Adventure World Online (AWO)

It turned out that Chang Long's agility far surpassed that of the four soulless warriors—so much so that they could not even graze her. What was more, their sensory systems began to falter, unable to keep up with her wind-like movements—swift, silent, and elusive. She took them down one by one with precise, lightning-fast strikes aimed at their vital points. When all four collapsed to the ground, their bodies soaked in blood, their expressions finally changed—for the first time, they showed fear, after having worn grim, lifeless stares all along.

"Didn't you say they wanted release just now? Would you like a statue on your grave, too?"

Chang Long asked in a cold, flat tone, sending a shiver through Commander Tosh. It had been a long time since anyone had managed to defeat his soulless warriors—let alone strike fear into them like this. Just who was this person standing before him? And what was that terrifying aura that clung to her? He did not have the answer—not until Chang Long activated a skill.

"Mausoleum."

RRRRRRRMMMM

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The ground beneath the soulless warriors shifted and rumbled as if alive. They thrashed wildly, as though fully aware of the fate that awaited them. But no matter how hard they struggled, there was no escaping the honorable death Chang Long was about to bestow. The earth closed in violently with a chilling boom, and in their place rose majestic statues—each one immortalizing the moment of their deepest fear.

The effect of the skill had instantly finished them off. Given their already critical condition, no follow-up attacks were necessary. Chang Long pulled out a bottle of Black Rose Tea and took a gulp. That was when she noticed countless terrified eyes staring at her. The AI soldiers were losing their nerve again—shaken by the sight of Chang Long burying enemies alive, even if those enemies were merely beasts summoned by Commander Tosh.

. . ...

Meanwhile, Siegfried and his party were warmly greeted that day by three werewolves. Everyone's fatigue level had increased—even after resting a bit following each werewolf's capture into the book. At first, they had assumed they would need to explore and battle their way through the dungeon, collecting all fifty werewolves one by one. The thought alone filled them with dread.

They were worried that if they did not get proper rest between fights, their fatigue values would keep building until their stats and combat performance deteriorated. They might all be killed.

If they got wiped out, it would be no laughing matter. Especially because the ruined city did not allow them to save their respawn point. If they were killed here, the closest place they could revive would be all the way back in Persia. And from long experience with the game, they knew all too well: not only would they have to trek all the way back to the dungeon, but they would also have to re-fight any werewolves they had already captured—this time without being able to seal them into the book. There would be only one outcome: a fight to the death.

Fortunately, the game system was not that cruel. In most vast dungeons, there were always designated safe zones where travelers could rest. How many of these areas existed depended on the dungeon's overall size—something no one had ever been able to confirm precisely. But eventually, the group found one. Kimhant and Peach Blossom seemed more delighted than anyone else. The two had grown much closer, a stark contrast to their earlier days of constant bickering. Though they were now friendly, Peach Blossom—being the older of the two—still kept Kimhant under her thumb. Luckily, the boy knew her inside and out by now, so he did not bother getting worked up over it anymore.

"So we've got three werewolves so far. That's a good omen,"

Draco laughed heartily as he sipped on honey liquor. They had pitched their tents and lit a fire, relaxed and carefree, knowing no dungeon beasts could harm them here.

"What's so good about it? There are still forty-seven left to go,"

Peach Blossom grumbled, curious and unimpressed.

"Yeah, sounds more like a long road ahead if you ask me,"

Kimhant agreed. Draco smirked slyly, glanced at the two youngsters, and whispered just loud enough for them to hear:

"Well, the good part is, no one's died yet."

Both their faces turned pale. Come to think of it, ever since Peach Blossom and Kimhant had played the bait, they had been in far more danger than anyone else. Sure, the others had promised they would not let a single werewolf lay a claw on them—but the truth was less reassuring. This dungeon did not just contain fifty werewolves—each one stronger than the last by two to three levels. There were also countless other types of wolves constantly swarming them along the way. With so many enemies to fight all the time, no one—not even they themselves—could be fully protected all the way.

What was even worse, werewolves tended to attack when the group let their guard down thinking they were safe, or during the chaos of fighting off other wolves in the dungeon. Luckily, the party had several alert beast companions who would roar to signal when a werewolf was near.

Both times they had been ambushed, Lycanth had jumped in just in time to intercept the attack—so close that Peach Blossom nearly had a heart attack. Still, despite the heart-stopping moments, the two had made it to the safe zone alive and well.

"You guys have no right to talk. Every time a werewolf attacks, Lycanth's the first to sense it and intercept before it can slash me into a disfigured corpse. No one else here has reflexes as sharp as his."

Peach Blossom's outburst made Lycanth's ears perk up, and he sat up straighter with pride.

"Of course. That was the plan from the beginning. Lycanth senses danger before any of us and moves faster than any of us. If he didn't jump in, you two would've taken a swipe or two before we could get there,"

Draco replied nonchalantly, causing the others to chuckle behind their hands. "It's not funny, Co. A swipe or two from those claws could kill me—or at least leave a permanent scar. Have you seen how long their nails are?"

Peach Blossom snapped again. Kimhant nodded in agreement, while his pet Felon also nodded along—asking for more food.

"Come on now, you're both still alive—that means the plan worked brilliantly."

Siegfried offered a bit of reassurance, but it did not make the two who were being reassured feel any better.

"Let's all just rest and recharge. We've still got many to fight tomorrow, and who knows when we'll find another safe zone."

Oliang cut in, trying to steer the conversation away. All this bickering over dinner was making the sweet honey liquor taste bland.

"True enough. It's a good thing we brought proper food from the Nine Moon Restaurant in our storage boxes. At least we get to enjoy real meals instead of enduring that same bland canned stuff. I say we savor the moment while we can—before heading out to face death again, eh, you two."

Lidded Wet Trash Can chimed in, trying to cheer up Peach Blossom in his own awkward way—though it barely counted as comforting.

"Some comfort that was. I don't feel better at all!"

Peach Blossom grumbled, while the rest of the group laughed. Siegfried flipped open the Book of Fifty. The image of Melenius was now gradually regaining color from the feet up to the waist—and it looked noticeably calmer. The second entry, Thesprotus, was glowing faintly, with color spreading from its feet to just below the knees. The last one for the day, Helix, was still blinking softly in black and white, with no trace of color yet.

. . ...

"What in the world is going on here!"

Aswa's voice echoed with frustration. His Celestial Steed City was in utter chaos due to the accelerated construction. The layout and architectural plans had just been approved by him, aiming for the look of a Chinese fantasy kingdom—grand, magnificent, and rich in traditional beauty. But the construction frenzy was not what was giving him the biggest headache—it was the two mischievous new members he had foolishly accepted as pets.

One was old and talkative, always chattering non-stop, yet somehow wildly popular with the guild's female members. He could answer any question, even things about the game no one else knew. The other was a young dragon girl—spoiled, willful, and constantly manipulating with crocodile tears that left Aswa weak-kneed and tongue-tied. He could not bring himself to scold her no matter what she did.

He had promised himself he would never adopt any more troublesome pets again. Just having Bird Sage around was already driving him half mad. But then, suddenly, that little dragon he once saw with Chang Long had followed him and begged to become his pet. Aswa had been completely speechless. He never imagined he had enough prestige to be sought out by a dragon.

In that moment, he could not help but feel proud of himself. His subordinates praised him loudly—after all, not just anyone could be the master of a sacred Chinese dragon. And this particular dragon had once accompanied Chang Long—the very woman he adored (though, lately, he was starting to fear her in a way he could not quite explain). That just melted any hesitation Aswa ever had away, and he accepted Little Jade as his pet.

Now, he stood gaping as Bird Sage pointed a wing and ordered his guild members around like he was the actual guild leader. Meanwhile, Little Jade was dashing about wildly, knocking things over left and right. Aswa could only shake his head.

"Weren't you the one who used to serve under the legendary golden dragon Wu Ming? How can you be this wild and completely lacking in manners!"

Aswa stared at the little dragon in disbelief. Back when she was with Chang Long, she was calm, composed, and often curled up quietly like a bracelet. Now, she was a whirlwind of chaos, sprinting everywhere and making it nearly impossible for the others to get any work done.

It was probably his own fault, really—for telling her to just relax and be herself, no need to be so formal. He had only said that because Little Jade was still a child. Who could have guessed the little dragon would take it so far that everyone else would suffer for it? Several guild members had already filed complaints about Little Jade's mischief, to the point where his ears were ringing. A guild leader, saddled with such an unruly beast. It did not exactly scream dignity. Looked like it was time to retrain her on how to carry herself properly. Sure, he was not nearly as awe-inspiring as the Golden Dragon Wu Ming, who had once commanded Little Jade's full loyalty. But since she had come to him, asking to be his pet, there was no way he was going to let her run wild and disobedient. Acquiring a sacred beast was no easy feat—but taming one was many times harder. And taming a proud creature like Little Jade would be even harder still.

"Lin Lan."

Aswa turned to the beautiful guild officer, one of his top squad leaders—known across the guild for being scarily strict. No one dared go near her unless absolutely necessary.

"Yes, Guild leader?"

Lin Lan replied calmly, fanning herself with a red feather fan.

"You know what to do with those two—turn them into pets worthy of someone of my standing."

Aswa said firmly, glancing toward Bird Sage, who was preening with intellectual pride, and Little Jade, still in her transformed little-girl form, who would not back down to anyone she did not deem superior—not even Aswa himself, despite being the one who had asked to be his pet.

"Consider it done, Guild leader. Within one week, Lin Lan will train them into perfectly loyal pets, complete with flawless manners and unshakable devotion. Hohoho!"

Lin Lan gave a spine-chilling smile. Then she walked to the two and called out:

"Pets of the Guild leader—both of you. It's time to attend your etiquette training with Big Sister Lin Lan. Move it!"

The guild members all turned to watch—and winced with pity. Sure, the two troublemakers had made life difficult before, but to be personally trained by Lin Lan... shudder!

"Why should I attend etiquette training with a lowly human like you?"

Little Jade asked, completely unfiltered. A collective wave of pale faces swept through the guild. No one ever dared insult Lin Lan to her face—not unless they opted to live uncomfortably, which was why they had always behaved in front of her. This little dragon was fearless!

"Lowly or not, you'll find out soon enough. Sit!"

Lin Lan's voice cut like a whip. And although Little Jade had no intention of cooperation, her body moved on its own, betraying her own will. She sat down with a baffled expression.

"Bird. Girl. Follow me. It's etiquette time."

Lin Lan turned and walked away. Both Bird Sage and Jade stood and followed—though their faces were clearly filled with resistance, they moved anyway, unable to fight it.

"There it is—Lin Lan's Puppetmaster skill. Only one word for what's coming next: brutal."

A guild member whispered softly to a friend, watching as Little Jade pitifully whined and pleaded with Aswa. But the young man pretended not to hear, turning his back and walking away. She had no one to blame but herself—her pride and lack of respect for her master had earned her this trip to etiquette re-education.

Wu Ming stood silently, watching Little Jade through a golden-framed mirror shaped like an eye—an artifact known as the Divine Sight Mirror. He let out a weary sigh. Perhaps he had been too kind to her. He had never really emphasized proper etiquette with Little Jade. But now that she had chosen to live among humans, she would have to learn to follow human rules. Consider it a learning experience.

As a young, naive child—proud of her lineage and so full of herself that she disrespected even the one who accepted her as a pet, despite lacking the strength to justify that pride—it was probably best to let her learn firsthand. And at least she was among people he could somewhat trust.

"You've still got a lot to learn, Little Jade. Every action has its consequence. So study well, heh heh heh."