Kimi looked over Y’s notebook, checking his math.

“Yeah, it should work,” she decided. “I’d add an extra ten water bubbles, just to be sure.”

He smiled, taking the book back. “I’ll add an extra twenty-five. After all, the rock is somewhat absorbent. We don’t want water to soak into the ground too fast and not fill the canyon.”

Kimi frowned. “I didn’t think about that. We’ve never checked the absorbency of rock here, have we?” She looked at the desert canyon around them. “The walls and the ground are two different types of rock. We should take samples to the water floor and…”

She stopped as golden light surrounded her. Putting on her most innocent smile, she waited to meet the Admin.

When the light faded, she found herself next to Nikki and Aya, not Y. Lily and Mika popped in, looking startled. Kimi turned to see the Admin standing a few paces away, surrounded by hovering screens.

“Hey, so, I need you to decide a couple things,” he said, looking the group over. “I’m sending you on to the next dungeon. You good with your names?”

“Only us?” Nikki asked.

“I’ll pull the rest in later,” he said. “Names?”

Kimi debated changing to Kim, what Y called her, but decided against it. She agreed to keep her name with the others.

“Set,” he said, typing. He sent one screen away and pulled another closer. “It won’t matter much, but I need at least two solo players. Any of you ok with being solo?”

Mika raised her hand.

Aya slowly lifted hers. “I am, if necessary.”

“Ok, putting you down as a ‘maybe’. Mika: ice magic is going to be white, while water is staying blue. You ok with white magic?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

“Rainbow still isn’t an option?” she asked, pouting slightly.

The Admin shook his head.

Mika sighed, nodding.

“Anyone else want to change their magic type?” he asked.

Kimi absolutely did not. No one else did, either.

“Good,” the Admin said. “Last thing: I can only send ten people to the next dungeon. You five have to go. But your group has six more people in it. Who do you want me to cut out?”

Silence. The catgirls looked at each other nervously, trying to think.

Kimi clenched her fists, glaring at the Admin. “Y is going. I’m not leaving here without him.”

“I have a suggestion, if you like,” he said calmly.

“Who?” Mika asked.

He looked at a screen. “Avi. He does nothing to help kill, and try as I might I can’t find a tactical position for him. He’s not useful for a group of fighters.”

Nikki squeaked. “But…”

Lily looked at her. “He’s a pacifist. Would he be happy in the next dungeon?”

“But…”

Kimi tried to think of something, anything to say. But the Admin had a point. Going off of strengths and personality, leaving Avi behind was the logical thing to do.

Aya cleared her throat. “We should leave Samantha here.”

“Samantha? Why?” the Admin asked.

Mika nodded. “If you put Samantha in charge of our floor or something, she’d be happy.”

“Samantha wants a reputation outside ‘one of the Sams’,” Aya said. “She’d be fine going with us, but leaving her here in a position of responsibility would make her happiest.”

“Yeah, leave Samantha,” Kimi said, taking Nikki’s trembling hand. “We can train Avi with illusions. He’ll be a healer or whatever, it’ll be fine.”

Nikki nodded, tears in her eyes.

“Ok,” the Admin said, typing. “Samantha stays. The group moving on will be you five, Y, Staab, Avi, Samuel and Samurai. Agreed?”

They all agreed, with various levels of enthusiasm.

“Great. That covers everything for now. If I need you again I’ll send you a message.” With a flick of his wrist they were teleported back to where they’d come from.