The intense flying training supervised by the two strict coaches continued for almost an hour, but Chang Long still could not manage to fly at all. Noticing her exhaustion, the parent hawks finally allowed her to rest.

"Kwak (Don't worry, baby. Mama will teach you until you can fly),"

the mother hawk comforted Chang Long, who was gasping for breath in the nest after her near-death experiences.

"Kwak-kwak (What's going on? Why can't this one fly?)"

The father hawk joined in, examining Chang Long's body. She feared they might realize she was not their offspring, but it seemed they paid no heed to her true identity.

"Kwak-kwak-kwak (This one's wings are odd. Try preening its feathers),"

the father hawk suggested to the mother, who agreed and began gently grooming Chang Long's fluffy, thick feathers, which she allowed willingly.

After another hour, Chang Long noticed a significant improvement in her wings, which now appeared longer, sleeker, and beautifully aligned. Both parents, along with Chang Long's siblings watching from a distance, seemed pleased with the result.

As it turned out, Chang Long's wings had been improperly folded due to her painful struggle, which had distorted their shape. Without the sky hawk beast king's intervention, she might have ended up with a permanently impaired wing. Encouraged by her adoptive mother, Chang Long tried flying again. This time, with just a gentle flap, she effortlessly hovered in the air.

The hawk parents were delighted to see all their offspring flying adeptly, especially Chang Long, who tirelessly kept flying. So, they brought the chicks for a detour flight across the vast expanses of the Royal Cliff, Chang Long followed their leads joyfully.

Meanwhile, Oliang and Wet Trash Can were traversing to the area populated by level 60 – 69 beasts, invigorated by the changes their eggs underwent after their battling shows. They emerged into a clearing, enjoying the fresh air and clear skies.

"The air is so fresh up here,"

Oliang breathed deeply.

"Yeah. Draco's group should have come with us. It's more fun to hunt in group at Royal Cliff,"

Wet Trash Can agreed. He looked up to the moderately clouded sky, only to spot a group of formidable beasts flying towards them.

"Oliang, hide quickly! A flock of beasts is flying our way,"

Wet Trash Can urgently warned, seeking cover.

They hid together, watching in awe as the massive beasts flew overhead, but their attention was particularly drawn to the last figure following the flock, unmistakably human-like with wings. Its size was significantly smaller than the others.

"Oliang... did you see that too!?"

Wet Trash Can asked, uncertain, keeping his eyes fixed on the winged human figure above.

"Yeah... That's a person, right?"

Oliang confirmed, equally fixated.

"Is it an avian humanoid?"

They pondered, intrigued by the unusual sight.

Wet Trash Can turned to Oliang after the beasts had flown out of sight.

"It's unlikely. If it were avian humanoid, how could it be flying among the sky hawks? They would have fought to death. Besides, that thing was wearing clothes, even though I couldn't see it clearly. Avian humanoid would be covered in feathers, not wearing clothes like players,"

Oliang analyzed logically.

"It could be a new species of beast, or perhaps it's a rare beast that no player has ever encountered before..."

Wet Trash Can hypothesized.

"Let's drop it. The enemy is upon us!"

Oliang alerted, snapping Wet Trash Can out of his thoughts. He quickly put his eggs in a safe spot and joined Oliang…

It did not take long for them to finish the beast. Oliang went to check on his egg, hidden in the bushes, noticing its golden spots had turned into pale dots and the egg itself was pulsating louder and more rhythmically.

"Hey!"

As he reached to pick up the egg, his sword accidentally struck it, causing a crack. Hearing Oliang shout, Wet Trash Can rushed over immediately.

"What happened!?"

Wet Trash Can asked, startled.

"My egg... it got hit by the falling sword and cracked,"

Oliang said, almost in tears. Wet Trash Can moved closer to inspect, but suddenly the egg emitted a soft yellow glow and levitated, its pulsating and cracking noises intensifying.

"Your egg looks like a miniature moon,"

Wet Trash Can remarked in awe. Oliang was too anxious to respond, uncertain whether his egg was hatching or turning to stone, which worried him deeply.

When the eggshell broke into small pieces and something began to emerge, bathed in the glowing light which grow brighter, the system announced:

"Player Oliang has received a special level 10 weapon, the Moonlight Sword, with an attack power of 5600. On full moon nights, its attack power doubles."

Oliang's eyes widened as he admired the emerging Moonlight Sword.

When he grasped the hilt that flown into his hand, the remaining white shell fell to the ground. Oliang eagerly examined the sword, its handle and scabbard adorned with exquisite gold engravings and pearls. At the handle's end dangled a golden tassel beneath a gold coin embossed with twin crescent moons forming a full circle.

Eager to admire its beauty, Oliang drew the sword, with Wet Trash Can who stood beside him, filled with excitement and envy. They were stunned when the sword was out. The sword had no blade, just a blade-shaped soft yellow beam of light, almost the same length as the scabbard. Oliang swiped his hand through the beam, hoping it was some kind of invisible blade feeling only air.

Wet Trash Can laughed at Oliang's confusion until his friend hit his head with the sword. They were shocked to see Wet Trash Can bleed upon contact. Oliang hurriedly bandaged his friend who stopped laughing in shock, face paled.

"What Moonlight Sword? More like a light sword... I almost died,"

Wet Trash Can grumbled, swallowing several blood crystals to treat his injury, while Oliang applied medicine to the wound.

"Sorry, mate. Who said you should laugh at me,"

Oliang apologized, with a pleased smirk.

"Well, your clueless expression was pretty funny,"

Wet Trash Can tried to suppress his laughter.

"Heh, you're insane... Hey, isn't that Kitsune over there? Kitsune, this way!"

Oliang suddenly noticed Kitsune running breathlessly past them and called out.

"Oliang, Wet Trash Can!"

Kitsune looked towards the voice and hurried over to them with relief.

"What are you doing here all alone?"

Wet Trash Can asked as Kitsune approached.

"I came with my master, but the sky hawk beast king has captured her,"

Kitsune explained, his voice was clearly exhausted.

"What!"

Both men exclaimed in unison.

"I really mean it. I'm looking for her right now. Did you see any sky hawk beast king flying by?"

Kitsune mistook their exclamation as a willingness to help, so he asked hopefully.

"We did see something... But when was Chang Long captured?"

Wet Trash Can inquired.

"Yesterday afternoon,"

Kitsune replied clearly.

"Yesterday afternoon!"

They exclaimed again.

"Erm... maybe you should wait for her in town, Kitsune,"

Oliang suggested.

"Why?"

Kitsune tilted his head in confusion.

"If she was captured since yesterday, she's probably been killed by now,"

Wet Trash Can agreed.

"That's not true! My master isn't dead for sure. If she were, I'd know because I am..."

Kitsune stopped mid-sentence, catching the intense gaze of the two men.

"You are...?"

The men pressed for an answer.

Kitsune sweated profusely under their stare, struggling to decide how much to reveal. Although Chang Long had never explicitly told Kitsune to conceal their relationship, she had not instructed him to disclose it either. Given her past actions, Kitsune knew she preferred to keep it private.

"Why did you stop talking, Kitsune?"

Oliang asked, noticing Kitsune's sudden silence.

"Exactly, what are you to Chang Long?"

Wet Trash Can, burning with curiosity, immediately fired another question.

"Er... Oh, your egg is pretty nice, Wet Trash Can."

Kitsune, feeling awkward and uncertain about how to respond, spotted a metallic, spiral-patterned egg on Wet Trash Can's lap and quickly shifted the conversation.

"Huh? Oh, this egg? It does look cool, doesn't it?"

Wet Trash Can proudly showed his egg to Kitsune.

"Very cool indeed. I'm sure Oliang's egg must be just as impressive,"

Kitsune complimented eagerly, hoping to steer them away from the previous topic, which seemed to work.

"Heh heh, my egg has already hatched. Behold the Moonlight Sword. Cool, isn't it!?"

Oliang beamed, showing off the sword he had unfastened from his waist.

"Wow, a special weapon, it's beautiful!"

Kitsune admired the Moonlight Sword, boosting Oliang's pride.

"Tch! Anyhow, my egg will hatch soon too, and it'll surely turn out to be a weapon just as awesome."

Wet Trash Can said enviously.

"I agree. Wet Trash Can's egg will surely hatch into something exceptionally cool!"

Kitsune encouraged.

"Heh heh! What about Chang Long's egg? Too bad you weren't on the quest with us, Kitsune. Otherwise, you'd also received an egg,"

Oliang sighed with a tinge of regret.

"W...Well, I had some urgent matters, so I couldn't join. As for master's egg, it's currently glowing golden and silver, pulsing slowly,"

Kitsune said, taking out the egg to show the young men.

"Wow, Chang Long's egg looks quite magnificent up close. But how did you end up with it, Kitsune?"

Wet Trash Can inquired, his curiosity piqued again.

'Not again!'

"Erm..."

Kitsune found himself cornered by the question.

"So that's why!"

Oliang exclaimed loudly, startling both Wet Trash Can and Kitsune.

"What's with you, shouting all of a sudden?"

Wet Trash Can scolded his friend.

"I've figured out, why Kitsune knows Chang Long is still alive!"

Oliang announced triumphantly, solving the puzzle.

"You do? Tell me then,"

Wet Trash Can urged, while Kitsune watched Oliang in disbelief. Kitsune did not expect him to piece everything together this fast, he was apologizing internally for leaking his master's secret.

"Exactly, Kitsune knows Chang Long is still alive because..."

Oliang spoke mysteriously.

"Because...!!"

Wet Trash Can and Kitsune leaned in, tense with anticipation.

"Because Kitsune is Chang Long's lover, that's why,"

Oliang declared his clever deduction, leaving Wet Trash Can and Kitsune utterly astonished, but for very different reasons. Kitsune was shocked because he thought Oliang had uncovered his secret, thus inwardly apologizing profusely to Chang Long and blaming himself. In contrast, Wet Trash Bin was just amazed at the supposed revelation of Kitsune being Chang Long's lover.

"You're making that up, aren't you?"

Wet Trash Can asked, skeptical of his friend's conclusion.

"I'm not. Look, why else would Kitsune be able to take Chang Long's egg from her bag? Only players who are lovers can do that,"

Oliang explained excitedly, convinced he had stumbled upon a profound secret.

"That makes sense,"

Wet Trash Can agreed.

"I had no idea you two were an item. Poor Siegfreid is going to be heartbroken."

"If he finds out about this, he'll be crying his eyes out for sure,"

Oliang teased, chuckling at the thought, unaware that he had made his friend had been sneezing many times in a row.

Kitsune, not knowing how to manage the escalating misunderstanding, stayed silent, hoping Chang Long would resolve it herself. Meanwhile, he internally prayed that Siegfried would not discover this mix-up.

"Let's call Siegfried,"

Wet Trash Can suggested, searching through friend list on wristwatch..

"Hey!!"

Kitsune yelled, alarmed.

"Level 70 Windborne Viper Beast King is preparing to strike,"

announced the system, startling Chang Long, who was blissfully flying with the sky hawk family. The beast, resembling a winged cobra with dark green, glossy scales and big bat-like black wings, with almost fifty meters in length, hungrily flew straight for the sky hawk family..

Chang Long panicked as she realized that the windborne viper beast king was charging at her with an unavoidable speed. Chang Long braced herself for the inevitable attack, as the beast's gaping maw and sharp fangs and pink forked tongue loomed closer, a sight so terrifying she closed her eyes, unwillingly expecting the end.

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