Reign of the Hunters

Chapter 274 Legend (Part 2) 

 

“It’s good to hide your trump card, but there are times when you have to go all in.” Melodious Flute did not find himself agreeing with Dried Bone. His leader had always been overly cautious. If he had the chance, he would definitely have been bold and decisive. 

 

Dried Bone was cautious and very prudent, but it also meant that his foundation was firm. It would not be easy to destroy what he had achieved. A person like him was crucial in the growth of a guild. 

 

“Do you think that I don’t know what’s going on in your mind? But have you considered the fact that the new patch is going to be released in less than a week? We’ll have more opportunities, as well as challenges. Do not forget that Golden Era is coming. I’m sure you know what sort of guild they are. If we don’t build up our strength, do you think that we can survive the coming storm?” Dried Bone sighed. The worry was something that was shared by the leaders of many other guilds. 

 

The discussion sent Melodious Flute’s head swimming. His only interest in the game was to explore its vast world and the excitement of engaging other players like him in combat. He was never someone who could set his mind to the management of a guild. Why would people want to be the leader of a guild? He had always thought to himself, aren’t they just asking for trouble? 

    

“Fine, fine! I’d rather handle Gongzi You than the development of our guild.” Melodious Flute cupped his hands against his ears, “If you’re looking to bore yourself to death, be my guest. Don’t drag me down along with you. Your brother I am still young and unmarried yet. I don’t want to end up like a dried pile of bones like you.” and he turned around to leave.  

 

But Dried Bone called out to him. 

 

“What is it?” 

“By the way, do you know that Spotless Autumn is in the Northern Continent as well?” 

 

“Yup. Rumors have it that he even got into a fight with someone from the Sangharama Shrine.” he responded after a slight pause, “Don’t tell me you want to track him down as well.. Unlike Gongzi You, he’s very unpredictable. He’s way more troublesome to deal with than Gongzi You.” 

 

“Oh, don’t worry too much about it. It’d be nice if you can track him down. If you can’t, so be it. I believe the other guilds have sent out their own as well.” said Dried Bone with a smile, “We’re at the eve of battle, I’m sure they do not have the men to spare in hunting down the two. There might be two of them, but they might actually be more powerful than two squadron’s worth of players. Everything is fine as long as they stay away from the Mor Jiami Plains.” 

 

“But the Mor Jiami Plains is right beside the Sacred Snowy Mountain. Of course, there’s no path leading down the mountain from that direction other than a very high cliff.” Melodious Flute was anxious. He knew nothing good would come from an encounter with top-tier players. One could never be certain what would happen during that encounter. 

 

“This is why there’s nothing we have to worry about. No matter how good they are, there’s no way they can survive a fall from several thousand meters.” Dried Bone waved his hand dismissively. 

 

Yeah, I might’ve been overthinking here, thought Melodious Flute, “Alright then. You can worry yourself silly here, I’ll be heading to the Sacred Snowy Mountain.” 

 

As the three major guilds were busy sending out the Rogues to conduct surveillance on Gongzi You, Ye Ci was still looking for the right spot to climb the cliff. She had been repeating the same action for almost half an hour, but to no avail. 

 

Ye Ci sat one the ground to replenish her Stamina with food and wine when her ears twitched and she heard the sound of conversation from quite a distance away. 

 

“Did the real Gongzi You actually appear in this place?” 

 

“Didn’t the party earlier on confirm that they ran into her here?” 

 

“What is Gongzi You doing here?” 

 

“Do we even need to be here if we know?” 

 

“Is it because of something that she found here?” 

 

“Who knows.” 

 

“I think we should head back. Is it really worth tracking Gongzi You down? What if we actually find are? You’re gonna walk up to her and say ‘Hey, I’m a fan of yours, let’s take a selfie!’?” 

 

“Nonsense! We’re not here for a selfie!” responded a hoarse and very distinguishable voice. 

 

“We’ll be famous if we can kill Gongz You! She’s the top-tier player of the Eastern Continent! I’m sure she has a lot of good gears on her. Don’t forget that players dying in a hostile continent will be facing a higher penalty. If she drops some of her good equipment, We’ll be rich!” 

 

A smile tugged on Ye Ci’s face. People are so willing to die for the sake of wealth. She paid the players no heed as Ol’ Four stood guard beside her. 

 

“But she’s Gongzi You! She’s not your average Tom, Dick, and Harry! Do you think it’s that simple to try and take her on?” 

“This is why we brought so many with us! More will come. We can’t take her on alone, but with so many of us here, we can literally bury her with the bodies of our dead!” 

 

The players were 60 yards away from Ye Ci, who could still hear them clearly despite their soft voice. She stood up, and saw a group of more than a hundred players heading towards her. 

 

The area facing a cliff was shaped like a bottle gourd, which provided Ye Ci with a narrow chokepoint that she could use to her advantage. It’s a shame that their equipment is mediocre at best, or I would be able to put my backpacks to good use. 

 

She cast detection in some of the players that have entered the chokepoint. They were mostly players that were barely lvl50. As a lvl60 character, Ye Ci enjoyed the advantage of level penalty against them. What a shame, I’ve used up all my bombs, and Blossom is not at the level where he can make bombs yet. 

 

Ye Ci had no intention of engaging these players in combat. She knew that they would swarm at her like flies once fighting broke out, and no matter how skillful of a player she was, she would run out of supplies and eventually be buried under the sea of players. 

 

It was not a good way to die. 

 

But the battle ahead was something that she could not avoid. Her only option was to finish her opponents off quickly and ascend the cliff. 

 

As long as she could enter a lvl80 zone, she would no longer have to worry about the players. 

 

With her mind set, Ye Ci immediately gave the order for Ol’ Four to charge. 

The narrow area was immediately filled with Ol’ Four’s roar. The reverberating sound was even causing snow to drop down from the cliff. 

 

And the alarmed players immediately adopted a defensive posture. 

 

“W-what is happening?” 

 

“Aiya, it’s common to have mini avalanche happening in the Sacred Snowy Mountain. Just stay away from the cliff, and we’ll be fine.” 

 

“No, that’s not it. Can’t you guys hear that sound?” the players who were at the front had obviously heard the roar from Ol’ Four. The roar of a tyrannosaurus rex was very distinct from the life forms that populated the mountains. 

 

“Could be a bear or something like that. The spawn point of Snow Bears is right above us.” 

 

“No! Look! Something is heading right towards us!” one of the players pointed at Ol’ Four that was charging in their direction. 

 

The entrance leading to the terrain was narrow, and with their vision obstructed by the bellowing snow, the players at the back of the formation had no idea what was going on. Panic began to spread among the group of players. 

 

“What is it? What’s coming?” 

 

“Fall back! Fall back now! There’s a monster coming our way!” 

 

“Aiya! You guys at the front, stop pushing!” 

 

The party that was formed impromptu by a mix and match of players was incapable of handling sudden changes in a situation. A well coordinated party would never panic in such a situation, and could face the sudden appearance of Ol’ Four with relative calm. But Ye Ci she was facing down such a party, her chances of winning would be very slim. 

 

Ol’ Four was already in a position to attack before the players could begin to sort the mess out. A large number of them were Stunned by Ol’ Four’s Tremor and Tail Swipe. 

 

“Motherfluffer! This guy is tough! Let’s get the hell out of here!” 

 

“Wait a minute, isn’t this thing Gongzi You’s pet? Does it mean that she’s nearby?” some of the more observant players have realised that the dinosaur standing before them was Gongzi You’s pet. It’s distinct size and color was something that was very unique in the entire game. 

 

And to speak of the devil...

 

Gongzi You appeared in their view right when her name was mentioned. 

 

Ye Ci bounded into the air from Ol’ Four’s tail, and fired Rain of Arrows at the group of players. The players were showered by arrows in less than 5 seconds, and the sea of red damage indicator that appeared on their heads was a horrifying sight. 

 

“No way!” most of the squishy characters were immediately slain, while some with heavier armor remained standing. 

 

“My God, is this the true strength of Gongzi You? Is she at max level already?” 

 

“Why are you still standing there? Let’s make a run for it! Do you want to lose your equipment?” many of the players were merely there in hopes that they could gain something while staying out of the action. Gongzi You’s display of strength was a rude awakening for these players, who immediately began to flee. 

 

The few players who remained untouched by Ye Ci’s attacks ran as well, leaving the bodies of their dead on the ground as they scattered in every direction.   

 

Ye Ci did not give chase. She knew that she would not be able to chase down so many players, and that her best option was to ascend the cliff. 

 

After directing Ol’ Four to pick off the stragglers, Ye Ci continued to look for a good spot that would allow her to climb the cliff. 

 

The battle was an unforgettable experience for the players of the Northern Continent who were present on that day. The only thing they saw was the sudden appearance of a Huntress clad in winter clothing who leapt into the air as she appeared from the mist, and arrows began raining down at the next moment, killing the majority of their numbers. The Huntress then disappeared back into the mist without even looking back. 

 

Not a single one of them was able to see her expression, or even her face on that day. The only thing they saw was the faint blood red glow around her character. 

 

Her sudden appearance, and her equally abrupt disappearance became the stuff of legend. 

 

Ye Ci was still attempting to find a spot where her Cat Claw would gain purchase on the cliff. Perhaps due to the battle and the countless enemies slain, Ye Ci’s luck was drastically improved. Her first swing was able to find a firm grip on the icy cliff. After giving the rope a few tugs, a satisfied Ye Ci began climbing up the cliff. 

 

It did not take long for Ye Ci to make her way up the cliff. She looked down, and saw the silhouette of Ol’ Four in the mist chasing the players around. She shook her head, and disappeared into the bellowing snow after dismissing Ol’ Four with a sigh.