Dynasty’s position, which was the perfect position for a surprise attack. But even she would be in a pinch if she was surrounded. The situation was especially true when Tang Dynasty players began to slowly form up around her. Despite her higher than average level, and the fact that Ol’ Four was an Epic tier monster, even an elephant could be killed by swarming hordes of ants. If Ye Ci engaged herself in a prolonged fight, she would be at a disadvantage. That was why Ye Ci headed straight towards the Wolf Pack’s main force without a single ounce of hesitation.

She sent NightAndDay a private message while she was on the move, “Guild Leader Black, is this what you mean by not wanting me to get involved? I was ready to back away, but you tried to kill me? What sort of logic is this?”

“No, Gongzi You, this is just a misunderstanding. I did not give the order!” NightAndDay was placed in an awkward position. He was very distraught. The fight against Wolf Pack was distress enough for him. With the involvement of Gongzi You in the fight, he was even more pressured. He was not afraid of Gongzi You, but her T-rex with unknown origins was just too strong. It was able to kill a lot of his members within seconds. Tang Dynasty was lucky that most of their players were quite far away from the beast. If it rushed into the heart of their formation… The results would be unimaginable.

NightAndDay could not offer Ye Ci a valid explanation as Tang Dynasty players were swarming her in a tidal wave of bodies.

Noticing that Ye Ci was rushing towards Wolf Pack’s side with skills constantly landing on her, Sir Ditty immediately ordered the Clerics of Wolf Pack to support her. Despite her high level and superior equipment, it was impossible for Ye Ci to make her way to Wolf Pack’s side from the rear of Tang Dynasty’s formation without a scratch. With so many skills fired her way, even if most of them missed, a lot of them would connect. As Ye Ci made her way to join up with Wolf Pack, she had never stopped using bandages on herself while chugging down bottle after bottle of Health Potion. Despite that, she was very, very close to dying.

Fortunately, Sir Ditty had a good sense of the situation, and immediately directed his people to heal Ye Ci. Ye Ci let out a sigh of relief, “That was too close.”

In a fight where both sides were evenly matched, even a small detail could turn the tide of battle.

In the battle between Tang Dynasty and Wolf Pack on this day, the ‘small detail’ came in the form of Ye Ci. Although she had thought about it thoroughly, and knew that the battle would affect Upwards Ho! as well, but she couldn’t stand it any longer. She wanted to dive into battle and give it everything she had.

Tang Dynasty’s failure to kill Ye Ci as she ploughed through their ranks was a blow to the guild’s morale. With Wolf Pack and Ye Ci joining forces, the victor was already decided.

A battle like this greatly taxed a guild’s manpower and wealth. The two sides were unwilling to commit too much of their firepower in a dispute for a leveling spot. They had originally planned to end the battle quickly, and Ye Ci’s arrival served only to speed things up for them.

Before long, Tang Dynasty sounded a retreat.

There was no eternal victory nor was there everlasting defeat in a fight between big guilds. The victors today might not be able to have the last laugh tomorrow. Losing this day did not mean that one will forever be the underdog. Not many paid attention to the results of this battle, and the resentment between members of both side settled down within 2 to 3 days.

Once Tang Dynasty’s players had fully retreated, Sir Ditty immediately sent a friend request to Ye Ci. Despite his youth, there was a hint of maturity behind his dark eyes. He smiled at Ye Ci, “Gongzi You, thanks to you we’re able to beat Tang Dynasty back today without a hitch. You’ve done us a great favor.”

Ye Ci pursed her lips, ignoring Sir Ditty’s flattery, “I’m only passing by, but I got trapped in the crossfire.”

Sir Ditty nodded, “Today’s incident is nothing big for Wolf Pack, but it could bring a huge impact to Upwards Ho!. To be frank with you, we’ve dragged you into this, and that’s our fault.”

“It’s nothing. Since we’re already playing this game, we don’t have to be afraid of fighting and dispute. Upwards Ho! might be few, but we’re no pushovers.”

“If Tang Dynasty ever tries to mess with you people, let me know.” Despite Ye Ci’s answer, Sir Ditty gave a solemn promise of his own.

It appeared that Sir Ditty was a dependable person. Ye Ci chuckled after listening to his words. Although she had no thoughts of relying on Sir Ditty to solve her problems, but she respected the person for making such a promise as the leader of Eastern Continent’s no.1 guild.

“Since great leader Ditty has spoken, then I won’t hesitate to call for help.” Ye Ci cupped her hands together in greeting towards Sir Ditty like a warrior of ancient times and summoned Ol’ Four, “I have something else to attend to. I’ll be on my way.”

She then waved at the officers of Wolf Pack and left.

The experts in a game tended to offend other experts, accidental or not. However, they would prefer to have friendship over rivalry, which was why the experts in online games were usually friends with each other.

Sir Ditty let out a sigh as Ye Ci left. He felt a great pity welling up within him. If only there was such a Hunter in Wolf Pack, their guild would be like a tiger that had sprouted wings. It was a shame that not everything in this world could go as he wished.

Ye Ci made her way to the Blue Light Coast at her best speed. Before long, she was beside a cliff with vines covering its entire face.

Ye Ci dismounted from Ol’ Four and took out her map. There was a very ordinary piece of metal at the top right corner of the map, which she extracted. Although Ye Ci had never entered an unknown map in her last life, she still knew about the process of doing so. After all, it was announced by the officials in the later stages of the game.

Holding the weird piece of metal in her hand, Ye Ci knew that it was the key to unlock the Hidden Treasure Gulf.

Hiya! A bonus chapter for completing the quest: [Reaching for the Stars]!!

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See y’all on Wednesday!!

Don’t forget there’s a teaser next chapter!!