Previously, an endless garden maze was complete chaos between Casey and the henchrats but still, Casey acquired the Wind Token and is now moving on to the next one as we speak


Chapter 7: The Underground Desert Ruins

After entering the Warp Portal, Casey found himself being warped in as he felt dizzy and unconscious during the warp. Then, everything went blank

Later...

Everything is still blank until slowly but surely, it was opening up. Then, "Oh...where am I? Is this the desert?" Casey stood up and looked around, he could see nothing but sand and cacti around the area. He looked behind and there, was a Warp Portal. "I guess I'm at the right place and it sure is scorching hot." Casey wiped off some sweat and started walking on the sand. Since he's wearing shoes, he can't feel the heat and burn from the sand but the temperature is very hot. As hot as a heatwave.

Back there...

The 4 rats continued searching for Casey high and low. "Grrr...this is impossible! He should be around here somewhere!" Buzzo complained. "I agree. It's clearly unknown how he can evade us even though he is around the area." said Melmo. Just then, "Hey guys! Look at what I've found!" Recognizing the voice to be Chunko, the rats went to the him and there, "Big gate." said Zombo. "This is no ordinary gate I can tell." said Melmo. "Yeah. I wonder what will happen if we go through it?" asked Chunko. "Wanna find out? GO!" Buzzo kicked Chunko in and along with the others, they jumped in and vanished.

Back at the desert...

As the sun continue to beat down some heat to the surface, Casey is feeling weak as he continued walking around the hot and dry desert. "I'm...so...thirsty." He breathed heavily as beads of perspiration trickled down and each drop that touches the sandy ground, it evaporates instantly. "Too...hot! Can't...bear it...any longer..." His green eyes gazed around the heat signatures and waves and they caught something. "Is...that...an oasis?" He treaded slowly to it as the heat continues it's solar effect on the land.

15 minutes later due to walking slowly, Casey reached it but, "What?" He saw nothing. "It must be...a...mirage. I remember CJ experiencing...it." he thought slowly. "But now, I don't know how long I can survive under this scorching desert to find the location that seals the Earth Token..." He looked around and saw another oasis. he walked there slowly but surely.

After another 15 minutes later, he reached it and this time, "Finally! A real oasis!" A smile appeared as he rested under the shades of some palm trees and drank the fresh water from the small lake. "I wish I can swim in here. Good thing I have this from the shop at the beach." Casey dug through the sling bag and pulled out a blue swim trunks with a green line on the sides. He went behind the palm trees and within a minute, he emerged in his swimwear. "CANNONBALL!" and a splash can be heard.

Some time later...

Back at the Warp Portal that Casey got out, the rats too got out landing on the sand. "OW! OW! OW! OW! OW!" They yelped and began running around with their bare feet as the sand continues to burn them. Only Zombo doesn't feel a thing so the 3 rats cling to him. "Zombo. Be good and take us around."

"Okay. Where?"

"Uh...Just walk straight until we see something."

"Okay." The impassive rat then started walking with his companions clinging to him and it's more like they're hitching a ride on him.

Back at the oasis...

30 minutes later, Casey got out of the lake wet and refreshed from his swim. "That was fun. Well, time to get going." He got himself dried up and went behind the palm trees and within a minute, is back to his usual appearance. "Okay now let's-" He tripped over something. "Huh?" It surprised him as he swept the sand off the thing he tripped and to his surprise, it was a square door with a symbol that is a diamond split into 5 parts. 2 are triangles top and bottom, 2 are trapeziums and the centre shape like 2 trapeziums joined together. Casey looked closely and saw numbers on the shapes. He even noticed a sign on the grass

A key combination to unlock the passageway to the underground where only darkness dwells.

One word made Casey shiver but he decided to get going. he then noticed that the shapes have a number on them each and from top to bottom, they are 500, 2000, 125, 1000, 250. "Hmmm...how do I unlock it?" he began walking around the sealed entrance when his foot stepped on one of the shapes and it sank down. "I see." But the problem is the numbers and Casey stepped on the 2000. "Maybe it's backwards." So Casey tried to first remember which number is from largest to smallest. But it was a struggle as he pressed the 500, 1000, 125 and 250 in order but once all are pressed, they went back up. "Wrong it is." said Casey as he tried 250, 2000, 500, 1000 and 125 but it was still locked. He then tired 1000, 2000, 125, 250 and 500. Still, it's not the combination key to unlock the entrance to the underground.

After 6 tries, "I don't understand." he exclaimed. "I tried to make a sequence but they all don't make sense! What could it be?" He did some deep thought for a few minutes. Then, "Okay, this time. I guarantee it might be the passageway." So Casey began as he first pressed 125, next 250, then 500, 1000 and finally, 2000. As soon as he pressed them down. A rumbling sound was heard and the square platform door began to split apart opening the access way down! "Okay. Now the hardest part is..."

...

...

...

He swallowed hard. "The darkness in the underground." So taking out the flashlight, Casey went there and used a ladder that will lead him down...

...

...

...

Into the darkness underground where the Earth Token was buried.

Inside the darkness...

After scaling 100 feet down, Casey touched ground, switched on the flashlight and looked around. Through the light, he can see a passageway and he walked carefully. He continued shivering in fear as he walked into the darkness straight and as he saw many skulls, bones and rats and spiders scurrying around. As he walked on, he came across 3 more. One to the left, one to the right and one straight ahead. "Which way to go?" He decided to try walking straight so as he passed through, "I wonder what I'll see as I walked on." thought Casey as his flashlight saw a doorpost. "I don't see anything through. I wonder why?" Casey thought with worry as he walked through when, "Whoa, Whoa! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" He nearly lost his footing and almost fell off once he entered, he even cling to the ledge and used his tail to catch the falling flashlight. "Oh no!" It's a dead end which leads down to a bottomless darkness! AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Casey panicked as he got up and ran out of the passageway terrified of what he experienced. Once he's back at the intersection, "That was close call! Well, I better pick another. I hope I don't fall into the same ordeal!" He decided to go to the right and so he did.

Back at the desert...

Zombo continued walking with the 3 rats clinging to him. Melmo was exhausted from the heat when, "Look! An oasis!" All stopped and saw it. "Zombo. Take us there!" Buzzo ordered. "Okay." he walked his way there but when they arrived. "HEY! Where is it? One minute it's there and the next minute it's gone?!" Chunko exclaimed. The rats were confused about it. "Uh...what oasis?" a confused Zombo asked them. "An oasis is a small area with fresh water and with plants around it for shade." Melmo explained to him. "Oh...like that one over there?" Zombo pointed at another one somehow. "Quick Zombo! Get us there quickly and move fast!" Buzzo ordered as he obeyed and went there.

Soon enough, "Yes! A real one and what's this? Aha! We found the location! The cat may have reached there first but we'll catch but first, we'll take water!" Buzzo declared. The rats got off Zombo and went to refresh themselves.

Back at the underground...

Taking the right turn, Casey walked to the direction and found a staircase on his left. He went down and and turned left again to see another passageway with bony litter and tiny creatures and bugs scurrying around. He went through it and when he entered the next area, "Uh-oh. I don't see another way over to that area on my right side." The flashlight revealed a great divide as 2 areas are separated by a large area. Casey was scared recalling what happened just now. The flashlight also noticed that the floor has many number tiles on it. "I wonder why?" He thought as the light revealed numbers on the wall which are 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 10, 15, 25, 30, 50, 75, 125, 150, 250 and 375. Below is a message.

One out of the many answers is the key to the other side and with the numbers which are multiplies of it.

"Okay...so what will happen if I stepped on the wrong answer?" Casey decided to give it a test so he carefully readied his shoes. He carefully and gently used the front to tap a number tile which has the 800 and he did it on the corner of the tile. When he gently pressed it down, "SHING!" A long spike emerged from the centre of the tile and Casey was frightened. "Now that is some trap!" He exclaimed as he began looking at the number tiles. "Only one is correct out of the many but how will I know?" Casey looked at the number tiles again. There are currently 49 out of 50 since he stepped on one of them to see what happens and all the tiles are 3 digit numbers. "I really do not understand this but maybe I'll just step on some of them." So he carefully stepped on the corner of the tile number 857 and a spike appeared. He stepped on the same spot on the tile number 333 and another spike popped out. Then, on tile number 172, the same result and likewise, 5 more number tiles. Soon enough, "This is taking too long. I should probably study the numbers on the wall which are the 'multiples'." So he studied them for a moment and while he was studying them, he was also walking a few steps back when, "CLICK!"

"Oops!" He accidentally stepped on the number tile 750 and a rumbling sound was heard. Casey shone the flashlight and saw 2 platforms emerging from both ends of the area and they linked up forming a bridge. "Oh...I see now! The number 750 is the number that can divided by these multiples!" With understanding, Casey crossed the bridge and reached the other side and to another passageway.

Back at the desert again...

Once the rats are refreshed, they jumped into the underground which was not a wise move as, "CRASH!"

"OW!" It was pitch black and all can't see. Fortunately, "My energy weapons emit a light source thus enabling us to see in the dark." Buzzo's hands transformed into dark energy blades and using them, he lead the rats straight and at the intersection, they took the left turn.

Now back to Casey...

As Casey continued on. "It gets darker and more dangerous as I move down." He thought as he entered an area to his left. He saw many X and Os on tiles. "Interesting." Casey decided to run another test as he picked up a stone and tossed it onto an X tile. It clicked upon contact and, "KSH!" A cuboid shaped pillar descended down and crushed the stone into a million pieces. "Yikes!" Casey's fur stood up in fear. "Well, I've seen it now. Better to be safe than sorry." He started leaping onto the right tiles avoiding the ones with the Xs. A running gag took place because often times, Casey lost his balance and fall onto the wrong tile but escaped it time as crushers descended down nearby crushing the cat. After surviving this gruelling obstacle course, Casey reached the end and entered through another entrance. "Huh? It's a dead end!" Casey looked around and suddenly, he unintentionally pressed onto something onto the wall and instantly, doors appeared and shut together trapping Casey! "HELP! I don't want to be stuck here forever! Let me out! Let me out!" Casey banged onto the doors when suddenly, the floor began to move down. "What the-" The floor continue to move a few feet down until it stopped. Then, the doors opened revealing another passageway. "What a nightmarish quest this is!" described Casey as he moved on.

Meanwhile...

The rats are still making their way. "This is really a dangerous route Buzzo. We encountered many booby traps like swinging axes, spears popping out of the floor and scythe blades."

"Haha. Never mind about it. At least we all evaded them thanks to me. Now shut up and keep moving." Buzzo ordered as they moved on.

Later...

After going through a few detours and some more skulls, bones, rats and spiders, Casey entered a room and it front of him are slides and they are connected all over each other and at the end is a hole on each square which totals up to 5 holes. On his right is a door which is locked and reinforced and on his left are a pile of stone spheres shaped like bowling balls and skulls mixed in. A message is written on the door.

Each lock is an answer to be chosen correctly, one wrong connection will end it all and nothing can be undone

"I guess I need to slide each sphere into the hole and then, they will unlock the locks. Also, I only have one chance for each answer." Casey thought as he took one and noticed that each slide has a sign above it. Reading them, "Challenging questions I see. Well then, I'll start with this one." Casey read the first sign which is the 5th and it says'

This word can form another word by changing the position of a letter from first to last.

"Hmmm...a word can form another? I wonder which word?" Casey looked at the sphere he's holding. It's not the answer so he put it down and went to check on the other spheres. He came across one with no vowels. Another with the letter 'A' and, "Huh? This one has the word. "Spark." Then that would mean..." His mind went bright." Remove the 's' and switch it to the last and it becomes, parks!" He took the sphere and put it on the 5th slide and it rolled down all the way until it enters a hole. Then, "CLICK!" He turned to his left and saw the lock move away. "Good. Let's continue." The next question which is at the 1st slide and it is written as.

P_RTY

L_DDER

SWE_TER

"I came across the answer already." So Casey took the sphere that has the 'A' on it and rolled it down the 1st slide and the next lock moved away. Then, another question which is on the 2nd slide.

This word has a meaning which is the same as the word, 'star'

"2 word with same meaning. What could it be?" Casey went back to the pile and started searching as he check each sphere for answers. Soon enough, he came across something a bit unfamiliar. "Aster? I never heard of that word before? Chances of the correct answer will be 50/50. It's worth to try." So Casey placed the sphere on the slide rolling it down and soon enough, "CLICK!" unlocked. "Phew! What a relief!" he stated as he checked the 4th slide and the sign that says.

6 sides it has, same width and height but different length

"Shapes. But what could it be?" Casey went back to the pile and begin searching. "Circle...no...square? It has 4 sides so it's incorrect or...rectangle? Yes!" Quickly, Casey dropped the sphere with the picture of the rectangle onto the slide unlocking the 4th lock. Only the 3rd remains a Casey read the sign above the slide.

Name the study of stars.

"What? This is impossible! How should I know?" Casey was totally clueless over the last one as he went back to the pile and checked the spheres. "Study of stars. Only Hopsalot knows. He once explained it to me when I dropped by at his house for a visit and he talked about it." Casey tried to recall but his mind could not think of it. "Ohhh...how will I-" He then noticed something. "This sphere has the word 'astronomy' and the other has, 'astrology." But which one is the right answer?" He looked at the words again and then, "Let's do the 50/50 chance again." So he chose astrology on the sphere and carefully placed it on the slide sliding it down. As the ball rolled into the hole. Casey nervously breathe heavily when, "CLICK!"

"YES!" All the locks moved away or should it be unlocked. The door opened up and Casey moved in but, "Another dead end? Don't tell me..." The same thing happened, doors shut and the floor moves down. "Seems like these 'elevators' are ancient I guess." deduced Casey as it went down even deeper and darker.

Back there...

"Buzzo. This is taking too long. We have explored some part of the ruins but we cannot find the artefact." Melmo stated. "You're right. We've been wasting our time wandering around like rats in the sewer. Time to dig deeper to this place!" Buzzo's energy blades transformed into energy drills and he began drilling holes big enough for the 4 of them to fit through. "You know what they say, if the long way is too hard, take the shortcut!"

"Buzzo. I don't know if it makes sense or-"

"Just shut up Melmo and let me do the digging!" Soon enough, he drilled a large hole and they jumped in.

Meanwhile...

Once the floor stopped moving down and the doors opened, bats flew in and up and through the light, the same thing he saw on the ground many times. Casey was trembling in fear as he moved on and saw a message on the walls.

3 levels the ruin has. Here, lies the reward to behold

"Seems like I'm close to the token!" said Casey as he came across 2 detours which are left and right. He chose the left detour and moved on.

Later, he entered a large room and saw in the centre a large device that works when a bar attached to another is moved. On the floor are numbers from 1 to 360. On the left side of the wall are some numbers with arrows pointing to another and the numbers are arranged as follows.

23x9.5

300/15

4.5x3.6

57/19

200x1.5

345/5

12.5x12

234/6

7.8x8.9

226/4

"Oh man. I never expected this to be so challenging." Casey then saw a door with many locks. "Now I know what to do but first, I need something to help me with this." Casey dug through the sling bag and took out a cube. It unfolded out revealing a calculator. "This should help me pull through this challenge!" So Casey first calculated the 23x9.5 and it revealed the answer to be 218.5. "Okay, now let's use the device." Using his strength, Casey began pulling the bar out separating it from the other bar which is static and pulled it all the way until the tip reaches the 218.5 mark. "CLICK!" He turned and the lock on the door was unlocked. "Just as I thought. This challenge sure is geometrical." Casey then worked on the second question and he got 20 so he pushed the bar to the mark and unlocked the next lock. The only time Casey used the calculator is when he is doing the multiplication. For division, he can handle it.

So far, 8 locks were unlocked and Casey just calculated the 9th question. "What? The answer is 69.42. But I wasn't on the mark! What do I do?" Casey was stuck on that part and as he pranced around a bit. Then after several minutes, "What if..." He went to the device and began pushing the bar all the way until he stopped at the 69 mark. Nothing happened. "Just a little more then." He pushed it onto the 69.2 mark. "CLICK!"

"Alright! I should have known there will be a bit of estimation on it!" Casey then decided to finish it as he solved the last question and moved the bar to the answer and, "CLICK!" All 10 locks were unlocked and the door opened up. Casey headed there and he came across another large room which has torches as the light source providing light in this area only and in front of him is a skull on a wall. Turning off the flashlight and keeping it back, Casey walked towards it when he stepped on one of the floor tiles and the skull opened up and inside is...

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...

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The Earth Token! Elated, Casey took it out and examined the platinum coin that has an obsidian diamond split into 5 parts similar to the one he first saw when trying to enter the place and it symbolized and represents the elemental power. "Oh boy! Only one token left and-"

"KSH!" From above, Buzzo and his rats drilled down. "We have you surrounded cat. Surrender or else we will-"

"Who cares Buzzo. Let's get him!" Chunko used his round body to steamroll towards him. Zombo charged by his side as Melmo unleashed stretchable punches and Buzzo seeing no other option transformed his hands into energy spikes and began firing the energy projectiles rapidly. Casey ran for his life as all 4 rats unleashed their full power. Within minutes, he was surrounded. "Now that we got him cornered, let's make this quick and finish this job once and for all!" Buzzo declared as the 4 rats marched towards Casey. He was completely cornered when his hand pressed onto a stoen slab on the wall and it opened up behind him! "Whoa! What the-AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The rats looked at the opening he fell through. "My calculations stated he should be..."

"Who cares! Drill time!" Buzzo laughed menacingly as his energy spikes transformed into drills and he started drilling down. The rats followed him hoping to catch up.

Down there...

Darkness has consumed the whole area. "Click!" A light source appeared and Casey who survived the fall looked around. "I sure escaped big time and where's the token?" He scanned the ground and found it with the other tokens he found before. Quickly, he counted them carefully and kept them. "5 so far, one more and the quest is complete! Now the last one is the Ice Token frozen and encased in ice in the Arctic Caverns! But how do I get there when I am stuck down in the darkness?" The flashlight continued to scan the area as it shone many broken ruins when, "Another Warp Portal which is on the wall! Perfect! To the Arctic Caverns!" He dashed his way in and vanished out of sight. His quest is almost complete.

Only one token left and Casey will acquire all 6 of them! Will be succeed? Find out in the next chapter!