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[color=salmon]Word Count: 780 (+2 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 7/80
[b]Location:[/b] Edge of the Blue - The Maw[/color][/center]
Ace and Nadia were practically in a race against Moreau, frantically making their way as fast as possible toward the lower level before the monster could squash their friend. Fortunately Link was not a stationary target, and the Hylian was doing his best to keep away from the mutant - and succeeding! [i]Well his plan worked![/i] the Cadet thought, pulling some positivity into his brain while he worked his way down. All things considered, it was going pretty well for them in this area of the Maw. Just had to keep the optimism up - and he was trying, even as a distressing noise filtered over to them from the direction of the Command Center. The Cadet descended the ladder and landed next to Nadia, his eyes wide and confused. There had been nothing in the Command Center when they left it, only those that were handling the underwater part of the plan. Where would something even get in from? 

[color=salmon]"They'll be okay,"[/color] he assured her after she tried reasoning with herself. Geralt had gone back there, plus Blazermate had just flown back with a big chunk of metal. Not to mention the rest of them keeping guard. Who knew, that noise might have even been some kind of weird echo with Moreau as it's source. Positive thoughts.

Ace Cadet followed her to the bottom level. The more people working on this "Moreau problem," the better. Once they were on the ground, the Cadet's mind shifted from thinking positive thoughts to thinking of solutions. It might be possible to play keep away with Moreau, shifting his attention from one kid to another to keep him from focusing on catching just one of them. While they did that, another one of them could go help Junior, and once they were in the clear they could all try and climb to safety. Nadia, with her speed and dexterity, might be a better fit for dodging the monster... but the Cadet knew she was exhausted. Her agility might not hold out. Besides, even if the Cadet was turned into a kid he was still [i]monster hunter.[/i] Facing off against bigger threats was kind of his thing. He just had to figure out how to do that in his current state.

[color=salmon]"Nadia,"[/color] he said, catching the feral's attention. [color=salmon]"Go find a way to get Junior out of here. Between the two of you, I know you can do it. Boost him up, or find a low hanging platform and pull him up - whatever works, okay? I'll go help Link distract fishface until you're both back to safety."[/color] He smiled at her, hopefully in a way she found reassuring, before he went ahead with his plan to split up.

Step one: find those cutters that had fallen into the water. He scoured the immediate area for them while Link was still the monster's target and Kamek tried talking it down. That definitely wouldn't work, but if it distracted Moreau then the Cadet hoped the koopa didn't run out of breath any time soon. Finally, the red head spotted the tool laying atop a junk pile. He snatched them up then ran towards where the creature was still thrashing. He [url=https://i.ibb.co/4g138GG/latest-cb-20210523153040-1.png]studied Moreau[/url], doing his best to judge what the weakest areas of the monster would be based on those from his own world, and some common sense. The tail was a no-go, it was waving about violently and one thwack from it looked like enough to seriously injure any of them, if not worse. It's arms were not ideal for much the same reason, and though it's face looked menacing the real danger was that belly flop. The analysis led into step two: make it split it's attention between two targets.

While Moreau was chasing after Link, the Cadet ran back to get on a higher platform again. Moreau was already trying to snap at the catwalks before, so getting him to turn away from the ground floor would help all of those still down there. His arms and legs were sore and aching, but he pushed himself up and waited. Soon enough the monster came by, crossing close under the platform the Cadet was on. The young monster hunter raised the cutters and - trying his best not to fumble - snipped off a few of the wriggling tentacles protruding from it's back.

[color=salmon]"Ha [i]ha![/i]"[/color] He caught one of the appendages in his hand and threw it down at Moreau. [color=salmon]"Yeah, listen to Kamek and give up, you can't catch any of us!"[/color] He taunted, resisting the urge to jump down onto the beast and stab like he would have done if he was still in his adult body. 



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[color=FFC6C6]Word Count: 582 (+1 exp)
[u]Level[/u]: [b]5[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 26/50
[b]Location[/b]: Sandswept Sky - Al Mamoon Northwest: Obelisk Temple[/color]
[color=gray]𝙱𝙿[/color] [color=gold]●[/color][color=gray]●●●●[/color]
[color=2E2C2C]D34C25[/color][/center]No matter how many times she stared at the same hieroglyphs in the room, Primrose's brain couldn't form any useful patterns to them. There was no codex she could see, and even if the symbols themselves were familiar in the way they depicted simple shapes or common objects, she couldn't make sense of them in a meaningful way. Their "Babylonian" ally confirmed that the door they wanted was enchanted, so there had to be [i]something[/i]... so all she could do was keep looking.

The sound of people approaching quickly drew her attention away from the task. [i]Surely not enemies?[/i] Primrose tensed herself in anticipation, but moments later the missing trio appeared. The three of them looked a little beat up, but they were otherwise in high spirits. It was good news. Primrose smiled at the lot of them, returning Panther's wave with a small one of her own. Everyone was safe there in the room, so rather than offering a healing spell to them Primrose refocused on trying to discover the secret to opening the door. Hopefully with more eyes, they would make quick work of it. 

The dancer didn't expect that she would be the first to find a clue. With her eyes on the pillars and walls, she hardly noticed shapes in the sand on the ground. Her foot kicked something rather hard and she winced, glancing down at it. It was a smooth stone... too smooth. She knelt down, brushing sand away from the thing and unveiling a beetle statue. A magical one too, if the glow was anything to go by.

[color=D34C25]"Look at this,"[/color] she said, calling attention to the discovery. She placed her hand on the beetle sculpture and it's glow strengthened, but nothing changed within the room. She tried turning it, but no part of the statue budged. [i]The professor would have a field day with this,[/i] she thought, [i]but when it comes to puzzles, I am a little more direct...[/i] Primrose stood up and kicked the beetle with her heel. It's soft light intensified, and then the matching carving on the door shifted. A lock undone, she guessed.

Pleased with herself, Primrose listened to Band's story. It was, sort of, corroborated by Kan-Ra. Even if the story ended up having nothing to do with the puzzle, the group didn't have much in the way of other theories. So, they just had to look for some other stone beetles. Primrose didn't see any with a cursory look, but she had another idea.

[color=D34C25]"Someone should inform Tora and Poppi,"[/color] she said first. Then, she summoned her more recent Striker. The hunting wolf spirit was as eager to come at her call now as it was when she'd summoned it before in the museum. It fluttered around her once, but she ran a hand over it's head and brought it's attention to the beetle statue at her feet. [color=D34C25]"Here, Makami. Find us more of these."[/color]

The spirit barked and put it's flat snout to the stone. After a second or two is floated into the air, it's body twisting as it flew in a tight circle. Then it moved with purpose, flying over to a beetle statue mounted on a far wall. It was partially hidden within the shadow of a pillar, but while it was concealed from sight the wolf's nose was able to point it out. The spirit disappeared soon after that, but not before Panther and Carmen struck the statue and set it's light shining.