Adventure World Online (AWO)

Chang Long stared at her sword with curiosity. The Sovereign Sword was already famed for its unparalleled sharpness, but it seemed to be significantly more effective against the beasts within the Hell Dungeon than those outside. The instant its blade sliced through their flesh, it appeared to inflict tremendous pain—even though the wounds themselves did not look all that serious.

"T... The Judgement Blade. The real Sovereign Sword!"

The First Gatekeeper muttered to himself, his expression grim. Normally, seeing someone wielding the Sovereign Sword would not be surprising. But unless that person was the true Master of the sword—the one who had formed a pact with it—it would never inflict such excruciating pain, as if punishing the enemy for their sins.

"Getting scared, are we?"

Chang Long smiled slightly as she observed the Gatekeeper's reaction.

"No way. If you're truly its Master, then prove it to me. Copycat!"

The First Gatekeeper shouted and used the skill again. Another clone of him appeared and immediately launched itself at Chang Long's group, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Hey, Mur, Mur! Don't you think that guy's skill is kinda weird?"

Killer turned to ask his brother, even as he was fending off an attack from one of the clones.

"Weird how?"

Murder shot back.

"Well, he's a dog, isn't he?"

"Uh-huh. Yeah, he is."

"Then how come he's using a skill called Copycat?"

Killer's question made Murder pause and start thinking. Come to think of it, the First Gatekeeper's true form was a big dog. If he was copying himself as a dog, he should be using a skill like Copydog instead. The thought seemed to dawn on Murder, who actually stopped fighting, turned toward his opponent, and asked with total seriousness:

"You're a dog, right?"

"Yeah, I am!"

The clone of the First Gatekeeper replied, looking slightly baffled. He was just about to attack again when Murder interrupted with another question:

"Then why are you using Copycat skill?"

The sheer seriousness in his tone made the clone hesitate. It seemed completely thrown off by the unexpected line of questioning.

"What?"

"I mean, Copycat is a cat's skill, isn't it?"

"So?"

"So why is a dog using a cat skill?"

That was the last straw for the clone. He had been trying to listen patiently for a while now, only to be hit with such an utterly idiotic question. He had wasted enough time, and he was not about to waste any more answering nonsense. The clone lunged at Murder in frustration. What he did not know was—whenever Murder got curious about something, he would badger his way to the answer no matter what. So, even mid-battle, the clone kept hearing the same question over and over—it was starting to get on his nerves.

Chang Long, Devi-chan, Hisa-chan, and even the real First Gatekeeper himself all began to show similar expressions as they watched the battle between Murder and the clone unfold. The clone seemed desperate to get away from Murder's incessant pestering, but Murder was right on his tail, chasing and swinging while continuously asking, "Why? Why?" without a break. As the fight dragged on, the clone's focus deteriorated further and further. He made more and more mistakes, until finally, the two brothers managed to take it down—right in front of everyone who stood slack-jawed in disbelief. No one could quite wrap their heads around the fact that in such an absurd showdown, the one who just kept asking questions—Murder—was the victor.

"Urgh!"

Apparently, the destruction of the clone caused damage to the original body as well. Caught off guard while distracted, the First Gatekeeper was suddenly overwhelmed by Chang Long and her two ghost allies. Their synchronized assault left no opening for escape, let alone counterattack. All he could do now was desperately try to withstand their rapid, relentless onslaught.

The other clone, which had already been wounded by the Sovereign Sword, seemed hesitant to jump into the fray. He still had not shaken off the trauma from the burning pain inflicted by Chang Long's blade. While he was still wavering, Chang Long's group of pets and the twin brothers moved in, encircling him.

As soon as he got a full view of Kitsune and Flatear, the fur on his entire body bristled, and he bared his fangs with a snarl—completely devoid of the deference typical of normal beasts. Murder somewhat understood the reason why the clone of the First Gatekeeper lunged at Kitsune and Flatear before any of the others, even though Brownie, who was the weakest of them all, was right there.

Killer stepped in to block the attack, while Flatear leapt gracefully into the air like a deer. He soared clean over the young assassin's head with ease. Then, dipping his head low, Flatear charged toward the First Gatekeeper's clone, which was caught up in a duel with Killer. His sharp horn—like a unicorn's—pierced straight into the clone's torso, causing him to freeze and let out a shriek of agonizing pain. What was worse, even the real body of the First Gatekeeper visibly reacted, showing clear signs of pain.

Chang Long's blade sliced across the distracted Gatekeeper's body. He seemed stunned once again, hit by the same searing pain as his clone. The Sovereign Sword burned like it had been set ablaze as it cut through him. A scorching sensation steadily intensified, and wisps of smoke began rising from the wound. Then, black flames erupted.

"A... aaargh! My body—it's burning!"

The First Gatekeeper screamed in terror. Pain shot through every fiber of his being. He dropped and rolled on the ground, hoping to extinguish the black flames devouring his body. But the Flames of Judgement could not be put out unless commanded by the one who had sentenced him. All he could do was writhe and thrash in vain, unable to escape the torment.

"Whoa, how did you do that? Did you get a new skill or something?"

Devi-chan asked in amazement at the sight of Chang Long summoning black flames.

"Eh. It wasn't me. It just lit up on its own."

Chang Long's reply caught both Devi-chan's and Hisa-chan's attention. Everyone knew that the Sovereign Sword was a god-tier weapon, so having special options or abilities was not strange. But Chang Long had checked the sword's status screen many times before and never once saw anything about black flames.

"Hey, could it be that the black flame thing only activates in the Land of the Dead—or specifically inside the Hell Dungeon? Like, unless you're in the right place, the hidden trait doesn't show up or do anything?"

Devi-chan offered his theory.

Hisa-chan paused to think, then said,

"So you're saying the Sovereign Sword has a hidden attribute that only activates in certain locations, Devi-chan?"

"Something like that. In this case, it might be because we're in the underworld. Our liege is the sovereign of this realm. Also, that guy called it the Judgement Blade. It's possible that the sword can deliver punishment to those who oppose the ruler—or to beasts that dwell within the Hell Dungeon."

Devi-chan explained his theory based on his understanding, and it seemed both Chang Long and Hisa-chan agreed with him.

"Come to think of it, ever since we entered the Hell Dungeon, the Sovereign Sword has been glowing the whole time. Maybe Devi-chan's right. But to be sure, we need to test it again."

With that, Chang Long raised her sword toward the First Gatekeeper, who was still writhing in agony on the ground. The moment he realized another round of pain was heading straight for him, he quickly raised a hand to stop her and shouted loudly:

"Wait! Please, my liege—I surrender to you!"

The battle came to an end, much to the dismay of the twin brothers. They had just finished off the remaining clone and were planning to jump in and help Chang Long take down the real one—only for him to suddenly declare defeat. The moment he surrendered, the black flames devouring his body vanished, leaving behind severe burns across his frame. The First Gatekeeper collapsed to one knee in front of Chang Long in a show of submission, even as smoke continued to rise from his body.

"I, First Gatekeeper, guardian of the path to the second level of the Hell Dungeon, submit to the true sovereign—the Ruler of the Land of the Dead."

He spoke the words with fear faintly laced in his voice. Then he stood and gestured toward the large stone gate, which now shimmered with a ripple—signaling that they could now pass through it.

Chang Long looked at the First Gatekeeper and recalled what Fierik had told her: there was no need to kill—just to injure and terrify them. Was this how one was supposed to defeat the gatekeepers of each level? From Cerberus to the First Gatekeeper, Chang Long felt like these were merely the appetizers. The real horrors likely awaited in the deeper levels. And at this rate, even reaching the next gatekeeper might grow increasingly difficult. It might not even be realistic to rely on the Sovereign Sword to force each one into submission.

"My liege, please accept this token of my allegiance."

The First Gatekeeper presented her with a matte black mineral rod, shaped like a hexagonal cylinder—one inch in diameter and two inches long, with screw-like grooves etched into both ends. The moment Chang Long accepted it, the system chimed:

"Player Chang Long has received a Key Fragment for entry into the Lucifer Chamber – 1 piece."

"A key to unlock Lucifer's secret chamber… So that means, if a player wants to challenge Lucifer, they'll have to fight all twelve gatekeepers to gather the keys too."

Chang Long could not help but be impressed by the intelligence behind the game design. It subtly forced players into a series of grueling boss fights just to get to an even more brutal one.

For many players, it was probably a risk worth taking. Lucifer was one of the game's super bosses—akin to Leviathan. Any loot dropped from him would no doubt be exceedingly rare and astronomically valuable, enough to justify any risk. But for Chang Long, all she wanted was to survive the quest. That would be enough.

After accepting the key fragment, the First Gatekeeper returned to his giant canine form and went back to stand beside the entrance to the second floor. His body looked like it had turned into a lifeless statue.

What was even more shocking was that the coffin-warden ghost beasts that had been lingering just outside the king's aura were now stampeding toward Chang Long's group, no longer deterred by the presence of the First Gatekeeper.

"Oh crap. The moment he turned to stone, the king's aura vanished with him!"

Killer shouted in alarm. The number of ghost beasts charging at them now outnumbered their party by several times.

"Let's just hope they can't follow us through the gate."

Chang Long said—and with that, she dashed through the gate ahead of everyone else.

"Hey. Wait up, Master!"

Brownie shouted loudly as he leapt forward and clung to the hem of Anya's skirt, who was following closely behind Chang Long.

It seemed no one wanted to deal with the coffin-warden ghost beasts anymore—not even the twin brothers who lived for battle. So they all hurried after Chang Long through the gate, descending to the second floor of the Hell Dungeon with a mixture of excitement and dread. They had no idea what kind of beasts would be waiting for them down there—or how powerful the next gatekeeper would be. Would they be able to clone themselves like the First Gatekeeper had?

After resting briefly on the way down, the party finally found themselves standing on a gravel-covered ground that radiated heat. Wisps of hot steam rose constantly from the floor, limiting visibility. The second floor was quite dark, but there was light coming from numerous campfires scattered all around the area—so many, in fact, that it left the group rather puzzled.

"Why are there so many campfires on this floor?"

Killer asked, puzzled.

"Well, at least the fires help keep the place lit."

Anya replied, looking visibly unsettled. The fairy of the Night Fairy tribe clearly was not fond of pitch darkness—especially in a hellscape like this.

As everyone was scanning for signs of beasts, a chilling, mournful wail echoed through the area, making everyone's hair stand on end. Then came the sound of metal clanging, followed by the hiss of liquid spilling onto the hot stone floor. Heavy footsteps thudded closer, accompanied by a low, guttural growl. The group turned toward the source of the noise, eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Before long, three beasts emerged—creatures so grotesque, they looked like they had crawled straight out of a horror film. Anya and Chang Long both instinctively turned their faces away, particularly from the one leading the charge and howling wildly.

"Putrid Flesh Beast – Level 51, prepare for assault. Boiling Pan Beast – Level 53, prepare for assault. Pan Guarding Giant – Level 55, prepare for assault."

The group's eyes widened in shock as the three beasts charged. But it was not their levels that horrified everyone—it was how they looked. No one wanted to get close enough to even attack, especially not the Putrid Flesh Beast.

That one had a bare, decaying body with only a few ragged strips of cloth covering the essentials. Its skin was pale and sagging like it had been soaked in water for days. Its eyes were nothing but round sockets, and it had two small holes beneath them that looked like nostrils. There were no lips, only exposed gums with a few rotting teeth left—and blood seeped from between them. It came running in with arms raised high and slammed them down in a brutal attack.

The Boiling Pan Beast was literally a huge copper pan, large enough to boil a person alive. The lid on top moved up and down as though it were alive, and boiling water sloshed around inside, occasionally splashing out and hissing as it hit the burning hot ground. Its method of attack was to try and snatch players, throw them into the pan, slam the lid shut, and boil them—or spin rapidly to splash boiling water and cause severe burns.

Following right behind was the Pan Guarding Giant, a towering red-skinned man over two meters tall, rippling with muscles. He wore no shirt, only loose black pumpkin-style shorts. Chains hung across both shoulders. His head was bald, with two horns protruding from his forehead. His eyes were pitch black, his lips razor thin, and his mouth was filled with rows of small, triangular teeth. In his hand, he wielded a giant spoon made of bone, which he used like a club to bash heads.

"Eek. Get away from me!"

Anya shrieked and lashed out with a perfectly placed kick, landing squarely in the gut of the Putrid Flesh Beast, sending it flying backward—where it crashed directly into the Boiling Pan Beast. Everyone turned to look at her in astonishment—but not as much as Anya herself, who stared at her own foot in disgust. A chunk of the beast's decayed skin had peeled off and stuck to her shoe.