Kim Hajun exhaled while staring straight up at the sky. He was on the side of a sheer cliff face, his hands and bare feet sticking to the surface like glue. The ground was far enough away that trees were mere green smudges and boulders were blotches of gray. Kim Hajun reached into the pouch on his waist and retrieved another vial of gecko juice before systematically smearing it on his hands and feet while remaining stuck to the cliff wall. Instead of placing the vial back in his bag, Kim Hajun tossed it to the side, letting it plummet to the ground. Concern about littering was non-existent in the tower. It had certain retrieval mechanisms to make sure stages remained operational despite the changes that occurred from someone passing through.

Kim Hajun grimaced as he increased his speed. When that unhinged fellow discovered the unique hidden piece, he had used five vials of gecko juice. As a precaution, Kim Hajun had brought an extra two with him, but he didn’t expect to be that much slower than the unhinged fellow when it came to climbing. There were only three vials of gecko juice left, and he was only halfway up the mountain. As for climbing down the mountain, well, that wouldn’t be an issue once he obtained the unique piece.

Something white flashed in Kim Hajun’s vision, and he lowered his head to get a better view. Unfortunately, whatever it was, it was moving because he couldn’t see it anymore. His brow furrowed as he looked around and underneath himself, doing his best to not stare at the ground to prevent his semi-existent fear of heights from acting up. Since he couldn’t spot the object that caused the white flash and there wasn’t much time to waste, Kim Hajun chalked up the image he had seen to his imagination.

***

Lindyss sat on a piece of fur with her eyes closed and her legs crossed, still inside the igloo Vur had created. Her right eyebrow raised despite her eye remaining closed, and a small smirk appeared on her face.

“What do you think she’s doing?” Tafel whispered to Vur.

“Isn’t she searching for the unique piece?” Vur asked back, not bothering to whisper in turn. He was sitting down on a piece of fur placed on the ground as well, but compared to Lindyss, there were a lot more creatures in his vicinity. Dozens of puppies were strewn about, lying on top of and around him. Beside him, Tafel was in a similar situation.

Tafel furrowed her brow and squinted to better observe Lindyss’ countenance. “Why would searching for something cause her to make such a … sinister expression?” Tafel asked and scratched her head. “Rather than searching, it’s more like she’s hunting.”

Vur shrugged. “Maybe the unique hidden piece is an animal,” he said. He glanced down at the puppy laying on his feet. “This hidden piece summons animals.” Vur turned his head towards Jeffery. “Where did you get it?”

A bitter smile appeared on Jeffery’s face. “I found the hidden piece in a forested region inside of a wolf den. Rather than calling it a hidden piece, it’d be more accurate to call it a reward for beating a small challenge.”

Tafel tilted her head. “So, theoretically, if I find that den, I can get another set of this kind of armor?”

“Yes,” Jeffery said and nodded. “But if someone already cleared it, then you won’t be able to get it until the forested region resets. As I’ve said before, there are many regions you can be transported to with all kinds of climates. I believe through hearsay and rumors that the tower rotates between these regions, sending people to certain areas while letting other areas recover. If you know anything about crop rotations…, well, it’s a similar concept.”

There was a rustling sound, causing Tafel to turn her head. Lindyss had opened her eyes and climbed to her feet. She raised an eyebrow at the members of the group who were sitting around and chatting. “If none of you are going to look for the unique hidden piece, why did you bother wagering anything?”

“I’m looking,” Vur said while sniffing a puppy’s head.

Tafel leaned over and gently took the puppy out of Vur’s hands. She took a quick glance at Vur’s lips, and as expected, the left corner was glistening. “We don’t eat puppies.”

“I know,” Vur said and nodded. “We should wait until they’re fully grown first.”

Tafel’s expression darkened. “We don’t eat dogs either.”

“Alright, well,” Lindyss said, slapping her hands against her thighs. “If you guys don’t mind, I’ll be heading out first. There’s a unique hidden piece with my name on it waiting for me.” A purple rune blossomed on her forehead, and translucent bat-like wings grew out of her back by her shoulder blades.

“Did one of your skeletons find something?” Tafel asked, climbing to her feet and chasing after Lindyss, who had left the igloo through the front door. However, the demon didn’t receive a response as Lindyss flew into the air, soaring away. Something brushed against Tafel’s shoulder, and she turned her head. “Vur? You’re going after her?”

Vur nodded. “Kax had a good idea,” he said. “I’ll follow Auntie, and if she finds it, I’ll fight her for it.”

“You’re really going to fight Auntie?” Tafel asked but spoke as if she were making a statement.

“I want the muffin, and Stella wants the puppies,” Vur said, his voice deepening as his body increased in size while blue scales grew out of his skin. He dropped to all fours as a tail grew out of his rump, his neck elongating. When the transformation was complete, Vur leapt into the air and pumped his wings, chasing after the cursed elf.

Tafel scratched her head. Should she follow them as well? If she did, did she have to fight Vur and Lindyss to get the unique hidden piece? This was supposed to be a scavenger hunt—something she’d have a chance at defeating Vur in—not a battle royale.

Meanwhile, in the igloo, Jeffery leaned over and whispered to Kax, “Did he just transform into a dragon?”

Kax shrugged. “Kax don’t know. Kax never saw dragon before.”