The portal sends the team back into the lobby of campsite number nine. A loud "thud" echoes as they emerge from the ceiling. Cateta quickly assists Yu, James, and Lisa in bringing the injured to Wyn's tent.

"I can barely sleep to begin with, and now with this pain?" Wyn complains.

Cateta calmly smacks Wyn on the top of his head, knocking him out. She does the same to Mira. While the injured recover, the rest keep watch, never leaving them out of sight – especially Lisa, who's trembling at the thought of losing her sister again.

"I'm so sorry I brought you guys into the maze. This wouldn't have happened if I'd listened to you, Mister James."

"It's too late for that now, eh. Besides, that was a new champion we faced. You couldn't have known."

"Let's ask Wyn's AI or Cateta about it later," Yu says.

"You should call your girl. She ditched us, eh. Would’ve been slightly better to have her around back there," James adds.

After several unanswered calls, Yu leaves a text message explaining the situation to Christine. A moment later, he receives a brief reply.

"Let me know when they wake up."

As time goes by, Wyn, the last to wake up, looks dazed after a rare, long, peaceful sleep.

"Can I get the cat to hit me in the head forever?"

"That was a close call. Even with our strengths, we weren't ready," Anish says.

"If I die, can I die in your arms, Oppa? Imagine how romantic that would be!"

"First off, here, we all die instantly. Second…that sounds traumatizing to whoever has to hold you!"

The tent’s atmosphere remains somber despite their efforts to lighten the mood. Even Yu's singing fails to lift the tension. But when Christine arrives, the mood only darkens. Since she remains quiet the whole time, Wyn initiates the conversation.

"Well, anything you want to say? You left us. Again."

"Like, like, I'm sorry. I was upset. No one here, like, understands me. It's just like when I was alive," Christine begins to cry.

Feeling a hint of pity, Wyn lets her off the hook. Though, in his mind, he’s only giving her one more chance to prove herself worthy to the team. Regardless, after what they all now call a "defeat," the team's drive to grow stronger is renewed.

"Hold your cat horses," Mira says.

Mira needs a break – some fun time with her team, though not that kind of "fun." Lisa suggests clubbing in the Abandoned City, which Wyn and Anish quickly reject.

"Promenade of Broken Dreams?" Mira asks.

The promenade is a gathering spot for parties to unwind, featuring several non-combat activities and attractions.

"Aren't you gonna use the AI? You haven't asked it once yet," Yu says.

"Nah, let's chill first. There'll be plenty of chances to use it."

As for the new champion, Wyn impatiently demands that James check the bestiary. Grumpily complying, James finds the entry for the new creature has been registered. The champion is known as the "Legion Of The Fallen Souls," with each of the first letters capitalized. Lacking a description, they approach Cateta.

"Information? Informedly cute I am! Yes, I have been updated on the new champion!"

"Oh, xylophone! Here we go again," Wyn whines.

Patiently listening to Cateta, they learn that the champion came into existence through a rare merging of two compatible creature species: the mimic-iis and the parapsychos. The exact number involved from each species is currently under investigation. The ability to speak likely came from the parapsychos sharing information as they merged. For now, the slaughter maze is closed to the public – only those wishing to challenge it are allowed inside.

“How were they, whoever they are, so sure the creature wasn’t an ultra champion?” Wyn asks.

“How? How cutely simple it is! It left survivors.”

“Oh! Us…”

Wyn and team make their way to the promenade by taking the rolling coaster to Promenade of Broken Dreams Station, situated next to Dead Center Station. After shaking off the nausea, they head to the cat-made promenade that flanks a canal filled with mysterious red water. The canal runs through the center of the promenade, with round curves at both ends that loop back to the opposite side. Occasionally, rare, harmless dolphin-like creatures break the surface, attempting to mate with an unlucky soul. Mira prays at the canal, hoping to encounter one of these creatures, though her prayers go unanswered.

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

Souls gather, mingling with one another, with some making adjustments to their parties. Mira is approached countless times by groups consisting mostly of men. There’s also a group of breakdancers showing off their moves, with one in particular catching everyone’s eye as she performs a t-rex move on the floor before flopping like a sukoi. Her moves captivate the onlookers.

“She must’ve competed in the Oprahlympics before,” a soul comments.

The stroll along the promenade is relaxing, though Wyn and Yu find it a bit boring. Across the way, they spot booths.

“Ten catnips each. Scan here,” a demon inside a booth instructs.

Like the haunting mansion, the inside of the booth is unexpectedly spacious, revealing a ranch setting. The game, called “La Chancla Challenge,” requires players to throw sandals at demons acting as target boards. Participating members – Wyn, Yu, Mira, and James – are given ten sandals each. Each hit on the mark triggers the cat to meow unenthusiastically. As they run out of sandals, a virtual screen appears, displaying their scores. Although Yu wins with a score of fifty, he still falls short of the leaderboard.

“Why are you cats wasting your time here instead of training?” Wyn asks the game attendant.

“You would not believe the things we do for catnips. We work in shifts.”

Moving on to the next booth, they try “Lasers Go Meow” for five catnips. The objective is for each player to guide their assigned cat through a random maze by aiming a laser from an elevated, windowless platform. The maze walls are painted with images of food, which award extra points if the cat touches them. Points are calculated based on the run time, plus any bonus points earned. With each party member wielding a differently colored laser, the cats often bump into walls and each other as they compete for points. Occasionally, a cat slaps another’s paw to snag a bonus point, which vanishes after the first press. The cats frequently glare back at their guides, clearly unamused by the chaos. The team finds this booth so entertaining that they play three rounds. Christine unexpectedly wins the first round, Yu the second, and Mira clinches the final round, securing the eighty-ninth spot on the leaderboard.

“You suck at this,” James remarks.

“You should have seen him on Greed’s level,” Yu says.

“Whatever. If I was Greed, I would sue the shit out of whoever designed Hell’s Ride. It’s a ripoff!”

“True, but don’t you find more fun now that you’re kinda redoing Greed’s level with us?” Mira asks.

“Oh yeah, definitely. Especially without the penalty.”

Next is the “Bumper Wombats,” a bumper car booth that lets participants ride wombats as a means to bump into each other. The team is presented with the option to wait for other souls to join in or host a private round.

“Are you joining us, Christine?” Yu asks.

“Oh, like, you don’t need to ask. I’ll win this time.”

Though the price is the same for either option, the team opts for the latter, understanding that their scores won’t be posted on the leaderboard.

“NO MERCY!” Yu threatens.

The souls sit inside what appear to be carved-out wombats. Despite their short legs, the wombats move surprisingly fast. A forward and reverse pedal is located at the bottom, while steering the ears controls the direction. Unlike a normal bumper ride, hitting another with the wombat’s butt scores more points. For an extra touch, the wombats' faces react to the impact. Hitting others three times and more without getting hit activates, “wom-wom-wombat com-com-combo,” which gets annoying after a while. The fierce ride brings the team plenty of laughter as they bump into each other. It’s a rare sight for Wyn to see Christine smile, and given everything that’s happened with her, he’s happy to see the team enjoying themselves. Unfortunately for him, his moment of being lost in thought causes him to finish last in this round.

“Let’s go again! I won’t come in last!” Wyn declares.

“You gotta aim for first place like me, buddy!” Yu responds, boasting after winning first place.

“I’m gonna crush you and deep fry sushi afterward!” James announces.

“I ja ka yee you hai laek,” Wyn says, leaving the others perplexed as the next round begins.

After coming in last again, Wyn gloomily heads to the next booth, where there's no competition: the “Furries Go Round.” There’s no need to elaborate on the one-catnip ride itself, except to mention the lewd sounds the carousel figures make as they ascend. Hating the ride so much, Wyn leads the team, per Mira’s request, to the “Ferris’ Wheel of Collection,” where the pods are shaped like meme animal heads, including Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, Doge, Moon Moon, Unimpressed Wolf, Terry The Shark, Pepe, That Overpowered Yellow Mouse, and more. All the pods are strangely empty, in contrast to the number of souls around the area. The team fits comfortably into a Nyan Cat pod, and the background music starts playing.

“This is Nyan Cat, by the way, you uncultured swines,” Wyn says just before the team enters the pod.

As the machine starts to spin, Wyn looks at his team intently. He opens his mouth but decides to shut it soon after. After tightly closing his eyes and nodding his head a few times, he takes a deep breath.

“I know I don’t say it, never ever, I think, but I appreciate you all. Thank you,” Wyn expresses, his voice tinged with sincerity.

His short appreciation brings warmth to the rainbow-colored pod. Everyone beams back at him, even Christine.

“Likewise! I would never do this with any other team,” Yu chimes in.

“I’m lucky to have met you two, Oppa and Yu,” Mira adds, sliding between Wyn and Yu, pressing their heads against her chest affectionately.

“I have to thank you for accepting me into the team. I’d still be with Cateto if it weren’t for you guys,” Anish admits, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes as he glances at Wyn and Yu, whose faces turn red afterward.

“Th…thanks for, like, giving me another chance,” Christine interjects, not quite minding what Mira just did to Yu.

“Erm…thanks too, I guess,” James mumbles shyly.

“Thanks for taking care of my sister! She looks so happy with you guys. And of course, thanks for finding me!” Lisa adds with a bright smile.

Just as Lisa is about to warn the others about something, the heartfelt ride suddenly reaches its peak. In an instant, the pod halts, then shoots upward, slamming into the ceiling before locking back into place on the wheel.

“For fuck’s sake! Can anything be normal here?!” Wyn exclaims.