As the four made their way out of the castle, the night settled in around them. Tony stretched his bony arms and sighed dramatically, his skeletal form creaking as he did so.

"Well," Tony said, rubbing his hands together, "looks like it’s time to set up camp."

Eleo, with wide, curious eyes, glanced up at the sky, which had returned to its calm, starry state. "Wait, but the sky... it went back to normal?"

Olorun, crossing his arms, chuckled. "Oh right, I forgot to tell you guys. Remember when we went through that portal earlier?"

Eleo nodded. "Yeah, it felt... weird."

Olorun continued, "That portal was an entrance to my brother’s pocket dimension."

Eleo tilted his head, his long ears twitching in confusion. "What’s a pocket dimension?"

Before Olorun could answer, Tony chimed in, sounding almost bored. "Uh, we’ll explain later, kid."

Kenji, without a word, had already started wandering into the forest. "Where are you going?" Olorun called out.

"Looking for wood," Kenji replied over his shoulder. "You know, so we can actually set up camp."

Olorun shrugged and turned. "Alright, I’ll go find some blueberries for tomorrow."

Tony gave a sly grin, pacing back and forth before picking up two rocks. "And I’ll look for... a rock."

Eleo raised an eyebrow at Tony. "Please don’t make the rock come to life."

Tony blinked in surprise, then let out a dry laugh. "Oh, don’t worry, Eleo. I’m not like Taki. No rock monsters tonight."

Eleo sighed in relief, "Phew."

A few minutes passed. Kenji had returned with a pile of wood, dropping it on the ground with a grunt. Tony, with a gleam in his eye, knelt on the ground and struck the rocks together, deliberately directing the sparks toward the wood. After a few strokes, the fire roared to life, crackling softly in the night.

"Good, we’ve got fire," Kenji said, warming his hands over the flames. "But where’s Olorun?"

Tony glanced around the clearing. "Still out looking for blueberries, I guess."

A few more minutes passed, and finally, Olorun returned, holding a small bag. Kenji looked up from the fire. "What took you so long?"

Olorun shrugged, smirking. "Had to pick the blueberries."

Eleo squinted at him, "I don’t see them."

With a smug grin, Olorun held out the small bag. "Oh, they’re in here."

Kenji looked at the tiny bag and raised an eyebrow. "Dude, really? That bag’s so small it could barely hold a watch or a few gems."

Olorun’s smirk grew wider as he opened the bag, revealing its contents. "Ah, but this bag may seem small, my friend. In reality, it’s much bigger on the inside."

Tony looked impressed, leaning in to examine the bag. "When did you even get that?"

Olorun leaned back casually, "About a month ago. I was wandering the city, bored, looking for something to pass the time, when I met this old hag. She told me if I gave her half of my soul, she’d give me this magical bag for free. So, naturally, I said yes."

Kenji facepalmed, shaking his head in disbelief. "You traded half of your soul... for a bag?"

Olorun grinned, leaning on his staff. "Best deal I ever made."

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Kenji sighed, rubbing his temple. "What does she even gain from having half your soul?"

Olorun shrugged, unconcerned. "Beats me. Didn’t ask."

Tony shook his head with a laugh, "Only you, Olorun. Only you."

As the group settled around the fire, the warmth starting to chase away the night’s chill, Eleo looked up at Olorun, curiosity flickering in his young eyes. "Why are we going to the city anyway?"

Tony leaned back, resting his bony arms behind his head. "Well, I was thinking we could rest there for a while. Maybe find a map for World 2 while we’re at it."

Eleo’s ears perked up. "Olorun, you’ve been to the city before, right? Have you ever seen a map to the second world?"

Olorun shook his head, "Nah, not really. I barely spent time in the shops when I was there."

The fire crackled between them, and for a moment, the conversation drifted off into the night, each of them lost in their thoughts. The adventure ahead loomed large, but for now, they were together, the fire warm, and the stars above serene.As the group slept, the camp was peaceful, the fire's soft crackling and the occasional chirp of distant birds the only sounds in the forest. The first rays of dawn were breaking through the trees when Kenji stirred awake, realizing he was laying on Olorun’s chest. His eyes shot open in panic just as Olorun’s did, and for a solid second, they stared at each other in shock.

Suddenly, both yelled in unison, "AHHHH!"

Eleo, still half-asleep, rubbed his eyes and groggily asked, "Ugh… what’s going on?"

Olorun, now sitting up, looked at Kenji with wide eyes. "Ayo, Kenji, I ain't gay, man!"

Kenji, flustered and defensive, quickly shot back, "Neither am I!"

"Then why were you laying on me?" Olorun asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kenji rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact. "Dude, I move around when I sleep, alright?"

Olorun gave him a skeptical look. "Ya sure?"

Tony, who had stayed remarkably calm despite Eleo using him as a pillow, chimed in. "Seems to be about six in the morning, anyway." His skeletal frame creaked as he stretched.

Eleo yawned, still draped over Tony. "So, which way to the city?"

Tony scratched his skull. "Well, uhh..."

Olorun, already on his feet, gestured toward the trees. "Let’s walk through the forest. We should be able to hit the road soon."

Kenji grabbed his sword, Kokuryū no Kogane, slinging it over his shoulder as they set off through the dense forest.

After about an hour of walking, the trees parted, revealing a breathtaking view. The landscape spread out before them was lush and vibrant—a vast green valley surrounded by towering, irregularly shaped mountains, their jagged peaks seeming almost otherworldly. The formations were distinct, either eroded by time or sculpted by nature itself, giving the entire setting a mystical, serene aura.

The bright sun illuminated the valley, casting soft shadows across the grassy terrain. In the distance, they could hear birds chirping, pig-cows flying lazily in the sky, and giant frogs hopping between the tall grasses. Wolf-bears roamed peacefully, keeping a cautious distance from the slimes and snake-boars that shared the space.

Kenji, Tony, and Eleo stood there in awe, their mouths hanging open. "Wow," they said in unison.

Olorun, standing behind them with a satisfied smile, spread his arms wide. "Welcome to the wilderness."

As the peaceful scene unfolded, elsewhere, in a far-off corner of the wilderness, a familiar figure appeared: the clown from Chapter 4. He sat slumped against a rock, his vibrant colors dulled, his once joyful expression replaced by sorrow. With a sigh, he wiped off his clown mask and removed his wig, revealing his short, messy purple hair and the red clown nose that still sat on his face.

"I can’t do this anymore," he muttered to himself, his voice shaky. "I can't become the strongest. I can't find a team. The Clown Boys were right... this was all a waste of time. I should have never left."

Just as he stood up to leave, his foot caught on something buried in the grass. He stumbled forward, catching himself before he hit the ground. Looking down, he saw it—a shimmering fragment half-buried in the dirt. His eyes widened.

It was the Aether Shard.

He reached down, fingers trembling, and picked it up. The shard pulsed with an ancient, cosmic energy, faintly glowing in his hands. He stared at it for a long moment, his heart racing, as the weight of its power—and the choice it offered—dawned on him. Charlie stared at the Aether Shard, his hands trembling as a glowing blue message appeared before his eyes: Break it. He squinted, reading the message again. "Break it?" he muttered, glancing at the shard in his palm. The words 'Toon Boy' appeared engraved on its surface, mocking him in his own reflection.

"Alright, let's see what this does!" he declared, a flicker of hope in his voice. Without hesitation, he bit down on the shard, only to recoil in pain. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Okay, I thought that was going to work." Rubbing his sore mouth, he scowled at the shard before deciding to slam it down with both hands. A surge of energy flowed through him, causing his whole body to tingle.

For a moment, the world around him stopped. Charlie blinked and looked around. "What the hell? All that power... and nothing?" He balled his fists and groaned. "I should’ve known! I’m Bad Luck Charlie, after all. I finally get something and it’s worthless." His anger flared, but then it sank into deep despair. His thoughts turned dark. "Maybe this is it. Maybe I should just end it…"

His gaze fell on a sharp rock. Without thinking, he picked it up, his hand shaking. "Goodbye, world. You won’t have to suffer my presence anymore," he muttered, raising the rock toward his neck. Just as he was about to stab himself, loud, obnoxious goblin laughter echoed through the trees. Charlie froze, lowering the rock as curiosity tugged at him.

He wandered toward the noise, his steps cautious, until he stumbled upon a group of goblins surrounding a girl. She was tied up, but even in her situation, she remained calm. Her long silver hair, tied in a high ponytail with a blue ribbon, swayed slightly as she faced the goblins with a defiant smirk. Her deep purple eyes glowed faintly, giving her a mystical presence. Her outfit was dark and futuristic—a sleeveless leather jacket adorned with silver embroidery, a black bodysuit, tall boots, and fingerless gloves. Blue accents on her clothes pulsed softly, hinting at some untapped power.

"Come on, guys," she said with mock cheerfulness, "you really don’t want to eat me. I taste like horse shit."

One of the goblins snarled, "Yeah, right. We once ate a person, and they tasted delicious!"

The girl sighed dramatically. "Fine. At least let me die with my staff?"

The goblins burst out laughing. "No, dumbass! We’re keeping it!"

"Yeah," another goblin piped in. "We'll keep all your stuff."

Charlie watched the scene unfold, biting his lip. "Should I help her? Nah, she probably wouldn’t do it for me." He turned to leave, but a tiny devil version of himself appeared on his left shoulder. "Leave the bitch and take her staff for yourself! You could be the strongest wizard with that thing!"

Before Charlie could respond, a mini angel version of himself appeared on his right shoulder. "No, no! Save her! She’ll join your team, and you two could become the strongest together!"

The devil rolled his eyes. "Pfft. Who cares about that? Take the staff, learn some magic, and you'll be unstoppable! Who needs her?"

Charlie scratched his head. "Isn’t there already a strongest wizard?"

"Yeah, but with your toon powers, you could surpass them!" the devil urged, a sly grin on his face.

The angel chimed in again. "Or... you could work with her and become a powerful duo! Think of the possibilities!"

Charlie groaned, throwing his hands up. "Okay, okay! Enough! I know what I have to do."

His eyes locked onto the staff lying nearby. If he could just grab it... maybe he could salvage something from this miserable day. Trying his best to sneak over to the staff, he tiptoed behind the goblins. His heart raced as he got closer. Just a few more steps...

But then, the goblin leader’s head whipped around. "Hey! What are you doing?"

Charlie froze, caught red-handed. His eyes darted to the girl, who smirked. His only response was a panicked, "Ah, shit."

And that was all he managed to say before the goblins rushed him.