Chapter 177: Reunion
Chapter 177: Reunion
Chen Mo and Haiweila broke the surface of the sea. Both looked towards the shore about thirty meters away.
Seeing the situation on the beach, Chen Mo couldn’t help but feel surprised.
On the wide sandy beach, a group of Players were actually attacking a female NPC!
Chen Mo’s surprise was real. Many Players on the Forum wanted to attack NPCs, but all who tried got killed easily without exception, no matter how many there were.
Chen Mo himself had only fought NPCs back in the Starter Village. After leaving, he never dared fight any again. Any NPC he encountered could kill him in an instant.
There were thirty to forty Players on the sandy shore. Normally, an NPC should wipe them out easily. But looking closer, Chen Mo realized it wasn’t that the Players were strong; it was that the attacked NPC was weak. Her strength was likely only a few Levels higher than the Players. If not for her large Health Points pool, she would have been defeated long ago.
This beautiful female NPC seemed to want to escape into the sea. But right here, she ran into this group of Players who had been lying in ambush, and was now surrounded.
The problem was… she looked familiar.
“It’s her?”
“Sister Hai Ruoou!”
Chen Mo recognized her just as Haiweila beside him gasped in shock.
The beautiful female NPC being hunted by Sea Clan Players was Hai Ruoou! She had been struck by Joanna’s Darkness Erosion technique ten days ago while attacking Eastern Sea City.
Ten days had passed. Afflicted by the Darkness Erosion, her strength greatly reduced, Hai Ruoou struggled back to Tianhai City, only to now be chased by a group of Sea Clan Players.
“Adventurer Brother! Hurry and save Sister Hai Ruoou! She’s in serious danger! She won’t hold on much longer!” Haiweila urgently shook Chen Mo’s arm. Her own powers were still sealed; she could only rely on Chen Mo.
“Alright!” Chen Mo wasted no words. He had Haiweila steer the Clamshell swiftly closer. Getting off it, he told Haiweila to hide in the seawater, out of sight. Then, he swam rapidly towards the shore.
The large group of Sea Clan Players was fiercely battling Hai Ruoou. Too caught up, they failed to notice Chen Mo quietly reaching the beach and starting a Camouflage approach.
“Who goes there! Guild of Silent Years is doing a Quest here! Scram!”
Chen Mo hoped to sneak close like in the Hunting Grounds, quietly plant a Vortex Trap, which could easily kill dozens. But unexpectedly, one of the Sea Clan mages was extremely alert and activated True Sight.
True Sight countered Camouflage and Stealth. Chen Mo was still Level 25. He’d spent five days in the Hunting Grounds, then five more reaching Tianhai City. Ten whole days without leveling up. He was a lower Level than these Sea Clan Players. True Sight instantly broke his Camouflage.
“Sesshylow!” Without hesitation, Chen Mo immediately summoned Sesshylow.
The moment Sesshylow appeared, she used Extreme Speed, followed by Swift Shadow Assault. She seemed to Blink right into the midst of the Sea Clan Players.
Hurricane!
Attacking with Swift Shadow Assault wasn’t to kill quickly, but so the Hurricane could hit more targets.
Lightning fast, Sesshylow struck into the group. Before they could react, Hurricane was unleashed.
In an instant, a black Hurricane whirled up. The majority were swept into it. The encirclement around Hai Ruoou suddenly opened wide.
“This way! Hurry!” Chen Mo shouted to Hai Ruoou.
Hai Ruoou looked over. Seeing Chen Mo, she paused for just a millisecond before darting towards the gap and sprinting out.
“After her! Don’t let her escape! She must die!”
“Brat! Daring to ruin our Guild of Silent Years’ Quest! You’re dead!”
“Chase! Kill this guy along with her!”
“Yes, Boss Shiguangcongcong!”
A Warrior clad in black armor roared. The members behind him, from Silent Years, acknowledged and maneuvered around the black Hurricane, pursuing Chen Mo and Hai Ruoou.
Chen Mo said nothing as the Guild of Silent Years chased furiously. Instead, he started laying Traps quickly.
Hai Ruoou’s situation was dire. Without Traps to slow the pursuit, she wouldn’t escape!
“Go now! Don’t worry about me!” Chen Mo urged Hai Ruoou as she passed by. She nodded and dashed towards the sea.
“Pets forward!”
Chen Mo’s Trap setting didn’t escape Shiguangcongcong’s notice. His command sent several Pets charging ahead.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Numerous Traps triggered by the Pets exploded sharply. One was clearly an area-of-effect Trap.
“Pursue!”
Shiguangcongcong snorted coldly. Openly setting Traps in front of the enemy? Was this guy brainless? Who didn’t use Pets to spring Traps nowadays?
Especially after the battle against the Human Race’s Eastern Sea City ten days ago. Sea Clan Players felt learning how to deal with a Hunter’s Traps was essential. By now, ten days later, all major Sea Clan Guilds had ways to handle them effectively.
If time could rewind, meeting that Hunter again, they wouldn’t be played so badly!
Speaking of which… this Hunter resembled that guy from Eastern Sea City.
Shiguangcongcong hadn’t met him, but he’d seen images several times on the Sea Clan Forum.
But that guy was Human Race. He couldn’t show up on the Sea Clan side. Must be a mistake.
A mistake?
Shiguangcongcong froze. That beautiful Pet… The black Hurricane… wasn’t that the signature move?
Looking closer… Damn it! It wasn’t just similar! This was definitely that Human Hunter! Somehow, he’d made it to Tianhai City and was trying to rescue their Quest target!
“Halt!”
Knowing the Hunter’s prowess, Shiguangcongcong yelled for his people to stop, wanting a steadier fight. The Quest NPC was badly wounded; she wouldn’t flee far. Killing this Human Hunter meant victory.
The Silent Years members stopped immediately, obeying the command despite puzzlement.
“Boss Shiguangcongcong, why…”
BOOM!
Someone started to ask about the stop order when suddenly, the ground beneath them shook violently. Shockwaves surged out.
Damage numbers around ‘2000’ floated up. Then, a black vortex appeared amid the group.
“Holy sh–!” Shiguangcongcong cursed.
He reacted too slowly! If he hadn’t been solely focused on the Quest, recognized the guy earlier…
The Vortex Trap activated. Chen Mo now equipped his Frost Gloves, boosting Trap Damage significantly. Though these Players were Level 28 and above, the few directly at the trap’s centre were instantly killed. Those nearby lost over two thousand Health Points.
The delay from the trap allowed Chen Mo and Hai Ruoou to gain a sizeable lead.
“Keep chasing!” Shiguangcongcong roared as the trap ended, his command fierce.
The group chased, but Chen Mo and Hai Ruoou had already plunged into the sea.
Being Sea Clan Players, elites in a large Guild, Shiguangcongcong naturally had underwater mounts. Normally, Hai Ruoou vanishing into the sea still wouldn’t save her.
However, the moment she entered the water, Haiweila surfaced in the Clamshell.
“You are… Vela!” Hai Ruoou stared at Haiweila, eyes wide in disbelief.
Over ten years have passed. Vela was just a six or seven-year-old girl back then. Now a woman, but Hai Ruoou recognized her instantly. Seeing her here, now, was truly incredible.
“Sister, get in! Hurry!” Haiweila urged.
“Get in! Or the pursuers will catch up!” Chen Mo swam at full speed beside her.
Understanding they couldn’t chat now, Hai Ruoou swiftly slipped into the Clamshell.
Once Chen Mo was inside too, Haiweila commanded the Clamshell. Whooosh—it plunged into the sea depths.
“After them!”
Shiguangcongcong and crew arrived just as Hai Ruoou vanished into the ocean. They didn’t give up. Instead, they summoned riding Sharks.
Mounting them, they also plunged into the sea with a splash.
Shiguangcongcong trusted these Sharks. They weren’t Player mounts, but special tasks Sharks rented from Sea Clan NPCs with high Gold Coin fees. The injured Hai Ruoou couldn’t outrun them.
But as they entered the water, Shiguangcongcong and his crew stared, stunned. The Clamshell sped through the water far, far faster than their Sharks could hope to follow. Pursuit was pointless.
“What do we do, Boss Shiguangcongcong?” His crew looked to him.
“Turn back. Report this to Guild Master Eternal. That Human Hunter… He’s come to Tianhai City. The Guild Master needs to know.” Shiguangcongcong’s face was grim.
At least it was that freak of a Hunter. If it had been any other foe failing this assignment, he’d have dreaded facing the Guild Master.
Countless had fallen to this guy’s hands. He wasn’t the first.
…
“Vela! You really are little Vela!”
Inside the Clamshell, Hai Ruoou stared at Haiweila, still struggling to believe.
“It’s me, Sister Hai Ruoou! After so many years, you haven’t changed at all!” Haiweila replied excitedly.
“But… Weren’t you locked away in the Land of Exile? How did you escape?” Hai Ruoou touched Haiweila’s cheek, emotions raw.
“Adventurer Brother saved me! He’s been so good to me!” Haiweila pointed at Chen Mo.
Him?
Hai Ruoou looked at Chen Mo with amazement.
She’d recognized this Adventurer. Ten days ago, she’d even done him a favour. She never dreamed that, just ten days later, that favour would come back repaid so massively!
“Lady Hai Ruoou,” Chen Mo began, looking at her grievous injury, “Can you tell me why you, a high-ranking Sea Clan member, are being hunted by Sea Clan Players?”