"By the way, missy, I noticed you got an Eye. Have you paired it with the Sovereign Sword yet?"
Devi-chan asked as he rembered. He had actually scolded Chang Long quite a bit earlier, going on about how all the Eyes she had painstakingly gathered were destroyed in the Guardian Fla. He also lanted her defeat at the hands of the beast king Jezebel. However, he did not reproach her too much for that since everyone knew the level gap between Chang Long and Jezebel. Even with Hisa-chan possessing her, it was not an easy fight. In the end, though Chang Long died, she still managed to kill Jezebel (with the help of her three guardians' weapons).
Chang Long pulled out the black Eye and the Sovereign Sword that hung by her waist, and she proceeded to fuse them together. Hisa-chan, sitting nearby, seed to be the only one who did not care much, not even about his favorite food in front of him. He remained silent and deep in thought.
"Player Chang Long has obtained the skill Calamity Thunder from the Eye of Darkness,"
the system announced after she successfully fused the Eye of Darkness with her sword. Chang Long's eyes widened in excitent upon hearing the skill na. She knew its power well—Calamity Thunder had ended her life earlier. But that was when it was used by a beast king at level 130. She was not sure if the skill would be as powerful when she used it herself.
Devi-chan, understanding her thoughts, quickly explained to her like an expert.
"The power of the Eyes depends 20% on the user's level and 80% on the level of the beast the Eye ca from."
Chang Long nodded in understanding and returned to her al. It was then that she noticed Hisa-chan's unusually solemn deanor.
"Hisa-chan, is sothing bothering you? Are you still thinking about the defeat to Jezebel?"
She asked with concern. The samurai spirit seed to snap out of his trance and made eye contact with his master for the first ti. He nodded seriously, replying to her.
"I want to beco stronger, master. Is there a way for us to gain levels even after dying?"
"I... don't know,"
Chang Long responded thoughtfully. As far as she could recall, no one had ever ntioned how to level up spirits. If she were to fully unlock the Lord of Death profession and gain the ability to resurrect spirits under her command, perhaps then they could level up again. But how difficult would that be? Even her own level was tough to raise, as the experience needed for each level increased significantly the higher she went, making leveling up extrely challenging.
"Never mind, I didn't an to trouble you. It's just been on my mind a little,"
Hisa-chan said quickly, adjusting his expression when he noticed that Chang Long was starting to get stressed over his concern. He then focused on eating his favorite dish, tako sashimi, while changing the subject to make her feel more at ease.
After finishing her al, Chang Long decided to go back to the Purple Forest to level up. It was a quiet place without other players to disturb her, full of mid-level beasts perfect for gaining experience. Plus, the forest's king would not respawn for another month, so she was safe for the ti being.
She checked out of the inn and prepared to set out for the Purple Forest. However, she realized she did not know exactly where it was. Chang Long did not have a map of Longshan City or the surrounding areas, and even if she did, she was not sure she would be able to navigate her way there. Just then, she spotted the sa player she had asked for directions the night before. Thinking of asking him again, she started walking toward him. Before she could reach him, an announcent rang out as if soone important was about to pass by. Chang Long turned to see a well-dressed young man, accompanied by a few subordinates, smiling at her from only a few ters away.
"D... Dark Horse Guild Leader!"
The player Chang Long had intended to approach exclaid. Both he and Chang Long froze, unsure of what to make of the situation, much like the other players standing nearby, who were all staring in surprise. It was not every day that Aswa, the leader of the Dark Horse Guild, paraded through town like this. Usually, he kept a low profile, hiding his identity when traveling. But today, he had announced his presence with grand fanfare. Even his subordinates seed uneasy under the hundreds of eyes watching them in awe.
"Hello,"
Aswa greeted politely. Chang Long looked stunned and glanced around to see who he was addressing.
"He's talking to you!"
She said to the young man closest to her, as they were the only ones in the imdiate area.
"Huh?"
The man looked even more shocked, glancing back and forth between Chang Long and Aswa, unsure if the guild leader was really talking to him or to the seemingly odd player standing next to him.
"I was talking to you... Chang Long,"
Aswa clarified, after pausing briefly while one of his subordinates whispered her na to him.
"?"
Chang Long pointed to herself in confusion. She was certain she did not know this man and had no idea why he was talking to her.
"Yes, I'm Aswa, leader of the Dark Horse Guild. I'd like to get to know you better. May I have the honor of treating you to a al?"
Aswa said politely, gesturing toward a luxurious restaurant not far away, with a smile. Both Chang Long and the young man beside her were left bewildered..
Hisa-chan grinned, Alice-chan squealed with excitent, while Devi-chan burst out laughing. Luckily, Chang Long had already stored all her pets away in the pet-sealing accessory, or else Brownie, who could speak human language, would have joined in laughing with Devi-chan at her stunned expression. Even Fluffy Head-chan, now in his small lion form, twitched his whiskers a bit, excited for so action, only to find soone had invited Chang Long out for a al instead.
"I'm full. Sorry, but I'm headed to the Purple Forest to grind so experience,"
Chang Long said before quickly walking away. She did not like being the center of attention in such a large crowd; it made her feel uneasy and unsafe.
"The Purple Forest. You must be pretty high-leveled to go there alone,"
Aswa remarked in surprise, but his gaze soon shifted to Fluffy Head-chan, who stood near Chang Long, baring his small fangs. Despite his cute appearance, Aswa had a feeling that this little lion was not to be trifled with.
"Yes! Goodbye,"
Chang Long replied curtly and continued walking, but she was called back again. This ti, both she and Fluffy Head-chan were getting visibly irritated. She was already fed up with Aswa and the onlookers.
"But Chang Long, the way to the Purple Forest is actually this way,"
Aswa said, pointing in the opposite direction from where Chang Long was headed. She stopped in her tracks, then turned and briskly walked in the direction he had pointed without anyone saying another word.
"Hehehe, cute. Now I really want to get to know her better,"
Aswa chuckled quietly to himself and walked on casually. He was already thinking about following Chang Long to the Purple Forest, curious to see how skilled she really was in battle.
"G... Guild Leader, what about the Pirate King's treasure?"
Ma, one of his subordinates, tried to remind him, but it was clear Aswa was not listening anymore. His mind was consud with thoughts of the mysterious female player whom he knew just her na. Aswa had never believed in love at first sight, but now that it had happened to him, he did not know how to handle this sudden rush of feelings. He felt that Chang Long did not dislike him (even if it was just wishful thinking) and that their conversation had gone well. Surely, he had a chance with her (again, wishful thinking).
With that thought, Aswa hurried back to change his outfit and rushed to follow Chang Long to the Purple Forest, hoping to continue their interaction. His four subordinates, who had followed him to impress Chang Long, stood there with their mouths agape. It was rare to see their guild leader so enthusiastic about anything besides guild dominance and beating Demos, the leader of the Doom Star Guild.
At the Dark Horse Guild's headquarters, the tall, fair-skinned Aswa strolled through the corridors, humming a cheerful tune. His unusual behavior caught the attention of his guild mbers, who were shocked. Usually, Aswa was never in a good mood. He either walked past them without a word or offered a smile to so of guild mbers, but today he was humming a tune as he walked, sothing none of them had ever witnessed before. So of the guild mbers began to worry that he might have been stressed too much by the Pirate King's treasure hunt, and that perhaps the pressure had made him snap.
"Hey, did you guys just see what I saw?"
Lost Martial Artist muttered in disbelief, his eyes fixed on Aswa's retreating figure from the training yard.
"What's wrong with Aswa? This is scary."
Rose gasped in shock, missing rlin's mouth entirely with the snack she was trying to feed him several tis.
"It seems like our guild leader is really stressed out. I an, think about it, we've been dealing with nonstop problems. We still haven't caught those players causing trouble in our territory, and there's been no progress with the Pirate King's treasure. Just yesterday, Ma got chased off so badly he ran for his life,"
rlin's Top Protege comnted casually. While he was used to seeing their usually serious and focused guild leader, even soone like him had to crack under pressure from ti to ti.
"The guild leader's in love…"
Boron, the typically quiet one, spoke up calmly, causing the other three to whip around and stare at him in unison. It was common knowledge that when Boron made a statent, there was a high chance it was true.
"What... What did you say, Boron!"
Lost Martial Artist stamred, not wanting to believe his ears. Rose and rlin's Top Protege were just as astonished.
"Aswa? In love? In all these years, I've never seen him pay attention to anyone, and our guild has plenty of beautiful won,"
Rose added. She was one of the many won who had once tried to catch Aswa's eye, but to no avail, as Aswa had always been more focused on guild matters than anything.
"So... who could've softened Aswa's heart?"
This was a question with no answer. The four exchanged knowing looks, then all stood up excitedly, showing more enthusiasm than they had in a long ti. They quietly followed Aswa, who was now dressed in a martial artist's outfit that allowed swift movent, as he made his way out to the main road. However, by the ti they reached the main street, Aswa had already disappeared.
"Damn. Where did the guild leader go?"
Lost Martial Artist grumbled, scanning the area. Just then, he caught a glimpse of Aswa's figure darting across the rooftops of a three-story building.
"He's heading east… What could he be doing over there? Does he have a secret lover on Longshan Mountain or sothing?"
rlin's Top Protege speculated, puzzled.
"There are many places he could be going over that way. He doesn't necessarily have to be heading up Longshan Mountain,"
Rose argued.
"Stop bickering and let's hurry, or we'll lose the guild leader again. Don't you want to find out who's captured his heart?"
Lost Martial Artist urged. Aswa was a top-tier player with much higher level than them and a martial artist profession, making him difficult to track. If they delayed any longer, they would certainly lose him.
Boron did not say anything but followed silently behind his friends. He, too, was curious about which woman had managed to affect Aswa so much. While it was not entirely certain that Aswa was out searching for a woman he loved, there was a chance he might also be investigating clues about the Pirate King's treasure by himself. However, deep down, Boron had a gut feeling that Aswa was indeed on his way to et the woman he had fallen for.
Aswa, whose heart was now overflowing with happiness, eagerly made his way toward the Purple Forest to et the woman he had fallen for. While it was not exactly an ideal dating spot, it was not completely impossible to turn it into one. He was confident that he could protect her from the beasts of the forest(—at least if she stayed near the entrance.) The only thing he truly feared encountering was the forest's beast king, whom he rembered vividly. One re gesture from her finger had been enough to send him to an untily demise.
"From now on, I'm going to get to know her better. Thank goodness I had Sky Turtle follow her to the inn and managed to ask the staff for her na. Otherwise, I'd still be in the dark, not even knowing her na,"
Aswa muttered to himself happily as he continued walking at a normal pace toward the Purple Forest, completely unaware of the four exhausted players secretly following him. In fact, Aswa was so absorbed in his thoughts that he paid little attention to his surroundings. His mind was solely focused on reaching the Purple Forest, where the woman he adored had ntioned she would be farming for experience. He was so preoccupied that he nearly collided with a large tree(as he probably did not see it,) only narrowly avoiding it with his agility when the tip of his nose was about to brush against the bark.
"Wait for , Miss Chang Long. I'll make sure you agree to be my girlfriend!"
Aswa vowed with the sa determination he had when he had resolved to defeat Demos. His feet kept moving forward toward this new goal—winning Chang Long's heart...
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