The interior of the Adventurers Guild Headquarters was a large, medieval reception area with stairs leading to a second floor above the reception desk. A dozen Adventurers with impressive-looking gear turned to look at Akumi and the others as they entered.

The double doors slammed shut behind them, seemingly all by themselves.

Bunny-Bear put Akumi and Emma down. Monster Slayer did the same with Sheepwolf.

'This is an outrage!' said Sheepwolf. 'Attacked on my own inauguration day!' He poked Monster Slayer in the breastplate. 'While you Adventurers stood and watched! If it wasn't for the Good Guys, I'd be dead!'

'No,' said Monster Slayer. 'If it wasn't for Bunny-Bear and I telling the Good Guys about your situation through our systems, then you'd be dead.'

Sheepwolf laughed. 'A likely story! I should have your Adventurer Licences revoked this instant! I'm not even out of danger yet! What's to keep those Reptilians outside from breaking in here?!'

A stern, feminine voice came down from the second floor balcony. 'Calm down, Mister Mayor. Everything is under control.'

Akumi looked up to see a beautiful woman. She looked like an office lady, with glasses, red hair in a pony tail, and a red business suit with a skirt, only her skin was wild green, and there was a giant, open Venus flytrap mouth on her back, resembling a pair of angel wings.

Bunny-Bear spoke through her system. Be respectful to this one, girls. This is Venus. She's the Deputy Guild Master of the Adventurers Guild. She doesn't suffer fools, so mind your manners.

Akumi and Emma nodded.

Venus walked down the stairs. She had lovely legs.

Hubba hubba! Akumi thought.

Bunny-Bear spanked her.

Venus placed her hand on Sheepwolf's shoulder. 'The Adventurers Guild Headquarters is invulnerable from the outside. What's more, it can only be opened from the inside. You are completely safe here.'

Sheepwolf grinned and blushed. 'Why thank you, my dear! I feel safer already!' He took her hand in both of his. 'Prey tell, is your name as pretty as your face, my alien angel?'

Venus crushed Sheepwolf's right hand until he winced. 'My name is Venus. I'm Deputy Guild Master here at the Adventurers Guild.' She let go and turned to Monster Slayer and Bunny-Bear. 'Well done alerting the Good Guys about the Outcasts, you two. They apparently dropped into Babel via a spaceship flying in-atmosphere. That should have been impossible thanks to Manticore's planetary defence systems, meaning something fishy is going on.' She noticed Akumi and Emma. 'Who are they?'

'Strays,' said Monster Slayer. 'They were transported to the forest by way of Dungeon Gates that materialised within their “virtual reality helmets”.' He shrugged. 'They don't even know what universe they're from.'

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Venus raised an eyebrow. 'Two more, huh?'

Akumi made a face. Two more?

Bunny-Bear hugged her and Emma to her fluffy chest. 'Can we keep 'em, Venus?! Can we?! Can we?! I promise they'll be good!'

Just then, the double doors swung open. Something swam through the ground towards them.

It was Sharkodile!

Monster Slayer, Bunny-Bear, and Venus moved in front of Sheepwolf.

Akumi and Emma jumped out of the way.

Sharkodile burst out of the ground and threw out a sapphire grenade.

'OCEAN GRENADE!' said Monster Slayer.

An explosion of water turned the room upside down.

Akumi slammed into a wall.

The entire reception area was underwater!

She held her breath.

The Adventurers were floating all around the place—none of them had had time to prepare!

Now in her natural element, Sharkodile zigzagged towards Sheepwolf, her bowie knife in her hand.

She swung at his neck, eyes flashing red.

Something big rushed towards her from the opposite direction.

It was a 100-foot-tall praying mantis!

The giant praying mantis slashed Sharkodile with its raptorial legs. She flew out the double doors.

The water drained out of building through the entrance. Akumi gasped for air.

All the Adventurers quickly got up and surrounded Sheepwolf.

A giant silver rocketship descended outside. Tyrannus, Lord Inferno, Squid, and Pussy were already inside.

'Get in,' said Tyrannus. 'We're leaving.'

Sharkodile coughed up blood. She had a nasty gash across her chest. 'Give me one more chance, boss! I almost had him!'

'GET IN NOW!'

Sharkodile glared at Tyrannus and then at Sheepwolf. 'This isn't over.'

She clambered into the rocketship, and it took off into the sky.

Dungeon Gates appeared outside where the Adventurers, United Worlds Peacekeepers, and Reptilians were still fighting. The Reptilians bolted through them, and the medieval doors disappeared.

Venus spat out water. 'Someone opened the entrance from the inside! The Adventurers Guild has a traitor!'

The giant praying mantis walked over to Akumi and stood over her. Its lightless black eyes combined with its bloody raptorial legs caused a shiver to run down her spine.

'H-hello,' she said. 'Please don't eat me.'

The giant praying mantis cocked its head. It laughed softly and spoke with a masculine Californian accent. 'Have no fear, little one. I am General Mantis, the Guild Master of the Adventurers Guild. And you...are a Player.'

Akumi smiled and nodded.

Something told her she was in big trouble.