"Kyuu!"

The first sound everyone heard was a soft cry from a small creature. In Draco's mind, the system announced that he had received a Fire Dragon Hatchling, one of the rarest and most difficult-to-catch beasts in the game. When the bright light faded, they saw a small red European dragon tottering towards Draco. Being newly hatched, it stumbled several times before finally reaching its master, who stood a fair distance away, looking astonished. The little dragon was panting heavily.

"So... cute!"

Everyone screamed in unison.

Draco's dragon was about two feet long from head to tail. Its head and back were covered with spines down to its tail, which ended in a sharp blade on its tail with perpetually burning flames. Its body was sleek, and its front legs were attached to bat-like wings. Its big round eyes looked adorable, making Peach Blossom unable to resist running over to pick it up.

Whoosh!

Peach Blossom jumped back in shock when the little dragon turned and growled, whipping its sharp, flaming tail at her. As she backed away, it returned to its cute demeanor.

"Firetail!"

"Confirmed!"

Draco's declaration drew everyone's attention from the dragon. They realized he was naming his new companion.

"You're naming it Firetail?"

Rafael asked.

"Man, a dragon with such a cool name!"

Wet Trash Can teased.

"It's my choice! Firetail, come here,"

Draco called his pet, and Firetail tried to run to him upon being called but stumbled because its bones were still weak.

"Hehe, typical dragon, the hardest beast to raise in the game. Good luck, new mom!"

Oliang teased, making everyone burst into laughter.

After paying compensation to the Journalists and Writers Association and losing all his money, Kimhant decided to quit the unjust organization that made him pay for something he did not do. Despite the association trying to keep him—since players with cameras were rare (requiring them to do specific secret quests and only available to writers)—he no longer wanted to stay.

Kimhant decided to travel freely, something he had not been able to do since joining the association. He headed straight to the eastern port of the Starting Island.

"Sigh! I can't believe I had to pay for the damage to the souvenir shop that I didn't even cause,"

Kimhant grumbled, still annoyed by yesterday's events. He still did not know who the woman was or when she disappeared.

"From now on, I'll be an independent journalist, not tied to any association! ...But first, I need to find some money. That damn association cleaned me out, even my bank account,"

he muttered to himself, looking for a good spot to hunt beasts for funds.

The port on the starting island was bustling, with many players waiting to board ships to other islands: Aseana, Europa, Africa, and Ameris (the route not yet open). Players had to ensure they boarded the correct ship to avoid wasting travel time.

There were also player-run ships from the Maritime Association offering transport to various islands, capable of deviating from set routes upon request, unlike the system's ocean liners that followed predetermined paths.

Chang Long, having just come online, was puzzled by the sight of the Maritime Association's caravels (ancient Spanish merchant ships) and the system's modern ocean liners. She decided to ask a nearby player for clarification.

"Excuse me, may I ask you something?"

Chang Long greeted a player who was walking by in a relaxed manner.

"Sure, little brother!"

The male player smiled and responded amicably.

"Uh... What's the difference between the system's ships and the Maritime Association's ships?"

Chang Long immediately asked her a question.

"Oh, the difference is that the Maritime Association's ships can deviate from the route specified by the customer, while the system's ships strictly follow the system's designated route and never deviate. Plus, they're 100% safe. Most high-level players charter the Maritime Association's ships for excitement because there are always beasts attacking, making the rental fees extremely expensive!"

The player explained.

"I see... Ah, what's that in your shirt pocket?"

Chang Long asked in astonishment when she saw a picture of Sleeping Beauty sticking out from the male player's pocket.

"It's a picture of Sleeping Beauty. You really don't know this, little brother? Everyone carries one,"

the male player replied cheerfully, pulling out the picture of Sleeping Beauty to show Chang Long.

"So... everyone on the system's ships..."

Chang Long asked, her voice trembling.

"Yes! I think they all has one,"

the male player replied, treating the picture like a national treasure, his adoring manner made Chang Long shiver.

"By the way, where are you headed? Want to buy tickets together? I'm just about to buy mine,"

the male player invited, putting the Sleeping Beauty picture back in his shirt pocket.

"N... no thanks, you go ahead," Chang Long replied, waving goodbye to the player. She then walked over to inquire about the rental prices of the Maritime Association's ships, as she no longer intended to board a system's ship.

Although the port was a safe zone where players did not have to worry about beasts randomly appearing and could comfortably set up shops, it was not walled like the starting town. If a player lured beasts in, it could still be disastrous since there was no beast alert system.

"Yikess. Help me Someone please help me!"

The frantic shout of a player made the relaxed shoppers at the port turn towards the source of the sound.

The sight that met their eyes was a male player running frantically from a herd of Charging Bull Beasts, kicking up dust in their wake. Players scattered in all directions as the level of the Charging Bull Beasts was not low. Chang Long, who was inquiring about ship rental prices, was stunned when she saw the player running towards her.

"Damn it, unseal Kitsune!"

Chang Long shouted, immediately ordering Kitsune to unseal because she could not handle all 18 level 45 Charging Bull Beasts alone. The players from the Maritime Association were also prepared, but they wanted to see their client's skills first before stepping in to help if Chang Long could not manage.

"Kitsune, breathe fire to block them!"

Chang Long commanded Kitsune in its three-tailed flame fox form. Kitsune quickly breathed a golden fireball at the Charging Bull Beasts.

"Whoa why are you breathing fire at me?!" Kimhant shouted, dropping to the ground instantly, causing Kitsune's flames to narrowly miss his head.

Snort, Moo!

The Charging Bull Beasts bellowed as they tried to stop their sprinting bodies, creating long skid marks on the ground. Although the front ones managed to halt before the intense flames of Kitsune, the ones behind could not stop in time and crashed into the ones in front, causing several to tumble over.

"Separate them!"

Chang Long shouted, raising the Sovereign Sword and running towards the nearest fallen beast. The players who had fled returned to watch Chang Long's battle excitedly, while Kimhant hurriedly hid behind the players from the Maritime Association.

Kitsune kept the still-standing Charging Bull Beasts busy so they could not help their comrades from being taken down by Chang Long. Using the sharpness of the Sovereign Sword and the strength of each strike, Chang Long swiftly attacked the fallen Charing Bull Beasts, focusing on their chests and necks to send them to their doom quickly.

Despite being a fox, Kitsune was not small like an ordinary fox and was also a predator, making the Charging Bull Beasts fear him. Kitsune's sharp claws slashed at any Charging Bull Beast trying to assist its fallen comrades, preventing them from helping the five that Chang Long had already dispatched.

Once she had sent the five Charging Bull Beasts to their demise, Chang Long approached Kitsune. Seeing this, the enraged Charging Bull Beasts ignored Kitsune and charged at Chang Long, lowering their heads to gore her out of the way.

"Here we go... Davy-chan, Possession!"

Chang Long quietly activated her skill. As soon as Davy-chan possessed her, the atmosphere around Chang Long became chillingly cold. The Maritime Association players, watching the battle closely, shivered and looked at Chang Long in confusion.

"Our client is incredible! Not once did she seem to need our help!"

One Maritime Association member exclaimed in awe.

"Let's keep watching!"

His friend said, clearly enjoying Chang Long's performance and impressed by her skills.

"Freestyle, Kitsune,"

Chang Long ordered calmly, then charged at the bull beasts. Kitsune followed suit, stunning the spectators with their reckless courage.

"She's crazy! That's suicide!"

Kimhant shouted in shock.

"Hey, you're the one who caused this mess, hiding behind us and then criticizing her? That's not right,"

a Maritime Association member scolded Kimhant, causing him to pale and retreat further into hiding.

The battle ended astonishingly quickly. Chang Long targeted the bull beasts' joints, causing them to collapse to the ground, unable to rise again. She then ordered Kitsune to roast them alive. The aroma of the grilled meat soon filled the air, making the watching players' mouths water.

A player who was a cook used a knife to carve the Charging Bull Beasts' meat, (barely touching his knife it to get pieces) and then seasoned and distributed them to the other players, especially giving extra to Chang Long and Kitsune for their efforts.

Chang Long's swift movement skill increased to level 30, her evasion skill to level 33, and her swordsmanship to level 18. The Sovereign Sword advanced to level two, with its attack power increasing to 200-220, thanks to her second eye and continuous use of the sword. However, her overall level remained the same.

"You're really good, little brother!"

a Maritime Association member complimented as he watched Chang Long enjoy the grilled meat with Kitsune, a white jade spirit tablet next to an empty plate (because Davy-chan had devoured everything quickly).

"Huh? I didn't do much. Kitsune deserves the praise, right!"

Chang Long said, affectionately patting her pet.

"Really? It looks like your pet has evolved. Look, it has three tails and can breathe fire,"

the player observed, crouching to examine Kitsune more closely.

"It's not that. The three tails are because it consumes a lot of spirits,"

Chang Long replied casually as if it were normal for anyone's pet to consume spirits.

"What! Consumes spirits? Then your pet must be a high-class one,"

the player said, astonished.

"I don't know about that. So, what about the ship rental?"

Chang Long asked, as they had not discussed it much before the incident occurred.

"Agreed. We've seen that your skills are exceptional, but the rental is very expensive. The farther the distance, the higher the cost because player ships are constantly attacked by beasts, so there are crew hazard fees, weapon fees, and ship wear and tear costs,"

the player immediately replied, indicating he might be the leader.

"How much?"

Chang Long asked calmly.

"Our ships charge a flat rate based on distance. As you mentioned wanting to go to Aseana Island, the distance is three thousand kilometers, and the cost is about 120,000 coins,"

the man responded.

"Uh... can I hitch a ride too?"

Kimhant, who was still nearby, overheard the conversation and nervously asked, as his plan to earn the ship fare had failed miserably.

'You... Kimhant!'

Chang Long looked up, astonished at the new arrival. She had not realized he was the one who brought the beasts into the port. Chang Long smiled, pleased as a plan formed in her mind.

"Sure! But you have to be my subordinate for the entire journey as punishment for the trouble you caused me,"

Chang Long smiled wickedly.

"Huh!"

Kimhant, about to rejoice, was instead stunned by this condition.

"If you don't agree, that's fine. Let's go, captain,"

Chang Long chuckled at Kimhant's expression and pretended to turn to the ship's captain she planned to hire.

"Wait, I'll go! I agree to your terms!"

Kimhant shouted clearly, as he had no other choice.

"Good, then follow me,"

Chang Long smiled and ordered the young man to board the ship.

Despite some reluctance, Kimhant had no other option but to agree to be the subordinate of this mysterious man who hid his face under a shabby hood and had a strange, arrogant pet with three tails. He consoled himself that once the ship docked at Aseana Island, he would be free, so he resignedly followed Chang Long aboard.

The ship Chang Long hired was named "Bloodied Angel," which terrified Kimhant upon hearing it, while Chang Long began to worry that the journey might be as bloody as the ship's name suggested. The crew started to raise the anchor and unfurl the sails to catch the wind. The man who had negotiated the rental with Chang Long was the ship's captain, giving orders deftly. Finally, the ship began to move away from the dock, and the crew rowed energetically to the open sea until the sails caught the wind, speeding the ship along, allowing the crew to rise and take on other duties.

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