Adventure World Online (AWO)

"Pfft. Sounds just like a business scheme!"

Devi-chan grumbled in annoyance.

"So it all comes down to planning—whether it'll be profit or loss. In that case, I'll try negotiating first. If their offer sounds good, I'll let them take ownership of the mine. But if not, I'll just use them as beast bait like Hedrius suggested, and wipe them out when the job's done."

The bank officer smiled, clearly pleased with her answer.

"It's entirely your decision, Miss Chang Long. Choose wisely and you'll profit—choose poorly and you'll lose. But for someone as sharp as you, I'm sure you'll come out ahead either way."

Chang Long rolled her eyes. NPCs in this game really did not miss a chance to butter people up. After wrapping up the conversation, she excused herself.

"I should probably ask Siegfried about this, don't you think, Devi-chan? He's had experience with this kind of thing—he'd probably know more than some bank employee."

She lifted her wristwatch to search through her contact list, casually asking for opinions as she did.

"Tch. Suit yourself. That twin of yours didn't even come with you and stayed in Dark City, so might as well ask Heaven's little heir. He's so into you he'll spill everything without hesitation."

For a moment, Chang Long froze mid-search. Her cheeks flushed at Devi-chan's comment before she quickly tried to play it off. Now how was she supposed to call him without getting embarrassed?

Beep-beep Beep-beep

The call rang while the young man was making his way back into town. Curious, he raised his wrist to check the caller—and had to blink and rub his eyes in disbelief. The name flashing across the screen was none other than Chang Long—someone who almost never called him unless she needed something.

"Hello, Chang Long."

He answered the call, his voice tinged with nervous excitement. Even though she was not standing in front of him, he still felt more flustered talking to Chang Long than to Chang, her real-world self.

"Uh… hey! Siegfried. I hope I'm not bothering you or anything."Chang Long asked, her tone a little awkward.

"Not at all. I just finished a quest. We're taking a break in Persia City before heading out again. Is something up?"

he replied. His group had stopped to restock supplies before continuing their journey—Rafael was pressing him hard to return to Heaven City.

"Uh-huh. I wanted to ask you something about mine territory ownership. Do you know anything about that?"

Chang Long continued.

"Oh, sure. When it comes to claiming mine territory, it's about seizing the surrounding area where a smelter can be built. As for the mine itself, the rights holder gets to decide who's allowed to dig there. You can't remove any ore from the site—it has to be refined through the smelter of the rights holder. That's different from beast drops. That's why the bank regulates smelting fees so the rights holder can't price gouge.

If someone owns the rights outright, they can charge hourly or daily access fees to the mine. In my case, though, I had to split ownership with the Doom Star Guild. Just dealing with them is a headache, so we haven't opened the mine to outsiders or charged any fees yet."

Siegfried explained in great detail.

"So, who are you planning to fight someone over a mine, Chang Long? No other guilds have reached Ameris Island yet, have they?"

"AIs. Colonial hunters. That's why I was wondering if it's any different from fighting other players."

Chang Long answered. Based on what she had heard, it seemed like she would need to secure mine ownership herself. Letting the AI win could make things a lot more complicated than expected.

"Competing with AIs, huh. Never heard of that happening before. But they can't build smelters anyway. So you'll need to watch them closely—see what they're really up to. The side that wins is the one that collects the most mine emblems. But the guarding beasts are fierce and numerous. Honestly, you could just use the AI as bait—since they probably don't even realize the emblems are the key. They're likely just trying to block others from getting inside."

"That's true. I guess I'll have to head out to the mine myself. Thanks a lot—your answer really helped."

Chang Long replied, her expression showing a much clearer understanding of the game's mine-ownership system.

"Glad I could help,"

Siegfried answered, a touch playfully, earning a soft giggle from Chang Long. Her laughter made him chuckle along with her, unable to hold it back.

"Well then, I owe you one. Next time we meet, I'll repay the favor."

Chang Long said with a quiet laugh.

"Any time. I'm sure we'll meet again—both in-game and... outside it too."

Siegfried replied, testing the waters just a bit. Chang Long seemed momentarily taken aback before she answered.

"Something like that."

"Oho. With that tone… don't tell me you're blushing?"

Siegfried teased, clearly enjoying the conversation. Ever since getting to know her in real life outside the game, he found it easier to talk to her—and less nerve-wracking. Having gone through shared experiences together, Chang Long had opened up to him a little. She was more approachable now, showing sides of herself that very few had ever seen.

"D... Don't talk nonsense. Who'd blush over something like that!"

Chang Long sputtered, flustered. Siegfried laughed heartily, his heart swelling with joy. This was the real Chang Long—gone was the stoic commander, replaced by a fiery, flustered girl. He found himself wondering if her cheeks were actually turning red right now.

"Alright, enough teasing. Thanks for the info—I've got to go now. I'm heading out to scout the mine."

Chang Long's voice returned to its usual serious tone. Siegfried stifled his laughter, worried he might genuinely upset her if he kept pushing.

"Sure. If you ever have more questions, don't hesitate to call."

He replied.

"Mm. Hanging up now."

With Siegfried's another reply, Chang Long ended the call. She turned to find all her companions staring at her, eyes unblinking. A faint blush returned to her pale cheeks before she could stop it.

"Wh... What are you all staring at! Let's get back to the city so we can start preparing for the mine expedition."

She quickly put on a stern face and marched off toward the exit of Cuzca City.

"Master."

Kitsune called out, prompting Chang Long to spin around with a sharp glare—expecting the fox to make some kind of teasing remark.

"What is it now?"

She barked.

"To return to Dark City, we should go this way, master."

Kitsune said politely, pointing in the opposite direction of where she had been headed. Chang Long froze for a split second, then wordlessly pivoted and marched down the correct path—without waiting for anyone to catch up.

"Master's acting real weird, huh, big brother."

Flatear approached and muttered to Kitsune, who let out a quiet sigh of relief that he had not been scolded.

"What did she talk about with that Heaven Heir brat? That whole vibe was suspicious. Don't tell me he was slipping her sweet talk. Ugh! The nerve of that guy!"

Devi-chan floated along behind, speculating about Chang Long and Siegfried's conversation with a furrowed brow.

The whole group rushed after Chang Long, who had darted off with such speed that she was already far ahead of them—leaving even the fast Kitsune in the dust. When they finally caught up back at Dark City, they found Chang Long already deep in discussion with a male Dark Elf—the head of the exploration team she had dispatched to scout for mines.

"Alright then, get the troops ready. We're paying that mine a visit."

Chang Long said as their conversation concluded. The Dark Elf gave her a respectful bow, then turned and left to assemble the forces as ordered.

"We're heading into battle again already?"Brownie exclaimed in disbelief. He had been hoping for a little rest and a nice soak after all the hardship in the Hell Dungeon. But now they were off to fight over a mine instead.

"This time, don't you dare stuff me in a bag, Master. I've got some rage to let out myself." Fluffy Head-chan declared firmly. Chang Long laughed and promised him he would get to go all out.

Chang Long set out for the mine site, accompanied by a group of Dark Elf warriors and several of the reborn who were still residing in Dark City. They took a roundabout route past Cuzca City—a lesser-known path, but one that her scout had already marked on their return from the earlier expedition. This made the journey far easier for those not as nimble as the Dark Elves. Along the way, they encountered many beasts, but none posed a real obstacle to their group. After about half an hour of travel, they arrived at the encampment of Spanish soldiers—colonial hunters.

Seeing a large group approaching, the Spanish soldiers came out of their camp to stand at the ready. Suspicious and on guard, they asked Chang Long's group why they had come. Not far beyond their camp lay a treasure trove known as the Golden Mine, but the area and the path leading to it were crawling with high-level beasts, which had made breaching it impossible for them so far.

"We want access to the mine area."

Chang Long said bluntly. With her commanding presence, distinctive attire, and the way her followers treated her with visible respect, the Spanish soldiers did not dare act recklessly.

"We were the ones who discovered the mine first, you know,"

one soldier said, clearly hoping to pressure her into backing off.

"You found it first, sure—but it looks like you haven't been able to do anything with it. In that case, you shouldn't be blocking the way for others."

Chang Long replied coolly. The soldier flinched as if he had just been punched in the gut—her words had struck a nerve.

"You mean to say that your little party of fifty can seize that mine from those beasts?"

came a voice from behind the soldiers—an older man who stepped forward to meet Chang Long face-to-face. Though his eyes scanned her from head to toe, his expression wore a friendly smile.

"If I said yes, would you let us through then? I'm asking nicely, you know—like civilized people."

Chang Long said with a taunting tone, clearly unimpressed by the old man's scrutinizing gaze.

"Heh heh, confident. But judging by the looks of you, I wouldn't say your abilities are ordinary. Even so, my men aren't exactly pushovers either, kid."

The old man said, his voice full of pride.

"You should've said you wanted to get pushed. I've got an itch to tear something apart anyway."

Fluffy Head-chan marched forward with intent. The Spanish soldiers turned toward the voice with shock—and then burst into loud laughter when they saw him.

"GAHAHA. That little thing? Why don't you try chewing through my boot first, squirt, then maybe we'll talk!"

The first soldier sneered, laughing uproariously along with the rest of the camp.

"Hey, you know something? No one who's ever mocked Fluffy Head-chan has lived to tell the tale."

Chang Long said in a low, grim voice. But hearing the name of the pint-sized lion only made the Spanish soldiers laugh even harder. Chang Long shook her head with pity, then activated a skill for the now-enraged Fluffy Head-chan, who was seething with visible veins pulsing at his temples.

"Puppet Manipulation."

The moment the skill was triggered, Fluffy Head-chan's tiny body swelled in size until it was as big as a six-wheeled truck. The soldiers who had been laughing seconds earlier instantly fell silent, eyes wide as they stared at the true form of the Nemean Lion King.

Fluffy Head-chan let out a furious roar. The soldier who had dared him to chew his boot froze in fear under his gaze. The lion swatted him with a massive paw—without even extending his claws—as if just playing. The man was sent flying into a nearby tent, which collapsed instantly under the impact.

"He's dead!"

Another soldier ran over and shouted in panic. The rest of the soldiers turned their eyes on Fluffy Head-chan, who now barreled toward anyone standing in his way.

Just one giant lion was enough to reduce the Spanish camp to rubble. The soldiers panicked and scattered in all directions. But then the older officer raised his voice, calling them back and ordering them to regroup and form a battle line against Fluffy Head-chan. What they had forgotten, though, was that the angry giant lion was not their only enemy.

"Trying to gang up on my Fluffy Head-chan, huh."

Chang Long said calmly, casting a glance at Kitsune and Flatear. The two nodded and leapt forward, flanking Fluffy Head-chan on either side like royal guards protecting a misunderstood lion under siege.

"W... Who's ganging up on who here? That one lion already wiped out over half our forces."

The older officer barked, fuming. Chang Long raised an eyebrow slightly before replying.

"Oh, right, now that you mention it. So, still thinking of blocking our way?"

"Y... You."The older man gritted his teeth. He realized now that he had badly made a misstep, challenging the person before him—just because they looked young, he had never guessed they had such powerful and loyal followers.

"So what'll it be, old man? Are we talking nicely now?"

"W... Who are you calling old, huh!"

"Sorry, what was that?"

Chang Long asked again, seeing that he was mumbling.

"Sigh... Fine. Let's talk this out peacefully."

The old officer relented, finally giving in. He ordered his men to lower their weapons and entered negotiations with Chang Long. It may have been too late, but it was still better than facing her and her entourage head-on.

The old man—whom the soldiers referred to as their chief—agreed to serve as reinforcements for Chang Long in order to avoid losing credibility over the mine with the other officers, who were off on separate missions. In return, he asked that his men be allowed to mine from the area freely. Having just learned about the mining mechanics from Siegfried, Chang Long accepted without hesitation.

Letting the Spanish mine there for free was a small price—after all, they would still have to use her smelter in the end. That said, Chang Long still did not know what lay inside the mine—what kinds of beasts might be lurking, how difficult the ore would be to extract. Once she had secured the site, she intended to explore it herself and set a proper mining fee accordingly.

"In that case, I'll give you a day to recover from your injuries. Tomorrow, we enter the mine."Chang Long ordered before turning to join her own people, who had already finished setting up camp—unlike the Spanish soldiers, who were still busy clearing out collapsed tents and trying to pitch them again amid the wreckage.