It was a different experience traversing through the forest in the day. Due to the white snow that was reflecting the moon's light, the forest was not completely dark, and Ye Ci was able to travel through the forest with relative ease. But when day came, the sunlight reflected from the layers of ice on the trees were a hindrance to Ye Ci.
But due to the markings she carved, Ye Ci was not lost.
She began marking the terrain displayed in her map on her way back. They would fetch a good price if she sold the map to an NPC, but due to her status as an Eastern Continent player, Ye Ci was not able to enter the capital, Warrior City, even with her Brooch of Deceit.
Due to the lack of presence of monsters in the forest during the day, Ye Ci made the decision to summon Ol' Four, and headed straight for the resting spot she had discovered on the day before. It took Ye Ci six hours to reach the spot.
Ye Ci's campfire had long since been buried by the snow. She would even have missed the spot if it was not for the two wilted trees that served as very visible landmarks.
Ye Ci started a fire, and began grilling some bear meat. Her Stamina was nearly depleted, and hunger was slowly setting in. She immediately logged out of the game during this short window and took the opportunity to clean herself up before logging back into the game in the evening after some much-needed rest.
Bai Mo was the only one at home as Zuo Xiaolan and Ye Nantian were out at the supermarket. Bai Mo, who was eating while laughing like an idiot at a comedy show immediately set his bowl down as Ye Ci limped out of the room, "Take a seat, I'll reheat up the food for you."
Ye Ci slumped herself onto the sofa and began watching the show as well.
And when Bai Mo finally arrived with the food, she spared no courtesy for Bai Mo and immediately started gobbling down her food. The duo then began discussing the recent events in the game as they ate.
"The guild is doing quite well. What about you? How's your quest in the Northern Continent going?"
"I've completed the major one, but there's still an errand I have to run, and I'm not sure if I should do it."
"Why not? You're already in the Northern Continent. Do you want to make a second trip?" Bai Mo was someone who would see everything through, as he did not wish to be tied down in the future by unfinished tasks that were trivial.
"I want to, but it's not as easy as you think."
"And why is that?" Bai Mo stared at Ye Ci, "Wait, don't tell me that you have to go to Warrior City to complete that quest. That's impossible. You can't enter the city."
"No, I have to go somewhere else, but it's crawling with players from their three major guilds right now." Ye Ci shook her head, "There's no way I can make it through the midst of hundreds of thousands of their elites safely."
"Are you talking about Sangharama Shrine, Heavenly Body, and Rain of Blood?" Bai Mo knew the situation of each guild well, even if they were not hailing from the Eastern Continent.
"Yup."
"What are they doing there?"
"They want an abandoned fort," and she continued after a brief moment of thought, "If I have to guess, the level of the monsters in that fort is not that high, probably in the high 80s or at lvl90. They wouldn't have made the decision otherwise."
It was something that Bai Mo found himself agreeing upon. The duo continued their conversation about the game before Bai Mo slapped himself on the forehead with a sudden movement, "By the way, there's something that I've forgot to tell you. Ahh, my memory is so bad these days."
"What is it?" Ye Ci glanced at Bai Mo as she continued shoving her mouth full of food.
"I ran into your classmate earlier today. The one named Susu."
"Oh, Fang Susu." Ye Ci nodded and confirmed that she had an intimate friendship with the girl, "She's a member of World Conqueror. What about her?"
"She was asking about your leg, and when will you be returning to school. Your leave is almost over, and she can't reach you by phone, so that's why she was asking me about you." explained Bai Mo.
After her long hours of gaming, Ye Ci was finally reminded of her identity as a second year university student. Her parents had remained quiet about this matter, and she herself had seemed to have forgotten about her studies as well. Bai Mo's reminder had woken her up from her dream.
"What did you say to her?"
"I told her that your injury is quite bad, and that you're currently resting in your grandma's place. About your phone… Well, I told her that you've lost it, and haven't had the time to have it replaced." Bai Mo smiled at Ye Ci, "I'm such a genius. Of course, I met with your Head of Department as well. I told him that you're going to extend your leave by another month. That old man can be quite benevolent. He told me that you don't have to worry about your attendance as long as you pass your finals. Of course, I told him that you'll have no problem pulling it off…"
Ye Ci could hear ringing in her ears. I'm a reincarnator alright, but it did not come with all the perks that they have in the novels. Easily acing an exam by just skimming through the textbooks? Knowing the winning number for the lottery by closing my eyes? Nope, can't do that. The only advantage Ye Ci had was her knowledge of Fate. She did not enjoy any advantage when it came to real life. In other words… She might fail her exam if she did not work hard.
Ye Ci groaned as she leaned back against the sofa, "I'm finished… I'm truly finished this time…"
"What? Why?"
"Do you think that I'm a machine? How am I supposed to pass my exam without studying? I've completely forgotten about the exams! Hell, I've even forgotten that I'm actually a student! You almost gave me a heart attack just now." Ye Ci cupped her face, tears almost flowing out of her eyes. Will mom and dad beat me up if I fail my exams?
What do you mean reincarnators have the advantage? Ye Ci sighed. I don't even feel like one!
"Alright, alright." Bai Mo patted Ye Ci on her head, "I'll help you out with your studies a little. Let's have some revision before your exams. Maybe you'll have a chance of actually making it through the semester."
At this point, it was Ye Ci's only option.
Wang Jiangnan stretched his sore body. He had been working overtime for days. The only thing in his mind at the moment was to have a good meal, followed by shower and a good night's sleep.
But his simple wish would not be granted.
The new expansion would be introduced into Fate very soon, and the developers were working day and night to ensure that things would go smoothly. It was a luxury that none of them could afford.
Wang Jiangnan let out a yawn. He had woken up from a four-hour nap due to the fatigue, but he was still feeling the fatigue. The only thing he could do was to stand up and walk around the office. His colleagues were either still working in their cubicle, taking a nap, or were having snacks. They were all very tired.
Due to their efforts, the higher ups of the company had loosened up on the regulations during work hours, giving more freedom to the employees.
The developers were locked in an eternal cycle of working, having a snack when they were tired, and taking a nap when the fatigue was no longer bearable. There was no longer an "after-work hour" for the developers. It was a common sight to see the development team of Fate eating and even sleeping in their office.
Wang Jiangnan could still feel the fog in his mind even after stretching his limbs. He made the decision to head to the pantry for a cup of coffee and to wash his face. His colleague, Big Zhang, who was seated beside him was already nowhere to be seen.
With his large porcelain cup in hand, Wang Jiangnan headed to the pantry. He washed his face, filled his cup, and walked back to his seat. It was at that moment that he saw Big Zhang tip-toeing back to his seat.
"What's up with you, Big Zhang?" Wang Jiangnan patted Big Zhang on the shoulder. The man immediately jumped back in surprise, almost knocking over Wang Jiangnan's cup in the process.
"Oh, it's you! You scared the living hell out of me! How did you manage to walk around without making a sound?" Big Zhang let out a breath.
"Are you serious? What do you mean that I'm not making any sound as I walk?" Wang Jiangnan was wearing a pair of leather shoes that would clack loudly on the floor whenever he walked around the office, "Why are you so pale? Did you see a ghost or something?"
"What ghost?" Big Zhang let out a sigh as he sat on his chair, "I saw the boss of Big World Corporation." he said as he pulled Wang Jiangnan closer to him.
"The boss of Big World Corporation?" Wang Jiangnan was stunned. The Big World Corporation is the only company in the country that is comparable with Glory Corporation. Isn't their boss on bad terms with our director? Why did Big Zhang run into him in this place? Wang Jiangnan was in a state of disbelief. "Are you perhaps not feeling well, Big Zhang? The boss of the Big World Corporation is not someone you can meet easily. Even if you ran into him, how do you know it's him? It's not like his has made a lot of public appearances or anything"
"Of course I'd know! I used to work in Big World! Do you think that I'll forget how my former employer looks?" Big Zhang was annoyed when his words were questioned by Wang Jiangnan. He would definitely have raised his voice against Wang Jiangnan if it was not for the nature of their conversation.
Wang Jiangnan nodded at his colleague. Ah, I forgot about that.
"How did you run into your former boss? Besides, you don't have to act like you've seen a ghost or something."
Big Zhang let out a long sigh and grimaced, "That's what I thought too, but it's not as simple as it seems." and he began narrating the conversation that he overheard between the directors of Big World and Glory when he was having a smoke break
"So Mr.Shu of Big World is seeking a corporation with our company? And he's offering to buy part of the shares of Fate with a high price?" Wang Jiangnan was shocked.
"Yes."
"This can't be. Mr.Shu is not an idiot. Why would he do something that goes against common sense. There's no way we would sell our shares to him no matter the price. Doing so will be like killing the chicken that lays the golden egg." Wang Jiangnan shook his head, "There's no way the director will agree to that."
"No shit! Of course he won't! But guess what did Director Shu said?"
"And what did he say?"
"Golden Era." Big Zhang whispered the name into Wang Jiangnan's ears.
"Say what?!" Wang Jiangnan raised his voice and nearly lost his composure, but he was quick to rein himself in, "You're saying that… Director Shu is hiring Golden Era to infiltrate Fate?"
"And it's not just that. He told the director that he has a mole in our company. He knows our secret." Big Zhang sighed, "I'm sure Director Shu has some tricks up his sleeves. He's not an idiot. He wouldn't have come all the way just to issue empty threats."
Wang Jiangnan was stunned into silence. The conversation he had with Ye Ci on the bridge in the Southern Continent replayed in his mind. Ye Ci had questioned their decision to release the patch, and he had asked for the player's opinion for a way to deal with Golden Era. "Place a man in danger, and he will fight to live." came the reply.
To Wang Jiangnan, Ye Ci was a weird person.
It almost felt like she had the ability to look into the future. Despite the absurdity of such a thought, Wang Jiangnan could not help the idea that popped into his mind.
What did she mean by that? Wang Jiangnan was in a dilemma, Will she give me an answer if I confront her directly? I don't think so. He sighed. I guess I'll figure it out when the time is right.
Big Zhang patted Wang Jiangnan on his shoulder when he noticed that his colleague was spacing out, "What are you thinking about?"
"Oh, it's nothing. It's just that… With that threat from Big World, I wonder what sort of measures our director will put in place…"
"Downsizing maybe? Or our work on the game will start getting compartmentalized." Big Zhang shook his head, "Employees like us will never know what our higher ups think. I'm just a developer. My job is to work on the game. How it goes from here has nothing to do with me." and Big Zhang turned around to resume his work, "By the way, do not tell anyone about what I told you just now. If word gets out, I might be fired." he said to Wang Jiangnan out of worry.
Wang Jiangnan nodded at his colleague. Of course. What the decision-makers of the company think... Has nothing to do with employees like us. He took a sip of his coffee, and glanced at the wish card that he had written before joining the company: I want to be the Lead Developer of Fate.
It had been two years since that day, but he was still a low level programmer debugging the game every single day. Any ideas he might have about the game would only end up as an accomplishment of his superiors. How long can he last in such an environment? How long must he persevere to achieve his dreams?
Or perhaps it was not a dream, but merely his wishful thinking.
Wang Jiangnan leaned against his chair, and let out a long sigh, "Place a man in danger, and he will fight to live huh?" he muttered Ye Ci's words under his breath, "What did she mean by that?"
To avoid the grim fate of failing her exams, Ye Ci was forced to reduce her time for rest and gaming. Due to the efforts of Bai Mo acting as her mentor, Ye Ci found herself catching up with the syllabus with relative ease.
The sky was almost dark when she was finally able to log back into the game, and the Phantoms were almost beginning to materialize. Ye Ci did not dare to linger in the forest. She summoned Ol' Four, and rode away at top speed from the place that was so full of danger.
The Phantoms appeared as the sky became dark. Ye Ci had not expected their presence when she first entered the forest. Her only worries were the beasts lurking around the forest, which was why she traversed deep into the forest.
She spurred Ol' Four onwards, as anxiety began creeping into her heart.
More and more Phantoms began to appear, and without the protection of Moore's familiar, the Phantoms were able to detect her presence. They screeched at her, and began the pursuit.
Without their physical bodies, the Phantoms' movements were not limited by the terrain around them while Ye Ci was forced to weave and dodge between trees and large chunks of rocks. This allowed them to rapidly close their gap with Ye Ci.
The area beyond the forest was the spawn point of the Snow Cats. Unlike the Snow Leopards that dwelled at the foot of the mountain, Snow Cats were lvl90 monsters with formidable attacks.
Ye Ci found herself caught between a rock and a hard place. She would attract more monsters if she continued forward, but she had to shake off her pursuers as well. As she directed Ol' Four to run in a zig-zagging pattern, Ye Ci called up her Guard menu. She had intended for Alaunar to learn more skills in Red Lake City as a Shaman before summoning him, but her situation was dire.
And with a flash of golden light.
A youth in green robes and a staff in his hand appeared, "Master…" he greeted Ye Ci with respect.
But Ye Ci had no time to spare for pleasantries, "Alaunar! Attack!"
Alaunar immediately attacked the Phantoms at Ye Ci's command. He was able to learn more skills during his stay in the Red Lake City. The Shaman's Guild in the city was not as skillful as Dalufa, but they offered a large variety of skills that could be learned by Alaunar. This allowed Alaunar to combine his abilities to deal higher and swifter attacks to his enemies in combat. With his level nearing 100, Alaunar was able to fend off the 6 Phantoms behind Ye Ci with relative ease.
This allowed Ye Ci to focus her attention on the three Snow Cats in front of her. Despite her improved situation, dealing with three lvl90 monsters was not an easy task for Ye Ci and Ol' Four.
Ol' Four itself was not able to manage the aggro of the Snow Cats well, and every attack from one of the monsters would cause it a high amount of damage. Alaunar, locked in battle with the 6 Phantoms, was unable to aid Ye Ci in the fight.
Just as Ye Ci was at the brink of being overwhelmed by the three Snow Cats, she heard a whistling sound and a hail of ice began landing from the sky, greatly reducing the Snow Cats's speed. Am I being ambushed? Ye Ci was shocked by the sudden event, but there was no indication from a system notification that she was under attack. She quickly surveyed her surroundings, and spotted a mage who was casting his spell. He was attacking the Snow Cats.
Who is that guy? Despite her curiosity, Ye Ci knew that it was not the time. She immediately began directing Ol' Four into attacking the Snow Cats, and was able to dispatch the monsters within minutes.
She then shifted her attention to Alaunar. She might not be able to damage the Phantoms, but she could still cast some of her crowd controlling skills on the enemies. It did not take long for Alaunar to defeat the Phantoms. Knowing that there was another player around, Ye Ci immediately sent Alaunar back to Red Lake City once the battle was over, and began looting items dropped by the Phantoms.
When Ye Ci finally turned around to face the Sorcerer who helped him out, she saw no red glow from the player. This meant that he was a friendly player from the Eastern or Southern Continent. She narrowed her eyes. What is an allied player doing in a place like this? And mage class like him... Just who is this guy?
The player started walking towards Ye Ci as she was still deep in her thoughts, "We finally meet, Gongzi You." he chuckled.
Ye Ci's heart sank. Who is he? Why does he know my name! I'm wearing a hood, he shouldn't be able to tell who I am!
She took a step back as her hand inched closer to her short sword. She was ready to pounce on the player if he made a sudden move. No matter how good he is, he's a mage class. I'll be faster than him. As long as I'm quick enough, he won't have time to react to my attack.
"What? You don't know me, Gongzi You?" the man chuckled, his voice sounding very familiar to Ye Ci.
"Who are you?" Ye Ci narrowed her eyes. She could not sense danger from the man, but she would not let her guard down just yet. Her muscles remained tense, ready to deliver the killing blow when the need arose.
"It seems that Gongzi You really do not know me. Then…" the man pulled down his hood and spoke slowly, "Do you remember that time I became your scapegoat?"
The silvery moonlight shone down onto the ground below, and onto the man's face.
His jet black hair, pale skin, his handsome face, and the slight smile on his face was revealed to Ye Ci.
Who else could it be, if not Spotless Autumn.
Ye Ci knew who the player was the moment the words left his mouth, but she was not going to admit to that, "Just who the hell are you, bro?" she shrugged.
Spotless Autumn grumbled, "Gongzi You, you were there during my confrontation with Sangharama Shrine. I saw you." but the ghost of a smile on his face was an indication that he was not at all angry.
With the cat out of the bag, Ye Ci saw no point in lying, "The thing with Sangharama Shrine aside, how do you know I'm Gongzi You?"
"I saw you taking out a party two days ago." Spotless Autumn chuckled, "I was on the cliff when you fought them. I saw everything clearly with my own two eyes. You hid your name, but those moves... Only Gongzi You and Fleeting Time are capable of doing that. And... Fleeting Time is a guy. So it can only mean that you're in the Northern Continent as well, Gongzi You."
Ye Ci rolled her eyes. So this is why I could feel someone staring at me that day. It's him!
"I see." Ye Ci forced a smile and cupped her hands in salute, "Just as how the mountains will remain lush, and the rivers flowing, I'm sure we're bound to meet again in the future. I'll take my leave now."
Ye Ci fully intended to take her leave. She knew that Spotless Autumn was a formidable opponent. She might be able to win in a straight up fight, but she had a feeling that Spotless Autumn was just like her. He was a cunning player.
This was why Ye Ci felt the need to be as far away from Spotless Autumn as possible. There was no guarantee who might come on top in a fight. She would of course not mind if she was able to win against Spotless Autumn, but what if things turned out the other way around? And he's still not letting that misunderstand with Sangharama Shrine go. Damn it!
"Gongzi You, that thing with Sangharama Shrine is nothing. Really. But if I did not help you just now, you might've died. You can't just walk away like that." Spotless Autumn's voice entered her ears before she could take a second step.
Ye Ci stopped right in her tracks and turned around to face Spotless Autumn, "I did not ask for your help. You did it on your own volition." she chuckled, "And now you're asking for something in return? No way."
Spotless Autumn was not angry. He nodded, walked up to Ye Ci, and sighed, "Confucious was right. Women and small-minded men are the hardest to deal with. Even Gongzi You, the god-tier player of the Eastern Continent is no exception."
Ye Ci pursed her lips and stared coldly at Spotless Autumn, "What do you want? Stop beating around the bush."
Spotless Autumn held his hands in front of him, "Fine, fine, I'm the one at fault here alright? We're not from the same continent, but we're still allies right? Don't you think it's very touching to run into an ally in a hostile continent?"
Ye Ci's eyebrows creased. This guy sure likes to talk. Why can't I just run into a quiet one? Is 'Silence is gold' no longer a thing? She snapped her fingers and her voice portrayed her sour mood as she spoke, "Get to the point."
"You want me to get to the point?" Spotless Autumn was slightly stunned when he was cut off by Ye Ci, "Oh, right. I need your help."
"What do you need help with?" it was Ye Ci's turn to be surprised. She stared at Spotless Autumn incredulously. His skills, game sense, and positioning should be able to get him out of most trouble.
"There's something I need approximately two hours from here, but there's too many monsters in that area, I can't get to that place safely alone. That's why I need your help." explained Spotless Autumn with a smile, as if it was a simple task.
But Ye Ci could tell that something was amiss, "What made you come all the way here from the Southern Continent? And what is it that is so hard that you can't handle it alone?"