Paul felt much safer now. The bone dog wasn’t going to eat him, and Gary the Ghost turned out to be not just friendly, but downright helpful.

“OG, my good man,” Gary said, drifting in a graceful circle around the skeletal butler. “Our guests do not want to violate the host’s hospitality. Since you are in charge, please lead the way to the pantry where the lichen berries might be.”

OG’s skull followed Gary’s floating movements, the sound like a lightbulb being twisted into place.

The butler raised his hand, and for a moment Paul thought he was about to wave. Instead, OG rubbed his thumb and index finger together in a universal gesture that Paul recognized immediately.

Binky barked a laugh. “All I can offer is my specialty. Choco balls.”

She pointed at her backside.

“Chocolate!” Paul squeaked. “I love chocolate!”

Binky laughed harder. “Trust me, kid, you do not want to eat these. They smell worse than a demon’s crotch. But they make great fertilizer.”

OG continued rubbing his fingers together.

“Suit yourself, Boney,” Binky huffed.

Hunter looked from He Xiangu to OG. He Xiangu crossed her arms.

“I have nothing edible. Army rations are as useful as rocks here.”

Her eyes landed on the storage ring on Hunter’s finger.

Hunter twirled the ring anxiously. “I have sweet plums. And… other food items.”

Three plums appeared in his hand.

Paul wondered if cultivators could see what was inside their storage rings in their minds. It would be so cool. He wanted to ask, but he had never met a cultivator before and didn’t want to be rude.

Gary floated closer. “Lichen berries are expensive. They only grow in the Lichen Dungeon. Sweet plums, on the other hand, Ma Grady grows in her runic greenhouse. We trade with other outposts across this world and off-world for anything we cannot grow.”

Hunter scratched his jaw.

“Leave it with me. As a show of good faith, I’ll leave these here while you show us the goods. Down payment. We’ll settle the rest afterward.”

He looked at OG. “Sound good?”

OG bowed his head and lets his hand fall. Gary beamed.

“OG, lead the way. Show them where the berries are kept.”

The skeletal butler moved quickly, disappearing behind the counter into the back room. Hunter hurried after him with Paul still perched on his shoulder. He Xiangu followed with quiet steps, and Binky vaulted over the counter because she could.

It took a minute for OG to reach the tall storage shelves. He climbed the ladder with surprising agility.

Gary floated beside Paul at eye level while they waited. Paul loved new friends, and this seemed like a perfect moment to learn more about the ghost.

“How did you end up here?” Paul asked.

Gary sighed. “It is a long story, and I would not want to bore you to death.” He chuckled. “Sorry. My humor gets a little dark.”

Paul smiled. “I do not mind. Sometimes dark humor is what helps us find the light when things are tough.”

Gary’s expression softened. “Wise mind on those tentacles. I was once part of an adventure party — the healer. All my magic worked on others, never on myself.”

He nodded toward the rooms upstairs. “We stayed here often when taking quests from the Silent Blades Guild. This was back in Bordertown’s early days. Things are more civilized now.”

Paul gasped. “Someone killed you!”

Gary’s glow dimmed. “I do not know who. And now I am stuck here.”

Then, remembering himself, he forced a bright grin. “Afterlife here is not too bad. I get to haunt my favorite inn. Only problem is… no adventure books. Only cookbooks from our new chef Matt and dusty account books the owner, Lonzo, keeps.”

Sadness tugged at Paul’s heart. He knew what it felt like to be lonely and to pretend not to be.

A clink made him turn just as OG climbed down the ladder with a large glass jar. For a moment Paul thought the skeleton might drop it — and Binky must have thought the same, because she rushed in to steady the ladder.

Gary drifted toward them.

Paul nudged Hunter. “Do you think asking GATO to bring Gary some books would break the rules?”

“It is not against the rules to ask,” Hunter said. “Only she can say.”

A system message popped up in Paul’s vision, making him jump.

GATO: I admire your desire to help your new friend, Paul. I have access to many archives and libraries across the multiverse and have created a character profile for Gary.

Excitement bubbled up inside Paul. “You can help him?”

GATO: Yes. My probability checks show helping him will not interfere with your quest. And because he is dead, there is additional leeway. I will prepare copies of several long-running adventure series that began as webnovels, including one he will reread endlessly.

Paul’s eyes widened. “What is it about?”

GATO: A cat and her owner’s ex-boyfriend who accidentally end up in a dungeon.

“That sounds amazing.”

GATO: It is popular across the multiverse. I will prepare ghost-friendly editions and leave them on the counter for Gary to find when you depart.

Paul’s whole body glowed with delight. He loved giving surprise gifts.

GATO: Now inspect the lichen berries. You have ten minutes before portal collapse.

Paul hurried forward. The berries looked right. They even smelled like the color frosted blue, bright and crisp.

“How much do you need?” Gary asked. OG shuffled into a side pantry, carrying aromas of homemade ale and hops with him.

“Ummm… one cup should be enough,” Paul said. “If I get a few extra, I can extract seeds and grow some indoors to keep them safe this time.”

Hunter called out, “OG, I checked my inventory. Besides sweet plums, I have clams preserved in rosso sauce, and earth-chi-infused olives for traveling cultivators.”

OG returned carrying a small container, placing it carefully on the counter.

“Oooooo,” Gary said. “You are in for such a treat.”

Paul slid down from Hunter’s shoulder and climbed onto the table for a closer look. The neat label made him smile.

“Matt’s Groovy Gravy,” he read aloud.

OG leaned in to inspect Hunter’s goods. He picked up an olive, studied it like a jeweller examining a precious gem, then set it down gently. He took an empty jar, filled it with lichen berries, screwed the lid tight, and handed it to Hunter who tucked it neatly into his storage ring.

A small blue notification appeared in Paul’s vision.

Quest Progress: 1 of 4 Ingredients Collected.

“Great doing business with you,” He Xiangu said, bowing to OG and Gary.

They moved back out to the quiet main bar. Paul wondered how the place remained open without customers.

As if hearing the thought, Gary said, “It is quiet because we are renovating. It will be back to its former glory soon. And with Chef Matt and his friends arriving, things are looking up. Lonzo was not much of a cook.”

He drifted forward — and froze.

A stack of ghost-friendly books rested on the counter.

His pale eyes sparkled with delight.

Paul scuttled across the counter. “I have a friend who wanted you to have these. They are yours to keep.”

A ghostly tear formed. Gary gathered the books to his chest like long-lost companions.

GATO: Eight minutes remaining.

* * *

He Xiangu looked toward the dimly lit exit. “Thank you for your hospitality, but we had best be off.”

“Safe travels,” Gary said cheerfully. He nudged OG, who responded by lifting one stiff arm and giving a slow, creaky wave. 

Paul slid off the counter and landed at Hunter’s boots, tentacles spread.

Hunter grinned. “Up you get.”

Paul didn’t need to be told twice. He hopped up onto Hunter’s shoulder, doing his best not to splatter ink.

Outside, the air was crisp. Sharp. It tingled Paul’s senses, tiny sparks of cold dancing along the tips of his tentacles.

Hunter shivered. “I do not remember it being this cold.”

“That is because you are a baby cultivator with no iron-body temperance,” Binky said, loping alongside. She shot He Xiangu a glare. “And don’t get any noble ideas about picking me up, princess. I’m nobody’s pet.”

He Xiangu kept her expression flat and unreadable as she walked, her outline faintly glowing with demon-bloodline heat. Shadows bent around her like they recognized her. If the cold bothered her at all, she didn’t show it.

Paul glanced her way. She noticed.

“What?” she asked.

“Are you not even a tiny bit cold? Your armor doesn’t look warm.”

“I feel hot and cold the same as anyone,” she said. “I simply do not react to it. Years in the underworld and on battlefields harden you.”

“I have never been to war,” Paul said, just to fill the silence.

He Xiangu inhaled deeply but didn’t reply. Hunter did.

“That was where we first met. On the Lotus Battlefield.”

Paul’s lights brightened with interest. “That sounds like a dangerous place for a budding romance. But when the stars align—”

“You have it completely wrong,” He Xiangu said, stiffening. “There is nothing between us.”

She shot Hunter a sideways look. His cheeks flushed.

“We work together. That is all.”

Binky snorted. “Call it animal instinct, but I’m with Paul. You two are mushy in love. Just hiding it terribly.”

He Xiangu shook her head, but Paul definitely saw the corner of her mouth twitch.

Hunter cleared his throat. “GATO, how much time do we have left?”

Before GATO answered, he sped up, making Paul bounce lightly on his shoulder.

GATO: Six minutes.

“Plenty of time,” Hunter said. “It only took a few minutes to get here. We push through the crowds when we reach the square.”

“Moving fast will keep the chill away,” Paul wrapped a tentacle around his body to block the wind.

“And what a super fun quest this has been,” he added brightly. “I wonder what friends we will meet next.”

They rounded the corner, and sunlight flooded the alley. Paul blinked, taking a second to gather his senses. When he did, his beak dropped open.

“Where did everybody go?”

“Who cares,” Binky said. “We’ll reach the portal even faster without a bunch of slow-moving numbnuts in the way.”

“I do not like this,” He Xiangu said, scanning the empty square and the road leading to the portal.

Hunter’s spear flicked into his hand. He Xiangu drew her sword.

Paul shivered in awe. They looked incredibly cool — like the heroes in Mina’s bedtime stories.

A shadow swept across them, followed by a piercing caw like sea harpies fighting for a meal. Paul recognized the creature instantly.

“Oh! I know you,” he said as a snow-white seabird perched on the roof of a nearby tavern, watching them.

“That bird is not native to a landlocked region,” Hunter said tensely. “Unless a dungeon spillover happened.”

Another cry echoed. Then another.

The wind picked up, sharp and unnatural.

“More incoming,” He Xiangu warned.

Paul thought Hunter was trembling again. He patted his shoulder. “There, there, Hunter. It is all right to be scared.”

“I’m not scared,” Hunter said. But his gaze stayed locked on the rooftops as more white birds landed, lining the path toward the portal.

Then Paul felt it — the ground trembling.

Hunter wasn’t shaking.

The earth was.

A distant thunder rolled closer — hooves.

A shopkeeper burst from a doorway, shouting, “Run for your lives! Horny goats on the way! No force more destructive than those blasted beasts!”

Paul waved in thanks, but there was no time to take shelter. They had to reach the portal.

GATO: You may want to check your map.

He Xiangu flicked hers open. Her eyes sparked. “Shortcut. Follow me.”

A narrow side alley appeared on their right. They ducked in just as a stampede of goats thundered past the main road, shaking the ground. The alley was tight, twisting sharply, but He Xiangu didn’t slow, weaving through shadows until they emerged further up the street.

“Where’s the portal,” Hunter began. “I swear this is—”

The portal shimmered into view, fading back into visibility.

GATO: We had to hide it when the townsfolk fled. Safety protocol.

A sharp bleat split the air.

Then another.

And another.

Hunter spun toward the sound. “Multiple beasts. Incoming!”

The first horny goat burst from between two abandoned stalls. Its eyes glowed molten gold, its twisted horns, dangerous. Foam sprayed from its mouth as it lowered its head and charged.

He Xiangu stepped forward, boots grinding against the cobbles, sword drawing a red arc from its sheath.

“Finally,” she said, voice low. “Something I can hit.”

“Formation!” Hunter barked, dropping into a spear stance straight out of a cultivation manual.

Binky slammed her paws into the ground. Her purple aura flared like a shockwave, rippling through the dust. “Line up behind the tank, numbnuts!”

Paul tightened his tentacles around Hunter’s shoulder. His bioluminescent freckles quickened, picking up motion above them. “Birds incoming! Five on the rooftops—no—seven!”

Hunter’s jaw set. “Good eyes, Paul. Stay sharp.”

The first goat lunged.

Hunter twisted aside with a cultivator’s footwork, sliding across the cobbles in a smooth, practiced arc. His spear flashed. A burst of earth-chi traveled down the shaft, striking the goat in the shoulder with explosive force.

The goat stumbled but didn’t fall.

He Xiangu was already moving. Her demon aura snapped open like wings. She vaulted off a rain barrel, somersaulted over the creature, and slashed downward. Her blade carved a line of red-hot chi through the beast’s back.

Steam hissed from the fresh wound.

The goat collapsed.

Paul didn’t even have time to cheer.

A chilling screech tore through the air.

White seabirds dove from the rooftops—eyes glowing, wings sharp enough to cut skin. Their feathers shimmered with mana, leaving trails of pale-blue light.

“Second wave!” Paul yelled. “They taste like bitter gray and angry yellow—definitely hostile!”

Binky snorted. “Kid, only you would turn a death dive into a tasting note.”

The birds struck.

Hunter pivoted, spear spinning in a defensive circle. He knocked one bird aside, then lunged forward, impaling it midair. He stomped down hard to dislodge it, using the motion to reload his stance.

He Xiangu blurred. One heartbeat she was beside Binky. The next she was ten feet ahead, sword carving controlled crescents through the flock. Each slash emitted a faint demon-light, her bloodline enhancing every strike.

Three birds fell at once, bodies disintegrating into mana sparks.

Binky tanked a direct hit, skidding across the cobbles as a bird slammed into her chest. She grabbed it by the neck, twisted, and snarled, “Try that again, featherbrain.”

It didn’t.

Two more came for her.

Paul saw the angle before anyone else.

“Left flank! Two more on Binky! Fast!”

The bunny ducked just in time. “Thanks, kid!”

But the last bird wasn’t aiming for her.

It dove at Paul.

Hunter tried to twist, but they were mid-spin.

He Xiangu was too far.

The bird slammed into Paul’s face.

Paul screamed—in color.

Everything flashed sharp green.

He snapped a tentacle forward.

A perfect sucker wrap locked onto the bird’s leg.

He yanked hard, instinct taking over.

The bird flipped midair, losing momentum—and Binky launched upward like a furry missile.

Her headbutt hit with tank-class force.

Feathers exploded everywhere.

She landed in a crouch and flicked a feather off her nose. “Good job, kid.”

He Xiangu cut down the last of the flock in a single sweeping strike.

Hunter dispatched the final straggler with a chi-boosted thrust.

For a moment, the street held its breath.

Then the ground trembled.

Not lightly this time.

Deep. Thunderous.

A whole herd.

Hunter’s ring flared with warning light. “Hoof-signatures rising. We’ve got a full stampede headed this way!”

A roar of bleats echoed off the stone walls.

The goats turned the corner—dozens of them—horns glowing with unstable dungeon mana, eyes wild and rolling.

Binky growled. “I can hold them off—maybe—but you three better move your butts.”

“No,” He Xiangu snapped. “We move together.”

Another tremor. Closer.

“Shortcut!” she ordered. “Follow me!”

She sliced through the thin alley, her demon aura leaving a faint scorch on the walls. Hunter sprinted after her. Paul clung to his shoulder, feeling every vibration through the young cultivator’s tense muscles.

Binky bounded alongside them, hurling insults at the herd behind them.

They burst from the alley onto a parallel street.

The portal flickered at the far end.

“He Xiangu, that isn’t the right road—” Hunter began.

GATO: It will be. Low key I had to hide it. Restoring now.

The portal shimmered fully back into view.

A shadow fell over them.

Another goat—bigger than the first—leapt from a rooftop ledge toward the group, hooves glowing with overcharged mana.

He Xiangu didn’t hesitate.

She spun, grabbed Hunter’s arm, and used his momentum as a pivot point, launching herself upward. Her blade sliced across the goat’s underside in a line of molten crimson.

The creature crashed down in a shower of sparks.

Hunter landed beside her with a chi-enhanced roll and stabbed straight through its skull.

“Move!” he shouted. “The herd’s almost—”

The world shook as the stampede hit the street behind them.

“Go, go, go!” Binky yelled, aura flaring like wildfire.

Birds swooped again—drawn by the chaos—but He Xiangu cut a path through them, her sword mastery filled Paul with awe.

Hunter cleared the flanks, using spear sweeps that crackled with earth chi to hold the sides.

Paul pressed potion bottles into their hands as they ran.

“Hunter—potion!”

“He Xiangu—your arm is bleeding!”

“Binky—your ear is—oh never mind, you bit that bird back, good job!”

The goats turned the final corner.

The alley shook.

The portal’s rim flickered.

“Inside!” Hunter shouted.

They dove.

A wall of sound—hooves, screams, flapping wings—crashed behind them.

Paul curled tight.

Hunter grabbed him.

He Xiangu pulled Binky by the scruff—

—and the four tumbled through the shimmering barrier just as the world behind them erupted into chaos.

The portal sealed shut.

Silence fell.