Chapter 285 – Sinkhole (1/2)

Chapter 285 – Sinkhole

“Nirvana Flame, it’s been a long time since we last played together,” Yao Yao remarked. She deeply cherished her time with him, but she understood he was a busy person. Apart from levelling, he had to constantly attend to guild affairs as well. How could he have the free time to adventure with her like the old days?

“Ah, yeah… It has been a while,” Nie Yan murmured, a hint of guilt in his voice. His mind trembled as he noticed the forlorn expression in her eyes. Could it be that despite his best efforts, he had left a mark in her heart?

Yao Yao was beautiful, kindhearted, and thoughtful. Maybe in another world, where his heart didn’t already belong to someone else, he would’ve fallen in love with her instead. However, it was best not to linger on these matters.

When they arrived in the wilderness, Nie Yan turned to Yao Yao and asked, “Do you have a mount?” They would have to run to Sinful Gorge if she didn’t.

“Yep!” Yao Yao replied. She called forth a gallant steed with a crimson red coat. It wasn’t as valiant or imposing as his Faulkner Warhorse, but it was still quite the sight to behold.

Kohls Horse! Nie Yan didn’t expect to see such a high-quality mount.

It had a movement speed bonus of 200%!

If it wasn’t obtained from a quest, it would cost at least several thousand gold!

Since this was her first time riding a mount, Yao Yao climbed on top of her Kohls Warhorse with an excited expression. When her grandfather decided to invest in Conviction, she became the representative of the Dragonsoar Financial Group inside the game. After slowly familiarizing herself with their network of contacts, collecting a few thousand gold was a trivial matter.

It was only after taking charge of Dragonsoar Financial Group’s affairs that Xie Yao learned there were many other organizations inside the game aside from the guilds, such as gold farmers. They ranged in size from a few dozen members to several thousand. These players generally didn’t join a guild. The game was work for them rather than entertainment. They would camp out in one area, endlessly grinding weak mobs for drops. They were even reluctant to part with consumables, gearing themselves up with the most basic equipment necessary for the job. At the end of the day, they would sell off any equipment and items they obtained, then head to the Credit Exchange to sell their gold or have a friend sell it for them.

This was all they did inside the game. The amount of money they earned from selling gold could at most be used to supplement some daily expenses. They were a bunch of low-class workers everybody looked down on. But it was precisely these players that generated a vast amount of gold every day. If you were to add it all up, it was enough to support several dozen guilds the size of Asskickers United!

Xie Yao ordered all her subordinates to go through various channels to purchase from these gold farmers. She had a kind heart. With their lack of skill, these gold farmers couldn’t be counted as professional players, and they generally lived difficult lives. She instructed her subordinates to buy their gold at a slightly higher rate. For a behemoth like the Dragonsoar Financial Group, this bit of money was like a drop in the ocean. However, this little act of kindness was greatly appreciated. In return, more and more gold farmers were willing to do business exclusively with the Dragonsoar Financial Group. Xie Yao quickly accumulated an inconceivable amount of gold, her funds even surpassing Nie Yan’s. So acquiring a high-quality mount was naturally no issue for her. But even with money, the vast majority of players still couldn’t purchase a royal mount like the Faulkner Warhorse.

Nie Yan was startled by Yao Yao’s mount, but he quickly regained his composure. If someone like him could get a Faulkner Warhorse, why couldn’t others obtain similarly high-quality mounts?

Nie Yan summoned his Faulkner Warhorse.

Xie Yao’s Kohls Horse immediately appeared a lot smaller while standing beside Nie Yan’s Faulkner Warhorse.

“Let’s go,” Nie Yan said.

The two steeds rose into the wilderness, kicking up a cloud of dust. Nie Yan lowered his speed to match Xie Yao’s.

From time to time, Nie Yan and Xie Yao would pass by a team or two in the middle of levelling and leave them dumbstruck. Even ordinary horses were a rare sight. So one could imagine their shock after spotting two high-quality mounts blazing through the wilderness.

Nie Yan and Xie Yao only felt the wind whistling past their ears as the scenery blurred around them. After galloping for about 6 minutes, they arrived inside the valley of Sinful Gorge.

The war from the other day was still fresh in Nie Yan’s mind.

“You’re back here again. Do you feel anything?” Yao Yao asked.

Nie Yan shook his head as a calm smile surfaced on his face. “No point lingering over the past. What’s most important is seizing the present.” This was mostly a reminder to himself that he should move on. In this life, he and Yao Yao were simply good friends.

“Where are we going?” Yao Yao asked. Nie Yan was guiding them away from the cave entrances she was familiar with.

“Just follow me. I know the terrain of this place better than anyone else,” Nie Yan replied. He had a special method to reach the region where the Black Sin Lotus grew.

Although Yao Yao had her doubts, she followed him anyway.

Several minutes later, Nie Yan and Yao Yao arrived at the base of a mountain. Before them was a pitch-black, bottomless sinkhole. It emitted a foul miasma that gave a sinister feeling.

Nie Yan jumped down from his Faulkner Warhorse with Yao Yao following suit.