Adventure World Online (AWO)

"Indeed, I confirm this with my honor, little loyal one."

The Empress confirmed, while also praising Brownie's loyalty, making him blush and freeze up immediately.

Once they were sure that their master was safe, even though her body was wrapped in the black chrysalis, everyone decided to stay and wait for Chang Long's rebirth without going far. The other members of the Tribe of Darkness dispersed to rest and would begin constructing their dwellings the following morning.

"Hey, Devi-chan, can you go inside the chrysalis and check on our master? I want to know what it's like inside and if she's comfortable in there."

Anya turned to speak to Devi-chan.

"True, I haven't tried yet. But if inside the chrysalis, missy is in a state that's not suitable for anyone to see, then it might not be good for me to interfere."

Devi-chan frowned in response.

"Right, I didn't think of that."

Anya exclaimed in surprise.

"Hahaha, you and she are both women. She probably won't mind. But if it were me or Hisa-chan... I don't even want to imagine what would happen after!"

Devi-chan said with a shudder, imagining how things would go if Chang Long were to get angry.

"Exactly. The kinder she is, the more brutal she can be when angry."

Hisa-chan added. All of Chang Long's pets, including Kitsune, Flatear, Brownie, and even Fluffy Head-chan, nodded in agreement. Anya could not help but laugh at the scene.

"I don't think she's that cruel."

Anya giggled as she spoke.

"You wouldn't know, you've been hibernating in her body all this time."

Devi-chan rolled his eyes.

"But from now on, I'll probably learn a lot more."

Anya shrugged nonchalantly, then smiled happily.

From being a lonely fairy in the flower fields on the volcanic island, thinking she was the last fairy of her kind for so long, Anya had finally realized that following Chang Long was the right and best decision of her life. She had met another fairy of the same species, had evolved into an adult form, and now she was happy living with the other companions of Chang Long. They were all close and genuine with one another.

Anya had come to respect Chang Long and accepted everyone as her big, warm family. Although she had always dreamed of living among others of her kind, today Anya preferred being with Chang Long. The fairy girl had let go of her dream, as it had only led her to this point: meeting the Night Fairy Tribe and discovering that, even if they did not live together, they still existed. That was enough for her.

"What's going on? You've been smiling to yourself for a while now."

Fluffy Head-chan tilted his head and asked with curiosity, noticing that Anya had been smiling by herself for quite some time. The fairy girl turned to look at Fluffy Head-chan and then picked him up, hugging him lovingly, which left the Nemean Lion stunned and frozen. His pale cheeks visibly flushed darker.

"Well, I'm just happy to have met my master and to be with all of you as my own family."

Anya's cheerful voice and bright smile made everyone grin widely. Even though Brownie was jealous of Fluffy Head-chan and wanted to poke him in the rear with a sword as thin as a toothpick, he was still happy to hear those words from Anya.

"Her own family..."

Brownie repeated the words in a dreamy voice.

"Yep, that's right, Brownie."

Anya replied sweetly, then turned to meet his gaze. Brownie blushed and dropped his sword, smiling like a madman, continuously rubbing his head, which caused great amusement to everyone watching.

"Awwww! Anya..."

Brownie muttered quietly, causing the others to burst into uncontrollable laughter.

When the tension eased, Chang Long's subordinates began to chat and joke with each other happily, until the sky started to brighten, and they all fell asleep. Except for Devi-chan, Hisa-chan, and Fluffy Head-chan, who still sat and conversed quietly, waiting for Chang Long to emerge from that black cocoon.

The faint light of dawn shone through the cocoon. Chang Long squinted her eyes and could not help but look. She saw some kind of fiber woven like a silken cocoon in front of her. It seemed to be enveloping some slightly cloudy clear liquid, and it gave off a slippery, slimy feeling that was hard to describe.

The young woman was not sure how the scene in front of her had come to be. Where did Dark Forest go? And what about her subordinates? She reached out to the front, hoping to find a way out, but she was horrified to discover that she was trapped in a cocoon full of this sticky, slimy liquid.

The young woman panicked. She groped around, trying to hit, tear, and pull, but it seemed to be of no use. She opened her mouth and called out for her spirits and pets, but the clear slime poured into her mouth. Strangely, she did not choke or feel like she could not breathe. After calming herself and meditating for a moment, she realized that the inside of the cocoon was surprisingly comfortable.

"The transition to the Dark Elf race is complete. The cocoon that surrounds the body is about to open in five..."

The system's announcement allowed Chang Long to piece together the situation and understand why she had ended up trapped in this black cocoon. But the countdown before the cocoon would open startled her once again. The young woman had not even checked how she looked yet, and she did not know if anyone was waiting to witness her birth. If she emerged in a state that was not presentable, she would surely embarrass herself in front of the entire Dark Elf city.

Chang Long quickly fumbled to check her body, as the time for the cocoon to open was rapidly approaching. The young woman sighed with relief when she found that her clothes were still intact, and she would not have to embarrass herself in front of the Dark Elves. A faint cracking sound echoed, and the cocoon, shaped like a walnut shell, slowly opened from the top. A pale, gray hand, glossy like a pearl, emerged.

The young woman finally managed to free herself from the cocoon. She stood unsteadily like a baby learning to walk for a moment before straightening up and standing tall with grace, amid the Dark Elves who were gradually coming to congratulate her rebirth.

"A new member of the tribe has been born!"

The Empress announced joyfully, and all the Dark Elf population clapped to welcome her, including Chang Long's subordinates.

"Hahaha, this is the first time I've ever seen the Reaper King with pointy ears."

Devi-chan laughed heartily. Chang Long frowned and looked at him, raising her hand to feel her own ears. Her ears were pointed, and her skin had the distinct color of a newborn. Now, she could be considered a full member of the tribe.

That night, after the Dark Elves finished their work of building the city within the Dark Forest, they gathered to celebrate and welcome Chang Long. The Emperor and Empress, the highest rulers, told Chang Long that the Dark Elves were a solitary people and rarely held celebrations, except on important tribal days or special occasions like this one, as Chang Long had saved the Dark Forest and reunited a tribe that had been separated for hundreds of years.

More importantly, the tribe knew well that Chang Long's status was special and exalted. They respected her, not only because she was the savior, but because she was the king who had power over death. The souls who had reluctantly left their bodies longed to meet her in the hope of being revived. The living knew better than to make an enemy of her, as they knew that the Reaper King could always take their souls from them.

"Chang Long, you are not only our tribe's savior, but you are also someone we must all revere."

Amidst the gazes of the tribe, the Emperor and Empress stood up from their wooden thrones and walked over to stand before Chang Long, who was still wondering what kind of fruit the object in front of her was. Before she could think further, the supreme leaders of the tribe bowed to her.

"What are you two doing!"

Chang Long exclaimed in shock and quickly pushed both leaders back to stand upright again.

"What should be done, it is truly an honor to be part of the same tribe as you. If the day comes when both of us reach the end of our lives, we would gladly offer our eternal loyalty to you."

The Empress said with a joyful face.

"Elves and Dark Elves are a race with long lifespans, nearly immortal. It will be a long time before you pledge that loyalty."

Chang Long said jokingly, not taking it seriously. The Emperor smiled slightly at the corner of his mouth before speaking.

"If you wish to prove our loyalty, you don't need to wait until the end of our lives, Chang Long. At this moment, we can prove it to you. If there is anything you desire, just tell us, and we will grant it to you."

Chang Long paused to think. Did she want something in this game? Everything seemed to be complete for her already. She had traveled, had adventures, encountered many exciting and strange things, had good friends, and followers like Kitsune and Devi-chan. Chang Long probably did not need anything more.

If not for the conditions set by the game, what she hoped for now was to have her own city to connect to the land of the dead and to hone her skills in preparation for the battle to determine the Supreme King among the heirs of the seven pirate kings.

"There is something I want, but I fear it may be too much to ask of you."

Chang Long spoke in a soft voice.

"Please, tell us what you wish for, do not hold back."

The Emperor asked, looking at Chang Long with curiosity. In his mind, he wondered what someone as great as the Reaper King would wish for with such reluctance. Was it something so difficult that even she, the Reaper King, could not easily accomplish? Or perhaps it was something so rare that it would require going through great dangers to obtain?

"On this island, there is a place I wish to possess, but with only my strength, I may not be able to achieve it. If you would kindly assist me, could you provide a force of skilled warriors to help me in this? Is that something possible?"

The two leaders of the tribe looked stunned, making Chang Long think that perhaps she had asked for too much. But the answer she received was completely unexpected.

"Hahaha, I thought what you asked would be incredibly difficult. It turns out it's just this. Of course, yes! Absolutely. We Dark Elves are born with the blood of warriors. We specialize in both direct combat and assassination. But you must wait a little, as the skilled fighters are still traveling. They will gradually arrive soon, and then you will truly witness our prowess."

The Dark Elf tribe had many secrets that, if known by regular players, would surely make their eyes lit up and rush to queue up to change races. The Dark Elf tribe excelled in speed, stealth, the use of light weapons, quick reflexes, excellent hearing and vision, and was skilled in assassination and dark magic.

Since Chang Long changed her race, she had tried fighting beasts in the Dark Forest again. She found that her movements were so light they could almost be described as weightless, even though her speed had not decreased at all. Her accuracy in striking had increased, as if her mind had a high-speed processing system, constantly calculating the direction and angle at which to strike, making it so that she no longer had to engage in prolonged battles like before.

For this reason, Chang Long's progress in combat has been rapid. The special profession skill, such as the Ninja's stealth skill, also appeared in Chang Long's skill list after she changed her race. Afterward, her swift movement skill increased so much that even when walking normally, her pets could barely keep up.

Chang Long could not help but think that if other players knew about this, it would surely make quite a stir, especially among those who hoped to play a dispatching profession like the assassin profession. Even though she was only level sixty-two, she was amazed at her own abilities. Compared to before she was killed, even without her level reduction, she was not this skilled or fast.

Even though Chang Long knew that her core skills had greatly improved since she came out of Wu Ming's secret training grounds, she was still amazed by what she had gained from the Dark Elf tribe, because it was almost instinctual. It happened automatically without the need for any training.

"This is good. We have so many people. If I can finish battles quickly, the number of beasts killed will increase, which means the experience points I gain each day will also rise. I think I'll settle here to farm experience points. After all, everything I need to do is on this island."

Chang Long spoke as everyone rested.

"That's a good idea. I agree. The more we travel, the more time we waste without leveling up."

Devi-chan nodded in agreement.

"You've advanced a lot, master. Your increased abilities, plus the ability to use puppet manipulation skill and the Spirit Realm skill while fighting, that's impressive."

Hisa-chan spoke with admiration. If Chang Long was not his master, he would have certainly challenged her to a fight.

"My goal is not just to level myself up, but to make sure everyone—Kitsune, Flatear, Brownie—levels up too. You all need to evolve to your highest form."

Chang Long said firmly.

"If we evolve to our highest form, Kitsune will become a Fox God, Flatear will become a Kirin God, then what will I become?"

Brownie spoke with excitement, though feeling a little down when thinking that, among Chang Long's pets, he was the only one that was just a normal commoner.

"You'll become the King of the Mice!"

Fluffy Head-chan spoke up.

"Huh, really Fluffy Head-chan?"

Brownie turned and asked with sparkling eyes.

"Of course. Ordinary beasts can only evolve to the highest level,"

Fluffy Head-chan responded enthusiastically, making Brownie feel much more motivated. Chang Long smiled and added,

"When you reach that stage, you'll become the King of the Mice. Who knows, you might even be the first one to become a king."

The thieving mice in his first evolution stage imagined himself as a king. His fellow tribe members would surely come to congratulate him and praise him. Just thinking about it made him feel like he was about to float up to the sky.

"How exciting."

Anya giggled when she saw Brownie's expression.

"Hey, you guys, that day will never come if you keep sitting around gossiping like this."

Devi-chan interrupted the mood.

"You're right. Once we're rested, let's continue hunting beasts. With this many of us, we can easily divide up the fighting."

Chang Long said as she stood up.