"We need to break the mirrors, master. That's the only way to free them,"

Hulu said confidently to Chang Long.

"What if breaking them causes the women inside to die?"

Chang Long asked, contemplating.

"Hmmm... And who are those two standing inside the mirror, master? Why aren't they helping the women?"

Hulu asked, noticing Cedric and Murik walking freely inside the mirror.

"We Reaper Guardians have always used mirrors to travel between realms, my lord. So, it's not unusual for us to be able to enter one like this,"

Cedric replied.

"It's only us, the Reaper Guardians, who can do this even when the gate between realms hasn't been opened, my lord. Anyone else would be trapped inside the mirror with no way out, except for someone with strange magic like that high priest. The only way to help these women is to break the mirror, as this young one suggested,"

Murik added. Chang Long nodded in agreement and signaled Hulu and Kitsune. They instructed the twelve blonde women to turn around and step back as far as they could within the mirror.

Boommm!

Crackkk...

With powerful strikes from Hulu's fist and Kitsune's claws, the mirrors shattered, creating gaps that allowed the twelve women to escape. Once they were all out, the gaps in the mirrors closed instantly. Chang Long led everyone out of the temple, and as they walked through, the once ruined temple transformed into a grand, pristine structure. There were no more cracks, rubble, or traces of the beasts that had once inhabited it.

The townspeople were astonished by the temple's transformation, which had reverted to its former splendor and mystique. Torches along the path to the temple ignited on their own, casting a golden glow. The once broken door was now a grand, beautifully carved entrance. AI townspeople and curious players gathered to see what had happened to the temple.

As they reached the entrance, the doors suddenly opened, revealing a handsome young man with a bored expression, dressed in a tattered black robe. He was leading two other young men—one with long, flowing orange-gold hair and the other with wild, fluffy white long hair—who were engaged in conversation. Behind them followed the twelve women, dressed in ancient Egyptian-style white garments, looking uncertain about their fate.

One group wanted to enter, while the other wanted to leave. They stood facing each other at the entrance, the group outside staring in awe at those emerging, while the group inside looked back in surprise at the crowd gathered outside.

"Y-you!"

The bald man, who appeared to hold a high position, pointed his trembling short finger at Chang Long.

"What's up, old man? Pointing fingers at me? I'm already starving here,"

Chang Long glared at the bald man.

"Yeah! Hungry, tired, and sleepy. If you don't get out of the way, I won't hold back,"

Hulu added, his tone menacing. His arrogant demeanor was a stark contrast to how he usually behaved around Chang Long and Kitsune.

"You're the one who defeated High Priest Nesek!"

The bald man continued, ignoring Hulu's threat.

"High Priest Nesek, who?"

Chang Long asked, confused.

"He was the high priest of this grand temple, but he abused his power, luring young women into the temple. Pharaoh Khafre learned of this and sent soldiers to deal with him, but because of his strong magical powers, we couldn't do anything. In the end, we had to abandon the temple, leaving it in ruins and as a dwelling for the evil beasts that High Priest Nesek summoned,"

the bald man explained. The players behind him started murmuring loudly, realizing this had to have been a hidden quest.

"Strong magical powers? I didn't see him using much magic at all,"

Chang Long questioned, puzzled. Not only had the high priest barely used any magic, but his physical appearance was also grotesque and terrifying.

"Perhaps because he was cursed by the god Amun-Ra, his condition and powers deteriorated. But you, shouldn't you be heading to see the Pharaoh to receive your reward?"

The bald man quickly added.

"How do you know that?"

Chang Long asked, eyeing the bald man with suspicion.

"I am High Priest Enakta, tasked with announcing the search for a hero to defeat High Priest Nesek under the Pharaoh's orders. I didn't expect that someone would already succeed,"

the bald man smiled widely and said to Chang Long,

"Oh, in that case, I understand. But I'm really exhausted today. I need to rest first."

Chang Long nodded, signaling that she understood, and prepared to leave. However, she found herself blocked by hundreds of NPCs and players standing in her way, making it impossible to walk through.

"You guys can get out, right?"

Chang Long turned to ask Kitsune and Hulu, who both nodded in response. She then turned to High Priest Enakta and gestured toward the group of women.

"Take care of these ladies for me, old man,"

Chang Long instructed. She then spread her wings and soared into the night sky, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

.....

After the Starting Town returned to peace, Siegfried went out to hunt monsters on the Royal Cliff, where many high-level beasts and Beast Kings roamed. He had managed to reach level 78, finally matching the rank of Aswa from the Dark Horse Guild, though it was no easy feat. The young man sighed heavily as he sat in his tent. It was already late at night, and the monsters that came out at night were not ideal to face, so he had to find a safe spot to rest.

Siegfried began to feel strange sensations in his body, similar to having a fever, which puzzled him since this was inside a game—how could he get sick? Unless he was under some status effect, he quickly checked his status on his wristwatch. To his surprise, he saw white letters next to his name that read:

"In the process of changing race."

"Heaven, Heaven, show yourself!"

Siegfried called out to his Pirate King with concern in his voice.

"What's wrong, my heir?"

Heaven asked as he appeared before Siegfried.

"Well, it says I'm in the process of changing race. What does that even mean? I haven't done anything like that."

Siegfried asked anxiously, showing Heaven the watch.

"Didn't I... tell you?"

Heaven asked, looking thoughtful.

"Tell me what?"

Siegfried asked, feeling a wave of apprehension.

"That the Alberich set and the title 'Guardian of the Stars' might cause your human condition to change. You were also accepted by one of the two Elven leaders, so your body has already started to transform. If you don't want it to change in an uncontrolled way, you'll need to seek out the other Elven leader to gain his acceptance and receive a quest from him..."

Heaven explained.

"Am I… turning into an elf?"

Siegfried asked, astonished.

"Yes, you are beginning to change."

As Heaven finished speaking, he faded back into the ether, leaving Siegfried staring at the status next to his name with a sigh. He realized that he would need to leave the Royal Cliff and head toward the Fairy Forest to return to Eldar City, where he would seek the help of Albeis, the Elven leader of the Starting Island.

"My level's only 78. Oh well, I'll just have to come back and level up later. Plus, Draco and Rafael still need to level up a lot too. I should bring them along next time,"

Siegfried muttered to himself, lying back on his soft bed in the tent. He let his thoughts drift as he was not particularly sleepy yet.

The young man reminisced about his early days in the game with his friends, the day they founded the Pendragon Guild for the first time, and the moment he met Chang Long—a straightforward and sincere woman with a surprisingly lucky streak. She had stumbled upon the hidden Pirate King's tomb soon after starting the game, without even needing to complete any quests to find the map.

Siegfried blushed slightly as the memory of when he accidentally fell and kissed Chang Long flashed in his mind. A small smile played on his lips, reflecting the happiness he felt whenever he thought about the times they had spent together, even though he did not know when they would adventure together again.

"You must be going crazy, smiling to yourself and blushing like that!"

Heaven suddenly reappeared and spoke, startling Siegfried, who instinctively shot up to a sitting position.

"He-Heaven, you're still here?"

Siegfried asked, relieved that he had only thought about those things and had not said them out loud—otherwise, it would have been quite embarrassing.

"I'm always here. But who were you thinking about making you blush so much?"

Heaven asked, though he already had a pretty good idea.

"It's nothing. I was just letting my mind wander,"

Siegfried replied quietly as he lay back down again.

"If you're thinking about Devi Jones's heir, let me tell you, it's not going to happen. In the end, you two will have to fight for the title of King of Kings, risking your lives. Besides, I don't like her one bit—she's just like that Devi Jones!"

Heaven grumbled, even though his words did not exactly match his feelings.

"I don't want to defeat Chang Long; I just want to protect her,"

Siegfried responded, then quickly grabbed a pillow to cover his ears, fully expecting Heaven to start a lengthy tirade after his words. And as expected, Heaven began to rant at him, but Siegfried paid no attention. After all, Chang Long was already waiting for him in his dreams.

The Next Morning...

Siegfried hurriedly began his descent from Royal Cliff. He was on the seventh floor, where the monsters ranged from level 70 to 79, making it an excellent place to farm experience points. He returned to the city to meet up with his guildmates before setting out on his journey. Joining him were Oliang, who was eager to escape from Peach Blossom, and Lidded Wet Trash Can, who insisted on tagging along to check out the elf girls.

The three of them set out for the Fairy Forest, which was now bustling with players hunting monsters. With the goblins confined to specific areas, the forest had regained its serene beauty, filled with adorable mid-level monsters suitable for new players to farm experience points or even tame as pets.

It took them a while to recall the exact location of the entrance to Eldar City. However, since they had already gained the elves' trust during their previous Guardian Spirit quest of the Fairy Forest, they were allowed to enter without any hindrance. Siegfried and his companions were not seen as outsiders and headed straight to the residence of Albeis, the elven leader.

"You there!"

A beautiful elf woman named Efae, who was always by Albeis's side, greeted the three men with a smile. They exchanged greetings and asked to see Albeis.

"Lord Albeis has just returned from visiting the Tree of Life. Please, follow me,"

Efae replied, gesturing for them to follow her up to Albeis' treehouse. They climbed the spiral staircase formed from the tree's branches until they reached Albeis' residence, where he was enjoying his breakfast.

"Lord Albeis, you have visitors,"

Efae announced, causing Albeis to look up.

"Oh, th-that's!"

At first, Albeis smiled warmly as if he were meeting an old friend after a long time. But when he noticed the outfit Siegfried was wearing, his words faltered.

"I need your help,"

Siegfried said calmly, understanding what had shocked Albeis.

"Please, tell me what you need. If I can help, I will gladly do so!"

Albeis stood up from his chair, bowed respectfully to Siegfried, and gestured for him to take a seat at the head of the table.

"I'm undergoing... a transformation. I'm becoming an elf, but I'm not sure if the change will be complete. I need your guidance, Lord Albeis,"

Siegfried explained his request.

"It is a difficult task... Even though you are a king, reaching the Grove Well is incredibly challenging, especially for those of a different race."

Albeis spoke with a heavy heart.

"You mean, even for the elves, it's difficult?"

Oliang asked.

"Yes, because on the way to the Grove Well, there is something called the Serpent Roots. They are living roots that will chase after you and drag you away from the grove. But if you're from another race, they will kill you."

Albeis replied.

"Why? Is there something important hidden in the Grove Well?"

Wet Trash Can asked with interest.

"It's where the Light of the Grove is kept. Normally, when an elf turns 20, they must pass through the Serpent Roots and drink the Light of the Grove. This ritual signifies that the elf has fully become one with their heritage. If an elf fails, they will age and die like humans, who are born, grow old, fall ill, and die."

Albeis answered with a smile.

"So, I have to do the same, right?"

Siegfried concluded.

"Yes, but it's much harder for you. The Serpent Roots will try to kill you, not just push you away as they do with the elves. But if you don't do this, your transformation won't be complete. You might end up as a beast like an orc or a goblin."

Albeis explained further, making the group shudder at the thought of Siegfried turning into an orc or goblin. The idea of that happening would definitely make the girls and guildmates run away from him.

"I have to do it; otherwise, I'll be shunned by everyone in the game."

Siegfried said with a nervous smile.

"Then prepare yourself. You can only enter this quest alone, and you only have one chance. Remember, if you reach the Grove Well, quickly scoop up the liquid with your hand and drink it immediately."

Albeis stood up, gesturing for Siegfried to follow him. The other two, though eager to help, were unable to because the quest was limited to Siegfried alone.

Albeis led Siegfried to an ancient stone passage covered in thick vines, nearly concealing the entrance. Inside the passage, they reached a wide, circular area paved with large stones engraved with the image of a great tree. The tree's roots resembled serpents with mane-like weapons. In the center of the roots and the tree was a small stone basin with an engraving of an elf scooping water from it to drink.

"Good luck, Your Majesty. If you succeed, the elves will pledge their allegiance to you. Even if you fail, we will still respect you, but we will not follow your commands or requests unless we deem them just."

Albeis said, gesturing towards the even darker exit on the other side.

"Thank you!"

Siegfried responded. He took a moment to steel himself before running into the grove of living roots, fully aware that they could take his life if he was not careful.

-----

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