"Why are there traces of fire here?" Ye Ci raised her head once again, and observed the black marks behind the peeling paint. It seemed to be a large area, and was only covered by the peeling paint after a while.
"There should be a mechanism nearby, but according to the current environment, this mechanism should have been abandoned for a long time."
"Just because it's abandoned doesn't mean that it's useless." Ye Ci was also observing the surroundings of the staircase. She noticed that the oil paintings in the staircase were too low in height, and they seemed to be relatively new compared to the ruins of the Royal Palace.
"The mechanism is behind the painting," the two of them said at the same time. Then, the two of them looked at each other and smiled.
"Since we've found the trap, how are we going to proceed?" Fleeting Time's question was reasonable. Hunters were able to set up traps, but they were unable to find the box and dismantle the trap. This was a task that was usually done by Rogues in the party.
Since Rogues had higher Awareness than other classes, they would often be able to detect unusual system notifications. As long as they followed the notifications, they would be able to locate the box very quickly. However, they had to be careful when dismantling the box. If a Rogue's dexterity wasn't high enough, they could easily destroy the box. Not only would the broken box not lose its function, but the explosion of the box would also reduce the Rogue's health bar. Therefore, dismantling the box required a lot of skill. Classes like Hunters, who only cared about digging and not burying, would not be able to do it.
It would be troublesome if they were unable to dismantle the box.
The entire building was roughly 15 meters long. However, there were as many as six murals on the walls. This meant there were at least six entrances within this 15 meter area. And according to the system's notifications, all of the traps were flamethrowers.
Vo 'sok was a lvl60 dungeon. The staircase was about 15 yards long and 5 yards wide, and there were 6 flamethrower openings in the staircase. Fleeting Time and Ye Ci would not be able to escape unscathed if any of the traps were triggered. Fleeting Time was a player from the Western Continent, but Ye Ci was a player from the Eastern Continent. If she were to die in a place like this, it would be a huge headache for Fleeting Time.
Ye Ci pondered for a moment before an idea struck her. She took out two three-clawed cat claws from her inventory and handed one to Fleeting Time, "Try this."
Fleeting Time took the Cat Claw and weighed it in his hand. He then stared at Ye Ci with interest, "Is this the work of an Engineer?"
"Yes." Ye Ci looked at the length of the cat claw in her hand and compared the distance from where she was standing to the railing on the second floor. She felt that it should be enough, so she started to swing the head of the cat claw towards the railing.
The cat claw seemed to have a life of its own in Ye Ci's hands. It drew a straight line and hung on the opposite railing. Just as the cat claw passed through the staircase, six large flames erupted from the back of the oil paintings, and the oil paintings were reduced to ashes in an instant. If Ye Ci and Fleeting Time were to be the ones flying through the staircase, they would have died halfway through the staircase.
Ye Ci tugged at the tail of the cat's claw. Although the flames were unable to reach her, she could still feel the heatwave rolling towards her. Just as she was about to raise her hand to cover her face, a figure appeared in front of her.
"Stand back. I'll go first." Fleeting Time had his back facing Ye Ci as he swung the cat claw in his hand.
"I'll go first. You've never used the Cat Claw before, right?" Ye Ci stared at Fleeting Time's firm back, and felt that letting him go first would be akin to sending him to his death.
Fleeting Time turned his head to look at Ye Ci, and pushed her to the side. Before Ye Ci could refuse, Fleeting Time had already thrown the cat claw at the railing on the other side of the staircase. Fleeting Time pulled Cat's Claw back by its tail and lowered his center of gravity. He then observed the flames that spewed out of Cat's Claw.
The flames of the Flame Trap were not random. Normally, the Flame Trap would stop for one or two seconds after seven to eight seconds of continuous firing. A party without a Rogue would have to use this one or two seconds of rest to charge forward.
However, if he only relied on his two legs, it would be impossible for him to run 15 or 16 yards in 1 or 2 seconds. But with the Cat Claw in their hands, the situation was completely different.
Fleeting Time was squatting on the ground with his front legs bent and his back legs straight. It was a pose that was commonly used by Hunters. If a Hunter wanted to balance himself by rolling and jumping, he would have to rely on a run-up or extreme speed to achieve the required inertia. However, in order to achieve this inertia, he would have to run for a certain distance. However, in the game, there were many places that restricted the Hunter from using a long run-up. Hunters had their own way to solve this problem. That was to use the explosive power of the body as much as possible. Using the explosive power of the body and other parts of the environment that could be used for assistance, they finally achieved the required inertia. Then, in the shortest time possible, they could achieve the highest speed, such as rolling, bouncing, and leaping, which were superb actions and operations that surpassed the limits of the body.
Fleeting Time remained motionless as he stared at the flames spewed out by the Flame Trap. His muscles were taut under his chainmail, and he looked like a ferocious leopard that was ready to pounce at any moment. Ye Ci who was standing by his side stared at him in silence. The red light from the flames shone on the two of them, tainting their white skin with a tinge of red.
Fleeting Time was calculating the precise timing of the Flame Trap's jump.
Even though the timing of the Flame Trap's attack and rest was roughly the same, there was still a slight difference that ranged from 0.5 to 2 seconds. The timing was indeed very short, but it was this short amount of time that could determine whether a player was still alive, and whether a quest would fail. Therefore, experienced players would definitely not put all the Fire Traps together. Instead, they would separate them and analyze them individually.
For example, the Flame Trap's attack duration was only 7 seconds, and the rest duration was 1.7 seconds. Such a small difference would not mean much under normal circumstances, but in this very moment, it was the key that determined the success or failure of the quest.
He definitely couldn't waste even a single second of the mechanism's 1.7 seconds of rest time. In order to make use of the time to fly across the staircase, Fleeting Time would have to complete the steps of the Flame Trap's attack. Every Hunter would have different timings depending on their attributes. All in all, this was an extremely precise process. Not a single second could be missed, and not a single second could be delayed. It had to be done precisely in order to be perfect.
Fleeting Time's silence was for the sake of his explosive attack. He was calculating the timing of his jump.
Ye Ci watched as Fleeting Time's body suddenly sank, and he shot out like an arrow. He leaped into the air and stomped on the railing behind him, the staircase, and the wall above the Flame Trap. It was also at that moment that the Flame Trap stopped firing, and Fleeting Time's body flew out as if he was not affected by gravity. In the blink of an eye, Fleeting Time had landed by the railing.
At this moment, the flame mechanism that was resting once again sprayed out, as though the previous incident didn't happen at all.
The two stared at each other with the Flame Trap in between. It felt like they were very close to each other, but at the same time, they were very far apart.
Fleeting Time's movements were so smooth that even Ye Ci could not help but cheer for him. This man is really something. His timing, his grasp of opportunity, and his use of inertia were all flawless. It was as if he had practiced it thousands of times. It did not look like he was doing it for the first time. There was not even a hint of awkwardness in his movements.
Fleeting Time stood at the bottom of the staircase, and looked up at Ye Ci, "My jump will take 2.3 seconds, and I have 3 boosts. But since a male character has longer limbs than a female character, you'll need 4 boosts. That's why your jump will take a longer time. Make sure to calculate it well. The Flame Trap only lasts 7 seconds, and the rest duration is 1.7 seconds. Don't be hasty. Calculate your timing before you jump. "
Ye Ci nodded. It was just as Fleeting Time had said. Due to her short stature, her limbs were shorter than Fleeting Time's. Fleeting Time was able to provide her with the exact amount of time he needed, and she could easily calculate the amount of time she needed to complete the quest.
Ye Ci stood at Fleeting Time's position and prepared to jump. However, her body was much softer than Fleeting Time's. She could lower her body, and that would allow her to jump with more explosive force. Ye Ci needed to choose four support points before she could begin calculating the time. She took a look at her surroundings and noticed that there was a marble pillar to her left that could act as the second support point.
After choosing her boosts, Ye Ci carefully tested the distance between the four boosts points and the amount of force she needed. She lowered her body once again and stared at the Flame Trap before her.
Spray, rest, spray, rest, spray, rest.
It was as if time had stopped. There was no sound around her. Ye Ci stared at the Flame Trap before her, and the only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat.
Thump, thump, thump.
Her heartbeat was steady, and her breathing was calm. It was as if everything was normal.
Everything changed in an instant. Ye Ci lowered her body, and bounced up as if she had springs under her feet. She kicked off the railing with her left foot, and her body flew 15 degrees to the left. She then kicked off the railing with her right foot, and as if she had eyes on her back, she kicked off the marble pillar. After the first two boosts, Ye Ci's body was propelled towards the wall by the staircase. With another kick, Ye Ci's body was propelled towards the last boosts point.
The four boosts were executed in a smooth motion, and it was as if a stream was flowing.
The flames stopped, and Ye Ci's body was like the most perfect swallow as she passed through the Flame Trap and flew towards the railing on the opposite side of the Flame Trap. It looked as if she was about to fly out of the Flame Trap, but she suddenly did a flip in the air, and landed firmly on the ground as if nothing had happened.
Fleeting Time's eyes were filled with amazement. She did it beautifully. He could not think of anyone else who could have done it better than Gongzi You. He clapped his hands and smiled at Ye Ci, "Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! "
Ye Ci was a little embarrassed by the unabashed praise. It was the custom of Chinese to praise someone so openly. She nodded at Fleeting Time, "You did it perfectly too."
Her praise was mostly due to Ye Ci's reciprocation to Fleeting Time. After all, he had praised her, and it was only right for her to say something in return. Fleeting Time nodded with a smile, and accepted Ye Ci's praise, "Not bad. I'll try to do better next time."
He then returned the Cat Claw to Ye Ci.
Ye Ci shook her head, "Keep it. You might need it in the future." She kept the Cat's Claw in her inventory, but before she closed her inventory, she saw something hidden in the corner of her inventory, and her heart skipped a beat. She picked it up and handed it over to Fleeting Time, "You dropped this last time."
Fleeting Time stared at the ring in Ye Ci's hand. It was the Ring of Precision crafted by Sunlight on the Palm. It was an excellent equipment for killing monsters above one's level. It was a simple ring, and it glowed softly in Ye Ci's palm.
Ye Ci quickly explained when she saw Fleeting Time staring at the ring, "I wanted to return it to you a long time ago, but I couldn't send it to you via mail between the Eastern Continent and the Western Continent. I actually wanted to find a chance to return it to you face to face, but as you know, we seem to be fighting and killing whenever we meet, so I forgot about this matter. I just found it in the package and remembered this matter. In order to prevent me from forgetting again, I quickly returned it to you. "
It was rare for Fleeting Time to hear Ye Ci speak so much in one go. He narrowed his eyes at her with an unreadable glint in his eyes, "Why haven't you forgotten?" he asked with a faint smile on his face.
"What is it?" Fleeting Time's voice was not loud, and Ye Ci could not hear him clearly.
"It's nothing." Fleeting Time let out a sigh and took the ring from Ye Ci's hand, "I'm just saying that this ring is a godly item that can be used to fight monsters of a higher level than you. I wonder if it was of any help to you when you were in possession of it?"
Ye Ci was immediately reminded of the time when she was fighting Buru. But she was too embarrassed to admit such a thing at a time like this. She turned her head away and said stiffly, "I'm not slow at leveling up. I've never encountered a situation where I'm fighting monsters above my level."
"Oh?" Fleeting Time's eyes narrowed even further when he heard Ye Ci's words. He nodded with a smile, "That's right. Little Gongzi is the Solo King of the Eastern Continent. You should have a way to counteract the penalty of killing a monster above your level. Why didn't I think of it earlier? I thought that the ring would be able to help you kill Buru, but it looks like I was wrong."
Ye Ci turned her head even further away from Fleeting Time, "Well … It's getting late. Let's hurry up and search the second floor." Fleeting Time's words caused her to lose her composure. How did he see through me?
Can't you be a little dumber? Even if you're not dumb, can you at least act dumb? What's the point of saying something like that? What's the point of saying something like that?
Fleeting Time was amused by Ye Ci's fuming figure. He did not know if Gongzi You would be able to use the ring in their fight against Buru. He was merely following along with Gongzi You's words, and did not expect himself to be right. Fleeting Time rubbed his nose as he stared at Ye Ci's back. Damn it. Why did I bring this up for no reason? Gongzi You was a shy person. He might not have thought much of it if it was any other equipment, but it was a ring.
Fleeting Time lowered his head and looked at the ring on his finger. The name of the ring's creator was an eyesore. If only he was the creator. He picked up the ring and gently placed it on his lips. It was as if there was a slender finger in the empty ring. He planted a sincere and gentle kiss on it. He then placed the ring into his inventory before Ye Ci realized what he was doing.
Compared to the quiet first floor, the second floor was much livelier. There were plenty of wandering Undead and Orcs, as well as some Goblin slaves. They were all gathered in groups of three to five. But it was a simple task for two Hunters and two pets to take care of these monsters. At the side of the staircase, the two encountered the first goblin slave. He was controlling the flame mechanism, and the two of them quickly took him down. At this time, when they turned back to look at the mechanism, the flame seemed to have been completely extinguished. It was not as fierce as before.
Ye Ci discovered a strange item dropped by the Goblin slave when she was searching the corpse. It was an Energy Core. The Energy Core was very similar to the Energy Core that Nicky had given to the duo. However, the Energy Core was not as good as the one Nicky had given to them. It was also dim, indicating that it did not have much energy left. The introduction of the Energy Core only stated that it was a restricted item in the dungeon and could not be brought out of the dungeon. There was no other additional information.
"What's this?" Fleeting Time did not participate in the search of the corpse. He was curious about the Energy Core in Ye Ci's hand, but he was able to make a bold and accurate judgment based on its appearance and luster, "Is this an Energy Core?"
"Yup. The description says that it's a limited item that can't be brought out of the dungeon. That's all. I'm wondering how this thing works." Ye Ci inspected the Energy Core, "Could it be installed on the tank?"
Fleeting Time took the Energy Core from Ye Ci and studied it, "I don't think it's installed on the tank. The two Energy Cores that Nicky had given us are bigger than this one. They're bright red in color. Look at this one. It's a little dim. I don't think it can be used to power the tank."
"Then what could it be?" Ye Ci walked around the corpse of the Goblin slave, but her efforts were in vain, "I don't think there's any machine here that can be used to power the tank. Don't tell me this thing is meant to be used to trade for equipment."
"Ha! That would be great if that's the case." Fleeting Time tossed the Energy Core to Ye Ci and continued forward, "I don't care what it is. Keep it safe. Let's continue forward. Maybe we'll find something."
The two walked cautiously on the second floor. They encountered a few waves of wandering Undead and Orcs, but they did not drop anything.
"I don't think there's any machine here." Ye Ci smashed all the wooden boxes and cabinets along the way, but there was still no sign of any machine.
"Don't be hasty. Look around. If there's an Energy Core, it must be useful." Fleeting Time was much calmer compared to Ye Ci's impatience. It was rare for Ye Ci to be so restless, but for some reason, her heart was restless after the discussion about the ring. She even regretted giving the ring back to Ye Ci for no reason. There's no need for me to return the ring to Fleeting Time. It's my spoils of war. What's the point of returning the ring to Fleeting Time?
The more she thought about it, the more she could not calm down. It was as if there was a fire burning in her heart. But there was nothing she could do about it. She could only vent her anger on the battle.
Fleeting Time smiled at Ye Ci's agitated expression. He did not want to cause trouble for Gongzi You at a time like this, even though it would make him happy. But when he saw Gongzi You's darkening face, he rubbed his nose and decided that it would be better for him to behave himself.
There were some things that could not be rushed. Before any progress was made, it would be best for him to remain a cooperative teammate.
Ye Ci was still charging forward with her head lowered when Fleeting Time pulled her back.
Ye Ci raised her head and gave Fleeting Time a puzzled look, but Fleeting Time pulled her behind a pillar and whispered, "There's an ambush up ahead."
Ye Ci poked her head out and saw a Goblin sitting on top of a wooden crate 20 yards away. A rabbit was being roasted in front of the Goblin, and oil sizzled out of the rabbit's body, giving off an enticing fragrance.
The Fourth Prince and Little Five could not resist the temptation. They followed behind Fleeting Time and Ye Ci, and they could not wait to kill the Goblin and devour the rabbit. However, Fleeting Time and Ye Ci did not make a move, and the Goblins could only groan as they followed behind the duo.
The Fourth Prince and Little Five's groans attracted the attention of an Undead and an Orc patrol before Ye Ci could get a good look at the enemy. The attacks of the Orc patrol were obviously stronger than those of the Goblins. Worse still, the Orc patrol was an Archer, while the Undead patrol was a Mage. Both ranged classes were ranged classes, and the Orc patrol was a physical class while the Undead patrol was a Mage.
Ye Ci and Fleeting Time could no longer be bothered to observe the Goblin. They had to deal with the danger before them. Ye Ci and Fleeting Time dodged the arrows and spells fired by the Undead as they charged at the two Undead patrols. It did not take long for the two Undead patrols to be taken care of. However, the Undead patrol trooper charged at the Goblin before it was killed. Although it was killed by Ye Ci and Fleeting Time's skills, the Undead patrol trooper still let out a shrill cry, which attracted the Goblin's attention.
"Shit! We've been discovered!" Ye Ci's heart sank. She immediately ordered The Fourth Prince to charge at the Goblin. But she was not worried. The Goblin was not much of a threat to her, Fleeting Time, and her two pets. Fleeting Time followed closely behind Ye Ci and charged at the Goblin. But he cast a Detection skill on the Goblin, and his heart sank when he saw the name of the Goblin.
"Shit! Kill the Goblin! He'll call the cops! " Said Fleeting Time as he directed Little Five to charge at the Goblin, while he continued to bombard the Goblin with high damage skills.
Ye Ci immediately cast a Detection skill on the Goblin.
Goblin Cop: Lvl 60 HP: 30000
It was a normal monster, but it had a skill that no one else had. It could raise an alarm and summon a large number of monsters to its location. The Goblin Cop was the most annoying monster in dungeons and out in the wild. A party could easily be wiped out by the monsters summoned by the Goblin Cop if they did not cooperate well.
When the Goblin Cop heard the Undead's sharp cry, he didn't hesitate and immediately jumped towards a large mechanical clock beside him. He reached out his hand and pressed a red button. It was only then that Ye Ci noticed the mechanical clock that was hidden beside the Goblin Cop. It was so well hidden that one would not be able to see it without careful observation.
"F * ck!" Ye Ci could not help but curse when she saw the Goblin Cop pressing on the red button. She began to cast her skills at a faster pace. The damage dealt by a Hunter was mainly dependent on their critical hits. The damage dealt by two top Hunters was terrifying. But it was still too late for the duo. They were only a fraction of a second away from killing the Goblin Cop before it could sound the alarm. The duo watched as the Goblin Cop pressed the button to activate the alarm before it fell to the ground.
If monsters had emotions, Ye Ci was certain that she saw a mocking smile on the Goblin Cop's face before it fell to the ground. It was a smile that seemed to be saying, "Even if I die, there are still millions of others."
It was a bad premonition. The ear-piercing sound of machines rang out in the second floor of the Royal Palace, and a swarm of Androids appeared out of nowhere. Smoke billowed from their bodies, and some of them looked as if they were about to be scrapped. Despite that, the Androids did not falter in their movements. They charged at Ye Ci and Fleeting Time from both sides.
"Lay down the traps! Don't get surrounded!" Ye Ci had already dashed out when Fleeting Time gave the order. Fleeting Time and Ye Ci had already thought of the same thing when Fleeting Time first gave the order. For Hunters who were proficient in SOLO and crisis management, being able to determine what to do in the shortest amount of time was equivalent to finding the best chance of survival in a dangerous situation.
Two people who were too similar were like looking into a mirror. If someone were to record Ye Ci and Fleeting Time's actions of laying down the traps, releasing their pets, and attacking the robots, the two would be in awe. The two of them were like illusions on both sides of a mirror. Their actions were surprisingly identical, and their minds were surprisingly connected. They absolutely did not waste a single second on things that should not be wasted. In the shortest amount of time, they controlled the situation that was basically in a state of panic, and then they killed the machines that were coming at them one by one.
The entire process was flawless, and it was so smooth that it was breathtaking.
This was the difference between a top-tier player and a normal player. Normal players would not give off a different feeling when they were doing quests or raiding dungeons. Watching a top-tier player's videos was like watching a player doing a quest themselves, and it was even somewhat boring. However, watching a video of a top-tier player playing a dungeon or raiding a dungeon was a completely different experience. Sometimes, watching a top-tier player's flawless maneuvers was like watching a top-tier player's statistics. Every detail was breathtaking, and every part of the process was breathtaking.
Despite the large number of robots, it was not a difficult task for the two who were already used to such dangerous situations. They did not speak a single word throughout the entire process, but it was as if everything had been planned beforehand. They had their backs facing each other, and were only focused on clearing out the enemies in front of them.
Usually, one of them belonged to the Eastern Continent, while the other belonged to the Western Continent. Their relationship was hostile. As a top-tier player, one would never leave one's back to an enemy. This was something that every player should learn on their first day in the game. But today, one of them belonged to the Eastern Continent, while the other belonged to the Western Continent. They were the only teammates in this dungeon that they could trust.
Leaving one's back to one's teammates was also something that every player should learn on their first day in the game.
Ye Ci could not help but think to herself as she attacked the robots in front of her. Fate is a mysterious thing. Never in her life had she thought that she would entrust her back, her life, and her safety to a player who was a complete enemy of hers. And yet, it was happening right in front of her eyes.
She recalled what Tan Polang had said to her on that night when the moon was as bright as a plate.
He said that trust was not a talent, but a skill that needed to be learned. Was she learning a skill, or was she being forced to learn it by fate? She had no way of knowing, but for some reason, her heart was at peace. It was a feeling that she had not felt in a long time.
Ye Ci could not even remember the last time she had such peace and tranquility.
Fate really knows how to play tricks on people.
Ye Ci could not help but laugh at herself. She had never expected that the first person she was supposed to trust would be an enemy. What could be more insulting than this?
Fleeting Time had one or two fewer monsters on his side than Ye Ci's. Hence, Fleeting Time was able to clear out the monsters on his side before Ye Ci was done. Fleeting Time turned around to help Ye Ci. He stood beside Ye Ci, drew his bow, released an arrow, nocked another arrow, drew the bowstring again, and released another arrow. His movements were so smooth and perfect that even Ye Ci could hear the buzzing sound of the bowstring.
After the last Black Feather Arrow pierced the last robot with a sharp whistling sound, the second floor of the palace finally regained its original peace. Fleeting Time put away his bow and smiled at Ye Ci, "Little Gongzi, it's time for you to collect your spoils of war."
Ye Ci turned around and saw the smile on Fleeting Time's face. Her mood was lifted slightly. Regardless of all the grudges and grievances, regardless of all the disputes and interests, this person in front of him was a trustworthy teammate.
For a moment, Ye Ci even thought that it was a good thing that Absalom had arranged for Fleeting Time to follow her.
Very good. Very good. (To be continued.) If you like this work, you are welcome to come to qidian.com to vote for me. Your support is my biggest motivation.)
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