Adventure World Online (AWO) Chapter 307 307: The Troublemaker

"How so?"

"You let that girl kiss you on the cheek but won't let your own father do it. Co here and let kiss you properly,"

Pichaya said with mock indignation as he reached out to grab his daughter, intending to give her a big kiss on the cheek. But Chang, anticipating his move, darted away.

"Chaaang. Co back here and let your dad kiss you. You let that girl kiss you—why are you being so cruel to ?!

Pichaya shouted after her. There was no response except for the bright, carefree laughter of his daughter—a sound he had not heard in years. Pichaya froze in place, smiling to himself. It had been so long since he felt this kind of joy, the kind that made his heart swell as if it might burst from his chest.

"Listen, Phetch. Chang is laughing. That laugh, I haven't heard it since you left, hehe. It feels almost unreal,"

Pichaya murmured softly to himself.

"If it feels unreal, why not go and hear it again, loud and clear master?"

Aunt Im and Moddang teased as they approached him. Pichaya turned to them with a smile. They were right—he needed to hear it again to make sure it was real. His daughter's bright laughter had returned, and he wanted to hear it again, right now.

"Chaaaang. Where did you go? I'm not going to work today unless I get that kiss."

Pichaya called as he cheerfully ran into the house. Aunt Im and Moddang exchanged amused smiles. When it ca to his daughter, their stern and serious employer transford into a playful, childlike man.

They often said love had the power to change people, no matter its form. And love had certainly changed Pichaya, a decisive businessman, into a doting, humorous father when he was with his daughter. He was just a man who wanted nothing more than to see his little girl happy, always. As long as she was happy, so was he.

.....

anwhile, the wide grassy field had turned into a shallow water basin after Aswa's Cloudstep skill. Players in the area searched for the two figures who had fallen from the sky. They had been flung in opposite directions, and Aswa was the first to rise, disoriented and swaying slightly as he tried to regain his balance. He looked around, noting that more players had arrived, drawn by the beasts coming to drink from the newly ford water basin. He figured it was ti to leave. Although he was curious whether the so-called number-one beauty had survived, he guessed she was fine since no white light—signaling a player's death—had risen from where they landed.

"Whatever. She'll manage. With that crazy skill of hers, so chivalrous player will probably swoop in to play the hero. I'd better head to Tartarus City to wait for Chang Long,"

Aswa muttered, quickly making up his mind. He had no interest in a woman as spoiled and self-centered as her, especially one who had used a Grand Enchantnt spell on him. To him, it showed she valued superficial infatuation over genuine connections. How would she ever find a man who truly loved her.

Using his Qinggong skill, Aswa vanished from sight, avoiding the attention of the gathering players. Let her enjoy the spotlight she had wanted, he thought. Not long after Aswa left, Narada staggered to her feet, clutching her head in pain. Her face twisted in discomfort as she glanced around, realizing she was surrounded by curious players. Worse, many of them recognized her as the number one beauty. Narada's eyes widened in alarm as male players began swarming toward her. Without hesitation, she unsealed her pet unicorn, mounted it, and galloped away in a flash.

"What a waste of ti. I still haven't found Siegfried. Did those people trick into coming here!"

Narada grumbled, her tone dripping with frustration. Her body was bruised from the fall, but luckily her high level had saved her from death. Otherwise, she would not have survived.

"Who is that guy, anyway? Mark my words—I'll rember your face, and next ti we et, you're not getting away!"

Narada resud her journey, wandering around the Ark City jurisdiction, hoping to find Siegfried sooner or later.

.....

After receiving several big kisses on the cheek, Chang was finally granted so personal ti. She rolled her eyes at her father, who was beaming with satisfaction, his lungs full of the sweet scent of her perfud powder. Though he had to return to work due to the nurous projects awaiting his decisions, Pichaya's mood was so buoyant that he felt ready to tackle three or four long etings without a hint of boredom. Hugging his daughter goodbye, he left for work, and Chang stood by the front door to see him off, letting out a long sigh. Aunt Im and Moddang stood nearby, smiling knowingly.

"Honestly, Dad. What ti is it already?"

Chang muttered under her breath as she walked back inside.

"It's 7:50, miss," Moddang replied as she followed her into the house.

"Really? I promised to et Id at 8:00. Okay, Moddang, if anyone needs , just have them leave a ssage. I'm logging into the ga now,"

Chang said, turning to give instructions. Moddang raised an eyebrow in surprise and asked,

"You and Mr. Id have plans in the ga? I thought you were going to go out together sowhere."

"For now, it'll have to be in the ga. The news about Id and being kidnapped has drawn a whole swarm of reporters. They're camped out everywhere. Just look, Dad's car hasn't even made it past the front gate yet,"

Chang replied, gesturing toward the gate. Moddang glanced out and saw the throng of reporters crowding around Pichaya's car, bombarding him with questions. The car was stuck just outside the house, unable to move forward. If Pichaya did not address them, it seed unlikely he would make it out of the driveway today.

"That's true. Poor Mr. Pichaya."

"Poor, please. Dad has plenty of reporters as his side chicks. Just wait; he'll be out of there in no ti. Anyway, I'm heading upstairs to play now,"

Chang replied, walking away. As predicted, Moddang soon saw Pichaya's car begin to move through the gate. Moddang heaved a sigh of relief and returned to help Aunt Im with household chores.

"Now that I think about it, I haven't seen the two bodyguards around. Where could they be?"

Moddang wondered aloud, suddenly realizing their absence. Just then, the head of the mansion's security team happened to walk by. Turning to her, he provided an explanation.

"Oh, those two were summoned for questioning. They should be back by this evening—unless they end up facing heavy disciplinary action from their headquarters."

"Punishnt? Really? They were so dedicated to protecting the young lady, even though she ended up out of their sight and was kidnapped,"

Moddang exclaid, startled by the news. She tried to defend 16 and 17.

"The Special Protection Unit is known for being strict and demanding perfection. They don't tolerate even the smallest mistakes because even minor errors can lead to major consequences, like what happened this ti. But those two are so of the best in the unit. I doubt they'll face severe punishnt."

Moddang sighed in relief, hoping the two would not be too harshly penalized. After all, they had worked tirelessly to search for the young lady and never gave up despite nurous obstacles. Although there were lapses, that was because the criminals had planned ticulously, and in the end, they managed to bring both the young lady and Mr. Pichaya back safely.

In Chang's room, the young woman was inspecting her gaming equipnt before logging in to ensure nothing went wrong. The plugs and peripheral connections were secure, and the system displayed all readiness indicators. Chang lay down on the gaming pod, closed her eyes, and let the equipnt do its job. Before long, she was standing in the ga world once again.

It was late morning in the ga. A cool breeze stirred her hair, and she found herself standing knee-deep in a crystal-clear stream. Looking around, Chang felt an inexplicable sense of nostalgia. She missed this atmosphere—a world unlike reality, where one could travel to the ends of the earth without anyone interfering. It was a world of freedom with every step and filled with trusted companions walking by her side.

While soaking in the peaceful surroundings, Chang Long felt warmth in her hand. Siegfried had logged in and was now standing beside her, holding her hand. She smiled at him, and he returned the smile, looking slightly bashful. The two stood hand-in-hand, savoring the mont of being back in the ga together before summoning their spirits and pets.

Devi-chan, Hisa-chan, and Alice-chan yawned like they had just woken up, while Fluffy Head-chan paced around her. Kitsune hopped around excitedly, wagging his tail, and Brownie clung tightly to Chang Long's leg. Flatear nudged her arm softly in greeting, while Little Jade uncoiled from her bracelet form and let out a wide yawn.

"Anya." Chang Long called for the fairy residing within her.

Anya appeared, greeting Chang Long. However, she looked slightly different from what Chang Long rembered, causing her to feel a bit puzzled. She had not summoned Anya very often because fairies were still rare in the ga.

"Are you alright? You look like you might be unwell,"

Chang Long asked with concern. Brownie, ever attentive, perked up his ears and climbed onto her shoulder to observe the fairy's condition.

"Back where I'm from, we'd call this blossoming into womanhood,"

Little Jade chid in.

"Blossoming into womanhood!"

Chang Long and Brownie exclaid in unison, staring at Little Jade in confusion. Siegfried, having sent Lycanth to hunt, approached to join the conversation.

"Could you explain that more clearly, Little Jade?"

Siegfried asked the little dragon politely. Little Jade appeared slightly flustered before responding.

"Well, it's the stage where soone grows to the next level—becos more mature, stronger, and more capable. Sothing like that."

"Wait, does this an Anya is about to evolve?"

Chang Long and Siegfried exclaid in unison.

"Close, but not yet. It'll probably take so ti before she evolves,"

Little Jade replied.

"When exactly? Anya doesn't look well at all. It's like she's on the verge of dying,"

Chang Long asked, her voice tinged with worry. She hoped Little Jade would have an answer for her.

"I'm not sure. Each species matures differently. Take dragons, for example. To evolve into a complete form, we must undergo a ritual called the "Dragon's Aura". It's a process of gaining recognition from the dragon deities, who share a part of their cultivation with the evolving dragon,"

Little Jade explained.

"It's best to let her rest for now, until we figure out how fairies undergo their evolution,"

Devi-chan suggested. Chang Long nodded and allowed Anya to return to rest within her body as usual.

"Alright, everyone ready to travel? We're heading out for the Heavenly Avian Temple quest. From what I've heard, it's a tough Rank A quest. And the only person joining us for support is Siegfried,"

Chang Long said, turning to her loyal spirits and pets who nodded eagerly in unison. Pleased, Chang Long treated them all to a grand feast before setting off. Once everyone was prepared, the group embarked on their journey. Their first stop was the Player Service Building in Tartarus City, as Siegfried had suggested gathering information there first.

At the Player Service Building in Tartarus City, Chang Long approached the quest advisory desk to request a map. As she exited the building with the map in hand, she finally ca face-to-face with soone who had been relentlessly searching for her. He stood outside the building, striking a pose he thought was the pinnacle of coolness. His silver sword rested on the ground at a precise 45-degree angle, and he angled his face to show what he believed was his most attractive side. He was clearly hoping to dazzle her with his aura of heroism. He stood outside the building, striking a pose he thought was the pinnacle of coolness. His silver sword rested on the ground at a precise 45-degree angle, and he angled his face to show what he believed was his most attractive side. He was clearly hoping to dazzle her with his aura of heroism. However...

"What are you doing? Why are you standing here blocking the entrance?"

The sword he was using for his dramatic pose nearly slipped from his grip at her question. Instead of being impressed by his cool deanor, she outright called him out for being in the way.

"Uh... sorry. I was waiting for you, Chang Long,"

Aswa stamred awkwardly, clearly embarrassed as nearby players snickered at him.

"I know. The staff inside told . You're joining the quest, right?"

Chang Long replied as she descended the steps to et Siegfried and her pets, who were waiting not far away.

"That's right. It's better for the two of us to work together than to do it solo,"

Aswa replied cheerfully, quickly matching her pace as she walked away from the player service building.

"Two of us? You're not bringing your subordinates along?"

Chang Long asked, puzzled.

"Nah, they're a pain to deal with. Or do you want to bring them? If you do, I can call them right now,"

Aswa said, already lifting his watch to scroll through his friend list.

"Stop right there. Let make it clear—if you bring them along, I'm not doing the quest with you."

Aswa froze, looking at her with a strange expression. In his mind, her refusal to have his subordinates tag along ant she wanted to be alone with him. Clearly, his dramatic pose earlier was not in vain. Chang Long had to have softened to his charm. It would not be long before she agreed to be his girlfriend, especially since they were going to do a quest together, with just the two of them. He needed to up his ga. Aswa hurried down the stone steps after her happily. But at the bottom of the stairs, his fantasy was shattered—he was not the only one waiting for her.

"How did it go? Did you get any useful information?" Siegfried asked as Chang Long approached.

"Yeah, I got a map and so details. They said the safest route up is on a newly opened island called Aris. Let's head there,"

Chang Long replied. As she spoke, Aswa sauntered over, attempting to exude confidence and impress the unfamiliar man talking to Chang Long.

"Good plan. I was thinking we should look for the entrance on that island too,"

Aswa agreed, catching Seigfried's attention. He turned to examine the newcor, his eyes montarily widening in surprise upon seeing who it was—a reaction that gave Aswa imnse satisfaction.

"Aswa of the Dark Horse Guild. I didn't expect to run into you here. Is he joining us for this quest too, Chang Long?"

Siegfried asked, his composure quickly returning as he addressed Chang Long with curiosity, the initial shock already gone from his gaze.

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