TAP.TAP.TAP ShanYi's fingers moved fast and accurately as she manipulated a computer. This was the first time that her father had actually taken her for an assistant CEO on his company while he's on a business trip.
The more that ShanYi stayed looking at her computer, the more that she got bored of the work. Without thinking twice, she opened her IM and surprisingly, there are 27 messages inside. Most of the messages came from Sophia. She smiled as she scrolled on the messages until she saw the last message…
Sophia: Shan-Shan. It's so hard not seeing you here. Please come back soon alright?
ShanYi held her chest. It ached so much since the day she finally accepted her retirement as a professional player of WeiLong. Her father's company pays high since she's the assistant CEO and she's contented working but her passion for gaming wasn't fully put out.
Then, she made up her mind. Typing fast, she then sent a reply to Sophia saying…
"I'm available now. Let's play."
Tilting her head from left to right looking for employees that might pass, she downloaded the game. As the download completed, she then ran the game and typed her username and password faster like a lightning.
Sophia was already waiting at Trajard where some of the players are also gathered for a new event. To avoid exposing her identity, ShanYi then changed her in game name to Queen Bee from being Black Swan and also changed her weapon choice.
Black Thorn was a plasma railgun that she usually uses but with players knowing her play style, she shouldn't use Black Thorn anymore.
'Even if I change my name, they'll recognize me if I show them Black Thorn… Maybe it's time that I put Stinger on the spotlight now.'
Heading on Trajard, ShanYi was unarmed. With no more than a melee skill of punch and kick, she roamed until she reached the locker rooms. As she opened her locker, two items displayed on her screen.
The first item was called STINGER. It's negative photon railgun that has a different effect than Black Thorn. While Black Thorn can track enemies once they're spotted, Stinger cannot spot or track any enemies but even so, this weapon is made for heavy penetration where it can penetrate any armor withstanding 100,000 points of defense.
The other item was an armor with shades of white black and blue. The armor had no name on it except a brand code written as 722438AX.
ShanYi had no other choice but to put on the new armor and change her weapons.
'Black Swan is no more. I am now Queen Bee.'
Sending her IM to Sophia along with the screenshot of her new character, she went to the center of Trajard and then finally met up with Sophia.
"Shan—Shan!"
"Shh… Don't call me that. People can see your chat history."
"Uh… Bee. Haha! Long time no see."
"Same. Long time no see."
"Have you heard about the bounty hunting event? The system said that you can enter with a party of 2 players."
"Yes. I've read all about it."
"Bee can you be my partner for this event?"
ShanYi thought about it long, hard and deep. She already had changed her weapon along with the skills and skill calibration. Finally, she had given up the negative thoughts and
accepted Sophia's offer.
"Alrighty then... I know a way to get us on top of the bounty hunting rankings. But first, we need to go to Reegast."
"What are we going to do on Reegast? That's an awful place Bee."
"That's alright. Bear with me for a moment and try not to cause a ruckus."
"Fine. Fine… You're the boss."
Teleporting to a nearby portal, they directly went to Reegast where black market stalls are put up by PK players. Most of the stalls are selling loots of monster body parts, gems, alchemy matter, weapons and armors of other players.
Sophia wasn't comfortable following ShanYi to the place because anytime, they can be mugged by other players especially since they carry precious armor and weapons with them.
They were walking a bit far when they had arrived on the edge of the map where a separate stall was set up.
"Griever, it's me Black Swan. Open up."
The store did not open up until ShanYi brought out her negative photon gun.
"Open up or I'll blow your store into bits. It never really gets old for me."
"FINEEE! FINEEE! I'm here. What do you want crazy b*tch?"
"Hah. Finally you managed to open up. I want you to do some item tuning for me."
Sophia wondered… 'What's an item tuning?' Clearly, she have been playing with ShanYi for four years but she never knew what item tuning is.
"Okay give me the item and I'll tune it."
"Here..."
ShanYi took off her armor and gave it to Griever. As the item bar code showed, Griever's eyes grew wide.
"H—How did you get this? This one's expensive as hell."
"What do you mean expensive? It's in my storage locker in Trajard."
"You're freaking kidding me right? This item costs a hundred-thousand RMB! Where did you get this? Did you rob a bank or something?"
"No dufus! If I remember clearly, Ava gave it to me."
"No way… No way… Ava Zhao? The owner of RISE Online?"
"Ava's the owner of RISE online?"
Both ShanYi and Sophia started to shake their heads and pushed Griever inside the store closing in the area after they went inside. ShanYi acted fast and made a team chat joining Griever and Sophia inside.
Queen_Bee: Griever I want to disclose this issue between you and Nova only.
Griever: Promise I wouldn't tell a soul.
Nova: Cross your heart?
Griever: Yeah promise. Now, what do you want to do with this armor?
Queen_Bee: This armor has no name and only has a brand code of 722438AX. I want you to modify it's name and at the same time look at it's encrypted abilities.
Griever: I've never heard about armors having encrypted abilities before. But let me check the specs first.
Griever gasped as he saw the specs of the armor. It's rare to have such an armor having hidden abilities.
Griever: The feature for this game for an armor to have hidden stats isn't unlocked yet. Maybe if the game adds a feature where the abilities will be unlocked, then maybe this section here will be unlocked.
Queen_Bee: Alright. For now, we can't augment anything on this armor. Griever could you give us upgrades for our weapons, we're participating in the event.
Griever: Yes give me your weapons and I'll be done in 5 minutes.
ShanYi took back her armor and placed her weapon on the table. Sophia also placed hers and waited outside the stall with ShanYi.
ShanYi looked at her newly-named armor. She didn't know that Ava had high reputation and casually made friends with her at a game convention.
Sophia then sent a message on her in game and ShanYi opened it.
Nova: So you knew Ava Zhao?
Queen_Bee: I just met her at a gaming convention months ago. Why?
Nova: You really have no idea who you're dealing with girl! Ava Zhao is the game's inventor and developer! You hit the jackpot!
Queen_Bee: I wouldn't call it jackpot because I never taken advantage of our friendship. She purposely put it on my storage.
Nova: So what? That's good news! Ava wants you not to retire!
Queen_Bee: Let's just let the issue be and hit the event once Griever tweaked our weapons.
Nova: Fine Fine…
After a while, a band of PK hunters about five players stood in front of them. Sophia felt agitated by their presence but then realized that Griever isn't finished tweaking their weapons.
"Ladies are you lost? This isn't a place where you should be."
Sophia stepped forth but ShanYi already typed fast in the general message.
"We're waiting for Griever for our weapons. Please mind your own business."
The PK players then let off a laughing emotion and then faced her.
"Mind our own business? Our business is looting other players. You both have high qual items judging from your stats. We're lucky we ran up to you but oh… Your weapons aren't available right now. We all could loot you right here right now."
Before typing anything on her keyboard, ShanYi held her laughter as she saw the stats of the PK hunters.
"Alright. You want our armors? Come and get it."
"Arrogant sh*t!"
The crossfire then began and the enemies pulled off their plasma retrograde weapons shooting Queen Bee but with her high agility, she avoided the shots tumbling ray by ray. Then, mid-air, she pulled her dual-photon pistols and shot three out of five men down leaving Nova to deal with the rest of the men and knocked down the other guy with her melee plasma blade leaving the leader fend for his 1/4 hp left.
"W—Who are y—you?"
"It doesn't concern you who I am. Look closely on my IGN, that's who I am."
"But your moves, your skills… They're almost the same as the Black Swan."
"I am not the Black Swan. I don't know who you're talking about."
ShanYi dropped the conversation as she heard a knock on the door.
"Secretary Cao. What brings you here?"
"I just came to drop by these papers for you to sign."
ShanYi sighed and after the last paper has been signed, she told the secretary to leave.
"Hao. Hao. You may leave now."
She just have been afk for a minute and saw that the PK player has already been gone.
Queen_Bee: You let him go?
Nova: I don't know. Did I let him go?
Queen_Bee: I don't care. Haha. Let's go.
Griever: Done tweaking. Your weapons are ready for battle.
Sophia looked at her inventory with a smile on her face.
'That PK player had equipped tons of expensive gems on his weapon though.'