Adventure World Online (AWO)

Chang Long's group made their way back out of the gem-laden cavern by tying together strands of aquatic algae, which Kitsune then transformed into a makeshift rope using his transformation ability. With it, they all climbed their way out. Once back on the surface, they worked together to collapse part of the earthen wall, sealing off the sinkhole and hiding it from view—just in case other players might find it.

Fortunately, the area was a dead end, not a place that would normally attract players, so it was unlikely anyone else would stumble upon it. As they returned to the mine's entrance, they found the twin and their forces waiting for them with worried expressions. Aside from Chang Long's group—who had arrived later than scheduled—there was still no sign of the Spanish soldiers.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. I kinda got lost,"

Chang Long said, brushing it off lightly.

"What about the Spanish soldiers?"

"They said they wanted to dig for a bit more ore before heading back, sir,"

answered a Dark Elf warrior.

"Figures. They probably don't want to return empty-handed. But we should get going. I've got some business to take care of at the bank,"

Chang Long replied, nodded in understanding, then pushed through the crowd to take the lead on the journey back to Dark City.

"No need to go all the way to the bank. I've come to you instead."

A young man in a pristine white suit approached with a smile and a large folder in hand.

"And you are?"

Chang Long asked, eyeing him with suspicion.

"Why, I'm the one you spoke with before about the mine. When I heard that you'd successfully claimed the mining site, I brought you the available layouts for different types of smelting facilities—saves you the trouble of making another trip back to town,"

the bank officer said, flipping open the folder for her to see.

"That was fast... Well, it's convenient, I'll give you that. But I didn't think there'd be this many types of smelters,"

Chang Long muttered, quickly shifting the topic as she stepped in to browse through the designs, assessing which ones best suited her needs in terms of size and cost.

The smelting facilities came in a variety of shapes and sizes, each with a different production capacity. Smaller ones processed less ore per batch and took longer to complete each cycle. There were also specialized smelters for processing specific types of ore, as well as dual-type and triple-type models. The most expensive ones could even process precious stones and magical gems.

"So, have you decided which model you'd like to go with?" the bank officer asked when he noticed her deep in thought.

"By the way, do you offer any discounts?"

Chang Long asked, thinking of how much she had already spent building both Dark City and the Land of the Dead. The cost had eaten up nearly three-quarters of her funds. Good thing she did not have to spend anything on food—otherwise, she would have gone completely broke like Aswa during the auction for the Pirate King's treasure map.

"Oh! Of course, we do. For smelters with dual functions, you get a 5% discount. Triple functions, 10%. And for multifunctional facilities, we're offering a 15% discount."

He was puzzled for a split second before answering, laying out the offer.

After doing a quick calculation, Chang Long found that the dual-function models gave the best value for her money. She chose two types of dual-type smelters, with two plants for each type. One for tin-copper-iron, with silver-gold, and another for (ordinary) gemstones-elemental gems. This setup would significantly boost their production volume.

Chang Long anticipated that players would be very interested in using her smelters. Hiring NPCs to unseal ore or buying unsealing tools to do it manually was costly and time-consuming—not to mention that each tool could only be used once per ore.

In addition to sealing the smelter deal, the bank officer also advised her to set up usage fees for players wishing to mine on her property. He even offered her a few discreet tips on pricing. Since her mine uniquely held a wide variety of ores all in one place, she could afford to set the entry fee higher than others.

Chang Long decided to charge an entry fee of 100 coins per person per day to access the mine. She figured that whether a player found cheap or valuable ores depended largely on luck anyway. Plus, she could also earn a commission from players who used her smelting facilities. Although the initial investment was steep, it would pay off in the long run—and it was not so expensive that it would be considered exploitative.

When Chang Long swiped her credit card on the bank officer's portable card reader, the system chimed to schedule the delivery and installation of the smelters. The process would take 24 hours in real world time—just over two days in the game. The bank officer beamed with joy as he thanked her and departed. Meanwhile, Chang Long nearly buckled at the knees from the amount of money she had just spent. Fortunately, Dark City was nearly finished, and she would not need to spend much more on building materials. Otherwise, she really might have had to start mining gold herself just to keep the city project afloat.

"Let's head back,"

Chang Long said weakly, leading the way—though no one followed her.

"Um, master."

Killer called out uncertainly.

"Hm?"

Chang Long turned to look at him, puzzled, only to find her followers wearing awkward expressions.

"Uh, to get back to Dark City, we have to go that way,"

Killer said, pointing in the complete opposite direction of where she had been walking.

"Oh, uhh... Right. You really should be the one leading the way,"

Chang Long admitted sheepishly, coming to a stop. No matter how much her level increased or how advanced her skills became, her terrible sense of direction never seemed to improve. Killer gave an awkward laugh and took the lead, guiding the group back toward Dark City, leaving the Spanish soldiers behind in the mine.

.....

The talk of the player community at the moment revolved around one name—Chang Long. This person had somehow managed to claim a special territory on Ameris Island without any guild backing her. Even more shocking were the reports—by some very observant players—of a massive port being constructed along the island's western shore. This sparked a surge of curiosity, excitement, and speculation among players throughout the game. Before long, large groups of players began renting ships from the Maritime Association to sail to Ameris Island—despite the sea beasts and other travel hazards that plagued the route.

Strangely, almost all the players making the journey belonged to guilds, whether minor unknown ones or major, well-established powerhouses. The Maritime Association found themselves fully booked, with nearly their entire fleet chartered to Ameris. It puzzled the guild members—never had they seen so many players act in such unified fashion.

Still, it was a golden opportunity for the guild to rake in profits from the mass voyage contracts. Even with the risk of ship damage along the way, the extra charges from hazard fees more than made up for it.

Even the newly repaired ship of Captain Columbus had been chartered for the trip. The young captain had been thrilled when he heard the system announce Chang Long as the player who conquered the special territory on Ameris. He did not know how she had done it, but having known her for some time, it did not come as much of a surprise. Chang Long had always been ridiculously lucky—like, absurdly so. If the port being built really did belong to her city, he might even be able to negotiate a special deal to dock Maritime Association ships there in the future.

"I can't wait to see Chang Long again, Captain,"

said Sea Breeze, the vice-captain of the Bloodied Angel ship, walking up with a cheerful grin. Though their past travels with Chang Long had been filled with bizarre and dangerous incidents, he had to admit—they were also eye-opening and a lot of fun.

"Huh? You want to see Chang Long? You're always complaining about how she drags us into all sorts of dangerous messes,"

Captain Columbus replied, clearly skeptical.

"Haha, true enough. But you've got to admit—Chang Long's pockets run deep," Sea Breeze laughed.

"So basically, you just miss her money, huh,"

the captain said with a shake of his head at his crewmate's greed.

"Oh, come on, Captain. You really think I'm that money-hungry?"

Sea Breeze retorted in mock offense.

"Well, am I wrong? Still, you're the one who's helped us afford to repair this ship over and over again."

Captain Columbus chuckled, watching as Sea Breeze puffed up his cheeks in fake indignation—looking far more ridiculous than cute.

"Hmp, only just now recognizing my contributions, Captain? Good thing the Guild leader let us dock and go ashore, so we don't have to double back to pick up stranded players like the other ships."

He was genuinely surprised. He had not known Captain Columbus had gone to the Guild leader to request permission to negotiate a special port lease with Chang Long—especially when they still were not even certain the port being built actually belonged to her.

"I did go ask the Guild leader about leasing port space. Saying I know the port owner, so I might be able to get us a deal,"

Captain Columbus replied casually.

"What! And what if the port doesn't belong to Chang Long?"

Sea Breeze burst out, alarmed. He had not expected the captain to be so reckless.

"Eh, no big deal. I've got decent negotiation skills. Even if it turns out the port's not hers, I'm confident I can talk my way into a discount,"

Columbus replied nonchalantly, ending the conversation as another player approached.

"Captain, can we sail directly to that new port?"

The player asked in a flat tone.

"It's a bit risky. That route hasn't been cleared yet. If we sail in alone, we'll be a prime target for sea beasts,"

the captain said with a troubled expression.

"Then can you coordinate with the other ships that came with us to change course together?"

the player pressed. He did not want to waste time trekking through the unexplored forests of Ameris Island searching for the new city—he might not even make it there alive.

"Each ship was hired by different clients. They may not agree to a change of plans. But I'll check in with them and see."

Even though he was not sure the passengers on the other ships would be willing, Columbus thought sailing straight to the new port was a smart move—it would shorten their travel time compared to docking at the colonial city's official port. It was more dangerous, but potentially worth it.

After consulting with the other captains, it turned out all the clients agreed to the route change. Everyone preferred heading straight to the new port under construction, even if it meant braving more sea beasts. Traveling as a fleet would allow them to divide the risk of dealing with the beasts—improving the chance of a safe arrival.

"I had confirmed. All the ships that departed with us are ready to divert course to the new port. I'll go give the crew their orders now. You'd better prepare yourself for beast encounters, just in case."

Columbus reported to the client. After the change of route was confirmed, he excused himself to look over the crew, with Sea Breeze following close behind."Heh heh heh. Perfect! Now I'll finally find out who this Chang Long really is." The player chuckled in satisfaction and went back to inform his companions to prepare for battle as the ships altered their course.

.....

Chang Long's group arrived back in Dark City at dusk. The citizens erupted into cheers to welcome them home and celebrate the successful seizure of the mining zone. They were greeted with a festive feast in their honor. That night, everyone was in high spirits. Everything seemed to be going smoothly: the city was nearly complete, more warriors from the Land of the Dead were arriving every day, and NPCs had started cooperating to open shops and other services. But there was still one thing that weighed on Chang Long's mind—her own level and abilities. She was not yet sure she was strong enough to go toe-to-toe with the other heirs of the Pirate King.

"Hey, tomorrow I'm heading into the Dark Forest again to grind some more XP This time I'll go deeper in—maybe I'll find tougher beasts to fight,"

Chang Long said to Kitsune as they made their way back to her private chambers in the castle.

"Wherever you go, I go, master,"

Kitsune replied with a smile. No matter where his master went, he would follow. He would never allow himself to be separated from her.

"But what about the elemental gems, master?"

asked Flatear, his curiosity piqued. Ever since they returned from the mine, Chang Long had not mentioned them once.

"Give me a bit to think it over. Diving in and out of that place is risky. Besides, you said the exit isn't far from Dark City. Maybe we can build a hidden path from the castle directly to that cavern. I'll consult with Hedrius and Emilia about it,"

she replied. Even if she did not plan to revisit the mine right away, Flatear had already stockpiled a large number of elemental gems, thanks to the team's joint effort before leaving.

"That sounds good, but this city can be taken over by others, right? If it falls into enemy hands, wouldn't they eventually discover the secret passage to the treasure trove?"

Anya asked anxiously. But before she could elaborate, she was met with a terrifying glare from Devi-chan, causing the fairy girl to flinch in fright.

"You think this city will fall that easily, Anya? Just wait and see. Anyone who comes up against our army will be shaking in their boots."

Devi-chan growled, then spoke with fierce pride in their hybrid force—made up of resurrected warriors from the Land of the Dead and Dark Elf soldiers.

"Gosh, I was just speculating. Don't look at me like that, Devi-chan."

Anya pleaded with pitiful eyes. Her expression softened Devi-chan's wrath.

"Oh, right—Luther. Everyone else has picked out their rooms already. Want to choose yours? There are still a couple left,"

Chang Long turned to ask her newest companion.

"I'd like a room close to you, if that's okay,"

the little boy replied cheerfully.