Chapter 6
165.
In a room full of papers, literally, even the walls aren't safe in this mess. From piles of folders on top of multiple desks to long sheets of paper pinned on the wall. Based on the writings, most of those are freshly written, none of the papers look old. Kita, Hana, Yuna, FeLinE, and Raven carefully observe the area, trying to figure out what's going on. Indeed, something is up in Euchambersia.
"What's up with these notes?" Kita asked.
"They are my research for unfolding the truth about her kind," Scraz answered as he referred to FeLinE.
"Can nyu tell us more in detail? Like what do nyu mean by her kind, what's happening to this realm, what's up with this room… Nyu get my point," Yuna requested.
"A couple of months ago, someone who also claimed to be a Sentient Kemi entered this labyrinth. She didn't mention her name, only telling us she's a Sentient Kemi. She holds a giant hammer and calls it her Relic, just like your friend said. The Sentient Kemi used it to repair almost anything, truly a crafty one." Scraz said.
"Wait, did I hear that correctly?" Hana questioned, stunned by the story.
"I was also about to ask that, I guess we all heard the same thing…" Raven commented.
"This is definitely shocking news! Look at FeLinE, it's the first time I saw FeLinE drop her jaw." Kita mentioned.
"Do nyu know her?" Yuna asked FeLinE.
"There's only one Sentient Kemi that wields a giant hammer as her Relic… But there is also a potential that someone is pretending to be a Sentient Kemi." FeLinE:1000X answered, she then turned her attention to Scraz and said, "Tell us more about this Sentient Kemi nyu mentioned."
"Our Pack welcomed her when she first arrived. She then helped us innovate a lot of things here. We were facing a long-time problem in our labyrinth, especially at the main place; the entrance should remain dark so it won't attract the plants, but we also need a little bit of a source of light. The Sentient Kemi easily solved that for us, she set up Luminous Rocks in the depths of our place, making it bearable but not too bright. We also set up this secret room to be our hiding spot as I help her with her true goal." Scraz explained.
"What's her true goal?"Kita questioned.
"Even now, I still can't understand what she meant but her answer was 'going back home.' Something that only I knew, but she didn't elaborate further." Scraz replied.
"Wait a second… Do nyu guys remember what Hideo said before? He told us that Sentient Kemis were transported to random locations, it so happened that FeLinE landed on the UniPaws." Yuna mentioned.
"Then that means… It could really be a Sentient Kemi trapped in this realm." Raven added.
"Where is she?" FeLinE:1000X asked.
"She already left a few weeks ago, and I've been trying to study how to follow her. Originally, she was just going to wait here, her reasoning was other Sentient Kemis were probably moving. It became more complicated when the Pack blamed her for the corruption of the Forbidden Runes. They said the Sentient Kemi brought it here, and the residents believed the Pack despite the lack of strong evidence to support it. Even though she created a nullifier and healed the corrupted Kemis, it still doesn't stop the Pack from blaming her…" Scraz answered.
"Wait, she created a nullifier for the corrupted by herself? We have to use my talent plus a shredded Runecrystal just to heal them one by one." Hana replied.
"Then that proves it, only one Sentient Kemi can pull off such a feat. Her name is Vestris:1100F." FeLinE:1000X said.
"VesTris:1100F… That's quite a complicated name…" Scraz confusedly reacted.
"And she's FeLinE:1000X, welcome to complex names. They are Sentient Kemis after all, don't think about it too much." Raven responded.
"I see… Wait a second, now that nyu are here, another Sentient Kemi, maybe we can find her. However, we need to be careful coz Kemis here hates Sentient Kemis due to what happened. I was the only one who believed in VesTris at that time." Scraz realized.
"Hai, we need to find VesTris first," FeLinE:1000X replied.
"But what about the Mystical Runekey?" Hana asked.
"FeLinE thinks that we can get the Mystical Runekey once we find VesTris," FeLinE:1000X answered.
"I'm not following…" Kita confusedly reacted.
"FeLinE has been scanning the realm while we venture. The Relic hasn't detected the Mystical Runekey yet. Either it's too far away from us or it is not here at all. If VesTris is on the move, it could probably mean that she's collecting the Mystical Runekeys too. Explaining why the Relic cannot detect the artifact until now." FeLinE:1000X thoroughly explained.
"Now this becomes a lot more interesting." Kita excitedly reacted.
"So… It's either she's in the other realm that we've been through or the one that we haven't. It will be a problem for her since we already collected 5 out of 7." Yuna hypothesized.
"So how are going to find her?" Raven asked.
"Aside from being creative, VesTris is one of the smartest Sentient Kemi. If she waited this long before moving, she probably has a backup plan in case one of us reaches here. Sentient Kemis will most likely enter the 7 specific realms containing the Mystical Runekeys, including this one. Therefore VesTris must have left some clues for us to follow her trail." FeLinE:1000X answered.
"That's smart… But why didn't nyu do it considering that we took 5 out 7 Mystical Runekeys? Other Sentient Kemis were probably lost by now." Kita asked FeLinE.
"At first, FeLinE thought that FeLinE was the only Sentient Kemi who was trapped outside the Realm Sanctuary. We only knew the truth recently when Hideo told us, we already have 5 Mystical Runekeys at that point. Lastly, FeLinE isn't as smart as VesTris, she probably figured out the situation by herself despite the memory wipe." FeLinE:1000X said.
"After actively listening, I, therefore, conclude that VesTris is really an amazing Kemi," Hana commented.
"I also have a lot of questions, like what do you mean by other realms?" Scraz mentioned, evidently lost in the conversation.
"Take it easy, there's a lot to digest here. I'll answer your questions later," Raven replied.
"That settles it, let's start searching for clues!" Kita said.
166.
The plan is simple, find any sort of clue that could tell them where VesTris headed. If they can figure out which realm it is, then it will be a smooth sail for them onwards. FeLinE's Relic can immediately pinpoint the exact location of VesTris. That is of course only possible if VesTris truly possesses the missing Mystical Runekey.
Starting the investigation, the group checked every paper in the room while Raven answered Scraz's multiple queries. It gave them a handful of ideas about where VesTris could be, but most of the papers were just too far-fetched, like a wild hypothesis that is not even close to the truth. An example of this was Scraz's theory about the Sentient Kemis, believing they are Gods and Goddesses. They cannot blame him for the lack of knowledge, but it made the group doubt the credibility of the papers.
"So… Are we gonna take these notes seriously?" Kita whispered while Scraz and Raven were busy.
"Well… Even though these aren't accurate, still, props to him. Hypothesizing most of these by himself is hard. I cannot blame him for that, the whole region of Zenshin called FeLinE a Goddess before. In addition, Kemis in Nesuto even called us the Prophets of the Dragon. An image can really differ depending on the situation." Yuna explained.
"It looks funny for us because we know the truth, I'm sure it's different if we have his point of view. On that note, maybe we could still use some of the info here," Hana added.
"Hmmm… Fair point," Kita responded.
After scanning through the documents, Kita stumbles into a sketch containing some islands with different features. When the rest of the group checked what Kita saw, everyone was also perplexed. They asked Scraz about it and he said VesTris drew it, but he didn't know the meaning behind the sketch.
A few seconds later, something clicked for Scraz. Thanks to the group mentioning that there are other realms, Scraz finally realized what the drawing was. "That's it… this isn't just something that she randomly drew, it is a map towards her home!" He reckoned.
"Oh, now it makes sense! This nest-like drawing is Nesuto!" Kita mentioned as she pointed at the upper right corner of the map.
"These are indeed the 7 realms containing Mystical Runekey, but it still doesn't tell us where she is," Hana commented.
"Maybe from the upper right to lower left or vice versa?" Raven guessed.
"If that's the case, then Euchambersia should be in either the first or last of the drawing, but it's in the center," Yuna argued.
"So if we identify the realms from the upper right corner to lower left, the drawings are; Nesuto, Hachtile, BijouTerra, Blizshore, Euchambersia, Underworld, and then Noctambulist Land." Kita described the sequence on the map.
"Maybe it is just a random list to remind her where to go?" Scraz hypothesized.
"FeLinE doubts that this is just an ordinary list considering the amount of details on each island describing the realms. Knowing VesTris, there's probably something hidden in plain sight. We just need to decipher the meaning behind this drawing." FeLinE:1000X responded.
Aside from the sketch that VesTris drew, none of the papers gave them any substantial clue. It made the group wonder where else they could find more hints. With limited options at hand, the group considered going deeper into the labyrinth. Scraz warned them that the Pack might attack by the moment they knew the group's origin. Outsiders aren't welcome anymore due to the previous incident, especially if it is a Sentient Kemi. They must find a different way to investigate the place safely.
While they were trying to brainstorm for any idea, Raven and Yuna started a random chatter.
"I wonder how's those two right now," Raven said.
"Worried?" Yuna asked.
"Well, yes, are nyu not worried about them?" Raven responded.
"I am too, but Lulu and Darli can pull off unexpected feats. Remember, they were the ones who convinced Mathus in Hachtile." Yuna replied.
"Wait, Mathus is in Hachtile?" Hana questioned.
"Hai. Apparently, the Krakquad toyed him for 3 days straight, making Mathus swim for his life. He eventually ends up on the island where Hachtile is connected and then uses a Runekey to enter the realm. Mathus lives there now, though he is no longer the chaotic Kemi that we once knew. It was a long story and he helped us obtain the Mystical Runekey." FeLinE:1000X summarized the story.
"That sounds cruel, but I'm glad to know that Mathus changed for the better," Hana commented.
"Lulu and Darli are probably doing something mind-blowing right now, or they could also be just playing around. Either way, I'm sure they will be fine." Yuna mentioned.
"THAT'S IT! DARLI!" Kita suddenly said as she stood up, everyone was startled and confused.
"What's up with Darli?" Raven asked.
"SHE'S THE ANSWER TO OUR PROBLEM!" Kita excitedly answered.
"How? She's not here, and even if we try to get back to the island, I'm sure they are also not there right now." Yuna argued.
"Can nyu further elaborate?" Hana requested.
"We are not going to get Darli, we just need to be like Darli! She's wearing a Dragon theme clothing made by herself, maybe we can do it as well and pretend to be a Venomous Kemi. We just need some scales like Scraz!" Kita explained.
"That's actually a great idea, it could work," Yuna commented.
"How are we going to get those?" Raven questioned.
"Deskin some Venomous Kemi," FeLinE:1000X immediately answered.
"That's not a good idea." Hana rejected the suggestion.
"Children and innocent Kemis are exempted, just the bad ones," FeLinE:1000X said.
"That doesn't make it any better!" Hana reiterated her complaint. FeLinE's suggestions scared Scraz, making him rethink his safety with this group.
"FeLinE didn't mean what she said, I think…" Kita told Scraz.
"Aaa… We could gather some Beast Mimis' scales on the surface? It's almost similar to us, they might not tell the difference." Scraz nervously said.
"Fine, let's do his idea first, FeLinE's plan will be the alternative," FeLinE:1000X responded.
"Nice save, but nyu better prepare that list of bad Kemis." Kita said with a straight face, "NAH, I'M JUST MESSING WITH YOU!" She added while bursting out with laughter.
Scraz nervously chuckled as he opened the door. This gave him a cold-hearted impression of FeLinE, oddly fitting to her monotone voice. At this point, Scraz is convincing himself that the group won't do such a thing.
167.
With the lead of Scraz, the group went back to the surface once more. They'd been in the labyrinth for quite some time, it was already night when they resurfaced. Every night, the plants in Euchambersia stop moving since there's no sunlight for them to follow. The group may be safe from the plants, but it's the Venomous Beast Mimis' turn to roam around.
Just like what FeLinE said, traveling at night doesn't make any difference from daytime. The jungle is still somewhat bright due to; tons of Luminous Rocks scattered everywhere, some plants glow to trap their prey, and other Beast Mimis can do it as well. It was a rare sight for the group, eye catchy but extremely dangerous.
"This place is surely scary… Captivating but frightening…" Kita said.
"Yeah, it feels like the plants and Beast Mimis are watching us, and will jump out of nowhere," Raven added.
"As long as we stay careful, they won't attack us. The Beast Mimis here are also wary about the others, it is like a free-for-all setup. If they attack and end up being wounded, they'll be the next target. The weakest prey will always be in the eyes of the Beast Mimis. That's why they all prefer to set up traps for an easier catch." Scraz explained.
"Did we ever have any non-life-threatening realm adventure?" Hana suddenly asked.
"Ours in Hachtile wasn't that life-threatening, but it was for the fighters facing FeLinE," Yuna answered.
"It was still hard coz Mathus beat us to a pulp," Raven added.
"I think I prefer our avalanche escape than battling Mathus 1 on 1," Hana commented.
"I want to fight Mathus too," Kita said.
"FeLinE wants to fight nyu." FeLinE:1000X told Kita. The Catgirls laugh as the mood of the conversation quickly changes.
"I thought you were all scared earlier?" Scraz questioned.
"We often get sidetracked regardless of what we are doing, nyu'll get used to it," Yuna responded.
Collecting scales won't be that easy since not all Venomous Beast Mimis have scales. The same thing can be said with the Kemis in Euchambersia, they are either scaly or with vibrant colors. However, it is easier to have a scaly costume than trying to be naturally colorful.
A few minutes later, the group reached an empty nest. The owner is most likely hunting prey elsewhere. The group is hoping that it's either a scorpion or a snake's nest, and it looks like it's they are lucky this time.
"There are tiny scales here, and it's plenty. Probably snake's scales." Raven said.
"Great, stash them, and let's move to the next nest," Scraz instructed while on watch duty.
This has been the theme for the group tonight; sneak through the forest, search for empty nests, and then hope that there are scales. It may sound simple but it's much more complicated to execute, the traps are the ones that put them on guard at all times.
Plenty of hours passed, and the group managed to gather snake and scorpion scales though it was not yet enough for everyone. Later on, they found another empty nest in the depths of the jungle. It contains what they are looking for but something feels off. The group noticed a set of fish on the nest, not hidden, just straight out displayed.
"It's our lucky day! Let's take some of those back home," Kita suggested, referring to the fish.
"I never saw that type of fish, I think we should ask Scraz first. He could check if those fish are safe to consume and not poisonous." Yuna responded.
"Oy Scraz, come check this quick!" Raven called Scraz.
Out of curiosity, Scraz left his position and approached the group, "What's up?" He asked.
"Are those safe to consume?" Hana replied while pointing at the fish.
"Yes… But that's not the problem…" Scraz responded as he walked closer to the fish, "It's unusual for Beast Mimis to simply let their stock expose like this. It will certainly attract other Beasts to steal it." He added.
"Maybe they just forgot about it," Kita commented.
"They are smart enough to create traps but not store their food properly?" Hana questioned.
"Oh no… Everyone, move out!" Yuna instructed as she deciphered the setup. They all acted in haste but unfortunately, it was too late for them. Before they could even reach the exit, 3 Scaled Vipers appeared, blocking the exit.
"We should have realized that sooner…" Raven said as they all walked back.
"Anooo… What should we do?" Hana asked Scraz.
"Normally, this is the end of the road for Kemis here. That is why we rarely go to the surface…" Scraz answered while the Scaled Vipers crawled closer.
"I GOT AN IDEA! It's time for a new talent combination, I call this one the Cannon Launcher!" Kita proudly said.
"Whatever that is, hurry up because they are closing in," Hana replied as the Scaled Vipers closed the gap between them.
"Follow my lead! Yuna lift those Beast and pull them closer." Kita instructed.
"WHAT?" They all reacted in shock.
"Trust me, it's a vital step!" Kita replied, "Once it's near, push them away while Raven speeds them up!" She added.
"Oh, now it makes sense, using my talent alone can only lift something in a specific direction. Adding Raven's talent will generate enough momentum to throw it far." Yuna mentioned.
"I'm ready whenever you guys are!" Raven added.
With the combined talents of Yuna and Raven, the 3 Scaled Vipers were sent out flying away from the nest. Another skill combination was added to their kit, Cannon Launcher, Kita's 3rd combo creation.
"Cannon Launcher! WOOT WOOT!" Kita celebrated.
"That was impressive…" Scraz commented, still mindblown from what he just witnessed.
"That's just a normal day for Kita," Hana mentioned.
"Let's get out of here before other Beast Mimis block our path," Yuna said.
"Hai," they responded and headed outside.
"Wait, I'm taking the fish!" Kita replied as she trailed behind.
The group made it back to their base without any further problems. Scraz went to the center of the labyrinth to complete the missing equipment needed, while the rest of the group prepared the scales. Since Scraz is taking quite some time, the group used this free time to clean and organize the room. Surprisingly, the room has other passages leading to different rooms like the kitchen, storage room, and bathroom. It's good news for the Catgirls since they'll be stuck in this room for a while.
End of Chapter 6