Adventure World Online (AWO)

"Do you wish to name your pet Luther? Please confirm."

"Confirm."

The moment the name Luther was officially assigned to little Lucifer, as chosen by Chang Long, a wave of discontent rippled through her companions—with unfortunate names. Especially from Devi-chan and Fluffy Head-chan.

"How could you come up with the name Luther? Ugh, you only took like two seconds to think of mine."

Devi-chan grumbled the whole way back toward the mirror's location.

"It wasn't that hard. I just suddenly remembered that Moddang's robot dog was named Luther. Thought it sounded cool, so I used it."

Chang Long's answer left everyone stunned, especially little Lucifer, who was speechless.

"A… a dog!"

"Come on now, it's a cool name. Even Devi-chan and Fluffy Head-chan are jealous."

Chang Long said casually, attempting to soothe him without much care.

"Luther, got hazed already huh. Heh heh heh…"

Anya burst out laughing, clearly amused. Luther, meanwhile, yelled in protest and took off chasing Chang Long, drawing hearty laughter from the entire group.

At the Cursed Cliff, The Judgement seemed slightly surprised to see little Lucifer tagging along behind Chang Long, but he did not question it. Chang Long returned to the Spirit Shop to collect the quest reward before heading off to check on the progress of Dark City—the city she was about to rule.

Upon arrival, she was surprised to find the day-shift shopkeeper already waiting for her, lugging her belongings. The woman beamed a wide grin, revealing a mouth full of pitch-black teeth, and hauled along a cloth bag two or three times her size as she approached.

"Been waiting for you."

The day-shift shopkeeper greeted her cheerily.

"Where are you going?"

Chang Long asked, bewildered.

"To set up shop in your city, of course. The boss sent me a telepathic message saying you completed the quest perfectly. So let's go."

The day-shift shopkeeper strode off ahead, leaving Chang Long to follow with a weak laugh.

As they journeyed to Dark City, everyone's excitement was palpable. They were all eager to see how far the city's construction had progressed and what wonders awaited them. Emilia and Hedrius—the dark elf siblings and the city's architects—were in charge of the city's design and construction. From what had been described, the architecture would blend seamlessly with the Dark Forest's natural surroundings. Still, without seeing it firsthand, it was difficult to imagine just how beautiful it might be.

The city walls, made from special vines from the Dark Forest, were breathtaking—like a giant serpent coiled around to protect the city. Each scale carved into the wall looked so realistic that even Brownie felt uneasy. The city gates had a double-door structure, designed to resist forced invasion. Inside, the streets bustled with movement. Most of the workers were AI laborers hired to help build the city.

Rising ahead was a black castle, built from rare dark stones sourced from Dark Forest, set atop a rocky base. At the city square, a massive arched bridge spanned a large pond that was in the process of being developed into a paddleboat pier, as per Chang Long's request. The area would serve not only as a port but also as a recreational space. The waterway she had commissioned was already complete, with a mirror.

The city's framework was still taking shape. It appeared that efforts had previously been focused on roads and the castle. The workers' diligence impressed Chang Long greatly. Both the people of Cuzca and the Dark Elves had been working tirelessly, pouring their hearts and skills into the construction. The results spoke volumes in their craftsmanship and durability.

"City Lord."

A voice called out, snapping Chang Long out of her admiration. She turned to see a towering Dark Elf man—unusually large for his race. Upon closer look, she remembered him.

"Commander Tosh."

Chang Long greeted him. He bowed respectfully, then invited her to the castle. She followed, with her companions and the day-shift shopkeeper close behind. It seemed something was amiss in the city. Commander Tosh's stern expression hinted at complications. And whatever those complications were, as the city lord, she would no doubt have to deal with them.

Chang Long made her way through the castle. Inside, Dark Elf soldiers and attendants stood at attention and bowed as she passed. In the throne room, Emilia and Hedrius approached her, both wearing worried expressions. Chang Long's sense of unease grew.

"City Lord, you were gone for quite some time. While you were away, a small complication arose, causing construction delays. I already have a plan, but I'd like to present it for your approval."

Spoke Hedrius—the Dark Elf Emperor.

"What kind of complication?"

Chang Long asked, frowning, while the day-shift shopkeeper walked over to speak with Emilia about opening the Spirit Shop in Dark City.

"The colonial hunters—they discovered the mine around the same time we did and have been blocking our access to it. What makes this mine special is that it contains gold veins mixed with gemstone deposits. It's practically a treasure trove for any treasure hunter. But the guarding beasts inside are extremely vicious and numerous. If we enlist the help of the colonial hunters, it'll reduce our casualties significantly."

Chang Long nodded thoughtfully, piecing the situation together. It made sense that players would compete for rare resource zones—but competing against AIs? She was not sure how that might affect things. She figured she would need to visit the bank again to clarify some of the game mechanics.

But before that, Chang Long was escorted to her personal quarters inside the castle. The room was lavishly decorated, luxurious, and elegant. Not only that—there were also private rooms available for her pets and spirits to choose from, which got everyone excited as they eagerly scrambled to claim their favorite rooms. Everyone except the two young men, Killer and Murder, who remained standing quietly without making any move to pick a room. As followers from another guild, they thought it likely they did not have their own quarters on this level—guest accommodations were probably the only option available to them.

The topmost floor of the castle housed Chang Long and her companions. To get there, one had to climb a dizzying spiral staircase. The four towers at each cardinal direction served as residences for Hedrius, Emilia, Commander Tosh, and Herod, the Dark Elf general. The lowest front level of the castle was the expansive grand hall, capable of hosting thousands. Behind it were the castle's kitchen and laundry facilities, located near the soldiers' barracks. The armory, storage rooms, and staff dormitories were all situated nearby.

The grand hall itself spanned two stories in height. The second floor was dedicated to guest accommodations, while the third floor housed the quarters for high-ranking retainers (mostly under Emilia and Hedrius). There were also many other rooms with blank plaques by the door—spaces left open for something. Killer explained to her that these were for guild emblems.

When Chang Long tried to step into that section to explore, the system notified her that she needed to be part of a guild to access it. Even Devi-chan and Hisa-chan, who had returned to their spirit forms after leaving the Land of the Dead, could not enter or examine that part of the castle.

The fourth floor consisted of hallways and empty rooms, as well as the stairway to the fifth floor. That level was a private leisure zone: a large open-air bath on the balcony surrounded by hedges, vines, and flowers from the Dark Forest; a tranquil library stocked with a wide variety of books; and a theater stage suitable for both human actors and puppet performances. The sixth, seventh, and eighth floors were all winding staircases leading up to a large set of doors on the ninth floor, guarded by elite soldiers. Behind those doors was a stairway that ascended to the tenth floor—Chang Long's private floor.

"On the fourth floor, you may expand the resident list however you like—artisans, researchers, it's entirely up to you."

Emilia, who was giving the castle tour, explained.

"As for the plaza in front of the castle, it's a versatile area for various activities. Right now, the troops are assembling to capture mounts. On the right side is the stable; on the left, the carriage depot."

Emilia walked over to a window and pointed out the wide area in front of the castle, which sat lower and further from the main structure.

From the castle, one could overlook the entire city. On the fourth floor, there was also a walkway that connected directly to the wall, offering a view of the city's rear, where it bordered the sea. There, a harbor was under construction. The site was bustling with workers scurrying about, but despite the chaos, construction seemed to be progressing smoothly. It appeared that the city would have only three main gates. The one leading to the beach was a hidden mechanical gate, known only to a select few.

Chang Long smiled with genuine happiness, amazed that she had built such a grand and beautiful kingdom. It felt like a dream, seeing it all laid out before her and knowing that it was hers—even if only within a game.

"Before I go deal with the mine situation, I think I'll go check on the paddleboat dock in the city center first,"

she finally said, once the initial excitement had begun to wear off.

"Is there something special about that place?"

Emilia asked, curious.

"It's the gateway to the Land of the Dead—another one of my key strongholds. I want to go over a few things with the construction crew before the work is completely finished."

Chang Long replied, making her way back inside the castle and heading straight for the stairs leading down.

"Everything seems to be connected, that Spirit Shop vendor, your paddleboat dock, but isn't it inefficient for transporting troops from your stronghold?"

Emilia was still puzzled. If Chang Long planned to bring an army from the Land of the Dead, would it not make more sense to use a large vessel capable of carrying a lot of people? Using small paddleboats would take forever—by then, the city could be conquered by enemies.

"The paddleboat dock is for adventurers to travel in and out. There are interesting places for them to explore, and it's a major source of income for that realm. As for the boats that can carry large numbers of the reborn, those are still under construction."

Chang Long explained.

Emilia nodded in understanding. She could not help but admire Chang Long's foresight. The city had several unique features that could easily attract adventurers. The more visitors it drew, the more revenue it would generate. With a harbor being built on the beachfront, the Spirit Shop opening inside the city, and now a paddleboat dock linked to another dimension (the Land of the Dead), the adventurers would come pouring in. Not to mention the allure of the Dark Forest, which promised plenty of exploration and beast hunting.

"Worried about your race's secrecy?"

Chang Long asked when she noticed Emilia fall silent.

"Not at all. Our secrets remain safe as long as we don't reveal them ourselves. We Dark Elves blend into the Dark Forest so well that even if one of us crept up and pressed a blade to someone's throat, few would realize what hit them. Besides, to even find our stronghold requires passing a hellish trial—just like the one you had to go through in the Elven City."

Emilia explained with a cheerful smile.

That was true. The Dark Elves were even more secretive than the regular Elves. There was no way a player would easily uncover their mysteries or clear their trials. And judging by Emilia's utter confidence, Chang Long was certain the Dark Elf quests had to be several times harder than the Elves'.

"Then there's nothing I need to worry about when it comes to my plan. I'll leave it to you, Lady Emilia. Seems I still have plenty of things to take care of."

Chang Long smiled at Emilia before walking off, her entourage following closely behind. They looked like a mother duck followed by a line of ducklings—though her newest little duckling was a bizarre, tiny, half-animal creature clinging to Chang Long's side.

After giving instructions to the workers at the paddleboat dock—located about five meters beneath the city square—Chang Long inspected the site. In the center was a water basin and a fountain, while one end was being developed into a proper landing for the paddleboats. A waterway extended from there all the way to a large three-meter-wide mirror—the same width as the channel itself. Chang Long wanted the dock area to be as dim as possible and had requested a solid brick ceiling without any openings to let in sunlight.

She figured her rowers would not like the brightness. However, adding bricks above the structure would weaken its structural integrity and create uneven load distribution on the bridge above. To solve this, the Dark Elf artisans suggested using a special type of vine. Its soft roots could weave through the brickwork without compromising the weight-bearing capacity, and its branches and leaves would grow out and interlace, forming a thick, leafy canopy—like the shade of a massive tree. The foliage would be so dense that sunlight could barely penetrate the cover.

Chang Long agreed to use the special vines and set out for the bank in Cuzca City, as the bank in her own city was still less than half built. With the shading solution taken care of, she no longer worried about the paddleboat dock—the artisans had handled everything she asked for perfectly. The only thing left was for Fierik to tell her when the mirror wall could begin functioning as a portal.

Cuzca City

The townsfolk all turned to stare at Chang Long as she walked past, as if they instinctively knew that this was the woman building the new city nearby. She felt a little awkward under the weight of their gazes, but kept a calm expression as she made her way to the bank. A bank staff member hurried out to greet her, displaying such obsequiousness that it bordered on annoying. He escorted her to a private VIP lounge.

"Please, have a seat. May I ask what brings you to the bank today?"

A senior bank officer inquired, once Chang Long and her companions were seated on a plush sofa.

"I assume you've heard that my people discovered a mine—but we've run into trouble with the colonial hunters. Can they compete with players over mine territory?"

Chang Long asked bluntly.

"In fact, yes. The game gives AIs a great deal of freedom. However, even if they manage to claim the mine, they won't be able to build a smelter. All they can do is extract and sell the raw ore."

The banker explained what was more or less the answer Chang Long had expected.

"And the area where the smelter is to be built—isn't that located near the mine as well? If the AIs control the mine, wouldn't that mean no one can build the smelter at all?"

She pressed further. The banker smiled, clearly pleased that Chang Long was astute enough to question this.

"It all comes down to negotiation between the parties. The bank will oversee the licensing of the smelter and regulate post-refinement trade rates to prevent price gouging. But the player is still responsible for investing in the smelter itself. Even if the surrounding land is under AI control, they might allow access if the proposal is mutually beneficial."