"Alright, everyone, who has a rope? Take it out so we can tie them together to make it long enough,"

Oliang called out, noticing that the enraged goblins could not breach their perimeter due to an invisible boundary.

Everyone brought out their ropes, laying them on the ground and helping each other tie knots to extend the length. They aimed to create a rope long enough to be tied to a thick branch several meters up a nearby densely foliaged tree, and still hang down for everyone to climb. Chang Long was the only one who did not take out a rope from her backpack.

"Why aren't you taking out your rope, Chang Long? We need to hurry, Sabia said this invisible boundary won't last long because the dryad is weakened due to the forest's changes,"

Wet Trash Can asked curiously, looking up from his task.

"Well... I don't have one,"

Chang Long replied, sitting down to help the others with the rope.

"Master Chang, come and rest here. Let those bumpkin do their job!"

Peach Blossom came over, pulling Chang Long to sit and rest under a tree with her and Sabia.

"Wow... I didn't know Peach Blossom could be so crass,"

Wet Trash Can muttered, watching Peach Blossom led Chang Long away.

"Spend more time with us, and you'll get to experience it even more often..."

Rafael whispered back, Draco nodded in agreement, while Siegfried, her brother, just smiled silently.

Once the rope was tied, Oliang took on the task of using his unique martial arts skill to leap up to the first branch about ten meters high, then to another branch at a similar distance. Upon reaching the designated thick branch, he securely tied the rope and let the other end down for everyone to climb.

"Phew!! Finally, a break. Fighting non-stop for hours, I'm exhausted,"

Peach Blossom complained once they had all safely climbed up and found a spot to rest among the dense foliage.

"Weird. Why is there a clearing in the middle like this? It should be covered with dense leaves like the rest of the tree,"

Oliang observed, carefully stepping on a floor of tightly packed leaves, while the others remained on the branches, unsure if it could support their weight.

Testing the leafy ground by jumping slightly, under the anxious eyes of his friends, Oliang did not fall through but remained perfectly stable. He smiled reassuringly at his friends, who unsurely ventured onto the leaf-covered ground, finding it solid enough to relax and rest without fear of falling.

"Let's eat, everyone!"

Sabia and Peach Blossom harmoniously announced, presenting the canned food arranged on a tray to everyone who had just consumed rejuvenating crystals. Everyone eagerly accepted their share, hungry after the exertion.

"Ah! What are you eating, Chang Long? Wow, it looks even better than canned food. Let me have some too,"

the little guardian spirit remarked, approaching Chang Long with canned food only to find Chang Long enjoying a meal that seemed to belong to a fine dining restaurant.

"Come on over, I've got plenty. I was just about to call everyone over,"

Chang Long said, pulling Sabia onto her lap. Peach Blossom and the guys turned their attention to Chang Long with interest.

"You've packed some gourmet food again, Chang Long? Got enough to share with us too?"

 Wet Trash Can hurried over to Chang Long first, not wanting to miss a delicious meal!

"Of course, Wet Trash Can! Everyone, come eat with me. It's sad to just eat canned food,"

Chang Long invited, placing a plate of appetizing food in the center, with Wet Trash Can and Sabia helping out.

"Ah! But you must not ask where I got the food from, or you'll get nothing!"

Chang Long quickly warned her group members to prevent any prolonged inquiry.

"You're always so mysterious,"

 Oliang teased as he took a seat next to Chang Long, narrowly overtaking Peach Blossom without even realizing it.

"I agree! Chang Long, you're full of secrets, aren't you?"

Rafael commented with a smile, sitting beside Oliang.

"Mystery is what makes you cool, right, Master Chang? ...Ah!"

Peach Blossom, who had been flattering Chang Long, failed to secure a spot next to her due to Siegfried taking the place first. Sitting beside Siegfried was Sabia, who remained attached to him.

"Peach Blossom, aren't you hungry!? Well, then, the rest of us will start without you,"

Draco joked, amused by her frustrated attempts to sit next to Chang Long and being outmaneuvered twice.

"I am! I'm starving here,"

Peach Blossom grudgingly moved to sit beside Aden, clearly annoyed.

Chang Long continued her ritual of offering food to Davy-chan with a spirit tablet and sneakily stuffed two plates of steak into the ring. Despite seeing this, no one asked further questions; they just quietly observed Chang Long's actions and kept their curiosity to themselves.

After eating their fill, everyone found comfortable spots to rest. Chang Long and Sabia were conversing with a dryad who was invisible to others. The dryad's power had weakened considerably, rendering her unable to manifest her form to those without the ability to see spirits.

"Chang Long, do you have a dryad friend too? Why can't Sabia see her?"

Sabia asked, noticing the dryad named Aesho conversing with the air next to Chang Long.

"He's not a dryad, Sabia, but another type of spirit. Maybe you can't see him because you're still young,"

Chang Long explained, easing the girl's curiosity. Sabia smiled broadly and nodded at Chang Long, while Aesho, the dryad, smiled at Chang Long's explanation without saying anything.

"I want to grow up fast so I can see and be friends with Chang Long's friends too!"

The girl exclaimed cheerfully, laughing out loud. Peach Blossom and the guys, pretending to be soundly asleep, sneakily watched Chang Long's actions quietly.

Woken up by Davy-chan, Chang Long was the first to rise. She used the Cone of Abundance to conjure enough food for everyone. As the aroma of food filled the air, everyone gradually woke up and, after eating, sat down to plan their next move.

"How are we going to get down without being attacked by them? They're all over the place under this tree,"

Rafael voiced his concern after scouting the enemy.

"Fire..."

Chang Long suggested, reminding everyone that the goblin beasts were afraid of the intense heat from flames.

"Right! Let Peach Blossom open a path with her fire spells, and we'll run through it before they can regroup!"

Draco contributed.

"Which way will we run?"

Wet Trash Can asked.

"What do you say, Sabia?"

Peach Blossom turned to the girl sitting on Siegfried's lap. Without hesitation, Sabia pointed north.

"Get ready, everyone. We're moving on,"

Siegfried commanded, standing up and then scooping Sabia into his arms.

Peach Blossom unleashed a barrage of various fire spells towards the direction they intended to head, causing the goblin beasts to scatter in panic. Those not fast enough were scorched by the flames. Peach Blossom's powerful fire magic combined into a massive inferno that almost consumed the nearby large trees.

"Can you also use water spells to create a path for us to walk through?" Chang Long asked, concerned as the fire spread uncontrollably. Fortunately, the tree they were on was protected by a dryad and was not consumed by the fire.

"I'm not sure. I forgot that my level has increased since I first met you, Master Chang, so I went all out,"

Peach Blossom said, sounding a bit downhearted.

"Let's climb down for now. It's too high!"

Draco suggested, his fear of heights prompting laughter from the group.

After everyone descended to the ground, Oliang retrieved the rope for future use. Chang Long sighed at the sight of the inferno before them, wishing she could harness the power of fire from the Eye of Fire affixed to the Sovereign Sword. Testing this theory, she exposed the sword to the flames.

Chang Long noticed changes in the Eye of Fire; the once-clear glass orb gradually ignited from within. The longer she held the sword in Peach Blossom's flames, the more intense the fire in the Eye of Fire became.

"...So it needs to be fueled by fire. I wonder if the other Eyes work the same way..."

Chang Long murmured quietly, delighted to have solved the mystery of the Eye of Fire's transformation and its regained fiery prowess.

"Peach Blossom, keep casting fire spells ahead,"

Chang Long instructed, noticing the group's anxiety over navigating through the intense inferno.

"What? Chang Long, we're already unsure how to get through this, and you want to add more fire?!"

Oliang and Wet Trash Can exclaimed in unison, their voices echoing through the forest.

"Exactly, Chang Long. Are you suggesting we already have a way through this flames?"

Siegfried inquired with interest.

Chang Long smiled and nodded at the man, then signaled Peach Blossom, who cast a few more fireballs forward before looking back at Chang Long for confirmation. Chang Long nodded again and stepped forward to face the flames.

"Fire Fortress.,"

She invoked the skill softly. Everyone watched intently, but after Chang Long used the skill, nothing seemed to change.

"Why did Chang Long use that skill?"

Aden asked, puzzled.

"Isn't that skill meant for protection against attacks?"

Rafael agreed.

"Not at all. I've seen Chang Long use this skill before. It's different from the usual Fire Fortress. It can actually part the flames,"

Peach Blossom quickly clarified to the group.

"Part the flames!!"

The men exclaimed in astonishment, staring at Chang Long in disbelief. They watched as she indeed parted the flames, creating a path through the inferno as Peach Blossom had described.

"Let's go!"

Chang Long turned and beckoned everyone to follow. The men walked behind her in awe, except for Peach Blossom, who clung to Chang Long's arm tightly, beaming with pride as if the achievement were her own. Even little Sabia looked up at Chang Long admiringly while riding on Siegfried's back.

As their journey progressed smoothly, Peach Blossom got so tired that she was barely able to walk. They decided to rest and strategize once again.

"What should we do? We've come quite a distance. Should we find a place to rest first? Peach Blossom looks like she can't go on,"

Aden suggested, concerned for Peach Blossom's condition.

"There are no trees with dryads around here. We can't rest in this area,"

Sabia expressed fearfully, hearing the encroaching sounds of goblins.

"There are hardly any goblins ahead. Let's seize this opportunity to push through. Peach Blossom, you don't need to cast any more spells. Just run in the middle of the group and look after Sabia," Chang Long proposed.

"How do you know there aren't many goblins ahead!?"

Rafael asked, astonished, along with the others who were keenly interested in her response.

"Davy-chan told me. Come on, let's hurry!"

Chang Long said as if it was obvious, implying there was no need for further questions, and then she sprinted ahead.

At every city's notice boards, players gathered densely as new announcements were made about the recent discovery of the Pirate King's treasure cave.

[One of the Seven Pirate King's Tomb has been discovered.

Location: Near the beach at the Southern Sea Abyss.

Total value found: 50,000,000,000 coins.

The treasure inside cannot be appraised in value.

(Updated by Asian Paradise Co., Ltd.)]

This announcement stirred excitement among players, especially large guilds, prompting them to assemble and explore the announced location. Many players speculated that Siegfried's guild, Pendragon, was behind the discovery due to their significant presence and high-level members on the starting island.

"It's unbelievable that the first discovered pirate king's tomb is on the starting island,"

one player commented to his friend as they stood reading the notice board in the middle of the town.

"Yeah, the people on the starting island are mostly low-level players, the high-level player are Pendragon Guild's members,"

his friend agreed.

"Maybe the Pendragon Guild actually found the tomb!"

another player speculated.

"That's what everyone's been saying, but it's strange though? When the game first announced this, the Pendragon Guild also called an urgent meeting, right?"

the two continued to wonder.

"Maybe they're trying to cover up, pretending not to know about it even though they discovered it. Or the meeting was to instruct guild members not to spread the word about the tomb,"

One player suggested, generating agreement from others.

"Soon, the starting town will be bustling,"

another player remarked.

"Why's that?"

others inquired.

"Can't you guess? It's because players from other islands will come here to explore the Southern Sea Abyss. Especially the big guilds," the fourth player explained.

"Right! Even I'd like to explore it too, but I'm not even level 30 yet. If I went, I'd probably die as soon as I step into the Southern Sea Abyss," the fifth player joked, eliciting laughter from the crowd.

"We probably can't handle it. From what I know, there are deadly traps and high-level beasts guarding the entrance. Let's wait for the high-level players to explore first. Maybe if there are many of us, we can follow them without getting hurt," one suggested.

"Right! While waiting for high-level players from other islands, let's go grind and level up,"

another player concluded, heading towards the southern gate.

Agreeing, the players formed a group and followed towards the southern city gate to hunt beasts in the Pine Forest, while the White Stone Field near the northern gate remained untouched by players not daring to challenge the beasts there, despite knowing the goblin beasts had retreated.

-----

Read 'Adventure World Online (AWO)' before anyone else with more chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.