"What do you want?"

Chang Long asked coldly.

"We'd like to see that talking mouse of yours,"

a player from the Circus Association replied, smiling in a friendly manner. There was not a trace of greed in his eyes.

"He's a pet, not a showpiece that I can pull it out just to let anyone gawk at it,"

Chang Long responded flatly.

"Come on, man. We just want to prove if it really talks. And if you let us, we might even offer you a high price for it!"

Another player, looking far less trustworthy, chimed in from beside the Circus Association players.

"I'm not selling my pet. Excuse me,"

Chang Long said, cutting the conversation short and preparing to walk away. But before she could move, a low-level throwing knife flew past, landing in front of her. She looked up to see it was thrown by a player from a guild with a bat insignia. They were all dressed in ninja-style camouflage.

"I don't think you should do that. Letting us take a quick look shouldn't be a big deal,"

the player who threw the knife said, stepping toward her confidently while sizing up her gear. He froze for several seconds, his eyes widened with surprise as he took in her outfit and weapons.

"I don't think you should be bothering me when I clearly have no interest in dealing with you,"

Chang Long sighed, now facing all the players crowding around her. She positioned Kimhant to shield Cat-Faced Angel behind her.

'That guy's level 77. Be careful,'

Devi-chan, who was invisible nearby, whispered to Chang Long, pointing at the ninja-class player standing in front of her.

"Then I guess we've got a problem, don't we, pretty boy?"

The player from the Dark Horse guild said, challenging her despite his level being even lower than Cat-Faced Angel's. The members of their perennial rival guild, (Doom Star), who were standing nearby, also seemed eager to gang up on someone they assumed would not stand a chance.

Chang Long looked bored. She rummaged through her bag for a moment before pulling out a small, scratched wooden doll. The players surrounding her exchanged puzzled and amused glances. But when she placed the doll on the ground and uttered the words:

"Summon Fluffy Head-chan,"

a hush fell over the crowd. The wooden doll, which had been lying still, began to move as if alive. It grew flesh and fur, and soon a small lion cub stood where the doll had been. Before anyone could recover from their surprise, Chang Long spoke again, her next words turning their astonishment into fear:

"Puppet Manipulation!"

Fluffy Head-chan's body rapidly expanded until it grew to its full size—matching the mighty Nemean Lion from its past life. Very few players had the strength to contend with such a beast, and several in the crowd clearly recognized who Fluffy Head-chan was.

"Ne... Nemean!!" a player from the Circus Association exclaimed, causing the other guild members who had never seen the king of the savannah in person to be stunned. Fluffy Head-chan responded to the recognition with a thunderous roar, sending some of the players surrounding Chang Long fleeing in terror.

"Do you think one lion can stop us!"

The ninja player, whom Devi-chan identified as being level 77, said in a low tone.

"I never said Fluffy Head-chan would fight alone,"

Chang Long replied.

"Gahahaha. What? The lion's name is Fluffy Head-chan? That's hilarious. Ha..."

A player standing at a safe distance laughed loudly, not knowing his place. He did not even have time to react before Fluffy Head-chan leapt at him, slashing with his claws and sending him straight to the afterlife. No one dared laugh at Fluffy Head-chan's name after that, not even the ninja standing face-to-face with Chang Long, who was taken back and instinctively took two steps back in fear.

"Now, should I introduce you to the other three friends of Fluffy Head-chan? Spirit Summoning!"

Chang Long smirked slightly and said in a calm voice. She used her Spirit Summoning skill, causing Devi-chan, Hisa-chan, and Alice-chan, who had been invisible, to appear in front of everyone.

"Who are you, and what profession uses skills like this?"

A member of the Dark Horse Guild shouted in panic, his fear of Chang Long growing as he realized she was using abilities no one in the game had ever seen before.

"Who am I? Defeat my friends, and I'll tell you. Spirit Realm!"

Chang Long activated her Spirit Realm skill, making the translucent bodies of her summoned spirits appear more solid and tangible. The players surrounding her were so shocked they froze in place, and by the time they regained their composure, the materialized spirits had already closed in on them.

In the world of Adventure World Online, most player rankings were compiled by the Journalists and Writers Association, independent from the game's official leaderboards, which were based on in-game tournaments and events. These official rankings, which did not account for player level, were often criticized by the community. This was because many top players did not participate in official events but were still considered stronger than those who were ranked, even by the game.

The Journalists and Writers Association created a variety of player lists, including rankings for the best-looking male and female players, the highest-level players, the players who were labelled as killers (because they liked to kill other players.) There were also lists for the most feared guilds, and even a list of Brutal Players. Unlike the other rankings, there was no first or second place on the Brutal Players list because no one dared to test who was truly the most brutal. To make it onto this list, a player had to exhibit extreme ruthlessness and terrifying skill in battle, far beyond what was typical for other players.

Demos from the Doom Star Guild had his name featured in many rankings compiled by the Journalists and Writers Association. Unsurprisingly, his name also appeared on the Brutal Players list, as it was widely known that Demos had a psychopathic tendency when it came to killing other players. His emotionless face that would break into a smile as he killed was enough to leave anyone who had faced him trembling with fear long after the encounter.

Now, another player was about to be added to the Brutal Players list. However, their method of killing was vastly different from Demos's. It was cold, decisive, and did not involve them lifting a finger. The minions, who killed other players blocking their way with calm, expressionless faces, seemed far more terrifying than someone who laughed maniacally while committing murder. Except for one—a beautiful woman dressed in white—whose face showed utter delight as she slaughtered her victims and collected their blood in glass bottles. She hummed a cheerful tune while using her long, sharp nails to slice open the veins of the unfortunate players thrown her way, filling her bottles with their blood. Despite her frail appearance, not a single player managed to escape her grasp, eventually bleeding out and dying.

The circle of players surrounding Chang Long quickly dispersed, almost unbelievably fast, without her needing to do anything. Members of the Circus Association and unrelated bystanders moved to watch from a safer distance, all sharing the same stunned expression. They were amazed at how Devi-chan, Hisa-chan, and Fluffy Head-chan could defeat their enemies with just one or two hits. They were also astonished by Alice-chan's immense strength. Even though she looked so thin, she managed to restrain large, muscular players who could not break free. And finally, they were shocked by the most mysterious player of all—Chang Long—who had only used three skills that were unfamiliar to all players and then merely stood by while her enemies were completely wiped out in an instant.

Only a few players in ninja camouflage remained standing. They were incredibly fast, managing to barely dodge the attacks from Devi-chan, Hisa-chan, and Fluffy Head-chan, though they were covered in shallow wounds and oozing blood. Among them was their leader, the level 77 player, who seemed to be the one in charge. They stood still, sizing up the situation, until the ninja leader finally spoke up.

"I want to fight him one-on-one,"

he said, pointing directly at Chang Long with a fierce, challenging glare.

"If it's a duel you're after, then I'll be your opponent,"

Hisa-chan stepped forward, blocking the ninja leader's path. His katana was already sheathed at his side.

"But I challenged him. You shouldn't interfere. Or are you scared? All I've seen you do is stand around without fighting,"

the ninja leader taunted Chang Long. Devi-chan and Fluffy Head-chan immediately moved to confront him, but Hisa-chan raised a hand to stop them.

"This is a basic rule: if you can't defeat us, you have no right to challenge our master."

Hisa-chan spoke with a calm, steady voice. The ninja leader was recognized as Black Bat Guild member. Many onlookers could remember the bat insignia that was their guild emblem. Like the other players watching, he was shocked by Hisa-chan's words. If Chang Long was the master of the three powerful individuals before him, who were clearly of high level and exceptional combat skills, then how strong must their master be? (Luckily for Chang Long, she had not fought directly, or else everyone would have known she was weaker than her subordinates.)

"Master... aren't you elite players helping that guy?"

The Black Bat Guild leader asked in astonishment.

"We serve our master. We follow and take orders only from our master,"

Hisa-chan replied firmly, shaking his head. His eyes locked on his would-be one-on-one opponent. The Black Bat Guild leader quickly assessed the situation before responding.

"In that case, we must withdraw and apologize for our rudeness..."

As soon as the leader finished speaking, he and his two remaining skilled subordinates disappeared swiftly, as if vanishing into thin air, leaving behind streets stained with pools of blood. Alice-chan was ready to cry from the sight of so much spilled blood, feeling it was a waste.

Meanwhile, the public communication channel was once again in an uproar. This time, the hot topic was the mysterious player who used a strange skill to turn a simple wooden doll into the mighty Nemean Lion. Additionally, they summoned skilled fighters from who-knows-where to handle enemies without lifting a finger. Despite being so powerful, this player was completely unknown, with no prior mention or notoriety.

The players who witnessed the battle gossiped eagerly about Chang Long's skills, her outfit, which those who had seen pictures of the Seven Pirate Kings' revealed gear swore was one of the sets, and her weapons, which were clearly not ordinary items available in the marketplace. Some sharp-eyed players even claimed that the bracelet and ring she wore were divine beast-sealing jewelries, though no one could be certain due to their distance. What was clear to everyone was that Chang Long possessed a talking beast, which had attracted players from various guilds to surround her.

As for Chang Long, the player being discussed so intensely that the public communication channel almost crashed again, she sat in boredom atop the six-story roof of a hotel. She did not want to be the center of attention among the players below. She left Kimhant and the Cat-Faced Angel behind, instructing them to pretend they did not know her so they would not be bothered by other players pestering them for information.

Chang Long figured she would have to travel solo for a while to let the situation cool down and focus on leveling up Kitsune quickly to regain some of his useful skills. There were many things that weighed heavily on her mind, including the keys and the Mirror of Truth. She had no idea what the Mirror of Truth looked like or how it was connected to the Land of the Dead.

"Hmm... Cedric,"

Chang Long called the name of one of the Four Reaper Guardians, the master of the Blood Ruby Blade. He immediately appeared from the large ruby embedded in his sword.

"Yes, my lord,"

Cedric responded energetically.

"What is the Mirror of Truth?"

Chang Long asked absentmindedly. In truth, she did not expect Cedric or the others to know. After all, they were just AI in the game, likely limited in what they could reveal to players, or maybe the system did not provide the information.

"It's a door, my lord,"

Cedric answered.

"Uh-huh, so it's... a door. What door?"

Chang Long, initially not paying much attention, snapped back when she realized Cedric actually knew something.

"The Door to the Land of the Dead, my lord. It's a large door, like the mirror that stands in the Castle of Death. It requires the four keys from us, the Four Guardians, to open. Only you, my lord, have the right to open it,"

Cedric explained.

"You knew all this, but why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Chang Long asked in disbelief. The three Guardians had been with her the whole time, yet despite knowing about the keys and the door, none of them had mentioned it.

"Well, you never asked, my lord. Uh... I mean that sincerely,"

Cedric responded awkwardly, seeing Chang Long glaring at him. She figured it had to have been one of those hidden conditions, so she let it slide.

"Uh-huh. Do you know where this mirror-door is?"

She asked, returning to the main topic.

"I do not, my lord. We can pass through nearly any mirror, but there are some, like the Mirror of Truth, that require your permission before we can enter or exit. Without your explicit command, we cannot cross through it."

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