Reign of the Hunters

Chapter 279 Unlucky! (Part 1) 

 

In terms of their ability to escape, the Rogue class was ranked no.1 in Fate, followed closely by the Ranger class and the Hunter class. The three classes most notoriously known for their lack of ability to escape from a dodgy situation were Sorcerer, Priest, and Cleric. 

 

The contrast was very obvious when a Huntress and a Sorcerer were running for their lives. 

 

Of course, Hunters in Fate had a trick up their collective sleeves that was the envy of other character classes: Feigned Death. A Hunter could simply cast Feigned Death to remove his or her aggro, even in the later stages of the game as the dynamics between players, monsters, and aggro remained the same. The skill was able to get a Hunter out of a dire situation, but if the Hunter was in a party, it would spell disaster for the members of the party. 

 

Spotless Autumn followed close behind Ye Ci as they fled. Even as he continuously gulped down bottle after bottle of Haste Potion, his speed was no match for Ye Ci. He gritted his teeth. Why does the Sorcerer class have to be one of the slowest in the game! I can barely keep up with her!

  

Of course, Spotless Autumn kept his thoughts to himself. But a sudden thought crossed his mind, “Hey, Gongzi You! Don’t you dare use Feigned Death!” he shouted at Gongzi You. 

 

Ye Ci rolled her eyes. It was her plan for the start. But since she was already called out by Spotless Autumn, there was no longer a need to keep up her pretenses, “And what if I do?” 

 

Spotless Autumn was alarmed by her response. He immediately drank yet another bottle of High Haste Potion and caught up with Ye Ci. It was something that he was able to afford as he was a Potion Maker himself. He could feel an intense pain in his heart. Every bottle of potion consumed meant that he was losing gold. And those gold were crucial for him in his process of leveling up his character. 

 

He knew that it was a necessity, as the Sorcerer class was also weak in terms of its survivability. Even a slight graze from the Guardian would be able to take his life, and death was a heavier price to pay compared to the expenditure of his potions and gold. The possibility of him dropping the quest item and his hard earned equipment, as well as the loss of his experience points were just too much of a cost to bear. 

 

Noone would be around to pick his items up for him in a place like this. 

 

Ye Ci grinned at Spotless Autumn, “You have all the aggro, as long as you don’t die, I won’t have to use that skill.” 

 

Spotless Autumn’s expression darkened when he noticed the aggro of the Guardian. It was  his quest, and he was the one who had stolen the quest item from the altar. It was only natural for the aggro to be focused on him while Ye Ci had only 7% of the Guardian’s aggro on her. “Do the developers not know that Sorcerers are very slow? Are they trying to get me killed here?” he exclaimed. 

 

“Shut up! Focus on running away. That Guardian is gaining on us.” Ye Ci was an Elf and a Huntress. This meant that she enjoyed a high movement speed. She sprinted through the forest, frequently casting glances towards the large silhouette that was lumbering behind the duo in the mist. 

 

The morning sun shone down on the Sacred Snowy Mountain, basking it in golden sunlight. Visibility was low in the morning mist and the dense forest. Even when the Guardian was a mere 30 yards away from the duo, she could still barely see the monster despite her superior vision.  

 

But due to the vision buff of the Hunter Class, Ye Ci could still make out the faint outline of the Guardian through the mist, “That thing is huge. If we don’t run, we’ll get squashed.” 

 

“Enough! Are you trying to cheer me up or are you trying to scare me!” Spotless Autumn chugged down yet another bottle of Haste Potion. 

 

“I’m merely stating the truth.” shrugged Ye Ci, who was easily keeping ahead of Spotless Autumn. 

 

“Hey, where are we going!” The duo had been blindly running forward, and Spotless Autumn could feel the trembling of the ground. He did not have the courage to even cast a backwards glance. It was a sign that the Guardian was near. 

 

The situation, however, was rapidly deteriorating. The duo barely paid attention to their surroundings as they fled, and the risks of them running into monsters lurking in the area was high. 

 

But Gongzi You was very good at avoiding the monsters, and Spotless Autumn himself was great at dodging them as well. The duo was able to run around the monsters and avoid their aggro. 

 

Spotless Autumn’s question was something that Ye Ci had already asked herself in her mind. She already had a quick look on her map. They were in unexplored terrain. This was why Ye Ci did not have an answer to his question. 

 

“Come on, answer me! Weren’t you looking at your map just now? Where are we right now!” Unlike Gongzi You, Spotless Autumn could not afford an extra map. He had only found the Drow Village through his excellent game sense an a small pinch of sheer dumb luck. 

 

He had originally prepared to spend half a month on the map to locate the Drow Village. A map was something that he had originally thought to be inconsequential at that time. But when his life was on the line, he finally realised the importance of having a map. 

 

Ye Ci did not have the heart to tell Spotless Autumn the truth. He had been trying very hard to keep up with her, and it would be demoralising to find out that they were lost. Ye Ci found the kindness in her heart, and spoke to Spotless Autumn in a calm voice, “Trust me, it’s better if you don’t know.” 

 

Cold crept down Spotless Autumn’s spine when he heard those words, but he was still desperate for an answer, “Just tell me. I don’t want to die without knowing why!” 

 

“Are you sure about that?” 

 

“Yes! I don’t want to die without knowing where I can retrieve my items!” 

 

Ye Ci sighed at Spotless Autumn. Both of them knew that without the flying shards, it would take a considerable amount of time and energy to reclaim their lost items. The system might have even removed the items by the time they returned to the spot of their death. 

 

“My map is an incomplete one. We’re in unexplored terrain. The map makers have not marked anything on this part of the map yet.” said Ye Ci, “I’m sure you understand what I’m trying to say, right?” 

 

“F*ck me!” Spotless Autumn’s face immediately grew pale, “And f*ck the devs too!” 

 

Ye Ci pulled out her map once again. The duo was at the edge of the Sacred Snowy Mountain. The crooked lines representing the mountain range on the map indicated that they were in a very uneven terrain. 

 

What’s the map right next to the Sacred Snowy mountain again? Thought Ye Ci as she tried her best to recall her past memory. She had traveled to all corners of the Jiama Continent, but it did not mean that she had been to every single map. Her trip to the Sacred Snowy Mountain was a short one, and she could not remember the maps that were adjacent to the Sacred Snowy Mountain at the spur of the moment. 

 

“Hey, something’s not right. Why can I feel strong winds ahead?” asked Spotless Autumn as he continued gulping down bottles of Haste Potion, which was his only measure to stay ahead of the Guardian. 

 

Ye Ci’s eyes narrowed. She could feel the wind as well. This meant that they were near a ridge. There would no longer be any mountain range ahead. 

 

Her heart sank when she saw nothing but emptiness before her. They were at the end of a cliff. There was no road ahead. Ye Ci stopped right on her tracks, and Spotless Autumn stopped along with her, “Why did you stop! Keep moving!” 

 

“There’s no road ahead.” The mist grew thicker, and the strong wind blew snow into the air, greatly reducing the visibility of the area. It took Ye Ci quite a moment to confirm that they were indeed at the edge of a cliff. 

 

“No way!” Spotless Autumn cried out in despair as he studied their surroundings, “Hurry, mark this spot on your map, Gongzi You! Even if we die, we might be able to get our stuff back!” 

 

Ye Ci was not someone who would waste time in retrieving any items that she might drop. The same could not be said for Spotless Autumn, as he was carrying an important artifact from the Drow village. The item could be dropped upon death, which was why he was running so hard for his life. 

 

“It’s possible for that quest item of yours to drop?” asked Ye Ci. 

 

“Do you think I’ll waste my time running if it’s not the case?” Spotless Autumn sighed. His luck was at its end. 

 

Ye Ci immediately marked the spot. If they died, she might not have to return, but she could hand the map to Spotless Autumn so that he could return alone for his items. 

 

There were no monsters in the area, nor were there dense forests. The duo was surrounded by nothing but snow. Of course, the area was not entirely desolate. Many high tier herbs grew by the cliff, and if the duo was not pursued by the Guardian… 

 

The Guardian was already upon the duo by the time Ye Ci was done marking her map. Perhaps sensing that its prey had nowhere else to go, the Guardian slowed down its steps, and approached the duo slowly. 

 

Ye Ci could see the gigantic Guardian approaching through the bellowing snow. 

 

As the Guardian got closer and closer, Ye Ci could finally see the true form of the Guardian. 

 

It was a large white ape with the face that resembled that of a Human, but was much more feral. The bulging muscles on its arms were an intimidating sight. The Guardian could easily beat the duo into pulps of flesh. 

 

The expression on the Guardian’s face also became clear to Ye Ci. 

 

Even if it was a high level monster, and even if it was a Yeti, there was still a smile on the Guardian’s face. It was a cunning smile that declared the Guardian’s disdain for the duo, as if the Guardian was taunting the duo, “Come on, keep running. What are you waiting for?” 

 

“I think  he’s angry.” Spotless Autumn noticed the Guardian’s expression as well. 

 

Ye Ci snorted in response to his words. 

 

Perhaps due to the fact that he was already backed into a corner, Spotless Autumn finally regained his composure. He even began making rude gestures at the Guardian that was standing 20 yards away, and the Guardian bared it fangs at the man. “Say, what form of death would be cooler for us, Gongzi You?” chuckled Spotless Autumn. 

 

Ye Ci had not given up. She was a Huntress. A Sorcerer might not have a way to get out of this situation, but a Huntress might still stand a chance, and Ye Ci herself had a way. 

 

“What do you think of jumping down the cliff?” Ye Ci pursed her lips when she noticed that Spotless Autumn had already given up. 

 

“Why is that?” Spotless Autumn looked at the ground below. It was apparent that he was not supportive of the idea. Falling to one’s death was a gruesome sight after all. 

 

“Well, it’s better than getting mauled by that thing.” Ye Ci smiled sarcastically at Spotless Autumn. 

 

This girl! She saw right through me! Spotless Autumn shivered, “Why do I have a feeling that the smile on your face is a malevolent one?” 

 

“Really? I don’t think so.” Ye Ci shrugged, “I’m actually a very sincere person. We’re just not that close yet.” 

 

Spotless Autumn narrowed his eyes. In what universe is that called sincere? Gongzi You of the Eastern Continent being sincere? No way! The people in the forums were right after all! Does she really think that I’m blind? There’s no way I will mistake that for sincerity! 

 

“Say, are you serious about jumping down the cliff?’ 

 

“Of course. Do I look like someone who would tell a joke?” 

 

Spotless Autumn studied Gongzi You’s expression. He could feel a trap lying behind her expression. I shouldn’t have asked for her help! He deeply regretted his decision in seeking Gongzi You’s aid. 

 

“When you say jump down the cliff… Do you mean that we are jumping together or am I jumping alone?” Spotless Autumn sneered at Ye Ci, “Are you trying to trick me into jumping down and cast Feigned Death to escape?” 

 

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Hiya minna-san! Sorry for the late post. I've been dealing with a lot of shit IRL, hope you guys understand.  Not only that, there's still school stuff to deal with. Tests, classes, and then there's my Final Year Report. It's really stressing me out. 

Don't forget teaser next page!

Until next time.