A vast chamber shimmered with impossible wealth—an expanse overflowing with treasures beyond imagination.
Kaien stood beneath a cascade of gold coins that spilled recklessly from an overturned chest. A throne of solid gold loomed in the center, its surface piled with glimmering diamonds and rare gemstones. Resting at the top, like a final crown jewel, was an actual crown—crafted entirely of crystal, catching the light like the frozen breath of the heavens.
From the lowlands below, this floating land had seemed like a dying, withered forest—forgotten and abandoned. Just another ruin swallowed by time. But now, standing inside it, Kaien understood—it had been an illusion. A perfect deception. And somehow, these tiny furball creatures had always known the truth.
Curious, Kaien picked up a gleaming coin and bit into its edge, the cold metal crunching between his teeth. "It's real," he mumbled, eyes narrowing in disbelief.
The furballs blinked up at him, their antennae wiggling with curiosity. But their excitement dimmed when Kaien flicked the coin away and marched forward across the golden floor. "Okay, this is cool and all, but where's the silver spear?"
The creatures tilted their heads, their fluffy bodies slumping slightly. It seemed they'd thought this treasure hoard was what he had been searching so desperately for. One of them sighed, a soft "Rara," and another replied with a disappointed "Tara… rara," their bodies quivering with unspoken apologies.
Kaien had already scrambled up onto the golden throne, accidentally sending the crystal crown tumbling down with a clatter. "Don't look at me like that. I'm just trying to get a better view," he muttered. The diamonds were sharp underfoot, and the pearls—scattered like snowdrifts—kept rolling under his boots, making it impossible to stand still. He dug a small trench through a mound of pearls. "Still nothing! I can't find it anywhere!"
Below, the furballs had gathered again, their soft voices rising in what was clearly a serious discussion. They darted between each other with urgency, waving their antennae, some nodding, others shaking their fuzzy heads in refusal. Whatever they were debating, it wasn't casual anymore.
Squatting atop a hill of gold coins, Kaien watched them with narrowed eyes. 'Whoa… such a serious meeting. They weren't this intense before,' he thought, rubbing his chin as if he understood every word.
"Well, since you're all so worked up, let me just draw it for you," Kaien said, hopping down. He pulled out a jade hairpin and was about to draw something but missed and his hand pressed on the ground
The earth beneath them rumbled.
With a sudden, thunderous crack, a square of ground split open. Dust exploded into the air as the earth peeled back like a trapdoor revealing a hidden chamber.
Kaien coughed, waving away the dust with his sleeve—then froze.
Rising slowly from beneath the earth, as if awakening from a long slumber, was a silver spear.
Its surface gleamed with an unearthly light, untainted by time. Waves of pure Yang Qi pulsed from it in rhythmic hums, like a heartbeat made of energy, each pulse rippling far into the distance.
Kaien's eyes widened. They sparkled, lit with awe—as if he had just glimpsed salvation in this forsaken world.
With a trembling step, he moved toward it.
But before he could take another, one of the furball creatures darted in front of him, blocking his path.
Kaien looked down, startled—and only then noticed: the creatures had changed. They were larger now, their soft fluff denser, and at the center of each forehead glowed a red wind-shaped emblem pulsing with power.
"I need that," Kaien said, pointing at the silver spear, voice laced with urgency. "That's what I've been looking for all this time. Didn't you guys bring me here so I could take something? Then that's what I want."
But the furballs didn't budge.
Kaien sighed deeply. Slowly, he leaned down and gently ruffled the head of the one blocking him. "I'm sorry, everyone," he murmured.
He could feel it now—the way the spear's energy radiated outward like a sunbeam. It wasn't just powerful—it was vital. The furballs were drawing strength from it, just like plants basking in sunlight. The spear was their lifeline.
But he needed it too.
'They survived this long with it hidden. They won't die if I take it… right?'
"Rara… rara…" the creatures whispered, their tones soft and fragile, like they were on the verge of crying. A shared sadness hung in the air, thick and silent.
"I'm sorry," Kaien repeated, more softly this time. Then, with a determined stretch, he reached out and wrapped his fingers around the spear's shaft.
It was enormous—twice the width of his grip and easily three times his size. The metal was shockingly cold, like untouched ice sealed in the heart of a glacier.
And then the cold bit back.
In an instant, frost exploded from his fingertips, snaking up his wrist like living veins of ice. The spear wasn't just cold—it was freezing him from the inside out.
His chest heaved as foreign energy surged into him. His breath came in sharp gasps as the chilling Qi flooded his veins like liquid winter.
The furballs panicked. They leapt and whirled around him in a flurry of color and worry, their cries rising like alarm bells. "Rara! Rara!" they shouted, but none dared to touch him. They couldn't risk it.
Kaien winced as his skin began to crack like porcelain under pressure. The tips of his fingers had gone stiff, immobile—his joints frozen solid. But he didn't flinch.
He'd been through worse.
Swish. Taking the left hand back
Without hesitation, he grabbed the spear with his right hand. The furballs scattered, squeaking and tumbling like leaves in a storm, their round bodies bounding in all directions. But their eyes stayed fixed—not on the spear, but on him. On the frost crawling across his arms. On his wounds.
"Don't worry!" Kaien shouted through gritted teeth. "Nothing's going to happen to me!"
With a grunt, he gave the weapon a sharp tug—and the silver spear finally broke free into his hand.
The creatures stared at him with stunned, wide eyes. Some gasped. Others simply blinked in disbelief.
But none of them looked angry.
In fact, a glimmer of joy began to ripple through their expressions, like sunlight filtering through rainclouds.
Then came the unexpected.
After a grave exchange of looks, five of the furballs stepped forward in unison. Without a word, they began to stack—one climbing on the next, forming a tower, their round bodies wobbling slightly but steadying with determination.
Kaien blinked, the spear still dangling from his hand. "What are you guys doing?" he asked, brow furrowed. He raised the spear. "Look—I got what I came for. If you're planning to give me something else, don't worry. This is already more than enough!"
But the creatures didn't respond. A sizzling sound crackled in the air, faint at first—like sparks snapping in the distance.
Dark energy began to leak from their formation, snaking through the gold beneath their feet. The stacked creatures chanted in unison, voices rhythmic and haunting: "Rara… rara…"
Kaien tilted his head, the silver spear glinting in the dim light. "Hey… what's happening?"
The chant grew louder. Energy surged like an invisible tide, circling them, pulling the world taut with tension. A square of air began to shimmer, its edges outlined by crackling arcs of dark electricity. In a blink, the furball tower morphed—not into something—but into somewhere.
A dark door emerged from thin air, tall and narrow, its surface rippling like the surface of a midnight lake. Beyond it, a dark tunnel yawned—an entrance into an abyss.
"What the—" Kaien stepped back.
Before he could move further, the remaining creatures launched themselves at him with surprising force. They shoved him toward the door, and before he could get his footing—
He fell.
He crashed into the ground hard, elbows and knees scraping against the ground with a hiss of pain. "Ow—ow!"
He scrambled up, and the furballs jumped in after him. And in a flash—a sharp snap in the air—the dark door disappeared in thin air, vanished without a trace.
Kaien stood there, dumbfounded, the silver spear clutched in his right hand.
He stared at the empty space where the door had been. Then at the creatures, who were already bouncing around the dark cavern like this was completely normal.
"Seriously?!" he whispered. "Why does every single minute of my life end with me falling into some new mess?!"