Adventure World Online (AWO)

The man being pursued by the most beautiful woman in the game had his heart focused entirely on another woman—someone he cared for deeply and wanted to see as soon as possible. He never once suspected that someone out there was so infatuated with him, they would chase him to the ends of the earth without giving up. All he could feel was worry—fear that the woman he loved was in grave danger, and that he might not reach her in time to help.

Even though he wanted to command Firetail to fly faster, he held his tongue.Crossing the sea consumed a great deal of energy, and there were almost no places to rest along the way. If they did not maintain a steady speed and ride the wind to support Firetail's heavy body, the dragon might exhaust itself before they could even reach their destination.

"Stay calm, Siegfried. Just a little further. By nightfall, we should reach the shores of Ameris Island. Once Firetail gets some rest for the night, we'll continue on to Dark Forest. Then I'll finally find out what's happened to Chang Long."

The young man tried to suppress the storm in his heart, though it burned inside him like wildfire.

It was as if Firetail could sense his rider's emotions. The dragon let out a soft rumble, almost like a comforting murmur. Siegfried smiled faintly and gave his neck a gentle pat. Though Firetail was technically Draco's pet, it seemed to respect Siegfried just as much—perhaps because of the Hoop Dragon Ring, the relic of the Dragon King himself, which Siegfried now wore.

"Thanks, Firetail. I won't forget your kindness."

At last, Siegfried reached the beach of Ameris Island just as the sun dipped below the horizon. Firetail was visibly exhausted, so the elf let him eat his fill and rest on the sand. That night, Siegfried leaned against the dragon's body, warming himself by a small fire on the beach.

He wanted desperately to set out in search of Chang Long right then and there, but he could not abandon the worn-out Firetail. Traveling on foot would also waste more time than riding Firetail. When the time to wait arrived, he had no choice but to wait, incapable of doing anything else—and hope that dawn would come quickly, bringing him one step closer to seeing her face again.

He dozed off just past midnight, only to be woken later by Firetail's stirring. He gave the dragon some food, ate a quick meal himself, and then they set off once more.

"LORD SIEGFRIEEEED!"

Kitsune cried out in joy when he saw the blazing red dragon with a flaming tail soaring overhead. He instantly recognized Firetail—and there could not be anyone else riding him but Siegfried.

His voice caught Firetail's attention mid-flight, prompting the dragon to circle back and gently descend to the forest floor. The man upon whom he had pinned his hopes dismounted with elegance, his sharp features tinged with concern. Even though he had rushed as fast as he could, he did not know whether he still had enough time left to save the woman he cherished.

"Kitsune—where's Chang Long?"

Siegfried asked the moment he saw the young fox.

"This way, sir."

Kitsune gave a quick nod and immediately led the way. Firetail's presence caused quite a stir among the beasts of the Dark Forest, many of which scattered in fear. But that worked in their favor—their journey through the forest was virtually unimpeded. Two hours later, Kitsune brought Siegfried and Firetail to the entrance of an ancient tomb. Along the way, the twin and the rest of Chang Long's pets had helped clear the path for them.

"This is it?"

Siegfried asked, eyeing the place with deep suspicion. The average player would not even dare to come near such a place—the mere sight of it from the outside was enough to drive most people away. But he knew Chang Long was not like most players. She would barge into any location that caught her interest without the slightest hesitation—danger be damned.

"Yes, sir."

Kitsune replied solemnly and led him into the underground tomb, all the way to a stone platform where Chang Long lay motionless.

"Chang Long!"

The young man rushed to her side, worry flooding his every thought—so much so that he failed to notice the dried-up corpse-like figure standing next to her. He scanned her body with sharp eyes, finding no wounds. What shocked him most was that although she looked as though she were merely asleep—there was no detectable pulse.

"What the—Why is there no pulse!"

"Welcome to the Dark Elf Tomb."

A strange, unfamiliar voice pulled Siegfried's attention away. When he turned to look, his breath caught. The speaker was a desiccated corpse, clad in a black hooded robe adorned with purple and gold ribbons. The moment he met their hollow eyes, the corpse began reciting the quest dialogue:

"Old tomb, I guard.Those who stumble here… find death.One way remains—let true love lead.Wait too long,and time will run dry.Then love is lost.And so is the body—lifeless, left to rest in this tomb."

"Player Siegfried has received the Corpse Altar's Curse secret quest. Once the quest is accepted, Player Siegfried will have forty-five days to complete it. (If another player accepted the quest first, the time remaining will match that of the first player.) Failure to complete the quest will result in both Player Siegfried and the cursed player undergoing the funeral rite conducted by the cemetery's priests. Does Player Siegfried wish to accept this quest?"

Siegfried was visibly startled by the quest's detail—but he did not hesitate.Forty-five days should be enough to see it through.But what concerned him was the fact that,if someone had already accepted it before him. How much time would Chang Long have left then?

"I accept!"

The moment he confirmed, Siegfried quickly raised his wristwatch to check the quest details. The thing he needed to know most right now—how much time did Chang Long have left?

"44 days, 23 hours, 57 minutes, 20 seconds. Whew..."

Seeing the number, Siegfried exhaled in relief. No one had accepted the quest before him.It seemed both Killer and Murder had intentionally held back—waiting for him to be the one to take it on.

"There's one more thing you need to know,"

the corpse said, gesturing for Siegfried to follow them. They walked until they stopped in front of an ancient stone door that looked as though it had been sealed for a very long time.

"This quest allows for multiple participants, but only those who have accepted the quest may enter the quest area. Furthermore—even if you complete the quest within the time limit—if you are not the player designated by the one who initiated the quest, it will still be considered a failure."

The corpse paused abruptly then grinned at him in a bone-chilling way and spoke again.

"And you'll have to undergo the funeral rite anyway. Heh heh heh."

Siegfried stood frozen, jaw slightly open. This quest was brutal and underhanded.—a trap, even. The fact that it required a specific person to succeed meant that even if he managed to save her, if he was not the one Chang Long had named, they would both still suffer the consequences.

"But... how am I supposed to know who Chang Long designated?"

He hesitated. If he was not the one, Chang Long would be punished regardless. But who else would she choose—he could never guess. Killer, Murder, or that crazy Aswa? The more he thought about it, the more doubt and unease crept into his mind—until someone gently placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It's you, sir. She must have chosen you. I'm sure of it!"

Kitsune's words blew his doubts away easily. There was no proof. Nothing in the system told him that he was the chosen one. But if Kitsune, Chang Long's closest companion, believed—then he would believe it too, and he would do everything in his power to succeed.

"We're helping too."

The twins chimed in unison. Both of them accepted the quest as well, hoping to support Siegfried.

"You guys..."

Siegfried turned to them, hardly able to believe it.

"At first, we didn't dare accept it because we figured Master Chang Long definitely wouldn't have named either of us. But now that you've accepted the quest, Mr. Siegfried, we don't have to worry about the timer anymore. We'll go in and back you up."

Killer said with a cheerful grin, as if the prospect of being embalmed alive was not anything to be too concerned about. Murder gave a nod, fully in agreement with his younger twin.

"If you're ready, then go. Time is limited—use it well, all of you."

As soon as the final words from the ancient corpse ended, the long-sealed stone door opened before them, revealing a corridor of endless blackness. The low, eerie moaning of something unseen made their skin crawl.

"Looks like this isn't going to be a walk in the park."

Killer muttered, craning his neck to peer into the darkness.

"No kidding. And we still don't even know what we're supposed to use to break the curse," Murder agreed.

"Whatever it is—I'll find it,"

Siegfried said firmly.

"Let your feelings guide you. The stronger your thoughts of the one who started the quest, the easier it'll be to find it."

The corpse advised one last time. And with that, a mighty gust of wind sucked the three of them into the doorway.

The stone door shut behind them. The corpse returned to its place beside Chang Long's motionless body. Nearby stood Anya, Luther, Fluffy Head-chan, and the two ghosts, watching over her vigilantly. Kitsune stood frozen before the door, so Flatear came up beside him to offer comfort.

"Brother, that guy will save her—I just know it. Don't worry too much."

"I hope so too. Lord Siegfried, please, complete the quest successfully."

The young fox spirit closed his eyes for a moment, as though in prayer, before stepping back toward the stone platform and gazing down at Chang Long's still, sleeping face.

"Master. I truly hope the one you chose was Lord Siegfried."

Inside, Siegfried saw only pitch-black nothingness. So dark, in fact, that he could not even make out his own hand. The air was thick with the stench of rot, wet and freezing cold. There were sounds—of something moving, moaning, drips of water, and many other, unidentifiable sounds. The elf pulled a guiding flame from his bag, casting a faint glow that allowed them to finally see their surroundings.

"Whoa. You've got the same kind of light as Master Chang Long!".

Killer exclaimed in surprise. Siegfried said nothing, his eyes scanning the area warily.

The place looked like a vast maze—countless dividing walls and corridors. Dusty objects littered the space, resembling furniture. It felt like the inside of an abandoned castle, long forsaken for centuries. There were shards of glass and shattered vases covered the floor, wilted flowers, and portraits on the walls with faces deliberately scratched out.

"What is this place—some kind of haunted mansion?"

Killer muttered as he cautiously stepped forward to explore.

"Be careful. We heard all kinds of noises when we first got in, but once we lit up the place—it all went dead silent."

Murder warned his younger twin who wandered away from the group.

"Look there. That giant clock on the wall, it's ticking weirdly…"

Ting… ting… ting…

Siegfried had not even finished his sentence when the clock's long hand, which had been ticking rapidly, stopped dead at twelve. A loud clang, like metal slamming together, echoed through the space. Beneath the clock was a rectangular frame, within which ancient-looking handwriting began to appear. It read: "Screamer"

An ear-splitting scream shattered the eerie silence, echoing from a slot beneath the framed image. The three men instantly guessed that the source had to be the beast known as the Screamer. They stood in a vast hall, surrounded by dozens of branching paths—yet had no idea which way to go. The space was so expansive, it was impossible to know where to begin. And just then, the Screamer shot out of the darkness like a missile. It took the form of a woman with long, curly hair, dressed in a frilly lace cage skirt. Her skin was deathly pale and covered in wounds. Her pitch-black eyes brimmed with hatred and rage. She had no teeth—just thin lips—and her fingers extended into long, gnarled claws, like brittle, thorny branches.

The three of them braced themselves against the incoming onslaught of the Screamer, a Level 42 beast. The creatures hovered eerily in midair, diving to attack like vultures swooping on prey. Their level was not particularly high, but they came in endless waves, unleashing shrieks that stabbed at their eardrums and blitzing in with terrifying speed. Each man found himself scratched and bloodied in the chaos

.

"Mr. Siegfried. Which way do we go?!"

Killer shouted over the cacophony. The elf could not see him at all—Screamers had swarmed between them. Murder was struggling just as badly. There were too many, and they were fast—emerging from the darkness with no warning, surrounding them so tightly they could barely move, let alone find a clear path forward.

However, just a while later, the sound of the giant clock echoed once more. This time, no new message appeared in the picture frame. The Screamers stopped attacking. It was as if they suddenly no longer saw the intruders. They drifted around aimlessly, occasionally letting out soft, ghostly moans.

"What the hell!"

Murder muttered, staring down at a Screamer's claw just centimeters from his chest. It had frozen in place before floating away.

"Now's our chance—move!"

Whatever the reason, their lives had been spared for the moment. Siegfried scanned their surroundings, then picked a passage and began leading the way—anywhere to get away from the beasts.

The trio entered a corridor that gradually transformed into damp and sticky soil. The floor, the walls, and even the ceiling looked like wet earth. They had somehow crossed into what resembled an abandoned mine. The only sounds were the drip of water echoing in the silence and their own cautious footsteps. Their expressions had grown tense—grim with the realization that they had walked right into a trap.

Swoosh!

A hand suddenly burst through the muddy wall—withered, like the hand of a corpse—and began clawing at the earth, trying to pry a body free. The buried body, clad in old, tight-fitting pants and shirtless. Its face was gaunt and menacing. It stood unnaturally, as if unaffected by gravity, and wielded oversized weapons completely out of proportion with its skeletal frame—a massive sword the size of a plank and a long-handled axe with a blade as wide as a washbasin.

"Level 47 Vengeful Beast is preparing to attack!"