Kit served food to the solemn group and then sat down to eat his own meal. Cadbury had been updating everyone on his theory that the next floor would be challenging, while also discussing the water sources they had encountered at each rest stop. After Cadbury finished, Grandpa chimed in with his thoughts. "I agree with you, Cadbury. The presence of this type of water in the dungeon suggests that the treasure room may not be easy to reach."

Mars posed a question, "Do you think we'll even make it to the treasure room?"

Grandpa chewed on his lip thoughtfully before responding, "It's hard to say. Depends on if we have to fight our way through." As he spoke, Grandpa plucked a strand of hair off his pants and went to blow it away, but suddenly froze. "Hey Kit, does this look like Snowball's fur to you?"

Immediately, Kit's heart raced as he rushed over on hands and knees to get a closer look at the hair. It was a shiny black strand with a white tip firmly pinched between Grandpa's fingers.

Kit's hands trembled as he gingerly took hold of the delicate strand. The smooth, silky texture was just like Snowball's soft fur. Kit couldn't be certain if it was truly Snowball's hair, but he had a strong feeling in his heart that it was. They hadn't encountered any creatures with such fine fur in the dungeon thus far.

Twix joined Kit and crouched down next to him, his hands emitting a faint glow. A tiny tendril of light extended towards the hair in Kit's hand. "That's Snowball!" exclaimed Twix.

Snickers looked confused as she examined the black hair. "How did that little fluff ball end up so deep in the dungeon?"

Lenard chimed in. "Even more puzzling is how he managed to get here without a map,"

Mars started to chuckle as the sight of the strand of fur. "Snowball is a treasure hunter; he should have been able to sniff out the treasure easily."

As the others chatted, Kit's focus was entirely on the tiny hair he held in his hand. Joy bubbled up inside him, bringing tears to his eyes. He was one step closer to finding his beloved Snowball!

Kit had tried not to think about Snowball's absence, but now that they were getting close to finding him, it was hard not to feel overwhelmed. "Hang in there, buddy. I'll find you soon," Kit whispered to the hair.

With determination, Kit sat up straight and declared, "Let's keep going. We won't find Snowball if we don't get through these caverns." He went over to his camping kitchen and began packing it up. The others silently followed suit, taking down their camp and preparing to continue their search for Snowball.

After everything was packed up, the group made their way to the top of the waterfall where the teleportation stone awaited. In a sudden burst of light, they found themselves in a new cavern. This time, instead of appearing on level ground, they were transported to a cliff overlooking the cavern floor.

Kit's legs buckled beneath him, sending him tumbling to the ground in a heap. As he looked down, his eyes widened in astonishment at the captivating sight below. The cavern was a vibrant mix of colours; lush red plants covered every inch of the ground and a gentle stream of crimson flowed through the centre of the room.

But it was the massive glowing creatures scattered throughout the space that caused Kit's sudden weakness to become clear. "Fuck!" Mars exclaimed in alarm as they both realized what they were facing. "They're spiritual beasts!"

The air was thick with their powerful energy, radiating an otherworldly aura that sent shivers down Kit's spine.

The towering beasts resembled elephants, with their massive bodies and powerful legs, but they were unlike any Kit had ever seen. Instead of the typical long, floppy ears, these creatures had pointed ones that twitched restlessly. And where smooth tusks should have been, Kit could see sharp, jagged edges glinting in the dim light. As if to demonstrate their might, two of the creatures suddenly charged at each other, their speed rivalling a car hurtling down a freeway. The ground rumbled beneath Kit's feet as they neared each other with terrifying velocity.

With a deafening boom, the two collided in a cloud of dust and dirt. Kit could feel the vibrations from the impact shake the entire cavern, causing his heart to jump in fear. He couldn't help but worry that the walls would crumble around them if these creatures continued to fight.

But just as Kit was about to resign himself to their impending doom, one of the elephants turned tail and fled into the darkness. The other one paid it no mind and instead turned its attention to a nearby patch of red plants. Cadbury let out a sigh of relief. "I don't think we stand a chance against even one of those things," he assessed with a shudder.

Snickers raised a delicate finger and gestured towards the opposite side of the room. "We can find safety in the tunnels if we make it there. The creatures are too large to fit through the entrance." She scanned the cavern with a calculating gaze. "The river runs alongside the cluster of tunnels, so if we can float down it, perhaps we can pass by the creatures without provoking them." Snickers turned to Kit and asked, "Which tunnel should we take?"

Kit took out the map and scanned the floor layout. Dread washed over him as he realized how many rooms they would have to navigate through before reaching the final safe area.

There were fourteen rooms in total, all standing between them and safety. The rest of the group gathered around the map while Kit stood frozen, his eyes fixed on it. "The difficulty just skyrocketed," Cadbury muttered, his expression grim. Kit could sense that he didn't want to admit this challenge might be too much for them.

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Mars clapped a hand on Kit's shoulder. "Don't stress, Kit. Even if we don't make it to the treasure room, you'll still have plenty of money from selling those stones." Mars left out the part about the money being enough for him to keep playing CAL, but Kit understood what he meant.

"I agree with you, Mars," Kit nodded, "those stones must be rare and valuable. But we can't give up yet. Snowball is somewhere in this place, and if I know him, he's probably already headed for the treasure room." Kit's words hung heavily in the air as he turned to face the group once again. "From here on out, it'll just be me, Peaches, and Mars."

Immediately, Snickers objected. "No way, Kit! We're not leaving you alone in this dangerous situation. Plus, we all miss Snowball."

But before Kit could refuse any further, Grandpa gently grabbed Snickers' shoulder. "I hate to say it, but I have to agree with Kit this time. It's too risky for the rest of us. Remember what you promised before we entered? You would happily let Kit die; I think that was your exact words.” Chuckled Grandpa. “Well, now is the time to stick to that promise."

Snickers' mouth opened and closed, then she let out a resigned sigh. "Alright..." She turned her hardened gaze back to Kit. "Just don't do anything reckless and make sure you bring Snowball home safe." Snickers huffed before turning away, but quickly spun back around to point a finger at Kit. "And no disappearing acts!"

"I promise!" Kit blurted out hurriedly.

Snickers seemed to relax after receiving his assurance, and the rest of the group began saying their goodbyes. "Be sure to tell us all about your journey when you return," Dove smiled warmly.

Kit beamed, "Of course we will." As the farewell exchanges came to a close, Kit's expression turned into a frown. "Wait... How will you all get back?"

Cadbury burst out laughing at Kit's question and gestured behind them. There were several teleportation stones etched into the ground. "Didn't you notice that each floor's first cavern had a set of these stones?" Kit shook his head; he was too focused on what was ahead of them on each level. "We just have to go back to the safe room and pick a flower."

Kit made an understanding noise, recalling the notification about being teleported out of the dungeon when picking a flower. He watched as the others gathered on the stones and disappeared.

With only the three of them remaining, they returned to studying the map. "We should carefully inspect each tunnel and commit them to memory," Mars suggested. "That way, in case we have to make a quick escape, we'll know which entrance to take."

Kit nodded in agreement; without the map, it would be easy for them to get lost. He turned to Peaches and asked for his opinion, but he shook his head. "Actually, can I suggest something else?" he interjected. "Of course," Mars replied calmly.

Peaches traced the winding path of the river inside their current cavern, counting the twenty-eight rooms they would have to pass through before reaching the safe room located at the end. "It's a long shot, but if we stay hidden in this river, we can make it all the way without being detected," Peaches suggested.

Mars chuckled and praised, "You're a genius, Peaches!"

"But how do we hide in the water?" Kit agreed with the plan, but they couldn't ignore the issue of their exposed heads.

Mars let out another chuckle and gestured towards the bottom of the cliff, "We could hide under those big red leaves." The leaves looked just big enough to provide cover. "The only problem is if there's some deadly creature lurking in the water."

All three sets of eyes gazed down at the red water below. "But we won't know until we try," Mars exclaimed with excitement.

"Well, we'll either survive or die trying, so count me in," Kit replied.

Peaches grinned, "I'm game too. But how do we get down there?"

Mars turned his head to the left, "Easy, there are some stairs over there."

Kit bravely turned his head to face the steep set of stairs that had been carved into the cliff. They had to make it down without attracting any attention. Kit carefully stowed away the map and approached the top of the staircase. Taking a deep breath, he began his descent.

His heart raced as he finally reached the bottom. Pressing his back against the sturdy rock wall, Kit cautiously made his way to the water's edge. Along the way, he picked up a vibrant red leaf. Once they safely reached the shore, Kit took off his shoes. "What are you doing?" Peaches whispered nervously.

“I don’t want to be weighed down. I’ll just swim in my underwear.” Kit continued to strip as he spoke, and soon Mars and Peaches followed suit. The three of them slipped into the surprisingly warm water like eels.

As soon as Kit released his grip on the embankment, the current swept him away at a rapid pace. He held a leaf above his head to conceal his body as he floated with the current.

For the first few minutes, Kit's heart raced with fear that something would drag him under, or they would be caught. But Peaches' plan was working, and they were able to move quickly through the chambers.

Each time they entered a new cavern, they passed through a small tunnel, making it easy for Kit to count the number of rooms they had travelled through. When they reached the final room, Kit positioned himself near the edge of the river, ready to climb out.

As they approached another set of tunnels, Kit grabbed onto the embankment to slow down. Beside him, Mars and Peaches did the same. Once they were directly in front of the tunnels, Kit pulled himself out of the water.

His legs were exhausted from constantly paddling and he had to crawl to reach the entrance of the tunnel. Thankfully, it wasn't too far away. As he made his way inside, Kit finally allowed himself to rest. Shivers shook his body as cool air hit his wet skin.

Kit hurriedly changed into dry clothes and felt a surge of excitement at their success. "I can't believe that worked!" he exclaimed with a goofy smile. Throughout their journey in the water, he had been tense but now elation took over.

“Haha, I agree. That was our best time yet for clearing a floor. Now, let's see what's in the last room,” Mars said with a muffled voice as he pulled a jumper over his head.

"Can we take a longer break? My legs feel like they're made of jelly," Peaches replied, leaning against the wall with exhaustion written all over her face.

Mars started shaking his head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea, anything could follow us into this tunnel because we did not clear out the room beforehand. So instead of possibly attracting attention, we should push forwards.”

Peaches let out a sigh as he cracked open one of the water bottles that Kit had given him before they left the safety area. Seeing Peaches drink, Kit decided to do the same. They were heading into an unknown area, and it was best to be prepared.

Mars observed his companions drinking and pulled out a bottle of his own. "Cheers!" He downed his drink quickly, leaving only a wide grin on his face. "I have a feeling this next room is going to be exciting." The maniacal glint had returned to Mars' eyes.

Kit knew from experience that nothing good ever came from that look.