Siegfried quickly raised his hands to inspect them and was relieved to see that his skin color had not changed. However, his hands appeared larger and thicker than before for some reason. Was he just imagining it? The only way to be sure was to see it for himself. With this thought, Siegfried got up from the bed and searched for a mirror to examine his body.

"Ahhhhh." His scream echoed through the village, nearly causing a commotion. His companions, Oliang, Wet Trash Can and Albeis, who were chatting in the living room, rushed over to see what had happened.

"What's going on, Siegfried? Whoa!"

Oliang managed to say just that before he was stunned by the sight of his guild leader's new form. Siegfried had transformed into a muscular albino Orc. Wet Trash Can and Albeis were equally shocked, their mouths agape, unable to utter a single word.

.....

Chang Long was feeling quite irritated by the constant stares from both players and NPCs as she made her way to the Sky Palace, which was located between the cities of Alexandria and Thebes. Only players with related quests could ascend to the Sky Palace. The journey on the camel was quick and comfortable, with a military escort ensuring their safety. As a result, Chang Long did not have to fight any monsters along the way.

Finally, the grand procession arrived at the entrance to the Sky Palace. Chang Long and her pets were invited to board a beautifully adorned flat-bottomed wooden boat in the lake, while Kimhant was not permitted to accompany them. He was disappointed almost to the point of crying, because he had hoped to take pictures inside the Sky Palace, a rare opportunity for most players.

Once aboard the boat, Chang Long and her pets, still somewhat confused, watched as it was gently rowed away from the dock and began to ascend into the sky. The sight filled them with excitement.

"So that's why we didn't see any stairs.! We have to ascend by boat!"

Chang Long exclaimed excitedly.

"Exactly. The only way up or down from the Sky Palace is by this magic boat!" Enakta, the high priest, replied with a proud smile. The magic boat continued to rise until it reached a height of one thousand meters, where Chang Long could finally see the golden, shimmering base of the palace. Surrounding the Sky Palace were lush grass, trees, and beautifully arranged flowers.

The magic boat passed through a large entrance gate and gently landed on the water in the palace's garden. As the boat docked, Chang Long was invited to walk along a grand corridor. Courtiers and palace staff walked by, all eyeing her with curiosity. But upon seeing High Priest Enakta accompanying her, they could guess how Chang Long and her pets had been granted access to the Sky Palace.

"The only way to ascend to the Sky Palace is to either have a guide or an invitation. Since you have me as your guide, you were able to enter. As for the invitation, it can be obtained by defeating certain types of monsters. Ah, there it is! Behind that door, Pharaoh Khafre awaits you,"

Enakta, the high priest, explained to Chang Long as they walked through the palace. They finally stopped in front of a grand golden door adorned with intricate carvings. Behind it was the Pharaoh's throne room, where the ruler of ancient Egypt, considered a living god, resided.

Creeeak...

The heavy golden doors swung open, revealing the majestic throne room. A golden throne was elevated several feet above the ground, and sitting upon it was a handsome man dressed in the regal attire of nobility, with a golden headdress shaped like an eagle spreading its wings atop his head.

Everyone accompanying Chang Long bowed respectfully to the man on the throne, prompting Chang Long and Kitsune to follow suit. However, Hulu remained standing proudly, as it considered itself more exalted than a pharaoh, who was merely a mortal assuming divine status. Hulu, on the other hand, was a sacred creature of pure blood, inherently divine without the need for pretense.

"Your Majesty, this is the one who defeated the vile High Priest Nesek!"

Enakta announced to Pharaoh Khafre, who continued to sit regally on his throne. The Pharaoh turned his gaze to Chang Long, then rose and commanded his attendants to bring forth a pile of rewards. However, the Pharaoh stipulated that Chang Long could choose only one item from the collection.

The first item was a chest filled with 100 large bars of pure gold. The second was a complete set of special-level golden warrior armor, boasting a defense rating of 23,600 points. The third was a glass vial about ten centimeters tall, containing a clear, viscous liquid, with a small book beside it. The final item was a finely crafted sword made of high-quality steel, with a gold hilt and scabbard adorned with various gemstones. The sword, too, was of special level.

"Choose wisely,"

Pharaoh Khafre said with a smile. Chang Long carefully inspected all the items laid before her. She discovered that the vial contained an item called Rebirth Potion, which could revive a deceased player or pet. The small book beside it was a recipe for making the Rebirth Potion, written in ancient script. The AI in the room likely assumed that Chang Long would not be able to read the ancient script and would therefore dismiss the seemingly insignificant Rebirth Potion in favor of the more impressive-looking rewards.

"I'll take this one,"

Chang Long nodded, pointing directly at the Rebirth Potion and the recipe book. The AI present were left in stunned silence, unable to comprehend why she would choose something she could not even read over the other, far more tempting options.

There was the overflowing chest of gold, the beautifully crafted golden warrior armor with exceptional defensive stats even among the armor of same level, and the exquisite sword made of fine steel, its scabbard adorned with various gemstones. Any warrior would have been drawn to these items for their sheer quality, beauty, and immense value.

"A-Are you sure you don't want other things? The gold, the armor, and those high-level weapons are incredibly rare!"

Pharaoh Khafre asked, astonished by her decision.

"No, those are junk to me. This is much more useful!"

Chang Long replied, placing the Rebirth Potion and the recipe book into her bag, leaving Pharaoh Khafre and his courtiers even more shocked.

"Armor and powerful weapons are junk to you!"

The Pharaoh asked again, clearly bewildered. Every other player who had completed a quest and received a reward would typically choose one of the three grand items—gold, armor, or the sword—without even considering the glass vial of unknown liquid.

"Business here is done. I'm leaving,"

Chang Long nodded confidently and walked out, leaving Pharaoh Khafre and the courtiers in the throne room in stunned silence. To her, it was not strange at all to pick what she truly wanted. The AI, however, were still confused by her decision. The only explanation they could come up with was that she could read and understand the ancient script, realizing the true value of the clear liquid, which was worth far more than gold by many orders of magnitude.

.....

Siegfried sat despondently in his room, refusing to go outside. He simply could not bear the thought of facing people now that he had become such an ugly, monstrous creature. Even though he was a brave person, he did not want to expose his hideous new appearance to the public, enduring their strange and possibly horrified stares.

"There must be a way to fix this. Don't get too worried yet. When Lord Albeis returns, he'll probably have a good solution,"

Oliang tried to console him.

"I hope so,"

Siegfried replied, his speech somewhat garbled due to the large tusks now protruding from his lips.

"He's back!"

Lidded Wet Trash Can, who had been checking the balcony every ten minutes, ran in excitedly when he saw Albeis rushing back. Shortly after, Albeis entered the room where everyone was waiting. He took a moment to catch his breath before speaking.

"You have a limited time. I can't say exactly how long, but to break this curse, you must receive a kiss from the woman you love. Look at your skin—it's still your natural color. If it starts turning green like an orc's, it means your time is running out."

Albeis spoke all that in one go.

"So, I still have a chance to return to normal!"

Siegfried exclaimed, relieved at the possibility of regaining his former handsome appearance. It was at least something better than his current state.

"Yes, but you must act quickly. Find the woman you love and ask her to kiss you on the lips. I must emphasize, it has to be on the lips. A kiss anywhere else won't guarantee the result."

"...."

Faced with this condition, Siegfried fell silent. He did have a woman he loved, but the real question was whether she would agree to kiss him. Worse yet, asking for a kiss might result in her taking a sword to his head instead.

"Is there a problem?"

Albeis asked, noticing Siegfried's troubled expression.

"The problem isn't Siegfried himself, Lord Albeis. The problem lies with the woman he loves!" Wet Trash Can said with a half-serious, half-amused look.

"Why? Don't you have a lover?!"

Albeis asked, clearly concerned. If Siegfried did not have a lover, breaking the curse would be difficult.

"He does, but it's a one-sided love. Up until now, he still doesn't know how she feels about him,"

Oliang answered for him, leaving Siegfried to offer only a weak smile.

"Then you must hurry. Find her and ask how she feels. If she has any positive feelings for you, even the smallest amount, you can break this curse!"

Albeis urged.

"Yes, but how am I supposed to find her like this? In this... uh... condition, people will mistake me for some new breed of beast and start hunting me down."

Siegfried responded, troubled. Albeis fell silent, then left the room. The three men waited anxiously until he returned, holding a long, white hooded cloak trimmed in gold. In his other hand, he carried a full-face ceramic mask, also white.

"This is a cloak of concealment. Don't worry about it fitting over your current outfit; it has special properties that allow it to be worn over anything and will also restore your appearance to normal while you're wearing it. But if you remove it, your altered form will reappear,"

Albeis explained as he handed the cloak and mask to Siegfried.

"Thank you!"

Siegfried quickly thanked Albeis and immediately put on the cloak and mask, which restored his oversized, unnatural form to his regular appearance.

"Hurry now. Remember, your time is limited. If you don't want to turn into a green orc, you must act quickly,"

Albeis urged once again. The three men then bid their farewells and departed immediately.

"So, how are we going to find Chang Long? We don't even know where she is right now,"

 Oliang said, sounding worried.

"By the way, you look pretty good in that cloak. It makes you look cool and mysterious,"

Wet Trash Can complimented. Siegfried now resembled a nobleman who liked to keep an air of mystery.

"Even with the compliment, I'm not exactly happy about this!"

Siegfried retorted, grimacing. He glanced at his wristwatch and noticed a number next to his name.

"30 days. I only have 30 days!"

Siegfried exclaimed in shock. Finding Chang Long within such a short time seemed like an almost impossible task.

"I'll call her... I'll ask her myself while we're heading to the dock,"

Oliang suggested. Everyone nodded in agreement. Siegfried, although he wanted to call her himself, was too afraid. He knew he had to ask her for something she might not like, and if she revealed she did not have any feelings for him, his heart would shatter along with his body, which would remain as an orc forever.

.....

Chang Long was invited to tour the Sky Palace, with the palace maidens acting as guides. Every part of the palace was grand and magnificent, from the flower pots to the beams, leaving Chang Long and her pets awestruck. Even Devi-chan, who was invisible beside her, was thinking that if Chang Long ever owned a special area, he would want her to build him a luxurious shrine like this.

As they reached a large garden with green grass, shady trees, and fragrant plants used for incense, surrounded by various beautiful flowers, it looked like paradise. Anya could not resist anymore and floated out from Chang Long's cloak, heading straight for the flowers, startling the palace maidens who were guiding them through the garden.

Chang Long and her pets walked along a path paved with vibrant blue lapis lazuli stones, interspersed with gold. The central fountain in the garden was made of fine marble, decorated with gold. Unfortunately, the fountain did not spout out colorful gems.

Beep beep beep beep

The sound from Chang Long's wristwatch caught everyone's attention. She smiled and asked to step aside to take the call. Though the maidens did not understand what a call was, they allowed Chang Long and her two pets to explore the fountain area at their leisure.

"Oliang,"

Chang Long answered the call.

"Hey, Chang Long. How have you been? It's been a while. Have you leveled up much?"

Oliang greeted her with a cheerful tone.

"I'm at level 66 now. I'm currently at the Sky Palace on Afric Island. I'm planning to grind some more experience here,"

Chang Long replied, casually wandering around as she spoke.

"The Sky Palace! How did you even get up there? Did you take on a quest related to that place?"

Oliang exclaimed loudly, making Chang Long's ears ring.

"Take it easy, Oliang. I'm working on a quest to find the Four Reaper Guardians. One of them happened to be in a temple that had its own quest. I ended up completing that quest too, which led me here to claim the reward,"

Chang Long explained.

-----

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