"Hmm, just leave her be. She's probably here to hunt mummies too,"

Chang Long said, not paying much attention as she continued to slash through the mummies with enthusiasm. She was currently avoiding using magic to improve her sword skills and basic abilities.

"But she's about to be attacked!"

Devi-chan warned. Chang Long glanced back and saw that a horde of mummies of three colors was closing in on the girl, who seemed oblivious to the danger.

"She must be pretty high level. Look at her; she doesn't even seem to care about being attacked,"

Chang Long remarked, somewhat impressed. In reality, the girl had no idea she was about to be ambushed, and when she noticed Chang Long looking her way, she became so entranced that she forgot where she was. By the time she realized the situation, it was too late.

A barrage of colorful magical attacks and poisonous projectiles thrown by the green-aura mummies hit her, causing her health to plummet rapidly. Within fifteen seconds, she was reduced to a white light, waiting to respawn.

"Oh, I thought she was tougher than that to make it up to this level,"

Chang Long muttered as the girl vanished before her eyes.

"Heh, heh, heh..."

Devi-chan chuckled softly. He knew the girl was only level 44 but did not bother to mention it to Chang Long. Meanwhile, Chang Long's pets and Hisa-chan were having a blast, even venturing down to the lower levels of the pyramid to find more mummies to fight. Anya emerged from Chang Long's body and sprinkled her beautiful silver dust on the mummies, slowing their movements to a crawl and reducing their attack and defense power by 15%.

"Wow, Anya. That's amazing. Why didn't you tell me you could do that!"

Chang Long praised excitedly.

"You never asked. Every fairy species has unique abilities. As a Night Fairy, I can use my wing dust to weaken the basic abilities of enemies,"

Anya replied with a composed expression, though a slight smile appeared at the corner of her lips. She could not help but feel pleased with the compliment.

Chang Long and her pets continued to hunt mummies throughout the night because the materials they needed were incredibly difficult to drop. It was not until an hour before dawn that they finally collected all the necessary materials from the mummies. They still needed to gather a few more from the monsters in the savanna, but for now, both Chang Long and her pets were utterly exhausted, so they decided to find a place to rest as quickly as possible.

Players who returned to the pyramid early at dawn, hoping to hunt mummies before the crowds arrived, were utterly confused upon entering. Instead of the expected swarm of mummies, since none had been hunted overnight, they found only emptiness. Barely ten newly respawned mummies wandered aimlessly, leaving the first level of the pyramid eerily quiet.

As they explored the higher levels, they found the same desolate atmosphere. This led them to speculate various theories, but little did they know that the disappearance of the mummies was the work of a single player, her two pets, and a temporary physical manifestation of a ghost.

.....

Meanwhile, Siegried, despite attracting attention from other players due to his cloak and mask, had little time to dwell on it. After arriving at the port and stocking up on crystals and potions, he, Oliang, and Lidded Wet Trash Can decided to rent a ship from the Maritime Association to sail to Afric Island. One day had already passed, heightening Siegfried's anxiety. His stress was evident, primarily because he feared Chang Long might say she did not feel anything special for him—more than the prospect of being permanently transformed into an orc.

The Maritime Association's ship would take three days to reach Alexandria, the city on Afric Island. In fact, this island had only one port connected to the sea. Beyond that, passengers could hire boats along various rivers on the island to travel to other destinations. The Nile River cruise, in particular, was a favorite among players, especially couples and women.

Oliang and Wet Trash Can understood Siegfried's worries but were unsure how to help their friend. They realized they needed to create a romantic setting where Siegfried and Chang Long could be alone, without interruptions. Perhaps, if the atmosphere were right, Chang Long might start to develop feelings for Siegfried. The duo, feeling responsible for Siegfried's misfortune, was determined to make things right.

"What are we going to do, O? It's not easy to find a beautiful place with a romantic atmosphere, and on top of that, Siegfried's time is limited!"

Wet Trash Can fretted as he and Oliang discussed the situation at the back of the ship.

"Yeah, but we have to pull it off somehow. Don't forget, it's your fault that Siegfried ended up as an albino orc!"

Oliang replied, still carping his friend.

"I know. That's why I'm trying so hard to think of a way to help!"

Wet Trash Can grumbled with a frown, not enjoying the constant reminders of his mistake. He was determined to make amends.

"Alright, alright, no need to get worked up, buddy. I think the Nile River is our best bet for a romantic setting, especially at sunset. That way, it'll be both romantic and magical. What worries me, though, are the two ghosts who are always at each other's throats—Devi-chan and Heaven!"

Oliang shook his head in frustration, thinking about how things might unfold. Just imagining Siegfried telling Chang Long about his transformation, he could already picture Devi-chan laughing so hard that he would almost break his teeth.

"Exactly. Those two are the biggest obstacles. Devi-chan would mock him, and Heaven would likely be too proud to let Chang Long, the heir of his rival, help. They'd probably end up arguing so much that it would ruin any good atmosphere we try to create,"

Wet Trash Can said, clearly worried.

"How are we going to get them to cooperate? That's a major issue too!"

Oliang agreed.

"We'll have to try convincing the ghosts..."

Wet Trash Can said with a serious expression.

"Hehehe, yeah, we'll have to do that. But we'll need to use words that can really get through to ghosts,"

Oliang chuckled, thinking about how they would have to persuade the ghosts they could not even see.

"If that's the case, convincing Heaven might be easier than convincing Devi-chan. Since Siegfried, Heaven's heir, is the one in trouble. But Devi-chan, there's nothing at stake for him, so I have no idea how we'll persuade him!"

Wet Trash Can looked genuinely distressed, contemplating how to convince Devi-chan to let Chang Long help Siegfried.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out. Maybe we should enlist some allies like Kimhant or Kitsune. Those two seem to support the idea of Siegfried and Chang Long getting together,"

Oliang patted his friend on the back, offering some comfort. The two of them continued to discuss the situation, watching the ocean in hopes that the fresh sea breeze might help them come up with a good plan. Ultimately, they hoped to create a moment where Siegfried and Chang Long could be alone together. After that, it would be up to Siegfried to win that life-saving kiss from Chang Long. As time passed, the ship came under attack from a sea monster, prompting the two friends to rush in to help, eager to reach Afric Island as quickly as possible.

.....

Chang Long and her two pets crawled out of their tent late in the morning. It was the last day of their online session, so she was in a hurry. After having what was more of a lunch than a breakfast, she opened the map to check the direction and distance to the savanna. The savanna was a vast open area in the center of the island, with a few small safe zones where players could pitch their tents and rest without worry, as there were no towns or villages nearby.

After Kimhant spent the entire day copying the potion ingredients guidebook that Chang Long had given him, his writing skills improved significantly. He had not paid much attention to that skill in a long time, so seeing it advance brought a big smile to his face. The improvement in his scribe skill not only allowed him to write faster but also made his handwriting more beautiful.

It did not take long for the group to reach the vast savanna, where they were greeted by a variety of rather ordinary-looking monsters, as if they had just walked into a zoo. Players were scattered around, fighting the beasts, many of them using pets to assist in battle. Kimhant explained to Chang Long that Afric Island was the main base for the Circus Association, which boasted the largest number of beast tamers among its members.

Chang Long scanned the area for the monsters she needed but could not find any of them—no capybaras, warthogs, white rhinos, or even a Nemean, which made Kimhant's face go pale.

"What's wrong? And by the way, what exactly is a Nemean?"

Chang Long asked, noticing his reaction.

"It's the king of the savanna. A vicious and cunning lion, and it's enormous. I've heard that it takes at least ten players and their pets from the Circus Association to bring it down."

Chang Long did not feel any fear, though. Since she had not seen the creature herself, she was not convinced it was as terrifying as Kimhant described. She continued to explore the area, searching for the monsters she needed.

"Whoaaa!"

Thud!

Chang Long suddenly tripped over a large hole, slightly bigger than her foot, and fell face-first onto the ground. When she managed to get back up, she found several strange creatures that resembled mongooses. They had light brown bodies with black stripes and were standing on two legs, looking curiously at her.

"Meerkat Pup Beasts, Level 15, has appeared. The Meerkat Beast, Level 21, has appeared. The Meerkat Beast, Level 29, has appeared,"

the system announced repeatedly, making Chang Long hold her head in frustration from the incessant notifications.

She realized she was surrounded by over sixty meerkat beasts, which made her feel quite surprised. However, they did not seem to want to attack her; they were probably just curious. As she slowly stood up, the meerkats backed away but still maintained their circle around her. Hulu, Kitsune, and Kimhant, who were standing outside the circle, watched with concern, ready to attack if the meerkats decided to become aggressive.

"Come here,"

Chang Long gently called to one of the meerkat pups, extending her hand toward it. The pup seemed frightened, and an older meerkat quickly stepped in to block the pup, making a noise in the meerkat language. Chang Long, Hulu, and Kitsune could understand what it was saying. Kimhant stood by anxiously, unsure of what the creatures were planning.

"Back away, strange human. Your aura is terrifying,"

then the others joined in chorus,

"Back away, strange human!"

Their cries were so loud that other players turned to look, feeling pity for Chang Long, who was surrounded by so many beasts.

The meerkats hissed and seemed ready to attack Chang Long, prompting Hulu to let out a fierce roar. The sound made the meerkats fall silent immediately, turning their attention to Hulu, who stood staring at them with an authoritative gaze. Even Chang Long could not help but be impressed.

"Divine One!"

The largest meerkat, who had just emerged from an underground burrow, exclaimed in a panic. Following their king, all the meerkats began chanting Divine One repeatedly, surprising everyone as they did something completely unexpected—they all prostrated themselves, front legs stretched out in reverence to Hulu, whom they referred to as the Divine One.

The most astonishing sight in the savanna at that moment was the group of players being served by the meerkats as if they were honored guests. The meerkats presented their favorite foods as offerings to the Divine One and his companions, much to their dismay, as these delicacies consisted of various insects and certain types of roots, now crawling all over the ground.

Since none of the players dared to touch the offerings, the insects—including moths, centipedes, grasshoppers, spiders, and earthworms—began to flee in panic. Some meerkats, unable to resist, discreetly caught and ate the insects that came their way, pretending nothing happened.

"Hulu, please tell them we're full,"

Chang Long said to her pet, who was striking a majestic pose on top of a termite mound, wearing a crown made of twigs by the meerkats on his head. Hulu shrugged and relayed his master's message to the meerkats.

"My companions are full now. You may enjoy the feast yourselves!"

He announced. The meerkats let out high-pitched cheers before rushing in to devour the fleeing insects with great enthusiasm.

"Hulu, ask them where we can find these beasts,"

Chang Long quickly took advantage of the situation. She sighed in relief that the meerkats were not offended by their guests refusing the food they had so sincerely offered. Hulu nodded, took the list of monsters from Chang Long, and turned to the meerkat king, who was munching on a grasshopper nearby.

"The warthogs live in the thickets near the marshlands, Divine One. They roam in packs and are very fierce. The capybaras, those giant rodents, live by the lake, where they can graze on green grass all day. The lake isn't far from the thickets. As for the white rhinos, they're very hard to find. There are few of them, and they're scattered all over the savanna, making them the rarest beasts here."

The meerkat king explained to Hulu while gesturing with his hands to indicate the direction.

"And what about Nemean? Where can we find it?"

Hulu asked, noticing that the meerkat king had avoided mentioning the Nemean.

"L-Lord Nemean lives in the heart of this savanna, Divine One. He can speak human language, is incredibly intelligent, fast, and much larger than ordinary lions. He's terrifying and commands great respect!"

The king explained with a tone of reverence.

-----

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