Reign of the Hunters

Chapter 289 Murderer 

 

This is definitely the worst moment for Gongzi You. 

 

And the worst moment for Ye Ci as well. 

 

At least, that was what she thought. 

 

Ye Ci was someone who had always managed to use the rules of the game to get out of danger in her past life and in her current one. She had never made such a careless mistake such as this. She looked at her surroundings. She was in one of the heavily guarded places of the city. Unlike the wisteria garden where combat was allowed, she was in a neutral zone, or in other words, a place where the city lord stationed his watch dogs. 

 

And just like the other major cities of the game, the soldiers in the teleportation area were lvl200 and at times even higher. Players at her current level could never hope to escape if they started a fight. 

 

Ye Ci sighed, her expression darkening. I’m an idiot! Why did I attack him in a place like this? 

 

Wait, no, it’s not my fault! He’s the one who provoked me! And he did not dodge my attack! 

 

The Map Channel and even the World Channel were in frenzy after Fleeting Time’s death. 

 

“Wow! I must’ve been seeing things! Fleeting Time was killed in the city…” 

 

“You must be! Fleeting Time, of all people?” 

 

“It’s true! Come to Hero City, the corpse is still here!” 

 

“Bullshit! Fleeting Time is always hooded! How were you able to see his face?” 

 

“I can vouch for him. I saw Fleeting Time without his hood just now, and someone killed him” 

 

“This can’t be real!” 

 

“No way! Impossible! There’s no way Fleeting Time can die! Our Fleeting Time is immortal! The person who can kill Fleeting Time is not even born yet!” 

 

“Are you high? Players die! Fleeting Time is better than most of us, but he’s still a player.” 

 

And the chaos continued. 

 

The incident itself was bizarre. Fleeting Time was a very skillful player. He was not a player who could be killed easily. 

 

Just then, the most important question of the day appeared in the World Channel. 

 

“So who killed Fleeting Time?” 

 

“Yeah, who did that?” 

 

“I saw it! Fleeting Time did not fight back when he was killed!!!” 

 

“If Fleeting Time did not fight back, then it can only be one person…” 

 

Fleeting Time stared at Ye Ci as he laid on the ground. A smile appeared on his face. He had died to Ye Ci twice, and this was not how he did things. He had never lost in a game and in real life since he was young, but it all changed when he met this girl. 

 

He could not help the urge to fulfill her every wish, even if it was his death. 

 

Messages were flooding into Fleeting Time’s Private Message channel. White Fairytale alone sent more than 20 messaging requests within a minute. Fleeting Time ended up accepting the voice call from Absalom instead. 

 

“Hey, according to what I saw in the map chat, you died at the teleportation area?” asked Absalom. 

 

“Yup.” Fleeting Time made no attempts to deny the truth. He was indeed killed, and it was normal for players to die in a game. 

 

“Was it an ambush?” Absalom frowned at his words. Who killed Fleeting Time in the middle of a bustling city? He’s already better than the vast majority of the players, but there’s still someone out there capable of killing him? 

 

“No, I did not move out of the way.” Fleeting Time laughed. 

 

“What!!” Absalom shouted, “Are you insane? Why would you not dodge when someone is after your life? Do you know that you’ll lose a lot of experience points and even some of your equioment? Are you perhaps not feeling well before logging into the game?” 

Fleeting Time could understand Absalom’s outburst. He would react the same if it happened to his friend, “I’m fine. I did not lose much of my EXP, and the gears… Well, they’re outdated anyways now that my level limit is increased.” 

 

“Hey, this is not like you! How can you be so calm when you’re killed…” Absalom was baffled, but it did not take him long to come to a sudden realisation, “Wait a minute, is Gongzi You the one who killed you?” 

 

“Yup! Of course  she is.” once again, Fleeting Time did not deny the truth, for it was not something that he would be embarrassed about. 

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me! She killed you? I’m so disappointed in you. And you did not fight back! What an embarrassment you are!” Absalom sighed. All his suspicions were cleared the moment he heard Gongzi You’s name. 

 

That’s right, only Gongzi You, the cunning girl who was also unfathomably strong can have such an effect on Fleeting Time, “Brother, have you really fell for Gongzi You?” he sighed. 

 

“I answered this question a long time ago.” Fleeting Time did not like the question. Is his memory that bad? He thought to himself. 

 

“Yes. But I would like to confirm it again.” 

 

“What for?” 

 

“To make arrangements for your funeral of course.” 

 

“My funeral?” Fleeting Time was baffled. What is he talking about?

 

“Of course! Do you think that girl will do it for you?” 

 

Fleeting Time responded to Absalom’s words with a laugh, “Well, you did not fight back when Apple hit you.” 

 

“I’m different.” Fleeting Time could hear the pity in his friend’s voice, “Unlike Gongzi You, my Apple has never once gone for the kill.” 

 

And Absalom let out another long sigh, “Brother, you must’ve been a calamity for women in your last life, this is why you’re being troubled by a woman like that…” 

 

“A woman like that?” Fleeting Time’s voice was calm, but his displeasure was clear as day, “Absalom, I’m pretty certain that I’ve warned you before. Do you want to get beaten up again?” 

  

Whatever Absalom was about to say did not leave his mouth, and he instead cried out in anger, “You’re a freaking masochist!” but the voice call was disconnected before he could even finish his sentence. You f*cking pervert! Thought Absalom, and this is why you like to get stepped over like that! 

 

Absalom threw a punch at a wall nearby, but it was not enough to quell the anger boiling in his heart, “Fleeting Time!! I’m waiting for the day you regret this! Someday, you’ll be shouting ‘yamette’ to all this!” (TL note: Author’s exact words) 

 

Silent Hymn who was beside him stared at him quizzically, but was quick to make an accurate guess of what transpired, “I think ‘kimochii’ is what he will be shouting…” he chuckled. (TL note: Again, Author’s exact words) 

 

“You’re all perverts…” came the reply from Absalom. 

 

“And you’re a busybody.” Silent Hymn’s words hit very close to home, and a troubled look appeared on Absalom’s face. He was an entirely different person from the revered leader of Genesis. 

 

It would take two minutes for players who committed a murder in a neutral zone to be arrested. 

 

And they have three options in such a situation: 

 

1. Flee.

2. Surrender.

3. Continue their killing spree. 

 

These three courses of action would lead to different outcomes. Fleeing would increase the jail sentence of a player, while the act of surrendering could reduce the sentence. But if the player continued his or her killing spree, the soldiers would act swiftly and put the offending player to death. 

 

Ye Ci could feel tears welling in eyes. Why did I react so quickly? Now I’m screwed! 

 

She could not use any teleportation consumables when there was an arrest warrant out for her, which was why she stowed her recalling stone away, and pulled out her dagger that was still buried in Fleeting Time’s chest. 

 

Perhaps astonished that a murder had occured in the city, a crowd had amassed around Ye Ci. they took pictures of the scene, and there was even a large crowd of players posing beside the corpse of Fleeting Time. 

 

Ye Ci rolled her eyes. Taking a picture with a corpse? What are they thinking? Mused Ye Ci. Just then, a number of players began to pose beside Ye Ci and took pictures of her as well. 

 

Fleeing was not an option, and killing was not a smart move either. The only option Ye Ci and left was to wait for soldiers to arrive. 

 

Sorrow filled her heart as she took a look at the large crowd. This is embarrassing! I’m going to be arrested in front of so many people! 

 

Thank God I have my hood up. She told herself, they won’t be able to see my face… 

 

Well, I can’t escape, might as well get comfortable. Thought Ye Ci, and she sat on the floor next to Fleeting Time’s corpse. 

 

At that very moment, Fleeting Time had already respawned, and was heading back to his corpse. He did not know of the large crowd that had gathered on the scene. 

 

Two minutes was short, but it could also be an eternity. 

 

Ye Ci sat beside Fleeting Time’s corpse, trying her best to ignore the players around her until she heard the clanking of metallic armor against the ground approaching fast. She let out a breath. They’re finally here. 

 

“Wow! The soldiers are here!” shouted one of the players, and the crowd parted before a platoon of lvl200 soldiers let by a lvl240 Elite marching straight at Ye Ci. 

 

More excitement filled the World Channel and the Map Channel. 

 

“The soldiers are here to catch the murderer!” shouted one of the players in the World Channel, and even more players flocked to the scene from all over the city. 

 

“Arrest her!” the Elite pointed at Ye Ci, and his men proceeded to take her into custody. 

 

Ye Ci stood up and faced the soldiers. She wanted to be arrested with dignity, but the soldiers pushed her onto the ground and tied her up. 

 

The first thing Fleeting Time when he arrived back on scene was Ye Ci being pressed on the ground by the soldiers. Ye Ci, who saw the newly-respawned Fleeting Time shouted in anguish, “Fleeting Time! You rascal! You’ll pay for this!” 

 

Fleeting Time scratched at his head, and offered Ye Ci a smile, “Aiya, Little Gongzi. Don’t worry about it, I’ll be joining you soon…” 

 

And Ye Ci was led away before she could utter any form of response to his words. 

---

TL Note:

1. Yamete:  Stop in Japanese (in this context of this particular situation: Fleeting Time asking Ye Ci to stop after all the abuse) 

2. Kimochi: An expression of a feeling, usually associated with pleasure. 

(Of course, I am not an expert in JP....... Yet. So if you spot anything wrong, feel free to correct me) 

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Hiya minna-san! It's been awhile! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! Again, the Japanese words were written into the story by the Author herself. If it "destroys your immersion", then I have nothing much to say to you but to suck it up. It is not uncommon for Chinese writers to throw in a few Japanese words here and there into their work for laughs and giggles. 

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