As the other remaining members of the team refuse to purchase a bestiary, they all gather behind James while he’s checking available champions they can fight. Currently, they spot a total of nine listed.

  “Man, they’re all above fifteen thousand,” Yu comments.

  “All of us are above twenty, we can take on anything. I want a rematch with the Fallen Legion,” Wyn says.

  “Let’s not overestimate ourselves…,” Mira cautions.

  “Why don’t we go for the weakest one first?” Lisa suggests.

  “But why is a creature called goosebumps topping the list with the highest essence count?” James wonders aloud.

  “We need to defeat one champion per area. Let's start with the Abandoned City,” Mira proposes.

  “I’m more intrigued to fight the ‘Slow-oth, The Majestically Slow Queen But HOT DAMN! Ain’t She Fierce When Engaged So Watch Out And Best To Avoid Her Deadly Grasp!’ in the Dark Forest,” Lisa suggests.

  “What? Where?” Wyn asks.

  “If you click on the ‘Slow-oth, The Majestic…’, it shows the full name, Mister Wyn.”

  “Sounds more like someone mistakenly put the description into the name, eh,” James says.

  “I know! We’ll visit Cateto and ask him for advice!” Wyn exclaims.

  As they reach campsite number four, Yu and Mira are thrilled to see Anish’s favorite cat, now bearing the letters "C&A" on his chest. Cateto greets the team with a smile, bringing tears to their eyes. Mira dashes forward and gives the cat a firm hug, followed by Yu and then Lisa. Not wanting to feel emotional, Wyn stays behind to watch. After this heartfelt moment, the team begins asking Cateto for advice about the champions.

  “For whatever challenge you are seeking, never engage the goosebumps,” the cat warns. “Do not be fooled by the essence each champion offers either.”

  He then points out the champion that yields the least amount of essence: the orbitor. Instead, Cateto suggests the team look into the gorlock, also known as “the destroyer of worlds.”

  “The orbitor is trickier with its electric abilities,” Cateto explains, “but the gorlock is more straightforward, though she is much tankier.”

  “‘She’? It has a gender?” Wyn asks.

  “Why not?” Cateto replies with a shrug.

  For the second and third choices, Cateto offers no specific suggestions, but given the essence each member of Wyn’s team possesses, he’s confident they’ll manage. Their conversation is cut short when Cateto turns to greet a group of souls newly arrived on the first floor of the seventh level.

  The team finds a table in the lobby to further discuss their first target. As much as Wyn is curious about the goosebumps, he decides to heed Cateto’s warning and swears never to challenge it.

  “Gorlock it is?” Yu asks.

  “Let’s go. Remember, we can always escape if things go south,” Wyn says.

  “Right! I already forgot about that,” Yu replies.

  “Eh? Isn’t omega-three from fish supposed to help with brain function, like memory?” James teases.

  “Be quiet, you seal killer!” Yu responds.

  They check the map and see four blinking exclamation points on the Abandoned City map – three red and one yellow. Unable to determine which creature occupies each location, the team decides to wait for Cateto to provide more details.

  “From what I know, there are two orbitors. Gorlock should always be at the coliseum, and you will understand why once you see her. However...it seems she is currently engaged in a battle.”

  Available champions are marked by blinking red exclamation points on the map; if they’re engaged in a fight, they blink yellow instead. If a champion is defeated, a new one – either random or of the same species – is summoned in its place, while victorious champions are given time to recover before their next fight.

  When asked about the champions from other areas, Cateto simply shrugs. “I am oblivious when it comes to the Dark Forest and Hell’s Ride,” he admits.

  The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

  It’s then that the team revisits the fangless Catati for advice. Despite their persistent nagging, Catati simply repeats that any of the champions would be a fine choice. Seeking guidance from other cats in the forest yields the same result.

  “Argh, we need to fight something. Let’s do the Dark Forest first, now that we’re already here,” Wyn says.

  Frustrated, the team gathers at Wyn’s tent with one goal: to roll a die and let it decide their opponent. If the die lands on one or four, they’ll fight the slow-oth; if two or five, they’ll go after the friendly “little” pony; otherwise, it’ll be the foxhydra. The die lands on six.

  “Hmm…‘A fox with many ticks’. Did they miss the ‘r’ in the description?” James quips.

  “The die has spoken! It’s in the Luminous Glade. Perfect – my new moves work best outdoors,” Wyn says.

  Before they venture out, Mira changes into the red shirt and jeans outfit she wore during their adventure in the Abandoned City. Lisa follows suit, slipping into a loose mustard yellow shirt paired with comfortable jeans and denim shoes.

  Riding on three hawkians, the team is dropped off at the station inside the Luminous Glade. As they venture deeper, Wyn chuckles every time he spots a deericious, prompting laughter from Yu and Mira.

  “I’m glad he’s all fine now,” Mira whispers to Yu as they trail behind Wyn and James, who are suddenly bickering over James accusing Wyn of being immature.

  “I wouldn’t say ‘fine’. Nobody is fine, and never will be after what happened.”

  “Why are you getting so sentimental all of a sudden? You’re going to make me cry, Yu.”

  “We’re coping, and we always will,” Wyn says, then turns his attention back to James.

  Continuing forward, the team encounters multiple creatures, but none stand a chance against them. Despite the apparent tranquility of the Luminous Glade, Wyn and James remain locked in what they refer to as a “friendly” quarrel, their voices echoing through the otherwise serene surroundings.

  “How are you holding up? You know, with Christine taking off like that?” Mira asks.

  “I actually never had time to think about her. Thanks for bringing that up,” Yu replies, giving Mira a playful frown.

  “I’m sorry! Gosh, I never noticed how cute you are. If you want to lose your virginity...”

  “NO! NEVER! I think of you as a sister! That’d be incest!”

  “Incest is a thing in the USA and many other parts of the world. They do it all the time. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

  “That’s a bit of an exaggeration, eh,” James chimes in, having finished his argument with Wyn.

  The entire team comes to a halt when they spot a group of demons. As they approach, the demons turn to them, raising a finger to their lips in a hush gesture, looking worried. Carefully, the team stands before the demons and explains their intention to fight the champion.

  “Are you crazy? This is your first champion, and you chose the foxhydra? How much essence do you have?” one demon whispers. After the team reveals their essence counts, the demons look stunned. “Okay, maybe you do have a chance.”

  Among the trees, surrounded by a handful of demons in hiding, is a regular-shaped white fox with white eyes playfully chasing lavalaterns.

  “Are foxes the same species as dogs? Thought dogs weren’t allowed in Hell,” Wyn asks.

  “What makes you think this is a fox?” a demon replies. “Are you ready? You will need to run after us. The creature will never fight you here.”

  “How is it not a fox when…”

  Before Wyn can say another word, another demon ties a lavatern to a rope and uses it to lure the foxhydra out of the trees. To stay ahead of the nimble creature, the demon mounts a beast that Wyn and team have never encountered. As they race forward, the team struggles to keep pace, already out of breath. Then in an open area within the Luminous Glade, the demon releases the lavatern from the rope, allowing the foxhydra to catch it and begin feasting.

  “Now, go ahead. Stand before it, but keep your distance.”

  “Give us five minutes,” Wyn says, panting.

  “NOW!” the demon demands, dispersing into different directions. One of them yells, “Words of advice: do not expect to get out of this battle unscathed!”

  Still breathing heavily, the team stands before the creature as the demons let out a harmonious “mmmeeeooowww.” Instantly, the foxhydra looks up, ignoring the lavatern on the ground. Its white eyes flash between white and black rapidly. As it sits, the creature begins to grow, shedding its tail, and something seems to be emerging in its place.

  “Oh, fuck! Do you want me to open a portal, just in case?” James asks Wyn.

  What appears before them is now a large fox, from whose rear emerge five hydra heads. Each head is a different color – brown, blue, gray, red, and yellow – presumably carrying distinct elemental abilities. The hydra heads are adorned with glossy fur that matches the texture of the fox’s coat, featuring hard tufts around their necks that resemble spiky manes. Their jaws are lined with jagged, sharp teeth.

  The shed tail lies on the ground, while the lavatern has transformed into essence dust. The fox's eyes fixate intently on the team, as if anticipating their next move. Meanwhile, the hydra heads, with their glossy fur glistening in the moonlight, quiver slightly, salivating in eager anticipation.

  “Ready, guys? Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding, motherfuckers!” Wyn says, clenching his fists.

  “And you were mad at me when I called you immature,” James remarks.

  Wyn motions for Yu and Mira to fuse with him. With both hands stretched wide, he unleashes a watery cyclone and a fiery cyclone, launching them in opposite directions.

  “What? Why aren’t you shooting at the fox?” Yu asks, puzzled.

  The team watches in awe as Wyn deftly curves the two cyclones, crisscrossing them in a dazzling display as they surge toward the creature. The fox picks up its shed tail with its mouth and leaps into the air. Before the hydra heads can launch a single attack, the fiery cyclone arcs upward, striking the creature in the stomach. Wyn sends the watery cyclone above the fox, then bends it downward, sending the creature crashing into the rock pillars he had just set below.

  “We’ll win,” Wyn says, more confident than ever.