"You'll only understand if you look from above. If you're flying and glance down, you'll see that this chasm forms the open mouth of a dragon. The terrain down there is diverse, as are the monsters. I hope you'll have fun. It's rare for adventurers to co here, so you won't have to worry about anyone disturbing your hunt for experience points."
Zhang Yijie, the Miracle Docter, explained to Chang Long and Siegfried with a smile. After providing advice and sharing all the knowledge he had, Zhang Yijie and Tai Yang took their leave.
"Ready?"
Chang Long turned to Siegfried. The young man nodded with a smile. Together, they began descending the steep stone staircase, which took several minutes before they reached the gravel-covered ground below. As they wandered forward, the first beast appeared.
"Level 48 Stone-Scaled Tiger Cub Beast has appeared."
The Stone-Scaled Tiger Cub was about the size of Tai Yang. Its body was covered in scales matching the surrounding rocks, with sharp, spiky protrusions. Even its tail was scaled all the way to the tip. Its gleaming gray eyes flickered between Chang Long, Siegfried, and Kitsune as if weighing its options.
"A cub… Did the system really just say cub?"
Chang Long asked Siegfried, her eyes fixed on the tiger cub. Its size was comparable to a fully grown tiger, but if the system said it was only a cub, its parents had to be exponentially larger.
"Yes, that's what I heard too,"
Siegfried confird, gripping his sword tightly while keeping his eyes on the Stone-Scaled Tiger Cub. He knew that if he looked away for even a mont, it would attack.
Thud!
Before anyone could react, a heavy sound ca from behind them. Chang Long instinctively turned to look and saw another Stone-Scaled Tiger Cub had circled around to block their escape. It stared at her with gleaming eyes, licking its lips hungrily. Judging by its deanor, it had not eaten in quite so ti.
"What's behind us, Chang Long?"
Siegfried asked, not daring to take his eyes off the tiger cub in front of him.
"Probably that one's sibling,"
Chang Long replied. Although their levels were not an issue for either her or Siegfried, she knew that feline and canine creatures were incredibly fast. These monsters would be no exception. Moreover, the rocky terrain provided excellent camouflage for them.
"So…"
Siegfried asked uncertainly. Despite his confidence in Chang Long's ability to handle the Stone-Scaled Tiger Cubs, he could not help but worry.
"One each. Kitsune, stay close to ,"
Chang Long instructed. The two-tailed fox, Kitsune, who was beside her responded obediently and moved closer to her with cautious steps. Kitsune's movent seed to prompt the tiger cubs to act. Both creatures leapt into action simultaneously. Chang Long and Siegfried drew their swords just in ti to block their claws, creating a deafening clash as the blades t the monsters' talons.
"Looks like we've run into sothing tough again…"
Chang Long sighed in frustration. She and Kitsune split off in a different direction to give themselves and Siegfried more room to fight. Both shared the sa thought: they needed to take down the two Stone-Scaled Tiger Cubs as quickly as possible before the sounds of battle attracted other monsters.
.....
One day later, the auction for the Pirate King's Treasure Map seed to have reached a standstill. Players were hesitating, unsure whether to continue bidding. The current highest bid stood at 20 million, placed by Aswa, the leader of the Dark Horse Guild, the top guild on Aseana Island and the second-largest guild in the ga overall.
"Heh-heh-heh. No one dares to raise the bid anymore. This treasure map is as good as mine, heh-heh-heh," Aswa chuckled in satisfaction. This massive expenditure was funded half by his personal money and half by the guild's funds. While Aswa was not shaless enough to use only guild money. Though he appeared pleased at the thought of claiming the Pirate King's Treasure Map, deep down, he was quietly lanting the imnse amount of money he had just spent. That 10 million from his account represented the majority of his personal wealth. "If it stays like this until the auction ends, that would be perfect,"
Rose remarked with a smile, unaware of the inner turmoil Aswa was experiencing. But as the guild leader, Aswa kept his emotions in check, motivated by the belief that the treasure awaiting him in the Pirate King's Tomb would be worth ten tis what he had spent.
"Yeah, if it stays this way,"
Aswa agreed, silently praying that no one else would enter the bidding.
"The guild leader sure is going all in, huh? Twenty million isn't a small amount,"
the Lost Martial Artist comnted, looking at Aswa with admiration. Aswa was his ultimate idol.
"Heh-heh-heh. Of course. We're a big guild. If we bid like those small fry guilds, it'd be embarrassing,"
Aswa replied proudly, puffing out his chest.
"Brother Aswa must be swimming in money to be spending it so freely. I'd be heartbroken if I were you. Especially with the new patch coming, where in-ga money can be exchanged for real currency. I've been saving up to cash out early!"
rlin's Top Protege, one of the guild mbers, spoke with equal admiration. He felt joining Aswa's guild had been the right decision. Despite Aswa's occasional eccentricities, he had proven himself as an exceptional guild leader and led the guild to its current pinnacle. He was also good at making money that he could easily spend tens of millions without batting an eye.
"Hahaha. Of course. I'm the leader of the second-largest guild in the ga. Being wealthy cos with it,"
Aswa bood with laughter. Yet inwardly, he was wailing over the fortune he had spent in such a short ti on a map he was not even sure he could decipher. Still, he knew the risk was necessary for his own progress and the advancent of the Dark Horse Guild.
Aswa's overblown self-promotion continued unabated, drawing increasing interest from the guild's female mbers. Their attention seed to invigorate both Aswa and the male guildmates listening in. What began as casual bragging evolved into grand tales of heroic deeds by Aswa and his closest allies. The storytelling flowed smoothly until—Beep...
The sound from Aswa's wristwatch, which was still on to the auction window, drew his attention. The guild mbers who had gathered around to hear his thrilling exploits also noticed. Aswa paused his story, glancing at the watch with a faint hint of dread. The alert tone could only an one thing: soone had placed a higher bid. The guild mbers watched as their leader slowly raised his wristwatch to check the notification, his heart filled with apprehension.
"Son of a—!!"
Aswa's expletive burst forth, making the guild mbers around him jump. The young man stared at his watch in disbelief. The bid for the Pirate King's Treasure Map had jumped to 22 million coins.
"What's wrong, Brother Aswa?"
Rose asked, alard by his expression, which looked as though he had just seen a ghost.
"Who the... Who the hell dares to bid against ?!"
Aswa roared in fury. If he wanted to claim the Pirate King's Treasure Map, he would have to raise his bid yet again. Guild mbers with access to special banking communication channels quickly opened the auction interface to see what had happened.
"22 million? That's incredible. Who's this Kimhant guy? I've never heard of him!"
One of the male players exclaid. The guild mbers were shocked that an unknown, unaffiliated player had entered the auction—and had outbid their leader.
"Don't give up, Guild Leader. The man who conquered the White Tiger of Longshan Mountain cannot lose to soone in a simple auction. Bid higher. You're rich. Go big—how about 30 million? That'll scare everyone off!"
A beautiful female player encouraged him, and everyone cheered in agreent. Aswa stood frozen, staring at his cheering guild mbers. They were urging him to raise his bid to 30 million coins as the female player had said. He regretted letting his boasting spiral so far out of control that the entire guild had gathered to watch. If he did not bid now, would they boo him?
The guild's fund had been dwindling. Much of the money had already been spent on various ventures: searching for the treasure map, gathering information about ga news, especially the potential special territories for player acquisition, mines investnt, and weapons stockpiling for future territorial wars. Aswa knew that using more guild funds would undoubtedly strain the guild's liquidity. The leadership team understood this well, and they were now anxiously watching to see how their guild leader would handle the situation. Beep...
Finally, Aswa decided to raise the bid by another 5 million coins. This was the most he could afford, and he could only hope that no one else would outbid him. The highest bid for the Pirate King's Treasure Map now stood at 27 million coins.
Although it was not the 30 million coins his guildmates had cheered for, they still erupted in celebration. Little did they know that their guild leader was silently crying on the inside.
.....
Suvarn City
A young man with a boyish face smiled in satisfaction at his own handiwork. He had taken a big risk by placing a bid to compete against Aswa of the Dark Horse Guild, fully aware of the danger that no one else might outbid him. However, among the bidding guilds, Dark Horse was the most famous participant. He believed Aswa would feel compelled to make a statent as the leader of the second-largest guild in Adventure World Online by bidding far higher to assert dominance. His prediction proved correct. Shortly after the boy placed his bid, Aswa raised it significantly, a move that effectively drove out low-budget competitors.
The young man suspected that no one else would dare to bid beyond 27 million, a figure that set a new record for in-ga auctions. Still, with more than a day remaining, he acknowledged that the unexpected could happen. Regardless of the outco, he was already the biggest winner, having played his part perfectly.
.....
A secluded area on Longshan Mountain
In a sparsely wooded section of the mountain with few wandering beasts, a man cladded entirely in deep red moved through the area. A red headscarf partially obscured his face, leaving only his eyes visible. At a glance, one might mistake him for a ninja. However, upon closer inspection, his attire revealed that he was of warrior class—one that profession change NPC was hard to find, "Saracen Warrior."
He looked down at his half-armor, which protected only his shoulders and chest. The glossy black gleaming piece bore intricate silver patterns, forming a design resembling a moon being devoured by the mythical Rahu until it was completely shrouded in darkness.
This armor was a bonus reward from a chain quest he had completed in Kirisakura City. The quest, though seemingly ordinary at first, was long and complex, requiring him to perform multiple tasks before completion. Toward the end of the quest, the man had to venture deep into the Samurai Cetary of Kirisakura City. Within its depths, he hunted spectral monsters similar to those Chang Long had faced during Valentine's mission. While exploring, he accidentally fell into a crumbling coffin. His leg snagged a chanism hidden inside, causing the base of the coffin to vanish beneath him. He plunged into darkness, desperately clawing at the slick, moss-covered walls to slow his fall. The young man fell with a sense of despair, convinced there was no chance of surviving this ordeal. The quest he had painstakingly advanced to its final stages would likely fail as well. But then, he saw light. Below him, a glow—perhaps from torches or candles—illuminated what appeared to be a secret chamber, untouched for ages.
The passage he was falling through beca clearer: a circular shaft built from brick, resembling an old well. Desperate, he began stabbing his dagger into the gaps between the bricks, attempting to stop his descent. He tried repeatedly, and just as the shaft neared its end, he managed to lodge his dagger into the brickwork. His body hung precariously, suspended nearly three ters above the ground. The young man released his grip on the dagger, dropping down to the floor below. He landed in a small room built from the sa bricks as the shaft above. The walls were dimly lit by a single torch affixed to one side of the chamber. All the walls appeared to have hidden chanism-activated doors. Cautiously, he approached the torch. But as he stepped forward, his foot triggered a pressure plate. One of the hidden doors flung open, and a barrage of projectiles shot out toward him at high speed. The young man flipped backward, soaring higher than the height of the door. He drew twin daggers with 30-centiter blades and spun them skillfully. He deflected most of the incoming projectiles, although a few managed to graze him, leaving minor cuts. This ti, he moved toward the torch without further incident. Removing it from its holder, he used its light to inspect the room. One of the hidden doors had fully opened, but beyond it lay nothing but a solid brick wall. He carefully searched the area for additional chanisms but found nothing.
-----
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