Ben's party had no idea there was a gigantic horned monstrosity incubating in the Gremlin camp for one simple reason; the camp was huge, and Red wasn't savvy enough to mention that sort of thing. Sure, her eye saw it, but as far as she was concerned that was completely normal outside of The Beyond. Her entire incarnation, as short as it had been, was one in which large frightening monsters lurked around every corner.

“I fear this may be my last battle,” she said, whispering to the group. They were hidden some distance away from the badly guarded perimeter of the Gremlin Camp. Both of Red's eyes were stationed overhead, granting the entire party a top-down, RPG style view of their surroundings.

Of the five, only Ben and Red were completely used to and comfortable with that sort of view.

“Don't talk like that Red,” Ben said. He was currently sitting on her shoulder. It had been weird at first, but it was really the only way to carry on a quiet conversation with someone. Otherwise Ben would have to shout and the other person would have had to keep track of him as he flitted about.

“I fear I am going the way of the Pure-Beast,” she said, accepting her death, “even now, I feel myself growing weaker. This body, while powerful, cannot sustain itself. I only hope I am able to destroy the Gremlins before death claims me.”

“Well, what's going on? Like, is your magic leaving your body?” Ben had a suspicion, but he was also worried.

“I feel empty, hollow inside. My mouth is sticking together, and I am unable to move as strongly as I could when I was first born. The effects of entropy are taking their toll. How life is able to sustain itself in this universe is a true mystery-- oh what's that?”

Ben's worry had vanished, and he'd pulled some of the enormous, magical peas from his utility pocket. Then, wanting to bypass pretty much all of what would likely be a drawn out explanation, he put it under her nose.

She sniffed, scrunched her nose, got a 'what the fuck' expression on her eyeless face, and her mouth opened up in an involuntary reaction.

“Put this in your mouth, smash it up with your teeth, then swallow it. It's called eating. You are hungry.”

Red ate, then turned her face to 'look' at Ben more directly.

“More. Please.”

Ben did his best not to laugh, and instead provided Red with food and water until she was satisfied.

“This is, by far, the strangest event of my life,” she declared, taking a final drink of water from her cupped hands.

“Well, I'm glad you aren't dying Red.”

Ben got up from her shoulder and flew over to Vivi, who was watching the area with both his eyes and with Red's.

“I think,” he muttered to himself, “we ought to catalog that eye skill, it's vastly superior to [Shared Sight]. I've got enough reputation with The System, I should be able to purchase a [Skill Kit] and attempt to formalize it. That would at least grant me the [Sage] class, a good start- oh, Ben.”

“Vivi,” Ben said, standing next to the Aeon Slug. He patted him on the back, just a friendly bit of contact. Vivi didn't quite flinch, but he gave Ben a look.

“What's the plan?” Vivi asked.

“Buddy, I've got nothing aside from a glorious charge.”

“You have the [Glorious Charge] skill? That changes things.”

“No, just a regular glorious charge. The kind powered by stupidity and bravery, rather than magic. I just wish there were a way to like, bring the Pocket of Sanctuary with us, you know?”

“Well,” Vivi considered it, “yes, that would be excellent.”

“Like,” Ben continued, “if it were walking around with big mechanical spider legs, and had tentacles that shot out of it and pulled our enemies in. That would be super useful.”

“It would be,” Vivi said, then looked up at the well concealed floating eyes above the party, “I wish I'd bothered to learn the [Mind Link] spell. Then we'd have perfect awareness of our surroundings, as well as the ability to move as one being.”

“I don't wish this,” Ben muttered, “but I wish I'd taken The Worm Enclosure. Then I'd be able to actually grant all these wishes I have.”

“Well, then you'd also become a demonic lifeform,” Vivi countered, then continued, “don't look surprised Ben. I'm a member of the Signatory Races,” he capitalized it in his speech, “we get a newsletter from The System, and he also pays us out dividends, profits from the operation of The World. It's all held by our leaders in a great big trust, but still, it's there. It ensures the eternal prosperity of our races, no matter what's going on in The World.”

“Yeah buddy, I've got no idea what any of that means. You're rich?”

“My species is rich, and technically, I own shares in that wealth. I've been banished and I don't have access to any of those resources.”

“What resources? Vivi, you're dancing around the issue. Come on buddy, help me out here.”

“It's nothing important,” Vivi said, a sad, vulnerable look in his eyes, “it's a resource that allows us to bypass the need for magic and wishes and barter directly with The System for the things we want or need. The shares, well, they're my personal property, my inheritance. Even if I've been banished, and I can't use the dividends, I still own the shares.”

“That sounds nice,” Ben said, “man, that sounds really nice. Shame it can't help us though. I mean, it's worth it, to die and disrupt whatever ritual they're doing. I get that, I accept that,” Ben said, “but I really don't want to die. I want to live and find out what's going on with this 'The Quest' stuff you were talking about. I want to build a city from scratch. A place that exists to serve its people, and to serve us, you know? It sounds selfish, but I want to be at the top of the pile. I want to be a winner, and keep winning.”

Vivi had a sad and almost guilty look on his face. “Excuse me, I need a few moments alone; it's nothing you did, I just. . . I need to think. Please, don't get mad.”

Ben gave Vivi another friendly pat and flew off, leaving the Aeon Slug to his thoughts. Short Bus and Ghost Ears were chatting quietly. Ghost Ears was sitting on Short Bus's right shoulder, so Ben went over and sat on his left.

“Right there, that's a whisper,” Ghost Ears said, talking almost directly into Short Bus' ear hole.

“Like this?” Short Bus asked, still a little too loud to be a true whisper, but in a voice that wouldn't carry.

“Even quieter, but yes, like that,” Ghost Ears leaned away, and Short Bus' eyes were wide.

“Oh man,” he whispered, “I can't hear this at all. Are you sure I'm really talking?”

“You're talking,” Ben said, then patted Short Bus’ shoulder, “good job, that's a whisper right there.” The shark gently turned his head to the left, then to the right.

“Ha, this reminds me of the good old days, back when I didn't have arms. I had this little school of fish that hung out, literally, on me. They'd eat my dead skin and crawl in my mouth and clean my teeth; they were great. Other sharks, you know, they'd occasionally, accidentally, kill one of their little buddies. It never happened to me,” Short Bus whispered grinning, “I was always careful. Check it out,” he said, and opened his mouth, revealing sharp teeth, then poking them with a finger, “I don't need anyone to crawl around my mouth anymore, I can clean my own teeth. Are you sure I'm talking?” he asked, looking at Ghost Ears, then winked at Ben.

“Yes, you're definitely talking,” Ghost Ears said, sounding exasperated.

“I'm not sure I am, tell me what I was just talking about,” Short Bus challenged Ghost Ears, who sighed, and started telling Short Bus about how good he was at not killing his cleaner fish.

Short Bus chuckled, then he turned his attention to Ben, his expression serious.

“Ghost Ears, do you mind giving us a minute?”

“I'll check in with Lord Vivi. It's been a pleasure Short Bus.”

Ghost Ears got up and flew away. When it was just the two of them, Short Bus started speaking, his voice low; the whisper had been mastered.

“Are we doing this? Because, I'll be honest here, I don't like our odds.”

“I don't like ‘em either,” Ben said quietly, “but they're what we've got. Besides, you heard Vivi; this is some cosmic horror shit, what choice do we have? What are you thinking?”

“No weapons, no armor, no idea of how to fight in a group,” Short Bus started listing the things working against them, “no idea of what we can all even do. Did you know Red could shoot her eyes and let us see through them? I didn't. There's more,” he said, giving Ben a look filled with resolve.

“Red and I talked about it, and we're terrified of smashing one of you during a fight. It could happen Ben. Bad things could happen in a fight, and it might not even be the monsters responsible.”

Short Bus looked uncomfortable.

“I. . . ah, well, I wasn't totally honest about the feeder fish. I counted them, you know? I could tell them apart, I saw them so often. Sometimes, well, I'd lose one, and I wasn't sure why. Never thought about it too much till now, but I'm pretty sure I killed a few when I was sleeping. It makes me incredibly uncomfortable,” Short Bus said, rubbing his arms like he was cold, “because I can't get this picture of one of you dying out of my head, this horrible picture of me running around, having fun while one of you is dead and smashed against me somewhere, and not even realizing it till I wondered where you went. I can see it, I can even feel it, that moment I realize. . . it's horrible.”

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Silence reigned like a tyrant, cruel and pitiless. Ben wasn't sure what to say to that. It wasn't like Short Bus' concerns were stupid, or invalid; they were thoughtful and real. Ben hadn't even considered it, up until this point, about how the massive differences in size could be such a liability just within his own party.

“Lord Vivi!” Ghost Ears shouted, his voice high with alarm, “please, I beg you to reconsider!”

“Get off of me, I have to do this!” Vivi yelled, and Ben turned his gaze towards the two. In front of them was a large, flat gray rectangle. It had a strange appearance, like the infinity effect that could be obtained by two mirrors reflecting one another, except rather than fading to darkness, the further in one looked, the brighter it became.

“Ben, Short Bus, help me!” Ghost Ears almost screamed, “stop him, now!”

“Vivi!” Ben yelled, flying over at top speed, and trying to get a good grip on the Aeon Slug who was frantically trying to push past Ghost Ears. Short Bus put a hand in-front of the doorway, and Vivi stopped struggling.

“What's going on!” Ben yelled, looking from fairy to slug.

“He was going to sell his inheritance to The System, he was going to trade his rights, his signatory rights for power, for an advantage, for a way to win! He'll be deprived of everything, reviled by his people-”

“I'm already reviled! I don't care, I need to do this,” Vivi said, his eyes feverish, “I need to make things right, I need to stop them! I don't care what it costs!”

“Stop, Vivi, stop!” Ben then did the only thing he could think of, which was to punch the Aeon Slug. Not very hard, but hard enough to shift his attention.

“Now, listen to me. Do not, I repeat, do not do whatever it is you are going to do. I don't fully understand it, I don't fully get it, but what I do understand and get is that you'll be losing something that you can't get back. Correct?”

“Correct,” Vivi said, caught between wanting to glare at Ben and being grateful for having some sense punched into him.

“So why don't we all talk about this, as a group, and see what we can do. If, and only if, we are completely out of options, then we all go through that weird portal, and you can do your thing with The System. Ok?”

“You punched me,” Vivi said, sounding grouchy, “but Ok. Don't punch me again, I think I'm going to get a bruise from that.”

“I didn't punch you that hard, but Ok.”

“You punched me pretty hard.”

“No I didn't,” Ben said, then decided to walk away from the conversation. The group huddled together, Red's eyes still providing them supernatural awareness of their surroundings. Nothing would be able to sneak up on them.

“So, we need to bust into a Gremlin camp; they've got like a thousand little furry weirdos, and a bunch of big boys running around. Their aim is fucking amazing, and they all have bows and arrows. If anyone's got a trump card, please, share with the group.”

“I can control the minds of those who stare into my eyes,” Red said, starting the discussion, “also, I can possess corpses with them. Only two though, for obvious reasons.”

“Ok, good to know,” Ben said.

“I can put others to sleep and make them dream,” Ghost Ears said, “but not very many. I have [Dual Wield Swords: Journeyman].”

“Ok, a little more crowd control, that's good,” Ben said.

“I don't even know all the spells and skills I have available to me,” Vivi admitted, “I've been collecting them so long that my status sheet is unreadable.”

“There are status sheets?” Ben asked, getting excited.

“Not for anyone who isn't one of the Signatory Races,” Vivi said, “or at least, not a status sheet you can access without specialized tools and skills.”

“I'm big, strong, and I don't mind pain,” Short Bus said, shrugging, “and also, I can read minds and launch a powerful area of effect psychic assault. It's called [Psi Cone], and it's really nasty.”

“That's great,” Ben said, “well, I've got my utility pocket, you all know about that.”

“I don't think that's enough,” Short Bus said, “we could really mess some stuff up, but it's not enough. We aren't getting out of there alive if we go in; sorry, someone had to say it.”

Red pursed her black lips, then pointed to Ben.

“You walked with the Pure Beast, yes? What did she say to you? You have her body, correct?”

“Yes, I walked with her. She asked us to use her body, to, uh, to eat her and use her skin and bones to build a better future, and yes, I do have her body.”

“Please, bring it out. I wish to see.”

“Ok,” Ben said, and moments later Betsy's body was gently deposited on the ground. Even in death, she looked peaceful, like she could open her eyes at any moment.

“Incredible,” Red said, reaching a hand out then retracting it, before extending it out again and speaking.

“[System Looting],” she declared, and then was silent.

“Did it work?” Vivi asked, looking excited.

“It says it could convert the body into a single item, and that eighty seven percent of the corpse's potential would be lost in the conversion. Should I do it?”

“No!” Ben was pretty sure every member of the party said it.

“I won't then,” she said, retracting her hand and sounding a little defensive, “I won't do it.”

“Could we,” Ghost Ears said, coughing, “ah, try and process the body?”

Ben felt his skin crawl at the idea, but had to admit they were running out of options.

“Like, skin her?” Ben said, looking at the body and feeling it would be the highest of crimes, yet knowing it was what she asked to be done.

“I have some, ah, experience with leather working. We could attempt to expose the,” he coughed again, “the meat. I believe eating it would grant us a great boon.”

Ben felt his face get hot, his eyebrows were all the way up and he was shaking his head no, but his mouth rebelled against his body.

“Try it,” Ben said with a sigh.

Ghost ears approached the body, his sharp, silver swords gleaming with a sheen of magic.

“These are enchanted for sharpness and durability,” Ghost Ears said, talking out loud to distract himself from his task, “they should be more than adequate.”

He took a few deep breaths, then began to press his sword against the body, near the chest. He frowned, then pushed harder; the skin moving, but not cutting.

“Ah, just a little bit more,” he said, then really put his back into it. Nothing.

“I could try,” Short Bus said, and Ghost Ears handed him the little swords. It was, in many ways, an utterly hilarious scene. Short Bus had to pinch the sword between his index finger and thumb, and began to push against Betsy's body. It looked like he was holding one of those little plastic swords they sometimes used to skewer fruit in restaurants. The sword slipped, slashing at the hide.

Not a single hair was cut, nor was a single mar visible on the hide.

Short Bus handed the sword back to Ghost Ears, who examined it then swore, saying something in a language none of them could understand.

“Dull! It dulled my sword!” he said, then started swearing again. Nobody understood it, but it was definitely swearing. Swearing is a universal language.

“Put it away,” Vivi said sighing, “there's no way we can process it. That's a pure-beast, and a kind even rarer than a unicorn. She's lived her entire life in the Purelands, grazing on. . . void knows what, plants and grass and fruits that even heavenly beings would be envious of. Her body must be close to indestructible, and her only weakness was impurity. Slime, I'm hungry just thinking about it,” Vivi said sighing.

“They’re that great, huh?” Ben asked.

“If I had some of those,” Vivi said, “I’d be able to increase my power a hundred fold instantly.”

Ben stared at Vivi, then put the body away in his utility pocket.

Then, he continued staring at Vivi, maintaining an uncomfortable, direct stare. Looking directly into his pupils, maintaining full eye-contact. Ben had gotten an idea. An awful idea. A wonderful, awful idea.

“Vivi,” Ben said, a portion of his mind examining Betsy's body in extreme detail inside of the Utility Pocket, analyzing her, “how badly do you want to help the team out? I mean, how far are you willing to go, exactly?”

“Ben, you're making me uncomfortable,” Vivi said, starting to slowly scoot away from Ben's intense, unrelenting gaze.

“See Vivi. I figure you're willing to do just about anything, right? I mean, you were about to sell your racial inheritance to The System, right?”

“Yes-”

“Say it Vivi. Say you're willing to do anything. Promise me, you'll do whatever it takes to save all of reality from those awful Gremlins.”

“I promise you I'll do whatever it takes-”

“Good, because I just finished examining the inside of Betsy's stomach and her intestines, and they're just plumb full of magic, glowing, powerful looking plants. Totally just the most magical things I've ever seen in my life.”

“Oh no.”

“Oh yeah,” Ben said, and he couldn't keep a straight face anymore, and started laughing maniacally, “Because I'm pretty sure I can just pull that stuff out for you.”

Ben pulled himself together, sighed, and adopted his most sympathetic convincing face.

“Vivi. Please, the entire universe is depending on you. This is the only way. I need you to eat shit.” At this point Ben lost it again and started to laugh.

“Ben,” Vivi said, his expression calm, “I fucking hate you.”

“I earned that,” Ben said, speaking in between fits of laughter, “But. . . oh god,” Ben was no longer able to keep himself composed, he was actually giggling, breathless with laughter, “you've got to do it. It’ll increase your power a hundredfold!” At this point Short Bus absolutely lost it and started to roll on the ground with laughter.

After they had all composed themselves and come to grips with the reality of the situation, they got started.

While everybody's backs were turned, after they had formed a circle of dignity around Vivi, Ben began disgorging an enormous pile of glowing white, half digested heavenly plants, herbs, and fruits. Four stomach's worth. The piles got progressively more digested as Ben went from the first stomach, to the last. He stopped around the time he reached actual shit.

Vivi stared. Before him was a treasure trove, a collection of magic so potent, so utterly powerful, that it would be the prize of any Aeon Slug, anywhere, regardless of their size or age. Forget Aeon Slugs, it was a prize that wars would be fought over, wars among the highest leveled beings in The World. It was simply priceless. It was all his, for the taking. It also stunk, and Vivi wished he just didn't know from where it had come.

So Vivi, swearing up a storm, using curses and words none of them even understood, chowed down.

As he ate, his body began to grow larger, and larger, and larger, turning whiter and whiter, glowing. A palpable sense of magic suffused the air around him, like standing on a patch of ground that was about to be struck by lightning. Vivi did his duty with an admirable dedication, swearing, yes, but never complaining.

When he was done, not a single scrap remained.

Ben stared up at the now human sized Aeon Slug, who glared down at the tiny fairy.

“Ben,” Vivi said.

“Yes Vivi?”

“If you ever tell anyone how I got this big, this fast- no, if you ever tell the truth about how I got this big, this fast,” he paused, his eyes completely serious, “are you listening?”

“Yes.”

“I will kill you. Ok?”

“Ok,” Ben said.

“Did it taste as good as it smelled,” Short Bus said, laughing to himself, his whole body shaking. Vivi turned around giving the shark his back and said one word, his voice extremely quiet.

“Yes.”