"I wish I could meet that person again,"

Demos muttered to himself.

'Who? The heir of Devi Jones?'

Asked a voice from within his subconscious—though in reality, it was the voice of the manticore, whose spirit he had fused with.

"You know me too well. Yes, I want to meet her. I'd like to talk to her, and maybe even fight her,"

Demos replied with a chuckle, still vividly recalling Chang Long's face.

'You're not falling for her, are you? Human women make human men weak…'

The manticore's tone was laced with disapproval whenever the subject of romantic feelings between men and women came up.

"I don't know. I just feel like her image is stuck in my mind, and I genuinely think she's incredibly skilled. We didn't even see her full abilities that day. I really think I'll get to test my strength against hers soon,"

Demos said with a smirk. The manticore did not respond, seemingly indifferent as long as its master sought to grow stronger. Satisfied with his self-inspection, Demos left to wander the city and search for Ery, who had mysteriously disappeared.

The wait for the duo, Oliang and Wet Trash Can, dragged on until the next morning. They finally arrived, looking utterly exhausted after rushing to their destination with little rest. With everyone present, Cat-Faced Angel, who had taken the quest for the Cave of Million, formed a group and invited the new acquaintances to join, as per the quest's rules. Everyone, except those already familiar with Chang Long, was surprised to learn that Hulu and Kitsune were her pets capable of transforming into humans.

"That's amazing. I wish my pets could turn into humans too, so we could actually talk!" Cat-Faced Angel exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement as she stared at Kitsune and Hulu without blinking.

"Incredible. No wonder they couldn't be invited into party,"

Destiny remarked, equally astonished.

"This isn't something widely known, so let's keep it that way. My pets and I aren't keen on getting swarmed,"

Chang Long cautioned, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"So, which way to the Cave of Million? I can't wait to get in there!"

Kimhant asked eagerly. They had stocked up on essentials the previous day, but unfortunately, the player market near the base of the Sky Palace did not have any tents or shelters for sale, leaving Kimhant and Chang Long still without a tent.

Oliang and Wet Trash Can sat resting, getting acquainted with their new companions, while Destiny, playing the role of a good host, led the group towards the Cave of Million. The cave was located at the Sleeping Dragon Mountain Range, northeast of the Sky Palace, on the edge of the land. The mountain range had numerous caves, both quest-related and ordinary ones, offering players opportunities for adventure and treasure hunting.

The journey did not take long since most of Chang Long's group consisted of highly skilled players, which made Kimhant and Cat-Faced Angel feel a bit embarrassed, knowing their levels were still below sixty. They worried they might become a burden during critical moments. Nevertheless, they spent the entire day traveling, reaching the cave's entrance—a safe zone free from monsters where they could set up camp without needing a night watch—right at midnight.

Luckily, Cat-Faced Angel was a woman, so Chang Long could share a tent with her. Meanwhile, Kimhant and her two pets joined forces with Siegfried, Oliang, and Wet Trash Can. However, the guys seemed to be huddled together inside Oliang's tent, deep in conversation and showing no signs of emerging.

"You want to get master and Lord Siegfried alone together!"

Kitsune asked, astonished.

"Why should we help with that? Our master is a woman, after all. It could be damaging to her reputation,"

Hulu replied sternly, having chosen to sit away from the group and listen from a distance, as was typical of his proud Sacred Beast nature.

"Oh, you're just being protective. But I think it'd be good for her to have a little romance. Maybe it'll keep her from irking the others,"

Fluffy Head-chan, who had grown close to Kitsune, teased, shooting a knowing look at Hulu.

"Tch! You fluffy-headed lion cub. You refused to submit to master properly, so you're bound to get disciplined now and then!"

Hulu snapped back, making Fluffy Head-chan grind his teeth in frustration but refrained from retorting as Kitsune stepped in.

"That's enough, you two. Lord Siegfried is sincere to our master—I can see that. And I want to help him win her heart. So, you two need to cooperate, understood!"

Kitsune scolded softly, and both Hulu and Fluffy Head-chan nodded in reluctant agreement.

"Impressive, Kitsune. You really know how to handle those Sacred Beasts,"

Wet Trash Can remarked, clearly impressed.

"Please don't say that. It's more that Hulu is reasonable, so we can discuss things sensibly, right, Hulu?"

Kitsune replied, turning to Hulu, who had been about to jump up and kick Wet Trash Can for his disrespectful comment. But when Kitsune spoke like that, Hulu simply sat back down, grumbling and nodding his head begrudgingly.

"Let's get to the point. We just want you guys to create opportunities for Siegfried to be alone with Chang Long in the Cave of Million so we can see how she reacts to him. If she has any feelings for him, we can take the next step,"

Oliang said, eager to finalize the plan quickly since it was already late, and everyone was exhausted from the journey. They conferred hurriedly, all eager to rest as soon as possible.

"Simple enough!"

Fluffy Head-chan said, grinning confidently.

"Tch, what can a little runt like you even do?"

Hulu sneered.

"What did you say, you crippled horse. What kind of horse has a horn!"

Fluffy Head-chan shot back without hesitation.

"Who are you calling a crippled horse, huh? I'm a Kirin, a sacred pureblood creature. Far more noble than a scruffy little lion like you!"

Hulu retorted, his face flushed with anger.

The argument between the two grew louder, causing a commotion inside Oliang's tent. Luckily, the tents were spaced out enough that no one else was disturbed by the ruckus.

"Argh, you crippled horse! If you've got the guts, let's fight it out right now!"

Fluffy Head-chan challenged furiously, jumping off Kitsune's lap and lowering his head, ready to charge.

"Bring it on, you dwarf lion! Let's see what you've got!"

Hulu accepted the challenge eagerly, even though he knew he was at a disadvantage due to being of a lower level than Fluffy Head-chan. But his pride as a noble Kirin would not allow him to back down from a challenge, especially not from a tiny lion.

"No way, I've got to wake master up first. Fighting like this is too unfair!"

Fluffy Head-chan said, preparing to leave and have Chang Long use the Puppet Manipulation skill to return him to his full size. Kitsune, who had been watching with growing exasperation, finally intervened with a cold, stern voice.

"Enough… If you wake master up, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Ugh…"

Fluffy Head-chan froze in his tracks, his face paling. If Kitsune was this scary when angry, he could not imagine how terrifying Chang Long could bep.

"I'm going to sleep,"

Hulu declared, immediately lying down on his bedding inside the tent. Wet Trash Can did not dare say another word, instead giving Kitsune a thumbs-up and a wink in admiration for his ability to easily calm the two troublemakers. With that, everyone settled down to rest, preparing for the exciting quest ahead in the morning.

The next morning, Chang Long's group, led by Cat-Faced Angel, stood ready at the entrance of the Cave of Million. The priests, mages, and knights all cast their support spells on the group before the team leader led the way inside. The first thing everyone noticed was the sandy-colored cave walls, which emitted a faint glow, allowing them to see everything clearly without the need for torches.

"Don't bother with the boxes near the entrance. We need to go deeper to find the better ones,"

Destiny advised everyone.

"Why is that, Des? If we find a box, shouldn't we at least try to open it? Even if someone has already opened it before, the system would respawn a new one with random items once,"

Kimhant asked, puzzled, as he knew that the system refreshed the opened empty treasure boxes randomly once the previous participants left the cave.

"That's true, but my friends who have done this mission told me they opened the box and found the thing previous participants left as a prank. Some players leave unpleasant surprises in the boxes near the entrance because the boxes don't disappear immediately after being opened. My friend once found a pouch of stinging nettles inside a box. They spent the rest of the mission scratching and eventually had to use a scroll to return to town just to buy an antidote."

Everyone started to feel a bit wary about opening the treasure boxes they found.

"Who would dare open one after hearing that!"

Wet Trash Can muttered.

"Don't worry. The deeper we go, the more we'll encounter beasts constantly. It's hard enough to find time to open a box, let alone put something in it as a prank,"

Destiny reassured them. With that, the group decided to focus on the boxes deeper inside the cave. They continued moving forward, encountering only minimal resistance from monsters.

The Cave of Million was vast, with many small chambers to explore. The group mostly ignored the treasure boxes they came across, fearing they might contain unpleasant surprises left by previous players. At one point, Kimhant could not resist the temptation and tried to open a box using a long stick he found nearby. He was forced to flee in terror along with the others when a swarm of angry wasps emerged from the box.

"Unbelievable. I told you not to mess with the boxes near the entrance. Are you guys alright... huh?"

Destiny scolded, exhausted after fleeing aimlessly until they managed to shake off the furious wasps. However, only two of his guildmates had followed him.

"Are we lost?"

Kimhant asked, realizing he was still holding Cat-Faced Angel's hand as they found themselves in a small chamber inside the cave. At the far end, a treasure box was embedded in the wall, guarded by over ten zombie beasts with dark purple skin, all level 35. The moment the zombies spotted the intruders, they charged.

"It's just the two of us. If I die here, I'm going to get chewed out for sure. We've only been in here for 20 minutes."

Cat-Faced Angel grumbled, releasing her sealed pet to help fight. Even though the enemies were lower level, being swarmed could still lead to an untimely death.

"At least we found a box. Let's clear them out and grab whatever's inside, then we can call the others,"

Kimhant said, determined to prove himself and protect Cat-Faced Angel. He pulled out all the stops, using every skill he had to show her that he could be relied upon.

"We haven't even started our plan yet, and we're already separated. I wonder if Siegfried is still with Chang Long!"

Oliang muttered after realizing he had gotten lost with his best friend and another member of the Immortal Guild.

"At least we have a priestess with us. Her support skills will make it easier to find the others,"

Wet Trash Can said, glancing at the cute priestess who had ended up running with them.

"L-look at the ceiling!"

The priestess pointed out. High up, more than three meters above them, a large box was embedded, hanging upside down from the cave ceiling. The two guys' eyes lit up as they started brainstorming ways to get it open, hoping it might contain something valuable.

"Wow... Look at this, O. We're getting quite the warm welcome,"

Wet Trash Can remarked, nudging his friend who was busy figuring out how to open the box on the ceiling. He was referring to the horde of beasts now converging on them.

"Uh... Ploychompoo, do you have a skill that can enchant our weapons with holy attributes? It'll make things a bit easier,"

Oliang asked the young priestess, who seemed remarkably calm despite the situation. She had been through many tough battles with her guildmates before.

"Yes, I do. I'll buff you right away,"

Ploychompoo replied cheerfully, then cast Holy Weapon on the two friends. The holy attribute was rare and highly sought after in the game, usually available only to priest players or through rare weapons, accessories, or armor. It was not something easily acquired.

.....

"Damn it... Why do I have to be stuck with this crippled horse? I just don't get it,"

Fluffly Head-chan grumbled loudly, glaring at Hulu in frustration. Fluffly Head-chan, Kitsune, Hulu, and an Immortal Guild archer had somehow gotten separated from the main group and were now lost together.

"Tch! You think I wanted to get lost with you? If you hadn't been clinging to Big Bro Kitsune all the time, we wouldn't be together in this mess, you scruffy dwarf lion!"

Hulu retorted, causing Fluffly Head-chan to squirm in anger. It leapt from Kitsune's arms, glaring at Hulu with a fierce look.

"Are you challenging the lord of the jungle, you crippled horse!"

Fluffly Head-chan barked back, reaching the end of its patience. It was not about to let Hulu's pure-blooded Sacred Beast status overshadow its own pride.

"Lord of the jungle? Please, I'm a pure-blooded Sacred Beast. I'm far more noble than a second-rate king like you,"

Hulu responded proudly, puffing out his chest. He was incredibly proud of his lineage. Kitsune rolled his eyes, exasperated by the ongoing rivalry between the two whenever they were away from their master.

"Enough, both of you. Look, we're about to be attacked!"

Kitsune scolded, cutting through the tension. The commotion between Fluffly Head-chan and Hulu had drawn a horde of zombie beasts to their location. The Immortal Guild archer turned pale, being the only player among them and unsure if he could command these high-status pets to fight.

"Mr. Archer, you're more suited for the backline, right? Leave the front line to us,"

Kitsune said kindly to the archer, offering a reassuring smile.

"We don't even need him, Big Bro. We'll finish this in no time!"

Hulu declared, puffing out its chest and preparing for battle.

-----

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