"Why are there burn marks in this place?" Ye Ci lifted her head once again and stared at the scorched surface of the wall.
"There must be some sort of trap somewhere, but with how things are looking, it's been here for for a long time."
"That doesn't mean that it's not functioning." said Ye Ci as she studied the stairways intently. Her gaze landed on some of the paintings at the stairways that appeared to be out of place, and appeared to be newer compared to the rest of the palace.
"The trap is hidden behind the paintings." said the duo simultaneously, and they shared a smile.
"Well, since we've figured out where the trap is, how are we going to get past it?" asked Fleeting Time. Although Hunters had the ability to lay traps, the did not have the skill to detect the triggering mechanism of a trap and dismantle the trap. Rogues were usually the ones who were tasked in disarming traps.
The Rogue class had the highest Perception in the game, which allowed them to receive hints from the system, and locate any triggering mechanism in the vicinity. However, if a Rogue was not careful in his or her attempt to disarm a trap, the Rogue might risk triggering the trap and taking damage as a result. This was not a task that could be performed by the Hunter class.
Making their way past the traps without disarming them was not an easy task.
The stairway was at least 16 yards in length, and there were 6 paintings along the length of the walls. This meant that the duo had to move past 6 traps on their way to safety. Judging from the scorch marks on the wall, the hidden traps must have the ability to shoot flames.
Vo'sok was a lvl60 dungeon. There was no way Ye Ci and Fleeting Time could evade the traps that were carefully placed in a stairway that was only five yards wive. As a Western Continent player, Fleeting Time could easily respawn and return to the dungeon after his death. The same thing, however, could not be said for Ye Ci. An Eastern Continent player like her would have trouble if she was killed.
After a brief moment of thought, Ye Ci produced some Cat Claws from her inventory and handed one of them to Fleeting Time, "We can try using this."
Fleeting Time took the Cat Claw from Ye Ci and began studying it with apparent interest, "Is this a product of an Engineer in the Eastern Continent?"
"Yup." Ye Ci estimated the distance between her and the railing at the end of the stairway and then looked at her Cat Claw. She then took aim and threw the Cat Claw at the railing.
The hook of the Cat Claw flew straight and true, clinging onto the railing as it landed. Just then, six massive jets of flames erupted from behind the paintings, burning them to crisp. If Ye Ci and Fleeting Time were hit by the flames, neither of them would be able to survive.
Ye Ci tugged at the end of the Cat Claw. She could feel the heat from the flames even when she was beyond the range of the traps. Before she could shield her face from the wave of heat, a figure stepped out in front of her.
"Stand back, I'll go first." said Fleeting Time as he stood with his back to Ye Ci and began swinging the Cat Claw.
"I'll go first. You've not used the Cat Claw before…" said Ye Ci as she stared at Fleeting Time's back. He does not have the experience of using the Cat Claw! This is suicide!
Fleeting Time glanced at Ye Ci, and nudged her aside. Before she could protest, he flung his Cat Claw at the railing. He then took two steps back, and stared at the flames.
The traps would discharge flames following a certain pattern. Flames would be spout from the traps for as long as 8 seconds, and after 2 seconds, the traps would continue spewing flames. With the absence of a Rogue in the party, Ye Ci and Fleeting Time could only think of a way to make their was past the traps.
It was an impossible to cover 16 yards in 2 seconds by foot. However, with the help of the Cat Claws, things were different.
Fleeting Time bent his body forward and extended on of his legs to the back, making ready to spring forward. A Hunter could only perform high agility maneuvers after gathering enough momentum. The terrain of a certain area would always be a limiting factor for the movements of a Hunter. This was why Hunters had to rely on quick movements that require short bursts of energy as they perform certain maneuvers.
With his eyes laid on the flame-spewing traps, Fleeting Time's muscles began to tense. He was like a cheetah that was burst into action. Ye Ci, who was standing at the side, stared silently at Fleeting Time. The glowing flames bathed the two Elves with its bright light, painting their fair skin with a shade of red.
Fleeting Time was waiting for the right moment to spring into action.
Although the traps shut down at almost the same time, there was still a miniscule time difference between the operation of each trap. In the short span of 2 seconds, even the time difference of 0.5 second could mean life and death, and decide the outcome of a quest. This was why an experienced player would never based on the assumption that the timing of the traps were in perfect synchronization.
Based on Fleeting Time's observation, the flame traps would activate for as long as 7 seconds before shutting down for 1.7 second. This slight difference would normally not mean anything, but it was the deciding factor for his success in this situation.
There was no time to waste. Fleeting Time had to gather enough momentum to ensure that he could launch himself across the stairway within the short timeframe. His movements had to be precise, and he must not harbor any hesitations in his actions.
Fleeting Time's silence would soon be replace with a surge of energy as he sprung forward. He was still waiting for the correct timing.
With a sudden movement, Fleeting Time sprung forward like an arrow let loose by kicking against the railing behind him. He increased his momentum by kicking against the wall at the entrance of the staircase, and then at the spot right above the first trap. Just then, the flames of the traps sputtered out, and Fleeting Time flew onward and landed safely at the other side of the stairway in the blink of an eye.
The traps once again began to spew flames the moment Fleeting Time landed.
The duo looked at each other through the flames. They were so close from each other, yet so far apart.
Ye Ci could barely hold back the urge to cheer for Fleeting Time after witnessing his amazing movements. This guy sure is something. He's able to time his jump perfectly, as if he's been practicing for this moment his entire life. It feels like it's not his first time doing something like this.
Fleeting Time looked up from the bottom of the stairway and said to Ye Ci, "I took around 2.3 seconds to take off, and needed 3 spots to I have longer limbs than you. I think you might need four platforms to help in your acceleration, which will make the process of taking off longer for you. The flames will last for 7 seconds before the traps reset for 1.7 second. Take your time and make your move when you're ready."
Ye Ci nodded in agreement. She was shorter than Fleeting Time, which meant that she would have to recalculate her timing for the jump. With the calculations provided to her by Fleeting Time, the entire process was easier for Ye Ci.
She assumed the same pose at the same position as Fleeting Time. With her body shorter and softer than Fleeting Time, Ye Ci was able to press herself closer to the ground, and prepared for the jump. She carefully selected the points that could be used as her launching spot. Other than the three spots used by Fleeting Time, Ye Ci found the marble pillar beside her to be a good spot.
After carefully studying her surroundings, Ye Ci resumed her pose, and stared intently at the flame-spewing traps.
One by one, the flames began to die down
It was as if time was frozen at that very moment. As Ye Ci stared at the traps, she could hear her own breath and the beating of her heart.
Thump, thump, thump.
Her heartbeat was even and strong, and her breathing was calm.
Ye Ci's success depended on one tiny moment. She leaned forward, and sprung out 15 degrees to her left like an uncoiled spring as she kicked against the railing. She then kicked hard against the pillar and propelled herself towards the wall near the entrance of the stairway, and launched herself forward.
Her movements were natural and smooth, just like a gently flowing stream.
When the flames stopped, Ye Ci soared past the traps like a swallow, heading straight to the end of the stairway. She then flipped her body midair, and landed on the ground smoothly.
Fleeting Time was stunned. It was just too beautiful. He could not think of a person who could pull it off better than Gongzi You, "That was amazing!" said Fleeting Time as he clapped loudly for Ye Ci.
Ye Ci was slightly embarrassed by the praise. It was rare for a Chinese person to be so straightforward with his or her praise. "You did very well too." she nodded at Fleeting Time.
It was the truth, but was also a reciprocation by Ye Ci. She had to do something after receiving the praise. Fleeing Time, on the other hand, showed more confidence than Ye Ci, "Indeed. I'll make sure to do better the next time."
He then handed the Cat Claw back to Ye Ci.
Ye Ci shook her head, "Keep it. You might need it later." She then put her own Cat Claw away into her inventory. Just then, Ye Ci spotted at item in a secluded corner of her bag. She took the item out from the bag, and handed it to Fleeting Time, "You dropped this last time."
Fleeting TIme stared at the ring held out by Ye Ci. It was the Ring of Accuracy made by Clasped Sunlight, and item that allows its user to take on monsters that were at a higher level. The normal-looking ring rested silent in Ye Ci's palm, emitting a soft glow.
"I've always wanted to return it to you, but I can't send a mail to the Western Continent from the Eastern Continent. I did not get the chance to return it to you because… You know… We were busy killing each other the moment we met, and I forgot about it as time passes. I happened to spot it in one of my inventory slots just now, so let me return it to you before I forget about it again." explained Ye Ci as he noticed the stare from Fleeting Time.
It was the first time she spoke so many words to Fleeting Time. He narrowed his eyes at Ye Ci, and a smile appeared on his lips as he spoke in a soft voice, "I sort of hope that you'd forget about it."
"What did you say?" Ye Ci could not hear Fleeting Time's words clearly due to his soft voice.