Bailey collapses onto the ground. We lie side by side, catching our breath. Bailey turns on his light.

  We exchange a look, and a moment later, laughter erupts from both of us, echoing through the cavern.

  “By the stars, that was incredible!” Bailey whoops, his face alight. “Never had such a wild day in all my life! That was absolutely exhilarating!”

  “Yeah, for a second there, I thought you were a goner,” I reply, musing.

  Bailey immediately peppers me with questions. "What in tarnation was that?! Did you always know you could do that?! What was that thing?!"

  “All I can tell you is that it was a massive stroke of luck. I have no idea how this… hair of mine works. Trust me, if I knew, I’d tell you,” I assure him, patting his stomach.

  “You’re telling me you don’t know?!” Bailey sits up, incredulous. “After all that carrying on, you don’t even know how to control it?!”

  “Well…” I try to channel Qi into my hair again. It doesn’t work; the Qi just covers it and does nothing.

  “Nope!” I say, laughing.

  “Well, I’ll be…” Bailey chuckles, then flops back down, still grinning.

  Once again, I have to put on new clothes while Bailey and I keep talking about the strange slugs we just confronted.

  We figure they're probably chowing down on the Adamantine, which explains their weird gold coloring. It looks like they've even figured out how to use the stuff, just like the Luthraks.

  "Well, as long as that machine keeps pumping it out, they've got an all-you-can-eat buffet. It'll just take them a while to build up another stockpile," I say with a grin.

  "So, which way's out now?" I ask, turning to Bailey.

  "Seems that way, alright," Bailey replies, pointing towards a tunnel branching off to the side.

  We get to our feet and head towards it. I stop Bailey again.

  "This place is awfully quiet… again," I remind him, a little uneasy. I tell him to keep his mask handy and to keep an eye on his device.

  We proceed cautiously into the tunnel, thankfully free of the blue fog this time.

  But a familiar, eerie blue glow emanates from the tunnel's end. What isn't familiar is the cacophony of heavy breathing, gnawing, and a disturbingly wet, nipping sound.

  Did we stumble into an underground monster park? Why are there so many monster creatures down here? When can we just get back to safety?

  This adventure is seriously overstaying its welcome.

  My senses reach into the cavern ahead of us. It’s another nest… this time packed with at least half a dozen enormous rodent-like creatures.

  These creatures are even larger than the slugs we encountered before. They have no eyes, but possess a large snout and massive ears. They are all gnawing on some sort of blue roots.

  "What in the world is goin' on with the size of everything here?" Bailey exclaims, his eyes wide with shock as I describe the scene ahead.

  "So, what are these now?" I ask with a sigh.

  "Sounds like a nest of Umbrynus," Bailey replies after carefully listening to my description.

  "They must've dug these tunnels. And looks like they're havin' a snack. That blue goo...well, that's what's left over after they're done eatin'."

  Remembering that I touched and smelled it when we came across it before… Ewwww.

  Bailey turns off his lights and places a hand on my shoulder. Under the cover of darkness, we move quietly into the nest, sneaking around to the side.

  Stretching my senses to their limits reveals a network of tunnels branching off from the main nest. It looks like a subterranean highway system built by oversized, blind rodents.

  As I try to find a tunnel to head into, the glowing blue goo scattered around the nest abruptly begins to evaporate.

  Simultaneously, a deafening alarm blares from Bailey’s device. He frantically fumbles for his mask.

  “Turn it off!” I yell, already bracing myself for the inevitable. But it's too late.

  By the time Bailey finally silences the alarm with a frustrated grunt, we're completely enveloped by the blue fog, and the Umbrynus, alerted by the sonic boom emanating from Bailey’s device, have surrounded us.

  Sensing the largest rodent surrounding us, I yank the laser gun from my bag and fire. Hoping for a disabling shot, or at least a good scare.

  But the oversized rodent twitches to the side, and while its armor-like fur scorches, the blast doesn’t penetrate.

  Bailey scrambles to my side. I shove the laser gun into his hands. "Wall to your right," I tell him. "Stick to it and blast anything that gets too close."

  Channeling Qi into my leg, I punt a smaller rodent like a giant furry football as Bailey scrambles to escape the encircling horde and makes his way to the wall.

  The massive rodent I’d singed earlier—now sporting a stylishly singed patch of fur—swipes at me with its claws. I don’t even bother dodging, taking the hit full-on.

  Sparks fly, and the rodent’s claws shatter against me. Of course they do. What was I expecting? A scratch?

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  The other rodents try to body-slam and pile on, but with Qi enhancement, I perceive everything within the spherical space my senses cover. I nimbly dodge each clumsy attack.

  While evading, I retaliate with a flurry of Qi-infused punches and kicks, connecting squarely with several rodent snouts and jaws.

  Bailey keeps firing the laser gun, which keeps most of the rats at bay, but the fog is still messing with his breathing and vision.

  Rumble… Rumble… Rumble…

  Another earthquake! This one doesn’t last long, but it sends the rodents into a frenzy. For some unknown reason, they charge at Bailey en masse.

  Bailey panics and holds down the trigger, a searing red beam lancing out.

  As if their danger sense has been triggered, they scatter in every direction, but several still get fresh burns on their faces.

  Bailey watches in horror as the continuous blast overheats the weapon, causing it to sputter and die.

  The massive, singed rodent seizes the opportunity and charges at Bailey once more.

  Focusing Qi into my legs, I launch myself after it. Sliding under the massive rodent, I quickly launch a powerful, upward Qi-focused kick! It sends the creature flying.

  Instantly, I jump above it and force a second Qi-infused axe kick downwards at its skull. The combined force instantly crushes the rodent’s head into a bloody mess.

  Val Barrage!

  The geyser of crimson liquid erupts from the rodent, thoroughly drenching me.

  Lovely. Just lovely. Now I’m covered in… rat juice.

  My hair flares with that familiar iridescent light, piercing the rodent’s skull as my vision shifts to the afterlife dimension.

  My essence is now fully infused into the trunk of the now slightly thicker tree-like structure. Its branches are also thicker than before. The roots beneath multiply in numbers.

  Nyotha? Are you the deity that’s responsible for all this?

  A distinct speck of light rises from the roots again, and a fresh wave of memories floods my mind.

  * * *

  Darkness. Utter darkness. Not a single glimmer of light. But right next to my ears, I hear the distinct snuffles of a much larger creature. I instinctively crawl closer, seeking its warmth.

  The comforting scent of… well, something vaguely earthy and slightly musky fills my nostrils. Ah, bliss.

  Day after day, I eat, crawl, brawl, dig, and poop. Not a care in the world. We happily rummage through the earth, creating intricate tunnels, marking and defending our territories.

  There's one special root we hunt for. It tastes sweet and tangy on the tongue. After eating it, our poop becomes our best defense. Nothing survives in these tunnels except us.

  Until… One perfectly ordinary day, as we're enjoying a peaceful nap, a completely new scent drifts in. It's quickly followed by the pungent stench of… well, death and decay.

  The earth rumbles ominously, and the ground beneath us splits open. Many of my companions scream beside me before abruptly falling silent. Yikes.

  I scramble, digging and moving as fast as my little claws can carry me. Digging and moving. I don't stop until the awful scent finally fades.

  This cycle continues for what feels like forever: eating, crawling, brawling, sleeping, digging, eating, crawling, brawling, reproducing, sleeping, digging, escaping.

  The familiar sounds and scents around me constantly shift and change. Some return, some vanish forever, never to be heard or smelled again.

  It's like a bizarre, subterranean kaleidoscope of sensory input, with sights, sounds, and smells constantly swirling and morphing.

  The rumbles seem to be following me. They keep happening every so often. I manage to escape each time. But many others… well, they aren't so lucky.

  Another ordinary day, while we're enjoying a peaceful snack of delicious root, a sharp, piercing sound interrupts our feast. We all instinctively surround the source, ready for another brawl.

  But this time it’s different. Heat?! I whirl around, but it’s too late. The intense heat still singes my fur. Everyone else manages to stay safe… lucky them.

  Furious, I lash out with my claw toward where the heat came from. But all I get for my trouble is more pain as my claws shatter into pieces.

  As the brawl starts, I realize how different today is going to be. The unknown creature hits with immense force. My face suffers multiple hits.

  Rumble… Rumble… Rumble…

  DEATH! IT’S BACK!

  We instinctively charge at the closest wall to escape, as DEATH always comes from beneath us.

  But instead, we are met with more heat! After dodging the heat wave, it finally stops. I charge once more for the wall.

  But suddenly, something gets under me. Pain explodes from my underside as I no longer feel the ground beneath me.

  Then intense pain explodes from my head. Before… nothing. All my senses vanish.

  * * *

  My vision snaps back to this dimension. Time, which paused for my interdimensional detour, resumes its relentless march.

  Bailey’s eyes are wide, frozen in shock. Again. A low rumble vibrates beneath my feet, sending the remaining rodents scattering.

  No time to feel bad about that rodent; its death is unfortunate, thank you for your memories. I quickly yank Bailey up.

  “Let’s go! Quick!” I close my eyes, focusing my Qi to extend my senses. Using the memory of that unfortunate rodent, I rely on hearing and smell to navigate the maze-like tunnels.

  We reach another open area, finally stopping so Bailey can catch his breath. We are well clear of the fog now. Bailey checks his device before pulling off his mask and collapsing onto the floor.

  "I'm not even gonna bother askin’,” Bailey says, gasping for air, a strained smile on his face. “I'll just assume it's one of your… magical somethin's."

  “We have to get out of here quickly. There’s something else in these tunnels,” I explain. “Something that eats those rodents for lunch. It’s also the source of the rumbling.”

  "The cause of the quakes? Eatin' those giant Umbrynus for lunch?!" Bailey exclaims, jumping to his feet.

  “Probably not all the quakes, but it definitely eats more than one for a meal,” I clarify.

  “Remember those large caverns and tunnels? Some are natural, some dug by the rodents, some by the ancient Luthraks, but most of the bigger ones we were in? Those are the creature’s work.”

  "What...what's it like?" Bailey asks, his voice trembling slightly.

  “I don’t know. All I know is the slithering sound it makes and the awful smell—like something died and then… died again,” I say, giving Bailey’s shoulder a reassuring pat.

  “Don’t worry, though. I doubt we’d even make an appetizer for that thing. Rest a bit, but we need to keep moving after. I know the way now, I’ll lead.”

  We rest for a few more minutes, catching our breath before venturing back into the labyrinth.

  Those rodents are truly dedicated to their craft, creating a dizzying network of decoy nests—presumably to confuse the hungry mega-predators.

  Clearly, though, their efforts aren't always successful.

  Bailey and I continue through the tunnels, giving any with that eerie blue glow a wide berth.

  We encounter the blue fog a couple more times, but now that we know what to expect, avoiding it is like dodging puddles—mostly a matter of paying attention.

  After what feels like a geological epoch of walking, crawling, and occasionally scrambling up short inclines, we finally emerge at the bottom of a massive sinkhole.

  The two gibbous moons cast a dim glow through the dissipating fog.

  "We actually made it!" Bailey cries, relief evident in his voice.