Reign of the Hunters

“What is it?” asked Ye Ci as she noticed Fleeting Time furrowing his eyebrows as he stared at her.

“I told Absalom to get you a Hawkeye skillbook, but he can’t make his way here just yet because Saint Light City was hit by a massive earthquake. His wife will be delivering the skillbook in his stead. Do you mind if she sees you?” Fleeting Time decided to be straightforward with Ye Ci.

Since Absalom’s is sending his wife here, she will definitely be briefed about my presence. But from what Fleeting Time said, he seems to be worried about something. muttered Ye Ci to herself. She had no means of confirming her suspicions, but she knew that Fleeting Time’s worry had something to do with her. “I’m able to complete my quest because of Absalom. I don’t think it’s appropriate for me to receive more gifts from him.”

“We’ve found the ore vein.” said Fleeting Time.

The surprise was clear in Ye Ci’s eyes as she responded, “Congratulations.”

“But the Black Iron Dwarves are still exploring the area around the veins.”

“It’ll take quite some time. I suggest you guys to be on your guard. A lot of unexpected things might happen, especially after the earthquake.” even if the Western Continent was an enemy of the Eastern Continent, Ye Ci held true to her belief that there was no perpetual enemies, but interests are eternal.

Fleeting Time nodded, “I’ll get her to deliver the book then.”

A confused Ye Ci raised her eyebrows.

“The value of a Mithril ore vein is far greater than your expenses in the Western Continent and the Hawkeye skillbook. Besides, there’s no guarantee that this thing will drop in the Eastern Continent.” Fleeting Time narrowed his eyes.

“Why? You’re not afraid of me getting stronger?” Ye Ci was amused by Fleeting Time who was acting like a salesman trying to market his product.

A smile appeared on Fleeting Time’s face. It was the pride of the strong. He crossed his arms and said arrogantly, “Wouldn’t I be bored if you don’t become stronger?”

Ye Ci’s eyebrows were raised even higher, “If you think so highly about yourself, then declining this gift will only give the impression that I’m afraid of you.” an arrogant smirk appeared on Ye Ci’s lips, “Alright then, bring it on. This is really nothing compared to that Mithril ore vein.”

Fleeting Time immediately provided Sour Apple with his coordinates once he received the confirmation from Ye Ci. A quick comparison of the coordinates revealed to Sour Apple that the duo was actually very near her position. The thought of meeting Gongzi You in person filled her heart with expectation. Just what sort of person the player who known as the best Hunter in the Eastern Continent is?

“Well, what if I’m included as a gift as well?” Fleeting Time could not hold back the urge to make fun of Ye Ci when he laid eyes upon her smile.

Instead of erupting into anger, Ye Ci kept her calm. Despite the overwhelming sense of bewilderment in her heart, Ye Ci’s experiences with handling Fleeting Time told her that anger would only encourage the man. She must remain calm no matter the cost.

“What else can you do other than being a burden to me?” Ye Ci narrowed her eyes at Fleeting Time, “Gongzi You doesn’t welcome trash.”

Fleeting Time was surprised by Ye Ci’s words. He did not expect Gongzi You to be so interesting when she had such a sharp tongue. “Little Gongzi, you’re a very interesting person.” Fleeting Time let out a hearty laugh.

Sour Apple spotted the duo from quite a distance away.

Fleeting Time’s laughter came as a surprise to Sour Apple. She had never heard him laugh in such a way as long as she could remember. He was always so calculative, and the smile that appeared on his face was always the cunning smile of a fox. He had never behaved in such a way even when he was with Absalom. Sour Apple had even had the illusion that Fleeting Time was someone who knew no joy. This was shattered when she saw Fleeting Time’s unrestrained smile.

The person who stood beside Fleeting Time, who was significantly shorter, was glaring at him with her hands on her hips. The red glow surrounding the person’s character gave her a menacing aura.

Is that… Gongzi You?

Fleeting Time noticed the clacking of hoofs, and turned around just in time to see Sour Apple galloping at them on her tall dark horse. He waved her over, and smiled at Ye Ci, “Little Gongzi, I think you should get a new steed. Your tiny horse looks like it’s gasping for air.”

Ye Ci snorted at Fleeting Time, “Yes, I’m poor. I am no match for someone like you. I’m content with my tiny horse.” her pride was slightly hurt by Fleeting Time’s words.

Fleeting Time raised an eyebrow and summoned a white unicorn. He then handed its reigns to Ye Ci, “Here, take it.”

“Eh?” Ye Ci was shocked by Fleeting Time’s gesture. The unicorn was very beautiful, but since it belonged to Fleeting Time, Ye Ci immediately shook her head, “Nope.”

“Why? You don’t like it?” a ghost of a smile appeared on Fleeting Time’s lips.

Sour Apple was already very close by at this point in time, and she heard Fleeting Time’s words just as she dismounted. Her jaw almost touched the ground. Fleeting Time is giving that white unicorn away? You’ve got to be kidding me! Have pigs learned to fly or water all turned into wine? That thing is like the love of his life, and he’s giving it away? He had never even allowed anyone to ride on that thing! She could still remember that time she shamelessly asked for a ride on the unicorn, but the request was rejected by Fleeting Time with the reason as absurd as “women are not allowed to ride on my unicorn”. Of course, White Fairytale wanted a ride as well, but she was too shy to even voice her desire out.

He’s actually going to give something so precious away?

Sour Apple looked up into the sky. Just what on Earth is going on?

Ye Ci could tell from Sour Apple’s expression that the steed was something very precious. Unicorns are very rare mounts that could be leveled up and even join their owners in combat. It was a steed that was highly sought after by players. It was obvious that obtaining this unicorn was not easy for Fleeting Time.

“A noble person will not seize the treasure of another. Besides, I have Ol’ Four.” Ye Ci rejected Fleeting Time’s offer with a smile.

“Alright then. I’ll not force you to accept this gift.” Fleeting Time responded after a moment of thought. He then extended his arm to Sour Apple, “Hand me the book.”

Sour Apple snapped out of her daze and handed the Hawkeye skillbook to Fleeting Time. She then shifted her attention to Gongzi You, the player who was crowned as the top player of the Eastern Continent.

The girl, who was a little more than 20 years old, was younger than she expected such a person to be. The intelligence swirling within her eyes, however, was something that she could not ignore. Gongzi You was not pretty, and her skin was very pale, but her facial features gave her an air of dominance that made her a beauty in her own way, and er calm expression did nothing to hide her intimidating aura.

Ye Ci noticed the stare from Sour Apple, and extended an arm, “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Gongzi You.”

This came as a surprise to Sour Apple. Her interactions with Fleeting Time had gave her the impression that all top-tier players are arrogant and cunning, but Gongzi You was different.

She extended her arm and shook hands with Gongzi You with a sweet smile, “Hello, I’m Sour Apple.”

Fleeting Time stared coldly at Sour Apple as she shook hands with Ye Ci. His face was devoid of expression as he smacked the skillboook against the back of her hand with a loud “Pop!” that proclaimed to the world that he was not a person who harbors any protective feelings for the fairer sex.

“Aiya!” Sour Apple immediately retracted her hand.

Even Ye Ci was startled by Fleeting Time’s sudden action, “Little Gongzi, this is Absalom’s wife. Don’t get too close to her.” the man said with a smile.

“Huh?” Ye Ci was baffled by his words.

“I heard that idiocy is contagious.” Fleeting Time raised an eyebrow, ignoring the angry roars of Sour Apple.

Laugh erupted from Ye Ci who was observing their interaction. She was slightly jealous of the relationship between Fleeting Time with Absalom and Sour Apple. They must be very good friends in real life…

Ahh… Good friends in real life? How enviable… Ye Ci began thinking about her comrades in Upwards Ho!. I haven’t seen them in days… I wonder how they’re doing?

“Here, Hawkeye, just as promised.” Fleeting Time extended an arm to Ye Ci as he held Sour Apple at bay with his other hand, pretending that the raging woman did not exist.

Ye Ci accepted the skillbook with a smile and immediately learned the skill. She then pulled the whistle out from her inventory and blew hard. “Hehe, we meet again, Elf.” came the voice of a Goblin.

Orthus was still alone when he appeared. The Goblin crouched on a huge boulder and faced Ye Ci with a smile.

“Indeed, we meet again, Mr.Orthus. I’ve brought you the person that you’ve always wanted to meet, as per our agreement.” said Ye Ci as she took a step back, revealing the form of De’frei behind her. After a short moment of stunned silence, the two Goblins held each other in an embrace and cried to their heart’s content.

Ye Ci and Fleeting Time waited patiently for their reward as the two Goblins talked about old times. Fleeting Time turned to face Ye Ci with a smile, “Have a pleasant journey.”

A pleasant journey? Ye Ci was initially baffled by his words. Ahh… I’ll be leaving soon.

For reasons unknown, Ye Ci could feel sadness welling in her heart. It felt as if she had just arrived in the Western Continent. The ghost of a smile formed on Ye Ci’s lips as he stared at Fleeting Time and the brilliant grin on his face, “You take care as well.”

The conversation between Orthurs and De’frei ended just as the duo was done with their farewell. De’frei walked up to Ye Ci and Fleeting Time and bowed deeply at the duo before vanishing into thin air, “We shall begin our journey soon, Elf. Let me know when you’re done with your own preparations.”

Ye Ci nodded and was about to leave when a person grabbed hold of her arm. It was Fleeting Time, who immediately let go the moment she turned around, “Don’t you have anything to say, Little Gongzi?”

A hint of bitterness crept onto Ye Ci’s tongue as she stared at the smiling face of Fleeting Time. “I wish you people the best of luck with the Mithril ore vein, and the restoration of Saint Light City. Oh, and good luck with the Alert Level 1 as well.”

Sour Apple’s head bobbed up and down as she listened to Ye Ci’s words. Even when they were enemies, Gongzi You was quite a sincere person.

However, Fleeting Time was not satisfied with her answer. He leaned in closer to Ye Ci and whispered into her ear, “Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

Ye Ci could feel goosebumps rising as Fleeting Time’s soft voice crept into her ear. His words gave her another sensation as well. Was it embarrassment? A sense of awkwardness? Or was it something entirely different? Perhaps it was a little of all three.

Ye Ci stood dumbfounded for a few seconds before taking a step back. Her face was a shade of red as she walked towards Orthus, “Ahh, you’re right. I hope you can stay alive until the next time we meet so that I can kill you myself.”

The blush on Ye Ci’s face did not go unnoticed by Fleeting Time. Despite the sweetness he can feel in his heart, Fleeting Time could not hold back the urge to speak out to Ye Ci, “Aiya, Little Gongzi, you promised to not fight the next time we meet…”

Ye Ci was already starting to grow used to Fleeting Time’s tendency to play word games after her days spent with the man. She immediately delivered a riposte at the man’s play of words, “I only gave my word that I will not kill you, it doesn’t mean that I will not beat you up.”

“Fine, you promised to not kill me!” Fleeting Time admitted his mistake without even flinching.

“Alright then, you better stay alive until the next time we meet.” Ye Ci shot him a cold sneer as she boarded Orthus’ flying machine.

“Alright, Little Gongzi, I hope to see you again soon.” Fleeting Time sighed, his shit-eating grin was still on his face. He even blowed a kiss at Ye Ci.

His gesture sent a shiver down Ye Ci’s spine and she almost fell from Orthus’ flying machine. “You idiot! I don’t want to see you ever again! If we do meet, I’m not Gongzi You if I don’t kill you!” Ye Ci finally exploded into rage.

“Come! Don’t take pity on me just because I’m lovable…” Fleeting Time spread his hands wide open and laughed as Ye Ci’s expressioned darkened.

Even Sour Apple’s expression darkened when she heard Fleeting Time’s words.

Ye Ci, who was holding on to Orthus, blushed, “Fleeting Time, you bastard! You bastard! You bastard! You’re the most shameless person I’ve ever known!”

Despite being on the receiving end of Ye Ci’s verbal abuse, Fleeting Time was still able to somehow produce a piece of satin and waved it at her, “Until next time! I’ll definitely miss you!”

Ye Ci continued shouting at Fleeting Time, but her voice was not able to reach his ears over the loud noise of Orthus’s machine. Her expression, however, was a telltale sign that her words were not exactly pleasing to the ears.

Sour Apple could feel goosebumps popping up all over her body. Dear lord! she could not believe her eyes and ears, will Fleeting Time even do something like that if he’s not interested in that girl?

This is too scary…

She pinched her face, and the pain told her that it was not a dream. Since when is Fleeting Time like this? Why do I not know anybody about it? Sour Apple was about to throw some mockery at Fleeting Time when she noticed that the man’s expression had grown cold the moment he retracted his gaze.

Sour Apple immediately swallowed her words. She knew the reason behind Fleeting Time’s behavior.

A smile formed on Sour Apple’s lips, “What? You’re missing her already?” she sighed.

Even when he was a man and she a woman, and despite their somewhat rocky relationship because of White Fairytale, Sour Apple had known Fleeting Time for more than a decade. She knew what was going on in his mind. He was merely sparing himself from the feeling of loneliness.

Fleeting Time narrowed his eyes at Sour Apple, “Why? Planning to tell a certain someone about what you saw?” his expression became that of a sly fox in the blink of an eye. He was fiddling with the reigns of the unicorn that he did not managed to give away, but there was an unmistaken killing intent in his eyes.

This was a behavior that was rarely displayed by Fleeting Time. He would usually remain indifferent and ignore Sour Apple at the mention of White Fairytale’s name. This time, however, was different. The killing intent and the cold expression on Fleeting Time’s face was something that was not familiar to Sour Apple. She came to the realization that Gongzi You meant more to Fleeting Time that she had ever imagined. “I’ll never involve myself in the thing between you and White Fairytale ever again.”

“There’s nothing going on between us.” Fleeting Time had always maintained a clear standing in this matter, “She’s just a former schoolmate of mine.” his expression grew colder, “I wish that I’ve never knew her.”

“It’s my bad.” Sour Apple grimaced, “I’ll never meddle with White Fairytale’s affairs again. Are you satisfied with this answer?”

“It has nothing to do with me.” Fleeting Time mounted his unicorn, “thank you for coming all the way here to deliver the skillbook.” and he began to leave.

But how could Sour Apple allow him to leave so easily? She immediately called out to Fleeting Time, “Do you care a lot about that Gongzi You?”

Fleeting Time stopped dead in his tracks and turned around to face Sour Apple after a slight pause, “She’s the woman I like.” he said with an arrogant smile.

With that, Fleeting Time left towards the direction of Saint Light City.

Sour Apple was left dumbfounded. She let out a long sigh when she thought of Gongzi You, and then of Fleeting Time’s behavior. Some things are just full of mystery, and they could not be changed.

With a smile, she mounted her black warhorse and headed back to Saint Light City as well.

Silence once against settled in the Bloody Wilderness.

With its incredible speed, Orthus’s flying machine was able to reach the Southern Continent side of the Tempest Ravine in a very short amount of time.

The sky was already darkening, shrouding the land with shadows. Orthus stood on a pillar of the bridge and stared at Ye Ci, “You did better than expected, Elf.”

“Can I take that as a compliment?” Ye Ci shrugged with a smile.

This a smile from Orthus. His facial features were even uglier than the rest of his kin, which made discerning the Goblin’s thoughts hard for Ye Ci whenever he made an expression. Of course, Orthus wasted no time in continuing the subject. He pulled a gold gilded book out of his pack and threw it at Ye Ci, “I really have nothing that I can thank you with, but it will make us Goblins look bad if I don’t thank you properly. This book is for you.”

The book was immediately snatched out of the air by Ye Ci. It was way thicker than the book given to her by De’frei. The words “Goblin Engineering: Siege Engines” were embroiled on the brown cover of the book, and its pages were not made with paper, and was instead thin goatskin. Despite the obvious traces that the book was often used by its previous owner, its pages were not torn nor were they worn.

Ye Ci’s heart skipped a beat when she noticed the title of the book.

Oh my God! Goblin Siege Engines!

In Ye Ci’s last life, a fragment of the book first appeared in the game six years after the launch of Fate in a chest behind a very powerful BOSS. It took 30 fragments to make a complete book, but the drop rate of the fragment was very low, and the dungeon was very difficult to clear. Even at the time of her reincarnation, there was only of few of such books in Fate.

But in her current life, Ye Ci was able to obtain a full copy of the book after only a single year, and this was a great source of joy for her.

By the time the third expansion pack was introduced to Fate in Ye Ci’s last life, players from all over the world had swarmed into the game. The siege battle system of Fate was already refined at that point in time which brought more rewards to players. In its undeveloped stage, a siege battle in Fate was fought with human waves tactics, and this meant that the odds were heavily stacked against the players on the attacking side. With the introduction of , siege battles were made significantly easier. The human waves tactic that was previously employed was immediately replaced with the deployment of powerful siege engines.

Engineering players were able to prosper as the demand for siege engines rose. At the later state of the game, Engineers were a finite resources that was highly sought after.

Of course, this was something that happened in the later stage of the game.

Based on Ye Ci’s memory of her last life, the player who completed the same Epic-tier quest had not received this book.The player did not reveal the content of the quest completion reward, but one thing was certain: if he did received the book as a reward, siege engines would be introduced fairly early into the game.

In Ye Ci’s last life, this Epic-tier quest was the first quest of the same tier to be completed two years after Fate was launched. The player completed this quest slightly later than Ye Ci, but the fragments surfaced six years after Fate was launched. If the anonymous player received the book, he would never allow it to go to waste even if it was not of use to him. He would definitely sell the book to a major guild for a handsome price.

Such an occurrence, however, did not happen. This meant that the player in Ye Ci’s last life had failed in obtaining this book. This was probably related to the completion rate of the quest. thought Ye Ci to herself. She knew nothing about the details of the party that explored Vo’sok in her last life, but she was glad that she was able to obtain such an overpowered item as a reward by not abandoning Ciel.

She began reading the description of the book.

: The most treasured knowledge of the Goblins. It is the pinnacle of Goblin technology. Rarity: Epic. This items can be passed to up to 20 users with unlimited. Numbers of usage: Unlimited. Class required: Master Goblin Engineer.

An Epic-tier item! Even when the book is not an equippable item, the impact that it could bring to the game is colossal! It’s a shame that the requirement to use this item is too high… Only a Master Goblin Engineer can read this book. There’s not even many Expert Engineers in this game yet!

Whatever, I’ll just hold on to it. I’m guaranteed to get rich with this thing around!

This was the best reward to Ye Ci ever since she started the quest. She happily placed the book into her inventory and cast a glance at Orthus, “Thank you for the gift.”

“You don’t have to thank me. I wouldn’t have given it to you if Vo’sok was not destroyed” said Orthus with a dismissive wave.

I knew it! This has something to do with the completion rate!

“With Vo’sok destroyed and the Goblin race scattered throughout the land, we won’t be using this for a very long time. I might as well give it to you while we’re at it. I hope that this book will be of use to you. We Goblins love it when our machines are able to bring change into the lives of others.” Orthus’ expression softened. The bad tempered Goblin appeared gentle as he talked about his hobby.

Orthus stood up and said to Ye Ci, “Go tell Moore that I will try my best to get the job done.”

I knew it! There’s something unusual about Moore! He was in contact with the Doran Thieves Guild and a neutral race like the Goblins…. Just what is he up to? Moore is good friends with the lord of Red Lake City as well. I wonder what’s going on between them…

The completion of the quest in Ye Ci last life brought little to no change to Fate. This time however, was different. Ye Ci could already start to see the change.

Despite her suspicions, Ye Ci replied with a polite tone, “I will deliver your words to Lord Moore, Mr.Orthus.” and she turned around to leave.

Just then, Orthus called out to her.

“Hey, Elf…”

“What is it, Mr.Orthus?” Ye Ci turned around to face Orthus once again. Ye Ci’s common sense told her that there should be no more quests from Orthus, but she was always happy to respond to a special NPC like him.

“I’ve heard from my teacher that you were talking to Ciel about the Dragonia?” asked Orthus after much hesitation.

Ye Ci was alarmed. The Dragonia was only mentioned by many NPCs in the game after the introduction of the new patch. She had never encountered any NPCs in her past life that would talk about the race before the patch. Could Orthus’ words be some sort of hint?

Despite her thoughts, Ye Ci was still able to maintain a smile on her face, “You’re correct.”

“Where exactly have you seen a Dragon?”

Orthus had apparently not been a major city. The Dragonia had been mentioned in many of the books in the libraries, and the bones of a Dragon could often be seen in museums. This was why players knew about the existence of the Dragonia despite their limited knowledge of the race.

“There have been mentions about the Dragonia in the libraries of the main city of each continent. Even if little was recorded about the race, it’s still an interesting read.” said Ye Ci with a smile. She spoke up again when Orthus nodded and was about to end the conversation, “But I’ve seen Altera with my own eyes before.”

“What?!” exclaimed Orthus. The Goblin was apparently shocked by Ye Ci’s sudden revelation as he stared at her with mouth agape, “Were you talking about Altera, the Queen of the Dragonia?”

“I did not know who she was, but… She’s beautiful.” Ye Ci’s subtly reminded Orthus that he had said too much with a smile on her face.

“H-how do you know that it’s Altera?” from the weariness in Orthus’ eyes, it was easy to tell that he did not wish to let Ye Ci in on more secrets.

“She was covered with red scales, and there was silvery feathers between her eyes. It’s all written in the National Library. I’m certain that it was her. There’s not many of them with feathers, and a Dragon with feathers between its eyes was quite unique.” the smile remained on Ye Ci’s face.

Orthus spoke up softly after a long moment, “Tell me, Elf… Where did you see Altera?”

“In Dark Clay City.” nodded Ye Ci, “Altera was flying past the Swamp of Sorrows to the direction of the Middle Continent.

“What the hell has Moore done?” Orthus was enraged, but the Goblin waved his hand dismissively after realizing his slip, “Alright! Off you go, Elf. Farewell.” and the Goblin vanished into thin air.

The Doran Thieves Guild, the Goblins, and even the Dragonia… Orthus was not the only one who was concerned about Moore’s intentions. Even Ye Ci herself could feel a strong sense of curiosity welling within her. Just what the hell is the lord of the Dark Clay City up to?