At Kit's words, two of the midnight guardians stepped aside to reveal a plump, fluffy ball. Kit's eyes widened in shock, "What happened to him?" Snowball's legs were barely visible under his round belly.

Bai yue let out a sigh, "He is a glutton! That's what happened. He ate himself into a coma." Kit walked over to the small dog and wanted to pick him up for some cuddles, despite his condition. But one of the midnight guardians held onto his wet sleeve, signalling for him not to disturb Snowball.

"It's best not to disturb him, friend Kit. He needs time to digest everything he devoured," Bai yue stated.

Kit helplessly looked at his companion. Finally finding him after all this time and not being able to give him a hug was frustrating. He settled for patting Snowball's soft fur as he sat down next to him.

As he petted Snowball, Kit introduced Zart to the group and then turned to Bai yue with questions. "How did you guys end up in this room?"

Bai yue rolled his eyes. "The usual way. Snowball charmed his way through and promised one of those spiritual beasts that he could live with us."

When Snowball woke up, he was going to have a serious talk about bringing home creatures. This was getting out of control. Kit rubbed his temples in frustration when Peaches cleared his throat loudly.

"Kit, wasn't there supposed to be treasure in this room?" Peaches asked.

"What?" Kit looked over at the open chests scattered around the room, covered in a fine layer of dust.

He finally tore himself away from Snowball and hurried over to the closest chest. It was empty. He checked every box in the room, but they were all empty or filled with dust. He turned back to Snowball, feeling a mix of annoyance and amusement. "Bai yue...did Snowball eat everything in this room?"

"Yes, friend Kit. That's why I called him a glutton," Bai yue confirmed with a chuckle.

A crazed laugh escaped Kit's lips. No wonder Snowball couldn't move. He had eaten all the treasure! Kit tried to console himself by reminding himself that they had already gathered enough gems from the first two floors.

But then Peaches interrupted him, pointing to Zart who was sitting next to a skeleton propped up against the wall. Kit could feel the sadness radiating from the werewolf.

He walked over to Zart and asked softly, "Did you know this person?"

The large werewolf gave a slight nod. Kit looked at the body, realizing that it had been here for a long time judging by its state of decomposition. The only thing untouched by time was a shiny sword at its side.

"Would you like us to take him with us when we leave so you can bury him somewhere more suitable?" Kit asked respectfully.

Zart turned sorrowful eyes towards Kit, tears pooling and dripping down his fur. Kit's heart went out to him and he received a small nod as an answer.

"Okay, I'll see if there is anything we can use to transport your friend," Kit said quietly before leaving Zart to mourn. He searched the room but found nothing except for empty boxes and dusty corners.

Kit pondered for a moment, then a thought came to him. He searched through his pouch and retrieved a blanket to wrap around the remains.

Kit approached the dead body, holding a blanket in his hand. He hesitated, unsure of how he was supposed to wrap the corpse without it falling apart. He dreaded having to do this task, but he couldn't leave it to the werewolf who was in mourning.

Even if the werewolf had been in human form, Kit doubted he would have been able to handle the gruesome task on his own.

As Kit pondered a plan for the body, a noise at the entrance caught his attention. A group of people dressed in armour similar to Kai's entered the room. Their gazes quickly swept over everyone present and landed on Zart.

Kit's gut twisted as one of them pulled out a spherical object from his pocket and declared, "We've finally found you, shifter!" The man began chanting and strands of web-like material started to emerge from the orb.

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Zart was too consumed with staring at the corpse to notice what was happening. Kit's legs moved on their own as he stepped in front of Zart and yelled, "Stop!"

The man didn't stop chanting, but one of his companions spoke up. "You need to move; this creature is dangerous. We've been tasked with capturing him." His tone brooked no argument.

Kit shook his head vigorously and stated firmly, "He saved my life twice. He's not a threat; he's not the shifter you're looking for." With all his heart, Kit believed that Zart was not the vicious, cunning shapeshifter they were after.

The man brandished a sword and warned, "If you don't move, we'll take you down as well."

Kit nudged Zart with his foot urgently and whispered, "Zart, you need to go. I'll take care of your friend; I promise."

Finally snapping out of his daze, Zart realized there were intruders in the room. His golden eyes flashed, and a low growl escaped his lips, revealing his sharp, glistening teeth. He lunged at the group, swiping and knocking them over as he bolted out of the door.

"Shit, hurry and follow!" One man stopped to turn back to Kit. "Stay here; we'll need to question you!"

As soon as they were gone, Kit declared, "We're leaving too. It's not safe here anymore." He didn't trust this new group like he trusted Kai.

He would have to find a way to contact Kai and let him know that Zart was not the creature they were searching for. For starters, Zart was not a mindless killing machine, and he didn't even fit the description of the shapeshifting creature that Kai had given him.

It was becoming clear why they hadn't been able to capture it yet - because the people looking for it were incompetent fools!

With a sigh, Kit walked over to the corpse and covered it with the blanket. Carefully and efficiently, he wrapped up the bones and tucked them into his pouch.

Next, he turned his attention to Snowball. Using another blanket, Kit made a sling and placed obese Snowball inside before picking up his makeshift pet carrier.

Kit felt the weight of Snowball's body against his shoulders as he carried the overweight dog. "How much did you eat to get this fat, Snowball?" Kit joked, knowing that the dog couldn't answer. As he walked out of the room and through the water, Kit made sure to keep Snowball safe from drowning.

Once they were out of the water, Kit changed into dry clothes quickly. He didn't want to risk freezing in the dungeon. He added extra layers, including a thick coat and hat, before giving a command. "Alright everyone, pick a flower!"

Kit grabbed one flower with each hand, placing one in his pouch on top of Snowball and holding onto the other. As he watched in fascination, his body began to disappear.

Ding!

[Leaving Black winged fire bird dungeon]

Teleportation in 10 seconds.

As the 10 seconds ticked by, Kit's vision went dark. When it returned, he found himself outside the entrance to the dungeon, with a hint of dawn peering through the cloudy sky. Surprisingly, the crevice that had closed on their entry was now open again. "Does the entrance close once you're inside?" Kit mumbled to himself.

"I believe your assumption is correct." Kit jumped in fright at Peaches' familiar voice.

"Wow, you startled me, Peaches." Kit clutched his chest and turned to see Peaches and the other animals standing nearby.

"Um, Kit, there's something important I need to bring up." Peaches scanned the mountain anxiously. "You won't have enough time to make it back down and sell all those stones. Actually, come to think of it, don't we only have two days left before we have to log out?"

Kit's eyes widened in panic. He had lost track of time amid the chaotic events within the dungeon! He needed to get back to Spartan Fire today and head to a bustling town to sell all of the valuable gems they had acquired. He had to pay for his CAL subscription renewal!

"Peaches, can you kill me?" Kit asked frantically.

"What?" Peaches stared at him dumbfounded.

"I need to get back to Spartan Fire today! You have to kill me!" Kit pleaded. Understanding dawned in Peaches' eyes.

"I can do it, but it will be painful. I won't be able to end your life in one strike," explained Peaches.

Bai Yue walked over to Kit. "Friend Kit wants to die? I cannot allow that. Snowball has already been unbearable enough; if he finds out you were here and we let you die, he will whine incessantly."

Frustration overwhelmed Kit. He didn't want to disappoint Snowball. But if he didn't leave, Snowball would be even more devastated if he couldn't play CAL. Kit crouched down to Bai Yue's level and slowly explained why he had to leave today.

"Hmm, then I can allow you to die. Would friend Kit like me to kill you and your friend? I can do it painlessly," offered Bai Yue.

"You just need to kill me. I want Peaches to escort you back to Spartan Fire," said Kit.

Bai Yue shook his head. "It would be safer for us if your friend goes with you. If we were alone, we would have to protect him and it would slow our journey." A loud grunt from one of the Piabbits seemed to confirm Bai Yue's words.

Kit turned to face the gathering of animals. "Do you all agree?" He wanted confirmation that this was the best plan. They all nodded in unison. Kit sighed, "Well, I suppose you've made it this far without our help." He conceded defeat. "Okay, then I'll see all of you when you return."

In a short time, Kit had unravelled the sling and tied it around one of the midnight guardians. "Take good care of him." He gave Snowball one last pat before turning back to Bai Yue.

“If you happen to come across Zart, can you bring him back to the restaurant?” Kit pleaded with his new acquaintance, hoping that Zart had managed to escape from the group of idiots. If not, Kit would need to come up with a plan to find Kai.

With all the information conveyed, he braced himself for what was to come. “Alright Bai yue, give me everything you've got.” Before Kit could even register that he was being attacked, a notification pinged on his device.

Ding!

[Player Kit has died]

Respawn in 30 seconds.