Aswa was utterly confident he would reach the treasure chamber and et whichever Pirate King awaited him. The thought of the kind of weapon or armor set he would gain and the title he would receive brought Aswa imnse joy. After all, money could always be earned later, and a mountain of treasure was practically waiting for him. Aswa, brimming with self-assurance, felt a spark of renewed confidence, especially after his encounter with Chang Long had slightly shaken him. This was his chance to restore the guild's status—and strike fear into Demos.
.....
The journey of Thankhun and his newfound friends was a thrilling yet terrifying experience. As they descended into the dense jungle ahead, they quickly realized that it was a veritable hell on earth. Every tree they passed seed eager to devour them as a re snack. Vibrantly colored umbrella-sized flowers, so solitary and so in clusters of deadly blooms, lay in wait. The giant, sinister pitcher plants were no less dangerous, and the bizarre vines delighted in stringing up living beings upside down. Thankhun's group found themselves dangled upside-down repeatedly and narrowly escaped being devoured more tis than they could count. As they navigated the narrow path through the jungle, it beca nearly impossible to discern which trees were harmless and which were gluttonous predators.
"Can we take a break? This is brutal. We should really co up with a plan—if this keeps up, we'll never make it to that cave. Thankhun, maybe you should form a proper party so we can..."
Thwip!
Before Crown could finish his sentence, a moving vine coiled around his ankle and yanked him away from the group with alarming speed. Everyone panicked and dashed after him, abandoning the path and plunging into a dense thicket of tiny saplings and colossal trees.
The living vine dragged Crown and the pursuing group toward a massive tree. It resembled a banyan tree but was a hundred tis larger. Crown dangled upside-down, suspended about five or six ters above the ground. The strange vine swayed him back and forth as if overjoyed at having captured such an unusual prize. The group burst out laughing at Crown's predicant—except for Thankhun, who felt sothing was not right. For one, the vine that had caught Crown was not green or bark-like. Instead, it was a peculiar yellowish-brown and had a strangely squishy appearance. Moreover, rather than hanging down from the tree as typical vines did, it erged from a large, dark cavity near the giant tree's base.
"Stop laughing and get down, please. I'm starting to feel faint here!"
Crown called out to his friends, exasperated by their amusent. Hero kept laughing even as he aid his gun at the peculiar vine holding Crown aloft.
Bang!
Hero's bullet hit its mark, severing the strange vine. Crimson liquid spurted from the severed vine as an ear-splitting screech reverberated through the forest. Crown plumted toward the ground, poised to land headfirst, but managed to twist midair and land gracefully on his feet. All eyes turned to the source of the wailing noise with alarm. Sothing was erging from the gaping, dark cavity—a creature consud by rage. This was no ordinary blood-spewing vine.
"Burrowing Armored Worm Beast, Level 80, Appears!"
The system announcent ca almost simultaneously as the massive creature appeared, revealing only its head to Thankhun and his companions. What they initially mistook for a peculiar vine was, in fact, one of five tendrils extending from beneath the creature's chin. Its appearance resembled an eel more than a worm. Its enormous, tray-sized eyes were jet black, and its wide mouth was filled with rows of sharp, needle-like teeth. It first glanced at its severed tendril, then turned its focus to the stunned group. Even just its head was as large as an eighteen-wheeler truck—how massive would its entire body be?
"Fight... or flee?"
Jane asked hesitantly.
"Anyone who stays to fight is insane. RUN. Get back the way we ca, as fast as you can!"
Crown shouted. Everyone agreed and dashed back the way they had co. However, not everyone was quick enough in this deadly ga of tag. The Burrowing Armored Worm Beast did not bother fully erging; its long tendrils were already sufficient. With a swift motion, it snared four unlucky, slower players: Thankhun, TaoHuYee (Priest), TaoKaowNian (Knight), and NamTaoThongkam (Fighter).
"Ahhh. Jane. Hero. We've been caught!"
TaoHuYee scread in panic. Among their group, excluding Thankhun whose level was unknown because they had not officially partied or exchanged na in friend lists, TaoHuYee was the weakest and most fragile. His damage output was negligible, and most of his skills were supportive in nature. anwhile, TaoKaowNian and NamTaoThongkam, who always carried daggers hidden in their shirts, were already trying to hack at the tendrils constricting their ankles. Thankhun, unwilling to lag behind, pulled out a long curved sword, which he usually kept sheathed in favor of his preferred twin daggers.
"Hey, Thankhun. Are you trying to cut your own leg off?" TaoHuYee yelled in alarm as he watched Thankhun swing the blade toward his ensnared leg without hesitation. Thankhun, however, wielded his blade with precision. Not only did he sever the worm's tendril cleanly, but he also avoided injuring his leg entirely.
He tumbled to the ground, rolling several tis before coming to a stop. His health bar dropped by nearly half, but he ignored it and imdiately summoning the White Cloud Lion once again. Big, as Thankhun called it, froze montarily upon seeing the enormous beast before them. While it was smaller in size, Big held a far higher level. Jane and Hero returned to provide backup, aiming their guns to assist their trapped comrades. One by one, the others fell to the ground with little control over their descent, much like Thankhun had earlier. Everyone scrambled to regroup with him behind Big. Clutching their ears, they tried to muffle the deafening roar of the Burrowing Armored Worm Beast. It bellowed furiously, enraged by the loss of four of its hunting tendrils in quick succession.
"Send all your friend requests. I'll form a party, yhen we can gang up on this thing together,"
Thankhun instructed without looking back. Everyone complied quickly. Thankhun ford the party in a flash, focusing on the colossal enemy ahead. The Burrowing Armored Worm Beast seed eager to fully erge from its vast burrow. Though its level was lower than Big's, and it faced a group including two elite players (Crown and Duncan), its imnse size turned the odds into a tight match. Even if they won, Thankhun knew their party would likely suffer severe losses.
.....
Chang Long stirred awake late in the morning, feeling the softness of the surface beneath her. She did not bother to look down, instead gazing out of the pavilion. The sky was clear, dotted with small clouds. Kitsune and Lycanth were still fast asleep in one corner, while Devi-chan, Hisa-chan, and Alice-chan were chatting quietly among themselves as spirits. Heaven hovered near the steps leading to the pavilion, looking irritated. Chang Long searched for Siegfried but found no sign of him. She assud he had to have left early to hunt, though it was unusual for him to leave both Lycanth and Heaven behind.
"Hmmm..."
She froze. The sound was faint, but it felt unusually close. More importantly, she realized for the first ti that soone was loosely holding her. Her body stiffened as she connected the dots, glancing toward the source of the sound—and the soft ground.
It was none other than the pale-skinned elf with soft, short brown hair falling over his eyes. He was peacefully asleep, a faint, contented smile on his lips, showing no sign of waking anyti soon. His arm rested loosely around her waist. Chang Long's face turned bright red as she froze, her body radiating heat. Carefully, she pried Siegfried's hand away, stood up abruptly, and strode out of the pavilion as quickly as she could.
She stopped to sit on a large rock not far from the pavilion. Her heart pounded with every step. It was not the first ti she had felt this way, but it had never been as overwhelming as it was now. Chang Long shook her head, trying to erase Siegfried's face from her head. Though she knew sothing inside her was different, but she could not quite pinpoint what it was. She was probably embarrassed at being hugged by soone who was not her father. Heck, she often declined when her father asked for a hug. Maybe, it was because the person who hugged her was Siegfried. Regardless of the reason, Chang Long determined to suppress it.
"Chang Long!"
She jumped at the sound of Siegfried's voice. Just as her heart had begun to settle, it started racing uncontrollably again.
"Wh... what is it?"
Her voice cracked slightly as she responded, without turning to him. Siegfried found it odd—Chang Long always t his gaze directly during their conversations.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Siegfried began to feel a growing sense of dread, worried that Chang Long might be angry with him. The last thing he rembered was falling asleep while holding her. If she had woken up to find herself in his arms, she would have every reason to be upset with him.
"No, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"
Chang Long quickly replied, finding it incredibly difficult to turn and face Siegfried. Her hesitation only made the young elf more anxious.
"Well, I... uh..."
Siegfried stamred, at a loss for words. Just the thought that Chang Long might be mad at him left him utterly helpless.
"You're hungry, right? I'll go make us sothing to eat."
Chang Long spoke, hurriedly standing up and walking briskly back toward the pavilion. She kept her head down, not wanting Siegfried to notice how red her cheeks had beco. Unfortunately, this led her to trip and stumble forward.
"Ha ha ha. Still half-asleep, are you, heiress of Devi Jones!"
Heaven, who happened to be floating nearby, burst into loud laughter. Chang Long scrambled to her feet, her head lowered, fists clenched, and visibly trembling. Before anyone could react, the elf pirate king narrowly avoided becoming a permanently deaf ghost.
"Shut it, you pointy-eared ghost. If you'd just stay quiet, no one would call you mute!
Her sharp outburst seed to release all the tension she had been holding in. With a heavy sigh, Chang Long stord back to the pavilion to prepare breakfast. Heaven was in paralysis, floating in a gust of wind looking stunned. Siegfried, equally shocked, stood frozen where he was. Hisa-chan shook his head with a knowing smile, while Alice-chan's expression seed to say it was well deserved for Heaven to be scolded by Chang Long. After all, who in their right mind would greet a lady like that? Even if Chang Long did not always behave like a proper lady. Devi-chan chuckled quietly, clearly enjoying the scene. Kitsune and Lycanth, startled awake by Chang Long's outburst, sat still like statues, unsure what to do. If they moved, they might provoke her wrath.
Chang Long simply took out the eating utensils and used the Horn of Abundance to fill the empty bowls and plates with food. The aroma was so enticing that Siegfried's stomach growled, snapping him out of his daze. He hesitated, unsure of what to do. When he glanced toward Chang Long, he saw her nodding for him to co over. It seed her earlier outburst at Heaven had completely dispelled any lingering embarrassnt. Nervously, Siegfried walked toward her.
Hisa-chan and Devi-chan received their offerings in abundance, indulging in their favorite treats as usual, thanks to the endless bounty of the Horn of Abundance. Alice-chan sipped her blood gracefully. Heaven, however, floated toward Siegfried, carefully keeping as much distance from Chang Long as possible. He wished for a luxurious spread like Devi-chan and Hisa-chan. But he was determined never to ask Chang Long.
"Don't you dare give that ghost my food, Siegfried!"
Chang Long gave a sharp order the mont she saw Siegfried reaching for Heaven's spirit tablet. Siegfried nodded slightly, while Heaven looked utterly stunned once more. The young man then took out a can of food, poured it onto a plate, and offered it to Heaven, casting an apologetic glance toward his pirate king. Siegfried could not understand why Heaven, who usually carried himself with the dignified and solemn deanor befitting an elf, beca so completely unrestrained in Chang Long's presence.
Heaven stared wistfully at the food Siegfried had offered. He realized he had made a grave mistake by provoking Chang Long. He knew perfectly well that his heir would not dare oppose Chang Long, not even in the slightest, so what chance did he, a re ghost, have? Devi-chan tried valiantly to suppress his laughter. This was what a ghost would get for challenging Chang Long.
.....
Aswa traveled swiftly and reached the outskirts of Suvarn City by midday. He found a suitable resting spot to escape the midday sun and decided to take a short break before heading into the city. He observed the players passing by and those hunting monsters nearby. Most of the players hunting in the area were in their late twenties to early forties in level. As for those walking to and from the city, Aswa noticed that many were either heading into the city or coming out of the vast forest located to the east of Suvarn.
He recalled that this forest, once a dark and foreboding place, had been infamous for trapping anyone—whether players or AI—who ventured inside. The only way to escape back then had been through death. However, the forest had since changed. Now called the Erald Forest, it appeared beautiful and tranquil. The monsters within the forest had also beco a valuable source of rare drops, although the odds of obtaining them remained low.
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