"This seems like more than just a get-together." I said, looking over the ocean of former champions.

It was like looking at Times Square... times five.

Hyun was up at a podium overlooking the massive throng, she then cleared her throat, and a sound system kicked into life, producing a clear but not overbearing sound all around the area.

"Hello champions, thank you all for coming to the post-round banquet! We have plenty of refreshments suited to each of your dietary needs. If you need to use the facilities, there are a set for each thirteen quebs, so you shouldn't ever have to walk very far. Make sure to mingle and have a good time, but just remember..."

Suddenly, the entire room started to shake and the sounds of lightning flared up from outside the complex.

"If you start any fights or do anything else unsavory, I will erase you from existence where you stand, and not even your gods will be able to save you."

Then, just as if it had never happened at all, the ground stopped shaking and the lightning subsided. "Have a good time everyone!"

Hyun then put down the microphone and walked away from the podium.

For a little bit, everyone was a little too scared to move, but over time, everyone relaxed and it became a pretty average party, albeit large.

I scanned the crowd for familiar faces and found a few, but before I could, I heard the sound of a slap, followed by Hund yelping.

I turned to see Hund nursing his hand and Ayula with a semi-aggressive posture. "Hund, I told you, your punishment is no food until I've forgiven you."

"Honestly I saw all of this food and just forgot... I mean, there's some traditional Fifska meals here, and after so long-"

Ayula chuckled. "Well, I'll make sure to stick around you so that your punishment is administered properly."

Hund chuckled too. "I'm glad to hear that... or at least most of that."

Not far from that pair was most of the other Fifskae, each celebrating their lives and the lives of their friends, living or dead.

It was interesting to see Fifskae that were absolutely plastered, I kinda wanted to play pranks on them because I'm pretty sure they won't remember it, but that can wait for another time.

I wandered around, seeing whose conversations I could butt into.

Then I saw a face I hadn't seen in a long time.

"Hey Manglow! How are you?!"

The massive crab centaur with a crab-ish upper body turned to me, and then pointed me out to the people he was talking to. "That's him."

The others looked at me in disbelief. "Are you sure?"

"Yes I'm sure. Unorthodox, tell them how you killed me."

"I used a crappily made sawblade to saw away his chitin, and then jammed a metalcorn horn into the hole. Man, I was searing like a fish the whole time... speaking of which, how could you stand it Manglow?"

"I bathed in the blood of the iron steeds and made sure never to be active for more than an hour each day." He replied.

"Dang dude, that's dedication."

Manglow sighed. "I was promised the most difficult survival challenge ever among other things, I just didn't expect it to be so intense."

"Quick question before I let you get back to everything... why is your title 'The Mauler'?"

"Why is your title 'The Unorthodox'?" He countered.

"Because I'm a weirdo of course." I replied.

"Oh. Well, I have no idea... I just figured that nobody knew."

I chuckled. "Fair enough, see you around Manglow."

Manglow slid right back into the conversation he was having, the other two seeming to have much more interest now.

I passed by Tildiar and Lijf playing a game of cards, Nghter talking to a few others about the lathe he found in the forest, and Ghuther discussing something about pirate toilets I think?

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

I heard some cheering coming from the right of me, so I looked and saw Sydui arm-wrestling Yutgur.

Both of them were stuck in deadlock, but Yutgur was getting tired, and Sydui had plenty to spare.

I smiled and continued on my way as I heard Yutgur's angry yell a moment later.

I had to stop suddenly as Polimus passed in from of me, he had a platter the size of my entire body went to sit down with it.

I wanted to chat with him at some point, but I decided that it could wait until he was at least done eating.

There were definitely some champion I absolutely didn't want to talk to or think about, like Tutu for instance.

I feel like the urge to punch them in the face would be far too strong.

I kept going and had to stop to talk.

"Oligog! Catching up with Aesos I see."

"It's certainly been a bit of getting used to calling him by that name, but I'm getting used to it."

I looked Oligog up and down. "You look different, did something happen?"

"Actually yes, I'm surprised you noticed. As it was explained to me, there's about a one-in-a-billion chance of having a portion of your consciousness data corrupted when you die during a round of The Deathworld Game, that's exactly what happened to me. And because of it, I was cured of my Arithmomania. So, I have to say: thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!"

I put up my hands. "Chill out, chill out, I'm glad it worked out for you."

"If you ever want to stop by my planet, I'll gladly prepare room and board for you and any guests."

"That's super nice of you, I might just have to take you up on that."

As I left, Oligog smiled and waved.

As I was walking along, I was suddenly lifted into the air. "Behold the champion of champions!"

I looked down to see Ulto smiling up at me.

"How did you know I won?"

"What do you mean? I was obviously there for our bout."

"Oh, you didn't know. Yeah, I won The Deathworld Game."

He continued to smile at me, but slowly his smile faded and became shock. "You're serious?"

I nodded. "Just ask Uluriq, he was the other finalist."

Ulto laughed heartily. "I suppose it's only natural that the one who beat me would win the whole competition! I was world champion before I came to The Deathworld Game you know."

"But you still are world champion... you're just not universe champion."

That made Ulto think for a minute. "I guess you're right..." He smiled again. "Well, I'll be shooting for your title, just you wait."

I smiled back. "Let's do a more tame match next time yeah?"

He put me back on the floor. "Yeah, dying wasn't my favorite."

I walked away and he walked toward a group of three others that I don't remember meeting... maybe some of the others know them?

I was walking along, when I was almost slapped in the face by a black tentacle.

I followed to its source and saw the lotus flower with tentacles instead of pedals, the same one who became the first victim of Hole Puncher.

Next to it was an anthropomorphic-ant-looking individual with long mandibles.

"Hey there Gjkolo, who're you talking to?"

Gjkolo turned its abnormal frame to face me. "Oh hello Great Challenge, this is Vindicost-God!"

I pointed at the ant-like being. "Wait, you're Vindicost? What'd you do?"

He rubbed his mandibles together. "What do you mean?"

"During the game, I got a curse called 'You're Worse Than Vindicost!' Any idea why?"

"That was likely due to the Nemesis I assisted in creating, it was a five-pointed, rotationally-symmetrical-"

"Wait! You made the starfish?!"

"I don't see how it looked even remotely like a star, but I did a good portion of the thinking required to make a creature known as 'test1 The Everlasting Multiple'."

I dragged my hands down my face. "How am I worse than that?! You guys might not have had to fight it, but it almost killed me and all of my friends!"

Gjkolo interposed itself between Vindicost and I. "That is no way to speak to a god, even if you are a Great Challenge! Also, I doubt it was very close to killing you, after all, the only ones who can kill a Great Challenge are Heaven-Sent-Apostles!"

That interruption took all of the wind out of my sails for that particular conversation, so I decided to drop it and leave.

Next I saw Swen talking to a small green creature, so I had to stop by.

"Hey Swen, and... I have to ask, are you the mech guy?"

"Hello Andrew, yes this is he, I had happened upon during my perusal of the refreshments." Swen answered.

The little green guy held out a hand. "Vilt, pleasure to meetcha... properly I mean."

I shook his hand, causing him to look at me strangely.

"Shaking hands is a common greeting on my planet." I explained.

"Ah... honestly I'm not sure what I was expecting." Vilt replied.

"If I had a nickel for every time I done that and had that be the response, I'd have two nickels, which isn't much, but it's weird it happened twice."

We all got a laugh out of that one.

"Make sure to have me show you Japanese anime the next time we see each other." I called to Vilt as I left.

"Will do!" He called back.

Suddenly, I entered an empty spot, when I saw who was in the center I understood... except that there was someone talking to him...

I stepped a little closer to hear the conversation.

"So, how's about we leave this place and find somewhere... quieter?" Jandrilis asked.

"I'm married." Uluriq replied.

"Ah, come on, don't play hard to-"

Uluriq glared directly into her eyes. "I. Am. Married."

Jandrilis held up her hands. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry!"

I fought back laughter as I sneaked back through the crowd.

A little bit of further walking and I saw a fellow wanderer sneaking around the crowd, so I decided to tail her.

Eventually, over the course of the next few minutes I managed to get directly behind her and tap her on the shoulder.

Polyu yelped. "Andrew! Why?!"

"After that incident you pulled back there, I think you deserve to be put on your toes once or twice."

"You're still talking about that?! I just pushed you and Sydui out of the way of an attack, why is that weird?"

I shook my head. "Polyu, I can tell you're not being honest with me."

"What are you going to do? Tickle me?" Her face got really red. "D-don't threaten me w-with a good time!"

"Polyu, who told you to say that?"

"...Nilyid..." Polyu confessed.

"She and I are going to have to have a talk later." I rubbed my temples. "Listen, I just want you to be honest with me about-."

Polyu threw up her hands. "Fine! It's because I followed you and Sydui after you told me about brainstorming for my present! Are you happy now?!"

"Polyu, why would that make you want to do push us out of the way like that? You could have used [Gravity Shift] to achieve the same result."

Polyu looked at the floor. "It's because I saw how much the two of you trust each other, and how I was going to just get in the way of that... I-I thought it would just be better if-"

I pulled her head against my chest, and wrapped my arms around her. "Polyu, I'm glad you're okay, and I would miss you if you were gone... so please don't say such sad things, especially not to yourself."

Polyu sobbed into my shirt quietly for a while.

Not long after that, it was time for the banquet to end.

I stood in the middle of the thoroughfare, staring at the ceiling and considering what would come next for me.

A familiar hand interlocked its fingers with mine.

I looked down at Sydui, who smiled up at me.

I exhaled.

Whatever it is, we'll take it on!