Adventure World Online (AWO)

"That city of his is downright creepy."

Peach Blossom exclaimed, shivering.

"True, but if you look closely, it's actually quite majestic,"

Oliang remarked with a serious expression.

"What kind of dream city would a psychopath like Demos have?"

Siegfried muttered.

"This might be the hardest city to attack. Look at those thick city walls."

Aden commented. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Let's put aside thoughts about the Doom Star Guild's city for now. Look, enemies are approaching,"

Draco shouted. As everyone turned to look at the dense woodland that was the way that let to Agaz mountain, they spotted a host of demonic beasts waiting to greet them.

"Black Dwarf Beasts, Level 50, preparing to attack."

The creatures resembled small humanoid figures with jet-black skin. Their clothes, weapons were dark and sinister. Only their blood-red eyes and sharp white teeth stood out as they grinned menacingly, wielding massive axes larger than their own bodies as they approach their preys.

"We'll handle this!"

The twin brothers shouted in unison, excited that it was time to fight. Without waiting for approval, Killer and Murder leapt forward to face the Black Dwarves. Their movements were swift, resembling ninja-like agility, but it was their techniques that truly stunned everyone. The twins unsheathed their inscribed daggers. Killer sliced the tip of his finger before flicking his blood forward, activating his skills,

"Blood Shadows!"

The splattered droplets of blood transformed into three shadowy figures identical to Killer himself. Without further command, these shadows charged at the Black Dwarves.

Meanwhile, Murder activated a different skill, making his twin daggers hum and buzz like chainsaws. He launched himself at the nearest Black Dwarf. His daggers slashed through enemies with gruesome efficiency. With just a single slash of the blade against the enemy, blood sprayed from the wound in a terrifying gush. Compared to the twin blades Killer used without relying on any unusual skills like Murder, the blood pouring out of the enemies struck by Murder was visibly more profuse.

"Uh… I take back what I said."

Peach Blossom's sudden statement drew everyone's attention, pulling them away from the twins' awe-inspiring performance.

"Take back what, Peach Blossom?"

Destiny, the twins' guild leader, asked.

"What I said earlier—that their names don't match their personalities. Their fighting style is downright horrifying."

Peach Blossom admitted with a shudder, turning her face away from the twins' fight.

"It's true. Look at their expressions when they fight. That silly grin transforms into one of sheer delight. Especially him—he barely talks, but now, just look at him as he fight!"

Wet Trash Can gestured toward Murder's shift in expression.

"A Murderer… and probably a bloodthirsty one at that. The more blood he draw, the more exhilarated he seem,"

Draco observed, half-amused.

"What is their professions? Those skills aren't familiar at all. They're not ninjas, that's for sure,"

Valentine remarked, watching intently while pondering. "Have you ever heard of the Assassin Profession? Not the Assassin's Guild, but the actual Assassin profession? Not many players have unlocked it yet. It's as rare as Jane and Hero's Sniper class, or Spirit User like Chang Long's."

Oliang brought up the topic. Many in the group had been playing long enough to know the class was real and not just the name of a guild, as most players assumed.

"You're saying those two got the Assassin Profession?"

Everyone exclaimed simultaneously, turning to watch the twins fight. The pair were close to defeating the last three enemies.

"Seems likely."

Oliang nodded calmly.

"Or, we could just ask them directly."

"Ask us what?"

.....

Next morning, after breakfast—and endless and slurring complaints of Little Jade, whose mouth was still sore from her run-in with the general—Chang Long's group resumed their journey. Najeb, the freed prisoner, acted as their guide. He was visibly astonished to see Little Jade, the tiny emerald green-scaled Chinese dragon, grumbling to Chang Long incessantly. Dragons were sacred in Chinese mythology and incredibly rare creatures. It was hard for him to believe that the young woman before him had such a being as her close protector.

Najeb suppressed his curiosity and focused on leading the group. When the sun reached its peak, he called for a halt. He explained that traveling across the desert during the day was not ideal. The sweltering heat, lack of shade, and absence of landmarks made it easy for people who had never travelled the desert to get lost and die of dehydration. Traveling at night, he insisted, was the best due to the cooler air and the guiding stars.

"How could you all walk in that blazing heat? There are no oases around here. Traveling during the day is nothing but trouble,"

Najeb grumbled as he sipped the bitter-sweet tea conjured by Chang Long, using her Horn of Abundance. The group rested inside Chang Long's spacious magical tent, which was as large as a mansion. Upon entering for the first time, both Thankhun and Najeb were astonished by its vastness. It had a grand living room and multiple separate bedrooms.

"We should get some rest to save our strength. We'll travel again tonight. It won't be long before we reach the Steppe Plains."

Najeb suggested.

"The Steppe Plains,"

Chang Long repeated.

"Yes. It's an open, barren land where crops don't grow well. Several tribes live there."

Najeb explained.

"So, it's the homeland of Genghis Khan, right?"

Thankhun asked, his excitement showing.

"Genghis Khan? Never heard of him. Like I said, many tribes live there. Each tribe has a leader who must be strong and decisive. Otherwise, they'll be invaded or bullied by other tribes. Forming alliances with strong tribes helps to some extent, but weaker tribes are often swallowed up entirely, sometimes even losing their names."

Najeb explained seriously. Chang Long and Thankhun listened as Najeb spoke at length about the tribes before he excused himself to sleep, having spent the previous night too exhilarated by his newfound freedom to rest.

"Chang Long, my mouth, my poor mouth. It's still sore. That general stabbed me in the mouth with his sword so relentlessly. I didn't even hurt him!"

Little Jade screamed at the top of her lungs, finally letting out the frustration she had bottled up for so long. Her swollen mouth looked almost comical, drawing a chuckle from Chang Long. Little Jade glared at her, tempted to bite her head out of spite. Unfortunately, her own mouth was not in any condition for such vengeance.

"Alright, alright. I'll put some medicine on it. Thankhun, could you grab the ointment from my backpack?"

Chang Long said, her voice tinged with laughter. Thankhun handed her the jar without protest, holding it steady as she carefully opened the lid. Little Jade glanced at Chang Long, who was being unusually kind to her, and felt a pang of guilt. It was, after all, her mistake to kill Chang Long without even asking. Moved by her emotions, Little Jade began to open her mouth to apologize, but the moment Chang Long dabbed the ointment onto her wound, all thoughts of apology vanished. Instead, she screamed.

"Ahhh. Are you trying to kill me? It hurts. Stop it, you lunatic."

Ignoring the protests, Chang Long continued applying the ointment until the job was done. Little Jade, now thoroughly disgruntled, slithered away, still muttering complaints about Wu Ming, even though her mouth hurt. Chang Long chuckled in satisfaction, while Thankhun shook his head in exasperation.

As evening fell and the sun dipped lower in the sky, Najeb resumed leading the group. The journey was quiet, with little conversation—especially from Little Jade, who was still too hurt by her swollen mouth to complain. Occasionally, though, low growls of resentment aimed at General Qiao could still be heard. Nighttime travel proved more challenging than daytime due to constant attacks from high-level beasts. Despite his gaunt appearance, Najeb showed impressive skill and agility in combat once he was handed a spare weapon. His attacks were fierce and unrelenting.

"And to think, this isn't even my full strength,"

Najeb boasted. The fighting mainly involved Chang Long, Thankhun, and Najeb. Little Jade, still angry with Chang Long, refused to lift even her tail to help.

"Player Chang Long has defeated a Level 53 Wolf Spider Beast, receiving 12,250 XP, 4,550 coins and 1 roll of spider silk. Player Chang Long has fulfilled the basic requirements for a leveling up. Player Chang Long is now Level 9."

Chang Long's level skyrocketed from three to nine, leaving her amazed at her own abilities. Despite most of her skills being reduced to level 1, she could still perform remarkably well. She began to suspect that her listed skill levels might not accurately reflect their true capabilities. Compared to Thankhun, she found herself able to hold her own more easily.

Killing beasts dozens of levels higher than oneself was probably an accomplishment no players could manage, even among top-tier experts. However, the effort came at a cost—Chang Long lost a significant amount of health and narrowly avoided a premature end.

It was then that she noticed something unusual. During moments of extreme danger, the pet-sealing accessory she wore began to glow faintly. Chang Long attempted to unseal Kitsune from her ring, and to her surprise, Kitsune emerged gracefully from the ring.

"This is what Ling Lan mentioned. Almost died before figuring it out,"

Chang Long muttered, while Kitsune leapt around excitedly, overjoyed to finally be released from the ring. Knowing why his master had unsealed him, the three-tailed fox eagerly ran off to lure more beasts toward their group, leaving both Thankhun and Najeb wide-eyed in alarm.

"What are you doing? Why did you let that three-tailed freak lure more beasts!" Najeb shouted.

Meanwhile, Little Jade chuckled uncontrollably, only to wince and use her tail to soothe the pain.

"How did you unseal your pet, Chang Long?"

Thankhun asked, clearly puzzled.

"You can do it too. Give it a try. I think it activates when we're under attack, and we can summon them to fight,"

Chang Long explained while casually tucking a blood crystal jar back into her backpack and readying herself for the approaching beasts Kitsune had lured in.

"Unseal Big,"

Thankhun said, following Chang Long's advice. To his surprise, his pet materialized before him, looking slightly dazed in the cool night air.

Big glanced around, sniffing the air briefly before letting out a loud roar upon sensing the massive group of beasts closing in on them.

Kitsune bounded back joyfully, having done his job. Najeb looked ready to bolt in the opposite direction, but the three-tailed fox stopped at a strategic spot, turning to face the enemies with glee. He opened his mouth, releasing a stream of golden flames that roared forward, causing the charging beasts to halt. Some screamed in pain as the fire scorched their skin. Chang Long chuckled and stepped forward to stand beside Kitsune, thinking how long it had been since she had fought like this. It reminded her of the old days when she roamed with Kitsune alone.

Seeing Chang Long so fired up, Thankhun sighed and joined her, unwilling to be outdone by a woman. Big, inspired by his master, lumbered forward to assist. Najeb, meanwhile, stood frozen in shock, watching as the previously calm man and slender woman turned into deadly predators. He decided it was safer to join them in the battle zone, where golden flames lit up the area, than risk being ambushed by beasts lurking in the dark. At least in the area, there were fire. The hot and beautiful fire from the three-tailed fox.

The journey became smoother and even enjoyable thanks to the pets. All of Chang Long's summoned beasts worked together in the fight. Brownie stood on the sidelines, cheering loudly and occasionally jumping in to help. However, being a tiny mouse with a sword smaller than a toothpick, his contributions left nothing but a small scratch. The scene, which was almost like playful sparring for the pets, left Najeb thoroughly astonished, particularly when the kirin, Hulu, joined the fray.

He knew well that the kirin was a sacred creature, and upon reaching its highest evolutionary stage, it would become a beast god. More importantly, Brownie was no ordinary mouse—he could talk, and he was quite the chatterbox at that. Brownie had unexpectedly caught the attention of Little Jade. At first, Brownie was so terrified he trembled uncontrollably when Little Jade, in her expanded dragon form, stared at him with glinting eyes as if he were a snack. But instead of devouring him, Little Jade let out a delighted cry and began playfully cuddling Brownie with overwhelming enthusiasm, to the point where the poor creature nearly begged his master to seal him back into the ring just to escape the ordeal.

Just before dawn, the group finally arrived at Steppe Plains. Though barren, it was not devoid of life. Grazing livestock wandered leisurely across the grasslands under the watchful eyes of mounted herders. One of the horsemen noticed Chang Long's group and quickly rode toward them. Fortunately, the horseman turned out to be from Najeb's tribe. Seeing a long-lost tribesman return after many years, the horseman dismounted and embraced Najeb tightly. As they traveled back to the village together, the horseman shared updates about the tribe's affairs during Najeb's absence.

At the chieftain's tent, a tense meeting ensued regarding the strangers Najeb had brought with him. Many distrusted them, with some even suggesting they be executed, fearing they were spies from rival tribes. Najeb tried to mediate, but his efforts proved futile as the tribal council split into two opposing factions, unable to reach an agreement. Najeb left the meeting and tried to gather as much information about Zhi Yuan from the tribe's warriors as he could, knowing that Chang Long and Thankhun were being detained.

"I'd like to visit them,"

Najeb said to the guards stationed outside Chang Long and Thankhun's tent. Upon entering, he was met with their disgruntled expressions. Najeb sighed and walked closer to the pair.

"I apologize for the behavior of my tribesmen. They are always overly suspicious,"

Najeb began.

"I've been investigating the man named Zhi Yuan for you. Many confirmed that he fell into the lands below and has not returned since."

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