Chapter 285 Spotless
Fleeting Time was quick.
Even Ye Ci did not have time to react to his sudden movements. She was still in his warm embrace in one moment, and in the next he was already charging at Spotless Autumn. Ye Ci was stunned. She could even feel the remnant of his warmth and the lingering sensation of his breath against her neck, but Fleeting Time was already on an approaching vector towards Spotless Autumn.
His arrows were even faster. They had already buried themselves into Spotless Autumn's body.
Ye Ci was not the only one who was unable to react to Fleeting Time's swiftness. Spotless Autumn was still greeting Gongzi You, and Fleeting Time was already pouncing on him like a hungry wolf.
An arrow pierced sailed through the air straight at Spotless Autumn's heart. Fortunately for the man, his reflex was still quick enough for him to avoid the hit, and he immediately cast a Magical Barrier. Had the attack connected, he would have lost half his life immediately.
It was a fine day.
And Spotless Autumn was in a good mood as well. He earned a huge profit in the morning by selling a large number of potions to the Black Plum Family. He did not mind who his customers were, as long as they were willing to pay a good price. Even if the three Northern Continent guilds were to purchase potions from him, Spotless Autumn would be happy to oblige as long as the pay up.
He converted a large number of his earnings into real world currency, and immediately transferred them into his bank account. The remainder would be his in-game capital that kept him going. He headed immediately to the Flight Manager once things were sorted out. It was the day when the new patch is introduced into the game.
Spotless Autumn would of course never forget the need to increase his level cap. He had accumulated a large quantity of experience points in preparation to exploring higher level maps while also leveling up his potion-making skills.
With such a goal in mind, Spotless Autumn handed two gold coins to the Flight Manager despite his reluctance to part with his coins, and made his way to Hero City.
After experiencing the not-so-smooth experience of taking off and landing, Spotless Autumn finally arrived at the landing platform of Hero City. He hid his face behind his hood, and began heading to the Job Center.
The weather was good, and so was his mood. This should also mean that his luck might be good as well, but reality was far from that.
Before Spotless Autumn could descend from the platform, someone in the crowd bumped into him, and he took a staggered step forward. He was not angry, as it was something to be expected in a place crowded with people. But his expression darkened when he took the step forward.
F*ck!
Spotless Autumn looked at the ground, and howled with anguish. He had suffered a lot at the hands of Hunters since his run in with Gongzi You. Most of the players who had accepted his bounty were from the Hunter class.
This in itself was okay as he could deal with normal players easily. But tragedy struck on the second day of his 3-months bounty when he discovered that a top-tier Hunter had accepted his bounty.
It was of course Fleeting Time of the Western Continent.
Spotless Autumn almost broke into tears when he learned of the news. Goddamn it! Why did he have to accept the bounty! A Sorcerer, in a conventional sense, had a 1:1 odd of winning in combat against a Hunter. But after the time he spent with Gongzi You, Spotless Autumn no longer had the wish to fight a Hunter. He did not enjoy the "gift" he received from the system at all.
To him, it was still something that was manageable, as Fleeting Time was on the Western Continent, while he was in the South. The chances of Fleeting Time hunting for him in his home continent was next to zero.
And with that thought in mind, Spotless Autumn spent the week before the patch was introduced with his peace of mind. He then arrived in Hero City.
This was supposed to be the beginning of something new.
But he did not expect to be traumatized by Hunters right after at the start of his new beginning.
Hunters were not tough opponents because of their formidable ranged attacks. They were hard to deal with because they were shameless. A fight against a Hunter was never a fair 1 on 1 fight. Because a Hunter would always receive help from his or her pet. A Warlock could achieve the same effect by summoning minions to his or her aid, but the summoned minions were on a timed life, unlike the pet of a Hunter. As long as they receive food, the pets would always be around their owners.
And of course, being the animals that they were, pets of a Hunter require food. And with the intake of food came the expulsion of waste.
Spotless Autumn was impressed by the attention to detail of Fate developers. While player-controlled characters had no need of expelling their wastes, their pets were not exempted form this biological need.
A Hunter's pet eats and drinks, and this meant that they would naturally have aneed to defecate and urinate.
The feces of a pet would usually be automatically removed by the system after 1 minute, which meant that it would not be a problem in the wild. But if the Hunter was in a city, they would have to clean it away manually with a special item generated by the system, and any feces that went unnoticed by a pet's owner would remain on the ground until it was finally removed by the system a minute later.
Players who found themselves having the misfortune of stepping on the feces of a pet before it was removed by the system could only wash it off from a water source. The unfortunate victims, as well as the players around them, would be constantly reminded by a system prompt that they had traces of feces on their shoes.
It was a realistic feature that was hated by players.
Especially the players who could not find a water source to wash the feces off.
Spotless Autumn had the misfortune of stepping on a freshly baked "cake". He could even see the Hunter and his pet leaving the scene.
Motherf*cker! Spotless Autumn could only curse silently as anguish and sorrow filled his heart.
And from that very moment, Spotless Autumn came to the conclusion that the Hunter class was the bane of his existence.
The pet's feces that was still on the ground was quick to be removed by the system, but not those that were stuck on Spotless Autumn's shoes.
Even the most talented poet could not even begin to describe the sorrow in Spotless Autumn's heart. He shifted his weight to his other leg, and limped into the city in search of a water source.
Because of his hood, Spotless Autumn's name was not revealed to the players around him, but they were still avoiding him as if he was carrying the plague.
He pulled his hood down tighter, and was praying silently that his identity would not be discovered by any passerby.
And after travelling through half the city, Spotless Autumn finally found a place with water. He immediately cleaned his shoe before finally letting out a sigh of relief.
After washing away the feces as well as his bad luck, he made his way to the Job Center.
And his journey there was smooth. A slight moment of misfortune was not an indicator that he would be jinxed for the rest of his day. Besides, such an occurrence was rare. Perhaps it could even be a form of luck.
Spotless Autumn was someone who was able to console himself and be open-minded in times of misfortune.
He was quick to arrive at the wisteria garden.
The fragrant scent of wisteria entered his nostrils before he set foot into the garden, and this improved his mood greatly.
He stopped to enjoy the scenic view of the garden, taking in the beauty of the fluttering wisteria buds, the luster starlight, and the fragrance of flowers accompanied by music.
At that moment, even Spotless Autumn who was not at all romantic could feel warmth creeping into his heart. He pulled down his hood, and breathed in the fresh air.
Leveling, equipment, and strength should not be the only things that dictate the gaming experience of a player.
Wouldn't it be a waste to the efforts that the developers had poured into the game?
Perhaps due to the relaxing atmosphere, Spotless Autumn no longer wished to head into the white building hidden in the center of the wisteria garden right away. It would be unwise to not have a look around.
That was what he thought, and was of course what he did.
He wandered about in the wisteria garden like the many players around him, immersing himself in the garden's beauty. Some of the female players were striking up posts for pictures, while there were even a number of them who started dancing to the tunes of the bards' songs.
The players in the wisteria garden, despite hailing from different continents, ceased their hostilities in the midst of this beautiful scenery.
Spotless Autumn even spotted a pair of players kissing and hugging each other. A smile appeared on his face. The atmosphere in this place was like an aphrodisiac that could trigger the desires of couples visiting the place, and this was something that even a single man like him understood in his mind.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and averted his gaze, turning around to continue making his way to the Job Center.
As his eyes swept across the faces of the couple, he saw a familiar face. He reflexively turned around to stare at the face.
At this point, the female of the couple was being pushed against a wisteria tree, and her face was obscured by the male's head. Spotless Autumn could not see her face, but he could still see each and every movement made by the couple very clearly. The man's hand was heading towards the woman's waist. It was apparent that something more interesting would happen in the next minute. After thinking it over for a long moment, Spotless Autumn decided to have a closer look.
But what he expected did not happen. The man did not continue his line of action, and instead pulled the woman closer with his back arched. As a man, Spotless Autumn knew what was going on, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face.
Aiya, getting burned by the flames of desire is nothing good. It was something that he understood, and understood well.
A particular part of the man's body must be in pain right now. Spotless Autumn stifled a laugh.
The man's movement allowed him a perfect view of the woman's face.
I-i-it's Gongzi You!!!
Are my eyes playing a trick on me?
Spotless Autumn rubbed his eyes. It really is Gongzi You!
Oh God, Gongzi You is doing something like that with a man in public?!
I'm definitely dreaming!
"Eh? Gongzi You! It really is you! Thought I got the wrong person!" Spotless Autumn offered her an awkward laugh.
His words were immediately followed by an arrow that soared through the air towards him.
F*ck! What was that?!
Chapter 286 It Sure is Lively (Part 1)
Rogues are the fastest characters in Fate, followed closely by Hunters.
But was there really any Rogues faster than a Hunter like Fleeting Time? Fleeting Time's response speed was fast, and his arrow was even faster.
The only thing Ye Ci could when she finally reacted was his back as he charged at Spotless Autumn.
Of course, Spotless Autumn was no pushover. He was still unaware of the identity of his assailant, but he knew that he had to act quick.
He immediately cast Magical Barrier on himself the moment Fleeting Time launched his attack. The barrier, at level 3, could absorb 30,000 damage points in a duration of 10 minutes, with the cooldown of 1 minute. The barrier would break when it received more than 30,000 damage points.
This meant that as long as Spotless Autumn could avoid suffering from 30,000 damage within a minute, he would be able to ensure his survival. Of course, it might be something easy to pull off against a normal player. But against a Fleeting Time who had was currently seething with rage..
Spotless Autumn attempted to slow Fleeting Time down with his ice spells and had to constantly reposition himself, but he was simply much slower than a Hunter. He gulped down a bottle of Haste Potion, increasing his speed, and making his fight against Fleeting Time just slightly easier.
But most of his spells were evaded by Fleeting Time, and the few that managed to land were barely dealing any damage to the Hunter, and the debuff that he was hoping to afflict on Fleeting Time did not occur. Crap! His level cap has increased! I do not have the high ground in this fight.
Despite that, Spotless Autumn had no intention of giving up. He continued running in a zigzag pattern, dodging behind trees, NPCs, and players alike. I can't be as fast as him, so I'll use the terrain against him.
This guy is good. Who is he?
Spotless Autumn had the habit of muting his system messages, which was why he was unaware of the identity of his assailant. He finally had the chance to tap open the channel as he darted between NPCs and players alike.
He received the shock of his life when the channel was unmuted, "You've been attacked by the Western Continent player: Fleeting Time. You are allowed to defend yourself, or to remain silent."
A frown immediately appeared on Spotless Autumn's face when he saw the name. F*ck! It's Fleeting Time!
So that's why this guy is so good! He would've broken my barrier if I did not hide in the crowd! Hell, I might even be dead! The Hunter class is really the bane of my existence! Damn my luck!
Just then, another thought entered his mind, Wait a minute... So Fleeting Time the one who was doing that with Gongzi You...
What were they doing? Are they exploring the human anatomy? W-w-what have I done?
Fleeting Time could only feel pain.
It was a pain that made him grit his teeth.
He had always thought of himself as someone who was calm. He had never been particularly interested in anything in his twenty-odd years of life. His personality might have affected his ability in making friends, but he was lucky to have friends who are as close to him as brothers.
They have grown used to his personality, but he would still frequently find himself doing some self-reflection on how he would always treat things with indifference. Could this be some sort of abnormality with my personality? There were even times when he had the urge to talk to a psychiatrist.
Gongzi You, however, was an exception.
He was caught off guard by her sudden appearance, by how easily she broke into his life. She had torn a gaping hole in his monotonous life in the most elegant and fiercest way before swiftly disappearing.
She once again appeared before him fiercer than ever when he had almost forgotten about her, enlarging the already gaping hole in his heart. And from that point onward, he could no longer forget about it.
They barely had the chance to run into one another, and Fleeting Time was not a person with good memory, Despite that, each of their encounters would always leave its mark in his heart. At this point, he could no longer tell which was the first time she left her mark.
But one thing was certain: He was interested in Gongzi You.
It started off as an interest in a rival who was evenly matched with him, but he was slowly captured by her wild ambition, and her will to persevere. Gongzi You had never appealed to him as a member of the opposite sex.
It was something that was rare.
In his twenty-odd years of life, members of the opposite gender had caused him much trouble. His handsome face was a source of his trouble since he was young, and was also why he hated jobs that would require him to show his face in public. This was also why he had always made sure to hide his face whenever he took part in a tournament so that the audience would notice his strength and not his face.
And when it came to his love life, his face had also caused him a lot of trouble, mostly in the form of White Fairytale.
He had even regretted his decision to have a haircut and a shower on the day he met White Fairytale. Perhaps she wouldn't be so obsessed about me. He had thought. Perhaps I'm doomed to the fate of forever looking sloppily.
His handsome face had even brought him trouble in the game. He truly regretted his decision to not adjust his appearance in his haste to experience the new game. The randomized features had come to haunt him as those who did not know him would always disregard his skills and focus on his face.
Gongzi You was different.
He could still remember their first encounter, "There are so many Hunters in Genesis, so why me?" he asked. He had looked down on her back then, but the answer he received from Gongzi You came as a shock, "Because they're not Fleeting Time."
She was the first person to take note of him not because of his face.
And this was why he accepted her challenge even when it was something that he had never done before. He wanted to see if the Huntress standing before him truly meant what she said.
And he was satisfied by the results. Even though she was not still not as experienced back then, she had never presented herself as a helpless female. Her actions were swift and decisive, and she had managed to leave a lasting impression in his mind: She was a great Huntress.
And this impression would only be reinforced after each of their encounters. She had never let him down. He had truly enjoyed his fights with her.
But it was like a drug. And he found himself addicted to that drug.
And before he could even realize it, Fleeting Time began to pay attention to every little news about Gongzi You. It started off as a mere desire to watch her growth, but it slowly became a desire to take part in her journey in Fate. He would tend to speak out of turn, and her reaction had never once failed to bring him joy.
He did not know when he had fallen into this trap, but he found himself unable to stop himself from continuing this game of cat and mouse with her, no matter how lame it was. And to that, Absalom had only one word to say: Childish.
Even Fleeting Time himself thought of himself the same way.
So what? As long as I am happy, I don't care if it's childish.
He had always felt that Gongzi You would never truly be disgusted by his childish behavior. To him, Gongzi You was simply reacting out of embarrassment.
(Author's note: Fleeting Time, you're not only childish, but shameless as well!)
And this little joy of him eventually grew into a stronger desire.
Which went unnoticed by him. Until that very moment...
He knew that what he did was not right, and he struggled to keep himself in check. But the power of his will was not as great as he thought.
Even he himself did not know what would happen if he was not forced to stop by the system.
Despite that, there was still a fire burning in his heart. It was a raging flame that he was unable to put out. He had never experienced something like this before. The only thing he could do was to remain silent, and try his best to suppress that feeling.
But God had always been by his side. He found the perfect vent for his frustration in the form of a certain player.
And at that moment, Fleeting Time exploded into action. His entire being was screaming for release, and the perfect target showed itself just at the right place and the right time.
He was a Sorcerer. And a very competent one.
Not many were deemed a competent sorcerer by Fleeting Time, and the player in front of him was one of them.
Sorcerers were known to be slow, but that man did not allow it to drag him down. He attempted to restrict Fleeting Time's movement with a multitude of crowd controlling spells, but it did not work due to level penalty.
He did not give up despite his disadvantage. He dove into the crowd, and was successful in using the terrain against Fleeting Time.
A smile appeared on Fleeting Time's face. This will be fun.
Oh, what's his name again?
Fleeting Time opened his system channel as he pursued the player. And his eyes narrowed when he saw his name.
So this is Spotless Autumn. Very well, you're dead!
Spotless Autumn gulped down another bottle of Haste Potion. He was almost out of breath, "Hey, Gongzi You, it's all my fault! I shouldn't do something like this! Forgive me, please..."
Ye Ci leaned against the wisteria tree. Fleeting Time had already left in his pursuit of Spotless Autumn. She let out a long sigh, stooped over, and rested her hands on her knees. She could feel the heat on her face, and her legs felt weak.
Goddamn it! Am I that much of a failure?!
Ye Ci cursed under her breath. It was just a kiss! Should I be acting like a typical female protagonist!? She gritted her teeth, and forced herself up after taking in a deep breath. She looked at the direction where Fleeting Time and Spotless Autumn had taken off, and headed into the opposite direction.
She did not know why she did it, but there was only a single thought in her mind: I must get the hell out of here!
"Hey, did you take screenshots of that?" a player popped his head out from behind a bush once Gongzi You had left her spot.
Chapter 287 It Sure Is Lively (Part 2)
It was a well hidden location.
A hidden door leading to the Job Center stood in a secluded corner of the back half of the wisteria garden. Due to its location, it was never discovered by players.
Not many players would even pass through the area, and not a single soul was anywhere near the wisteria tree that Ye Ci and Fleeting Time were leaning against.
This was why Ye Ci was shocked. How did Spotless Autumn find this place? Did he come across that place by chance?
Ye Ci once again covered her face with a hood after straightening out her disheveled clothing. She studied her surroundings, and left from the hidden door after making sure that there were no other players in the vicinity.
But...
"Yes I did! Have you recorded the whole thing?" another player appeared from behind the bush.
They were able to hide behind the tall bush in the area, avoiding detection by Ye Ci and Fleeting Time who were in the thick of the action.
A stroke of luck had brought the players to the scene of battle between Ye Ci and Fleeting Time, and they decided to follow the combatants.
They did it for only one reason:
Affairs happen all the time, but not everyone is around to see them happen.
And they came to the conclusion that something might happen between Gongzi You and Fleeting Time in such a romantic environment.
They were soon able to feast their eyes upon a scene that could on be described as:
Awesome!
Thrilling!
And simply unforgettable!
"It's a shame that we're too far away. Imagine if we can hear them." sighed the player who recorded the action between Ye Ci and Fleeting Time when he reviewed his recording.
"You really want to hear what they have to say?" the other player shivered, not believing what he heard from his peers, "Do you really not treasure your equipment and experience points? If those two found out what we're doing..."
"So what? We can just disconnect from the game!" the player was very satisfied with the video he took, "Besides, what's the worst that could happen? Gongzi You would definitely be mad, but will Fleeting Time even mind?"
"How'd you know?"
"It's just a feeling."
"Bullshit." replied the player who took the screenshot, "Let's go offline and post these on the forums. This will definitely make the top 3 in the popularity leaderboards. We're gonna get rich!"
"Yup, we should leave. We'll be in deep trouble if they return." said the player's companion.
Unbeknownst to Ye Ci, the worst case scenario happened.
There were times when things simply do not work out.
As the saying goes, "What is done by night appears by day."
One must not assume that their misdeeds would remain unknown, for no deeds, no matter good or bad, would go unnoticed.
In short, one must always be careful.
Ye Ci received a voice message from Spotless Autumn just as she left the wisteria garden, "Gongzi You, my lady, I've wronged out! I shouldn't have done something like that! Please, forgive me!"
"What are you talking about?" Ye Ci was baffled.
"Tell your man to let me go! Please!"
The raging emotions that Ye Ci worked hard to suppress surged once more. Her face immediately heated up, and had she not hidden her head under the hood, passersby would definitely see a female Elf with fair skin slowly turning into a bright shade of red.
She took in a deep breath, and shouted into her private message channel with all the strength she could muster, "He's not my man! Can you hear me?! He's not!!"
He dismissed Ye Ci's anger as a response out of her embarrassment, "Not your boyfriend? After doing that? What do you think you're doing? Munching on carrots?"
Ye Ci could feel her face heating up. It was bad enough that something like that was seen by someone else, and Spotless Autumn had made it worse with his description, "Why don't you just go and die!"
The reply came after a few seconds, "I'm dead."
"Serve you right!"
Spotless Autumn attempted to send yet another message after a short while, "I've seen the errors of my way. Please tell your man to forgive my transgression. I know the sentries will not attack you for fighting in the wisteria garden, but can you get him to stop camping near my corp-..."
A system notification rang up before he could finish the sentence, "The player you're trying to contact is no longer within reach."
This meant that Ye Ci had muted the channel and condemned him to his horrible fate. Allies who have been through life and death situations in the Southern Continent? It meant nothing to Ye Ci.
Spotless Autumn stood by his corpse, staring at Fleeting Time who was sitting not far away. He could feel tears welling in his eyes. Players from hostile continents could not communicate with a hostile player who was dead. "It's my fault! I shouldn't have disturbed you guys. Please let me go! I swear I'll not do something like that again." These were the words Spotless Autumn would say to Fleeting Time if they were allowed to communicate.
Fleeting Time had even summoned his pet as he sat eating and drinking beside Spotless Autumn's dead body. Today was the day he camped the man and taught him a lesson he would never forget.
He knew Spotless Autumn was still lingering around, which was why he commanded Little Five to patrol the area. The moment Spotless Autumn revived, Little Five would immediately dive at the Sorcerer. The pet did not know of the rage in Fleeting Time's heart, but it carried out its duty nonetheless with tasty food from its master as reward.
Fleeting Time knew that Spotless Autumn would not revive himself, and Gongzi You was already long gone from the garden. He tapped open his Map Channel, and sent out a message in the Common Tongue.
"Come to the wisteria garden (coordinates: 4237:1289:761), Little Gongzi. The view here is nice. Better than what we saw earlier."
The Map Channel was relatively clear due to the low average of players. None of them were advertising the products they were trying to sell, and there were no players looking for parties or members for their parties. Many of the messages in the chat were simply players asking for directions. The content of Fleeting Time's message should be something that was not out of the ordinary.
Its sender, however...
Fleeting Time was the synonym of a top-tier legendary player. He was an existence that the average players could never achieve, and his message would naturally attract a lot of attention.
Too much information laid hidden within that simple message.
And it is human nature to seek out information for gossip.
After much discussion, the players reached a conclusion: Despite the large number of players with 'Gongzi' in their name, the only player that the top Western Continent Hunter Fleeting Time know as "Little Gongzi" could only be Gongzi You, the Huntress from the Eastern Continent.
And from that message had the gossipers gleamed a few hints.
One: Fleeting Time's location
Two: Fleeting Time is looking for Gongzi You
Three: They were with each other earlier on.
Four: They were somewhere in the wisteria garden.
Five: They got separated from each other for reasons unknown.
......
Fleeting Time's message was followed by a few insignificant chattering from the players nearby before silence finally fell upon the channel. It was as if the chat was experiencing a massive lag. Somebody finally spoke up a few moments later.
"Was that the real deal?"
"Is it real? Is Fleeting TIme really looking for Gongzi You?"
"It's been awhile since I saw anything from those two. Could it it fake?"
"Hey Fleeting Time, what were you doing with Gongzi You just now?"
......
Similar messages began to flood the Map Channel. The public was always happy to discuss gossip such as this. The Map Channel was immediately filled with discussion among players after the message from Fleeting Time. Multiple theories about the incident had surfaced in the short span of 10 minutes. There were even eye-witnesses who proclaimed that they have seen the two together in the wisteria garden.
The commotion was of course not missed by Ye Ci.
But she had always been one to not bother with accusations like this. To her, the rumors would eventually fade away, and she would be digging her own grave by attempting to clear the air.
That was why Ye Ci decided to head into a very discreet shop in a secluded corner in Hero City.
Fleeting Time knew that he would not receive a response from Gongzi You, and followed up with yet another message, "Ah, my mistake. I shouldn't let a lady come to me. I should go get you instead."
His message drove the already excited crowd wild. Many of the players began cheering for Fleeting Time, and some female players who had crushes on Fleeting Time were jealous of his attention on Gongzi You.
Hero City's Map Channel was suddenly brimming with life.
Ye Ci's heart clenched when she saw the message. He can't be serious! Is he really going to come look for me?!
She did not know how she was recognized in the job center, but she was certain that Fleeting Time had a way of detecting the identities of players even when they were hooded. This was how he was able to tell who she was by just a glance.
She studied her surroundings, making sure that she was already a distance away from the wisteria garden. Hero City was still new to the player, which gave her the advantage of knowing the map better. This was why she did not bother to react to Fleeting Time's message.
Just then, she received a message from Bai Mo, "You ran into Fleeting Time again?"
"Yup." replied Ye Ci despite her reluctance to admit the truth. It was very obvious that Bai Mo was already in Hero City.
"What were you two doing just now?" a mischievous smile appeared on Bai Mo's face. He could sense the anguish behind the single-word response.
"Fighting." Ye Ci replied after a long while. She was telling the truth. They were indeed fighting in the wisteria garden. And there was nobody around to see what happened after that.
Chapter 288 Beyond Expectation
"Really?" it was obvious that Bai Mo did not believe what Ye Ci had said. If they were fighting, why would Fleeting Time send a message like that? Bai Mo had a feeling that he had developed the talent of a gossiper like Fruit Jelly and her friends.
But he was indeed excited.
The subject of the gossip were two top-tier players, and one of them was his sister. It was a weird feeling. It felt odd that his sister was involved, and yet he was excited to hear news about the incident straight from the person involved.
It was something that a novice gossiper would not understand.
Bai Mo wiped sweat away from his face. He had to worry about the wellbeing of his sister, and at the same time, he was also excited for more gossiping materials.
"Of course." Even Ye Ci herself was not convinced by her own words. But a text message meant that Bai Mo was not able to see her expression, nor was he able to discern anything from her tone. She was not worried that Bai Mo would learn of her secret.
Bai Mo chuckled when he saw the two-word response. Of course he would not believe what she said. It was something that even Ye Ci herself had failed to realise. Ever since she was young, she would often offer answers that were brief and short whenever she felt guilt or was attempting to lie. A person who knew her would be able to gauge the truth simply from her response.
And it was only natural for Bai Mo to notice such a trait. He did not expose her lie. "You've increased your level cap now. When will you be back?" Instead, he changed the topic of the conversation.
"Soon. There are things that I have to buy. I found a good shop in Hero City." Ye Ci let out a sigh of relief. She was glad to offer up the truth once the conversation had shifted to another direction.
"Alright then. We'll be exploring the Desolate Blazing Canyon for the first time tonight. Will you be joining us?" It was one of the reasons Bai Mo came looking for Ye Ci.
"Sure." Ye Ci replied after a moment of thought.
"Okay. Get things settled there and come back as soon as possible. I'll see you in Red Lake City." Bai Mo ended the conversation, and Ye Ci immediately headed into a secluded shop in Hero City.
The shop was situated in the alleys of the northern part of Hero City, and was known for the rare consumable that it offered. The items sold by the shop were refreshed weekly, and each item would only be sold at a limited number. Players would have to wait for the next refresh whenever the stocks were sold out.
The major guilds in Ye Ci's past life would often post men in front of the shops who would then immediately clear out whatever items that were available whenever they were refreshed. It was a contest of speed and luck.
In this life, however, only Ye Ci knew of the shop's existence.
Hero City had only been opened to the players, and a large number of them were still busy exploring the new realm. At this stage of the game, it was rare for players to stumble upon a secluded area like this. They would instead tend to flock to the more populated commercial zone of the city as well as any landmark and beautiful sceneries found in the city.
But these places had little appeal to Ye Ci who was already used to the city. The only intention in her mind was to benefit from this shop before it was discovered.
Solo players like her barely stood a chance against the major guilds when it came to acquiring the rare items, but it did not mean that she was a stranger to the shop. She was an expert in snatching up the leftovers.
She turned into a narrow alley, and headed towards a shop with the name David's Groceries.
The shop was small, and its sign worn. The shop assistant sitting behind the counter was almost asleep when Ye Ci walked into the shop. The items displayed behind him were nothing but common consumables. Any players who knew nothing about the shop would naturally lose interest and leave for the larger shops in a busier part of the city.
But an observant player would be shocked by the items sold by the shop.
Judging a book by its cover is a major drawback of human nature.
Ye Ci walked into the shop, and rapped her hand against the counter, waking up the shop assistant who was snoring. He woke up, and stared at Ye Ci with a confused expression before finally speaking up after letting out a yawn, "What do you want?"
"I want to buy something."
"Oh, if that's the case, why don't you head out from our shop, turn right, and walk straight until you see a sign. Follow that sign, and you will reach the commercial area of the city. The shops there have way more than what we have to offer." the shop assistant stifled another yawn.
Any other player would definitely have left the shop there and then. Nobody would be willing to shop in a place that immediately directed a customer somewhere else. Even Ye Ci herself would immediately leave if she was not a reincarnator even if she was the first person to discover the shop.
"No, I want to buy them from you." Ye Ci shook her head with a smile on her face.
The shop assistant was shocked. He studied Ye Ci for a long moment before grumbling under his breath, "What a weird person." he then stood up and spoke to Ye Ci, "Wait here, I'll get my boss."
He then disappeared into the shop and returned with a Gnome wearing thick glasses and tattered clothing in tow. The NPCs appearance would not attract any attention if he was walking down the streets of the city. His name was David, the owner of the shop.
"You're seeking to buy something?"
"Yes."
The Gnome David scratched his balding head, "I don't sell normal goods here."
"I know." Ye Ci offered her smile. She was here exactly because she knew.
"Alright then, if you insist. I'll show you my wares. Scram if you don't need anything! I don't have time to waste." David was apparently not a good natured person. He spared no courtesy for Ye Ci even when she was his first customer.
"Show her what we have." he spoke to one of his employees, "I'm busy. Don't bother me if it's nothing big."
The shop assistant nodded, and opened up his inventory when his employer left.
Most of the items were expensive, but affordable by Ye Ci. They might not be as good as products of Goblin Engineering, but they were still items with high destructive power such as deep water torpedoes, electrical nets, time bombs, and many more.
Only 20 of each item were sold, and they would only be restocked in the following week.
Ye Ci glanced at the amount of gold she had, and bought all the available Deep Water Torpedoes, Electric Net, Medium Time Bomb, and Large Time Bomb. By the time the purchase was completed, she had only a single digit amount of money left. Looks like it's time to ask Bai Mo for some money.
The shop assistant was shocked by the large transaction made by Ye Ci. He ignored David's warning, and ran into the shop. David soon emerged once again with his employee, and when he spoke to Ye Ci, it was with a more polite tone, "You sure know your stuff, Elf!"
Ye Ci nodded at David, "You're the one with the good stuff."
David was satisfied with the praise he received from Ye Ci. He welcomed Ye Ci to shop in his place again with a chuckle. This came as a disappointment to Ye Ci, who was expecting some form of discount as the first customer to the shop. It seems that David is living up to the stingy reputation of the Gnomes.
Ye Ci summoned Ol' Four and headed straight for the city's Flying Stone once she left David's shop. A Gryphon ride was no longer necessary when the stone was activated. The cost of using the stone was twice the fare charged by a Gryphon ride, which meant that the Flight Manager would still retain its customer despite the convenience.
She carefully studied her surroundings once she was at her destination. Once she was certain that there were no hooded players in her vicinity, Ye Ci dismissed Ol' Four and walked up to the stone.
But before she could return to Red Lake City, Ye Ci felt a lap tight on her shoulder followed by an annoying voice, "Heh, we meet again Little Gongzi."
Ye Ci yelped and jumped away from the man, canceling her the channeling of her recalling spell. She raised her head and stared at the shameless man who had just greeted her, "Fleeting Time! Why are you here?"
"I'm here because you are here." Fleeting Time smiled.
"You..." Ye Ci, who was at a loss of words, glared at Fleeting Time.
She did not expect Fleeting Time to pull up his hood, leaned forward, and whispered into her ear, "Don't look at me like that, it's dangerous."
His voice was soft, and the players around them did not take note of the interaction between the two hooded players.
"You rascal!" Ye Ci spoke through gritted teeth. Her face was rapidly heating up. She had hoped to forget what happened in the wisteria garden, but with the rascal around, it was a hard thing to do.
"Me? A rascal?" Fleeting Time was not angry, and was instead grinning from ear to ear. He muttered under his breath before replying, "I don't think I've said anything wrong. But if Little Gongzi is calling me a rascal just because of the few words I said, perhaps you're thinking about... Something..." he chuckled.
"You're asking for it!" Ye Ci was truly angered. Why does such a shameless man exist! Her perspective of Fleeting Time had slightly improved during her time spent with him in the Western Continent, but it was immediately destroyed by his shamelessness. Her voice was so cold that it could even freeze the very air around her. She pulled her dagger out of its sheath, and plunged it into Fleeting Time's chest.
By sheer muscle memory, Ye Ci aimed at the most vulnerable part of the human body with her strike even without thinking.
It was also the weakest spot of a player's character: The heart.
A strike to the heart could almost guarantee an instant death.
But what Ye Ci did not expect was Fleeting Time's inaction even as the dagger headed straight for his heart. Based on her knowledge of Fleeting Time, Ye Ci thought that he would definitely be able to avoid her attack.
She was stunned, "Why did you not dodge?"
Fleeting Time lost 90% of his health when the strike landed, and his health was rapidly dropping because of the bleeding. He smiled at Ye Ci whispered into her ear, "If you want me dead, I will not fight back."
"Are you an idio-" Fleeting Time dropped dead before Ye Ci before she could finish her sentence, and the system notification immediately rang out in her ears, "You've killed an innocent in a Neutral Area of Hero City. You will be arrested by troops from the Hero City Guard. Please do not resist arrest."