"AAAAHHH!!" he screamed, bolting upright. "WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS WAS THAT?!"
"Ah," Fluffy said innocently, stepping forward. "My leg slipped when you fainted. Pure accident."
Blackie blinked. "Are you injured anywhere?"
Damien's eyes twinkled. "Are you that weak?"
Zhenlong's face twisted into righteous indignation. "What?! WHO IS WEAK? I AM STRONG! STRONGER THAN ALL OF YOU COMBINED!"
"Then pay up, please," the forge master chimed in cheerfully, holding the still-glowing scroll between two fingers. "No discount for drama."
Damien grinned.
Rage Monkey grinned.
Fluffy, of course, grinned so hard his eyes were twinkling.
Zhenlong's mouth twitched violently. His hand trembled as he reached into his interdimensional pouch. He rummaged through his hoard of treasures—sighing, muttering, fuming—before finally pulling out a small, dark crystal that pulsed with tremendous energy.
"This should cover everything," he muttered, eyes full of anguished reluctance.
