"So, where should we head next? There's only one city left on Europa Island that we haven't visited yet. I hear it's the main base of the Doom Star Guild,"

Chang Long mused thoughtfully. Meanwhile, Hulu waved over the tea house server and ordered an additional twenty pieces of strawberry cake.

"I don't think there's much left to explore on this island, master. Why don't we visit another island instead?"

Hulu suggested after placing his order.

"That sounds good. But what did you just order from the server, Hulu?"

Chang Long agreed.

"I ordered more cake. I tried it earlier, and it was really good,"

Hulu replied.

"Uh-huh. And did you order enough for Kitsune too?"

Chang Long inquired, concerned that Hulu might have only ordered for himself.

"Oh, I ordered more than enough, master! But let's focus—where should we go next?"

Hulu quickly changed the subject, trying to divert attention from the amount of cake he had just ordered.

"Afric, because we won't have to detour and waste time,"

Chang Long answered as she spread out the island map. At that moment, Kimhant stumbled over.

"Ugh, women are terrifying..."

Kimhant muttered, sounding like a man whose spirit had just left his body, before collapsing into a seat next to Kitsune. Everyone glanced at him curiously, wondering what on earth had ravaged him, but before anyone could ask, the twenty pieces of strawberry cake were served.

"Twenty pieces? That's your idea of more than enough, Hulu?"

Chang Long asked, stunned. Did this guy just buy out the entire stock of cake!

"Well, it was really tasty, master. Besides, I'm not eating it all by myself! I'm giving Big Bro one piece, Mushroom Head over there (Kimhant) one piece, two special pieces for you, master, and the rest are for me. Hahaha,"

Hulu replied cheerfully as he fairly distributed the cakes, though his idea of fairness was clearly questionable.

"Hehehe, fine. But I'll have to cut down your elemental gem rations for each meal,"

Chang Long responded coolly, ready to counter Hulu's indulgence with a little punishment.

"Huh?!"

Hulu gasped in shock. While he could eat other things, elemental gems were still his primary sustenance.

"Don't 'huh' me. Enjoy your cake, Hulu,"

Chang Long laughed and focused on eating her share of the cake, ignoring Hulu's attempts to offload his extra slices onto her and the two young men to avoid having his favorite food rationed.

.....

Duncan, Crown, and their group of friends, who had joined them later, were making their way through an underwater cave that stretched over twenty meters. The water was relatively calm, so they did not have to exert too much effort. The large entrance hall was lined with numerous wolf statues, some still intact and others crumbling with age. These statues were arranged in long rows leading deeper into the cave. The group carefully inspected the area, as most of Duncan and Crown's friends were of a similar or higher level, with ample experience in secret locations and dungeons.

When no one found anything suspicious, Crown led the way down the path that extended further into the cave's interior. But as soon as they passed the stone wolf statues, a trap mechanism seemed to activate.

Rumbleeee...

A loud noise echoed from the darkness ahead, followed by the continuous sound of something being crushed. Crown and his friends turned pale as they peered into the darkness, bracing themselves for whatever created the sound in the dark.

What they saw, illuminated by the faint light, was a large, perfectly round boulder, just the right size to fill the passageway but not tall enough to reach the ceiling of the cave. The boulder was rolling toward them at high speed, crushing all the wolf statues in its path to rubble. Everyone quickly leapt to the sides, barely avoiding being flattened. But their relief was short-lived as they realized, to their horror, that the boulder had rolled into place, blocking the only entrance they had, the path they used to get inside.

With no other option, Crown and his friends had to press onward. They needed to find a way to move forward without being crushed by the enormous boulder. Eventually, they figured out a solution: jumping onto the smooth surface of the rolling boulder and timing their leaps from one boulder to the next until they reached the exit on the other side. It was a perilous maneuver with a high chance of failure, but they had no choice since the only entrance was sealed, and the teleportation scrolls were unusable in special areas.

It took them much longer than anticipated to reach the first safe zone, and by then, everyone was nursing some injuries. They sat down to rest, recovering their strength and consuming various crystals while observing their surroundings. The area they were in was a rectangular room, three meters high and three meters wide, stretching out as far as the eye could see. The floor was decorated with different colors and carvings. The walls, ceiling, and even certain spots on the floor had various slots of different shapes and sizes scattered around. It was clear to anyone, even without much wit, that this was yet another trap.

Crown and his friends realized that this trap was highly complex. Based on the carvings and colors on the floor, there were five types of traps: darts, shurikens, daggers, poison needles, and iron spikes. The colors on the floor indicated the presence of elemental magic—earth, water, wind, and fire. Some areas they had to step on combined both hidden weapon carvings and elemental magic colors, making it even more challenging to navigate safely.

The journey through the trap-laden path was slow and cautious, yet despite their careful progress, everyone in the group ended up with severe wounds. Many of them groaned about the difficulty and severity of each obstacle, which could easily sap their courage. However, the enticing lure at the end of their journey—the massive treasure of the Pirate King—kept them determined to press forward.

Finally, they reached the end of the path, which stretched over 500 meters, having lost only two of their comrades along the way. The group was forced to take an extended break, as everyone was seriously injured and utterly famish.

"Do you think the traps are done?"

Duncan asked the group as they sat in a circle, eating and discussing the situation.

"There are probably a lot more ahead. We've only cleared two sections so far. By the way, did everyone bring enough crystals and potions!"

Crown replied, turning to his friends who had joined him in this dangerous mission to raid the Pirate King's secret tomb.

"Our bags are half-packed with all three main types of crystals. We wouldn't underestimate a place like this!"

Said a young man with long black hair that covered his face.

"In all the time I've played this game, this is the first dungeon I've encountered with such brutal traps!"

Added a beautiful blonde woman with her hair tied in a ponytail. She wore leather armor with some parts reinforced by metal. Her sweet face hid fierce determination.

"Come on, Karen, think of it as gaining experience. You said you liked challenges, didn't you?"

Crown quickly comforted her, giving her a reassuring pat on the back.

"Ouch, you idiot, that hurts. Just because I'm tough doesn't mean I'm not still a woman!"

Karen snapped back at her friend, but her complaint lightened the tense atmosphere.

"With traps this deadly, we're going to need to ask for more payment, Crown. And we'll need to make sure we compensate those two who didn't make it until here,"

said another man, who seemed as mischievous as Crown, but spoke with seriousness.

"Yeah, yeah, have I ever been stingy with you guys?"

Crown responded.

"Hehe, never!"

They all answered in unison. Crown was known for being generous and never quibbled over small things with his friends. He was also fortunate to have a group of genuinely good friends, who had always helped each other both in and out of the game.

"See? I'm like your guardian angel, aren't I? Hahaha,"

Crown boasted, laughing like a madman.

"...Let him be. We should get some rest,"

Duncan said, rolling his eyes at Crown's antics.

The remaining eighteen members of the group agreed with Duncan. They found suitable spots to sleep in a limited space, ensuring they would not accidentally activate any traps in their sleep. After settling in, they all rested, gathering their strength for the grueling challenges ahead as they continued their quest to reach their destination, treasure room of the Pirate King Azlam.

…..

In the city of Troy, Chang Long bid farewell to the members of the Caesar Guild as she prepared to continue her journey to Afric. To get there, she would travel along the southern coastline of Troy, a beach stretching as far as the eye could see. Phiros and a large group of guild members escorted her to the port before being dragged off for intense training to level up.

Chang Long considered taking a system ship for a change, hoping to avoid any more unexpected encounters along the way. This time, it seemed she wanted to relax and enjoy the journey, resting until the ship docked at the island of Afric, home to the ancient Egyptian civilization, pyramids, mummies, and the Sphinx. The young woman had always dreamed of seeing these wonders with her own eyes, especially since in the real world, they had deteriorated so much that visiting the actual sites was no longer possible.

The port was adorned entirely with Greco-Roman art, featuring statues of the twelve Olympian gods standing majestically atop a massive stone archway. In front of the archway stretched the deep blue sea, with waves sparkling under the sunlight. Players and AI bustled about, creating a lively atmosphere. Chang Long noticed that the port of Troy also had a large, crowded fish market, particularly bustling with players in the culinary profession.

"This place is really lively. Should we check out the fish market? We've got an hour before they start selling tickets,"

Chang Long suggested to the group. Everyone enthusiastically agreed, eager to see what else the ancient market had to offer besides fish.

The fish market was a 100-square-meter square pavilion, housing over twenty stalls selling fresh seafood caught by AI fishermen, as well as stalls selling the meat of sea beasts hunted by players in the marine hunter profession, a second-tier job stemming from fisherman and AI. These stalls seemed particularly popular, with some even allowing customers to buy fresh produce and have it cooked on the spot, attracting large crowds.

"This really takes me back!"

Devi-chan suddenly remarked after wandering through the market for a while.

"You used to stroll through fish markets, Devi-chan?"

Chang Long asked in surprise, not expecting the infamous pirate king Devi Jones to have ever been a fish market regular.

"Heh, before I became the pirate king, my past wasn't so different from these folks. Though my memories are a bit hazy, I think my father was a fisherman. We lived in a small village somewhere, and he would set out to sea at the crack of dawn, only to return later in the morning to sell his catch at a market just like this,"

Devi-chan responded while looking around with a slightly wistful expression.

"Now that you're back in this old atmosphere, you're thinking about going back to being a fisherman, aren't you!"

Chang Long teased.

"Are you crazy! No way. The only path I'll ever choose is to become the king of all kings, and you're going to inherit that mission!"

Devi-chan scolded loudly, his face turning bright red, causing Hisa-chan and Alice-chan to stifle their giggles. Chang Long smiled slightly and replied nonchalantly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, you keep repeating that!"

Chang Long's group wandered around the market, sampling freshly prepared dishes until they were satisfied—except for her ghosts, who could not come out to eat due to the crowded conditions. Chang Long could not offer them food in such a busy place. They eventually walked to the back of the fish market, where there was a large pond fenced off with wooden stakes and a bright red sign warning against disturbing it.

"What's that? What's not to disturb? Is there something in the pond?"

Chang Long asked Kimhant, curious as she peered over the fence at the pond.

"I'm not sure, but it definitely looks ominous. I think we should leave it alone,"

Kimhant replied, eyeing the dark, mysterious pond with a sense of unease. There seemed to be something in there that should definitely not be disturbed.

"Don't be such a coward!"

Hulu exclaimed before jumping into the pond without hesitation.

"You idiot, Hulu. Why did you jump in? Get out right now!"

Chang Long shouted in alarm as she watched Hulu leisurely wade around in the pond near the pier. Players and AI nearby turned to see what the commotion was about, and their eyes widened in horror as they quickly started packing up their belongings.

"We're screwed. That white-haired guy just got us all into trouble. Pack up and run, now!"

One player, the most quick-witted among them, shouted to his friends as he hastily stuffed everything he could into his bag.

The large pond, which became completely isolated from the sea during low tide, began to stir. Something that had been disturbed was starting to move. What emerged looked like a giant clump of water hyacinths, but the body underneath was greenish-black, with a lower half resembling a dog as large as a pickup truck. Its long necks—there were more than fifty of them—ended in snake-like heads with sharp, white teeth and frilled crests like those of a lizard. Its glowing yellow eyes were filled with fury at being disturbed. Hulu, startled, quickly jumped back to Chang Long. Though he felt a pang of guilt for his actions, all he could do was flee from the pond as fast as he could.

"A level 125 Hydra Beast King is preparing to attack!"

The system alerted, city alarmed, and the panicked shouts of players and AI all erupted at once. Everyone began fleeing back into the city, even if it meant risking a trek along the beach to reach the west gate. Hordes of other beasts were already crowding in fear of the Hydra, flocking to the beach, the only area safe from the Hydra's attacks.

"Am I going to have to take responsibility for this!"

Chang Long grumbled in frustration as she watched the massive Hydra make its way onto the pier, where she and nearly a hundred other brave souls stood, ready to face it.

-----

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