“I can hear you, buddy. Can you hear me?” Slim asked, his gaze still locked on the brilliant moon above.

“I can hear you,” Scott replied, a hint of realization dawning on him. “The rest of you can hear me, right?”

One by one, the champions confirmed they could hear the voidweaver, solidifying Scott’s belief that only those staring at the moon could continue communicating.

The group watched the champions streak through the skies, each anchoring themselves to the moonlit ladders that crisscrossed the heavens. Like the hound extermination crew and the vampires, the champions all gazed directly at the moon as they traversed their respective ladders.

The moonlit ladders varied in distance between each step. Some ladders had almost nonexistent gaps, allowing champions to cross each step effortlessly. For others, however, vast chasms separated the steps, forcing champions to cling to the edges and pull themselves toward the next foothold.

Occasionally, a champion would miss a step and plummet through the void. Instantly, the entire ladder would disintegrate, sending the whole group plunging to the ground. The interconnected nature of the ladders meant that one collapse often triggered a chain reaction, causing several groups to fall.

“Um, so, how are we supposed to get our ladder?” Slim suddenly asked, breaking the tense silence.

“I’m not sure we’re going to see one,” Zara commented, her voice tinged with concern.

Orion’s giggles broke through the tension. “I was just about to say that,” he declared with a mischievous grin.

“What are you guys talking about? Why wouldn’t we get one?” Slim’s voice quivered with anxiety.

Zara, without turning toward the necromancer, continued. “What do you notice about all the groups climbing the ladders?” she asked, her tone inviting him to think deeper.

Slim focused on several groups in quick succession. “I’m not quite sure I understand what… oh, oh… I think I get it now,” he said, resignation creeping into his voice.

Amongst the various groups, at least ten members were actively climbing.

“So, without Fi-Fi waking up, it seems we’re going to be stuck here for a while,” Slim sighed softly. “Or do you guys have any bright ideas?”

They had been observing the ascending champions for a while but hadn’t noticed anyone using any unconventional methods. Whether those who did were hidden from their sight or didn’t exist was a mystery.

“Am I the only one curious about where the ladder leads to?” Ember suddenly asked. “I’ve been watching the champions, but they don’t seem to be ascending with a goal in mind. It’s almost as if they’re climbing just for the sake of it,” she commented, her brow furrowed in thought.

“It’s the moon,” Scott answered, his voice steady. “It may not look like it, but that’s their destination.”

Orion resisted the urge to turn toward Scott. Adjusting his glasses, he continued to stare intently at the moon, along with the other champions. The massive, glowing rock in the sky appeared unchanged, devoid of anything unusual.

“What do you see?” Zara asked, squinting. “I can’t see anything, no matter how hard I look.”

“A portal,” Scott explained, a hint of excitement in his tone. “If you remember the judgment road, there’s something similar leading to the portal.”

“Are those judges also present?” Slim suddenly inquired, his voice low.

“Yes,” Scott confirmed. “They’re actively stopping some groups from entering the portal while others are granted access.”

“How strange,” Orion murmured, stroking his chin thoughtfully. Although he had never met the judges personally, he had gathered enough information through his interactions and data collection. His eyes gleamed with a new theory. “I have a hunch they’re stopping those who didn’t use the ladder to get up there. The judges, by convention, do not oppose those who follow the rules. So, it’s likely they’re preventing rule-breakers from using the portal.”

“That sounds like a valid theory,” Ember commented, her eyes narrowing. “If it’s those pesky judges, then there’s nothing to worry about. It will be fun hunting them once again.”

Scott, Slim, and Zara wore thin smiles, memories of their first encounter with the dragonkin surfacing. Back then, they had fled from the judges with all their might while Ember actively hunted them.

“It’s good we know what’s going on up there, but we still need to figure out a way to get there,” Slim said, his voice tinged with frustration. “Any ideas?”

Silence enveloped the group as each champion racked their brain for a solution.

Scott opened a private channel and sent a message to Ember, “Do your discs work?”

“Let me give it a try,” she replied.

With a thought, lightning crackled around the dragonkin, and her golden discs materialized beneath her feet, lifting her off the ground. At that moment, Scott, still focused on the moon, frowned. The hammer of the mad god appeared from the nihilistic zone, nestling in his hand. Without warning, and with his attention still fixed on the heavenly body, he stepped in front of Ember and swung the eerie weapon with all his might. Instantly, a sparkle glimmered, and a massive flaming rod flew toward the surrounding trees.

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“Send them away,” Scott instructed urgently, a note of anxiety in his voice.

Barely seconds after he spoke, five more flaming rods descended toward Ember’s position, each one faster than the last. The discs vanished, and Ember landed gracefully on her feet. Scott struck all five rods in quick succession, altering their trajectories. Crimson flames erupted from different locations nearby, but the explosions and the sound of licking flames were swallowed by the oppressive silence.

The champions could feel the warmth on their bodies, but apart from Scott, none of them had seen or detected the flaming projectiles hurtling toward them.

“Did you guys feel those tremors? What the hell was that?” Slim asked, his voice tinged with unease. “I feel warmer than before, and I can see fire.”

The champions resisted the urge to look away. The heat from the burning trees radiated against their skin, and soon, the wind carried the acrid smell of charred wood toward them.

“It seems the judges are ready to strike down anyone who attempts to ascend without the ladders,” Scott said after a brief pause. He loosened his grip around the war hammer, letting it sink into the ground once more.

Zara’s expression darkened. “Wait, did you guys try something?” she demanded.

Scott explained what he had Ember do, the consequences now evident to all.

“How intriguing,” Orion said suddenly, adjusting his glasses. “I want to test something out.”

The mage slammed the base of his staff on the ground repeatedly, creating silent ripples across the earth. Although no one understood what wild idea had taken root in the mage’s mind, they waited, trusting his eccentricity.

Twenty minutes later, Orion struck the ground one last time and stopped. “That should be enough,” he said.

“Enough for what?” Ivona asked, her curiosity piqued.

Orion smiled mysteriously. “I was sending out a signal. Now we wait for potential allies to join us.”

Most of the champions exchanged puzzled glances, unable to decipher the mage’s intent. Scott, having witnessed Orion’s unique abilities firsthand, understood immediately.

“He’s doing what he did in the neutral ground,” Scott explained.

Recognition dawned on Slim and Zara. They remembered how Orion had manipulated several champions with his staff. The thought of how many champions he had possessed this time was something they couldn’t begin to fathom.

“So, does that mean we’ll team up with the first party that arrives?” Slim asked.

“Yes, there’s no point in wasting time,” Orion replied.

“But why strike the ground so many times if we’re only teaming up with the first party?” Zara questioned, skepticism in her voice.

Scott answered before Orion could. “He was amplifying the range.”

Orion chuckled. “That’s why I like you, Scott. You understand me. There are no guarantees that any group is nearby, so I embedded multiple waves in one. I won’t bore you with the technical details, but it should be enough to attract at least one group’s attention.”

"I guess the only thing we can do now is wait," Slim said, his voice heavy with resignation.

"Perhaps, but waiting isn’t all we can do," Orion replied, a glint of mischief in his eyes. The mage retrieved a strange jar from his inventory and smashed it on the ground. Purple gas enveloped him, and as it cleared, several faceless clones emerged. Some sported wings, others had jet engines for legs, and a few had jet packs strapped to their backs. Some sat on odd mechanical constructs exuding steam and smoke.

Focused on the moon, the group missed the clones' full spectacle. With a thought, the clones scattered, distancing themselves from the champions, and then they took to the skies.

Orion burst into a fit of delirious laughter. "I see it," he declared, a twisted smile spreading across his lips.

The champions noticed several blurs streaking down from the fluorescent moon. Before they could utter a word, flaming rods struck the clones, incinerating them and their constructs instantly. Tremors rocked the area, setting more trees ablaze. Distorted figures emerged from the inferno; their screams swallowed by the silence. Like a hydra’s head, each clone sprouted another and took to the skies once more.

Another barrage of flaming rods descended, reducing the clones to ashes. Yet, from the ashes, even more clones emerged, and the inferno spread further.

"Ladies, a little help with the flames would be great. I doubt anyone here fancies being burned alive or asphyxiated," Orion giggled, directing his words at the vampires.

"Illena, Oana, do it," Ivona commanded through her party channel.

Oana chanted, her voice inaudible but resonating with power. Azure light covered her eyes, her hair flailing wildly. The surrounding vegetation, untouched by flames, trembled and desiccated. Moisture hovered above the dried plants and spread out, extinguishing the flames like a wave. Illena, on the other hand, performed a series of hand seals, summoning a terrifying gust that dispersed the noxious gases.

Orion, eyes still fixed on the moon, smiled. Although his clones were faceless, he could still sense everything through their shared senses.

There's still so much to explore. I should also investigate underground and send some clones to experience other areas of the forest too. If I’m lucky, I might be able to experiment with a few creatures or even champions, Orion mused, his lips curving upwards.

"Are you guys prepared for a fight?" Scott suddenly asked, breaking the silence.

"Huh? Are there enemies nearby?" Zara responded, her stance becoming guarded.

Ember and Orion assumed a more serious demeanor, and Slim readied himself to unleash his domain. The vampires moved closer to each other, preparing for any eventuality.

"There are no enemies nearby, at least none that I can detect," Scott clarified, pointing towards the moon. "I’m asking if you’re ready to fight those guys."

Silence lingered on the channel, thick and tense. Ember was the first to break it. "I think you’re missing a step. We need to get there first before we can think about fighting them," she said, her voice steady but urgent.

“There probably won’t be a need for a fight,” Orion chimed in, his tone almost casual. “When our allies arrive, we can simply climb like everyone else. Unless something different has happened,” he added, a hint of curiosity in his voice.

Another pause, then Slim cursed under his breath. “Fuck. How many of them?” he asked, his voice tight with frustration.

“More than a dozen,” Scott replied, his words heavy with implication.

The champions’ expressions darkened. They knew Slim referred to the judges of light. More than a dozen of them could mean serious trouble.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” Orion mused, his tone ambiguous. “It seems my little experiment has irritated them.” It was unclear if he felt remorse or a perverse sense of satisfaction.

Despite Scott’s warning, the champions still couldn’t sense the judges. They steeled themselves, mentally preparing for the battle that loomed.

“Do you trust me?” Scott’s voice cut through the tension suddenly.

Slim responded with a groan. “Anytime someone says that, they’re about to do something batshit crazy. Please don’t tell me that’s the case.”

Scott’s voice was calm, reassuring. “It might feel weird for a bit, but I promise you’ll be okay. I have something I want to try out.” As he spoke, his shadow expanded, covering the spot where his companions stood. Before anyone could protest, the inky darkness swallowed them.

Scott turned his focus to a champion climbing the ladder, his gaze fixed on the champion’s shadow. Without a word, his physical form began to shimmer and fade. The shadow of the oblivious champion darkened ominously. Just as Scott’s body turned intangible, several flaming rods crashed down where he had been standing moments before, obliterating everything within a kilometer.