(Zhenya POV)

Dodging the giant's sloppy blows by zipping in between the trees, we tried our damndest to acclimate ourselves. Each strike was strong enough that if Fredrica tried to block one, it would probably result in her arm getting blown clean off.

“MEAT!”

The depressed titan was dead set on making us its next binge-able snack. Forming its, now that I had better look, metal arm into a fork. The beast let loose a guttural growl thrusting its arm trident at us, skewering any unfortunate tree in its path in triplicate.

With such a massive wind-up all Fredrica and I had to do was take a few steps to the side and duck into the woods to dodge the attack.

So that’s been our lives for the past few minutes. Playing keep away from an emotionally fragile giant who could, quite awesomely transform its arm into various weapons, mostly eating utensils.

Now that I think about it, we never got an official statement from the A.A as to what this dungeon was about. Yeah, there is all this paper and the library but, the main enemies we’ve fought so far have all been gluttonous in nature.

A sudden strike from the giant’s rolling pin arm shocked me out of that train of thought. “Hey, Fredrica you ready?” I shout, the only way we were going to escape this mess was if we wounded it enough.

This should be easy enough with our opponent not really being all there in the head, but still the thought of getting hit...

Full force ahead at the raging giant zipping in and out, I slash at the monster’s thick skin. Most blows simply slid off but, some managed to cause slight tearing of the skin. Fredrica bashed the edge of her shield into the giant’s pelvis, leaving a tiny dent, which bounced back in a couple of seconds later.

I doubt this thing even felt our blows. Enraged at the cruel world that refused it meat, the giant transformed its arm into a butchers knife. Stomping the grass and bushes back into the dirt while throwing a tantrum, he took wide swings bisecting anything in his path.

I ducked underneath deaths knife but Fredrica-, Fredrica, the crazy bastard parried the death sentence. Putting her whole body behind her shield like it was a bash, she flicked the knife upwards at the moment of impact, no maybe even before that.

With the giant cleaver sent flying for parts unknown, its left flank was completely exposed...

Without even wincing, the one-eyed giant stared down to find me firmly gripping onto my sword, plunged hilt deep into his side, trying to pull it out. Haaaah, I should have expected this.

“Craaaaaaaap!” I shouted, holding on for dear life as the giant violently tried to shake me off.

His Beefy fingers brushed over my body numerous times, trying clumsily to claw me off. Luckily I was in an awkward position to reach, but I don’t know how much longer I can hold on, this guy’s really going wild!

“YOU DUMB ASS!” Surging forth, Fredrica stretched a hand out to catch me.

It happened in an instant, time slowed to a crawl. There were too many things going on, Fredrica running to catch me, the giants arm swinging for a backhand. And most haunting of all, the one that caused this time-lapse of mine. A twinkle of intelligence returning to the giants mono-eye.

“Get back!” I belted at Fredrica. Though it was likely too late, or rather it was on time but misplaced. My warning only served to reinforce what she already realized, turning back she narrowly dodged the backswing, losing a slice of armor in the process.

But that wasn’t the end, the first swipe was merely a diversion. Hiding in the shadow of his cleaver the real blow came in the form of his right hand. In one clean powerful twist of his waist, the giant successfully windmilled a blow into Fredrica.

Luckily it wasn’t a direct blow, more of a glancing one thanks to her quick reflexes. But still, it sent Fredrica flying into a nearby tree. At the same time, that sudden full force swing from his surprise attack caused my sword to dislodge itself from his flank, sending me skidding across the grass.

Crap, crap. “Fredrica you okay?!” No answer, only a thumbs up.

Good, she’s still conscious. Bad because-

“MEAT!” The thing screams out again. Yeah, because of the encroaching giant.

It’s oppressive just how much deadlier the giant has become, now that a modicum of intelligence has returned to it. Flipping between tactical feints and howling for meat like a mad beast.

Meat... meat. MEAT! That’s right meat!

“Hey, bastard!.... Uhmmm, here’s meat to your face.” Nope, nope. Wish I never said that.

Swiftly snatching a handful of jerky from my rucksack, I lob it at the beast. Landing right in its grasp, what little intelligence the giant had regained was once again drowned underneath his hungering desire.

While the ravenous fiend busied itself stuffing its gullet with all the jerky, I brought for today's adventure. I stroll up to Fredrica and help her up. “Good?”

“Hell no. But fortunately.” She unsteadily pulls out a potion from her chest plate.

(Curator POV)

Causing general mayhem for the first-floor adventurers, our fliers were letting their inner kleptomaniac run rampant. It was the fairies, boggarts, and believe it or not the bog beasts on the racing council that pushed for this portion of the race.

This section was pretty simple. Racers were given a note before they got to the starting line with what item to nick off an unsuspecting adventurer. There was some debate over which item should be targeted, it had to be something adventurers carried regularly and had to be small enough that something as tiny as a fairy could lift.

So about an hour and a half later, ending with a fairly convincing point from a particularly lively bog beast. It was decided that the item in question would be a potion.

In a flurry of kleptomania only rivaled by Robin Hood, the racers made our visitors lives a hell. Screams of profanity were heard far and wide as the potions were stolen. Some right out of people’s hands before they could down it. Others off the satchels of individuals who thought they were being smart by having it easily accessible. Or they simply nicked a bottle off the ground.

Well inflicting whatever flavor of chaos they preferred, by the end of it all, only a good twenty-five or so contestants remained. What happened to the others?

The answer to that would be adventurers getting privy to our plans mostly, while others simply relished in the chaos.

Though one thing did catch my eye, a few riders leading the pack unencumbered by a bottle, descending back down to the second floor.

(Zhenya POV)

Before Fredrica could even pop the cork off her potion. A flash of something passes in front of her, with a *fwish* it vanishes from her grasp. Then came the familiar laughter.

“Damn bugs,” Fredrica muttered in spite, spitting out some blood. “Cover me..”

While I keep an eye out for any unwanted thieves, Fredrica downs the other potion she bought. Her body glows an iridescent red for a couple of minutes, slowly healing her wounds before dissipating. “Alright, let’s get this show on the road.”

She got up cracking various parts of her body.

Potion, hunger. This might work. Yeah, this can definitely work.

“Hey Fredrica, you got any jerky I can borrow?” Without a question, she throws me a piece. “Thanks.”

Uncorking the potion bottle, I proceed to slam the slice of jerky down its throat.

As the giant finished scarfing down the last bits of floor jerky, it went right back to rampaging at us. Okay, steady hand now. With its jaw this wide open and its eye on the prize, this should be easy.

Pulling back my arm, I lineup my shot and. *Fwish* fuck!

Jumping out of the way of its charge, I immediately spot the bastard that stole my potion. Gingerly soaring through the skies, encumbered by a boatload of strange knick-knacks was a bird carrying a tiny person.

Huh, so Fredrica wasn’t exaggerating when she was calling them bugs.

The giant, smelling something similar to the succulent meal it gobbled down earlier turned its attention upwards. Morphing its arm into a series of what can only be described as tentacles tipped with various cooking utensils.

(Curator POV)

There are just all sorts of unexpected things happening in this race, ain’t that the truth. The final stretch was supposed to be just that, a long stretch, a final mad dash to the finish line. But now it was probably the most hazardous obstacle course in the whole Prix.

Mono-eye, the dokkaebi was running amok wrecking house. Incensed by the smell of meat, he’s gone completely feral lashing out at the racers who were playing hot potato with the bait potion. Back and forth, the thing flew sometimes flung by magic, other times air-dropped on to each other with some impressive maneuvering.

As the potion was passed, so to was mono-eye’s wrath, transforming his arm into something unimaginable, he whipped his newly formed appendages with impeccable accuracy.

Poor mono-eye, he was so excited about the Grand Prix that he cut down on consumption, somehow slimming down enough to ride on First Floor Guardian. It wasn’t perfect, but hey it worked and, they ended up finishing about somewhere in the middle of the pack.

And hey everyone got a good giggle watching that cyclops of a dokkaebi riding on a backward-facing werewolf that was propelling itself forward on breath strength alone.

Well in any case, after being told he couldn’t participate in the aerial race all that pent up hunger just hit him all at once sending him into an eating frenzy. Honestly, I thought it would be fine to just leave him be. But I guess being a one eye Dokkaebi, who are known for their insatiable appetite, it’s a wonder he lasted this long, to begin with.

It does make me chuckle that he still somehow found a way to participate in the aerial race. Though, I doubt he will remember it once his brain starts working again.

Oh!

Between the passing bottle and lashing tentacles, an inconspicuous little rock somehow hit one of the racers. The chain was snapped, sending the bottle tumbling down right into Mono-eye’s mouth.

I always wondered what would happen if one of our own consumed a potion. But it seemingly reacted like how you would expect it to. Mono-eye’s wounds started healing up but then...

(Zhenya POV)

The giant’s body started to wilt away page by page as it clawed at its surroundings, desperately consuming anything in reach. “What the...” Fredrica involuntarily let slip observing the strange sight.

“Remember the potions I bought from Rudi, and remember when we were talking about side effects.” I point to the disintegrating giant to illustrate my point. “It’s a potion that heals you near instantaneously but, it also makes you really hungry afterwards anditmightstarveyoutodeath. I don’t get the alchemical mumbo jumbo behind it, you should ask Rudi for that.

Fredrica opens her mouth incredulously, most likely to scold me for buying, let alone actually using such a wonky product. But closes it as there are more important matters at hand, that and the fact it just saved our butts, so she can’t really complain.

I’m probably still going to get an earful from her once we surface.

Flailing our weapons around like lunatics bombarding the titan with everything we had, throwing blow after blow at it, ignoring our bodies pleas for rest. Shearing away at its tree-like body dense with libraries worth of paper.

Time was against us as loose pieces of paper gently floated in to repair it, with some sticking but, a majority simply peeled off once landing. The potions sapping side effects were still holding, but for how much longer?

Not taking our assault lying down, the giant fought for its survival. Desperately trying to extend its life a bit longer, by gorging itself on anything it could get its mitts on. Only occasionally stopping to try its luck at grabbing us.

But in the end, weakened from a previous famine (for some reason). Compounded alongside the potion and our manic efforts. The giant’s body wilted away like a flower, dispersing paper into the wind leaving us to collect what we could.

Before we even had a chance to catch our breath, the golden moon rippled alongside an eldritch howl even louder than the last. That was it the final straw. Fredrica and I took it as a signal for us to leave. Today just wasn’t our day, we ran into a powerful foe right from the get-go and wasted our supplies.

(Curator POV)

Seeing the racers approaching the finish line, the crowd roared in anticipation. They’ve been through the gutter, and back no way were they going to let some else win. Neck and neck, the racers went with each one passing another, never letting up.

And then it happened the crossing of the finish line. The winner was a fairy with quite masculine features, at least for fairy standards.

Standing tall on his mount with Fredrica's potion by his side, he addressed the cheering crowd. From the healthy tan of his skin, I could tell this fairy was from the first floor.

“Thank you, thank you”

There was a haughty tone to his voice, but his intentions were pure. “This one had not a name until now. But with this victory, I mark my own existence. From henceforth, you may call me Alberich.

And Right here! Right now! Standing on top of the world (Dungeon), a victor above all. Following the path of love, declare my quest to find the one, someone to call my one and only. One to call beloved.”