Bringing companions into the house required leading them to a specific building used for such transport. Each companion had to pay a fee of one hundred coins and could record their name as a guest. This allowed them to request entry to the house without the owner leading the way, provided they had an invitation from the owner.

Everyone was astonished by Chang Long's garden. Although not very large, it was beautifully designed with four different themes. Peach Blossom eagerly dragged her brother to the swing under the big tree, while Chang Long released Hulu to familiarize itself with the new surroundings.

"Wow! What is this adorable little creature, Chang? It's like a puppy."

Valentine exclaimed as she rushed to hug Hulu. But Flatear was quicker, running to hide behind Chang Long and giving Valentine a haughty sidelong glance.

"Hehe, Hulu is quite proud. Besides me, Kitsune, and Kimhant, it won't let anyone else get close,"

Chang Long explained to Valentine, who was looking at Hulu with wide eyes.

"Is Hulu a Chinese name?"

Valentine asked as she sat down next to Chang Long on the lawn.

"No, it's Thai. I saw it always flattening its ears, so I named it Hulu,"

Chang Long explained. Meanwhile, the guys, having explored Chang Long's garden to their satisfaction, began setting up a campfire in the sandy area for a meal.

As they sat around the campfire eating, Valentine detailed her quest. The three guys vied to sit next to Valentine, who was beside Chang Long, while Peach Blossom sat on the other side of Chang Long, preventing Siegfried from getting close to her. So, Siegfried had to sit near Kitsune instead.

"So, it's a profession-specific quest. Can we even help with that, Mi?"

Oliang asked after listening to Valentine's explanation.

"Yes, you can. I just need Chang to help clear the levels filled with worm-like beasts to reach the final level within the time limit. The final stage is a one-on-one test against the ninja master, where no one else can help. If I do well, I'll be rewarded with shurikens made by the ninja master himself,"

Valentine answered cheerfully.

"I remember Aden talking about this quest. I wonder if he has completed it yet,"

Draco said, recalling that Aden also played as a ninja.

"Didn't you say he was coming? He hasn't called!"

Oliang asked, as Draco had mentioned Aden who was on his way to Aseana Island.

"He'll probably arrive late tomorrow morning because he's on a system ship,"

Lidded Wet Trash Can replied.

"By the time he arrives, we'll likely be offline. Let's help Valentine first and then ask Aden later,"

Chang Long suggested.

"Do you want us to help too, Mi!"

Draco asked politely.

"Yes, please. Besides fighting the beasts to clear the levels, we also need to find five keys to unlock the ninja master's battle room," Valentine responded with a smile, making Draco smile so broadly his cheeks almost burst.

"When do we start the quest?"

Oliang asked.

"It's a quest that starts immediately once accepted. We need to go to the Seiryu Castle underpass in the center of the city. The NPC there will give us the quest and open the entrance for us,"

Valentine explained.

"How many stages do we need to clear before reaching the ninja master's room?"

Wet Trash Can, not wanting to be left out, asked.

"Not too many, just enough to match the basic level of the quest receiver!"

Valentine answered with a cheerful smile.

"What level are you at then?!"

Peach Blossom asked, somewhat dismissively, thinking Valentine would not be very high level since she seemed so carefree.

"I'm at level 49, which is why I'm a bit worried!"

Valentine replied, still smiling.

"49!"

Everyone exclaimed in shock, except Chang Long, who already knew and covered her ears in anticipation.

"And she's worried? I can't imagine what she'd be like if she were angry or upset,"

Wet Trash Can whispered to Oliang, who chuckled awkwardly.

"...Then we should accept the quest early in the morning,"

Draco suggested softly. Everyone nodded in agreement and quickly finished their meal before heading to claim rooms in Chang Long's house for the night.

After a good night's sleep, Valentine led everyone to Seiryu Castle in the heart of Kirisakura City. Since they had to clear 49 stages, Valentine let everyone admire the beautiful morning mist and cherry blossoms for a while. The enchanting scenery captivated the players who were visiting the city for the first time.

"Chang Long!"

Siegfried called out, approaching Chang Long who was admiring the cherry blossoms alone after gathering his courage.

"Hmm?"

Chang Long turned and paused slightly when she saw the person who called her, Siegfried.

"I... I have, uh... something uh... to give you,"

Siegfried stammered as soon as he met Chang Long's eyes.

"Wha... what is it?"

Chang Long stuttered back, equally flustered.

"Here,"

Siegfried whispered, almost inaudibly. He carefully took a silver bracelet with light pink gemstones from his pocket and carefully handed it to Chang Long.

"A bracelet?"

Chang Long looked at the bracelet in Siegfried's hand with curiosity but did not reach out to take it.

"I... I thought it was pretty, so I... I bought it for you..."

"Oh! What a beautiful bracelet!"

Peach Blossom exclaimed loudly, snatching the bracelet from her brother's hand to take a closer look.

"Give it back, Peach Blossom!"

Siegfried quickly tried to take the bracelet back, but Peach Blossom was too quick and dodged his grasp. She ran to hide behind Chang Long, sticking out her tongue teasingly at her brother.

"Sieg, why didn't you give such a beautiful bracelet to me!"

Peach Blossom shouted rebuking her brother from behind Chang Long.

"Because I didn't buy it for you!"

Siegfried shouted back, annoyed that his beloved sister had ruined the moment entirely and taken the gift he intended for Chang Long.

"What! If you didn't buy it for me, who did you buy it for?"

Peach Blossom asked, incredulous, as she had never seen her brother interested in any girl before.

"Th... that's!"

Siegfried's face turned bright red, unable to answer Peach Blossom's question. Seeing her brother's reaction, Peach Blossom's eyes widened in shock.

"What? You have a crush on someone!"

Peach Blossom exclaimed loudly. Startled, Siegfried quickly walked over to cover his sister's mouth, while Chang Long stood there, equally stunned.

As Peach Blossom dodged Siegfried's attempt to quiet her, Chang Long lost her balance and stumbled forward. Siegfried instinctively caught her, resulting in Chang Long ending up in his arms once more.

Thump... Thump... Thump...

Their hearts beat loudly in unison, audible to both of them. Embarrassed, they both blushed deeply, unsure of what to do next. Siegfried gently released his hold on Chang Long, while she kept her head down, avoiding eye contact.

"Thank you..."

Chang Long whispered, her voice barely audible.

"N... no problem,"

Siegfried replied, just as softly.

The atmosphere turned romantic again, leaving the two standing in awkward silence. He could not find the words to break it, and could only stand there. She was not any different, they ended up gazing at the gently swaying cherry blossoms amidst the light morning mist.

"Tch! Siegfried is hopeless,"

Kimhant muttered in frustration as he watched from a distance.

"I think we need to do something!"

Kitsune, standing beside him, said seriously. It was clear that the relationship between Chang Long and Siegfried was not progressing at all.

After letting everyone enjoy the city's scenic atmosphere, Valentine led Chang Long and the others inside Seiryu Castle with armored samurai guarding various points. Valentine guided everyone down a dimly lit, damp corridor to the basement of the castle. They reached a large, ancient door flanked by a samurai and a ninja in black camouflage.

"Hello,"

Valentine greeted the ninja NPC in black camouflage.

"Greetings,"

the ninja replied softly, startling Chang Long and her friends, who had only noticed the samurai guarding the door.

"I'm here to accept the challenge against the Ninja Master. May I bring my friends to help?"

Valentine asked directly.

"They may help you find the keys. However, for the final challenge against the Ninja Master, you must go alone,"

the ninja NPC replied, stepping slightly out of the shadows so everyone could see him better.

"Then I accept this quest,"

Valentine said happily with a smile.

"State your name and level,"

the ninja NPC instructed, raising an arm equipped with a small keyboard and screen.

"Valentine, level 49,"

Valentine replied. The ninja NPC entered her information into the computer, which was only slightly larger than a player's wristwatch.

Creak...

The large door opened as soon as the ninja NPC finished entering Valentine's details. They were then invited into the dark room beyond.

"You have fifteen hours to reach the room of the Ninja Master. Along the way, you must find five keys to unlock the door to the Ninja Master's room. Once you enter the Ninja Master's room, the timer will stop, and your friends will be automatically transported outside the door... Good luck!"

As soon as the ninja NPC finished speaking, the large door closed, and the lights in the room where Chang Long and her group stood lit up.

When the lights became bright enough for everyone to see inside the room, their faces turned pale, and their mouths dropped open. The constant reporting of the appearance of beasts was overwhelming, and the creatures swarmed towards them so quickly that they barely had time to react.

Whoosh!

Kitsune had to quickly breathe fire to hold them off, giving Chang Long's group enough time to draw their weapons. Valentine was visibly shocked to see Kitsune in human form breathing fire, but there was no time to ask questions. In front of them, nearly a hundred or more beasts were charging relentlessly. Despite the beasts being between levels 20-30, their sheer number left no room for distraction.

"Sigh, I thought we weren't going to make it!"

Draco sat down, exhausted. He had been busy fighting off a large group of Demon Tanuki Beasts and did not even have time to summon his dragon, Firetail, to boost its level.

"Damn, do we have to face this in all 48 remaining stages!"

Oliang shook his head in frustration.

"Sob~ if you guys are complaining this much, what about me?"

Kimhant groaned as he popped a rejuvenating crystal into his mouth, followed by a blood crystal, and then applied healing salve to his larger wounds.

"Maybe you should stay in this room until you're automatically transported out?"

Chang Long suggested, knowing that these kinds of battles were not suited for Kimhant, who had very low combat skills.

"And leave me alone where those creepy creatures that scare their opponents by making their balls swell up might show up again!"

Kimhant asked, worried.

"Idiot. It has a name. Use its name!"

Peach Blossom scolded Kimhant loudly.

"Hehehe, guys, I think they had respawn time. They don't just die and stay dead,"

Wet Trash Can said, laughing nervously as he spotted a Demon Tanuki Beast reappearing from the empty ground.

"Wow! We can't stay in one place too long. We'll have to push through all 49 stages in one go!"

Draco shook his head and stood up, summoning Firetail to help with the battle.

"We haven't even found the key yet!"

Valentine cried out in panic as everyone started heading towards the next door that had opened after they defeated the beasts in the room.

"Then let's start searching now before they respawn and overwhelm us!"

Chang Long shouted, prompting everyone to spread out and search for the key in the first stage quickly.

In the first stage, no one found the key, leaving Valentine quite worried. However, her friends reassured her that with 48 stages left, they still had plenty of chances to find just 5 keys. The second stage featured long-necked demon ladies at level 35 and faceless ghosts at level 38, numbering in the hundreds. The dim and eerie lighting made the sudden appearance of the long-necked demon ladies even more terrifying, eliciting screams from Chang Long's group.

"Wow! Your friend really screamed like he forgot to be a man,"

Valentine laughed, standing next to Chang Long as they fought side by side. She saw Wet Trash Can, the burly member of the group, scream loudly when a long-necked demon lady suddenly appeared from a dark corner and startled him.

"Hehe, looks like Can is scared of ghosts,"

Chang Long could only chuckle at Wet Trash Can's reaction, unable to offer much help since she was not a shaman, just a medium.

"But Chang, are you sure it's a good idea to bring out that little one? It's only level one,"

Valentine asked, seeing Chang Long release Hulu from the bracelet while Kitsune and Kimhant guarded them.

"I don't want to miss out on the experience points. Think about it, splitting between me, Kitsune, and Hulu—dividing by three makes it really hard to level up. Luckily, Davy-Chan doesn't need experience points, otherwise my level would stay stagnant,"

Chang Long replied, looking quite worried.

"Why does Kitsune have to share experience points with you? And who is Davy-Chan?"

Valentine asked, puzzled.

"I'll explain everything once we get out of here,"

Chang Long answered before turning to fend off an attack from a faceless ghost beast.

The battle in the second stage was both thrilling and terrifying. The screams from Oliang, Kimhant, and Wet Trash Can, along with occasional shouts from Draco and Siegfried, had everyone laughing despite the intensity. The ninja NPC monitoring the fight from outside the room was stunned into silence, as was the samurai NPC watching with him. They could not believe how these seemingly tough players were reacting.

"If they're like this this stage is like this, what will they be like in the next one?"

the samurai NPC said in amazement, while the ninja NPC remained silent.

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