Adventure World Online (AWO)

The wound, which at first appeared to be a mere scratch, revealed something hidden within—an intricately cut heart-shaped crystal glowing with a gentle radiance, pulsing in a rhythm that mimicked a heartbeat. Inside, a pearly white liquid shimmered softly with the movement of the body it resided in. Siegfreid instinctively knew—it had to be the item that could lift the curse from Chang Long.

"Mr. Siegfreid. We're here to help!"

Killer and Murder had just crossed the bridge. The twins rushed toward the young elf, who was currently dodging the frenzied attacks of the enemy.

"Perfect. You two keep it busy—I'll look for an opening to extract its heart."

The elf shouted out gratefully. Time was running out—for them, and for Chang Long. Even after retrieving the heart, they did not know what else they might face—would they have to run back to the exit, or be surrounded by enemies again?

The twins nodded and diverted their path, launching into an assault against the rampaging giant. They pressed the attack, trying to wear it down just enough for the elf to slip in close and pull the heart out.

"Player Siegfreid has discovered the item required to lift the curse."

The system notification made the young elf break into a wide smile. He let out a deep breath. At last—he had found it. The item that could break Chang Long's curse. But time was dangerously short. He feared they might not make it back in time to save her.

The giant collapsed and lay still. There was no system announcement confirming its death—just like when it first appeared. It had to have merely been a vessel concealing the curse-breaking item. The three exchanged glances, uncertain of what to do next. With no guidance, they could easily remain lost in this dark, endless labyrinth.

Creak…

A door opened somewhere. The landscape was barren and dusty, shrouded in dim light so heavy that they could not see beyond arm's reach. But the glow beyond the opening assured the trio that the door was real—and the figure that emerged through it was one of the mortuary attendants, the very NPC who had given them this quest.

The three of them sprinted toward the newly opened passage. Though weary and worn, the end was near. If they could just make it in time—if they could just see her open her eyes safely again—that would be enough...

The moment they passed through the doorway, the crystal heart in Siegfreid's hands began to fade. His face turned pale, and he quickened his pace, rushing to the stone altar where Chang Long's still body lay.

"Lord Siegfreid!"

"Lad!"

Kitsune and Devi-chan cried out in unison as they saw the elf approach. He looked exhausted and anxious, his large hands cradling something clearly precious. He came to a stop at the altar and gently placed the crystal heart upon Chang Long's body. It began to dissolve, releasing the pearly liquid, which spilled over her body. Slowly, it seeped into her until every last drop was gone. Then they heard it.

Thump-thump... Thump-thump...

Chang Long's heartbeat returned. And with it came the system announcement confirming their quest's complete success. The girl slowly opened her eyes to see the gentle face of the elf above her—just before their bodies dissolved into white light and vanished together.

.....

The warning chime from the gaming console jolted Chang awake, the sound grating on her nerves. Still groggy, she looked around for the source of the noise and saw a notification flashing across the screen. It was a system alert telling her she had exceeded her playtime limit. However, since she was in the middle of a quest, the system had not been able to forcibly disconnect her from the server. When she silenced the annoying alert, a new message appeared:

"User: Chayarin Rattanaruangrit is not permitted to log in for 48 hours. Please rest and allow your body to recover from an extended hibernation state."

And with that, the console shut down on its own, leaving Chang staring blankly at the screen for a moment, stunned.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

She muttered softly to herself before heading to the bathroom, completely ignoring the blinking light on her phone indicating several notifications. After stepping out, she made a beeline for the kitchen, her stomach growling loudly in protest.

"Oh, Miss. The master has been trying to call you so many times. He said you weren't answering, and when I knocked on your door, you wouldn't open it either. Is everything alright?"

Moddang all but rushed in for a hug the moment she laid eyes on the stubborn young lady.

"Oh, really? I was in the middle of a game, so I had no idea. Anyway, is there anything to eat? I'm starving!"

Chang answered without the slightest hint of concern. Right now, her biggest crisis was the riot going on in her belly.

Moddang let out a long-suffering smile before hurrying off to fetch her something to eat. Chang devoured the food like someone who had not seen a meal in days, leaving both Moddang and Aunt Im completely dumbfounded. She finished with a loud burp that even startled herself—then burst into laughter, joined quickly by the two.

"Honestly, young miss."

Aunt Im chuckled lightheartedly. No matter how unladylike her young miss behaved—burping or even farting—she always looked adorable in the eyes of the elderly woman.

"Heh, sorry. Guess I overate a little. I'm gonna go walk it off."

Chang mumbled sheepishly and left the dining room.

"Miss, don't forget to call master back. He must be worried sick by now."

Moddang called out before Chang could disappear out the door.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I won't forget."

She answered in the same laid-back tone and made her way back up to her room. Just as she was about to check her phone, it started ringing.

"It's Id."

Chang looked at the name on the screen. At first, she thought it was her dad calling, but to her surprise, it was not. Normally, Phichaya Rattanaruangrit would keep calling nonstop until his precious daughter picked up—only then would he feel at ease enough to go back to work. Then again, maybe he had already called just before this.

"Hey there, Idsara Chadler."

Chang answered and deliberately used the man's full name.

"Hahaha, full name and everything? You're making me blush here."

Her cheerful tone—no doubt a result of her full belly—immediately lifted Idsara's spirits. He had been nervous while waiting, worried she might not even pick up.

"So, what is it?"

Chang chuckled quietly but followed it up with a short, curt question just to mess with him.

"Wow, starting off like that makes it hard to know where to begin. So, um, today's Peach's birthday. This morning, she came knocking like crazy because she hadn't seen me in four days. She was scared she wouldn't get her birthday present. I was thinking, maybe you'd come help me pick something out for her. If the gift's from you, she'll be over the moon. But if you're not comfortable with it, that's totally fine too."

"Uh-huh. Sure. Pick me up in an hour—I'm gonna take a shower first."

Chang ended the call as soon as she finished speaking, leaving the young man on the other end frozen, wondering if he had imagined what she just said.

"Wait… she said yes, right? Holy crap—one hour. I still have to get dressed, drive, get there—!"

The young man practically went berserk, running around like a headless chicken before pausing to take a breath. He flung open his wardrobe, carefully selecting something comfortable yet stylish. As he dressed, he hummed happily to himself. But when he glanced at his watch, his eyes bulged wide—he snatched his car keys and dashed out of the room.

"And just where do you think you're going, big brother? It's my birthday today, you know!"

His little sister stood firmly in front of the door.

"Out to buy you a surprise birthday present, obviously. Now get out of the way."

He replied with clear irritation. Ever since she got off the game, his sister had been pestering him nonstop about how it was her birthday.

"Really? Then I'm coming with you!"

The girl beamed and eagerly insisted on tagging along, worried her brother might not pick something she would actually like.

"Nope!"

He replied flatly.

"Why not!"

Her face immediately twisted into a pout, and she let out a frustrated wail at being rejected.

"Didn't you hear me say I was going to buy a surprise birthday gift? If you come along, how would it still be a surprise!"

"Oh, yeah, good point."

"Exactly. So be a good girl, dress up all cute, and wait at home for your surprise gift from your big brother."

And with that, the young man bolted. Of course, he was not going to admit the real reason—he just did not want her tagging along and getting in the way while he and Chang browse around.

.....

At the Phetchklao Home, Chang stood calmly in front of the house, dressed in a comfy t-shirt and jeans, waiting for the young man to pick her up. It was not long before a familiar car turned into the driveway. Id lowered the window and waved at her with a cheerful smile. Chang returned a soft smile and walked over to get into the passenger seat beside him.

"Hey, aren't Moddang and your bodyguards coming too?"

Id asked curiously.

"Of course they are. But they're taking a different car. Unless you'd rather they came with us?"

Chang turned to him.

"N... No, that's not necessary. Separate cars is great. Let's get going."

Id quickly declined, so quickly that Chang almost burst out laughing. He pulled out of the driveway, followed by a sleek black van carrying two top-tier bodyguards—determined not to mess up like last time. This time, they would protect the young lady well, without her even realizing they were there. As for Moddang, who might otherwise be a third wheel, she chose to stay home this time, giving the young couple their space and allowing the bodyguards to do their jobs properly.

"So, your sister's personality—is it the same as her in-game character?"

Chang asked. She still had not decided what to get Id's sister for her birthday. But if Peach's real-life personality matched that of her in-game character, Peach Blossom, choosing a gift might not be hard.

"Exactly the same. What you see in the game is what you get in real life."

Id laughed as he answered.

"Sounds like she's into beauty and fashion, but she's still a bit too young for makeup sets. I still have no idea. Guess I'll just browse around until something clicks."

Chang muttered thoughtfully, clearly taking the task of choosing Peach's gift seriously.

Id could not help feeling impressed. He knew exactly how spoiled and difficult his little sister could be, and yet Chang never held it against her. In fact, she seemed to handle Peach well. Any other woman would have either stormed off or gotten into a slap fight with Peach by now. Even his childhood friends, who had known Peach for years, sometimes struggled to put up with her extreme behavior.

Chang and Id decided to shop at Space Mall, a massive and trendy department store with a wide selection of goods. They visited the women's fashion section, toy stores, electronics, beauty counters, and various jewelry shops. Eventually, something caught Chang's eye—a cute set of pink gemstone jewelry.

"How much is this set. Uh, without the ring."

Chang asked the sales clerk, who seemed a bit unsure of her at first based on her casual clothes, but still approached with a professional smile.

"Three hundred and sixty thousand baht, ma'am. If you include the ring, the full set comes to three hundred ninety-five thousand."

"You're interested in this set?"

Id stepped closer, also intrigued.

"Yeah. Your sister loves jewelry. But I'm not buying the ring. If I do, she might think I'm proposing or something. That'd be a disaster."

Chang answered seriously, making the young man burst into laughter.

"You're right. That girl's absolutely obsessed with you. But it's such a shame to leave the ring out—it's part of the set."

"How about this: you get the bracelet and the ring, and I'll take the necklace and earrings."

Chang proposed. Id paused to think before agreeing. Asking Chang to pay for his sister's gift all by herself—especially at 300,000 baht—felt a bit much. But at the same time, it was a shame not to buy the whole set, because Chang would not buy the ring. So, Chang's plan seemed perfect.

"Wait, you're not letting the gentleman pay for it?"

The saleswoman asked in surprise when she saw Chang pulling out her own credit card.

"Why would I let him pay?"

Chang shot back, clearly irritated. She could tell from the woman's expression—this salesperson probably assumed she did not have the money.

"Ah. My apologies, ma'am."

The woman quickly apologized, flustered by Chang's sharp gaze, and took her card to process the payment. When she saw the signature on the receipt, her eyes widened in disbelief.

"Ch...Chayarin Rattanaruangrit!"

Chang took her card and the beautifully wrapped gift box without another glance at the stunned saleswoman. Id followed her, glancing at the time, then nudged the girl, who still wore a scowl—upset by the way the jewelry store sales woman had looked at her.

"It's getting late. Want to head straight to my place? The party will probably be starting by the time we get there."

He asked, not noticing her expression.

"Hmm. You seriously want me to show up dressed like this? Didn't you see that saleswoman's gaze just now?"

Chang snapped, still fuming.

"Eh? Normally, you don't care what anyone thinks. But, yeah, this outfit probably isn't great for a party. Tell you what—how about we pick something out for you to wear right here?"

Id chuckled nervously, trying to avoid getting scolded too. Without waiting for her reply, he grabbed her hand and led her toward the women's fashion section.

"Hey. Are you serious right now?"

Chang asked, uncertain and clearly a bit flustered. The idea of getting dolled up in a mall just to show up at Peach's birthday party was a little embarrassing.

"Of course I'm serious. Let's both dress up and walk out of here looking like royalties. Sounds fun, doesn't it?"

Id replied cheerfully, showing none of the shyness of his in-game counterpart, Siegfreid. Or maybe he just did not get flustered around her because he did not even think of her as a girl... Tch!

Id enthusiastically helped Chang pick out a dress for the party. Truthfully, he thought she would look beautiful in anything. Then it was Chang's turn to help him choose a tuxedo. Afterward, the two of them headed to a salon for hair styling and makeup—though this part pushed Chang out of her comfort zone. She was not a fan of makeup, except for truly important events like her father's birthday or high-profile corporate galas where she had to look the part of a billionaire's daughter.

Over an hour later, Id—now fully dressed and freshly styled—waited in the VIP lounge of the salon. He did not have to wait long before Chang in sweet, girlish look finally stepped into the room shyly. The stylists gave her a makeover in soft charming tones that suited her age perfectly. Her large, round eyes and thick lashes—lightly darkened with mascara—gave her a captivating charm. Her lips were plump and dewy in a subtle pink-orange hue. Her sleek black hair was styled into loose waves and pulled back in a half-up twist, topped with a simple silver headband adorned with a small crystal bow. Right now, she looked nothing short of a goddess.