Chang Long and Kitsune continued their journey, but it took them a while to find the right path. Eventually, they spotted a lake in the distance and quickened their pace, stopping at the incredibly vast shore of the lake, all within a cave.

    Three giant squids, each the size of a wardrobe, coiled in the shallow water near a small chest in the middle of the lake. Around the outskirts, three five-meter-long white sharks swam patrolling strictly under the water's surface. And what seemed like clusters of grey algae, upon closer inspection, turned out to be schools of small fish, each the size of a hand, swimming together in groups of fifteen to twenty. They had sharp teeth protruding from their mouths, and their bulging eyes were utterly terrifying.

    "Ugh... no wonder they said we need high-level players to come along,"

    Chang Long grimaced at the sight. The sharks alone were enough to terrify her, not to mention dozens of schools of razor-toothed fish, topped off with giant squids guarding the chest protectively.

    "Will we make it out alive master?"

    Kitsune asked with trembling voice, his face even more nervous than Chang Long's.

    "Maybe... possibly,"

    Chang Long replied, deep in thought, trying to figure out a way to escape from this hellish lake. She opened her skill window to see what skills she could use. It turned out that Chang Long mainly had physical enhancement skills and skills from the Eye of Fire, which were attached to the Sovereign Sword. The only useful skill seemed to be the Mystic Gust skill, which allowed Chang Long to walk in the air (and it worked with swift movement skill too).

    "If I use Mystic Gust, we can avoid the sharks and the schools of razor-toothed fish. The remaining problem is those three giant squids,"

    Chang Long murmured her plan to herself.

    Kitsune let his master think in silence, meanwhile, he wandered around the area looking for another way out. The lake water was blue, just like the sea outside, with smooth cave walls on both sides offering no path to walk on. The only way forward was to cross the lake.

    "Kitsune, come here,"

    Chang Long called Kitsune, who was looking into the lake with concern, to come over.

    "Yes, master."

    "I'm thinking of using the Mystic Gust skill to run across the lake. What do you think, Kitsune?"

    "It's a good plan, but we need to stop by the center of the lake."

    "At least there are no sharks in the center of the lake. We might stand a chance fighting the three giant squids together."

    Chang Long said, though her face was clearly worried.

    "I will fight with all my might, even though we still don't know the level of these beasts."

    "Great! I'll do my best as well... Let's go."

    Chang Long took Kitsune's hand firmly. After gathering courage for a moment, Chang Long activated the Mystic Gust skill. A gentle breeze lifted them from the ground, allowing Chang Long and Kitsune to float up. Chang Long immediately propelled forward, fearing she might lose her courage if they waited longer.

    Both of them floated over the lake. Their hearts were racing, yet they stopped hovering about two feet above the water. Without hesitation, Chang Long moved her floating form towards a stone platform in the center of the lake immediately. The schools of razor-toothed fish could only watch in disappointment as their meal floated past above them, following from a distance.

    As Chang Long and Kitsune were smiling contentedly, having easily floated over the lake, an unexpected event occurred. One of the white sharks leapt up at them, its mouth wide open to snap at Chang Long and Kitsune, who were floating in the air. They could not dodge in time if they continued holding hands. Kitsune, reacting quickly while his master was stunned, pushed Chang Long out of the way, narrowly avoiding the shark's bite.

    Splash!

    The sound of water splashing loudly resonated, creating a large wave from the impact of three objects falling into the lake simultaneously. Chang Long frantically scrambled to surface for air. She looked for Kitsune, who surfaced a good distance away from her. What she thought would be a smooth journey turned into a major crisis for Chang Long once again.

    As they floated in the water, the nearest five schools of razor-toothed fish, identified by the system as Level 10 albino piranha beasts, rushed at them immediately with a predatory intent. Chang Long urgently thought of an escape plan, as the albino piranhas were not their only pursuers, but also the five-meter-long white sharks. They flipped their powerful tails, racing to devour the prey floating in the water.

    "Ki... Kitsune, use that skill, that one!!"

    Chang Long shouted in panic.

    "Which skill, Master?!!"

    Kitsune replied anxiously.

    "That one... the.. Transformation skill. Make the Piranhas turn into fresh, blood-soaked meat right now!"

    "What!!"

    "Why are you hesitating, act quickly!"

    Chang Long commanded loudly, despite being close by. She drew the Sovereign Sword, pointing its tip towards one of the white sharks charging at her.

    "Yes, master!"

    Finally grasping his master's intent, Kitsune immediately used his transformation skill.

    Shunk!

    The white shark charging at Chang Long was impaled by the Sovereign Sword in the mouth, the blade's length and sharpness inflicting severe damage instantly. Blood gushed, dyeing the blue waters red. Chang Long struggled to pull the sword from the unfortunate shark, as she too had been grazed by the shark's teeth, suffering a deep wound.

    The blood from the injured white shark caused all the predatory beasts to pause, immediately redirecting their hunger towards the wounded shark.

    With the attention of the beasts diverted from him, Kitsune had the chance to concentrate and gracefully execute his master's command, transforming the approaching schools of albino piranhas into chunks of bloody flesh.

    Splash! Splash! Splash!

    Just as Chang Long and Kitsune were briefly celebrating their success, ominous sounds came from the center of the lake, draining the color from their faces as they saw three giant squids guarding the small chest wanting to join the bloody fray.

    "Level 60 Tri Sovereign Giant Squid Beast King (Copper) appear... level 70 Tri Sovereign Giant Squid Beast King (Grey) appear... level 80 Tri Sovereign Giant Squid Beast King (Gold) appear..."

    Chang Long's eyes widened at the system's announcement. Thinking her end was near, she just floated in the water waiting for death to approach. However, the tri sovereign giant squid beast kings instead joined the battle for the chunks of bloody flesh and the body of the unfortunate white shark, leaving Chang Long and Kitsune out, ignored.

    "Let's swim to the center of the lake, quickly, before they change their minds."

    Chang Long turned to Kitsune, who was swimming towards her.

    The two swam easily towards the stone platform in the center of the lake, unnoticed by any beasts. Thanks to three blood crystals and the scent of the buppha garland around her neck, Chang Long was able to keep swimming despite her injuries. She instructed Kitsune, who could swim faster, to retrieve the chest first.

    Kitsune reached the shallow waters in the center of the lake before Chang Long and hurried towards the stone platform as quickly as possible, given that the water level was about knee-high, making moving somewhat difficult. When Chang Long reached the shallow water, she ran after Kitsune to the small chest as fast as she could. Kitsune waited for his master to reach the stone platform before lifting a chest measuring 30x10 cm from the platform.

    As soon as the chest was lifted from the platform, tri sovereign giant squid beast kings stopped fighting over the body of the unfortunate white shark and turned their attention back to attacking Chang Long and Kitsune instead.

    "Climb up on the stone platform quickly, Kitsune!"

    Chang Long shouted, climbing onto the stone platform herself.

    "What do we do, Master? They move so fast."

    "I'll use Mystic Wind."

    "It won't be fast enough, master. Their tentacles are too long; we won't be able to escape."

    Chang Long felt despair, unable to find a way out. But she did not stop looking for a solution and soon noticed that the tri sovereign giant squid beast kings were focusing solely on the chest in Kitsune's hands.

    "Master, the saw-toothed piranhas, I mean, the albino piranhas have already surrounded us,"

    Kitsune said, looking around the stone platform with a pale face.

    "Don't be afraid, Kitsune. I've already found a way out for us... But first, tell me, are there any limitations to your transformation skill?"

    Chang Long patted Kitsune on the shoulder to comfort him.

    "Just one, Master. It can't be used more than seven times a week,"

    Kitsune replied.

    "No problem, then. We've only used it three times. Listen, here's the plan..."

    Before Chang Long could whisper all of her plan to Kitsune, a tentacle from the golden tri sovereign giant squid beast king lashed out, forcing Chang Long and Kitsune to jump to opposite sides. Chang Long did not forget to grab the small chest.

    As expected, once the chest changed hands, the tri sovereign giant squid beast kings immediately targeted Chang Long, giving Kitsune the opportunity to execute the plan Chang Long had laid out, provided he acted quickly, or else his beloved master would become squid food.

    "Transformation Skill!!"

    Kitsune exclaimed, and the ten schools of albino piranhas surrounding them turned into wooden chests measuring 30x10 cm, identical to the one on the stone platform. Kitsune rushed towards the pile of chests, previously the piranhas, and started picking them up. But before he could do anything else, he noticed dozens of schools of albino piranhas hungrily swimming towards him.

    "Oh man! Why are there so many of these razor-toothed fish!"

    Kitsune complained frustratedly.

    "Kitsune! What are you doing? I'm about to be eaten here,"

    Chang Long yelled at Kitsune while dodging the tri sovereign giant squid beast kings’ tentacles on the stone platform. It seemed they were cautious not to attack too aggressively fearing that they might damage the chest and the stone platform, allowing Chang Long to narrowly escape death several times.

    "Sorry, Master! Come to me, you razor-toothed fish, Transformation Skill!"

    Kitsune transformed all albino piranhas into wooden chests. Then, he immediately started the escape plan devised by its master.

    "Hey! You ugly squids, your precious and beloved chest is right here, come get it!"

    Kitsune yelled at tri sovereign giant squid beast kings that were attacking Chang Long with a loud voice. They paused and turned towards the source of the sound with anger, seeming to understand they were being mocked.

    The tri sovereign giant squid beast kings seemed confused by another chest. One decided to attack Kitsune, while Chang Long, seeing the other two hesitated, quickly ran to another pile of wooden chests that were once albino piranhas.

    Chang Long swiftly put the real chest into her bag and did the same as Kitsune. The tri sovereign giant squid beast kings became even more confused than before. Chang Long then threw all the chests in different directions as far as she could. Seeing her do this, Kitsune quickly followed suit.

    The tri sovereign giant squid beast kings, unable to distinguish the real chest from the fakes, chased after every chest thrown. When two curious white sharks approached the chests, the squids attacked mercilessly to protect the chests.

    "Kitsune, to the stone platform!"

    Chang Long yelled at her pet as she ran towards the stone platform. Without waiting to see the outcome, once they stood on the stone platform, Chang Long used the Mystic Gust skill, swiftly escaping with her pet in human form.

    Arriving safely on the other shore, both sat down, gasping for breath. Chang Long instantly searched for water to quench her thirst and passed it to Kitsune. Meanwhile, the wooden chests that the tri sovereign giant squid beast kings were fighting over, once out of Kitsune's sight, turned back to albino piranhas.

    "We... survived... at last."

    Chang Long said, catching her breath.

    "Master, we've made it."

    Kitsune replied, equally breathless.

    "Let's rest a bit... before we go on...”

    Creak... thump... thump...

    "Intruders~ Intruders~"

    ....

    Members of the Pendragon guild were spread out in small groups across the Southern Sea Abyss, hunting beasts to level up as part of the guild leader's plan. Siegfried and Peach Blossom were also hunting beasts by the beach.

    "Can we take a break? It's getting pretty late,"

    Peach Blossom pleaded with her brother.

    "Alright, you've been working hard, so we can take a break,"

    Siegfried replied calmly. He acted as the bait, wounding the beasts to slow them down, allowing his sister to finish them off with magic, collecting most of the experience point.

    "Then let's walk along the beach. Beasts don't dare to go there. it's a safe area."

    "Sure."

    Siegfried, known for his excessive love for his sister (at times), followed his beloved sister, who ran ahead with excitement. He smiled because he knew the real purpose of going to the beach. Although he did not know who Master was, he believed the person must be decent; otherwise, Peach Blossom would not refer to them so fondly.

    "But... what kind of person names themselves 'Master'? Or wants others to call them that... Weirdo,"

    Siegfried muttered to himself.

    "What are you doing lagging behind? Hurry up!"

    Peach Blossom called back to her brother, who was walking much slower than her. The young man chuckled softly and quickened his pace to catch up.