Bo hopped along the crumbling stone path, his eyes darting across the chaotic landscape of Castle Chaos. Floating platforms spun wildly; gears clicked and clanked with ominous precision. The massive castle loomed in the distance, dark towers silhouetted against a fiery sky, daring him forward.
“Feels like a nightmare version of an old game,” Bo muttered, landing unsteadily on a wobbling platform. He could barely catch his balance before he spotted another hazard—a swinging axe.
“Glad you’re enjoying my custom touches,” Lucy’s voice rang out, far too amused. “Especially since they’re all inspired by things you humans seem to love.” She paused before adding, “Of course, by ‘enjoying,’ I mean... surviving, just barely.”
Bo grunted as he narrowly avoided a swinging hammer, his stubby feet wobbling. “I’ll… thank you later… if I’m still in one piece!”
Just as the words left his mouth, the ground trembled again. Bo whipped around and—of course—saw a massive rolling pin barreling toward him from behind, its wooden surface gleaming with a polished sheen. It was spinning end over end with terrifying speed, bouncing off the ground and obstacles like it had a vendetta against him.
“Not again!” Bo yelped, leaping forward just as the rolling pin smashed through the platform behind him. He could feel the rush of air as it thundered past, and for a moment, he was airborne—his fluffy body flailing as he sailed through the air.
He landed with a soft splat on the next platform, his body flattening momentarily before bouncing back into shape. Bo let out a shaky sigh of relief, but there was no time to rest. The path ahead was filled with even more traps—rotating spikes, swinging hammers, and what looked like a pool of bubbling chocolate lava below.
“She’s a demon!” Bo muttered, hopping from platform to platform. He narrowly avoided a swinging axe, which whizzed past his head with a deafening whoosh. He could hear Lucy’s laughter echoing through the castle walls, and it did little to calm his nerves.
As Bo approached the first major obstacle—a series of rotating gears—he spotted something shimmering in the distance. High above the gears, floating in midair, was a glowing key, pulsing with a soft golden light.
“There it is!” Bo exclaimed, his eyes locking onto the key. “The first key!”
Lucy’s voice chimed in, sounding a little too smug for Bo’s liking. “Better hurry. That rolling pin is coming back.”
Bo’s eyes widened. “WHAT?!”
He glanced behind him and, sure enough, the massive rolling pin was hurtling toward him again, this time faster than before. The sound of its spinning surface echoing in the air, a thunderous reminder that he had very little time to act.
Bo had no choice. He leaped onto the first rotating gear, his rotund body bouncing slightly as the gear began to spin beneath him. The gear was large—about the size of a car’s wheel—and it was turning slowly, but steadily, toward a series of sharp spikes jutting out from the wall. He gulped, his fluffy form trembling as he calculated the timing.
“Alright, alright… You’ve got this,” Bo muttered, trying to hype himself up. “Just a simple jump… On a deadly spinning gear… Over a pit of lava… While being chased by a rolling pin of doom. No pressure.”
He jumped just as the gear reached the apex of its spin, launching himself toward the next gear above him. He landed with a soft plop, barely managing to steady himself before the gear began rotating again.
Bo groaned. “This is so much harder without proper hands and feet…”
The rolling pin was getting closer, its massive shadow looming over him as it crushed everything in its path. Bo’s heart—or whatever passed for his heart in this squishy form—was racing as he leaped from gear to gear, trying to reach the platform where the key was hovering.
Just a little more…
The final gear spun him dangerously close to a wall of spikes, but he managed to leap off just in time, landing on a narrow platform. The glowing key floated just above him, shimmering with an ethereal light.
Bo reached out with his stubby limbs, stretching as far as his mochi body would allow. His mitten-like hand brushed against the key, causing it to dissolve into motes of light.
[Key 1/4 Collected]
Bo grinned, as he sighed with relief. “One down, three to go.”
But his moment of victory was short-lived.
The ground beneath him trembled again—Bo’s eyes widened in horror—as the massive rolling pin came crashing through the gears, obliterating everything in its path, heading straight for him.
“No, no, NOOO!” Bo yelped, bouncing off the platform just as the rolling pin smashed through it. He barely managed to grab onto a dangling chain, his mochi limbs stretching like taffy as he swung wildly through the air.
The rolling pin thundered past him, missing him by inches. He dangled from the chain, panting as he tried to calm his nerves.
“Why… Is this… So hard?” he muttered, his arms trembling from the effort of holding onto the chain.
Aeri’s voice crackled in his ear, as smug as ever. “Because it’s a trial, duh. Now stop whining and get to the next key.”
Bo glared at the tiny form. “You’re really not helpful, you know that?”
Aeri huffed. “Maybe if you weren’t so slow…”
Bo sighed, resigning himself to his fate. With the rolling pin gone—for now—he swung himself toward the next set of platforms. The trial wasn’t over yet, and he still had three more keys to collect.
“Alright… Let’s keep going,” He muttered, bouncing forward once again.
His squishy body bounced off the next bridge platform, with his bunny-like ears flapping wildly as he tried to maintain balance. The energy from the first key buzzed in the back of his mind, but he had no time to relish in his success. The path ahead was more treacherous than ever, filled with even more absurd, dangerous obstacles that looked straight out of a medieval nightmare.
The stone walls of the castle vibrated with an aggressive, fast-paced rhythm—rock music blaring from unseen instruments, making everything feel like a chaotic, dangerous, mad world. Castle Chaos wasn’t just any obstacle course. This was a nightmare stage, one that was alive, where everything—everything—wanted to crush, squish, eat, or incinerate him.
Ahead of him lay a daunting sight: a crumbling tower, barely holding together, with giant ogres smashing their clubs into the ground in time with the thunderous beat. The ground shook with each blow, sending cracks snaking through the stone beneath his little feet.
Bo groaned. “This… Is ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous.”
Lucy, now in a tiny form, floated along while sitting on top of Aeri’s orb. “You wanted limbs, didn’t you? Well, earn them!”
“Yeah? I didn’t ask for this however!”
Lucy giggled, and Bo could practically hear the smugness in her voice. “No one said earning magical limbs would be easy, little one.”
The ground shuddered again as a particularly large ogre roared, raising its club high into the air. Bo gulped, watching the massive weapon descend. He didn’t wait to see where it would land.
“Time to go!” Bo yelped, launching himself forward in a series of frantic hops. His mitten-like limbs wobbled as he bounced from one crumbling stone to the next, narrowly avoiding the impact of the ogre’s club as it smashed into the ground with a deafening BOOM. The vibrations from the impact sent Bo tumbling, but he caught himself at the last second, his small rotund feet gripping the unstable ground.
As he bounced ahead, Bo spotted something glinting in the distance—a shimmering coin, easily the size of a football, hanging in midair between two teetering stone platforms. Bo’s eyes widened. That’s… He knew that collecting these coins wasn’t really part of the trial, but if he wanted to earn any sort of extra rewards, he’d better not miss any.
With a determined bounce, Bo launched himself toward the bridge platform ahead of him. It wobbled precariously beneath his weight, shifting like a seesaw. His mochi body jiggled as he struggled to maintain balance. The platform leaned dangerously to one side, but he pushed off just in time, leaping toward the second platform.
Behind him, the ogres roared in frustration, smashing their clubs into the ground again as they tried to swat him like a bug. Arrows whizzed past, barely missing him as skeletal archers perched on the crumbling battlements joined the fray.
“Seriously? Arrows now?!” Bo gasped, dodging left as a volley of arrows sliced through the air where he had just been.
He gritted his teeth and focused on the shiny coin ahead. With one last desperate leap, he snatched the coin from the air, feeling a surge of energy as it dissolved into light and was stored somewhere by Aeri.
1 Gold Coin Collected!
“Got... It!” Bo yelped, barely landing on the next platform as the ground beneath him crumbled into the abyss, forcing him to quickly hop away, landing with a splat on a stony path.
“That’s one, Bunbun~! There’s plenty more to collect,” Lucy chimed in, hovering cheerfully beside him.
Bo groaned. “This trial is going to be the end of me…”
Before he could catch his breath, the world shuddered again. Bo looked up to see a massive boulder tumbling down a slope ahead, smashing everything in its path. Ogres scattered, roaring in panic as the enormous rock barreled toward them.
“OH COME ON!” Bo screamed, leaping into motion. His rotund little feet pumped furiously as he raced down the crumbling path, the boulder thundering behind him. He hopped over gaps in the floor, dodged arrows, and narrowly avoided being squashed by falling debris.
Coins glinted along the way—Bronze, Silver, Gold, and even a couple of silvery-white coins hidden between the cracks of the collapsing towers which he assumed were the Mithril ones. Bo scrambled to collect as many as he could, bouncing from one platform to the next in a desperate attempt to stay ahead of the rampaging boulder.
As he darted ahead, he spotted something unusual on the next platform—a small glowing orb, shimmering with an ethereal light. It hovered just out of reach, pulsing with energy. Bo’s eyes widened in recognition. He had seen something like this before, back in the old platformer games he used to play.
“Is that what I think it is...?”
Lucy’s voice chimed in with excitement. “That’s a Luminous Sprite! It’s a rare being and can be exchanged for special rewards if you collect enough of them!”
Bo didn’t need any more encouragement. With a well-timed hop, he launched himself toward the orb glowing in various shades of green. His tiny mitten-like hand brushed against its surface, and the Sprite revolved around his fluffy form for a brief moment, as if happy to have been finally rescued, before being dissolved into light, sending a wave of energy through his body.
The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.
[Hidden Quest Unlocked!]
[Unique Quest] Guardians of the Spirit Realms Part 1: Captured Sprites
You have rescued a member of the Fae, a mischievous and curious sprite secretly held captive in one of Lucy’s many pocket worlds. The Spring Court has taken note of your actions, and whispers of your kindness ripple through the Spirit Realms. Should you free enough of their kin, you may gain their trust—and the rewards that follow.
Mission: Rescue 7 Sprites
Progress: 1/7
Rewards: Unique Title | ???
Note: This is a unique serial quest, and is part 1 out of 3 quests.
Before he could figure out what that was all about, the boulder let out a deafening rumble as it picked up speed, crashing through the remains of the ogre’s tower. Bo squeaked in terror and bolted forward, barely managing to dodge a falling chunk of debris that nearly squashed him flat.
“Why is everything trying to flatten me?!”
As Bo dashed toward the next area, a cannon roared to life in the distance, launching massive cannonballs into the air. They arced gracefully over the castle walls before slamming into the ground ahead, sending shockwaves through the already fragile stone. Bo’s ears twitched in alarm as he spotted the trajectory of the next cannonball.
“It never ends!” he gasped, bouncing wildly to avoid being squashed.
Just as Bo thought he had a moment to catch his breath, a new threat appeared—up ahead, an enormous dragon—the chubbiest one he had ever seen in any sort of media—lumbered into view. It belched out a torrent of fire, scorching the ground as it stomped forward, the stone bridge barely holding its weight.
Bo stared at the huge beast in disbelief. “What have you been feeding that dragon?!”
Lucy giggled, clearly enjoying his panic. “Better hop faster, or you’re going to be roasted and eaten!”
Bo didn’t need to be told twice. He leaped onto a moving platform, narrowly avoiding a blast of fire as the dragon’s flame scorched the stone behind him. The heat singed his squishy mochi body, but he kept moving, his limbs wobbling with every frantic hop.
Arrows continued to rain down from above, cannons blasted, and the dragon roared in fury as Bo darted from platform to platform, collecting coins and dodging fireballs.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of chaos, Bo spotted the second key—a shimmering, golden object perched precariously on the edge of a crumbling tower. The tower swayed ominously as chunks of stone fell away, and the key glowed brighter with every step closer that he got.
“There it is!” Bo gasped, his floppy ears perking up. “Just… A little… Closer!”
With a final leap after having traversed up the tower, Bo soared through the air, reaching out with his stubby arms. His mitten-like hands closed around the key, and a familiar message popped up in his vision as he landed with a plop.
[Key 2/4 Collected!]
But before he could celebrate, the ground beneath him gave way, and the tower began to collapse.
“Not again!”
The floor crumbled beneath him, causing him to plummet toward the ground, his rotund limbs flailing wildly. As the dragon’s roar echoed in the distance and the castle’s rock music blasted in the background, Bo could only think one thing.
This trial is ridiculous.
The world blurred as Bo tumbled from the collapsing tower, limbs flailing in every direction. He bounced off a stone platform, then another, landing with a splat on what felt like a very wobbly surface. He quickly pulled himself upright, and for a brief moment, everything seemed calm.
Of course, it was only just a moment.
The unmistakable sound of cannon fire echoed through the chaotic landscape of Castle Chaos, followed by the screeching roar of the pudgy dragon as it stomped around the battlefield. Flames licked the air, and arrows shot through the sky like angry hornets, each one aimed directly at him.
He didn’t have time to think. He just hopped.
“I swear, I’ve seen easier boss fights in my nightmares!” Bo grumbled, bouncing from platform to platform. His floppy, mochi limbs jiggled with each leap, barely avoiding a series of falling arrows. “Can’t a guy get a break?!”
Lucy’s laughter echoed from above, her voice a gleeful hum in the chaos. “Oh, sweetie, breaks are for people not trying to gain magical limbs!”
Bo could practically feel her smugness. “I really need a vacation after all this...”
“Nope! Limbs first, then we’ll talk about that,” Lucy called, her wings fluttering in the distance as she watched the mayhem unfold. “But don’t worry, you’re doing great—sort of.”
With a determined bounce, he launched himself toward the next platform—a narrow, crumbling bridge that swayed precariously over a bubbling pool of molten chocolate lava. Arrows continued to rain down from the battlements, their sharp points glinting in the fiery light as they whizzed past him.
“Seriously, whoever designed this castle deserves to be banned from the industry...” Bo muttered, hopping frantically across the unstable bridge.
“It’s that good?” Lucy replied, her tone far too cheery for someone who clearly enjoyed watching him suffer. “It’s a masterpiece, isn’t it? I’m thinking of making this a permanent stage in the system trials. Maybe add a few more spikes, and another dragon, though…”
Bo yelped, barely dodging another arrow. “You’re a demon! A slavedriver! Why can’t you just be like the other superior beings who just hand out everything to their chosen one?”
As he bounced across the swaying bridge, Bo spotted another shimmering object up ahead—this time, it wasn’t a key, but a treasure chest, perched dangerously close to the edge of the platform.
Bo’s eyes widened in surprise. That chest has to be worth something…
Lucy’s voice rang out again, this time with a playful lilt. “Oooh, I see you’ve spotted one of the treasure chests! Think you can reach it?”
Bo narrowed his eyes. “Oh, I’m getting that chest. If it’s the last thing I do!”
With a burst of determination, he bounced toward the chest, dodging the last few arrows and cannonballs as he landed with a plop on the platform. The chest shimmered in the fiery light, its shining surface gleaming with the promise of riches. Bo reached out with his stubby mitten-like limbs and, with a soft grunt, pried the chest open.
A bright light burst from the chest, illuminating the chaotic battlefield around him.
Silver Treasure Chest Opened!
Obtained 50 Silver Coins!
Achievement Unlocked! Title Obtained!
[Rookie Treasure Hunter]
Reward - Passive Skill: Keen Eye for “Treasure”
Your senses have become faintly attuned to nearby treasures and valuables, giving you an instinctual sense of their direction when close by. While still at the novice stage, this ability allows you to detect a treasure’s general location within a limited radius. You may also experience “glimmers” in your vision when near hidden valuables.
As you open more chests and uncover lost riches and artifacts, your title and skill will evolve, enhancing your sensitivity and granting new abilities
Bo grinned as the coins materialized around him, shrinking into little silver orbs before Aeri snatched them up with a flick of her ethereal hand. “Now we’re talking!”
He was surprised at the additional reward from the achievement, but before he could take a moment to understand how the ability worked, the ground beneath him trembled violently, and Bo’s heart—or what passed for it in his mochi form—sank as he realized what was coming.
Another roar echoed through the castle, followed by the unmistakable sound of thundering footsteps.
“Oh no…” Bo whispered, his eyes widening in horror.
The massive dragon—the same one that had nearly toasted him earlier—came charging toward him, its pudgy belly jiggling as it stomped across the battlefield. Flames shot from its nostrils as it snarled, its beady eyes locked onto him with a terrifying intensity.
Bo gulped. “Not this again!”
The dragon reared back, flames spewing from its mouth as it unleashed a torrent of fire in his direction. It took everything Bo had to barely dodge the flames as they scorched the stony ground across the bridge.
“I am NOT dragon food!” Bo yelped, leaping onto a nearby platform. He could feel the heat from the flames caramelizing parts of his mochi form as he bounced away, his heart racing like a formula one car.
As he raced across the battlefield, dodging dragon fire, arrows, and cannon fire, he eventually obtained the third key as well after what felt like an eternity of dodging traps and surviving deadly attacks.
[Key 3/4 Collected!]
Bo grinned as he relaxed for a moment in the castle’s main plaza, finally feeling like victory was within reach. His heart lifted with hope, but the victory was short-lived. With an ear-splitting roar, the dragon suddenly appeared behind him—swinging one massive paw—then sending him hurtling through the air.
“AHHHHHHH!” Bo’s scream echoed through the rock’n’roll music in the background until he landed with a bone-jarring SPLAT against the tallest keep of the castle, his squishy body barely holding together.
His eyes crossed dizzily. “This has to be some form of supernatural bullying!”
Lucy’s laughter floated down to him, rich with glee. “You can’t be giving up yet, bunny boy! The fun is just getting started! Now, go on—give Chub Chub a good fight! He has the final key!”
“Chub Chub?” Bo groaned as he peeled himself off the stone floor, spotting the fourth and final key that gleamed in the dragon’s left talon. Chub Chub swiveled its eyes to lock onto him, scales glistening with heat, its stubby wings flapping as it readied another roar. This was it, the final obstacle, and it was a beast ten times his size, exhaling fiery breaths as it prepared to cook him alive and then eat him.
Chub Chub unleashed a torrent of flame that raced across the stone. Bo barely managed to hurl himself out of the way, the heat grazing his mochi form and caramelizing part of his side. He hid behind a large statue, depicting Lucy in a victory pose, as he took a few breaths to stabilize his tense nerves.
Aeri floated beside him, whispering, “Stay focused, Bo. You’ll need to get past him if you want that key. F-for this final boss, you can temporarily use the Detachable Limbs skill at its full potential.”
Bo raised a mochi brow in surprise. “Can I?” He glanced at Lucy—who was still sitting on top of Aeri in her miniature form—nodding with a smirk. Before he could even thank them, though, the dragon let out a warning roar, then exhaled a torrent of fire that scorched the statue. Bo leapt out of the way, before the statue suddenly exploded into countless flaming pieces.
Lucy’s laugh got caught in her throat as she stared at her broken statue. She snapped her head towards Chub Chub, pointing a finger towards it, “How dare you! I’ll definitely turn you into roast chicken after this is over!”
The dragon snorted, ignoring Lucy, then glancing lazily around as it looked for Bo, its next snack. The platform trembled as the beast shifted its massive bulk, the final key dangling like bait from its claw.
Bo tried to steady his breathing while hiding behind another statue, eyes darting around for options. Then it hit him—the walls of the keep were ancient, cracked from years of wear. If he could dislodge one of the chunks, maybe he could pin down the dragon’s tail. It was a risky plan, but he didn’t have a choice.
“Alright, time to try these limbs,” he muttered. Focusing hard, he detached both of his mitten-like hands, sending them soaring toward the weakest section of the keep’s wall. The hands latched onto a loose stone near the mid-section, and he tugged with all the strength he could muster. Perhaps it was the fact that the skill was at its highest potential level, but he felt some kind of power coursing through his body that he didn’t think he had before.
CRACK! The stone loosened, causing the tower to teeter dangerously. But he needed more leverage to bring it down. He also needed the dragon to be positioned in the right spot. With a deep breath, he bounced across the stony floor, grabbing its attention before he yelled at it.
“I bet you’ve never had a snack as tasty, fluffy and sweet as me! You oversized LIZARD!”
Chub Chub whipped its head around, snarling in outrage.
Bo positioned himself right below the teetering tower as he waited for the dragon to charge at him.
STOMP STOMP STOMP
The entire keep rumbled from the dragon’s heavy stomps as it crushed everything in its path.
Almost there… Any second now… NOW!
Right then, Bo tugged at the loose stone—the wall gave way with a deafening rumble. Massive chunks of stone crashed down on top of Chub Chub, pinning the dragon down. Roaring in shock and fury, the dragon twisted, attempting to free itself, but the final key was now finally within Bo’s reach.
“Got you!” Bo shouted, bouncing toward the key with everything he had. Just as he reached the edge, the dragon let out an earth-shattering roar and threw its head back, releasing a blast of scorching heat.
The flame raced toward Bo, and he barely managed to dodge, the mochi in his form sizzling with heat. But he couldn’t let the chance slip away. With one final bounce, he leaped on top of Chub Chub’s head to grab its attention, then detached a limb and threw it toward the key.
“GO!”
The mitten-like limb connected, and the key dissolved into light that shot through him like a surge of adrenaline.
[Key 4/4 Collected!]
The notification flashed in his vision, but his victory was still far from certain. The dragon, in a last show of fury, yanked itself free and sent a crushing paw right toward Bo.
With seconds to spare, he launched himself off the dragon’s head, bouncing frantically across a series of platforms leading away from the crumbling keep, each one barely holding his weight. The dragon’s roar chased him, along with another fiery breath that burned the air around him.
Ahead of him, Aeri hovered near a shimmering portal. “Hurry!” She cheered, her voice almost admiring.
Bo gasped, diving for the portal just as the dragon’s jaws snapped inches behind him.
As he crossed into the portal, Lucy’s laughter echoed around him, delighted and a little bit proud. “Well done, my fluffy little hero! Now then, it’s time for your rewards!”