Chapter 7
168.
Realms in the Cosmos have their own level of difficulty, mainly because each one of those is designed to be the most suited place for a particular type. Despite the threat level in Euchambersia, it is by no means unhabitable. There are ways to safely live in this realm, and it's better to know it from the residents themselves. Something that the group aims to do without revealing their true identity.
Carrying a bag full of materials, Scraz entered the room and witnessed a different ambiance in the place. The papers were compiled in each category, and not only that, there's even an appetizing aroma coming from the kitchen. Since the Catgirls took charge of the premises, Yuna made her way to the kitchen to cook dinner. Good thing the stockroom has condiments for cooking, something that Scraz often used.
"This feels like a different room…" Scraz said, surprised by the makeover.
"Sorry for meddling around, we just figured that organizing the place can help us be more productive. Also, Yuna is already cooking dinner for us," Hana welcomed Scraz.
"FeLinE thinks that we don't need to be sorry, he should be thankful instead." FeLinE:1000X intervened while sweeping the floor.
"I am indeed grateful for cleaning things up," Scraz responded as he nervously chuckled.
"DINNER IS READY!" Kita shouted as they brought out the food from the kitchen.
The group enjoyed their meal, a reward for their hard work. After their dinner, the group goes straight back to work, sewing all the costumes needed for the disguise. Based on the resources that they collected, 3 of them need to dress up as Snake Kemis while the other 2 will be Scorpion Kemis. Both are hard to pull off since they also need to dress up their tails; scaly and flexible for Snake Kemis, while pointy and sharp for Scorpion Kemis.
Deciding what costume for each of them, the group picked according to their preference. Kita and Raven chose the Scorpion get-up while Hana, Yuna, and FeLinE selected the Snake. The clothing will be like a vest covered in scales, with matching tail disguises, which will help them blend with the residents of the realm.
Thanks to Aoi's previous sewing lessons, the group is doing well in creating their suits. Scraz warned them that the group must be keen on details because some of the Venemous Kemis were too observant, they might get caught if the costumes weren't accurate. After a couple of hours, the costumes are done. Scraz served as their reference, and surprisingly, they are almost similar in appearance, even Scraz couldn't tell the difference.
"These are amazing, I doubt the Pack will know the truth." Scraz complimented the group.
"Aside from the side stitches, it's almost perfect. We still couldn't pull that one off," Yuna mentioned.
"Aoi and Darli come in handy this time. Learning from other Kemis is truly a useful skill." Hana added.
"Let's go and be Venomous Kemi!" Kita energetically said.
"Hai!" The rest of the group responded.
For safety purposes, FeLinE finally agreed to leave her Relic in the room. It will be too hard for them to cover it up, it's best to hide it for now. With that, Kita held on to their first clue and they all headed straight to the depths of the labyrinth.
Moments later, they reached the place and it was stunning. Most of the Kemis in the area have vibrant hair colors, looking like it is glowing dimly. Their hair matched their scales, some still had some furs, while others had distinct colorful patterns on their skins. Venomous-type Kemis are truly colorful in nature.
The group thought the place would be quiet and independent like Hachtile, but the society here is warm and busy. Every Kemi has tasks to accomplish, mainly because this area is the intersection of every labyrinth in Euchambersia, and the Pack regulates the peace and order of the place. There are tons of stalls around too, offering different items for sale or trade.
"This place was unexpectedly huge, some of them are on the ceiling," Yuna commented.
"Those are Bat Kemis, they only go out at night," Scraz said.
"FeLinE detected numerous Kemis with the Relic earlier, now it makes sense," FeLinE:1000X added.
"Looks like everyone is working here. Wouldn't they be skeptical about us?" Raven asked.
"Not really, this area is called Innards, it is the main place that's why everyone here is busy. There are various labyrinths connected to this area, meaning, there are also other Venomous-type Kemis that came from distant lands. You can all just pretend to be from far away, visiting for the first time," Scraz answered.
In a short while, a Spidergirl Kemi wearing a brown robe dress approached them, "Oh, newcomers, quite an odd one if I may say… Are they your new friends?" She asked Scraz.
"Hai," Scraz answered shortly.
"FeLinE is a first-time visitor," FeLinE:1000X replied.
"I see… If you guys are interested, my shop is nearby." The Spidergirl said as she walked away.
"She has 4 Spider legs connected to her back. It would be cool if we could make those costumes instead," Kita said.
"Yeah, break some Spider's legs and then make it somewhat alive once we attach it. That is totally feasible." Hana sarcastically responded.
The observation had begun and their disguises were working just fine, no other Kemis paid attention to them. Seeing how well-built everything is in Innards made FeLinE have a stronger assumption, that it was VesTris who innovated the surroundings. Normally, Luminous Rocks need either daylight or a constant energy source, like the ones inside the dungeon in BijouTerra. In the Innards, Scraz explained that the Luminous Rocks glow alternately. The first row lightens the place from morning to noon, and then the second row under it will turn on from noon to morning. An energy receiver was placed outside connecting to the Luminous Rocks, allowing them to recharge simultaneously. The setup also informs the Kemis about the time outside the place. Indeed, an expert craftsmanship towards innovation.
After roaming around the place for a couple of hours, the group was heavily distracted by the tons of stalls in Innards. There are two modes of payment in Euchambersia; they use golden coins as their currency system, similar to Kemitopia, and they also do direct trades the same as in Riverania. Multiple shops offer free taste of their food, or free trials of their products, which definitely caught the group's attention. And as of now, their investigation led them nowhere.
169.
Getting sidetracked truly exhausted the group. For a short while, the group thought they were just in a busy market, like the mixture of the plaza in Kemitopia and Merch Tribe in Riverania, creating a nostalgic combination for the group. They did their best to examine the surroundings, but the vendors were just too inviting and persistent, it's their way of attracting customers after all. If the group had any golden coins with them, they would probably run out by now. Later on, they decided to take some rest on the bench side of the place.
"Something doesn't feel right…" Kita mentioned while they were resting on the bench. A moment of silence occurred as they slowly realized what they had just done.
"Ooooh… We messed up..." The Catgirls said.
"I thought what you were doing was part of the investigation, but it looks like you all got distracted. I should have stepped in earlier." Scraz responded.
"On a good note, we at least learned our lesson. Plus we also figured out that those stalls won't give us any clue." Raven said as she chuckled.
"From this point onwards, we must focus!" Kita declared.
"Nyu should keep an eye on her," Yuna whispered to Hana.
"I'll do my best," Hana whispered back.
Due to fatigue, the group called it a day and went back to the hidden base. Good thing the residents in the realm have mixtures of nocturnal and diurnal Kemis, meaning the shops open simultaneously, making Innards accessible at all times. Not to mention, they don't have to follow certain sleeping schedules, like what they did in the Noctambulist Land. There aren't that much of restrictions but their situation is still a dangerous one.
The following day rises and the group starts their day early. Bedtime wasn't a problem since the Catgirls had their own sleeping bags. However, it was hard for them to tell if it was already morning since the daylight doesn't stretch through the labyrinth, their wristwatches were the only thing that told them the exact time.
Before heading to Innards, the group maps out the place based on the landmarks that they remember. In this way, the group will have something to mark once they find a clue. Thanks to everyone's help, they finished it quickly, which means it's time to resume their quest.
Just like last night, the place is still busy, some stalls from last night are now closed while others are freshly opened. The first row of Luminous Rocks are the ones lighting the place, letting the second row charge for the nighttime.
"Innards is surely incredible, everything works on shifts," Raven mentioned.
"True, the shop of the Spidergirl from last night is closed, she probably worked the whole night," Yuna added.
"Remember, we must be productive this time, no more sidetracks." Scraz reminded the group.
"Haaaiiiii." They all responded.
Trying to focus on their mission, the group is thoroughly checking each corner of the Innards. From time to time, they also pretend to be customers so they won't be too suspicious to the Pack. It was effective at first, but that strategy backfired by the moment Kita went missing. It looks like she went somewhere, sneaking out from the group as usual.
"Wait a second," Hana suddenly said as she looked around, "Oh no… I lost track of Kita…" She added.
"Maybe we left her in the previous stall?" Raven replied.
"How did she do that? I didn't even notice her disappearance." Scraz questioned.
"That's Kita-101 for nyu, let's just revisit the places that we passed by," Yuna responded as she led the way.
The group began retracing their footsteps, looking for Kita. Their guess is Kita must be somewhere entertaining, something that will keep her attention glued. Scraz suggested some stalls that might fit the category, but upon checking, Kita isn't in any of those places. A few moments later, the crowd's noise nearby caught their curiosity, the group made their way toward it and saw Kita, who was probably the main reason behind the clamor.
"What kind of stall is this?" Raven asked.
"It's a gambling place. The one that Kita is playing is called the Number Match. You can bet from numbers 1 to 6, but only on a single number, no double betting, and then they will roll 3 dice. If a single die matches your bet, they will return your gold. If 2 dice are similar to your chosen number, they'll double your bet. And if all the dice match your bet, they'll triple your gold. Kemis either go home rich or empty-handed, which caused a lot of problems and fights. It's a problematic stall and Kita might be in danger." Scraz explained.
The Catgirls heavily sighed and responded, "Of course…" Giving Scraz the idea that this is a regular situation for the group. Because of that, they stepped in to stop Kita from creating further trouble.
"Oy Kita, come on, let's go now," Hana told Kita as they approached her.
"I can't, I'm in the middle of something, I could get a hundred and fifty gold!" Kita replied.
"WAIT, WHAT?" They all reacted in shock.
"How did you even enter the Grand Gamble, you don't even have any gold to participate?" Scraz questioned.
"A stranger gave me a golden coin and I started betting. Sometimes unlucky but I won a couple of times and managed to earn 50 golden coins. AND NOW I'LL BET EVERYTHING!" Kita proudly said.
"What's a Grand Gamble?" Hana responded.
"It's a gambling term that means a Kemi bet 50 golden coins above," Scraz replied.
"GAMBLE ROYAL, GAMBLE ROYAL!" The crowd started chanting.
"So… What's Gamble Royal then?" Raven also asked.
"It's another gambling term that encourages every bettor to do Grand Gamble. Once they do, the winners will receive an extra 10 golden coins regardless of the multiplier, but the losers will pay 10 more coins, it's like high-risk betting." Scraz explained.
"So it's a crowd pressure for them to bet 50 or above it, now I can see how things will get problematic later. Kita went all in, meaning she doesn't have any spare coins to pay for the extra charge if she loses." Raven mentioned.
"We're in big trouble if she loses…" Yuna added.
"GAMBLE ROYAL! GAMBLE ROYAL!" Kita joined the chant.
"And it looks like she doesn't care about it at all," Hana commented.
"Sell Kita to them if she loses," FeLinE:1000X suggested.
170.
Currently in a tight situation, Kita must win the bet even if it is just a single-die match. There are 10 Kemis betting 50-100 golden coins from numbers 1-6, meaning all numbers have bets. It's pretty much guaranteed that there will be a winner and a loser. In this type of game, the host is the true winner most of the time. The chances of the bettors are pretty much slim due to the no double-betting policy. However, it will definitely be worth it for the victors, especially during the Gamble Royal.
Kita bet 50 golden coins on number 6, which is historically the least rolled number in the stall. Others clearly know about that, but Kita doesn't. The situation gave other Kemis the impression that Kita was either new to the place or just an odd one. And finally, the moment that everyone was waiting for has begun. The dice were rolled and everyone was exhilarated, anticipating what number would show up this time. The first dice landed on number 4, while the second and the third dice stopped rolling as they showed 6. The adrenaline kicked in as Kita won the 2x multiplier, generating a hundred plus ten bonus golden coins. It was indeed a celebration for the group. Kita was planning to participate in another bet but the rest of the group immediately pulled her out of the stall before she loses everything.
"Why are we walking away? I can win 200 golden coins next bet!" Kita complained while Hana kept dragging her away from the stall.
"In gambling, you often get lucky from the start, and when you get hooked by it, it will lead you to lose everything later on. It's good to quit early while luck is still in your favor." Scraz mentioned.
"And most importantly, that's not our mission," Yuna added.
"Well… We can just consider it as a side quest since we can use these golden coins to buy food or other resources! We'll be staying for a while here, it's good to have a budget, right?" Kita reasoned out.
"She does have a point, we cannot just fully rely on Scraz financially," Raven responded.
"Okay, we have enough golden coins for a couple of days, no more side quests for now," Hana said.
"FeLinE will keep an eye on Kita this time," FeLinE:1000X replied as Kita chuckled.
Finding Kita surely took a lot of their time. Luckily for them, there are a lot of street resto and food stalls in Innards, saving their time in preparing meals and buying those instead. The group occupies a table in the most famous street resto in the place, it's Kita's treat after all. While enjoying their meal, a Spidergirl approached them. Height around 5'5, has tan skin, bright short yellow hair, is slim with wide hips, and 4 spider legs connected to her back. The group didn't recognize her since she was only wearing a tank top and shorts, not her work attire, but she was the Spidergirl from the previous night.
"Oh, the newcomers are here." The Spidergirl said.
"Newcomers? Wait, were nyu the Spidergirl last night?" Yuna asked.
"Hai, I just woke up and started to wander around for a bit, maybe eat something first before going to work. By the way, I'm Teni, mind if I join you?" Teni answered.
"Sure sure, my treat! Though I must say, I barely recognize nyu without your dress. Nyu do have quite a stunning figure!" Kita replied.
Teni chuckled and said, "I get that a lot. Anyway, how's the Innards?"
"They are enjoying their time here, though they are just visiting and will only stay for a few days," Scraz answered. He is getting a little skeptical about Teni's intentions, whether the situation is just a coincidence or Teni is on to their tails.
"I see, if there's anything you guys want to know, feel free to ask me, I know a lot of things in this place," Teni said. The Catgirls acknowledged her offer as they happily feasted.
Eventually, Teni thanked the group and made her way towards her shop while the rest of them went back to their mission. The group needs to pick up the pace before VesTris moves to another realm. Countless hours once again passed by but the group couldn't find any further clue. The lower row of Luminous Rocks lit up, indicating that half of the day was already done. Everyone is in full focus now, no amount of distractions can alter their mission, they even decided to split up to cover more area. But despite doing so, the result stayed the same.
The group is starting to speculate a lot of guesses; maybe the clues are in different labyrinths, or there aren't further hints. Clearly, the puzzle that they are solving is too tricky for them. Frustrated by the situation, the group once again sat down on the bench area.
"This is leading us nooooowheeeere," Kita complained.
"It's really hard to find something we don't know. We are just blindly scanning the place, hoping to gain any small amount of hint or some sort." Raven mentioned.
"FeLinE is also running out of ideas," FeLinE:1000X added.
"Is this only the place that she innovated? No other places?" Yuna asked Scraz.
"As far as I know, yes," Scraz answered.
"Maybe she left the hints at the shrine holding the Mystical Runekey?" Hana guessed.
"FeLinE doubts that. In every realm journey we had, we visited or at least passed by the nearest civilization in that realm. That gave us information regarding the settings of the place, telling us the rules to follow which were commonly related to Mystical Runekeys. The Noctambulist Land and Hachtile are the best examples of it. Every other Sentient Kemi is aware of this rationale, therefore putting the message in the place a Sentient Kemi will first visit saves a lot of time." FeLinE:1000X argued.
"That makes sense… VesTris really did her best to hide it from everyone's sight. If a normal Kemi couldn't see it, maybe only the Sentient Kemis can?" Yuna hypothesized.
"Why? What makes a Sentient Kemi different from every other Kemi?" Kita questioned.
The Catgirls paused for a while and after a few seconds, they all suddenly said, "THE RELIC!"
"But how are we gonna sneak it here?" Scraz questioned.
"Allow me to help~" An unknown voice answered Scraz. When the group turned their back, they saw Teni who's been listening to them the whole time.
End of Chapter 7