Adventure World Online (AWO)

"Young Miss, your father called earlier this morning," Moddang came in to report the household situation to Chang.

"Oh, I'll give him a call back once I'm in my room,"

Chang replied, popping the last bite of food into her mouth.

"Um, Young Miss, the two bodyguards were asking if you have any plans to go out today,"

Moddang asked hesitantly, knowing full well that Chang disliked being followed around by bodyguards.

"Just tell them I don't have any plans to go out for now. If I do, I'll let them know in advance."

Her answer left Moddang a little stunned—it basically meant Chang was agreeing to be escorted, something she normally refused outright.

"Surprised? I just don't want Dad to worry. Not after what happened,"

Chang added with a smile when she saw Moddang's demeanor before heading back upstairs to her bedroom.

She picked up her phone and stared at it for a moment, then tapped to call her father. She knew that ever since the kidnapping incident, her father had not been able to rest. He had a mountain of things to deal with—including doubling down on her security. Before leaving the country, he had had the entire security system at home overhauled and had been stricter than ever with the guards.

"Hello, Chang! I'm so happy you called,"

Pichaya said sweetly through the phone.

"Uh-huh. Moddang told me you called. Is there something you needed?"

Chang responded in her usual casual tone.

"Not really, just..."

"Then I'll hang up now."

"Hey, I wasn't even finished!"

Pichaya protested as his daughter cut him off bluntly.

"You just said it wasn't anything important."

"Well, yeah—but I meant nothing more than missing you."

His voice took on a mock-pouty tone.

"What, trying to make me puke before bed or something!"

Chang said with mock disgust, though the corners of her lips curled up in a smile.

"Can't you be a little sentimental sometimes? I just wanted to say work here's taking longer than expected. I won't make it back on schedule. Anyway, I already instructed the guards—wherever you go, they have to go too. Don't be stubborn like before. Honestly, after what just happened, I can't trust letting you go out on your own anymore. Do you understand, Chang?"

Pichaya said seriously, after grumbling about his daughter never playing the doting daughter role.

"Got it."

Her reply was short, but Pichaya knew—if his famously headstrong daughter gave in this easily, it meant she truly understood the situation and felt the weight of his concern.

"Good, Chang. I have to get back to a meeting now. Sleep well, sweetheart."

"…"

After the call ended, a soft smile appeared on Chang's face. Though she had lost her mother at a young age and her father had always been busy with work, she never once felt deprived of warmth. Just a little care and attention each day was enough to make her feel cherished, to know she was loved. They might not see each other often, but her father had never made her feel distant. To her, he was still the warmest-hearted man in the world for her—and she could feel that love, even when he was not by her side.

"Everyone's so full of concern for me today. Guess I'll take a shower and get back in the game."

. . ...

The army was fully prepared when Chang Long logged back into the game. She issued the command to mobilize at dusk. The stealth unit assigned to unlock the city gate had already gone ahead, while the rest of the forces followed at a cautious distance, spreading out along pre-selected paths to regroup at the gates of the fortress. Chang Long and her followers were visibly excited—especially Devi-chan. This battle would determine the fate of a city, and it was the very city where his heir would ascend the throne as king

.

"Hey, missy, have you picked a name for the city yet? If not, want me to help brainstorm one?"

Devi-chan asked while they marched.

"Not yet. I figure I'll think about it after we take the city."

Chang Long replied, clearly amused by his eagerness.

"No, no, that won't do! You've gotta decide early. What if the system prompts you and you can't think of anything—then you'll end up naming it something ridiculous."

Devi-chan warned hastily. He knew full well how terrible his heir's naming sense was—he only had to look at the names of her current followers to see the disaster potential.

"He's right. If you'd like, we can help come up with something too, master."

Hisa-chan chimed in. He, too, did not want their future capital to end up with a name that would make people laugh until they cried.

"Fine, go ahead and come up with something then,"

Chang Long said. Honestly, letting Devi-chan and the pets help might be a good idea—she did not have any ideas herself yet.

Once they all started racking their brains for a name worthy of their master, the group fell noticeably silent. Devi-chan, Hisa-chan, Fluffy Head-chan, and the rest of the pets quickly realized just how hard it was to name a city—especially one fit for the Reaper King. The pressure was real. Time passed, and at last, Chang Long's army arrived before the gates of the fortress. They hid in thick underbrush, keeping low to avoid detection, while Herod gave the signal for Unit One to begin their mission—opening the gate and eliminating the archers on the city wall.

Chang Long took a deep breath. The battle was about to begin—and this time, the lives of more AIs were at stake than ever before. This was a battle she could not afford to lose. She gave a firm nod. Herod waved a red flag, and the elite vanguard—about ten Dark Elf warriors—vanished from sight almost instantly.

As they waited, there were no sounds of battle, no signs of struggle, no alarmed shouting. In under ten minutes, the gates swung open. The archers atop the wall barely had time to be confused before becoming lifeless bodies, killed in swift ambushes, began to tumble down from above. The alarm bell rang out. AI soldiers rushed out to defend the entrance. Chang Long led her team forward, intercepting the defenders head-on to create an opening for Units Two and Three to slip inside and strike the fortress's key positions.

When Units Two and Three split off, the remaining army engaged the enemy in the central plaza of the city. The sounds of battle drew the attention of the AI Commander, who had been resting at the top of the tower. He came out to observe but made no move to intervene. After all, judging by the number of invaders, he was confident that Chang Long's forces had no chance of defeating his unlimited soldiers.

BOOM!

A thunderous explosion shook the air, drawing the AI Commander out once more just as he was turning to head back inside. Puzzled by the deafening blast, he scanned the scene—and his eyes widened in shock. The military camp and supply depot were engulfed in flames, the fire spreading rapidly. Though furious at the sight of his supplies and barracks being destroyed, the AI Commander held himself back. There was more than one supply depot, and with such a small enemy force, he did not believe they could hit another key position anytime soon.

AARGGGHHH!!

The scream of dozens rang out, wrenching the AI Commander's gaze once more to the battlefield. What he saw was nightmarish: a massive skeletal reaper, cloaked in tattered robes, was ripping the souls out of more than thirty of his soldiers in a single sweep. The sight was so horrific it sent a chill down his spine and made sweat bead on his skin.

"What is that thing?! What hell did it crawl out of?!"

As he cried out in disbelief, his eyes finally found the answer. A figure—he could not even tell if it was male or female—stood as the summoner of the monstrous entity. It had devoured the souls of dozens of soldiers in one breath and vanished, giving the invaders a chance to push forward. Worse yet, the commander's once-fearless troops were now terrified. Their morale shattered, they no longer dared to engage the enemy head-on. If this continued, his side would be utterly defeated.

The AI Commander fixed his eyes on Chang Long and sensed the dangerous caliber of her strength. She was clearly different from the rest. A cold panic gripped him as his internal systems completed their analysis—and he muttered in disbelief:

"A warrior from the Lost Tribe. Impossible!"

At that exact moment, Chang Long looked up toward the tower. Their eyes met. Her mocking, defiant smile struck a blow to the commander's pride as a leader. Fury flared in his chest. A towering man clad in ancient South American tribal armor launched himself down from the high tower. In each hand, he wielded an enormous steel axe. His appearance instantly rallied the shaken AI soldiers, restoring their courage after the terror instilled by Chang Long's grim reaper.

Now the two stood face to face. Chang Long looked like a child next to the towering AI Commander. But no matter who stood before her, she had only one choice: "winning."

As she compared their sizes, she could not help but think of the story of David and Goliath. At least David had slain his giant. So she could, too. Confidence surged within her. Her level had returned to what it was before she died, and now she had the added power of belonging to the rare Dark Elf race. Even when the system announced the name and level of her opponent, it did not shake her resolve.

"AI Commander Tosh — Level 89 — Preparing to engage."

The system's announcement ended, and Tosh's twin axes swung forward in a brutal arc, sending out a shockwave of destructive force. Chang Long leapt gracefully into the air, dodging the attack with ease. Tosh's power was no joke—just swinging his axes created a devastating wave. Chang Long landed softly, then glanced back. The shockwave had obliterated a nearby shed.

"Incredible agility. Just as expected from a member of the Lost Tribe,"

Commander Tosh said, his voice deep, gruff, and laced with authority.

Chang Long did not reply. She was carefully analyzing the prowess of the man before her. Even though the system had already revealed his level.

No one dared interfere in the duel between them—especially not the AI soldiers, who now looked reinvigorated. They seemed confident that their commander would bring them victory. But what surprised them was that none of Chang Long's allies made a move to help her, as if they were also confident in her strength that they saw no need to intervene.

Kitsune, Flatear, Brownie, Anya, and the twin brothers were fighting not far from where Chang Long stood, tasked with keeping any AI soldiers from interrupting their master's battle. Devi-chan and Hisa-chan, both in their spirit forms, stood at Chang Long's sides, ready to act the moment she gave a command.

"This guy's got monstrous strength. One direct hit and I could be sent straight to the afterlife. His speed isn't bad either. That puts me at a disadvantage, since my attacks rely on agility. But really, who goes into a war planning to fight at a disadvantage? Devi-chan, Spirit Possession. Spirit Realm."

Chang Long activated two abilities simultaneously. She did not wait for Commander Tosh to recover from his surprise at Hisa-chan's appearance—she charged in at full speed. The sheer velocity of her movement was so high that even players over level 60 would struggle to track it with their eyes. Commander Tosh swung both of his axes forward with brute force, generating a powerful energy wave aimed directly at her. But it seemed Chang Long had no intention of dodging, despite having seen just how destructive the attack was.

CRACK!!

The crash of clashing power echoed like thunder. Tosh's energy wave was forcefully dispersed, though it cost Chang Long a noticeable amount of her momentum. Her speed dropped significantly after the clash—but she did not stop. She kept pushing forward, closing the distance. Tosh could no longer use his axes to generate another shockwave; she was too close.

He spun his dual axes like a dancer performing a ritual, defending against her flurry of attacks. Chang Long could not help but smirk a little—it was hard not to laugh at the sight of this towering brute of a man dancing like a graceful woman. But that dance was both offense and defense, leaving her with no clear opening to strike. Yet Commander Tosh seemed to forget one important thing, Hisa-chan was still there.

CRACK!

THUDD

As Chang Long interrupted Tosh's axe dance, Hisa-chan struck with perfect timing. Though Tosh sensed the danger and brought his weapon up just in time to block, it was not enough. The attack from a level 130 entity hit with overwhelming force. Tosh's body was launched backward, blood spurting from his mouth. He quickly forced himself back to his feet, glaring at Chang Long and Hisa-chan. The two now stood side by side once again, facing him with calm, challenging eyes.

"Looks like I've got no choice but to get serious now."

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, he began to focus his energy.

In the next moment, ghostly tribal warriors appeared behind him—zombie warriors, lifeless. Each one wielded a long spear adorned with feathers, and judging by their ornate costumes and multicolored feather headdresses, it was clear they were elite captains, summoned to turn the tide.

"4 Soulless Warrior Beasts, Level 69 — Preparing to engage."

The system announcement did not faze Chang Long. Instead, she grinned with excitement. At last, she would get to fight against human-type opponents close to her own level—even if they were soulless, indiscriminate killers like these so-called Soulless Warrior Beasts.

"If you seek release, then go and slay those two over there. Attack!"

Commander Tosh's voice rang out loud. The soulless warriors charged at Chang Long and Hisa-chan with incredible speed. Their white, pupil-less eyes were chillingly empty, and though their bodies seemed lifeless at first, they tensed and readied themselves to fight. Their sheer strength made Chang Long, who stood firm waiting for the hit, stagger back a step.

"Master!"

"Don't come, Hisa-chan. Go deal with that guy. I've got this."

Chang Long shouted when she saw Hisa-chan moving to help her. He hesitated briefly, then turned and disengaged, stepping up to face Commander Tosh directly, clearly unconcerned now about whether Chang Long could handle the four zombie warriors.

Chang Long wanted to test herself—against enemies that resembled humans as closely as possible. She needed to measure her own abilities. If she could only defeat beasts in the forest, so what? If she ended up helpless against AI opponents or real players, her high level would be meaningless. With that in mind, Chang Long unbound Devi-chan and braced herself, eagerly welcoming the oncoming assault.