Adam followed the instructions and went down the stairs with curiosity, eager to discover who would be his helper for the following days. But when he got downstairs, he found no one.

—Down here, giant!—someone shouted from the desk.

Adam lowered his gaze to see the source of the shout, and there he saw a three-dimensional teddy bear sitting on his desk. The bear was wearing a colorful flower shirt, no pants, and had a bottle of alcohol in one of its hands. When their eyes met, the teddy bear added:

—Come on, giant, I'll take you to find some little books that could be useful for us.

Without further ado, the door of the cave opened, revealing the corridors of the fifth lower floor. The teddy bear seemed in a hurry to get his mushrooms, so he hopped into the desk and swam across the floor towards the corridors. Seeing that Adam wasn't moving, the eyeless old man shouted:

—Go, hero! If you want to repay your debt, work hard and help the bear!

A bit bewildered by the sudden mission, Adam followed the little book that was waiting for him at the door. Once Adam stepped outside, the little book led him to the stairs of hexagon 3 on the fifth lower floor.

There were no guards on this floor, and it was much lonelier than the middle floor, making it a good place, according to the bear, to explain the situation.

Adam had to run to keep up with the speed of the little book, so he was slightly out of breath when he saw the little book stop at the stairwell door. Catching his breath, Adam asked, somewhat irritated from the run:

—Wasn't it a better idea to discuss the details inside the cave? It's dangerous out here!

—Yes, it's somewhat dangerous, but not costly...—the bear responded in its gruff drunken tone—Information comes at a price, and if the eyeless old man finds out everything, then he won't need me next time. Think about it, giant! Fools don't live long in this library!

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Adam felt quite annoyed being scolded by a tiny bear, but he had to repay the favor, so it was best to listen to the bear's plan. The bear noticed that the boy was waiting and said:

—The mission is simple. We have to enter a hexagon, find a box, and return. If we succeed, you'll get your little books, and I'll get my mushrooms.

—How will a box help us get little books?—Adam asked skeptically. He had been trying to negotiate with these creatures for years, but they never helped him —Besides, if you only want mushrooms, I could take some from the cave, and you could complete the mission without looking for more little books.

—What's inside the box will help us negotiate with some little books—the bear replied, not wanting to explain too much—As for the mushrooms, I'm not looking for the edible ones; I'm after the decorations of the eyeless old man. Those mushrooms have quite some value, just like all the decorations on the bookshelves.

—Alright, let's go for the box!—Adam said, feeling enthusiastic.

—It's not that easy. The box is in a hexagon inhabited by a creature—the bear said, looking at the innocent gaze of the boy.

—Is it going to be dangerous?—Adam asked with fear.

—No... no...—the bear said, shaking its bottle and taking a big sip—It would be if we weren't prepared. But I've already researched in advance which room the box is in and what creature we'll be facing.

Adam pulled out his yellow book to ask his godfather, but he noticed that the bear didn't seem willing to reveal the type of creature they were dealing with. Instead, the bear told him:

—We just need to get a few things to blend in with the creature. That's why we're waiting patiently at the stairs.

—What are we looking for?—Adam asked, as these stairs seemed to have nothing special that could be used against a creature.

—The skin of a corrupted librarian. When I tell you, ambush one of them—the bear said, stepping into the stairwell; it didn't seem like it was joking.

—Wait, I'm not going to kill anyone!—Adam yelled, seeing the bear actually entering the stairwell.

—Are you sure you don't want to kill anyone?—the bear asked, reappearing at the door.

—Yes! Are you crazy!—Adam shouted back angrily.

—There's another option, but it won't be pretty...—the bear said, looking at the boy with sympathy and going back down the stairs—We need the scent of an adult librarian who has lost their mind. If we don't kill one, I think I know where we can imitate the scent.

Adam followed the bear cautiously. The bear seemed to have a rather distorted mind, so he didn't trust it much. But unfortunately, the young hero had no other choice but to follow it.