Kimji simply smiled, his eyes twinkling with amusement, while Nimji’s laughter echoed around them, filling the room with a lighthearted warmth.

Then, when the mood settled, they told Mounchioun all about their journey.

“Hmmm, that’s good, Somji. Good job holding the vulture hostage.”

Somji giggled.

“Let me get you guys restocked and patch up your clothes so you can begin the next part of your journey. I prepared the bathing rooms for you—Somji, yours is on the right, and Nimji and Kimji, yours is to the left.”

After eating a whole lot of ramen and sushi, they went ahead and took a long, relaxing bath. Meanwhile, Mounchioun prepared for their next step.

“All right now, we need to figure out how to make the potion,” said Nimji, handing Mounchioun the pearls.

Suddenly, Mounchioun started to laugh hysterically…

“Sensai??? Mo—Mounchioun?? Are you okay?” Somji peered at him, concern in her eyes.

“You fools! Three little fools! HA!”

Suddenly, Mounchioun transformed into a—WOLF!!

“Mounchioun is locked away!! And you fools just handed me the MOST powerful object on Chikyū! HAAHAHAH!” snarled the wolf—not just any wolf, but the limp-one-blind-eye leader of the Hantens.

On all fours, the wolf bolted out of the hut. Kimji tried to chase him but it was no use—he had already taken off.

“Shoot, he ran away!!” Kimji said, hands on his knees, huffing and puffing.

“It’s okay, we’ll find a way. We have to…” Somji crept up behind Kimji and put a hand on his shoulder.

“YES WE SHALL! AFTER ALL, WE ARE THE WARRIORS OF THE MINJI!!” Nimji declared, looking up at the sky with his hand on Kimji’s other shoulder.

They went back inside the hut to hatch a plan.

“We have to get the pearls back from them,” Nimji said firmly.

“You’re right, but we need to be smart about this. They’re powerful, and we’re new to all this. Let’s think this through…”

“Hmmmm…”

“So, what are your thoughts, Somji?” Kimji asked, noticing she seemed lost in her own world while he and Nimji talked.

Kimji snapped his fingers in front of her face.

“Hey! Oh—s-sorry, what happened?” Somji blinked, startled.

“I asked what you think we should do. They took our pearls…”

“Oh, right. I have... sort of an idea. I don’t even know if we can pull it off, maybe it’s a little stupid—”

“I DON’T CARE, TELL ME!” Kimji interrupted, eager.

“All right, all right... Maybe to blend in, we could make a shapeshifting potion, or disguise ourselves as wolves and foxes. No one would notice us slip in. First, we take the pearls at night when everyone’s asleep, then we unlock Mounchioun’s cage—or wherever he is—and run off. We can’t come back to the hut, so we take whatever we need from there and run straight to the Mountain of Shi. Then we’ll know what to do next.”

“Alright, first we pack up the hut—take whatever seems important,” Nimji said.

They started packing food and Mounchioun’s research into a compact bag.

“All done!” said Kimji.

“Okay, now we have to figure out how to disguise ourselves...”

“I think making a potion is too complicated. We could go the simpler way...”

“We can make wolf suits using fur, and just for extra measures, a potion-like scent that blends in with the wolves,” Nimji suggested.

“YES, THAT’S GENIUS!”

They started working on the suits. Somji and Kimji took charge, layering normal clothing with fur, glue after glue. Layer by layer, the suits started to feel real.

Nimji focused on the potion/scent. He pored over Mounchioun’s potion recipe books, myth books, and more. He found perfume recipes and full moon rituals, but nothing quite right.

Then a thought popped into his head.

“Hmm... what if I combine two potions? The first could be the Moon Mist, and the second, Wolf Hallucination.”

The first potion was essentially an ordinary perfume designed to evoke the mysterious essence of misty full-moon nights and distant wolf howls. The second potion, however, was exactly what Nimji had been searching for—a magical concoction that could emit the scent of any animal or creature you desired. He specifically wanted wolf, so he chose that.

Nimji used Mounchioun’s pot to make the potion, but he had to head out for ingredients.

The perfume’s ingredients were simple: crushed lavender, moonlit dew, and a hint of smoky cedarwood. It was crafted to conjure the illusion of a chilly night under the full moon, with faint echoes of wolf howls drifting through the air.

The second potion’s ingredients were powdered silver, the essence of a wild pine forest at dusk, and a drop of dew collected at dawn.

Nimji worked on the potions all day while Somji and Kimji stitched the wolf suits. Finally, their prize for all the hard work had been granted.

The wolf suits came out looking realistic, and Nimji’s potions also came out great.

Nimji soaked the suits in the potion and perfume, and they all went to rest while the suits lay out in the cold night air to dry.

They woke up the next morning. Birds were chirping, the crisp morning air was dancing as the jungle awakened with a gleam of life. Gentle mist glided through the towering trees, their leaves shining with dew. The earthy scent of damp soil mingled with the faint fragrance of wildflowers.

It was a breathtaking moment, but Somji, Kimji, and Nimji had more important things to take care of.

But the truth was—they didn’t realize how powerful their powers were. If they learned to train right and mastered the right techniques, they could easily defeat the Hantens. Their powers were strong enough to reshape or even—destroy the world. And maybe one day they would awaken to the terrifying truth of their power—and when that day came, the evil in the world would tremble.