Reign of the Hunters

Chapter 414 Breeze’s Considerations

 

Ye Ci was quick, but the player was able to match her speed. He was able to dodge Ye Ci’s attack with a slight movement much to her surprise. Her brief window of hesitation allowed the player to grab hold of her arm and twist it behind her back. 

 

The figure then leaned forward and whispered into Ye Ci’s ears, “Little Gongzi, you might die if you don’t pay attention to your surroundings.” 

 

Ye Ci gritted her teeth. She knew who it was. But Fleeting Time’s grip remained firm on her despite her struggles. 

 

She took in a deep breath, and kicked Fleeting Time with as much force as she could muster. With a groan, he released her arm. 

 

“You’re too careless, Little Fleeting Time.” Ye Ci stood up and smiled at Fleeting Time, “You might die if you’re not paying attention.” 

 

Fleeting Time was equipped with a Secret Cloak as well.

 

While his expression was hidden by a hood, his voice was unmistaken, “Ever so ruthless with your attacks. Do you want to become a widow before even marrying?” 

 

His words were so corny that even Ye Ci could not remain unaffected. “I could say the same…” she snorted, but was quick to realize how inappropriate her words were. Why are we even discussing marriage now? 

 

“Why are you here?” She immediately changed the topic. 

 

“Well, I don’t want to miss out on the fun.” Fleeting Time did not mind her feeble attempts of changing the topic, as he had already heard the words he wanted to hear. 

 

“Did you come all the way from the Western Continent just to join our fight against Golden Era?” Ye Ci did not believe a single word he said. 

 

“I’m here to inspect the elites that we lended to you as well.” Fleeting Time leaned closer to Ye Ci and whispered into her ears, “Or… Are you hoping that I’m here to see you?” 

 

Ye Ci’s lips twitched. While Fleeting Time was indeed her boyfriend, she still had the urge to give him a good beating. She pushed Fleeting Time away and let out a long sigh, “Do you think it’s appropriate for us to have a conversation in the midst of Golden Era’s ranks? I’m here to kill them.” 

 

“Ohh.. I see…” Fleeting Time nodded casually. His lack of sense of urgency served only to strengthen Ye Ci’s urge to land a punch on his face. 

 

He then grabbed hold of Ye Ci’s arm, and led her to a spot with the highest concentration of Golden Era players, “How many Clerics have you killed?” 

 

“Who knows? But I can tell you it’s a lot.” she replied calmly. 

 

“I think so too.” 

 

“Huh?” Ye Ci raised an eyebrow at Fleeting Time. 

 

“I saw a lot of Rogues roaming around on my way here. I think Breeze intends to kill you.” said Fleeting Time. 

 

“Well you sure don’t seem worried.” Ye Ci chuckled, “Aren’t I your girlfriend?” 

 

“I wanted to, but you’ve never given me the chance.” Fleeting Time sighed, “Why don’t we have a competition. Let’s see how many Clerics we can kill in twenty minutes.” 

 

“I don’t see why not.” Ye Ci nodded, and the duo immediately split up towards two different directions. 

 

Ye Ci came to a realization as she took out the Golden Era Clerics one after another. As a couple, she had never interacted with Fleeting Time the same way couples should as depicted in movies and television shows. They’re always competing with one another, and neither of them was satisfied with the results. 

 

Is this how a couple should be? Shouldn’t we go on a date and enjoy some beautiful scenery somewhere? Maybe we should do something else, like… Oh nevermind… She could never imagine anything else that she could do with Fleeting Time other than fighting. Well, it’s not that bad anyways.

 

Ye Ci’s solo attacks had already been an annoyance to Breeze. The arrival of Fleeting Time sent him boiling with anger. He knew that yet another player had begun attacking the Clerics of his guild, and that player could only be Fleeting Time. 

 

But there was nothing he could do despite that knowledge. None of his players have managed to stop the duo. 

 

Breeze slammed his fists onto the table set up in front of him after receiving yet another report of casualties among the Clerics. He took a deep breath to calm himself. As expected, the difference between a top player and an expert player is vast. 

 

It was something to be expected. Both Gongzi You and Fleeting Time had proven their prowess against Golden Era’s assassination attempts with players that greatly outnumbered them. They could naturally handle themselves in an environment where hundreds and even thousands of players were locked in battle. 

 

Breeze was not satisfied with the outcome of this battle, but even he had to admit that Golden Era players were no match for either Gongzi You and Fleeting Time. While Upwards Ho! could not even hold a candle to the might of Golden Era, his guild was still not capable of dealing with top players like Gongzi You. 

He let out a sigh. Have I made a mistake? 

 

He had walked himself into a dead end without realizing it. 

 

It was all because of the Mithril ore vein. While Mithril had only proven its usefulness against Magical Damage at the current stage at the game, Breeze knew very well that the Mithril shirt was not the only item that could be made with Mithril ores. 

 

As the game progressed and the demand for Mithril grew for protection against Magical Damage, it was very likely that even Mithril weapons could be forged. Even Breeze himself could not begin to even imagine what the game would be like in the future. 

 

To dominate the world of Fate, numbers were not the only thing Golden Era needed. It needed to control the economy system of the entire game, and Mithril was the key to that future. 

 

In order to secure that future, Golden Era had sent out a large number of spies in search for information regarding other possible Mithril ore veins. 

 

Golden Era had originally planned to avoid confrontation with Upwards Ho!. Gongzi You alone was already a near-impossible challenge that they had to overcome. The guild itself was also one of the most well-equipped guilds on the Eastern Continent due to its ability to clear dungeons at a very quick pace. 

 

Upwards Ho! had even exceeded the performance of several other major guilds in terms of dungeon clearing. The guild would have posed a serious threat to Golden Era’s dominion over the continent if it had more players. 

 

But Breeze knew that Golden Era must acquire at least a single Mithril ore vein. There were only four known veins in the current stage of the game. With the exception of the ore vein in the Southern Continent that remained locked, the Mithril ore veins of the other continents were each held by a guild. 

 

Upwards Ho! was considered the weakest among the three in terms of manpower. While all three players had a top player of their own, its relatively small size made Upwards Ho! a target for Golden Era. 

 

And this was why the guild had attempted several attacks against Upwards Ho! for the sake of its benefits. 

 

But Breeze had finally realized his mistake. He had failed all his attempts to take down Upwards Ho!. Have I been underestimating them? Should I give up and focus on another target instead? 

 

However, no matter what he might do in the future, Breeze still had to see the battle to its end. He sighed as he observed the players who were still locked in battle. He knew that Upwards Ho!’s lines would eventually crumble due to its significantly lesser numbers. But… How many of our Clerics have to die until that moment arrives? How much EXP do they have to lose? 

 

A reduction in level would of course mean a reduction in the Clerics’ performance in a dungeon. This would also mean that expeditions into dungeons were many times harder. The guild’s progress would then be affected, and the gap in strength between them and the other major guilds would only widen. 

 

While he might win the battle, Breeze knew that he would definitely lose on a strategic level if his Clerics continued to suffer more casualties. It was something he did not wish to happen. “Give the order to retreat.” 

 

Sweeping Reed was shocked. While the casualties of Clerics were high, his guild was at the verge of achieving victory, “Leader, why are we retreating? We’ve nearly defeated them!” 

 

Breeze turned around after casting a sideways glance at Sweeping Reed, “We might win the battle, but it will cost us the war. What I want is to be the one to have the last laugh.”