Adventure World Online (AWO)

Everyone was stunned, mouths agape. It was not because of the system's notification, but because of Anya's appearance, which had changed so drastically that they almost could not recognize her. If it were not for her still wearing the shimmering black long dress and her long black hair, the sexy woman in front of them, with fierce eyes, holding two daggers, would have been unrecognizable. Her height was similar to an ordinary AI, and her beautiful butterfly wings were nowhere to be seen.

"A... Anya?"

Chang Long asked in disbelief.

"Master."

Anya shifted her stance from an attack position and gave her master a smile of joy.

"Why are you so big? Where are your wings? Will you return to your smaller form? And with those daggers in your hands!"

Chang Long asked in a confused manner. Brownie, perched on her shoulder, looked at Anya with a sad expression, not blinking.

"Do you remember when we made our contract? I merged my life with yours. When you feel pain, I feel it too. When you die, I die. My life force helps to strengthen yours. But after my evolution, I can do much more. I can fight, become a powerful force for you. Although my life force is still linked to yours, you could say I am your twin. And as for the fairy form, it hasn't disappeared. I can return to that form whenever I want."

Anya explained.

While everyone was focused on Anya's evolved form, Chang Long did not realize that the wound from the ceremony had completely healed, leaving no trace of pain or injury. Everyone rejoiced, and they threw a welcome feast for Anya, celebrating with nectar from flower pollen, which had been magically created from the Horn of Abundance.

.....

"Hahaha. Even though some unknown person snatched it away from me, in the end, the position of the heir to the Pirate King has returned to me as it should."

A young man in ninja camouflaging outfit laughed with satisfaction, holding the Rahu Shadow Armor in his hand.

"Guild leader, there's still something we need to worry about regarding this."

One of the man's subordinates spoke up, looking somewhat uneasy.

"What is it?"

The young man turned to ask.

"The search for the map to enter the tomb. When the position of the Pirate King's heir became vacant, it seemed like everything returned to its original place. Now, we'll have to go look for the map again."

The same subordinate replied.

"What's so hard about it? Didn't we find it once already? This time, we will definitely find it again. It's annoying that last time we solved the riddle on the map, but some unknown idiot snatched it from us before I could possess the Rahu Shadow Armor."

The young man said in frustration. If it were not for that interference, he would have probably already taken the position of Pirate King heir by now.

"By the way, I wonder why did that guy who got the position of Pirate King heir give it up?"

The same subordinate asked in confusion.

"Forget about that guy. No matter what reasons he had, luck is on the side of those of us who are persistent, not on those who take advantage like him. Let's leave this place. It seems like it's going to collapse soon."

The young man answered coldly, then led his guild members to leave the hidden place where the Rahu Shadow Armor was kept, which was the key to entering the tomb of the Pirate King Kamaku Hayasa.

They all walked out from the secret passage into the open area, not far from the city of Kirisakura. The players hunting beasts in the area looked at them as one. Everyone wore the same outfit, and on their chests was the emblem of the major guild of Kirisakura City—the Bat Guild.

"That's the Guild Leader of the Bat Guild."

One player whispered to their friend, pointing at the young man at the front of the group.

"No way! Why are you pointing him out like that? You're going to get us into trouble."

The friends of that player responded with surprise, but then both of them froze in fear when the Guild Leader of the Bat Guild cast a sharp, intimidating glance at them.

"Uaahh. We're done for!"

Both players exclaimed in unison. However, they were startled for nothing because the Guild Leader merely turned his face away and seemed to no longer care about them.

The Guild Leader was an incredibly wealthy young man. Even though he had been disappointed in losing the treasure from the secret tomb of the Pirate King to an unknown player in the game, he had furiously ordered his subordinates to hunt down that person, hoping to destroy him so he could never play the game again. But it seemed that luck was more on his side than he thought. Soon after, the system announced the relinquishment of the Pirate King heir position by one of the players, without providing a reason.

The young man had not considered that the person who gave up the position was the same person he had targeted, but he never overlooked the details. He had his subordinates check the secret location where the Rahu Shadow Armor was hidden. It had collapsed when the unknown person took the armor, and if it was restored to its original state, it meant that the thing he had been waiting for had returned to its rightful place.

"Anyone who tries to steal my stuff thinks they're tough. In the end, they're just weak and had to give up."

Q muttered to himself as he led his subordinates back to the city. Although he had gotten what he wanted, he still had many doubts about the relinquishment of the Pirate King heir position. It was a mystery for all the players in the game—why did that person give up the position? Why abandon the enormous treasure of the Pirate King, the title, the weapons, and the elite gear?

"Right. He must have been so terrified when he realized that other Pirate King heirs included the Aswa from the Dark Horse Guild, Demos from the Doom Star Guild, Siegfried from the Pendragon Guild, and others whose identities are still unclear, are all top-tier experts!" One of the subordinates followed the Guild Leader and commented.

"Hahaha, the battle to decide who will be the Supreme King among the seven Pirate King heirs, huh? The one who will be the King of all Kings... will definitely be me!"

Q said with full confidence before using his ninja speed to dash forward, with his subordinates trailing behind, creating quite a stir among the players nearby.

.....

That night, after the celebration for Anya concluded and the hunting of bees had left Anya frightened during the day, Chang Long and her companions gathered to have dinner together. Everyone seemed lively and enjoyed themselves more. Only Brownie kept staring at Anya without blinking, as if having some unspoken feelings he could not express. When Anya turned to look at him, he quickly looked away, which greatly amused the fairy girl. Even though she wanted to know what the little thieving field mouse was thinking, Anya pretended not to notice, curious about his reaction.

"So, what do we do next?"

Chang Long asked as she lay down on the grass near the fairy flower field.

"Of course, we'll hunt beasts to level up. I wonder how high the other Pirate King heirs' levels have soared by now."

Devi-chan quickly answered first.

"I already know that!"

Chang Long pouted when Devi-chan pressured her about levels.

"Speaking of skyrocketing levels, our master has done quite well. And not just that—even Kitsune, Flatear, and Brownie sharing experience points."

Hisa-chan said cheerfully.

"Yes, that's right. Hisa-chan is absolutely right. And look at this. It's amazing that Kitsune's tails have increased to five now. His power and speed have increased so much that even I, with my higher level, can't keep up."

Chang Long quickly gestured toward her beloved pet, who was lazily lying next to Flatear and Fluffy Head-chan. Kitsune quickly got up and shyly scratched his face with his paw.

"Hey, don't bring the puppy into this. It's you who's going to fight in the arena, not that little dog."

Devi-chan said sharply.

"I know, I know. But fighting all the time is getting boring. We need to relax sometimes to keep moving forward without getting tired of it."

Chang Long replied with a shrug.

Swoosh!

The sound of footsteps on the grass made Chang Long's group, who were resting and in a relaxed mood, become alert. Everyone listened carefully to the source of the sound, scanning the darkness with their eyes. Faint orange lights appeared far off in the distance, and there were more than one point scattered throughout Dark Forest, which surprised Chang Long and her group greatly.

"Is that candlelight?"

Devi-chan asked.

"It seems like it, but why are there so many of them? And they're coming from all directions."

Chang Long responded, her eyes never leaving the mysterious lights.

"Maybe they're night-dwelling beasts from Dark Forest."

Hisa-chan suggested.

"It could be, but it's strange that they're showing up today. We've been hunting in the Dark Forest for several days, but we've never seen them before."

Chang Long answered, still trying to focus on the light's source.

Swoosh!

The closest sound of footsteps came, only a few dozen steps away. Everyone turned to look at once, their expressions wary, but the image that appeared startled them. The owner of the dim candlelight that they had been wondering about was,

"The Tribe of Darkness!"

Chang Long exclaimed softly.

Thinking back, the Emperor and Empress of the Tribe of Darkness had said that when the Dark Forest was fully formed, the people from the Tribe of Darkness, scattered and hiding in various places, would slowly return to the Dark Forest. Each one would hold a candle in their hands and walk slowly, heading in the same direction—the center of Dark Forest.

"Let's follow them."

Chang Long suggested to her companions, who agreed with her. The sight of the Tribe of Darkness returning to their homeland was something worth witnessing. Everyone got up and quietly followed the Tribe of Darkness.

It seemed that their following did not surprise them at all. The Tribe of Darkness members were calm and focused on their destination.

Chang Long's group followed them through the Dark Forest until they reached a waterfall. A narrow path led into a cave beneath the waterfall. Chang Long entered the path, which was a small, beautiful route. The walls on both sides, as well as the floor and ceiling of the cave, were covered in glowing moss, almost covering the entire area. The moss emitted a shine like tiny stars in the vast black sky, as though the path ahead was the night sky, and they were walking among the stars. It was so beautiful and breathtaking that Anya sighed in happiness without stopping.

"This place is so beautiful, master."

Anya said to Chang Long in a pleased voice.

"True, it feels like we're floating in the sky among the stars."

Chang Long agreed.

"I can't believe there's such a bright place in Dark Forest."

Hisa-chan also seemed quite amazed by the glowing moss.

"Even in the darkness, there is light."

Devi-chan said.

After a while, everyone stopped admiring the cave's hall and quickly continued following the last member of the Tribe of Darkness, who had walked ahead until only the faint candlelight could be seen. The path, like the sky full of stars, made it hard to tell where the walls were. It was not until they stumbled and hit the cave walls several times that they realized there was one.

Finally, they found their way out of the cave beneath the waterfall. Chang Long named it The Cave of Stars. In front of them was a vast open space, where the members of the Tribe of Darkness had gathered. It seemed like they were waiting for something. Soon, a female voice, clear and melodious, echoed from the darkness ahead.

"And so, the long wait has ended. We have gathered together once more, after being separated for hundreds of years. A new era for us has begun again, with the help of a benevolent heart. As a reward, you will be able to join our tribe and learn our secrets and wisdom without any concealment."

The owner of the voice appeared. She was the Empress of the Tribe of Darkness. The Empress glanced at Chang Long and extended her hand. The Tribe of Darkness followed her gaze and saw the group of strangers who had traveled with them.

"You, Chang Long."

The Empress spoke. Every member of the Tribe of Darkness parted the way for Chang Long, bowing their heads respectfully as she walked past. This time, it seemed that Chang Long was not merely joining the tribe as an ordinary member of the Tribe of Darkness, because everyone seemed ready to honor her as a savior, treating her with extraordinary respect.

When Chang Long grasped the Empress's hand, the Empress handed her a small glass bottle filled with a dark liquid that shimmered like glitter. Chang Long looked at it warily but accepted the bottle. The Empress smiled when she saw Chang Long's expression and spoke.

"You must drink it all to be reborn in the body of a Dark Elf, just as we all are."

Chang Long's consciousness faded and disappeared after she held her breath and drank the dark liquid from the bottle. She collapsed as if her string had been cut, and her companions rushed to her side in concern. But they had to step back when the dark glittery liquid seeped from her pores, swelling and enveloping her body like a cocoon. It pulsed lightly, in sync with her heartbeat.

"Master!!"

Brownie cried out in distress and began pounding on the dark cocoon, hoping Chang Long would hear and respond. Kitsune, Flatear, Fluffy Head-chan, Devi-chan, Hisa-chan, and Anya all looked worried and deeply concerned about Chang Long.

"Do not worry, Chang Long's companions. If she is not a Dark Elf by birth, she must go through this transformation. This method is the safest way to enter the chrysalis state before the mutation. If it were anyone else, I would have sent them to the Mud Pit and have them search for the six shards of the star amidst the beasts in the mud. That would be far more dangerous, difficult, and messy."

The Empress spoke, seeing Chang Long's companions growing restless, trying to destroy the chrysalis that enveloped their master's body.

"Oh, is that so, Your Excellency? Is my master safe inside?"

Brownie stopped pounding on the dark cocoon and turned to ask the Empress, his face slightly relieved.