Toy was jumping around the talus, expertly dodging the sharper rocks as the sun just began to peek above the tall walls on either side of the canyon, peering into the depths of the gorge where they lurked.

Toy had grown quite nimble and comfortable in this terrain over the last week or so. As she hopped around, she called to Salome above.

"Do you see anything, master?"

Salome, who was scouting in the air, let herself descend so she could speak comfortably with Toy.

"No… but I sense something strange."

Toy stopped and cocked her head upon her master's words.

Salome usually had a sixth sense for what was around her, due to the countless years she lived looking over her shoulder. While Toy may not have known this or anything about her master's past, what she did know was that Salome's instincts were sharper than most. Even the littlest bit of uncertainty that crept into Salome's voice was enough to warrant mental lockdown for the poor goblin.

"Sense something… strange?"

Salome fluttered her wings and guided herself to a stop right next to Toy, who was now wearing one of the tight black leather outfits dropped by one of the feline invaders.

"I feel like… we're being watched."

Toy's green face paled at Salome's callous remark; a remark she'd said so fleetingly as if it wasn't important.

It had been 10 or so minutes since they'd left the dungeon, and Toy had no way of returning easily. Meaning, if they were being stalked and eventually ambushed, she'd have no choice but to fight whatever foe it was. If her enemy was too great, then…

While Toy didn't want to entertain the idea that Salome would leave her behind, Toy knew where Salome's priority lay.

Salome crouched down and muttered.

"Just carry on as if we know nothing, but make sure you follow my path."

Salome rocketed herself in the air and began gliding forward again, Toy shakily following her route while under her.

Toy continued to jump around the talus, but her mind was in disarray at the terrible prospect of being watched…

Not even a minute after Salome descended and then reascended, Toy's ears were graced by the whizz of her master's quills coming to life. Toy looked up in the air and watched as one of the magenta quills separated from the leather canvas and shot straight at her… threatening to pierce her brain.

Toy, in utter shock, could only watch as the thin, needly flew through the air at blitzing speed… and passed just a little over her head.

'Huh…'

Toy heard the dull smack of the needle colliding against something.

Then she heard an audible gasp for air behind her. Toy spun around just in time to see a seemingly transparent monster slowly shifting from terracotta red to lime green, with blood pouring from its slit mouth as the needle lodged in its neck slowly worming its way through to the other side, returning to Salome once it completed its journey.

Salome flapped her wings and shot down, landing on top of the chameleon person's corpse.

"Damn. I was trying to capture it alive… But I guess I'll take you…"

Toy was still speechless as Salome launched another quill at a pile of rocks, only for the rock to suddenly morph and jump away.

As the beast jumped away, it shed its camouflage and spoke in a hoarse, rugged voice.

"Damn. Alive."

Soon, five more of the chameleon people revealed themselves, surrounding the two women. Toy shook a little in fright as the staring contest started.

Salome gruntled.

"This is why I wish I had that damned cat…"

Salome gave a sadistic smirk as she surveyed the surroundings. Eyeing for any other ambushers. When she did, she spotted a weird rock formation. As she focused on it, she watched as a reptilian person seemed to emerge from the red wall of rocks and walk toward her, wearing a crown of bones and wielding a staff in one hand and a horn in the other.

Salome could instinctively feel it… she could feel she was looking upon a being just like Vale. She was looking at a Dungeon Master. Not only that, but the beast wasn't cloaked like the rest; it had just emerged right from the wall — or more so, the dungeon's entrance, which was hidden by an illusion of sorts.

The monster spoke.

"I'll take you… Capture nothing…"

Then, the monster blew into the horn, and the five watchers immediately sprang into action and attacked Toy and Salome. Toy shivered, but Salome just looked upon her attackers with indifference and stared into the eyes of the apparent leader. Then, she spoke:

"I don't know how many forces you have invading my dungeon right now, but I can tell you it's not enough. As much as it pains me to admit… that little owl is stronger than me at the moment."

***

Vale grabbed his whip out of the Nexus of Beginnings as he sprinted through the maze, Awilix and one of the Warriors right behind him. He left Stacy and most of the Workers behind as a last line of defense.

"What's going on!"

Before Vale could even get to the end of the maze, Awilix suddenly spingboarded off his back and ran up the wall. Vale stumbled forward, then looked up just in time to catch Awilix ramming her hand through a beast that had been crawling upside down on the roof.

Awilix came crashing back down to the floor and barely managed to land on her feet after freeing her arm from its corpse prison.

'What's that?!'

Vale slowed and looked down at the reptilian corpse. It looked similar to the frog people and had identical eyes. But the main difference was that these beasts were scaly, had mohawk-like formation on their heads, and a coily tail…

[Affiliated Awilix has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

[Aether +5]

While he didn't grasp exactly what was going on, Vale now had an idea. The other Dungeon Master, which he sensed yesterday, was invading his dungeon.

'What about Salome and Toy!'

'And how did they get past Ximena!'

"Awilix, go back and guard the entrance to the core with Stacy. If you do, I'll give you 5 hours' worth of reward."

The cat, with red blood dripping from her claws, bounced fervently up and down.

"Really?! Yaaaaay!"

For the first time since becoming Affiliated, Awilix left Vale's side and readily ran to her assigned post. As she ran off, Vale heard a series of reaffirming messages play in his head.

[Champion Salome has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

[Champion Ximena has slain Nascent Chamelon Warrior]

[Aether +5]

As Vale ran through the rest of the maze, he kept his gaze locked on everything and spotted another lime green beast trutting along the ceiling. With a crack of his whip, he lashed the beast on its back. Once his strike bit into the flesh of the humanoid reptilian, it fell from the ceiling and crashed to the ground.

It shook its head and stood up, looking around before its eyes locked on Vale's glowing ones.

'Can it not see in the dark?'

Behind the Chamelon Warrior in front of him, he spotted two more scurrying on the ceiling. Ignoring the one he downed, he cracked his whip in succession at the other two, forcing them to join their brethren on the floor.

However, as the third fell, it threw a little orb toward Vale. In the next moment, the orb began to glow with a brilliant light. Vale covered his eyes for a moment to dodge the initial flash, but when he reopened them, his attackers… vanished.

'No…'

Vale slowly retreated while narrowing his focus. As he did, he spotted the faint drop of red blood sliding down the wall…

Vale sent an attack at the red splash and was surprised to see his razor whip bite into the wall like it was flesh. Well… that's because it was flesh.

The reptile's skin morphed from a dark gray into a lime green once again.

'Camouflage?'

But where were the others?

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