________________________________________________________

Update initiated!

!ERROR! REPAIR NEEDED. LV2 DEVICE REQUIRED.

Skill List:

Kanji (lv1): Aspect of Energy: Electricity, Thermal, Sound, Elastic.

{Skill points: !ERROR!}

[Full destructive power limit: Village]

Skills: [1. Infuse/Absorb] [2. Energy travel] [3. Energy trail] [4. Energy bolt] [5. Energy wave] [6. Energy blade] [7. Energy shield] [8. Energy dual conduit] [9. Energy healing] [10. Umbral Cape]

[Vortex battery (Storage)]

Inventory: Geographic sphere, mechanical soap, spyware device, tungsten-infused nanotech silver chain, tech tablet (Portal) (Hide, Input, Output, Convert, Compress), night vision goggles.

Claire (lv0): Aspect of Creation

Skills: [1. Create (Slots: 5)]

Inventory: Black cloak, crossbow, crossbow bolt (modified with rotatenium), ammo pouch, Fanfics, mechanical soap, a spyglass.

David (lv1): Aspect of Form

{Skill points: !ERROR!}

[Range limit: Self]

[Vortex battery (Control)]

Skills: [1. Expand (x2)] [2. Spikefacation] [3. Delay (1-10s)] [4. Shieldfacation] [5. Trigger] [6. Transform pattern Wave] [7. Net Transform] [8. Whip transform] [9. Blend around] [10. Uno]

Inventory: Iron bat, AK -47, mechanical soap.

Amelia (lv1): Aspect of Reality

{Skill points: !ERROR!}

[Attack type: illusion] [Attack range: x3 field of view]

Skills: [1. Third-person vision] [2. Blurring Mirage] [3. Double] [4. Connect] [5. Vision Swap] [6. Disguise] [7. Flash Mirage] [8. False movement] [9. False Touch] [Mentaltomisis]

[Vortex Battery (Charge)]

Inventory: Frying Pan, knife, mechanical soap.

Sarah (lv0): Aspect of Fiction

[Skill access: 1 skill for each item] [Conjured item 1]

Inventory: Mechanical soap, Nezha’s leopard bag (Nezha’s ring).

Noah (lv0): Aspect of Emotion

Skills: [Emotion infusion] (Emotional requirement: High)

Inventory: Gilded axe, mechanical soap, a sharpening stone.

Diana (lv0): Aspect of Law

{Laws unlocked: Law of Friction} {Limit: Only manipulate small values}

Inventory: Mechanical soap, a pickaxe.

Adrian (lv0): Aspect of Knowledge.

{Connected Minds} {Info Extraction} [Limit: half of basic info}]

Inventory: Mechanical soap, rope.

Azan (lv0): Aspect of Change.

{Limitation: 1. Follow under the concept “change” only. 2. Changes under other aspects require hand holding.}

Change slot: 1

Inventory: Metal suitcase, mechanical soap, miniature fan.

Mina (lv0): Aspect of Time

{Limitations: 4 skills (Currently).}

Skills (!ERROR!) (Auto Input Activated): |1. Aging| |2. Time Exchange|

Inventory: A machete, mechanical soap.

Gwen (lv0): Aspect of Destruction

{Limitation: Gas only}

Inventory: Mechanical soap, Izzybot, P.T.A.

________________________________________________________

General Karnat waits impatiently to receive a call from a certain sub-general. His arms grow increasingly frantic as he is about to slam them down upon the device in front of him.

Beep.

?? "Ummm, Hello. KK? What the screws?! You have been calling for the past 7 hours! You know I'm busy right! Don't you have anything better to do?"

KARNAT "What did yo- No, you're right. I should've been more productive. I was trying to talk to you about something, Cogarath."

AMARAZ "Oh, go ahead! By the way, those two are back. Want to talk with them?"

KARNAT "Nah, those immature bastards will just annoy me! I suggest you keep your voice low and hide our conversation."

AMARAZ ["Ok, got it. So what's the question?"]

KARNAT "Why does the teleport function not work on the wielders?"

AMARAZ ["What are you sayi- Oh. OH! I see what you were trying to do. Sorry to tell you this but you need their consent."]

KARNAT "What kind of ant shit is that?!"

AMARAZ ["Yeah, I know. I believe there's a line of code or script somewhere in The Universe that determine and sustain this function."]

KARNAT "That's suck! How does the consent thing work anyway?!"

AMARAZ ["Via contracts and signatures. All cultists and soldiers are required to sign a form before doing their perspective occupation. This function somehow knows this from anywhere in space-time."]

Karnat sighs and is about to stomp the floor in frustration. However, the door behind him opens and he restrains himself.

KARNAT "Sorry, I have to go."

AMARAZ "OK, KK. Be careful out ther-

?? "KARNAT! YOU BASTARD! WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US YOU WER-

KARNAT "Ok, enough of that. I have to admit... It is quite annoying on the other end. ANYWAY, WHAT IS IT?!"

He turns around and sees a soldier cowering on the floor.

"M-My Lord. T-T-They are back!"

He sees two familiar faces approaching past the soldier as he scrambles out of the room.

KARNAT "Good... how did it go?"

M124 "My Lord. I'm sorry to say... it was unsuccessful. The other Majors are currently occupied."

KARNAT "What?"

M115 "W-What she was trying to say is that they are being used by The First General."

KARNAT "WHY THAT SCHEMING TALL BA... Calm down. Calm down. You're telling me that all 114 of your remaining majors are being used by that prick."

M115 "Well, technically only 14 of them are being assigned."

KARNAT "THEN WHAT ABOUT THE REST?!"

M115 "Well, you see... how do I put this? On top of The Executioners, there are also The One Hundred Red Stingers that personally protect our leader."

KARNAT "Why does he need that many anyway?!"

M115 "Because each of them unlike us can't think for themselves and act like puppets that share the leader's mind. They work in sync and have nigh perfection coordination. On top of that, they all share the ability, "The Ten Insect Arsenals" and-

KARNAT "Blah blah blah! I GET IT!"

Karnat drops to his seat and spins his chair around, facing a map of Earth. He crosses his arms and drums his feet against the hard metal ground.

KARNAT "Why does that tall asshole need the majors?"

M115 "He got the request from her holiness to help with conquering Aeternum."

KARNAT "AETERNUM! I... I guess I can forgive that. It looks like my next attack will be done the regular way. Gather me some minor cultists."

M124 "Sorry, for the parade of bad news, Sire. But even they are busy."

KARNAT "Oh, you're fucking with me! SERIOUSLY! What happened?!"

M124 "I don't know why but our members are being killed left and right by another group of cultists. Despite, the genetic modification of our Minors, these other cultists have higher numbers and are quite adept with sneak attacks."

KARNAT "Enough! Shit. I guess... just tell the soldiers to keep an eye out and note down more info on the targets. Also, M124. What is that thing you are holding?"

M124 "Oh right, I found it yesterday. It is supposed to be delivered to one of the wielders."

KARNAT "I recommend that you hide that then. We need as much pressure as we could on them."

________________________________________________________

A truck drives along a calm sunny road. The vehicle bumping up and down reminds a young girl of camping she once had as a kid. Mina smiles as she can see The Museum of Modern Art rising in the distance.

Mina "Guys! We're here!"

Azan "Again, Mina. You don't have to yell. Let's park over there...Let's see... in front of that Taco shop."

She steers the truck and drifts it flawlessly into place. It rattles the entire group like a giant maraca. She cringes and looks back to see that her friends are giving her the stink eye.

Kanji "Was that really necessary, Mina?"

Mina "Whoops! I got a bit carried away. Sorry."

The wielders exit the vehicle one by one and they take deep breaths. On the other side of the street lay their destination.

Kanji "Did everyone get a good night's sleep?"

Dave "Bro, we were like sleeping in a truck. Heck yeah! We did!"

Gwen "Honest opinion, it was a tad bit cramped. And someone hasn't been using their mechanical soap lately."

Di/Sarah "Sorry about that."

Kanji "Ha. I guess we should get an RV next time. Ok, everyone prepare to-

Sarah "Wait! Not yet! We can't!"

They look at Sarah and see that she is brushing her left elbow with her right hand. Her eyes pointed to the ground to avoid eye contact.

Sarah "I... I don't think we are ready. No... I'll be honest. It's more like I'm not ready."

Dave "Bro, weren't you like all laughing and shit yesterday?"

Sarah "I wasn't serious... just a bit unstable."

Kanji gives her a sympathetic look and pats her on the shoulder. Sarah tilts her head up and greets him with teary eyes.

Kanji "The feeling of losing is painful. Isn't it?"

Dave "Yeah, it was our second L, bro."

Sarah "I...I... I want to learn how to fight! Hand to hand!"

Kanji "You're suggesting that we take time to improve... no a bad idea. Everyone! Let's get in the portal!"

They enter the white void and being inside for a brief moment, they notice a significant difference. Dave and Diana look around, their faces show the most bafflement among their peers.

Dave "Wow, didn't know how small it was, dude!"

Diana "Yeah, boss! Do we even have enough space to train?"

Kanji "We do as long as the ones who aren't participating stay in one of the corners. I say before we start, raise your hand if you lack hand-to-hand fighting experience."

Noah, Claire, Mina, and Sarah raises their hand.

Kanji "Amelia and Gwen. You two know how to fight hand to hand?"

Amelia "I didn't just learn how to use a knife and frying pan, lad."

Diana walks to her with her fist clenched shut and she begins cracking her knuckles in the least threatening way possible.

Diana "Then prove to me, my friend."

Amelia "Very well. Your duel shall be accepted."

The others back off as the two wielders face each other. Diana notices that amelia's right-hand forms a chop and her left-hand forms a fist.

Diana "Interesting. Here I come!"

Diana rushes in and thrust her fist into Amelia's head. At that moment, Amelia lifts her left arm and redirects the angle of the punch. The lack of hesitation startles Diana and she drops her guard, allowing Amelia to jab her stomach.

Diana "Ouch! Fuck... that was amazing! It's like my fist went slide off you and you're not even scared."

Amelia "Truthfully, compared to Amber... you're not as terrifying."

Dave "OOOOOHH! That burn, bro!"

Diana "Shut up, Icarus!"

Kanji "Amelia, just how long were you fighting Amber?"

Amelia "I don't know, lad. It felt like time was quite meaningless during our bloody scuffle."

Kanji "Good, with this, I can confirm that you don't need training. What about you, Gwen?"

Gwen "Okay, I'm going to tell everyone the summary. I like to experiment a lot, especially with myself. At one point, I implanted a miniature Izzybot inside my brain which grew roots that attach themselves to my nervous system. The process of which took several months and I had to be pumped full with anesthesia constantly during the entire process. It was incredibly awful and somewhat embarrassing as the exiting process required me... to learn how to walk."

Claire "Jesus! Bestie, why?! You gonna have to stop hurting yourself."

Gwen "Relax, there was no pain. I say it was worth it because I can now communicate with Izzybot at any time and I can do... This!"

They watched in shock as brown veins reveal themselves from beneath the smooth skin of her legs. Gwen then leaped into the air and performed six perfect backflips before landing without a disturbance in balance.

Kanji "You went above and beyond. Your over-preparedness never ceases to amaze me. I'm assuming that you can also do perfect martial arts as well."

Gwen smirks and nods her head.

Kanji "Ok, now that it's confirmed. You four will be training. You can choose your trainer, aka one of us-

Sarah "I'll choose Amelia."

Amelia "Oh, that was fast! Why me, lass?"

Sarah "I choose you because your style is kinda assassin-ish. Super badass by the way."

Amelia "Aww, thanks for flattery. Gonna warn, lass. My teaching can be bloody vicious."

Her words send chills down Sarah's spine and she unknowingly follows Amelia to one corner of the subspace. Kanji turns to the rest, they are still thinking except for Claire who is giving him a cheerful look.

Claire "Can I choose you, Kanji?"

Kanji "Sorry, to tell you this but my combat style is a bit complex. It involves reading, predicting, and recognizing my enemies' attack patterns or actions. It has its flaws since the first experience can leave me vulnerable... as you may recall. And adaptability is also a necessity."

Claire "Ah, all that is very confusing. Then I'll choose... Diana!"

Diana "Woah, what?! Why though?"

Claire "I mean I'm not really good with remembering techniques. I just want to know brute strength!"

The determination in Claire's eyes sparks a memory of when Diana first started going to the gym. Claire's words fire her up and she gives a big thumb up.

Diana "Then what are you waiting for?! Follow me, comrade!"

Kanji "Alright, that's one more group done. Who's next?"

Noah "Er-

Mina "Oh! I call Azzy!"

Azan "I knew you would say that. Okay, follow me."

Azan moves away and Mina skips happily after him. An awkward silence fills the room as Kanji look at Noah who is too nervous to speak.

Kanji "... You're the last one, Noah. Please choose from the rest of us."

Noah "I... I don't know." "Dammit! I don't want to fight! It hurts and it is scary. Man, I wish I was Adrian and told the group that I'm also a pacifist."

Kanji "Indecisive, huh. Then, I'll be your instructor."

Noah "Wait, you? I thought you said tha-

Kanji "That doesn't mean that you will follow my combat style. I just happen to come up with a strategy that can benefit your strengths... Anyway, since it is done. Everyone else, please go to that corner and wait."

________________________________________________________

Kanji "... Should we begin or do you have questions? Don't be silent now. It is for your benefit."

AN "Yeah, don't be shy."

Kanji "AN, you're here. I thought you vanished again."

AN "Sorry, I saw that you guys are in the middle of something so I didn't want to disturb you. Anyway, I'm here and ready to help."

Noah "That's good. What is the strategy?" "..."

Kanji "Before we go there. I need to test something. Noah... hit me. Hit me as hard as you can!"

Noah "Woah, ok." "Shit, that was out of the blue! I have to do it or I'll break my act!"

Noah's fist collides near the center of Kanji's chest, missing his solar plexus. He barely flinches. Kanji brushes his hand over the injured spot and casually walks closer.

Kanji "Hah, I knew it. You're the weakest physically among all of us."

Noah "Really." "Yeah, NO SHIT!"

Kanji "However, seeing your previous battle. Endurance and pain tolerance is your biggest asset. I recommend a deceit style of combat."

Noah "What?" "What do you mean?"

Kanji "I meant faking injuries from your opponent's attacks and striking their weak points when their guard is down."

Noah "Sounds cheap." "No, it is a good idea!"

Kanji "Cheap? We are talking about the real world here! Where you can die at any moment?! Speaking of which, when it comes to sneak attacks if you feel that something is off... bait them with the same strategy. Got it."

Noah "Ok." "Awesome, I feel so much more confident!"

Kanji sees yellow particles radiant from Noah. Kanji smiles and puts up his hands. Noah sees the adrenaline in Kanji's eyes as he runs forward.

Kanji "You must be excited. Well then... LET'S BEGIN!"

Before Noah had a chance to react, the only thing he saw was a flash of light followed by a fist, a hair's distance away. Noah takes it head-on. Shockingly, it was a real punch and he flies back, his body spinning before tumbling along the floor. The pain he is feeling is manageable and he pretends to be injured.

Kanji feels proud, seeing that Noah's deceit is perfect. And so, he reenacts what an enemy would do in this situation. Kanji rushes forward seizing the opportunity... Noah jumps and punches him clean in the liver. It was enough to make Kanji cough blood.

Kanji "Go-G-Good job."

Noah "You ok?" "Shit! If Claire sees this, she'll kill me!"

Kanji stands up and fixes his composure. Noah sees that his body glows greens and he stops coughing out blood.

Kanji "Awesome. Now, for a pop quiz. Noah. Do you know all the weak points of a human?"

Noah "Liver. Dick. Eyes. and Nose."

Kanji "... The throat, the temple, the ear, the jaw, the solar plexus, the ribs, the spine, the toes, and with enough precision you can even dislocate the knee. However, you have to keep in mind that we are fighting modified humans so some parts may be off-limit."

Noah "What about Castastrians?" "Yeah, what about them?!"

AN "They don't really have that many major weaknesses except for the antennae and the buttocks because for some reason our livers are located there."

Noah "Didn't want to know that." "Ewwww, what the fuck?!"

Kanji "One last thing before we restart the training. What if your opponent is much more perceptive? Meaning they don't buy your bluff?"

Noah "You fake escaping."

Kanji "Exactly! They can't just let their target walk or crawl away so they will push in a position to attack. Now that the lessons are done. Time for actual practice!"

Noah gulps as Kanji repeats the cycle with different moves each time.

________________________________________________________

In a short instance, Claire looks over, she barely sees what's happening? She tries to walk just an inch closer to get a better view.

Claire "Who is fighting over the-

A large fist bonks her head and she falls over, rubbing the impact spot. Claire then quickly jumps back up and grinds her teeth.

Claire "What was that for?!"

Diana "You need to focus! No more distractions! Only training!"

Claire "What do I even have to do?!"

Diana "Well, the technique is easy. If your enemy is smaller than you punch their head. If your enemy is larger than you, punch their groin. You punch and kick, pushing your entire body to add weight to your hits."

Claire "Sounds easy enou-

Diana "I'm not done! If you aren't strong enough, they won't be knocked out and begin blocking. You don't want the long game. So... We are going to work on those biceps! But there are no weights here so we are going old fashion!"

Claire "Old fashion? Like wooden dumbbells?"

Diana "No, I mean 1000 PUSHUPS, 1000 SITUPS, 1000 SQUATS, AND 100 KM RUNNING EVERYTHING. SINGLE. DAY."

Claire "What the hell?! Am I trying to one-up someone?!"

Diana "Yeah... your enemies. Don't you want to protect the boss?"

Claire "I-I'll do it! For, Kaney!"

Diana "That's the spirit! We will wake up early every day. I already set an alarm on my phone. NOW GIVE ME 1000!"

Claire "Yes, MAAM!"

________________________________________________________

Amelia "Those two sure are an excited bunch, aren't they?"

Sarah "Yeah, lol. But we can't fall behind!"

Amelia "Your eagerness is great. Raise your hand, lass. Block my attack."

Sarah forms a cross guard with her arms as Amelia lunges in with a thrust. It breaks her guard and strikes her chest.

Sarah "AAAAAH! Huh? That didn't hurt."

Amelia "I stopped it before it did any bloody damage. That block was quite pathetic. No wonder, you lost."

Sarah "I... I know. Then what am I suppose to do?!"

Amelia "I'm going in again, lass. Try deflecting this time."

Amelia lunges in one more time, and her eyes are stunlocked to see that Sarah's arm predicted where she was going to strike. It makes contact... but failed. Her thrust barely changed trajectory and it strikes a nail distance away from Sarah's throat.

Amelia "Honestly, not bad but that reflect was barren and knackered of power. Are you even trying, Sarah?"

Sarah "YES, I AM! I used all my strength! I'm... I'm not strong or anything."

Sarah drops down and begins sobbing. Amelia hugs Sarah like a mother comforting her child.

Amelia "There. There. Lass. You shouldn't be jumping to that bloody conclusion. Physical strength doesn't mean you're strong. Hey, let's try dodging."

Sarah stands up and wipes her tears. Amelia retakes her position and prepares another thrust. Sarah's hands are shaking and so she tugs them into the pockets of her hoodie which gives her a slight bit of comfort.

Amelia dashes, aiming for her head. Sarah perfectly dodges it.

Amelia "Excellent! Again!"

Amelia then goes on to attack Sarah 47 times and she manages to dodge all of them with ease.

Amelia "Holy Chips! When did you become so good at dodging?!"

Sarah "I... I don't know. Wait. That one time when I was practicing with Claire."

Amelia "Oh yeah! That's right! You were dodging her soaps and bolts. Say, lass. How many did you dodge?"

Sarah "Basically, all of them. Except for when she snuck up on me"

Amelia "Good. From now on, don't block or reflect. Just dodge and counter. As for sneak attacks, I can't help you there. You just have to be more cautious when you feel that something is odd."

Sarah "Ok, easy enough. What about offense?"

Amelia "Ah, my bad. Totally forgot about that. Show me your weapon."

Sarah pulls out her ring and hands it over to her.

Amelia "Ummm, round... yet sharp. Sarah, you need to learn to transform your hands into your weapon. It doesn't have to have the same effect but it must resemble your weapon. I recommend turning them into claws."

Sarah "So... am I supposed to scratch people to death? Sounds awesome."

Amelia "Let's put it to the test. Shall we?"

Sarah takes initiative and pushes forward with a claw swipe. It was incredibly fast that Amelia had no time to block or reflect on it which pushes her to dodge. The two girls grin and continue sparring.

________________________________________________________

Two wielders remain captivated by the battles between their peers. For the longest time, they haven't moved a single inch from their spots. Eventually, Azan breaks the curse.

Azan "... W-We can't be behind! So, let us begin immediately."

Mina glances at him and bobs her head in agreement. Azan tabs his phone and two pairs of boxing gloves appear out of thin air.

Mina "Awwwww! You bought matching boxing gloves! Let me guess, the yellow ones are mine and the blue ones are yours!"

Azan "T-That was just a coincidence! That's all! Now. Pay attention!"

Mina puts on the boxing gloves and looks at him, her face is telling him that she's serious and ready for anything.

Azan "To be brutally honest, I didn't know much about boxing. Just some basics from my old man."

Mina "Like what, Azzy?"

Azan "Let's begin with the two things that make you a great boxer, footwork and managing distance. Footwork is essential as it helps you dodge and weave around your opponent's attacks, leaving room for a counter. This requires focus, balance, and flexibility. Three things that he had me trained a lot of."

Mina "Must be quite torturous."

Azan "Yeah, but hey. I feel more confident when fighting because of it. Now for keeping your distance, the main ingredient is reaction time. Knowing to move before your opponent attacks. Now, I'll show a brief demonstration of basic footwork and distance management."

Mina takes a seat and watches closely how Azan moves and dashes. Most of her attention is on the rhythm of his feet. She is beginning to believe.

Mina "I think I get it now!"

Azan "Wow! That was fast! Alright, I'll test you on that. Stand up and try to avoid my hooks."

Mina "I don't know what a hook is. But I'm ready!"

Azan launches a powerful right hook, but before it even goes half way Mina is already out of his reach. Such an astonishing reaction, and from an amateur at that.

Azan "Amazing. Are sure you have tried boxing before?"

Mina "No, Azzy! I don't even like boxing!"

Azan "Well, you going to like it because... This is your new fighting style!"

Azan dashed close to Mina in the middle of his sentence and began to throw another hook. But to his surprise, she easily weaves around his punch. Almost like time has stopped.

Azan "Mina... Did you just use your abilities?"

Mina "No! I would never do that!"

Azan "I see so that can mean one thing. You have already perfect reaction, balance, focus, and flexibility. How is that possible?... Wait a minute."

Azan smacks himself in the face and Mina becomes worried. She rushes in and pulls his hand away from his face.

Mina "What was that for?! Why are you hitting yourself ?! Did I... were you... perhaps... were jealou-

Azan "No, Mina! That's not like me. I just realise something."

Mina "What is it?"

Azan "Your past. How many mountains have you climbed? How many boats have you sailed? How many times have you flown across the world? Those experiences must have sharpened those four essentials."

Mina "Yeah, that makes a lot of sense."

Azan "However, that does not mean you get no practice. We will push it further. Now time for your choice of attack. Which would you prefer, Mina? Hooks or jabs?"

Mina "Hooks were what you were doing. I don't want to copy you so I'll choose jabs."

Azan "Nice choice, it fits your speed. Here's what it looks like."

Azan throws a single jab and Mina immediately understood how it's done.

Azan "Good. Let's begin a match."

________________________________________________________

Dave "It's sooooooooo boring, dude! Why didn't I get picked?!"

Gwen "Perhaps, your type of combat style is heavily reliant on instinct and experience."

Adrian "Now. Now. It could also be because it is hard to learn so they chose an easier way out."

Dave "Yo, true! Thanks, man. I feel much better. Also, Gwen... where is my drone?!"

Gwen "Ah, I almost to forgot to tell you that one of the cultists took it yesterday."

Dave "What the fuck?! Aww, man. What should I do now?!"

Adrian "Can't you buy one off Amazon?"

Dave "No, I can't! Because Jaff Bazos banned the sales of recording drones."

Gwen "Let me guess, I trolled him didn't you."

Dave "Not exactly, bros. I like made fun of one of Amazon's headquarters ONE TIME! And some parasocial andies began messing the shit up."

Gwen "Well, that's too bad. Because I'm not buying you another one."

Dave "Gwen, why?!"

Gwen "It is pointless and lacks value. It's nothing more than a distraction which we don't need that in our current circumstances."

Dave "Damn. What should I do, man?! I can't just tell them that the show is canceled!"

Adrian "Oh, I got an idea. What about you promise them that when the show aka our adventure is over, you will hire people to create animated series out of it."

Dave "Bruh, that sounds awesome! But I can't remember shit and we need like photos and what not, dude."

Adrian grabs out a handbook and shows it to Dave. It summarizes all the events that lead up to this point, along with photos.

Dave "Dude! You even had time to take photos! This is awesome!"

Adrian "Yeah, I was hoping that you would be the one taking photos. If that is ok with you."

Dave "Heck, yeah! Of course!"

Gwen moves away to somewhere more peaceful. She waits there for hours, pretending to be smiling. Sooner, her sulking leaks for everyone to see.

AN "What's wrong, Gwen?"

Gwen "Everyone has a conversation buddy. I don't have one. Really shows my lack of social skills."

AN "Well... I can be your conversation buddy."

Gwen " R-Really. So what do you want to talk about?"

AN "Seeing you are a biologist and me having a fascination with Caverrin's wildlife. I say we discuss that."

Gwen "Awesome, I was curious about that raptor-like creature that the others fought."

AN "Aw, yes. The Blur Raptors. Pack hunters that attack from outside your peripheral vision. They are native to the shady blue plains of Caverrin. They are known for their incredible speed and skin which can to be made into durable but extremely light leather."

Gwen "Are they physically strong?"

AN "They can do significant slashing damage as a group. But one on one, it could barely be considered a fatal threat since their main hunting tactics involves wearing their prey down and rescuing each other."

Gwen "Are any of the creature's other parts useful?"

AN "No, not really. But in recorded history, there used to be tribes that settled on the shady blue plains. They turned the creatures' teeth and claws into nasty-looking weapons. They also drank the creatures' blood as some kind of tradition. Sadly, they didn't last long, it is said they were overwhelmed by the sheer number of raptors. Today, not a single Castastrian live on the shady blue plains."

Gwen "So, where do you all live?"

AN "We live on the silver mountains surrounding Sun's Bite Valley. The lucky ones get to live on the feet of the mountains that stretch so far that it can be considered its own unique terrain."

Gwen "Any vegetation? Tell more about the Acar trees."

AN "The Acar trees once formed the forests of my planet. Now, nearly all of them are gone. Their wood as I told you before was used to construct buildings."

Gwen "That's sad. Have you tried replanting or did your Empress not allow it?"

AN "No, Agriculture and food aren't our concern because of our biology. That's why we didn't bother planting like ever. EVER!"

Gwen "Woah! That was a sudden change of tone! What's wrong?!"

AN "We didn't know that it would affect the beautiful and majestic wildlife of Caverrin! So we protested and got rejected by the Empress which sparked early signs of rebellion. Well, I wasn't there physically since I wasn't born yet. But this is how I think it went down."

Gwen "Aw, that's good to hear. As a biologist, I'm glad that we-

Kanji "Everyone! The time is almost up! Let's get moving!"

Gwen "That's a shame. I wished I started this conversation earlier. It was fun, AN. Let's chat again sometimes."

AN "Sure. No problem"

The group exits the portal. A nearby drunkard sees this but just ignores it, thinking it was in his head.

They march right into the museum and approach a certain painting. The onlookers feel their menacing presence and make way for them.

Kanji "Here it is. The Starry Nights."