Reign of the Hunters

The scenery was just like something out of a traditional Chinese painting.

“Have you registered for the tournament?” asked Bai Mo who approached Ye Ci from behind.

“Yup.” the reply did not come instantly.

“Which place do you think you’ll be able to get?” a half-smile appeared on Bai Mo’s face as he stared at Ye Ci who was still cleaning her weapon.

And Ye Ci shook her head, “I’ve not thought about it.”

Bai Mo fell into silence. He leaned against a tree by the lake, and enjoyed the scenery along with Ye Ci. He could even hear songs sung by songstresses on the boats that were floating on the lake. It was all just like a painting.

He knelt down beside Ye Ci after some time, and patted her on the shoulder, “Do your best.”

“Of course I will.” Ye Ci looked back at her cousin and smiled.

Bai Mo then stood up and left, leaving Ye Ci to her own thoughts alone by the lake.

Her thoughts were drifting to a place far far away as Bai Mo’s footstep grew distant.

She had taken part in a PVP Tournament just like this one in her last life, when she was still a Sorceress, and when she was not Gongzi You. Things were so different back then, and support from friends and family was something that she could only dream of. She was very lonely back then, but she had also arrogantly ignored such a fact as well.

Many of the details of her last life had been forgotten by her current self. But a few memories still exist. One of them was of her death, and the other was her fight against Fleeting Time.

But she might even start to forget even these as life moved on.

She let out a sigh, and slung her bow before pulling out a bottle of wine from her inventory. Her memories of her only interaction with Fleeting Time in her last life flooded her mind.

It happened during the finals of Fate’s 1st PVP Tournament. The easy victory that she expected was snatched away by Fleeting Time. He was like an entirely different person as he fought against Ye Ci. She could not keep up with the swiftness of his movements and the ferocity of his attacks. It was as if she was fighting against a highly advanced AI.

Ye Ci had always fancied herself as the top Sorceress in the entire Fate. And she indeed was the best. But even the best Sorceress of Fate could not survive even three minutes of combat against Fleeting Time.

She was then snapped back to reality. After long moments of staring at the lake, her eyes had grown fatigued. As she closed her eyes, memories of the battle that happened in her last life continued to replay in her mind. She was shocked to realize that the current Fleeting Time was even stronger than the one in her last life. Is this because of the existence of someone capable of matching him in battle? Or is this perhaps the butterfly effect caused by my reincarnation?

Fleeting Time had disappeared after their first and only battle in her last life. And it became a regret that gnawed at her heart ever since. When Bai Mo asked about her expectations in the tournament, Ye Ci finally realized that she no longer cared about it all. The only thing she wanted was to win against Fleeting Time.

Bai Mo had once told her that she should always have a rival so that she could grow even stronger. But the desire to win against Fleeting Time was burning in her heart. It was a desire that she must fulfill.

Even she had to admit that Fleeting Time was strong. He was an existence that she could not overcome. But it mattered not to her. She must fight, and she would not stop fighting until the moment she died.

She remembered asking Fleeting Time about the reason he left the pro gaming scene. The answer to the question was obvious, but she still asked nevertheless, for she wanted to hear it from the man himself. And his answer did not disappoint, “It got boring. There’s no opponent who could give me a challenge.”

And she knew that she was exactly the same type of person. Once she no longer has a rival, she would lose her goal. And the game would quickly become boring for her.

The chime on the game’s built-in alarm snapped her back to reality once again. She looked at the time, and remembered that she and Fleeting Time had agreed to explore the Sacred Mountain together.

While her level was high enough to be immune to the cold damage, Ye Ci still found herself shivering in the cold when she arrived at the base of the Sacred Mountain. She immediately equipped her winter clothing and headed to the spot of their meeting.

She saw a campfire with a figure huddled beside it as she arrived.

“When did you get here?” Yee Ci walked up to Fleeting Time who was warming himself up beside the fire.

“Not long ago. I just got this campfire set up.” Fleeting Time looked up at Ye Ci.

“You’ve always been punctual. Why are you early today?”

Fleeting Time ignored the question, and handed Ye Ci a bottle of wine, “I just warmed this for you. Drink it. We might not suffer damage with our levels, but it still is cold out here.”

Ye Ci took a swig and handed the bottle back to Fleeting Time, “Drink some too. We’re at the same level. And I don’t think you can stand the cold either.”

Fleeting Time accepted the bottle with a smile, “Have you registered for the tournament?”

“Yup.” Ye Ci glanced at Fleeting Time. She could still feel the cold, “What about you?”

“I did as well.” said Fleeting Time as he patted the rock beside him, “Come sit, let us talk.”

Ye Ci plopped down beside him, and he pulled her into an embrace. While Ye Ci was still not used to the close interaction, she was slowly getting used to it. She rest her head against his chest, and could feel the thumping of his heart, “You registered on the Wester Continent?”

“Yup.”

“Well, it seems that we’ll only meet during the finals then.” A smile appeared on Ye Ci’s face, “And this time, I will win.”

Fleeting Time planted a kiss on her forehead before responding with a smile, “And I will not go easy on you.”