plumnovel Chapter 42 : Opposition
Chapter 42 : Opposition
OppositionListening to the chatter between the others, Cecilia didn't take it to heart. The last time she came here with Gu Yanxi, they killed quite a few people from Dragon Abyss, so the grudge between the two sides had already been forged. Killing a few more shouldn't matter much.
What Cecilia really worried about, however, was her own situation in reality.
Recently, on the Legend of Kaloran forum, many anonymous users were spending a lot of money to dig up information about Cecilia in real life. Back when she was still a boy, there wasn't really any reason to be afraid—she'd go out when needed, shop as usual—after all, who would have guessed that the awe-inspiring, breathtakingly beautiful girl in the game was, in reality, just an ordinary boy.
But things were different now. Ever since she'd turned into her game appearance, whether it was the dazzling silver hair or her doll-like face, they were all highly distinctive features. Walking through any crowded place, she was bound to be recognized. And once someone followed the trail to Gu Yanxi's home, considering Dragon Abyss's influence in the real world, things could turn pretty bad.
Because of this, Cecilia hadn't left the front door even once since becoming a girl. No matter if it was buying daily necessities or breakfast, it was all handled by Gu Yanxi on her behalf.
But now, with only about a month left before summer vacation ended, and with Gu Yanxi's mother returning home in two or three days, she couldn't possibly hide at Gu Yanxi's place forever. Even if Cecilia herself could endure the isolation, others might not.
If things really went on that way, how would she be different from the pets raised by her and Gu Yanxi?
Her real-world identity had always been one of Cecilia's greatest worries. She'd thought over and over, but couldn't find a better solution. Now, all she could do was pin her hopes on the omnipotent Aesther, wishing that next time they met, she'd bring a better solution.
Speak of the devil—with everyone else still deep in discussion, a group of armed players with unfriendly faces came out from the distant woods and blocked Cecilia's team.
"Unrelated parties, please move aside. There's a proper order to everything. Our team leader is inside fighting the boss; we don't want anyone disturbing us."
A swordsman whose equipment looked decent stepped out first, speaking to them with apparent righteousness.
Yuewu, the most temperamental in the group, just happened to have gotten a new blue set from Cecilia and was eager to show off in front of these country bumpkins without any sets. She was the first to step forward, speaking in a mocking tone:
"With your team leader's mish-mash gear looking like a beggar's, you really think you can beat the boss? More like getting hung up and beaten by the boss, I'd say!"
Upon hearing this sharp insult, the swordsman's expression turned ugly, but he still didn't dare get angry—he couldn't afford to offend any of these people in front of him.
Cecilia didn't want to make a move against these people either. There were too many eyes around; acting rashly would easily expose her hand and let others catch on to something.
Secondly, the game's penalty mechanism was harsh. Killing off the dozen or so people blocking the way would land her with a huge red name, and she wouldn't even be able to enter the Main City gates without grinding elite monsters for an entire day.
Seeing things were at an impasse and with Cecilia showing no reaction, Dawn's Light thought it over and decided to step up as mediator. Smiling kindly, he said, "Brother, your group can't really stop us. We don't want it to turn ugly either—we're all here for the loot, and it wouldn't do to cause trouble. Why not let us through?"
Dawn's Light's words were reasonable and gave face. The swordsman began wavering; he too would've liked to just open the road and let these trouble magnets in. But then he thought of Dragon Abyss's instructions—"absolutely no letting anyone inside"—and the contract he signed when joining the team, the most important clause being 100% obedience to the captain's orders or pay an astronomical penalty.
Just thinking of this firmed his resolve again. In the end, he shook his head, raised his broad longsword, and said, "No. The captain said nobody goes in without his permission."
Loving to watch drama was humanity's nature—thousands of years hadn't changed that. Seeing the five-person team blocked, the curious passerby players hurried over to watch.
Soon, a knowledgeable player recognized the ones blocking the road.
"They're all from a team—their captain's called Dragon Abyss. I heard his family runs a major listed company. For a while now, they've been locking down and hogging this area, not letting anyone in."
"So pretentious! If you want the boss, do like Cecilia—fight it yourself. Can't beat it but also don't let others try. Squatting on resources and doing nothing. Does Dragon Abyss think this game is his personal property?"
...
Because their team suffered setbacks at the start of the server, Dragon Abyss had frequently abused his strength to rob resources and bully others in order to catch up with Cecilia's level. Ordinary players, lacking any backing, suffered but dared not complain.
Now at last, the masses were enraged. Victims banded together under the support of five top players and, driven by pent-up frustration, the mood turned increasingly tense.
"Shut up, all of you! Anyone who says another word is going on our blacklist—we'll hunt you down to the ends of the earth!"
The swordsman, battered by louder and fouler insults, could no longer bear it and shouted at the crowd.
Fine, so he couldn't offend these five powerhouses—but regular onlookers without any backing? How dare they trample on him too!
"Proletarians unite—charge at the capitalists and their lackeys!"
At last, a voice rose from the crowd. The onlookers, inflamed, surged forward, and no one knew which Sharpshooter fired the first arrow, igniting a long-suppressed conflict between the team and the casual players.
Swords were drawn, shields raised. In an instant, both sides collided in a chaotic melee.
Cecilia didn't care which side won; she honestly wished they'd fight even harder. The only trouble was that because of their position, the five-person team hadn't managed to retreat and ended up caught in the thick of it—roadside were the player mob, on the other side Dragon Abyss's people, truly stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Ping!
Out of nowhere, an arrow shot over, planting itself in Dawn's Light's shoulder and dealing a whopping 7 points of physical dmg.
That scraping-level dmg didn't even warrant seeing who shot it. Uninterested, Dawn's Light simply turned to ask Cecilia, "Captain, what now? Which side do we help?"
"Neither. Let them fight. We're heading into the wilds for the boss."
With that, Cecilia grabbed Gu Yanxi, who'd been distracted by the spectacle, kicked aside a frenzied onlooker, and led the five of them out toward the edge of the skirmish.
On one side were the organized, well-equipped pro-gamers; on the other, casual players with average gear and a penchant for drama. In this stat-driven game, the outcome of such a clash had been set from the start.
Early on, emboldened by numbers and the presence of the bigwigs beside them, the bystanders' morale soared. They killed off two fringe members from Dragon Abyss's team, who dropped a blue rare piece of equipment.
At this point, blue gear could still sell for close to 100,000 in gold coins, so when it dropped, the onlookers instantly lost all will to fight and turned on each other, scrambling for the loot.
This scramble gave Dragon Abyss's team a reprieve. They saw Cecilia kick aside a rampaging bystander and realized she had no intention of helping either side, so their confidence returned.
Their training kicked in. Within seconds, the Dragon Abyss team regrouped: tanks in front, wounded in the center healing, sharpshooter, mage, and Cleric at the rear, and their Assassin went into stealth, sneaking behind enemy lines to pick off the squishiest targets.
A few seconds later, while the bystanders were still fighting over the blue gear, Dragon Abyss's team counterattacked in a tight formation—a rolling juggernaut. The now demoralized bystanders stood no chance and, after a few more deaths, the rest fled for the woods, only to be hunted down by the team's expert Sharpshooter and Mage.
Watching the fleeing onlookers, Cecilia felt no pity—people die for wealth, birds for food. She'd admired their courage at first, but as soon as the blue equipment dropped, the "proletarian union" was instantly exposed as a joke.
Several minutes later, the onlookers had been wiped out, with just a few escaping and a handful of white items scattered on the ground.
The battle ended in a resounding victory for the Dragon Abyss team.
Strangely, though, neither side truly lost.
The onlookers, though defeated, walked away with a piece of blue gear—who knew whose backpack it now rested in, but they had new bragging rights. Losing to the pros but still scoring loot—still a worthy tale.
Dragon Abyss's people weren't upset either. They got to vent some frustration, and now had an excuse for letting Cecilia's team through. As long as Dragon Abyss didn't call them to account, the small loss was negligible.
......
Due to feedback, I'll be canceling the author's chatter at the end of chapters from now on. I bought Rita's girls' clothes—the clothes will arrive soon, and I'll announce the stream time. I just like writing gender-bender stories and simply want to amuse everyone at my own expense, so no more of this "fan club culture" nonsense.
Sorry for not living up to everyone's trust for so long. If there is a next book, I promise it won't happen again.
A humid breeze swept from the depths of the Mutant Jungle. The sky was a bit overcast, vines twisted weirdly around the trunks, and all sorts of disgusting insects crawled everywhere.
[Mutant Jungle]—just the name alone was unsettling, not to mention that this time the D-rank world boss hid somewhere deep within.
"Sister Ce, did we take the wrong turn? Weren't we supposed to head for the river valley with all the crocodiles?"
Yuewu looked at the jungle uneasily, a chill rising from the bottom of her heart.
There probably isn't a girl who isn't afraid of bugs.
Cecilia didn't answer, instead summoning the Darkwing Demon Bat, letting it scan the canopy with ultrasonic waves. After a quick sensing, she lifted her chin and explained unhurriedly, "We're on the right path. Last time I was here, the boss was right in the center of this forest, and it hasn't moved since."
Hearing Cecilia's answer, the faces of the girls present turned a bit green. This tropical jungle was so overgrown, there might be crocodiles, snakes, even leeches.
For girls who grew up in the city, barging into this kind of primal woodland was more uncomfortable than having ten thousand ants crawling over you.
"I'll take the lead. You all stay behind me—don't worry, nothing will happen."
They hadn't even entered the wild yet, and already the party was wavering. As the only male and only frontliner, Dawn's Light volunteered for the hard and dirty job of opening the way.
Cecilia, naturally, had no objections. She gave a nod and reminded, "Everyone be careful. There's an abnormal number of monsters in this jungle—lots of fights ahead."
After using the Darkwing Demon Bat's sonar, Cecilia had a clear 3D mental map of the area and a monster distribution chart. There were so many red dots, it was absurd—every dozen meters there was another.
"And also, we have an lv.8 newbie who probably won't be much help, right, little Merchant?"
Even now, Yuewu didn't miss a chance to pick on the newly added Little Persimmon Puppy, which piqued the others' curiosity about what grievance lay between them.
Faced with Yuewu's persistent needling, little Persimmon Puppy didn't argue. She just shot her a look, took some small glass bottles from her backpack, and said quietly, "I have some potions that cure abnormal status. I got them from a mysterious Merchant. Not too expensive, but very useful—one for each of you."
Potions that remove debuffs? Cecilia was surprised Little Persimmon Puppy could get such a good item.
There were four potions and five travelers—obviously, someone wouldn't get one; sure enough, Yuewu crossed her arms and pouted in the corner.
As captain, Cecilia was first to accept the potion. Examining it, she saw the cork was intact, and inside the transparent glass was a light blue liquid, softly swirling, quite distinct from mana potions, evoking the clarity of shallow tropical seas.
[Sage Merchant's Secret Potion]
Consumable
Max carry limit: 50
Minimum lv: 1
Sale price: 3 gold coins
Effect: On use, shortens 80% of negative status duration (poisoned, slow, paralysis, shock, weakness...) and boosts hp regeneration and control reduction by 10% for 8 seconds.
On seeing the detailed panel, Cecilia realized it only reduced debuff duration, not erasing forced controls like stun or bind. Even so, it was a great item—easily worth 5 gold coins in the market.
Cecilia's current maid outfit already gave tremendous control reduction, so even a ten-second control skill might only last for four or five against her. Theoretically, she didn't need this potion, but since it was free, she gladly accepted.
The others, realizing its value, thanked Little Persimmon Puppy and tucked the potions away. Only Yuewu lacked one, who pretended not to care but was actually quite annoyed.
Rare as the potion was, it paled before the D-rank world boss first-kill, so there was no need to fuss. The party tidied up and pressed deeper into [Mutant Jungle].
Tanky Dawn's Light led, Cecilia right behind, the perceived weakest Little Persimmon Puppy and Gu Yanxi in the middle, with Yuewu at the rear—everyone saw the arrangement as fair.
The soil underfoot was soft and slick. Leaves and vine bristles scraped at their skin, stinging faintly. After Cecilia's mention of a truck-sized giant crocodile lurking within, everyone was somewhat tense, fearing a monstrous ambush at any moment.
They hadn't gone more than a few dozen meters before encountering their first strange monster.
It looked like a monstrous man-eating plant, standing upright about two meters tall, blocking the path. Covered in thorny skin of sickly dark green, its surface was split with fissures full of swollen red blisters, each capped with fluffy fibers like foxtail grass, swaying in the wind as if beckoning to any passing creatures.
The "head" had five gaping, fleshy petals with sharp serrated edges, and inside, a clutch of tendrils wriggled incessantly like centipede legs, wafting a faint sweet scent.
A light blue transparent panel unfolded, revealing the creature's data.
[Mutated Man-eating Plant], Elite monster
Race: Plant
Lv: 17
Max HP: 5549/5549
Attack: 173
Magic: 84
Physical Def: 117
Magic Def: 128
Skills: [Corrosive Juice], [Vine Lash], [Petal Burst], [Robust Growth], [Corrupted Earth]
Description: A plant tainted by dark magic, highly aggressive, preys on insects, small animals, sawtooth Crocodile, and humans—the lowest rank of the Angel Legion.
A lv.17 elite with five skills—even the lv.15 Sawtooth Crocodile was only food for it. Obviously, any monster surviving in a rain forest ruled by Sawtooth Crocodiles was no pushover.
Staring at the monster, even the brave Dawn's Light hesitated after reading the stats. He knew fighting it would sap their strength, and their supplies were limited. He turned to Cecilia for help: "Captain, this elite's too strong; if we fight it, we'll lose status. With so few potions left, maybe we should avoid it."
"What's the point of running? With Sister Ce here, let's just blast it down!"
Yuewu scoffed at Dawn's Light's cowardice.
"Talk is cheap—our potion supplies are low, better save them for the boss. This elite is tough; if you're so brave, step up!"
Dawn's Light's worries made sense—a world boss was more important than any elite.
Yet, since an elite had appeared before them, and even if it dropped no loot, the experience alone was too good to pass up. Cecilia wasn't going to let it go.
While the two were still bickering, Cecilia had already drawn her table knife and hurled it at the monster.
Silverflash Pierce, activate!
High dmg, great range, short cooldown, low mana, executes targets—best of all, true dmg that ignored all defenses. No wonder Silverflash Pierce was her favorite skill since drawing it at the start.
A silver streak flashed past. In the blink of an eye, the mutated plant's tendrils were pierced, its bulky health bar dropping to zero instantly, a pale gray damage value floating up.
-8956!
As the man-eating plant's two-meter frame crashed to the ground, Dawn's Light and Yuewu only then realized that Cecilia had dispatched the monster they thought so formidable in just a couple of seconds.
Gu Yanxi, having witnessed Cecilia's combat countless times, was no longer surprised, but for the Merchant girl, it was her first time. Eyes wide, jaw slack, she gaped at the fallen plant in disbelief.
Just a week after launch, pulling off 8900 points of true dmg with a single skill—Cecilia's strike had left an impression the Merchant girl would never forget.