The Drow Tribe

Spotless Autumn's smile widened at Ye Ci's question, "It'll be easier if I just show you. Follow me, and you'll see."

"Don't you think it's a little too late by then?" Ye Ci snorted, "You have two choices. Tell me now, or you can go on your own." Ye Ci turned around to leave.

Her action sent Spotless Autumn into a panic, "Alright, alright. You win! I've received a Hidden Quest, and an important quest item is here in the Northern Continent. I found it after scouring through the mountain for two day, but I can't get it alone. This is why I've decided to ask for your help since you're here as well. I really need your help… Please…"

"If even a god-tier player like you are not able to reach that place," Ye Ci narrowed her eyes, disbelief was written clearly on her face, "Then it means that I can't as well."

"Oh come on! Don't be like that. We're allies aren't we? Help me out here." it was apparent that the quest item was very important to Spotless Autumn. The calm and collected demeanor that he displayed during his standoff with Sangharama Shrine was gone, and it was replaced by worry and anxiety, "Being a 'god-tier' player is just a meaningless title alright? Besides, no matter how good I am, I'm still a mage, and mages are slow! Isn't speed your thing? Help a fellow player out here. What goes around comes around!"

Ye Ci, who could no longer stand the torrent of words from Spotless Autumn, made a gesture with her hand to silence the man, "Alright, alright. You win. Lead the way." this man is way too talkative for his own good.

"So you agree to help?"

Ye Ci rolled her eyes and snorted, "Yes, yes, yes. Hurry up. I need to get back to the Eastern Continent soon."

"Alright. This way please." Spotless Autumn instantly became quiet the moment his objective was achieved, and led Ye Ci through the forest. Ye Ci

The silvery moonlight left a beautiful sight on the forest ground as Ye Ci followed Spotless Autumn into the deepest part of the Sacred Snowy Mountain. The duo advanced without speaking a word. The only sound that accompanied them was their footsteps echoing in the snowy night and the rumbling of Ol' Four as it followed close behind.

Spotless Autumn is a weird man.

That was what Ye Ci thought about him. He gave Ye Ci the impression of a talkative man, but he remained silent along the way. Ah, it seems that he only speaks when the time is right. He'll talk when he needs help, but value silence when his goal is achieved.

With Spotless Autumn remaining silent, Ye Ci was finally able to experience a brief moment of tranquility. She marked her map with a quill as she followed close behind Spotless Autumn, noting down the monsters and landmarks along the way.

The duo maintained their silence until Spotless Autumn finally stopped in his tracks, "We're here." he turned around and said to Ye Ci.

Ye Ci stopped, and studied her surroundings. The area was shrouded by a thin layer of mist. Visibly was low despite the abundant moonlight. Ye Ci cast Hawkeye, and once again surveyed her surroundings.

She was quick to spot Elves with dark skin and red eyes lurking in the mist, "You're looking for Drows?"

Spotless Autumn shook his head, "No, I'm looking for the treasure they're hiding."

Ye Ci nodded at him and cast Hawkeye once again. She clicked her tongue in admiration as she observed the Drows, "As expected of the race superior to us Elves and the Blood Elves. They're way superior to Elves in terms of stats, and their mages are one of the best in the land. Many among them are mages."

"Yup. Their levels range from lvl90 to lvl120. It's not easy for a lvl60 me to take one of them on, and they roam in groups! I'll get swarmed the moment I attack."

"They're so high leveled. Even I will die at their hands." Ye Ci continued observing the Drows, "Are you trying to get me killed because of the thing with Sangharama Shrine?'

How petty of her. Spotless Autumn eyed Gongzi You and smiled, "Well, you can go into Stealth, and you're fast! You can attract their attention while I sneak in to get what I want!"

Ye Ci rolled her eyes at Spotless Autumn, "Do you want me to die, bro? Why don't you say so! How am I supposed to survive the attacks of so many Drows?" I would be hacking if I don't die to them! Thought Ye Ci as she stared at the huge crowd of Drows.

"Don't you have a helper with you? I saw him taking on five lvl120 Phantoms by himself. Can't you just lend him to me?" Spotless Autumn gave Ye Ci a knowing look as she held back the urge to give him a slap.

He saw Alaunar. Then again, he would be blind if he did not. Ye Ci shrugged at Spotless Autumn, "No can't do. I can summon him once per day, and I just did."

Spotless Autumn sighed in dejection. He did not have a Servant, and had no way of verifying the truth of Ye Ci's words. He leaned against a tree and stared at the Drows, "Let me think of a way…"

"Whatever, let's just clear out the Drows at the outer perimeter first." Ye Ci was one who preferred to be proactive.

But Spotless Autumn grimaced at her, "Can we not fight them?"

"Why? Are you running low on consumables?" That was the only reason why a mage class player would want to avoid a fight.

"Nooooo…" There was a hint of sadness in Spotless Autumn's voice, "But fighting… Is so tiring…"

Ye Ci's expression darkened. She narrowed her eyes at Spotless Autumn. I'm such an idiot! Why did I agree to help him out? He's obviously hoping that I'd die so that he can go in and reap the rewards!

She turned around after cursing the man under her breath, "Alright. Goodbye. Forever."

"Alright! Alright! I'll fight! Don't go! Gongzi You, I'll fight them!" Spotless Autumn immediately began to panic.

Ye Ci was once again bombarded by his words. I hate someone like this. She turned around and spoke to the talkative man, "You pull something off like that again, and I'm gone for good. Your stupid quest has nothing to do with me in the first place! I'm doing charity here! It's something that I've never done in my life!"

"Alright, alright. Get your pet to tank their aggro." Spotless Autumn nodded. Not only is she petty, her attitude is rotten as well! Nobody would want to marry a girl like that!

"Alright, that'll cost you 10,000 gold." Ye Ci extended her hand towards Spotless Autumn.

"Why!" exclaimed Spotless Autumn as he stared at Ye Ci with fear in his eyes. He was a Sorcerer specializing in three different branches of magic. His character was formidable, but it also meant that he was always short on money. This made Spotless Autumn a very frugal person. He was a man who would pick up even a single copper coin that someone had dropped. The amount asked by Ye Ci came as a huge shock to him.

"Hey, do you think I'll be helping you for free?" Ye Ci stared at Spotless Autumn as if she was looking at an Alien, "Do you think my arrows and potions appear out of thin air?"

"They don't cost 10,000 gold do they!" Due to his financial status, Spotless Autumn was very sensitive when it came to money. He was almost driven to anger by Ye Ci's unreasonable request, "I'm not a Hunter, but from what I saw in the auction house, they might not even cost you 3,000 gold! Don't you think you're being too unreasonable?"

"Do you not know that we're on the Northern Continent! Do you know what inflation is?! You might not even get something that cost 3,000 gold coins in the Eastern Continent with 10,000 gold coins here! I'm helping you out as allies on a hostile land, and you're trying to haggle me down!" Ye Ci roared at the man

Spotless Autumn clutched at his wallet. 10,000 gold coins! That's half of what I have! No way!

"Can't you give me a discount?!"

"No! Don't forget about my labor fees as well! I'm wasting precious time helping you here. 10,000 gold coins is not even near what I'm losing by staying here. Can you not be so petty?"

"Oi, Gongzi You! You're a god-tier player of the Eastern Continent! Why are you fussing over something so minor? Don't you think it's embarrassing?" Spotless Autumn immediately resorted to guilt-tripping Ye Ci.

But it did not work, "Aren't you a god-tier player in your continent yourself? You're a man! Why are you haggling like a woman?"

"You!" what a troublesome woman, and a top-tier player at that!

"Cut the crap and give me my money!" Ye Ci snorted at the man. It was her time for revenge, and there was no way she would relent.

"I'm not trying to be cheap. I just… I really can't afford that amount." Spotless Autumn was backed into a corner, "It's true that mages can earn a lot at the later stages of the game. But what they meant by that were mages with only one specification! And I…" he continued after a slight pause, "I'm specializing my characters in three different branches! I really don't have a lot with me. Why don't we sign a contract? I'll repay you with a favor next time. I don't have money. What I have is my life."

Ye Ci narrowed her eyes at Spotless Autumn. He's right, a three-branch mage is poor. Even if he's the Solo King of the Southern Continent, he won't be earning much before he hits lvl100. Which one is worth more? The favor from a top mage player, or 10,000 gold coins?

The answer would of course be the latter.

Ye Ci chuckled internally as she studied Spotless Autumn. Even if he can't return the favor, he can still work for Upwards Ho!.

Spotless Autumn was anxious when Ye Ci remained silent. But her answer came right before he was about to lose his mind, "Alright, let's sign a contract then."

A contract was automatically generated by the system, and was immediately put into effect once it was signed by both parties.

Ye Ci studied every line of the contract before storing it into her inventory, "Since you're such an understanding man, I'll help you out."

Spotless Autumn rolled his eyes. This girl��

Is really like what they said in the forums. She'll never allow you to gain the upper hand in a deal.

Even when the duo, along with Ol' Four, were only lvl60 characters, they were very capable fighters. Ye Ci and Spotless Autumn had vastly superior gear, and very good mechanical skills. They were able to work out their team work after taking out a small patrol. Even Spotless Autumn who was used to leveling alone was happy to have Ye Ci in his party.

The battle was a fast one.

Ol' Four charged at the Drow patrol and cast Tremor, while Spotless Autumn and Ye Ci released their AOE abilities at the Drows. A sea of red damage indicators immediately floated on the NPC's heads.

The Drow tribe did not deploy a lot of sentries in its outer perimeter, but their patrol was still high level Elves specialised in defense.

Despite their teamwork, Ye Ci and Spotless Autumn still found it hard to deal with the Drows. A small patrol of five required half of Spotless Autumn's mana. Every encounter with a patrol meant that Spotless Autumn would have to replenish his mana after the fight.

Ye Ci, on the other hand, had it easier than her party member. She was never short of mana due to her Strength Conservation passive. Her only problem was with Ol' Four, who would take huge amounts of damage from the Drows. Whenever Spotless Autumn took a rest to replenish her mana, Ye Ci had to feed Ol' Four to heal its health back up.

It took the party of two an hour to clear out the tribe's patrols. They did not know how long it would take for the patrols to respawn, but a rough estimate placed it to be quite soon. This was why the duo was desperate to enter the village as soon as possible.

As the day slowly became brighter and the mist parted, the duo studied the Drow village from their resting spot.

Wooden houses that appeared to be the Drows' dwelling stood within the village. A significant number of sentries were posted at the entrance. The duo would be able to gain entrance to the village after defeating the Drows.

Ye Ci fired off a Flare into the night sky. Once it was certain that there were no hidden enemies in their vicinity, the duo began engaging the Drow sentries.

As the duo assaulted the Drow village, the three major guilds were ready for action in the Mor Jiami Plains.

Sangharama Shrine.

"Leader, the men we sent out to watch Gongzi You and Spotless Autumn are back." Thousand Mile Dream whispered the details to Sangharama's Grace.

Sangharama Grace was handing out tasks for the leaders of his guild's squadron as the news arrived. A slight hint of fatigue could be seen at the corner of his eyes due to the lack of rest from the days he spent to prepare for the battle, but his vigor was still not lost. The lack of rest had not affected him in the slightest.

"What?" Sangharama Grace stared at Thousand Mile Dream. The player was an expert scout of the guild, and the intelligence he provided aided greatly in Sangharama Grace's battle plan.

The siege of the fortress would not be an easy one. Sangharama Shrine would have to minimize their casualties while remaining vigilant against the two other guilds. They were welcome to have a try at the fort as well, but if their attempts would jeopardize the benefits of Sangharama Shrine, things would not go well.

But...

It was virtually impossible to attack the fortress unimpeded by the two other guilds when they had already established a significant presence in the plains. Sangharama Shrine had laid out their plans as well as possible, and Sangharama Grace was confident that his guild would succeed as long as no special events occurred.

Of course, it was not assurance enough.

Sangharama Grace was always one to pay attention to even the smallest of detail. He would always kill a problem before it can grow out of its cradle.

The largest hidden threat that his guild faced were the two uninvited guests, "What's going on over there?" Even at the eve of battle, Sangharama Grace knew that any intelligence about Gongzi You and Spotless Autumn could not be ignored. He motioned for his subordinates to remain silent so that he could receive the report from Thousand Mile Dream without interruption.

"We sent out three teams of 20 Rogues each to look for them. According to our scouts, Gongzi You and Spotless Autumn have ascended the Sacred Snowy Mountain three days ago, and have not returned. Our men who were guarding the entrance had just informed me that there were no signs of them yet. They have not left the mountain to replenish their supplies. We're certain that they're still on the mountain." Thousand Mile Dream delivered a detailed report.

"Do you know where in the Sacred Snowy Mountain they are?" Sangharama Grace's eyebrows creased when he received the report, but he was then struck by a sudden realisation, "Or rather, which zone are they in?"

��Our best Rogue did not find any traces of them in the zones lvl80 and below. They must be in the lvl90-lvl120 zone. The area is too dangerous for our men, so I did not send anyone to scout it out." came the reply. He did not have the exact location of Gongzi You and Spotless Autumn, but he knew that it was not as important as the battle that would soon begin.

Sangharama Grace was satisfied with the response, "It seems that they're really here for a quest. But to think that they would be doing it in the lvl90-lvl120 zone. Impressive."

"Will their presence affect our battle plan?" asked one of the squad leaders.

It took a few moments for Sangharama Grace to respond to the question. It was indeed one of his worries, but there was no direct route from the Sacred Snowy Mountain to the Mor Jiami Plains. And after taking such a fact into consideration, his worries were immediately squashed. He shook his head and spoke to his subordinates, "Let us continue with the meeting.��

Heavenly Body guild.

As Nangong Yunfei was ready to deliver the intelligence he had on Gongzi You and Spotless Autumn to Lethal Poison, his leader was sleeping on a chair.

Unlike Sangharama Grace who would be worried as an important event drew near, Lethal Poison tends to be relaxed. Whenever there was a battle, Lethal Poison would definitely grab a good nap before the action.

Nangong Yunfei rapped his fingers against Lethal Poison's chair. The sound was not loud, but it was enough to rouse him from his sleep. He stared groggily at Nangong Yunfei, as if to identify the person who dared disturb his sleep. He sat up straight dejectedly and yawned when he noticed that the person was Nangong Yunfei, "It better be important or I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

Nangong Yunfei shrugged and relayed the news. Lethal Poison's reaction was the exact opposite of Sangharama Grace's, "Say… If those two ended up fighting… Will someone record it?"

Nangong Yunfei was used to the absurdity of his guild leader's train of thoughts, "Nope."

"What a shame," Lethal Poison spread his hands, "It would've been nice if those two fought. A fight between Huntress against a three-branch mage would be interesting to watch."

"I don't think they'll end up fighting each other." Lethal Poison's fantasy was destroyed by Nangong Yunfei's words.

"Why is that?"

"They're allies in our continent. They might be completing a quest together."

Nangong Yunfei's analysis of the situation was more realistic than that of Lethal Poison's.

But Lethal Poison looked at him with disdain, "You must be fun at parties!"

Nangong Yunfei laughed at that remark, "The battle is about to start. Isn't that when the fun begins?"

Lethal Poison chuckled before letting out another yawn. He stood up straight and took in a deep breath before walking out of his tent. "Form up, men!" he shouted at the members of his guild who had gathered in the Mor Jiami Plains.

Rain of Blood guild.

Dried Bones received the same news from Melodious Flute.

The man nodded and stared at the abandoned fort not far away, "Let's get ready. Our aim is to minimize casualties, but it does not mean that we're not looking tow in."

Melodious Flute shifted his gaze towards the Sacred Snowy Mountain. The mountain was shrouded by the morning mist. Gongzi You and Spotless Autumn were on that mountain, and with luck they would stay there forever.

"Alright then. To victory it is." Melodious Flute nodded, and raised his hand with a smile.

Dried Bones lifted his hand as well, and the duo gave each other a high five.

Sacred Snowy Mountain.

In the Drow village.

Ye Ci was grilling some meat in the middle of the Drow village that was strewn with corpses. Spotless Autumn clicked his tongue as he surveyed the carnage around him, "Say, Gongzi You, aren't they your brethren? You did not even hold back. How cruel of you."

Ye Ci glanced at Spotless Autumn, "The Slaver's Ship dungeon is way bigger than this village and it was filled with Humans. They're your brethren as well. I doubt that you've shown them any mercy. After all, most of your equipment seems to be from that dungeon."

Spotless Autumn chuckled and was immediately silent. He pointed at an altar not far away and a pond filled with water that had a faint blue glow. It was a common sight for Ye Ci, for Elves believed that they were beings born out of nature, and water was an important part of nature. Such a pond could be found in any Elven village, and even in the villages of hostile NPCs as long as it was founded by Elves.

It was said that an Elf's wounds, no matter how grievous they may be, could be healed by a dip in the pond. This made it the most important structure in an Elven village. A pond like this would usually be accompanied by an altar.

"Do you see the altar over there? What I want is on that altar." said Spotless Autumn as he took a bite out of a piece of roasted meat, "But getting there is hard."

It was indeed hard.

The Drows within the village were all dispatched by Ye Ci and Spotless Autumn, but there was still a large group remaining around the altar led by a Drow that appeared to be a High Priest. The aggro of these Drow were linked. If one of them was attacked, the rest would descend upon their assailant in the blink of an eye. They were normal NPCs, but their numbers and levels made them formidable opponents.

A large rumbling could be heard from the distance as the duo continued their discussion.

"What was that!" the duo shared a look and exclaimed in unison as the tremor shook them where they sat.

Before they could react, however, the Drows around the altar erupted into a panic chatter. Ye Ci immediately dismissed Ol' Four and entered Stealth while Spotless Autumn chugged down a bottle of Medium Invisibility Potion to avoid detection.

Spotless Autumn was a Human, and he did not study Elvish, "What are they saying?"

Ye Ci, who initially was not paying attention to the Drows' chattering immediately paid attention to them at Spotless Autumn's question, "They're saying that the Gods are angry." Despite his panic, the Drow High Priest remained near the altar. It was apparent that whatever around the altar was very important to the Drows.

The High Priest was an Elite lvl120 NPC. A normal lvl120 would have no problem facing down the High Priest, but Ye Ci and Spotless Autumn were both lvl60. Taking on the High Priest would not be an easy task.

"That High Priest is spooked as well. Will we be discovered if we get to the altar now?"

Spotless Autumn had apparently noticed the same thing.

"I have no idea." Ye Ci replied truthfully. Having a group of NPCs panicking due to an unknown factor was a rare occurrence.

"Whatever, this is our only chance!" a loud explosion rocked the entire village at the same time Spotless Autumn finished his sentence. At that point, even the High Priest began to flee. Spotless Autumn seized the opportunity to charge at the altar, "Cover me!"

"I got it. Hurry up!" came the response. Spotless Autumn gulped down a bottle of Haste Potion and made his way to the altar at full speed. He was spotted by some of the Drows, but was ignored in their panicked state.

This is a good chance! Thought Spotless Autumn. He climbed onto the altar and grabbed his quest item, shoving it into his backpack, and ran back to Ye Ci.

Ye Ci let out a sigh of relief and slung her bow. Leaving the village with Stealth was her best option.

Just then, a system notification rang out in her ears, "Your party members have stolen the Artifact of the Sacred Snowy Mountain Drow Tribe. Due to his dispicable, your party has incurred the wrath of the Guardian. You will be tracked for 24 hours by the Guardian! Countdown begins now."

RAAAWR!

An earthshaking roar shook the Drow Village. Ye Ci surveyed her surroundings, but was unable to spot the Guardian. "What have you done!" she asked through gritted teeth.

"I have no idea! Run for it!"