Although these Androids had high HP and Attack Power, they did not drop anything. Aside from a few Engineering Blueprints with a high drop-rate, the Androids did not drop anything. Fleeting Time and Ye Ci picked up the blueprints and mailed them to the guild's Engineer players. On the other hand, the Goblin Policewoman who died first dropped an energy core for both of them.
Ye Ci stared at the Energy Cores in her hands. She was frustrated that she could not find a way to use them.
Fleeting Time was crouching on the ground as he rummaged through a pile of scrap metal. He suddenly turned to Ye Ci, "Heh, this one isn't complete yet. Come over and take a look. Can you use it?"
Ye Ci stared at the robot that Fleeting Time had unearthed, and lowered her head to look at the Energy Cores in her hands. She then walked over to Fleeting Time and crouched down beside him. The two began discussing the lifeless robot.
"You're saying that we should install the Energy Cores on it?"
"Yeah. Let's give it a try. "
"Could it be that it's too rotten? I saw it smoking just now. Will parts fall off when I install the Energy Scale …" Ye Ci stared at the robot on the ground. She had a feeling that it wouldn't move even if it was installed with an Energy Core.
"Who knows? Life is about experimentation. Since we have two Energy Cores, and we can't find a new machine for now, there's nothing wrong with giving this one a try." Men were sometimes more adventurous than women. But in Ye Ci's opinion, it was a waste.
"Alright." It was a waste, but it was still a way. But … Ye Ci could not find the most important part of the robot after circling it a few times, "Where should I install the Energy Cores?"
"Well …" Fleeting Time scratched his head. He was not an Engineer, and had never personally assembled an Engineering machine. He had no idea how to answer such a question.
"Forget it. I'll ask the Engineers in my guild." Ye Ci could tell from Fleeting Time's expression that he was as clueless as she was when it came to technology. Thus, she sent a private message to Pea Cake. However, what made her furious was that the system's reply to her private message was, "The player you are calling is within a limited range and cannot receive your call. Please adjust your position and continue calling."
F * ck, do you think this is China Mobile?! What call limited? Why is the user not in the service area?
Ye Ci let out a sigh, "You must have an Engineer in your guild, right? I can't get in touch with you. Why don't you ask around?"
Fleeting Time nodded and began contacting the Engineers in his guild.
The two had spent quite some time in the dungeon, and it was already three or four o 'clock in the morning in the real world. Most of the players had already logged off to sleep, and the Life Players with good routines were nowhere to be found. It was not easy to find one or two Engineering Players who had never studied Goblin Engineering before, and they knew nothing about Fleeting Time's problem.
"What? You can't get in touch with them? " Ye Ci could see that Fleeting Time was contacting a few people. Although Ye Ci could not hear Fleeting Time's voice, she could tell from his expression that the conversation was not going well.
"Yup." Fleeting Time continued searching for Engineering Players as he browsed through the list of guild members, "It's already four o 'clock in the morning. Most of the Life Players have already logged off to sleep. It's not easy to find one or two who are still awake, and have never learned Goblin Engineering before."
Goblin Engineering was a branch of Engineering. Not every Engineering Player was able to learn Goblin Engineering due to the prerequisites of the quest. However, the Goblin Engineering that was available for players to learn at this stage of the game was only the tip of the iceberg. It was still a far cry from the true essence of Goblin Engineering. However, even with this superficial skill, some of the gadgets created were already quite popular among the players.
Take the Gnome Mobile Repair Machine, for example. It could only be used five times in a row. However, each Gnome Mobile Repair Machine sold for tens of thousands of Gold Coins on the market. Moreover, it was often in short supply. From this, one could see how passionate players were about Engineering. This was also the main reason why the number of Engineering players had skyrocketed recently.
However, it was extremely difficult to level up a Life Player in Fate. Without the financial resources and recipes of a large guild, it was extremely difficult for an Engineering Apprentice to become an Advanced Engineer.
Ye Ci was reminded of the time in real life. She had been too focused on completing the quest that she had forgotten about it. Her heart sank as she let out a sigh. Even if she could contact Pea Cake at this hour, he would have already gone to bed. According to Ye Ci's knowledge, Pea Cake was the epitome of a good boy. He would log in at 8: 30 am, log off at 12: 00 pm for lunch, log off at 1: 00 pm for lunch, log off at 6: 00 pm for lunch, log off at 8: 00 pm for lunch, log off at 11: 00 pm for bed. Every day was the same. There was not a single day when he did not follow this standard.
When Bai Mo told Ye Ci about this, both of them felt that Pea Cake was actually an OCD patient. Who else would be able to control the time in such a manner? He was so punctual that there was not a single minute difference. It was terrifying.
It was not easy to find Pea Cake at this hour. Other than those who could not log off due to special circumstances, most of the players valued the balance between work and rest. In addition, holographic games had been launched for many years. Everyone knew that even if the nutrient solution could supplement the necessary nutrients for the human body and provide the human body with rest in the game chamber, it still couldn't compare to real food and sleep. Therefore, if it wasn't for the fact that they had to use the nutrient solution to complete something, most players would still go offline on time to eat and sleep.
"Forget it. Let's clear the dungeon first. We'll ask him again in the morning." Ye Ci was reluctant, but she had no choice but to give up. She suddenly thought of a question, "Aren't you going to log off to sleep?"
"No, I'll accompany you."
"Actually, it's fine …"
"You have limited time. We don't know how big this dungeon is. Two people are better than one. That's why I've already installed the Nutrient Solution when I log off for dinner. " Fleeting Time smiled at Ye Ci, "I'm not just doing this for you. I'm doing this for myself as well. I'm very interested in this dungeon, and I can't bear to leave."
Ye Ci stared at Fleeting Time, but she did not know how to react.
Fleeting Time knew that his words would make Ye Ci uncomfortable, and he did not continue the topic. Instead, he quickly changed the topic. "Actually, there are players who don't know Goblin Engineering."
"Hmm?" Ye Ci's attention was immediately diverted by Fleeting Time's words. She focused all her attention on the information that Fleeting Time had just revealed. "Do you know any other Goblin Engineering players?"
"Not really, but a player in my guild does. She seems to be online. I'll ask her about it." Fleeting Time did not raise his head, and his voice was calm.
"I don't think it's a good idea to disturb others at this hour." Fleeting Time's words gave Ye Ci hope, but she quickly extinguished it. "Let's wait until the day comes."
Fleeting Time raised his head at Ye Ci's words, and looked at Gongzi You with a smile, "I think you'll regret it if we don't get to the bottom of this."
"Yes, a little. But it's nothing. Life is about being able to endure loneliness and regret. " Ye Ci was surprised that Fleeting Time was able to see through her thoughts, but she was not angry at all. At this time, in this place, there was nothing to be wary of.
She might only be able to get along with him for a few days. After this Instance Dungeon was completed, the two of them would be like two intersecting lines, each returning to their original paths. There would never be such a point of intersection again. When that time came, they would still be enemies, and they would still be rivals.
Nothing would have changed.
It was a blessing to be able to turn one's fated rival into a teammate, or even a friend. That was why Ye Ci felt that she should cherish her luck, and not get angry over it was the most direct way to show her appreciation.
Ye Ci was easily seen through by Fleeting Time, just as Fleeting Time was easily seen through by Ye Ci. In this world, the person who understood you the most was your rival.
It was an extremely rare thing to have an opponent who understood you and was your enemy for the rest of your life.
Ye Ci's words came as a surprise to Fleeting Time. From Gongzi You's appearance, he could tell that she was very young. This was because Fate's system could adjust a player's appearance, but not their age. That was why the player's appearance was the same as the player's actual age. Even though Gongzi You looked like she was no more than 20 years old, the words that came out of her mouth gave off the impression that she was a very mature and worldly person. Her maturity was not something that could be faked. It was something that was hidden deep within her bones.
And it was this maturity that coupled with Gongzi You's youthful appearance gave Fleeting Time a feeling that he could not see through her.
"I don't want you to have any regrets." Ye Ci's lips curled into a smile, "I don't want you to have any regrets."
Even in the future, Ye Ci would still remember that day. The smile on Fleeting Time's lips was so seductive, and so soul-stirring. Just like how a person would leave behind many beautiful memories in their life, Ye Ci believed that this was the one that left the deepest impression on her.
While Ye Ci was still in a daze, Fleeting Time lowered his head and began contacting the other party. In truth, Fleeting Time did not want to contact the other party at all. He knew that contacting the other party would bring him a lot of trouble, and someone like him who hated trouble would never do something so stupid. But things were different now. He was facing Gongzi You. They might have only known each other for a short period of time, but for some reason, Fleeting Time felt a sense of familiarity with her. It was to the point that he could not bear to leave any unhappiness in her life.
Even though he knew that contacting the other party would bring him a lot of trouble, he did not hesitate to contact the other party. It was all for the sake of Gongzi You.
"Are you there?"
White Fairytale sat by the shore of the Silver Coast. This was her favorite map in the Western Continent. The silvery white beach, the soft sand, the calm sea, and the starry night sky made it seem as if she was the only one who could enjoy such beauty.
In White Fairytale's heart, this beautiful scenery belonged to two people. One was White Fairytale, and the other was definitely not Sour Apple.
When she first came here to do a mission, she had already fallen in love with this beach. She had always dreamed that one day, that person would sit side by side with her here, listening to the ebb and flow of the tide, and watching the clouds roll by. But … But … It's impossible now, isn't it?
"It's just Fairytale. Don't overthink it. You know that Absalom is an idiot. He doesn't think before he speaks. Don't take his words to heart." Sour Apple sat beside White Fairytale, but she was not in the mood to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Why did the sea breeze make her feel so cold? Despite Absalom's warning, Sour Apple could not help but offer words of consolation when she saw White Fairytale's depressed expression.
I don't care. There's always tomorrow. But I have to console her today.
Normally, Absalom and Sour Apple would go to bed at midnight. However, Absalom was busy searching for the Mithril ore vein, and Sour Apple was busy comforting White Fairytale. Both of them had forgotten to log off and go to bed.
But no matter how much Sour Apple wasted her saliva, White Fairytale was the best of the best — Silence.
Sour Apple was finally tired. She did not want to waste her breath on White Fairytale any longer. Who in their right mind would be able to stand the fact that White Fairytale did not utter a single word after talking for hours? Sour Apple would have lost her temper if not for her guilty conscience. Sour Apple turned her attention away from White Fairytale and stared at the waves in the distance. She suddenly regretted her decision. She should've listened to Absalom's advice. She should've stayed out of Absalom's affairs, or she would end up in the same situation she was in right now.
After a long silence, White Fairytale's voice rang in the air. It was as if a soul had appeared out of nowhere, and it was a little creepy in the dark night by the sea.
"Apple, do you know why I like this Silver Coast map so much?"
Sour Apple was tired and sleepy. She was not in the mood to chat with White Fairytale even when the latter started talking nonsense. "It's because it's beautiful."
"No." A faint smile appeared on White Fairytale's face.
"Then what is it?"
"Do you still remember the student record that we wrote when we graduated from junior high school?"
"Yup." Sour Apple did not remember anything about the record. The biggest thing she did after graduating from junior high school was being kissed by Absalom in front of everyone. She could not remember anything else. However, she could only give a perfunctory reply to White Fairytale.
"Do you know what he wrote about his favorite place in the record?"
"Him?" Sour Apple let out a yawn, "Oh, you're talking about Fleeting Time?" She finally reacted after a while.
"Yup. He wrote that his favorite place was the beach with white sand. "
"So that's why you like this map the most?" Sour Apple was shocked.
"Yup." White Fairytale smiled sweetly at Sour Apple.
Sour Apple placed her hand on White Fairytale's forehead. She doesn't seem to be having a fever.
"Fairytale, that's something that happened in junior high school. It's been more than ten years. Fleeting Time was just a little boy back then. Do you think his words count?" Sour Apple's eyes were wide open as she yelled at White Fairytale.
"Of course they do." But White Fairytale remained calm in the face of Sour Apple's doubt, "Whatever he says, it's true."
"That's not the problem, alright? People change. You can't use the casual words of a fifteen or sixteen-year-old child as an imperial edict. You said that Fleeting Time likes white sand, but Absalom told me that he likes mountains and rivers. That's not right! " Sour Apple could not understand White Fairytale at all. She even felt that there was something wrong with White Fairytale's mind. No one in their right mind would take the words of a child seriously, much less for more than ten years.
"People do change, but the purity of one's heart will never change. Even if Fleeting Time likes mountains and rivers now, and even if he likes the scenery of the desert in the future, I believe that Fleeting Time will still love a white sand beach like this. As long as I continue to wait, as long as I don't leave, he will definitely come to my side. " White Fairytale shook her head, and a serious expression appeared on her face. She stared at Sour Apple as she spoke with conviction.
"Y-you …" Sour Apple pointed a finger at White Fairytale. She could not find the words to continue her sentence. After a long while, she let out a sigh and grabbed White Fairytale's hand, "Alright, that's enough. You need to rest now. Everything will be fine once you have a good night's sleep."
"Apple, I know what you're thinking, but that's what I'm thinking. I don't care if you let me sleep with you for ten years, I'll still do it!" White Fairytale let Sour Apple pull her along without any resistance.
"She's been possessed!" Sour Apple shook her head repeatedly. She had a feeling that either White Fairytale was possessed by a demon, or she was possessed by a demon. It was simply too scary.
"Apple, you have to believe in me. You have to believe in me. Fleeting Time will come back to me in the end." White Fairytale shook her head with a smile as she stared at Sour Apple's departing figure. She was as calm as ever.
Sour Apple stopped in her tracks. Her heart was like a volcano, and lava was gushing out of it. The boulder that held down the mountaintop was no longer of any use. The lava was about to break free of her rationality and erupt at any moment.
"Apple, help me again. Just like before, try your best to give us more opportunities to interact with each other. I know that you're in a difficult position, and Absalom won't agree to it. But Apple, don't you know what I'm thinking? Don't you think that it'll be wonderful if I can be together with Fleeting Time just like you and Absalom? Our love will last forever, and so will our friendship … "White Fairytale walked up to Sour Apple with a gentle smile on her face. She even reached out her hand and placed it on Sour Apple's cheek, giving her a heartwarming smile.
Sour Apple stared at Fairy Tale, but she did not agree to her request. Instead, she turned her head away and sighed, "Fairy Tale, please don't do this."
"What about me? I've always been doing well. Everyone has their own goals, and mine is the direction of my life. "
"I've told you, Fairytale, please don't do this anymore!" Shouted Sour Apple. She slapped White Fairytale's hand away and took two steps back. Her voice was loud and urgent, and it was as if a volcano had erupted, devouring all rationality and calmness in an instant. "I've been helping you for so many years, not because I thought that you'd be together with Fleeting Time, but because I didn't want to see you suffer. I'm different from you. I'm an outsider. I can see everything clearly. I know how you feel about Fleeting Time, and I know how Fleeting Time feels about you. Why should I help you? It's because you keep talking about your sad past that I can't bear to reject you! But Fairytale, please wake up. Do you really think that you can win back Fleeting Time's heart? If you could get it back, would you have wasted so many years? "
"Apple, you don't understand men at all. Fleeting Time is like a child right now. He may be playing outside, but he'll get tired one day. And when that day comes, he'll come back to me. "White Fairytale shook her head stubbornly.
"So you're saying that you're going to be Fleeting Time's backup? Are you going to wait for him for the rest of your life if he doesn't come back? "Sour Apple was shocked. She laughed awkwardly.
"So what if I'm a backup if he's willing to?"
"White Fairytale! Can you not be so despicable? Can you not be a disgrace to women? How can you say something like that? All the books you've studied and all the education you've received have all gone down the drain!! " Sour Apple was so angry that her eyes turned red. She grabbed White Fairytale's shoulders and shook her violently, "Wake up! Even if you're willing to be his backup, you have to know that Fleeting Time is a bastard who doesn't need a backup! "
"Don't spout nonsense!"
"I'm not spouting nonsense! I've known Fleeting Time for so many years. He's a bastard who only cares about himself and doesn't care about the lives of others! Your delicate and pitiful appearance, your infatuation and unrepentance, in his eyes, are not even worth a fart. "
"Don't spout nonsense!" White Fairytale shrieked, "He knows everything that I've done! He just hasn't thought it through!"
"He's already made up his mind! When you first confessed to him, and when he rejected you, he already knew that you're not the one he wants, White Fairytale! You wouldn't have to wait so many years if you were the one he chose! "
"Nonsense!" White Fairytale shrieked even louder as her vision blurred.
Sour Apple's heart ached as she stared at White Fairytale from afar. Destroying someone's dream with one's own hands was the most heartless and shameless thing in the world, and that was exactly what White Fairytale was doing. Sour Apple felt that she was a terrible person. She was the one who helped White Fairytale build her dream, and now she was the one who destroyed it. Why is this happening? Maybe I've lost my mind.
White Fairytale's private message rang out just as she was crying her heart out. White Fairytale would not have paid any attention to it if it was just a normal message. However, this message was different.
In Fate, a player could categorize their friends into different groups, and customize the sound of their private messages. It was similar to how mobile phones were categorized into groups. However, only friends could be categorized into groups. Strangers and blacklisted players were not given such treatment. Fleeting Time was the first person White Fairytale added as a friend when Fate was first released. However, Fleeting Time did not add White Fairytale as a friend, which meant that Fleeting Time was her only friend in her friend list. However, Fleeting Time did not have White Fairytale's name on his friend list.
Even so, White Fairytale had made sure that Fleeting Time's private message would be heard as soon as Fleeting Time contacted her.
It was a pity that Fleeting Time had never contacted her since the first day of Fate. It was just like how Fleeting Time's name had never lit up in her phone.
But today's private message was so special that White Fairytale felt as if it had never appeared in her phone before. White Fairytale held back her tears as she listened carefully to the private message. Could it be him? Could it be real? White Fairytale tapped into her private message channel, and the name that was flashing was indeed the name that she had dreamed of a thousand times. She couldn't believe it. She couldn't help but pinch her own thigh. It was painful. It was true.
White Fairytale clicked into the private message channel in a fluster.
"Are you there?"
"Yes, yes, yes. I'm always here." White Fairytale replied in a hurry, as if she would lose Fleeting Time if she was too slow.
Fleeting Time's eyebrows furrowed when he heard the urgent voice. He was beginning to regret his decision to contact this woman. Such a hurried voice, such an impatient answer, why did it give him the feeling that he was about to be torn apart and eaten? Fleeting Time took a glance at Gongzi You, who was standing not too far away from White Fairytale's conversation.
"Is your Elven Engineering friend online?"
"Yes." White Fairytale was elated. This was the first time that Fleeting Time had spoken to her.
"Then can you help me ask around? Where is the energy core of the Goblin Mechs usually stored?" Fleeting Time wanted to know the answer as soon as possible. That was why he only asked the most direct questions in his conversation with White Fairytale.
"Alright. Give me a moment. I'll ask around." White Fairytale immediately contacted her friend. It was as if she was doing the most important thing in the world. She knew that Fleeting Time would immediately hang up the call if she did. "Fleeting Time, he said that all robots are different. What kind of robot are you looking for? If you don't bring it to me, I'll bring you to him." Ye Ci spoke up, "What kind of robot are you looking for? I'll bring you to him if you don't have it."
"Forget it. I'll find someone else." Fleeting Time was able to see through White Fairytale's intentions. He pursed his lips into a sneer, and was about to look for someone else to help him. Even if he could not find anyone, he was confident that there would be many who would do him a favor in the World Channel.
"No, no, no. I'll ask again …" White Fairytale quickly replied, fearing that Fleeting Time would immediately hang up on her.
"What's the answer?" asked Fleeting Time after a pause.
"Why are you asking about that? Are you going to do a quest or a dungeon? " White Fairytale asked cautiously, "Do you need me to heal you …" Her concern for Ye Ci was palpable.
Before she could finish her sentence, she heard that the other party had already hung up, and there was only a busy tone in her ear. White Fairytale's mouth was filled with bitterness as tears began to roll down her cheeks. Fleeting Time's voice appeared in the World Channel at that moment.
"Is there anyone who is proficient in Goblin Engineering? Where is the Mech's Mech's Core? 10,000 gold coins for the answer. "
"Woah woah woah! I can't believe I saw Fleeting Time in the World Channel at such a late hour!"
"Fleeting Time is so rich! 10,000 gold coins for an answer … How generous!"
"Ahhh! Why didn't I learn Goblin Engineering? 10,000 gold coins! 10,000 gold coins!"
… …
The players of the Western Continent would always go crazy over Fleeting Time's comments in the World Channel. Many Engineering players could not help but turn red with envy when they saw the 10,000 gold coins being offered to them.
"I know, my god! I'll PM you!"
"I know, I know! I'll tell you, my god!"
"There's a hidden notch in the middle of its neck. You'll need to open the shell and insert your hand into it."
… …
Fleeting Time followed the instructions given by the first player in the world and walked up to the robot. He opened the back of the robot and reached his hand up to the neck of the robot. There was indeed a notch there. The notch was so well hidden that it would be impossible to find it without the help of a Goblin Engineering player. Fleeting Time turned to Gongzi You, "Give me the Core."
She immediately handed the energy core over to Fleeting Time, and the latter immediately placed the energy gem into the recess. Sure enough, the eyes of the paralyzed robot suddenly lit up. It stood up shakily. Although its body was still rusty, after a few rounds of exercise, it was able to walk very steadily.
The Mech was taller than Fleeting Time, but it was not clumsy at all. Despite the screeching of its rusted bearings, the Mech still looked majestic. Ye Ci cast Detection on the Mech, and discovered that its name had changed to Controlled Mech. Its HP and attack were 20% lower than the Mech they had just defeated. There was also a countdown timer on the Mech's control panel, which indicated that the Core could last the Mech for another 3 hours.
"It seems that we'll need to kill more Goblins to get more Cores." Fleeting Time observed the robot, and noticed that there was no limit to the number of robots that he could control. There should be no limit to the number of robots that he could control.
"Yup. But the Goblins in the Royal Palace aren't easy to find."
Fleeting Time sent a friend request to the Goblin Engineering player who had given him the tip, and informed him that he would receive 10,000 gold coins by tomorrow morning. The Goblin Engineering player was visibly excited. After all, it was an easy task for him to earn a huge sum of money from the Goblin Engineering player. It was truly a miracle that such a good thing could happen in this world.
Fleeting Time then handed the task to Absalom. Absalom grumbled, but there was nothing he could do about it. After all, Gongzi You's whereabouts in the Western Continent were only known to a handful of people. Who else could help him if not himself? (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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