The old man's skin was soft, wrinkly, and cold to the touch. Chang Long's face turned pale, and immediately withdrew her hand. The old man laughed heartily at Chang Long's reaction and kept urging her to try his special tea. Chang Long looked at the tea in the cup with apprehension, thinking, 'Can this even be called tea?' But she dared not refuse the old man any further; for all she knew, angering him might make him eat her innards.

"I'll... drink it then!"

Chang Long closed her eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and sipped the tea with a pounding heart. Kitsune wanted to stop her but his master did not give him any chance, so he could only gape in shock.

The first drop of tea that touched Chang Long's tongue instantly changed her perspective. The tea was sweet and mellow, refreshingly relaxing. What started as a cautious sip turned into her gulping down the entire cup.

"Delicious!!"

Chang Long exclaimed, placing the empty teacup down and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, amazed at how something that looked so unpleasant could taste so good.

"Is it truly delicious, master!?"

Kitsune asked in astonishment, then stared doubtfully at his own cup of tea, unable to believe such unsightly tea could be so enjoyable that his master would drink it all in one go.

"Just try it,"

Chang Long encouraged, seeing the skeptical look on her loyal companion's face.

"Hehehe... Everything you do pleases me. It seems we are quite fated, hehehe," the old man chuckled dryly, pleased with Chang Long's actions.

"By the way, who are you, and what are you doing here all alone? Where are your family?"

Chang Long asked, her fear almost completely vanished.

"I am known as Elder An, the undertaker, hehehe,"

the old man replied.

"So, this really is a cemetery, then? But why did the sign say it's a shrine?"

Chang Long asked, puzzled.

"Hehehe... Because it is indeed a shrine...,"

Elder An responded cheerfully.

"Where exactly is the shrine? All I see are graves everywhere!!"

Chang Long argued.

"It's right where you are sitting, hehehe,"

"And what about the hundreds of graves over there?"

"Hehehe... That's that, but this here is the shrine, hehehe."

Chang Long was left speechless, unable to respond, while Kitsune paid no attention to the conversation between his master and Elder An. He was too preoccupied with the dilemma of 'to drink... or not to drink,' staring intently at the teacup in his hands.

After some idle conversation, Elder An started to get serious. He turned to face Chang Long with a dignified posture, scrutinizing her before asking,

"You've acquired the profession already! How is that possible? I don't recall giving you a profession quest."

Elder An said, surprised.

"How did you know... Wait, you said you didn't give me a profession quest. Does that mean Elder An, you're a profession change NPC?!"

Chang Long exclaimed excitedly.

"Hehehe, indeed, I am a profession change NPC for the Shaman profession. My brother, Elder In, is the profession change NPC for the Beast User profession. As for his whereabouts, you'll have to find out for yourself. But I'll give you a hint: he's not on the starting island, hehehe,"

Elder An replied.

"Is the beast user profession similar to a beast trainer? I heard from Davy Jones that he once was beast user before becoming a Shaman,"

Chang Long asked, recalling what the Pirate King Davy Jones had mentioned.

"Hehehe, not quite. The Demon User profession is more akin to the Shaman profession because both involve using spirits in combat. The difference is that Shamans merge spirits with themselves to gain the spirits' abilities during combat, whereas Beast Users bind spirits to dolls. When summoned for combat, these dolls revert to their spiritual forms and fight..."

Elder An explained, then paused to take a sip of tea.

"Then why does the profession status disappear when the beast dies?"

Chang Long asked, puzzled.

"Because those beasts are spirits residing in enchanted dolls. If the actual doll, which is their true form, is severely damaged or destroyed, the spirit dissipates. And if the last of the beasts is destroyed, the Beast User profession is automatically sealed, not lost. If you wish to continue playing as a Beast User, you must undertake a quest to unseal the profession."

"So, if I don't want the profession to be sealed, I need to keep spare beasts with me..."

Chang Long nodded in understanding.

"Hehehe, exactly, my child... But let's get back to our topic. How did you acquire the Shaman profession without receiving a quest from me?"

Elder An asked curiously.

"I got it from another quest, but I'd rather not say which one. I fear I might get in trouble if someone overhears,"

Chang Long responded. Elder An nodded slowly, not pursuing the topic further, even though he was quite curious, as the Shaman profession was supposed to be obtained through the quest from him alone.

"Hehehe, as you wish. But have you studied your profession in detail yet?"

Elder An shifted the conversation to the specifics of her profession. Chang Long shook her head, indicating she knew nothing about the details of her profession.

"...How could you not study the profession you've received, sigh!"

Elder An switched from laughing at Chang Long to sighing in frustration.

"Since I've met Elder An already, could you please explain the details to this clueless kid?"

Chang Long quickly pleaded with Elder An, knowing he was kind despite his frightening appearance.

"Hehehe, of course, it's my duty anyway... As I mentioned, the Shaman profession involves summoning spirits to merge with your body, using a skill that comes with the profession called 'Spirit Possession.' But before you can use that skill, you need to have a spirit of your own. Just kill any mythical beast you wish to capture, then use 'Spirit Net' skill. The challenge is that the spirit of the beast vanishes quickly after its death. You'll have to use the Spirit Net skill half a minute before the beast dies to have a chance of capturing its spirit...

"Ah! Before that, you need a spirit tablet. Only then can you acquire the spirit you desire. Without a spirit tablet, once the spirit net disperses, any spirit that was caught on the net will vanish. Alright... After obtaining a spirit tablet and capturing the desired spirit using the Spirit Net skill, touch the spirit with a spirit tablet and give it a name to complete the process. Sigh... exhausting!"

Elder An took another sip of his tea, worn out.

He had never explained so much in one go before because no player had ever lasted more than ten seconds in this shrine, leaving him with no experience in assigning profession quests or explaining profession details. He was used to just sitting around, pretending to be a spirit in the cemetery.

"There's another skill, right? If I remember correctly,"

Chang Long inquired.

"Oh yes there is. It's the Spirit Summoning skill, meant to make the spirit appear visibly."

"I have another question. When I use skill, I won't shake like a ringing phone just like in TV drama, right?"

Chang Long asked apprehensively. She was worried that it would be embarrassing if that were the case. Shaking every time she used a skill, would make others think she was crazy.

"What's a phone? What's a TV drama? But no, this profession doesn't involve any shaking. If you don't believe me, try summoning the spirit. I can sense a spirit following you. Here, take this spirit tablet as a gift, but you'll have to purchase the next one, hehehe,"

Elder An said, offering Chang Long a mischievous smile.

"Spirit Summoning,"

Chang Long uttered, holding the white jade spirit tablet given to her by Elder An, somewhat bewildered. She then tried to use the spirit summoning skill as instructed by Elder An.

As soon as Chang Long invoked the skill, an uproar echoed throughout the area. Chang Long and Kitsune, who had been sleeping, were jolted. They turned to see the source of the noise and discovered that every spirit in the desolate forest is revealing themselves. There were spirits of warriors, beautiful women, children, and pets, all surprised to suddenly be summoned. Among them, a familiar figure appeared next to Chang Long.

"Davy Jones!!"

Chang Long exclaimed loudly, attracting the attention of the gathered spirits.

"Yeah, it's me! Why the shout? Are you trying to burst my eardrums!?"

The proud pirate king responded, annoyed.

"I was just surprised. Weren't you supposed to go to eternal rest? How did you end up as a spirit following me?"

Chang Long asked, puzzled, as she and Kitsune had witnessed his form fading into the air.

"How would I know? I'm still furious. I thought I'd be surrounded by beautiful ladies if I reached eternal rest. Instead, not only did I not go anywhere, but my spirit also got stuck with you!!"

Davy Jones grumbled.

Chang Long gave Elder An a seeking glance, to which he gestured towards the spirit tablet in her hand. Understanding his hint, Chang Long tapped the tablet against Davy Jones's ethereal form. Instantly, his spirit was absorbed into the tablet.

"Player Chang Long has received the spirit of level 100 Pirate King, Davy Jones. Please name the spirit. If no name is provided, the system will retain its original name."

The system announced as soon as Davy Jones' spirit entered the tablet.

Chang Long grinned, seizing the chance to get back at the haughty pirate king for calling her flat-chested, even though it was the truth. She chuckled gleefully, coming up with a perfect name.

"Davy-chan!"

"Confirm the spirit's name as Davy-chan?"

"Confirm!!"

Chang Long declared firmly. Then, the name Davy-chan appeared in black letters with a golden outline on the white spirit tablet.

"Come on, don't be mad. Try this first, it smells so good and refreshing,"

Chang Long said to Davy-chan, after summoning the spirit from the spirit tablet. She prepared an offering that turned out to be black rose tea, known for its healing properties for the pain caused by spirit possession. By lighting a single incense and placing the offering in front of the spirit tablet, the spirit could pick up the offering and consume it.

Davy-chan, still sulking, picked up the offering and drank it due to thirst, while Chang Long was bargaining for the recipe of the black rose tea from Elder An. He stipulated that if she wanted him to teach her, she would first have to buy five hundred jade spirit tablets. Chang Long reluctantly agreed. Elder An told her that the pain of summoning a spirit of equal or much higher level could be excruciating, as it was an act of forcing oneself to use power beyond their limit.

After acquiring the recipe for black rose tea, Chang Long and Kitsune continued talking to the Elder until the sky darkened, before they leave.

"My inventory is almost full. What should I do?"

Chang Long complained to Kitsune and Davy-chan who walked alongside her. Davy-chan was invisible to other players unless that player was also a spirit user,, or he intended to be seen. Chang Long thought she might be the only player in Adventure World Online who could see spirits (other than the white lights seen upon death).

"Buy a house. It has a personal storage that can hold more items than the bank's rental storage,"

Davy-chan suggested, now in a much better mood after Chang Long promised not to keep him in the spirit tablet and allowed him unlimited treats and time to watch pretty girls.

"Where can I buy a house, though?"

Chang Long asked.

"I have no idea..."

Davy-chan admitted.

"Maybe we should ask at the bank,"

Kitsune suggested.

"Right, let's go to the bank,"

Chang Long agreed, changing their direction from the hotel to the bank.

As usual, Chang Long and Kitsune attracted the attention of female players, but this time, no one dared to approach due to the chilling aura surrounding them. This allowed Chang Long and Kitsune to enter the bank with ease.

All the bank staff turned to look at the new arrivals, but none dared to approach due to the cold atmosphere surrounding the duo. Unsure of what to do next, Chang Long asked aloud,

"Does anyone know where I can buy a house?"

"Oh!! Are you looking to purchase a house? Please, this way," the bank manager, who was listening attentively, promptly came out to greet Chang Long, unfazed by the chill, and led her to his private office for further discussion.

"Our homes come in three sizes: small, medium, and the largest is a mansion. You can customize the house to your desire. However, players must purchase land first before buying a home. We have various land sizes available," the bank manager explained, handing over the land listings and house designs to Chang Long.

After much deliberation and numerous questions, Chang Long settled on a ten-square-kilometer plot with a medium-sized Gothic-style house situated on a hill. The land has a large pathway dividing the garden into four distinct styles. The first was a white sand beach with a clear pond in the center. The second was a wide grassy meadow with a large shading tree and a swing hanging beneath it. The third was a fruit orchard. And the last one was dense forest with a hidden, small, beautiful waterfall minimally decorated. The total cost was two hundred and fifty million coins.

The bank manager beamed as he saw Chang Long and Kitsune off, along with Davy-chan's spirit, which he could not see.

"Your home will be ready within 24 hours. Here is a key for teleporting to your home. As long as you are in town area, hold this key and say 'home', and it will automatically teleport you to your home,"

he explained, handing a silver antique key to Chang Long.

"Thank you,"

Chang Long replied briefly, then turned to leave.

"Um...would it be impolite if I asked whether the name on the VIP card you used to pay for the house is really yours?"

The bank manager inquired before Chang Long could walk away, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

"Of course, it is. How could I possibly use someone else's card..."

Chang Long responded, then quickly left as Davy-chan had been complaining that he was hungry ever since they were choosing the house design, nearly driving Chang Long to not being able to contain her annoyance. She hurriedly headed to the hotel to book a room and swiftly ordered dozens of dishes Davy-chan had been craving, leaving the bank manager standing agape outside the bank alone.

"Oh my God! It really was him. So, he's the one who discovered the Tomb!" The bank manager whispered to himself before wandering back into the bank, lost in thought.

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