Down With The Gods

Wyn and Mira lie face down on the floor, while Yu, the only one lucky enough to land on his feet, emerges nearby. They find themselves in a large room with cement walls and ceiling, wooden flooring, and borders along the edges, giving the space an industrial yet warm feel. This expansive entryway, about the size of two container warehouses, seamlessly connects to the campsite lobby. Centered in this area is a marble counter, which serves as the focal point. Opposite the counter stand wide, transparent black automatic sliding doors, while atop the counter sits a cat with a pink, heart-shaped nose.

“Welcome, new faces! Are you new to the Abandoned City?” the cat asks in a deep female voice.

The cat of campsite number two, who introduces herself as Catutu, invites them in. The lobby, notably wider than the entryway, is furnished in earthy tones of olive green and brown, accented by black and set against soft white walls. As they sit at a round table, more souls begin to fill the lobby.

“Don’t you have to welcome them?” Yu asks.

“No, they are not new here. If they need help, they will wait. Now that this is your first campsite visit, let me give you a tent.”

“Screw the tent. Where’s my sister?” Mira asks, describing her sister in detail.

“There are several who fit that description, so I do not know which one you refer to,” Catutu replies.

“Her name is Lisa.”

“We only remember faces, not names. Now, about the tents.”

Two new menus appear on the screen. Catutu points out the currently grayed-out “Tent” menu. Behind the lobby is an open area known as the campground. Standing in front of the designated area and selecting “Pitch Tent” will cause a black tent to rise from the ground, free for every soul.

“Think of it as a personal space to rest. No one else, besides team members you allow in, can enter your tent,” Catutu explains. “It also comes with a complementary sleeping bag.”

“I thought we didn’t need to sleep,” Wyn says.

“True, but sleeping helps you regain strength, recharge stamina, and speed up healing.”

“Speed up healing? Why didn’t anyone mention that at the Dojo?” Mira demands.

“I do not know.”

Pitching the tent at another campsite will transport it there. The tent can also be upgraded and decorated through the “Procure” menu.

“Guitar?” Yu notices, looking at the menu.

Inside is a list of items available for purchase, including common items from other levels of Hell and the living realm. They also have the option to add an extra floor to the tent or purchase additional sleeping bags.

“Five hundred for another tent floor? Five hundred what?” Wyn asks.

“Catnips.”

“Catnips? Where do we find those?”

Catnips, packaged in tightly tied white cotton pouches, are found by slaying certain creatures or in the wild. In Hell, catnips grow on trees and resemble fruits. They come in various pouch sizes, with larger ones being more valuable. To collect them, place a pouch on the band. It will disappear, and the total will display in the “Procure” menu at the top right. Clicking on the number reveals transaction history.

“Where do they vanish to, exactly?” Wyn asks.

“To the old cat factory on the third floor, where the demons distribute them among themselves.”

“How did this even get approved?”

“It was a secret deal the demons made with the souls. But the nerds caught on. With the Lord’s permission, it became a currency specific to this level.”

Yu, furiously searching for a guitar, finds one on the list for twenty catnips.

“No brand options?”

“Brand? They are all the same.”

“No, they’re not!”

Wyn spots an item labeled “All Knowing AI,” priced at a whopping thousand catnips.

“What’s this ‘All Knowing AI’?”

“It is an AI that combines all the cats’ knowledge, including the Dojo master’s.”

“Can we catch creatures?” Yu asks.

“No, you cannot capture or tame any creature.”

“What are you trying to accomplish?” Wyn asks, eyeing Yu with suspicion.

“The very best, my man. The very best.”

Wyn tries to add the AI to a wishlist but finds no option. Meanwhile, Yu scrolls through the extensive list, casually browsing items, and Mira uses the search function to find anything related to her favorite hobby. They also discover an option to rename a creature for five hundred catnips, or file a complaint for ten catnips, though there’s no guarantee of action. For fifty catnips, they can even listen to demons sing.

“Right! Catito mentioned something about joining the war. Care to explain?” Wyn asks.

“You are not forced to advance, but you cannot leave this floor either. You only have to defend Hell if Heaven attacks.” Catutu gestures toward a soul sitting nearby. “Some souls spend their time collecting catnips; others are just inactive.”

“Do come by again before you venture out,” Catutu reminds them.

Outside, they enter the campground. Lush greenery spreads around them, with brown patches resembling a parking lot outlined by white bricks. Finding adjacent spots, they pitch their tents: Wyn’s in the center for future team meetings. The color option appears: Wyn opts for cyan, Yu for dark green, and Mira for magenta. Inside, the tent feels spacious, with a sleeping bag that matches the tent’s color laid neatly against the back wall. The interior is well-lit, soundproof, non-transparent, and sturdy enough to withstand elemental attacks. The team gathers in Wyn’s tent to rest and discuss their next steps.

“First, let’s pick a leader,” Mira suggests.

“I don’t think we need one. Let’s just help each other along the way,” Wyn replies.

“No! We definitely need one. Let’s all point to who we want as leader on three,” Yu says.

On three, Wyn points at Yu, but the others point at him.

“No, no, no! Yu’s the fastest learner here.”

After a lengthy debate, Wyn reluctantly agrees, realizing he’s the most creative among them, thanks to the manga, anime, movies, and even the often terrible live adaptations he’d consumed over the course of his life.

“Alright, so how are we tackling this challenge?” Wyn asks.

At this point, Wyn is the only team member with over four hundred essence. While they don’t yet know how much essence a champion might yield, they’ve learned the importance of preparation. Unanimously, they decide to explore all the areas to gain more fighting experience before attempting to challenge a champion. They agree to collect catnips if they happen across them, setting it as a sidequest.

“Mira, it’s time you honored your promise!” Wyn says.

Mira, sitting in a fetal position, begins tearing up before she even starts. “Please don’t judge me.”

As Yu reaches to comfort her, Wyn stops him.

Mira was born into a well-known family led by a famous church pastor in the city of Soso in the Republic of Kaullig. She and her sister, Lisa, endured years of abuse from their parents, though Mira couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it started. By the time she reached sixteen, the abuse worsened, spurred by a significant decline in church membership. Fearing for their lives, Mira and Lisa fled, hitchhiking to the nearby city of Luncheon. Homeless and penniless, they sought shelter in various churches, holding onto their faith in Computer.

At seventeen, they stumbled upon a modeling studio while wandering the streets. Undeterred by their situation, Mira boldly approached the front desk, pleading for an opportunity. Impressed by her striking features, management gave her a chance while hiring Lisa as an errand girl. Mira’s career took off after she appeared in a popular teen magazine focused on fashion and health. Seeing her potential, the studio even financed a breast implant to “complete” her look.

By twenty-one, Mira was not only a well-known face in the community but had also grown somewhat vain from her success. Her career surged further when she began posting clips on “uWuTube” and other social media platforms. Though her fame was mainly local, her earnings were enough to send Lisa to school and allow Mira to retire from modeling at twenty-four. Much like in a K-drama, the studio felt betrayed and publicly defamed her, causing a scandal that led to the termination of more than half her sponsor contracts. Amid this turmoil, Lisa tragically succumbed to her injuries from a road accident, which drove Mira to renounce her faith and turn to alcohol.

One evening, at twenty-six, her friends invited her on a yacht trip. Later that night, she learned her friends had orchestrated the outing to persuade her to spend the night with a billionaire in exchange for a large sum of money. Even under the influence of alcohol, she refused, leading to a chaotic scene on the yacht. Unable to remember the exact sequence of events, she recalls only that she somehow ended up in the river.

“I was probably bloated by the time they recovered my body.” Her crying intensifies.

Wyn signals Yu to join him, and together they comfort her in a group hug. Mira, still crying, clings tightly to them both.

“I’m really sorry you went through all that,” Wyn says, while Yu seems at a loss for words.

After a pause, Wyn adds, “I’m sure they used flattering pics of you in the news.” His remark earns a concerned look from Yu.

Wyn and Yu then share their own stories with Mira. She’s come to admire Yu for his determination to pursue what he loves at such a young age, while her concern for Wyn centers on his mental health. It’s not a matter of mistrusting his leadership; she just wants him to feel supported by the team.

“I want us to be honest with each other. There are hundreds of ways to make a point – just don’t choose to be an ass. Not to each other, at least,” Wyn says.

They chat for a while longer, each talking about the first thing they’d like to get once they have enough catnips. Wyn’s aiming for the AI, Yu is set on the guitar, and Mira has a long list she prefers to keep secret. With their injuries fully healed, they head outside.

There, a new mustard-yellow tent has appeared next to Mira’s. Standing in front of it is a man with a grandiose paunch, his gaze fixed on Mira.

“Hey, big guy! Eyes up!” Wyn calls out to the man.

“Huh? Oh, hi! Just thinking about forming a team with her. Are you three a team?”

“Yes, and we’re not looking for a new member right now.”

“If you can look past my appearance, I’m quite experienced in battles. I have over a thousand essence.”

“Then why haven’t you found a team if you’re that awesome?” Wyn asks.

“It’s because of my physique, and my element is weak offensively.”

The man’s band is gray, indicating he’s a wind type. Leaving him waiting outside, the three enter Wyn’s tent for their first official team meeting. Wyn and Yu voice concerns for Mira’s safety, but she insists they give the man a chance. After all, this could be a perfect opportunity for Wyn to hone his cyclone dashes.

Back outside, Wyn decides to vet the stranger. “How many genders are there?”

“Two. But you’re free to identify however you want.”

“What’s your name, and where are you from?”

“Anish from Ittaradia.”

“Did you work in a call center?”

“Yes!”

“...Best of luck finding another team!”

“No, no, please! I was joking. I owned a small gadget shop in a mall.”

In Ittaradia, a country where only the toughest can survive, citizens are known for their resilience; even the pandemic that crippled other nations barely affected them.

“First, you’ll need to control yourself from staring at Mira’s bobs and vagene,” Wyn says as Mira gives a confused look. “Secondly, we’re not adding you to the team yet. Feel free to tag along if you want. Show us what you’ve got,” he continues.

“How will I know when you’re heading out from the campsite?” Anish asks.

“Well, we’re heading out now,” Wyn replies.

“I mean, in general.”

“There’s a doorbell you can buy, I think,” Yu chimes in.

For one catnip, Anish purchases a doorbell, which automatically attaches to the side of his tent flap. Before setting out, they stop by Catutu for advice, even with the “experienced” Anish tagging along. Catutu warns rookies against overestimating themselves and strongly advises avoiding champions and Hell’s Ride. The Abandoned City is their safest starting point, with creatures confined to specific areas, making escape easier. For a greater challenge, Dark Forest has free-roaming creatures, requiring constant vigilance. Meanwhile, Hell’s Ride holds even tougher creatures, suitable only for seasoned teams. Catutu, however, has no insights on how to best tackle the champions.

“One last thing. An emergency portal can be accessed by anyone on the team. Be strategic with your exit plan.”

They all set campsite number two as their emergency exit as it’s close to the playground – a spot recommended by Anish for their first Abandoned City experience. Before heading out, Mira asks everyone in the lounge about her sister, but finds no leads. The entryway doors don’t slide open as they expect; instead, they pass through them, leading out to the city’s east side.