The grand museum sits enveloped in a mystical twilight haze as evening's embrace begins its descent... Adjacent to the ornate entrance, the museum's most faithful servant casts his gaze down a majestic hallway, bordered on either side by timeless masterpieces. A soft, melancholic sigh parts his lips as shadows start to claim the corridor. He bends down, rhythmically rapping the marble floor four times, and suddenly the world morphs. The corridor now appears constricted, flanked with oversized, elliptical windows, each painted with an intricate mural of a ten-legged ant. Oddly enough, every window depicts an identical golden sunset...

In a blink, shadows swallow his vision entirely.

?? "What a nuisance... Where did I put that- Ah! Found it."

Emerging from his right pocket, a radiant lighter gleams, casting an ethereal glow on the man's attire. He dons a meticulously tailored butler's uniform, soaked in the essence of the Victorian age. Yet, a peculiar accessory stands out— playful cat ears crown his head. The servant's face bears a youthful innocence, appearing more like a teenager than a grown man. His raven-black hair flows smoothly, nodding to his rich Korean lineage.

With the hear wear weighing on his mind, he continues his journey down the corridor with a hint of awkwardness.

Toward the corridor's end, an ornate oak door stands to the left, its doorknob crystalline, offering a glimpse of a quaint bedroom. Grasping the knob, the butler steps in, allowing a refreshing draft to extinguish the flickering candles on an antique desk. Beneath the silken sheets, a subtle stir to life, and up emerges a seemly fat man, a plain crimson t-shirt stretching across his girth.

?? "Zeta. You've arrived. My most trusted ally. Assist me with this shirt."

Zeta "At your service, Lord John Calsion."

Skillfully, he reignites the candle using his lighter, then slides back the ornate chair tucked neatly behind the desk. As John rises from the bed to settle into the chair, the candlelight unveils more of his mysterious form. No arms protrude from the sleeves, yet there's a flurry of activity beneath the shirt. Zeta's eyes are drawn to John's mesmerizing, compound eyes, and suddenly, a chilling grin of needle-like teeth spreads across John's face.

Zeta "Shall I assist with your garment, my lord?"

John "Proceed, but tread carefully. My little ones are still maturing."

As the fabric gets peeled back, a sight both captivating and grotesque dominates the room, but to Zeta, this is all too familiar. Ten pairs of muscular arms span John's torso, their ends tipped with vicious pincers. Slowly, each arm extends, revealing the foul truth— an empty chest cavity, devoid of organs, instead teeming with coiled fleshy tendrils and numerous worm-like creatures, busy transporting pieces of food to a bizarre, heart-shaped structure.

Zeta "My lord! Have you been indulging in candies again?! You know it's unhealthy!"

John "By the holy goddess! Forgive me for this sweet transgression! It's been weeks since my last chocolate!"

Zeta "Your stature doesn't excuse it."

John "Remember, I'm the rule here..."

Zeta "Very well, I'll let it slide this time. How fares the queen?"

John "Ah yes, the queen of Kinglings is tucked safely in my heart. See! Behold! The magnificent green pulse."

John "The precious Queen of Kinglings cradles within my very core. Behold this magnificent, luminescent heartbeat."

The peculiar object seems to be a luminous green, almost as if it's sewn onto the flesh, crisscrossed by a delicate net of bone. When it pulses, its inner obscurity briefly gives way, revealing the regal figure of the creature's queen. Her form bears semblance to a typical ant queen, albeit her abdomen swells prominently, curving into an elegant spiral. Zeta, maintaining his graceful poise, walks over to the closet nestled beside the bed. Upon opening it, he's met with the cult's signature crimson robe and a curious headband, crafted to mimic an ant antennae.

Zeta "Why choose to wear such a primitive headpiece, my lord? We could commission a more refined-

John "Stop right there! That headband is a product of my very own blood, sweat, and tears... Alright, I admit. It might not be the most appealing, but surely it's no worse than your stupid cat ears! HA!"

Zeta "Very mature, my lord."

John "Oh come on! You're no fun! This discussion aside. What news have you brought me?"

Zeta "The news is twofold, my lord. Firstly, the arrival of dusk has painted the sky, and the astral bodies seem perfectly aligned with our dreams tonight. However, on the downside, the citizens remain silent."

John "A predicament I'd expected, given those four disasters with the wit of a walnut. If only they'd heed more than a mere four commands!"

Zeta "Nonetheless, my lord, your strategy was nothing short of genius. A true masterpiece of tactical planning."

John "Deriving a means to minimize collateral damage was a challenge. Manipulating 'The World' was somewhat simpler, as it merely needed to absorb the others and identify its targets. 'The People' proved problematic, so I merely directed them to establish three cities, escape when confronted then hit and escape and finally confront."

Zeta "Your brilliance shines through, my lord, but you've withheld the command for the remaining two."

John "Deliberately so, Zeta. You'd have immediately opposed my plan. By daybreak, none from the Executioners nor those meddlesome apes will plague us any longer."

Zeta "My Lord! You don't mean to-

John "Indeed, it's a grievous sacrifice, but an essential one. These heretics have profaned our goddess's sacred earth for far too long. With every tick of the clock, their powers amplify. The sheer thought fills me with an unspeakable dread... much like... much like my dear Mother... Zeta, accompany me. The night's breeze calls."

With gentle care, Zeta drapes the robe over his lord's frame, leading him gracefully through the serenely lit hallway.

________________________________________________________________________________________

In an uncanny realm where an eventful day has come to pass, Kanji stands by, observing his comrades tend to the scars of battle. Amelia, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, tenderly carries Dave's limp form across the mosaic of destruction on the ocean floor. His effort to breathe causes a splatter of blood to escape her grasp.

Amelia "No, honey! Hang in there! Help! Anyone here-

Sarah "Hey, dude! Why did you run?! I have a syringe right here!"

Amelia "Really?! Oh, thank you so bloody much! Wait- how exactly do I use this? I can feel that only his ribs are broken."

Sarah "We should ask Gwen. She's the only one with medical shenanigans. Oh! I think she calling us to come over right now!"

Urgency in their steps, they dash to rejoin the larger group, where their fallen allies have been laid out.

Gwen "This is going to tank our medical supplies. If anyone has any objections, please say now. Otherwise, I'll start examining and applying basic stitching."

Her eyes quickly scan Dave and, as if equipped with an inner X-ray, she discerns his ribcage is missing, leaving his supernatural organs fighting to function. After a quick jotting down of her findings, she instructs Izzy to perform an autopsy. Watching, Amelia and the others try to keep their composure. Using her unique body, Izzy morphs a branch into the form of a ribcage. Gwen then carefully places it within Dave.

Gwen "That should stabilize him though I recommend that you tell him to stay still when he gets up."

Amelia "Understood!"

Next, Gwen shifts her attention to Adrian. After a thorough examination, she concludes there's no immediate concern— he seems peacefully asleep. She then moves to Noah and Azan. Their eyes are hauntingly vacant, reminiscent of newly pressed parchment. Her primary worry now is their visibly discolored and purple leg, the result of severe blood loss. With Izzy's assistance, they manage to sew up the wounds.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Mina "Azzy! Gwen, is he alright?!"

Sarah "Yeah, there was so much fucking blood! Without Noah, who's going to listen to death metal with me?!"

Gwen "While your concern is odd, rest assured, their injuries aren’t fatal. But, their limbs may be numb upon waking up. Now, onto the next-

Kanji "Hold on! What about you? Your right hand is- Oh... it's back!"

Gwen "Yes, thanks to the unique and supernatural properties of my skin, in tandem with Izzy's genetics. I can rejuvenate lost parts, though not instantaneously."

Diana "Yo, that is super cool. You're like the MVP. Well, besides the boss. Anyway, my left arm is still boneless."

Gwen "I noticed during the battle. Your remarkable muscle structure compensated for the loss of bones, hence I prioritized other matters. In the end, there is no major consequence except the lack of control. A simple injection should restore it. And your legs? A bit of electrical stimulation should do the trick."

Diana "Seriously?! So the boss could've been me fixed anytime?!"

Gwen "Sorry. It was my oversight, sometimes the simplest solutions elude us."

Diana "It's okay. I can understand how that can happen. So, anyone here got a syringe?!"

Claire "Girl! What about that arm?!"

Diana "Oh, this tentacle arm! It's kinda cool actually and it works fine so I'm sticking with it for a while!"

Claire "How did that even happen?"

Gwen "Normally, Izzy can create body parts using her branches but that would be useless in Diana's case. Unless... she inserts some of her sap and then covers it with the branches. Though it is very tiring, she can only do it twice before tiring out."

Kanji "You seem anxious. Is Izzy nearing her limit?"

Gwen "Yeah. Hey, Izzy. You can rest now."

[Okay. Master. Good night. Nyah...]

As Sarah presents Gwen with a syringe, she swiftly administers the shot into Diana's arm. A moment later, The Aspect of Law proudly raises her restored arm. Kanji releases a jolt of energy, reviving her legs.

Diana "Yes, baby! The Behemoth is back in action! Now with an awesome tentacle arm!"

Mina "Wow, that is kinda cool. Hold on! What about Azzy, Noah, and Adrian?! Will they be alright?!"

Amelia "Don't forget about Dave. My poor cool dude knight in meme-loving armor."

Sarah "What the fuck?"

Amelia "Yeah, he fucking told me that for bloody reasons if he is unconscious to call him that. I don't find it funny at all seeing him like this."

Gwen "Such sentiments are expected, especially from someone of your stature, despite Dave's humorous attempts to integrate you into meme culture. But rest easy, in about 12 hours, they should regain consciousness. Except for Dave, the rest can be left unattended. Now, does anyone have another syringe to offer?"

Mina "I can give you my syringe. Honestly, I feel like I should've been the real target in that fight."

Claire "That's not right! None of us should have been hurt! Do blame yourself!"

Kanji "Wishing for no harm in battles, Claire, is unrealistic. There's always some degree of risk in conflict. Then again it is my responsible to take the blame. I should've come up with a more structured plan."

Gwen "Ease those troubled thoughts, Kanji. What's done is behind us. Let's focus on the future instead. Now, I need everyone's silence for this procedure."

With precision, Gwen inserts the syringe into Dave's chest, releasing its content into the artificial ribcage.

Amelia "... Is he... Is he jolly?"

Gwen "His ribcage is now intact and functioning. We need to find a secure and safe location for them to stay."

Diana "How about the RV? Can we put them there?"

Sarah "Did forget that it was totally totaled, dude? Pretty sure like half of all our fucking rooms were crushed during landing!"

Kanji "Nothing a little bit of labor can't fix. Does everyone have enough stamina to fly up?"

United as one with a simultaneous nod, the group unfurls their wings, ascending from the ocean's floor. They land on Flora's edge, gazing at the silent city, the memories of the preceding battle fresh in their minds. Guided by Kanji, they head north, where they find their vehicle in ruins. Remnants of the RV's extended boat deck are strewn everywhere.

Diana "Urgh! Are we seriously going to glue all of this together? Can't we just store Icarus and the others inside your portal, boss?!"

Kanji "Earlier, I tried to access my portal, but it failed. Oddly, our inventories remain functional. Perhaps John Calsion had specific restrictions for this domain but overlooked our personal inventories. I wonder if the Executioners can only follow a few commands."

Gwen "I can see your theory. Their behaviors until now are rather autonomous, and robotic in nature. I say that each of them follows a total of four commands."

Claire "Why four? I don't get it."

Gwen "I'll simplify it with the big subject outside. I believe it was ordered to absorb its three allies which counts as three commands. I believe the last command goes like this "Go to the Atlantic Ocean and absorb the targets."."

Sarah "Gwen... You have an awesome cultist voice! That was sick!"

Gwen "You're surprised by this? I was a warlock during our campaign since we were 14 years old."

Sarah "Oh shit! Yeah lol! Forgot about that!"

Kanji "Back on topic, that means they figured out where we were going but how... unless one of the remaining two has that power. There's a bad feeling about this. Let's not waste time. We should first get rid of the entire deck and then rebuilt it."

Sarah "Wait. Why though?"

Kanji "We need this function when we get out of this place. Unless you want to sink. You guys should focus on getting planks. Leave to building and machinery to me and Gwen."

Claire "Oh! This is a good time to test out your wood-cutting skills."

Sarah "Nice. But don't you want to learn it too?"

Claire "Girl, I was a scout you know. I mastered this shit a long time ago. You should teach Diana and Amelia."

Diana "Nah, no way! I ain't about that stuff! My fingers are too big and might just break by accident. Breaking trees though! That I like! Good for releasing some steam!"

Amelia "A brief lesson wouldn’t hurt. Takes me back to when my uncle carved rabbit statues after his hunting adventures."

Gwen "Let's like everyone has settled. Shall we proceed?"

They exchange a nod, giving each other an eager thumbs-up, before diverging. Diana lowers herself, mustering power from her legs that crackles the earth below. With a mighty jump, she rockets upward, emanating a potent shockwave from her launching point. The tremor throws off a few bystanders, prompting the other wielders to retreat. High above, Diana brings her hands together in a praying gesture. As she descends, she stretches out her arms, palms pointed to the ground.

Upon touchdown, a radiant yellow aura envelops the vicinity. The tremors make the ground sway under the feet of the wielders.

Kanji "Damn it! The RV’s tipping! Keep it steady!"

Prompted by his command, they scramble, taking up positions around the vehicle, desperately trying to balance it. Suddenly, a deafening THUMP echoes from The Aspect of Law. The ground leaps, uprooting trees that hurtle into the air. In the ensuing chaos, they navigate the RV, dodging the falling trees in panic.

Sarah "God Dammit! Diana! That was too fucking overboard, man!"

Diana "Shit! I'm sorry!"

She comes over with a single jump.

Diana "On the bright side, look at all this wood!"

They offer her blank stares. Kanji steps in, gently guiding her to rest on a neighboring boulder. She observes Mina and Sarah instruct Amelia on wood carving. To their astonishment, Amelia picks it up in no time. Under Claire’s efficient supervision, their teamwork process up the fallen trees in under an hour. Impressed by the progress, Diana applauds.

Diana "Wow! You guys are insane! Hey! Let me do all the heavy lifting!"

Upon agreement, Diana hauls the lumber, stacking it near the RV.

Diana "So what now, Boss?"

Kanji "Gwen and I have been tinkering with my nanobots meshed with her morphabots. A match made in heaven, albeit mine specializes in minerals and compounds, while hers excel in biological elements. We then split off while you guys were carving those planks."

Gwen "I unearthed an amazing discovery. The local sap hardens, nearly to an iron-like consistency when mixed with dirt after a short time."

Kanji "So the plan is to create long holes along each end of the planks and then fill them with the compound. I'll create holes while she fills them."

Sarah "Lmao! That's what she said-

Diana "Knock it off, Sarah!"

Sarah "Alright, alright. My fucking bad."

A vast, shadowy swarm emerges from Kanji’s chain. With heightened concentration, he manipulates the nanobots to carve precise channels, assisted by his friends who align the planks Gwen delivers a minor cut to her wrist and releases a swarm of green particles. Gathering sap and mixing it with soil, she directs the morphabots to fill the channels, essentially forging iron-like rods to bind the planks.

An hour later, the deck stands anew.

Claire "Yes! We did it!"

Amelia "Hold on! What about the bloody wheels? And the front of our vessel?!"

Kanji "Oh. About that... I going to sacrifice my nanobots to convert the atoms of the surrounding dirt into wheels and recover the entire front of the vehicle."

Mina "Wouldn't that make your weapon... you know like break?"

Kanji "Yeah but I'm willing to risk it."

Kanji extends his arms, directing them toward the nanobot swarm, which begins to glow with a vivid blue hue. With precision, they carve a large cavity into the earth, transmuting the soil into four sturdy wheels. Diana swiftly lifts them, replacing the vehicle's damaged ones. The nanobots then spread out, quickly restoring the entire front of the RV, from the base to the driver's seat.

Gwen "Wow, I have to admit. That level of control is impressive."

Kanji "Yeah. But it appears that 50 percent of nanobots have been destroyed in the process. Please remind me to recover them after this whole ordeal."

Gwen "I'll be sure to remind you."

Mina "Awesome! I love you! Super amazing RV!"

Sarah "Hey! I wanted to hug it first! Not fair!"

Claire "Guys! We should see if the deck can go back first."

Mina, with an air of nostalgia, is the first to step up. As the group settles into the driver's compartment, she hits a button marked with a river icon. The familiar hum of the engine vibrates beneath them, and the deck folds inwards, slotting seamlessly into the RV's chassis.

Mina "Fuck yeah! We're back-

The earth beneath them trembles gently, emitting a low buzz that captivates their senses.

Casting their gaze outside, an inexplicable event consumes their vision. The entirety of the world shifts, metamorphosing into a seamless horizon. Everything, from the city, and the dense swamp, to the tiniest creatures, transforms and flattens until it vanishes. All that remains is an expansive field of lush green grass. Yet, to Amelia's horror, at the heart of this verdant expanse lies a bare patch of earth, distinctly shaping the visage of a haunting medieval jester. Its grin is menacing, teeth dagger-sharp, and it sports a whimsical hat with four pronounced points.

Elsewhere, in the realm beyond this bizarre world, a magnificent statue, monumental in stature, begins to lower itself in a respectful gesture. It seems to be offering its homage to the vast, star-spangled heavens above. Suddenly, the brief shadow of an enormous dragon, reminiscent of old Western tales, suspends itself within the skies, setting the stars aflame. As they collide in a blazing spectacle and converge into a single point, the dragon's form dissipates from mortal view. And from this celestial dance, two astonishing sights the likes no one has ever seen emerge...

Galaxies of stars unite, forging the shape of a four-digit Poe clock. Its countdown commences, ticking down from a full twelve hours.

Adjacent to this temporal phenomenon, the most radiant star ever observed by human eyes from Earth's surface grows larger and larger, its intense radiance magnifying with each fleeting second...

(To be continued)