The large trees shook violently, and the undead scattered in panic, fleeing for their lives. If they got sucked into the radius of the Guardian Fire by the Tornado Wing, they would surely perish. Chang Long ran alongside them, not thinking of anything except survival. Luckily, the undead were too focused on escaping to pay her any attention.

Pop!

As the Tornado Wing spiraled away from the Guardian Fire, the fire itself remained unscathed, except for growing even more intense. Suddenly, the Eye of Water which was next to the Eye of Wind exploded, unleashing a barrage of water bullets in every direction. The bullets struck the trees, the ground, and the unlucky undead nearby with loud crashes. Chang Long's anxiety grew as the Guardian Fire, which had been so difficult to ignite, now seemed in danger of being extinguished by the water barrage.

Pop!

Chang Long's eyes nearly bulged as another explosion echoed—it was the Eye of Ice this time. She remembered well that the skill contained within that orb was Ice Spear.

Shunk!

Shunk. Shunk. Shunk. Shunk. Shunk. Shunk. Shunk!

Sharp, white ice spears, partially melted, rained down, narrowly missing Chang Long multiple times. The Tornado Wing continued to wreak havoc across the forest, making the Purple Forest resemble a scene from the apocalypse. Trees shook violently, some even snapping and falling. The Water Bullets, out of Sovereign Sword control had devastating power, piercing through massive trees with ease and greatly weakening the Guardian Fire, which now flickered and threatened to go out.

Chang Long found herself fleeing from the tornado's pull, dodging the water bullets and ice spears while also contending with unseen obstacles in the dark. It was the most unbecoming escape she had ever experienced, with her tripping and crashing into trees multiple times. By the time Kitsune finally mentioned that he could see in the dark and offered to guide her, Chang Long had already taken quite a beating.

"Wait! The fifth orb... it's the Dark Wraith!"

Chang Long's eyes widened in terror as she remembered the terrifying skill associated with one of the eyes she held—the Eye of Darkness—the ability to summon Dark Wraiths that could turn a person to ash with a mere touch. And with the Guardian Fire nearly extinguished, she could soon be facing not one, but four wraiths. There could not be a worse way to die than being swarmed by those terrifying creatures.

Pop!

The moment of dread finally arrived—the last orb on the Sovereign Sword shattered. Dark shadows spilled from the broken orb, forming into ragged black cloaks and mist drifting through the air. However, fortune was on her side. Even though the Guardian Fire was close to going out, it was still potent enough to burn the wraiths before they could fully form. The four wraiths were swiftly consumed by the fire, disintegrating into black ash. With the wraiths gone, the forest was plunged back into darkness, though the eerie silence did not.

Rumbleee!

The sound of the Tornado Wing tearing through the Purple Forest echoed loudly, destroying everything in its path. Even players outside the forest could hear the noise and feel the tremors, as if a minor earthquake had struck. Everyone paused their battles with beasts and turned their attention toward the forest, captivated by the scene unfolding before them. They watched in shock as the treetops of the Purple Forest collapsed before their eyes. Mouths agape, they began speculating wildly. Some players even called their friends to come and witness the spectacle, while others formed parties, recruiting brave souls to venture into the forest to see what had happened firsthand. And it was not just a single group.

More players arrived at the Purple Forest, curious. High-level players grouped together inquisitive players who were eager to uncover the cause of the catastrophe in what was typically the quietest part of the game since its launch. Some speculated that a Beast King of the Purple Forest had gone on a rampage for some absurd reason—perhaps it had grown bored from inactivity and wanted to stir up excitement by luring in players. Others thought a player might have provoked it, angering the king and triggering its destructive rampage.

The so-called Beast King of the Purple Forest was something no one had ever seen before. Several reasons contributed to this, with the most obvious being that no player had ever survived long enough to reach its lair. However, many players knew of the Beast King's identity—a woman named Jezebel.

Besides curious players, guilds large and small from across the Aseana Island rushed to the forest, following the rumors spreading through the public communication channels. These guilds wanted to verify the truth for themselves. Guild players did not have to waste time looking for party members; they arrived in group, fully prepared to dive into the forest. Soon, the open fields outside the forest became filled with tents and makeshift camps, as beasts respawning in the area were swiftly hunted down before they could even grow in number.

Several groups were now ready to explore the forest. Leading the charge were none other than the local powerhouse, the Dark Horse Guild. They marched boldly into the expanse of the Purple Forest, each player wielding a torch in one hand for light and an elemental weapon in the other, most of them fire-elemental weapons since they were more readily available, albeit expensive. As they ventured deeper into the darkness, they encountered an army of floating eyes—over a hundred pairs, blocking their path. Many players' hands began to tremble, for none had ever been surrounded by so many beasts in their time playing the game.

There was no negotiation, no waiting. The attack began suddenly from all directions, except from behind, their exit, where other groups of players continued to follow. Those who had entered to investigate the disturbance in the Purple Forest shivered in fear as they realized that, besides the hundreds of floating white eyes, there were also skeletal beasts—likely from the deeper parts of the forest—now joining the assault. These skeletons, with hues of gray, dark purple, dark red, and pitch black, had no eyes, making them almost invisible unless light came close enough to illuminate their bodies.

A fierce battle erupted immediately as most of the undead were already in a frenzied state. The chaotic shouts and sounds of combat echoed through the forest, causing the low-level players waiting outside to panic. What had initially been an organized march forward quickly turned into a chaotic retreat. Screams rang out, accompanied by the telltale white flashes indicating that more and more players had perished and were being respawned. The frontliners were caught off guard and killed before they had a chance to react due to the narrow area, while those behind them were battered and struggled to escape the Purple Forest as fast as possible. The once orderly formation disintegrated into a chaotic scramble, with only a few dozen players managing to stagger out of the forest alive. Fortunately, the undead were restricted to the forest's boundaries; otherwise, no one would have survived. Some of the high-level undead had even gathered at the forest's entrance, though no one knew why.

After the massacre by the undead, players camping in the field outside the forest began to lose confidence in their safety. Even though they knew the undead could not leave the forest, the thought of them potentially unable to leave during the day due to the bright sunlight and the possibility they might emerge to kill them at night terrified everyone. With this realization, players packed up their tents and quickly fled the area.

.....

"Whew… it's finally over,"

Chang Long sighed, wiping sweat from her face. After nearly two hours of running, the Tornado Wing had finally dissipated, leaving a long, sunlit trail through the forest. This opening to the sunlight had saved her from being swarmed by the undead hiding in the shadows. However, there were only a few hours left until sunset, and Chang Long knew she had to relight the Guardian Fire to ensure her survival. Moreover, she had left the Sovereign Sword near the fire.

Sitting down to rest, Chang Long and Kitsune quietly ate a late lunch, which was already two hours overdue. Afterward, they followed the path of destruction left by the Tornado Wing back to the Guardian Fire's location. Little did Chang Long know that her actions had unintentionally led to the deaths of over a hundred players. Fortunately, since those deaths were not a direct result of her actions, the game system could not hold her accountable.

"Master!"

Kitsune suddenly called out, his voice filled with alarm, even though he was communicating telepathically. His ears twitched as he focused on listening to something in the distance.

"What is it, Kitsune? Is something wrong?"

Chang Long asked, glancing around the dark forest. All she could see were the glowing eyes of undead creatures lurking within the shadows.

"There's something, something terrifying, moving… But don't worry, Master. It's far away from us. If we hurry back to the Guardian Fire and relight it, we should be safe,"

Kitsune replied, his tone filled with concern but steady enough not to cause Chang Long undue alarm.

"Uh-huh, let's hope we can get that fire going again. Otherwise, my long-term plans for the Purple Forest might have to be scrapped."

Chang Long replied softly and continued walking, but a noise that made her sense of unease grew, made her glance upward. The Purple Forest was rapidly regenerating itself. The fallen trees were being replaced by new ones, growing at an astonishing speed right before her eyes, though still a bit far from where she stood. This meant she could no longer safely follow the path that the Tornado Wing had cleared for her.

"Why… why is everything going wrong today?"

Chang Long grumbled as she hurriedly pulled out her Guiding Flame from her backpack, letting it float ahead of her. At least with the flame to light the way, she had a chance of reaching the Guardian Fire safely.

"Master!"

Kitsune suddenly yelped telepathically, flinching. His fur puffing up like an orange-gold cotton ball, eyes fixed on the darkness behind them. He bared his fangs and growled softly.

"What is it, Kitsune?"

Chang Long asked, her brow furrowing with worry. Not only Kitsune could feel it, she, too, had begun to sense something moving toward them at an alarming speed. Before long, the source of their fear revealed itself.

"Beast King, Jezebel, Level 130, has appeared."

Before them stood a towering woman over three meters tall, dressed in flowing black and purple robes. Her skin was pale, her face both beautiful and terrifying. Dark eyeshadow framed her cold, pitch-black eyes, and her lips were deep, almost black purple. Her long, elegant fingers were tipped with long, black-painted nails. The Beast King Jezebel sneered in satisfaction as she gazed down at the two tiny figures before her. Her voice, full of power and authority, boomed.

"Small human. Heh heh heh. It's quite a surprise to see a living human in the Purple Forest, standing before me."

Chang Long and Kitsune remained frozen in shock, staring at the level 130 Beast King. This was the first time they had ever encountered such a high-level beast up close, and unlike when they had met the level 150 Ocean Dragon. The dragon did not show up to hurt her, but to help her recharge Hulu's egg before it went on a rampage, killing curious players who had flocked to see it. But at least the Sea Dragon had not harmed Chang Long.

"You… you're not just going to let us go, are you?"

Chang Long asked with fear. She had not summoned any spirits, and her Reaper King skills were sealed until she could return to the Throne in the Land of the Dead.

"Why would I let you go? Do you know how much annoyance I've endured since being assigned to this wretched Purple Forest? There's not a single thing here that's pleasant to look at!"

Jezebel complained, gesturing around her. The undead beasts shuffled listlessly, dragging their feet in a lifeless and monotonous way.

"Now imagine my surprise when a fresh, lively toy just happens to wander into my domain. Do you really think I'd let something like that slip away?"

Jezebel said with a calm tone. Chang Long could feel that she was about to become Jezebel's plaything.

"Seal Kitsune!"

Chang Long immediately ordered her pet to be sealed, knowing that if Kitsune were to die, there would not be time to revive him. Though having her companion by her side gave her comfort in facing danger than being alone. As Kitsune vanished into a glowing light and disappeared into the ring on Chang Long's finger, Jezebel paused, startled. Seizing this moment, Chang Long took off running, even though she knew escape was futile. At the very least, it would buy her some time to come up with a plan.

"You can't escape from me!"

Jezebel giggled, watching Chang Long flee without rushing to pursue her. The Beast King clearly intended to toy with her, turning this chase into a deadly game of cat and mouse. But with her life on the line, Chang Long sprinted as fast as she could, the Guiding Flame floating ahead of her lighting the way. While running, she suddenly remembered—she had wings. Chang Long commanded her wings to spread and took flight. The forest was not too dense, allowing her to fly above the obstacles on the ground. She soared toward the location of the Guardian Fire and her sword. If she could reach it and reignite the fire in time, she just might have a chance to survive.

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