Reign of the Hunters

Chapter 328 Tug Of War

 

Ye Ci immediately entered Stealth after dismissing Ol’ Four. She walked out of her hiding spot and climbed onto a tree not far away. Why am I so good at climbing trees in-game but not in real life? Thought Ye Ci. Well perhaps it’s because I won’t get fined if I do it in game. 

 

Ye Ci studied her surroundings once she was at a vantage point. She could feel players approaching, but she could not obtain their precise location. She was reminded of Alaunar. If only I have some sort of Warding Totem like that boy. It’d be easy to take them on. 

 

Of course, Ye Ci would not give up even if she did not have the totems. 

 

She stood up, and was able to sense a presence 130 yards away from her. Players who entered Stealth would have their speed significantly decreased, which means that it would be some time before she would get into contact with her enemies. 

 

She stood up, and jumped away from the branch like an arrow. She was not fast enough to completely evade the enemy, but her speed still rendered them unable to have a grasp of her precise location. 

 

Fighting in the jungle, especially outnumbered, was a test of patience between the pursued and the pursuers. The side losing their patience first would find themselves facing defeat. 

 

It was something Ye Ci was very familiar with. It was something that she had been doing for the most part of her last life. And compared to her last life, her current one had been relatively peaceful. 

 

Ye Ci could feel the excitement she experienced in her last life rushing into her. She was never afraid of this form of warfare. Even as a Sorceress, she was able to toy with a party of Hunters and Rogues that were at a higher level. A battle against 15 opponents with lower levels was an easy task. 

 

Fleeting Time was unlucky to get caught in the desert. Thought Ye Ci. If he’s fighting in the jungle instead, Golden Era’s casualties would be higher. There was barely any place to hide in the desert, and it was very easy for a player to leave footprints behind on the sand. 

 

But with the assassins engaging her in the jungle, Ye Ci was determined to kill every last one of them. 

 

Of course, she was not underestimating her opponents. She had understood from her lifelong experience that the act of underestimating one’s opponent would lead only to defeat. Nothing was certain in this world. 

 

Ye Ci’s perception range was boosted to 240 yards. She stopped and jumped down from the tree once the presence of her pursuers weakened. She entered Stealth, and began studying her surroundings. 

 

She was surrounded by lvl70-lvl80 monsters. With her level at lvl67, even she would have to be careful while she was in Stealth. The monsters were deadly to her, and were even more scarier for the pursuers close behind. 

 

But Ye Ci would never force her opponent into a position where they would be pinned down. To her, it was not a victory, but a defeat. 

 

She began placing traps on the ground. To the eyes of an outsider, the traps were placed in a very random pattern, but only Ye Ci herself knew that these traps were placed in well calculated locations. Her pursuers will be in deep trouble once they come within range of her traps. 

 

Of course, she would not simply wait for them to walk into her traps. She would have to bait them into the area. 

 

Ye Ci attracted the aggro of the monsters around her that have a higher chance of stumbling upon her traps, and led them in a circle before heading towards Golden Era’s assassins. 

 

As the player with the highest Perception in the party, Honey Barbie was at the forefront of the formation. But she could not detect the presence of Gongzi You ever since her disappearance. But just when doubt was slowly crawling into her mind, Gongzi You’s presence mysteriously appeared once again. 

 

She began leading the rest of her party slowly towards Gongzi You, but was quick to lose her presence once again. The process repeated itself several times before Honey Barbie was thoroughly annoyed, “What is Gongzi You doing! I could sense her already just now, but she just disappeared! If I did not have this Perception equipment on me, I would’ve thought that she’s making a fool out of us.” 

 

“Are you sure that your Perception is higher than Gongzi You?” March Spring was doubtful of Honey Barbie’s words. 

 

“Hey, are you doubting me?” Honey Barbie shot him a glare, “Sister Death Blossom told me that her Perception is high, so I took this gear out from our guild warehouse. My base Perception is high enough, and this gear has boosted my perception to 160 yards. According to Sister Blossom, Gonzi You’s Perception is at a mere 120 yards. Do you think that she can detect me?” 

 

“No, I’m not doubting you, but Gongzi You might’ve taken a potion or used some sort of equipment to boost her Perception. She must’ve gotten wind of what we were doing these few days.” March Spring was still able to calmly analyze the situation. 

 

“Can you not ruin our morale at a time like this?” Honey Barbie harbored an extreme dislike for March Spring’s overly cautious behavior. 

 

March Spring could only relent with a sigh. 

Just then, Honey Barbie called out to the rest of the party, “Gongzi You is heading towards us. Everyone, spread out! We’ll get a surround on her!”

 

March Spring was shocked. But before he had the time to analyze the situation, the members of the party had begun spreading out and entering Stealth. He could feel something gnawing at his mind, but chose not to voice his concern out. Honey Barbie might be younger, but she was also a veteran of many battles who had seldom failed her mission. Despite his doubts, March Spring decided to follow her orders. 

 

Ye Ci had been attacking the monsters with low damage over time attacks to attract their aggro and at the same time to mask her motives. She had already sensed the presence of the assassins as she slowly led them into her trap. She was confident that her plan would work.

 

Of course, she would not lead the monsters directly into the assassins as even an idiot could figure out what she was up to. She ran in circles around the forest, while killing a monster at random moments, and was eventually approaching the group of assassins. 

 

Honey Barbie was the first to spot Ye Ci who was 30 yards away, “Hunters, ready!” 

 

The two Hunters readied themselves to set their pets loose on Ye Ci. 

 

The order was given when Ye Ci was 25 yards away, “Attack!” 

 

Two arrows immediately soared through the air towards Ye Ci, and four Rogues dashed at Ye Ci from their hiding spot. 

 

Ye Ci acted surprised by the sudden appearance of the players. The slight hesitation of her movements allowed the two arrows to land right on their mark, taking away 10% of Ye Ci’s HP. One of them was a Stun Arrow. Ye Ci was instantly Stunned!

 

“Hah! We got her!” Honey Barbie shouted, “I thought the top player of the Eastern Continent would be a tough opponent to crack, but she’s not as good as we thought. We don’t even have to do anything to her! The monsters with their aggro on her will do the job for us! This is too easy! Sister Blossom’s expectations of her were wasted. 

 

But March Spring did not share the same feeling of joy. For he saw a strange smile on Gongzi You’s face the moment the arrows landed on her... 

 

 

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Day 30 of 31!!!! YESSS!!! ONE MORE DAY AND I'M COMPLETING THE CHALLENGE!!!! I'll probably start one for April as well! 

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