Chapter 156 Unbridled Willow
Hot Spring Valley
The Armored Giant Turtle was currently resting at the shallows of the river bank, with a Warrior fully outfitted in plate armor sitting nearby. At a glance, the plate armor that he wore seemed to be of decent quality, but judging from the difference in the decorative patterns, it was evident that he was not wearing a complete set of equipment. Furthermore, his plate armor currently seemed to be tattered, with smoke still emanating from numerous places. It was clear that he had just been through a tough battle.
At this very moment, the moon was bright and the stars were dim.
It was currently midnight in the real world, where everything was silent.
This made Hot Spring Valley, which was not often frequented by players, seem even more desolate and quiet.
The Warrior was currently seated at a beachhead not too far away from the Giant Armored Turtle, with a bonfire in front of him which added a degree of warmth to the frigid night on the Eastern Continent. The Warrior took off his helmet and tossed it aside with a single hand before releasing a deep sigh.
The helmet was simply too stifling. Although its defences were high and he looked extremely domineering when he wore it, it was simply suffocating when the helmet encased his entire head. Only his eyes were exposed for him to look at his surroundings. If not, he would really be akin to an iron wall with all the steel armor wrapping tightly around his body.
The night air was cold to the point that it prickled, yet this Warrior didn’t seem to be afraid. Taking a deep breath, he actually grabbed a handful of snow and leisurely shoved it in his mouth. The loose, cold ball of snow entered his mouth, seemingly chilling his teeth in the process.
“It’s best if one drinks wine on a cold day instead of eating snow,” A calm voice called out of the blue. The Warrior immediately stood up and pulled out the long sword that was stabbed into the ground. He surveyed his surroundings in alertness, paying special attention to the direction where the voice had come from.
“Who is it?”
“Relax, I’m just a stranger,” The tone in that calm voice now contained a hint of amusement. With the sound of rustling leaves, a sharp figure lept off from a nearby tree, landing right beside the Warrior.
With the illumination of the bonfire, the warrior was able to see that his guest was a female Elf. Judging from the crossbow on her back, she seemed to be a Hunter. However, this game had much in common with the real world; who knew if this stranger came with ulterior motives? He felt that it was best if he was wary of others.
The female Huntress saw that his face was full of wariness and wasn’t fazed in the slightest. Smiling in response, she seated herself by the fire’s side and gazed at the Giant Armored Turtle that was lying prone in the middle of the hot springs. “Are you here for the shield drop?”
The Warrior warily glanced around and relaxed slightly when he realized that there was no one tailing them and there was nothing out of the ordinary in the surroundings. Observing that the Huntress didn’t seem to have the intention of kill stealing, he too sat down and the corners of his mouth twitched. “Are you here for the shield as well?”
“I’m a Huntress, that thing is of no use to me.” The Huntress turned her head and smiled, and with the warm firelight shining on her elegant face, it added warmth to her facial expressions. She raised her hand and pointed to the distance before replying, “I’m here for the herbs, since there’s no one here at night.”
The Warrior didn’t question her further upon hearing her reply. The reason for that was because guilds would frequently hunt the Giant Armored Turtle in turns, and he had waited many hours before he could have this opportunity to hunt the turtle alone. The guilds farming mobs meant a proportional increase in the players who came here to hunt mobs as well, and amongst these players, there were definitely some who were Apothecaries. That’s why the herbs here might even be fought for as well. If he considered it from this point of view, this Huntress could be said to be telling the truth.
“What’s the matter? Didn’t you bring anything to eat?” The Huntress noticed that the Warrior was still shivering even though he was next to the fire; one could only imagine the cold he must be feeling. Hot Spring Valley had always been enveloped by snow, so potions that provided cold resistance should always be carried when clearing mobs in this area. Alternatively, one should be carrying items that provided warmth or wine. If not, they would be afflicted with a debuff called ‘Frozen’ which caused the limbs of players to become dull. Along with a decrease in movement speed, even certain attributes would decrease as well.
However, as the recent dungeons pioneered by the guilds of the Eastern Continent were mainly of the ice type, the prices for potions that provided cold resistance were driven up. This was why the players that usually visited this place would either bring food or wine instead.
“I’ve finished them all already,” The Warrior looked at the Giant Armored Turtle that was still snoozing in the distance and bitterly smiled.
“I still have some. Here, take them,” Taking out two jugs of wine from her inventory, the Huntress tossed one over to the Warrior before offering him some roast deer leg as well.
The Warrior didn’t decline, receiving them without hesitation and started to feast away.
“How many times have you fought it already?” The Huntress looked at the Giant Armored Turtle and faintly smiled before asking half-heartedly.
“I can’t remember,” The Warrior furiously chewed into the meat; it looked like the Frozen debuff really did make him feel extremely uncomfortable.
“Judging from your equipment, I think they’re nearing the end of their durability?”
“That’s about right.”
“That’s a wild Elite Boss after all, it’s too difficult for a Warrior to solo.”
The Warrior naturally knew that the Huntress spoke the truth, but he didn’t immediately respond. Instead, he paused for a slight moment before raising his head to look at her, replying, “I’m worried that if it really did drop, I’ll have to pay the others to get it. I don’t have a lot of money on me.”
“Is your equipment good for one more battle?” The Huntress idly munched on the leg of venison and her tone sounded light and unconcerned.
“It is,” The Warrior nodded before smiling bitterly, “But I can only fight one more time.”
“If you trust me, party up with me. I’ll help you this once.”
The Warrior was nonplussed, and he stared at the Huntress curiously without making a sound.
“You’ll be the party leader, just set it so that the leader takes all. I won’t take money from you even if that thing drops,” The Huntress took another swig of wine and wiped the corners of her mouth. “As expected, one has to drink this kind of wine on a cold day like this.”
“Why?” It took a long while before the Warrior could squeeze out a reply.
“Because I feel that it’s destiny? Because I’m a busybody? Or maybe its because I fell in love with you at first sight?” The Huntress tossed away the wine jar in her hand before standing up to stretch. “Who knows, perhaps I’m crazy. If you really can’t understand why, feel free to use any of the reasons I said before to convince yourself.”
This Huntress was simply too gracious, to the point where the Warrior felt somewhat embarrassed. Hastily shoveling the remaining meat and wine into his mouth, he stood up and said, “My name is Unbridled Willow.”
The Huntress turned her head and looked at Unbridled Willow. The golden light of the fire illuminated her head of silver hair, which gave it an indescribable glow. Her eyebrows were slightly raised as she mildly replied, “I’m Gongzi You.”