Bo barely had time to reorient himself as they were spat out of the Castle Chaos portal, landing with a soft plop on the grassy ground. The fresh air filled his squishy lungs, a welcome reprieve after the endless hazards and thundering rock music. He was still reeling from the trial’s chaos when a familiar chime echoed in his ears, drawing his gaze to a blinking notification on the edge of his vision. But before he could gather his thoughts, Lucy’s laughter filled the air as she scooped him up, spinning him around in dizzying circles.
“We did it, Bo!” Lucy sang out, her voice ringing with glee as she held him high. “You survived my finest trial yet!”
Bo couldn’t help but let out a little cheer of his own, his little mochi fists pumping in the air. “Yeah! I actually survived!”
But before he could bask in his victory, he felt a shiver roll down his back as Lucy’s jubilant gaze slowly shifted. Her bright eyes became more fiery, and the smile she’d been wearing softened into a hungry grin. A soft, almost predatory gleam danced in her eyes, and Bo suddenly found himself in her grip, held closer.
“Uh… Lucy?” he murmured, feeling a nervous flutter in his fluffy stomach.
Her answer was a quiet, almost blissful hum as she licked her lips. “You just look so... tasty, Bo…” She trailed off, her fingers squeezing him a little tighter.
“Hey, wait! Wait, Lucy!” Bo squeaked, trying to wiggle free, but it was too late. With a gleeful sparkle in her eye, she brought him close and bit down into his side, her mouth making an exaggerated OMNOMNOM sound as she munched on a soft, doughy piece of him.
“AHHHH! Lucy, I’m not—!!” Bo yelped as he felt a piece of himself disappear with each munch, the experience surprisingly ticklish and more than a little traumatizing.
“Don’ bory abaut it!” MUNCHMUNCH ”It gud t’aining!”
Lucy’s eyes closed in delight as she savored each bite, sighing happily as she chewed. “Mmm~! Such a rare, fluffy treat,” she murmured between nibbles, savoring him with little hums of contentment. She gave him another happy munch, her eyes twinkling with glee as she licked her lips for any remaining crumbs.
“I… I thought you said this was training?” Bo managed to gasp, feeling like he’d just been through another trial. His mochi body was quickly regenerating, but the experience left him shaken.
Swallowing the last piece of mochi, she licked her lips for any crumbs. “Oh, it is! I’m helping you build up your resilience,” she replied brightly, her tone far too innocent for her mischievous expression. “Never heard of tough love~? Man up!”
He gave her an exasperated look, his eyes growing misty, but her happiness and care was so genuine he could hardly argue. “Thank you…?”
After what felt like an eternity of blissful munching for Lucy, she finally set him down, still grinning. “You’re a good sport, Bo. And now that we’ve had a little snack break, let’s get to the real surprise, shall we?”
Bo then focused on the notification earlier.
[Skill Unlocked: Detachable Limbs]
A thrill shot through him as the words sank in. He’d done it! He’d earned a skill that could finally give him some flexibility beyond his squishy mochi frame. Without thinking, he focused on the new ability, feeling an unfamiliar tingle ripple through his body.
“Finally, something useful!” Bo whispered to himself, excitement rising as he glanced at his fluffy, mitten-like hands. He focused on his right paw, mentally commanding it to detach. And then—plop!—it popped off, hovering in front of him like a soft, doughy marshmallow.
He blinked at the floating paw in surprise, watching as it wobbled in the air, fully under his control. “Whoa...”
“Oh, how precious!” Lucy’s voice rang out, drawing Bo’s attention. She was watching with an amused grin, her eyes glinting with a hint of pride. “But... it’s still a little incomplete, isn’t it?”
Before Bo could ask what she meant, she extended a hand toward him, fingers glowing with a soft, silvery light. A warm sensation spread through his body, and the floating paw shimmered, stretching and reforming until it had a more distinct shape—no longer a simple mitten-like lump, but a soft, adorable cat-like paw with individual pads. It even had little claws that looked cute but held a certain gleam of potential sharpness.
[Skill Upgraded: Magical Cat Paws]
Bo gaped as he flexed the new paw, feeling each little pad and claw. The paw wasn’t just floating now; it was alive, responsive to his every thought.
“Now,” Lucy purred, her grin widening, “you’re not just a fluffy dessert. You’re a Kitty Bunbun. A real magical mochi, capable of both defending himself and looking adorable while doing it.”
Bo rotated the floating paw, watching it move as if it had a life of its own, and he couldn’t stop a grin from spreading across his face. For the first time, he actually felt… capable, powerful even.
Though he felt he did look a bit ridiculous now. He basically had the rotund body of a mochi bun, a pair of giant, fluffy bunny ears, while his “hands” and “feet” were pairs of soft and adorable cat-paws.
“I’m starting to look more and more like some kind of monster… An adorable and fluffy monster… I wonder what’s next…”
Lucy cupped her chin as she heard him, looking pensive, which caused a shiver to run down his body.
She shook her head, “well, I do have some ideas, but we’ll talk about that later. We have other things to take care of first,” she then waved her hand, materializing a shimmering three-dimensional menu with various panels of items, each item rotating gently and giving off faint glimmers. There were hologram-like images of strange items, shiny gear, odd trinkets, and even buildings.
“Welcome,” she said with a proud little flourish, “to the Lumenis Shop! Lumi and I designed it together.” She winked. “Think of it as a collection of my greatest works and some of the finest items from the Primordial Vault. It’s got everything you’ll need and then some!”
Bo stared in awe at the swirling panels as Lucy began flicking through items with practiced ease, landing on a section that displayed gear and items with glowing frames. “Since this was your first trial, let’s start with the basics. There are tons of options here—elixirs, buffs, pre-built mansions, you name it. But let’s just look at the essentials.” She tapped her finger and everything was quickly sorted for him.
[Consumables]
Mini Elixir of Mochi Toughness: Increases durability and regeneration by 25% for 10 mins. Cooldown of 60 mins.
Cost: 1 Bronze Coin
Snackable Mochi Dumpling: Fully restores health and gives a slight bonus to max health for 10 minutes. Cooldown of 60 mins.
Cost: 1 Silver Coin
Sweet Mochi Shot: Acts as a temporary projectile that can be launched to create a sticky area for 1 minute before dissolving into sugary powder.
Cost: 2 Silver Coins
Bubble Shield: Creates a temporary shield to absorb one critical hit, saving you from damage in dire moments. Can be set to auto-activate upon sensing fatal danger. Cooldown of 60 mins.
Cost: 1 Gold Coin
[Utilities and Support Items]
Magic Mirror of Deflection: A small, hand-held mirror that reflects magical attacks back toward their source with a brief flash. While the mirror doesn’t block physical attacks, it’s helpful in tight situations with ranged magic users.
Special Effect - Magical Mirror Flash: Can deflect up to three attacks while also blinding the opponent for 1 second before it shatters and needs to be replaced.
Cost: 3 Gold Coins
Phantom Echo Bell: A tiny bell that, when rung, creates a decoy sound and sends a flash image of yourself in another part of the area, temporarily confusing enemies. It’s effective against beings who hunt by sound and sight. Needs ten minutes to recharge.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
* Cost: 2 Gold Coins
Mochi Magnet: A small, squishy magnet that attracts nearby coins, saving you from having to bounce to each one. It lasts for one trial session.
Cost: Let Lucy take a bite out of you before a trial, willingly.
Slippery Slippers: Provides extra speed but lowers control, causing one to slide like one is on ice.
Special Effect - Slippery Slope: Travel twice as fast, but you only have half of your usual maneuverability. Can only be used for 30 mins before they wear out.
Cost: 1 Gold Coin
[Artifacts & Unique Items]
[Unique] Gloves of Kitty Bunbun: These white gloves fit perfectly over Bo’s floating cat paws, adding a small boost to his grip strength and allowing him to hold objects without them slipping through his soft mochi texture.
Special Effect - Grippy Grip: Allows Bo to hold onto slick or heavy objects with ease, making climbing, grabbing, and using objects easier.
Requirements: Clear the Castle Chaos Trial without dying more than once.
Cost: Let Lucy eat you once. Offer yourself willingly, or it won’t count.
[Unique] Boots of Mighty Bounce: These soft, white boots boost Bo’s jump height by 50%, and allows him to make an additional bouncy jump while in mid-air, giving him more mobility during future challenges.
Special Effect - Double Jump: Provides the ability to make an additional jump.
Requirements: Clear the Castle Chaos Trial without dying more than once.
Cost: Let Lucy eat you once. Offer yourself willingly, or it won’t count.
Lucy’s Flair - Playful Grace: When Bo wears both the Gloves of Kitty Bunbun and Boots of Mighty Bounce, his ability to interact with the environment is amplified, making him even more nimble and resourceful in tricky situations. With the gloves’ grip and the boots’ bounce, Bo gains an edge in movement and flexibility, helping him avoid sticky situations—or create them for enemies. They look slightly oversized, adding to his whimsical, comical appearance but are crafted from materials imbued with magic to prevent wear and tear. Lucy has personally created these specifically for Bo, adding an extra flair and personal touch to them.
Enhanced Agility: Bo’s movements become smoother and faster, giving him a 10% speed boost in trials, with an added reduction to the cooldown time between jumps and detached limb actions. This makes Bo feel as though he’s bouncing in a dance, deftly avoiding hazards.
Enchanted Bounce: With both items equipped, Bo’s jumps create a small pulse on landing, which briefly slows nearby enemies within a close range. This effect is gentle but enough to give him a slight edge when dodging or repositioning.
[Unique] Wisp of Light: A soft, faintly glowing wisp that floats beside you, illuminating dark areas and casting a calming effect over other creatures. The wisp reduces hostile aggression by a small percentage, making it slightly easier to avoid minor enemies or to calm down a panicked one.
Special Effect - Soothing Glow: Reduces hostility of creatures and prevents surprises in dark areas by giving a clear, glowing view of surroundings.
Requirements: Must rescue at least five Luminous Sprites. No additional cost.
[Unique] Jelly Shield of Flexing Force: A translucent shield made of an elastic, jelly-like material. The shield can stretch up to twice its size and block physical projectiles. While it doesn't last indefinitely, it provides solid defense in a pinch.
Special Effect - Bounce Back: Any projectiles that hit the shield bounce back in the direction they came from, with twice the initial power.
Requirements: Complete two trials without losing a life.
Cost: 1 Mithril and 5 Gold Coins.
[Unique] Dream Shade: This cloak is woven from Nightmare Shadows, a type of creature native to the Spirit Realm.
Special Effect 1: Grants the user invisibility until one makes an action.
Special Effect 2: Allows the user to travel to the Spirit Realm after Sunset.
Requirement: Rescue all captured sprites from Lucy’s Trials. No additional cost.
Warning: The user may only stay for a period of 3 days and nights in the Spirit Realm with the help of this cloak, before risking discovery, which can lead to being cursed, or worse, death.
Bo’s attention went directly towards the set of white gloves and a pair of soft boots.
“Ah…” Bo tilted his head, examining the gloves and boots with surprise. “Are-are those for me?”
“Of course, they are!” Lucy said, looking almost offended he’d think otherwise. “I made these myself. They are one of my finest sets—specially tailored just for you!” She leaned closer, a teasing grin forming as she whispered, “And if you wear them together, you’ll unlock a little extra magic.”
Bo’s eyes sparkled with interest as he inspected the gloves and boots more closely. They looked plush and soft, perfectly suited to his new cat-paw limbs, yet sturdy, almost like they held some hidden strength. He could feel a faint hum of magic emanating from each piece.
“Gloves of Kitty Bunbun and Boots of Mighty Bounce!” Lucy said with a flourish, grinning proudly. Bo was starting to feel a rush of excitement. These weren’t just regular items—they were special, crafted just for him, and packed with magic he could almost feel.
“But to get them…” Lucy’s eyes took on a mischievous glint. “You’ll need to make a sacrifice.”
Bo looked around, his brow furrowing. “A sacrifice? What do you mean?”
She leaned in, the gleam of mischief never leaving her gaze. “I’ll need you to willingly offer yourself up as a snack.”
Bo gulped, glancing at Lucy, who was now eyeing him with that all-too-familiar, predatory sparkle. She held out the gloves and boots with one hand while resting the other on her hip, grinning like the cat that got the cream.
“Now, be a dear, Bo, and make your pitch,” she said, her tone almost sing-song. “If you really want these shiny new accessories, you’ll have to convince me just how delicious you are.”
He took a steadying breath, trying to keep his nerves in check. After all, it was just a little snack, right? And he needed those gloves and boots.
“Lucy,” he began, attempting a confident smile, which ended up being bashful instead. “I am… probably the fluffiest, sweetest, most delectable mochi bun you’ll ever find. My, uh, flavor profile? Pure bliss with just a hint of resilience!”
Lucy’s eyes narrowed with amusement, her mouth curling into a grin. “Oh? I’m intrigued, Bunbun. What else?”
Bo cleared his throat, trying to remember all the adjectives he could think of to sell himself. “Soft. Pillow-like. Practically melt-in-your-mouth texture with just the right touch of chew. I’m… pretty much the ultimate snack!”
Lucy’s grin widened, and she raised the gloves, wiggling them tauntingly. “That sounds wonderful, if you really believe it.”
His cheeks flushed a shade of pink as his entire body squirmed. “I—I do! Absolutely! I’m practically irresistible!”
With a satisfied hum, Lucy’s expression softened from teasing to something that almost looked like pride. She set the gloves and boots aside momentarily and picked him up, holding him close. “Alright then, snack of my dreams,” she cooed, eyes twinkling, “since you’re so irresistible...”
Before he could process what was happening, she leaned in and took an exaggerated chomp on his fluffy side, nibbling and letting out an approving murmur. Bo tried to keep a straight face, but the absurdity of the situation hit him as she gave a happy hum.
Chomp… Munch… Munch…
Lucy’s expression shifted to one of pure bliss as she savored each fluffy morsel, and Bo could only watch, dazed, as she took another nibble. “Mmm, yes, definitely worth it,” she murmured between bites.
He winced but managed to grin, putting on a brave face. “So… worth a pair of gloves and boots, right?”
She gave him a final, lingering chomp before setting him back down. “More than worth it.” With a satisfied sigh, she handed him the gloves and boots. They seemed to hum with power as he took them, their soft textures fitting comfortably over his new cat paws and bunny feet.
With a flick of her wrist, Lucy pulled up his shop panel. “But don’t stop there, Bo. Since you cleaned up so well in the trial, I doubled your coin rewards—three Mithril, twelve Gold, seventy-two Silver, and one hundred and twenty-five Bronze. Quite the stash!”
Bo’s eyes widened as the display showed his earnings, the small, glittering pile making him feel oddly accomplished. He glanced around at the display, admiring each rotating panel in turn. Various consumables, support items, and unique artifacts caught his attention, each with their own little description and price tags.
“Now, let’s get you prepared for future disasters, hmm?” Lucy said, waving a hand over the shop. “Pick what you think might come in handy—oh, but don’t hesitate to get a few fun ones too. You know, for me.”
Bo pondered, browsing through the items with an eye toward practicality… and maybe a little whimsy, for her sake. The consumables were an obvious pick. “I’ll take a couple of these Mini Elixirs of Mochi Toughness,” he mumbled to himself, selecting two and watching as a pair of shimmering bottles appeared in his inventory. “And… some of the Snackable Mochi Dumplings. Might as well keep up the theme, right?”
Lucy chuckled, clearly delighted as she watched him shop. “Good choices. Those will keep you going when things get rough.”
He glanced at the support items next, considering each option. “Let’s see… definitely need the Magic Mirror of Deflection. Never know when something magical will come flying my way. And the Phantom Echo Bell—that’ll keep my foes guessing.”
He scrolled through more items, hesitating for a moment before clicking on the Mochi Magnet, grumbling under his breath. “And… the Mochi Magnet. Saving me some bounces.”
“Excellent choice,” Lucy chimed, but her voice held a touch of mischievous satisfaction. “Just remember the terms for that one.” She gave him a playful wink.
Bo sighed, adding it anyway, knowing it would be worth it in a pinch. He took one last look at his choices, happy with the array of new items at his disposal. His confidence swelled as he imagined himself maneuvering through the next trial, well-equipped and ready for anything.
Lucy gave an approving nod. “Now you’re thinking like a survivor.”
He checked his remaining coins and picked up one last item for fun—Slippery Slippers. He couldn’t help but chuckle, imagining himself sliding around like a clumsy ice skater. But something about it felt oddly fitting. Perhaps it would come in handy someday.
Lucy then clapped her hands with a cheerful and bright smile. “Alright then, it is time to test out your new skill and gear!”