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Elven Huntress

NOT MINE, FOR READING PURPOSES ONLY The happiest thing in the world is to be able to amend what you have done wrong. She who acted willfully because of a game, was reincarnated into a time when she still had her parents’ love. For the sake of her family, she began her life as a pro gamer. But this time, she was no longer the Human Sorceress that she was familiar with. She was an Elven Huntress. Could she still acquire the power to be the Right Hand of God? 468 Chapters (Completed) Credits to translator: https://www.volarenovels.com/novel/reign-of-the-hunters https://www.patreon.com/Jimminx

SlothfulxQuiet · Fantasía
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364 Chs

Breeze

F City.

The wholesale market in the suburbs of the city was bustling with activities.

Vendors and distributors were gathered in the market. The noise level in the place could rival even that of a food market.

An expensive car was parked itself slowly in one of the alleys behind the market. The middle-aged man at the back of the car creased his eyebrows. Even through the windows of his car, the man could smell the pungent sweat of the workers scurrying about. He produced a silk handkerchief from the pocket of his suit and pressed it against his nose, "Zhang Ping, are you sure this is the place?"

"Yes, boss. This is the place." the youngster in colorful clothing who was seated in the front passenger seat nodded respectfully at the middle-aged man.

"Why would they be in a place like this…" the middle-aged man surrounded his surroundings. It was a mess. Are the people we're looking for really in a place like this?

"Boss, aren't you the one who taught us about not judging a book by its cover? I guess we shouldn't judge." Zhang Ping smiled and left the car.

The middle-aged man sighed. Well, might as well give it a try.

This place reeks of poverty. Thought the middle-aged man as he stepped out from his car, trying in vain to keep the smell out of his nostrils by pressing his handkerchief harder against his nose. "Lead the way." he said to Zhang Ping.

Just like how the middle-aged man was not used to the smell, the people gathered in the market were startled by the presence of the luxurious car.

Many of them stopped their work and were staring openly at the car. Some of them were trying to get a rough estimate of the car's price, while many more were wondering about the presence of the middle-aged man who was apparently rich.

Zhang Ping led the middle-aged man towards an old three-storey building after having a short conversation with the driver.

Such a building was a common sight near the market. The first floor of the building was a shop front selling a wide range of goods ranging from cigarettes, liquor, sugar, and even tea. One of the vendors of a stall outside the building was even blasting music through his loudspeaker.

It was apparent that the middle-aged man was overwhelmed by the spectacle. He had never been in such a horrible environment in his life. He was, however, able to calm his nerves rather quickly due to his excellent upbringing.

The middle-aged man followed Zhang Pin into the narrow stairways of the small building. It was apparent that hygiene was not the priority of the caretaker of the building. Trash littered the floor while the walls were covered with black and brown stains as well as a wide range of flyers.

"What are the second and third floors for?" asked the middle-aged man.

"They're usually used as storehouses for the vendors. But the rooms might also be rented to laborers working in the construction sites nearby." came the reply from Zhang Ping.

"I've never thought that I'd see such a sight in a city as developed as F City," a smile appeared on the middle-aged man's face, "Today is just-" and he stopped mid sentence. Despite his years of quality education, the man was lost for words.

"Places like this exist in every city, boss. It's only natural for you to not know about this. You don't mingle with people from places like this." explained Zhang Ping.

"Are we there yet?" asked the middle-aged man as he followed behind Zhang Ping with light steps. He was worried that the dust on the floor would dirty his shiny leather shoes.

"We're almost there. It's on the third floor."

The hygiene on the third floor was significantly better than the mess that was the second floor. It was obvious that the ground was cleaned regularly, although not as thorough. Despite its slightly better condition, the walls on the third floor were still covered with flyers and posters.

A metal door stood in the way of the duo. Zhang Ping pushed past the door, and motioned for the middle-aged man to follow.

The middle-aged man scrutinized his surroundings for a brief moment before finally following after Zhang Ping.

Despite the lack of odor, the third floor was still ringing from the music from below, a reminder that the duo was still in the poverty stricken suburbs. The middle-aged man looked out of a window from the corridor, and spotted the skyscrapers of F City standing tall under the bright sun. Heh, I was there in a meeting this morning. Can't believe I'm now in a completely different place even when I'm still in the same city.

A smile appeared on the man's face. Life is like a box of chocolate, you never know what you're gonna get. He thought.

The clacking of high heels rang out in the hallway, drawing the attention of Zhang Ping and the middle-aged man. It was a young woman in short skirts. Her long legs were not covered by pantyhose favored by women of her age, exposing her thighs to the bright sunlight. The woman's hips were swaying as she walked on her shoes with heels that were 10 centimeters long. She wore no makeup, apparently confident in her natural appearance.

One could easily tell that the woman was cleaning up after a meal judging from the stacks of plates and bowls in her hands. She was momentarily stunned when she noticed the presence of Zhang Ping, "Are you Zhang Ping?"

"Yes, I am." Zhang Ping nodded with a smile, "I'm looki-"

The woman ignored Zhang Ping and shouted into the room behind her, "Go clean these up, Little Liu!"

"Alright, I'm on it!" a voice responded, followed by a young man in white t-shirt who took the dishes from the woman before brushing past Zhang Ping and the middle-aged man.

The woman pulled a wet wipe from her pocket and began cleaning her slender fingers as she made her way to Zhang Ping. She greeted the middle-aged man with a smile, "I'm sorry you have to see that, Mr.Shu. My name is Death Blossom."

Death Blossom! Zhang Ping, and even the man behind him were shocked. Death Blossom was a top-tier Rogue. It had been 10 years since the name had first appeared. The name was always among the top players in countless games until it abruptly disappeared one day.

Zhang Ping expected Death Blossom to be someone in her mid 30s, but the woman standing before him was in her mid 20s.

Is she simply very young, or she's just very good at maintaining her appearance?

"It's nice to meet you. How lucky am I to meet the famous Death Blossom here today." Mr.Shu extended his arm to shake the extended hand of Death Blossom. He smiled and nodded at the woman with sincerity written clearly on his face.

Death Blossom snickered in response, "I've always found gentlemanly men to be boring, but you proved me wrong. Now that I've met you, Mr.Shu, I think that a gentle man is the best type of man. Their words are so sweet that they can easily make a woman swoon."

Mr.Shu maintained a neutral expression despite hearing her words, "I'm wondering if you can bring us to Mr.Breeze."

Death Blossom pursed her lips and studied Mr.Shu up and down openly. She then brushed her hair to a side with her slender fingers and headed to a room at the end of the corridor, "This way please." she said with a smile.

Mr.Shu attempted to look into the rooms at both sides of the corridor, but his curiosity was left unsatisfied as most of the doors were closed while the entrances to the rest of the rooms were covered.

It did not take long for the duo to reach the room at the end of the hallway.

The room was the largest on the entire floor, and it was partitioned into two smaller rooms. The door of the inner room remained closed while the outer room was visible to all. The small outer room was fitted with a desk with a triple monitor setup and a chair. A man was sitting at the desk, and his face was obstructed by the monitor.

Sofas and a small coffee table were placed on the other side of the room. A small pot of bonsai sat on the table. It was apparent that the bonsai was well taken care of. The room itself was air conditioned, which liberated Mr.Shu from the afternoon heat.

The man continued staring at his monitor when Death Blossom stomped into the room, "Who did you get to wash the dishes this time? It's not nice of you to get these men to do the dishes for you all the time."

"Stop sounding so pompous, you never help out!" Death Blossom scoffed at the man.

"I'm busy today. Haven't I helped you out whenever you're free?"

"Bullshit! You're busy 360 days out of the 365 we get a year!" Death Blossom snorted, "By the way, Mr.Zhang and Mr.Shu are here."

The man sat up straight and stared at the men behind Death Blossom. His facial expression remained neutral as he greeted the duo, "Would you like something to drink? Maybe tea? Or perhaps plain water?"

Zhang Ping had been around his boss for a long time. He was used to the sight of his boss being treated warmly and with respect even when such treatment was not out of sincerity.

The man, however, seemed to be indifferent to the presence of his boss.

"I guess it's better if you get these gentlemen a cup of water each. They might not be used to our low grade tea." the man smiled at Death Blossom, "Get me a cup as well. A big one. Your cooking is too salty today."

Mr.Shu was not offended by the man's behavior. He was even looking at him with a hint of admiration.

Death Blossom rolled her eyes and stomped away, "Is it not enough that I'm cooking for you? I swear I'll lace your food with rat poison one of these days. You won't even get to eat at all!"

The man clutched at his hair, slightly embarrassed by Death Blossom's words. He stood up and greeted Zhang Pin and Mr.Shu, "Don't mind her, she's always like this. I've pampered her too much."

"The happiest thing that a man could ask for is a woman that would cook for him. Her cooking might not be on par with those high end restaurants out there, but she made them just for you. Don't fret even if it's bad, and she'll be glad to cook for you for the rest of your lives."

"Wow, you have a good taste in women, Mr.Shu." the man responded with a laugh, and dragged his chair to take a seat in front of Mr.Shu and Zhang Ping.

Mr.Shu dismissed his words with a wave of his hand, "It's nothing. It's something that you'll understand once you've been married for long enough. You should treat your wife like how you'd caress a pet. Always move your fingers along the direction of their fur, or you'll be in for a huge trouble. After all, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Learn to back off, and you'll enjoy a happy marr-." Death Blossom stomped her way back into the room before Mr.Shu could finish his sentence. He immediately shut his mouth and smiled at the man seated in front of him.

The younger man in his mid 30's was of average height, and was dressed in a very casual attire. Perhaps due to the hot weather, the man was only wearing a pair of slippers instead of proper shoes.

From the look of his fingers, Mr.Shu could tell that the man was used to physical labor. Despite his plain appearance, his piercing eyes were something that one would not easily forget. Mr.Shu would easily overlook such a man in the streets, but people like this tend to pose the most danger and are filled with the most surprises.

Death Blossom poured water into each of their glasses, and even chugged in a few cubes of ice and a slice of lemon each. It was apparent that she was an intelligent woman with a pure heart and spirit. The droplets of water on the tips of her fingers as she held the glasses made her even more stunning. She did not carry the scent of the perfume preferred by girls of her age, but instead had an enticing scent of fresh fruits.

Her attention to detail was made even more apparent when Mr.Shu took a look into his glass. While his drink was only decorated by a single cube of ice and a slice of lemon, he could see three cubes of ice in Zhang Ping's glass while half of Breeze's glass was filled with ice. She had even placed a plate of cherries on the table.

Zhang Ping, who had noticed the difference as well, voiced out his curiosity. "I don't know much about Mr.Shu, but a man his age should be mindful of his health. Some slightly chill drink is enough for him. As for the lemon… Well, it's to add a little bit of flavor." Mr.Shu was impressed. So this is how she remains undefeated. Her observation skills and ability to judge a situation is astonishing.

Death Blossom sat in a corner after the drinks were served, displaying no intention to leave while Breeze himself did not show any indication that the woman should not be in the room as well. It was obvious that there were no secrets to be kept between the two.

"Mr.Breeze, Fate's first major patch will be released in 10 days. How is the preparation on your side?"

Breeze shook his head with a smile, "This is not something that you need to know. I'm sure you've heard of our reputation. Why do you need to ask something like this? Just wait for the results like our previous employers."

"It's not the same this time, Mr.Breeze. Fate is not like any other game. This is why we want to know your progress." Zhang Ping shook his head, "Have you tried your hand in Fate before, Mr.Breeze? This game is said to have revolutionized the gaming industry. They're vastly different from the other Virtual Reality games in the market. I don't think you should too confident in your abilities."

Breeze glanced at Zhang Ping, "Have you tried out the game yourself, Mr.Zhang?"

Zhang Ping's face reddened. He looked at Mr.Shu before giving his reply, "I did."

"What's your current level? Or rather, how well are you doing in the game?"

"I'm not doing that good." replied Zhang Ping after some slight hesitation.

"How well do you know this game?"

"It requires a high degree of teamwork, and players are allowed more freedom in this game. Based on the information we have, quests in this game were divided into two types. Those that were available to all players, and those that were hidden. A hidden quest has the potential of affecting the outcome of main quests and the overall climate of the game. This is like a wild card in the game." Zhang Ping immediately shared his knowledge about Fate.

Breeze raised an eyebrow, but remained silent. Mr.Shu on the other hand motioned for Zhang Ping to stop, "I believe that Mr.Breeze here has already had a good grasp about the game. In fact, he might know more about that game than we do. But tell me, Mr.Breeze, will you be using the human wave tactic that you've previously employed?"

"Well isn't that the most direct way?" Breeze shrugged, "From what I know, it has always been a very efficient way of ruining the game."

"It's a tried and true method that you've managed to pull off throughout the years. But for this particular job, I have a suggestion for you." Mr.Shu narrowed his eyes. At that very moment, the middle-aged man was like a predator ready to pounce on its prey.

"I'm all ears." Breeze stared at Mr.Shu with an expression that could not be discerned.

"Fate at its current state is mostly populated by players from China. While there is indeed a significant population of foreign players in the game, they are still far too few in comparison. This is due to the fact that the Glory Corporation has not started their marketing efforts overseas. But once they begin…" the ghost of a smile appeared on Mr.Shu's lips. It was rather obvious what the man was hinting at. Even if Excellent Era could send millions of players into Fate, their numbers would pale in comparison to the player population worldwide.

"So what are you suggesting, Mr.Shu?" Breeze asked after a short moment of silence.

"Instead of trying to get the job done with sheer manpower, why don't you use a… Slightly more intelligent method?" Mr.Shu smiled at Breeze, "i know you study Economics during your time in the university. I'm sure you're no stranger in this matter."

Breeze's eyebrows furrowed slightly upon hearing his words.

And Mr.Shu continued, "I know, it's costly, but you don't have to worry about it. As long as you're willing to get the job done, I'll provide you with the funds. Even if you can't ruin Fate, you can at least delay their growth."

Breeze did not ask for Mr.Shu's motive. He knew that it would be better to know less. He was just a mercenary hired to take care of the problems of his employers. Their motives had never mattered to him. This situation, however, was special. The fact that the employer himself was meddling in his business before he even started the job meant that this would not be easy.

"What if I fail?" he asked after a brief moment of contemplation.

"Fail?" a hint of cruelty appeared on Mr.Shu's face, "That word does not exist in my dictionary. I hope you don't forget that." It was at this moment that Mr.Shu's intimidating aura finally broke through his facade.

Breeze glanced at Mr.Shu, then at Death Blossom, and shook his head, "If that's the case, I implore you to look for someone else to take the job."

Mr.Shu was taken off guard by Breeze's response, "Why?"

"The risks are too big."

"Don't you know, Mr.Breeze? The higher the risks, the greater the reward!"

"I'm a married man, Mr.Shu. I have a family, and I have to care for my men as well. Putting everything on the line is something I no longer wish to do. All I want for myself and my men is a low risk job that pays. I'm too old for this, and I'll be honest with you. I've never really wanted to take this job, but your pay is just too good. I was thinking of doing one last job for the sake of my men before closing down the business for good. But if I have to take such a huge risk, I'd rather not take the job."

And Breeze smiled, "We can even enter Fate not as the locusts that we were feared as. I think we can do some serious damage with our strength. It will be an arduous task, but at least we won't risk losing everything."

Mr.Shu remained silent, his thoughts unfathomable.

And Breeze chuckled, "Truth to be told, I can go according to your plans, but I hope that you leave us some room for error. You're paying us to take care of your problems, and we will do that once we get paid. But you have to know that change can always ruin a plan. My success is not guaranteed. This is why I'd rather back off than to take the pressure from you. If you want me to pay for breaching our contract, I can. That is my responsibility. But if you want me to take the blame for failing with your methods, I'm sorry. I don't think I can agree to your terms."

Mr.Shu stared at Breeze with narrowed eyes for a long moment before letting out a sigh, "You're a cautious man, Breeze. But know that I'm not someone who is careless."

Breeze of course could understand the meaning behind those words. He shook his head at Mr.Shu, "Do you know why I picked such a place as my headquarters?" The sudden question caught Mr.Shu off guard.

Breeze motioned at his surroundings, "This place is dirty and messy, and the public security here is abysmal. Quite a number of my men are honest and respected people. But why do you think I chose a place like this as the headquarters of Excellent Era?"

Mr.Shu narrowed his eyes. He could immediately tell the meaning behind Breeze's words.

"It has been 16 years since I started my gaming career at the age of 16. I created Excellent Era when I was 18 years old, and that was 13 years ago. Do you think I've not offended a lot of people during those years? But why do you think I'm able to survive. Do you think it's because of sheer luck?" Breeze stood up and gulped down the content of his glass, "Honey, more please." he said to Death Blossom with a smile as he handed her the glass.

Death Blossom rolled her eyes at Brooze and left to refill the glass.

"Are you threatening me?" Mr.Shu could smell the dinger in his words.

Breeze shook his head, "No" his expression was very sincere, "I'm merely telling you that I'm not afraid of trouble. Bear in mind that we're partners, and I'm not a pawn that you can order around. I have no obligation to play such a role."

Mr.Shu stared at Breeze for a long while and let out his breath, "Fine. I'm willing to compromise in this matter. All you have to do is to delay the growth of Fate for two years. If you fail, you'll have to pay me twice the amount of penalty that we've agreed on."

A smile immediately lit up Breeze's face, "Won't it be nice if we started off the conversation like this, Mr.Shu?"

Mr.Shu did not respond to his words, and instead gave Zhang Ping a meaningful glance, and the man immediately handed a stack of documents to Breeze, "Here you go, Mr.Breeze. This is the intelligence that we've gathered about the major guilds in Fate. Please have a look."

A smile appeared on Breeze's face as he read through the file, "Ahh… I see a lot of old friends in this list. I can't believe we'll be meeting each other real soon. Such luck. Think they'll invite me for a drink this time?"

Relief washed over Mr.Shu when he noticed Breeze's calm demeanor. Just then, the man's voice rang in his ears, "What guild is this?"

Breeze's movements stopped when he noticed the name of an unknown guild in the file containing the details of many major and well known guilds. A guild with less than 30,000 members was something that in conventional sense, was not worthy of attention. This guild, however, appeared on the list. He was shocked as he read into the information of that guild. Despite its size, the guild has secured ⅓ of the First Bloods in the Eastern Continent, and had a spot in the First Five of many dungeons.

He was shocked. How can such a small guild outcompete guilds like Tang Dynasty, Wolf Pack, and Battling The Heavens? Is there some sort of secret behind their success? And he pulled the two sheets of paper and cast a glance at Mr.Shu.

Mr.Shu saw the words "Upwards Ho!" on the piece of paper and rubbed his chin, "It's a guild newly created when Fate's server was launched."

"How can a guild like this secure so many First Bloods? Is it because of their equipment? Or the teamwork of their players?" Breeze was curious.

"They have very skillful players. It's strange though. Most of their elites are very good players that you'd expect to see in major guilds, but Upwards Ho! is collecting them like they're collecting stamps. And an even stranger fact is that these players were nobodies before they joined the guild."

"Oh?" Breeze's interest was piqued as he skimmed through the roster of Upwards Ho!'s elites, "They might be good, but they're not that much of a threat."

"By the way, there's also something else that made Upwards Ho! Famous."

"What is it?"

"They have an extremely skillful Huntress in their guild. She's known as the Solo Queen of the Eastern Continent. A true top-tier player." Mr.Shu was of course not interested in the titles given to the developers to its players, but it was information that he had to relay.

"She's that good?" Breeze was immediately interested in the Huntress

"I'm more proficient in doing business than I am in a game." Mr.Shu did not voice his opinion of the Huntress, "Mr.Breeze, if you're satisfied with the terms of our partnership, I'd like to invite you to my office tomorrow to sign a formal contract."

"Sure. I have no problems with that." Breeze smiled at Mr.Shu, "I'll see you at 10am tomorrow."