An endless dark surrounded Tanuki. His perception was still active, he could feel something cold behind his back, and the emptiness of everything around him.
"Is this the atheist afterlife? If so, is it too late to become religious? W-Wait… what is this feeling of déjà vu?"
He smacked his dry lips together and opened his eyes. What he saw was the ceiling of his hand-made base of operation, his tent, and right in the corner of his vision sat a small goblin girl, wrapped around in a black cape, showing an excited smile.
"Good morning, Nuki!"
"M-Maduka!"
Tanuki quickly sat up and hugged the goblin. He held her so tight that both of them could feel the other's heartbeat.
Tears formed in Tanuki's eyes.
"I'm so happy you're alright! I was so scared they might…"
When he looked up, he noticed the Professor, who hung upside down before him. A rope was attached to the figure's leg, keeping him above ground.
"Splendid morning to you, Mister Hachiro!"
"Huh?" Tanuki's eyes widened in surprise. Maduka turned around and spoke proudly of herself.
"Maduka caught a bird, Nuki! Can we cook it?"
"W-What?! No! He's our friend!"
Tanuki quickly rose up and rushed to the Professor. He grabbed Kurohyou from his pocket and cut the rope that held him above the ground.
The Professor fell on his head, but he showed no signs of pain. Instead, he stood up with the usual unnatural movements, his joints cracking with every small movement. Maduka was visibly disturbed by the creature's puppet-esque movements, while Tanuki was more so relieved that his friend was fine.
"Quite rare I get into such positions, though they prove effective when thinking ideas!" The Professor patted the dirt off of his clothes.
"Ah, Maduka knew dat!" The goblin proudly banged her chest. "Maduka is da biggest thinka'!"
Tanuki wasted no time and reached into the chilly part of his tent, where he kept his gathered berries. Following that, he grabbed his large wooden mug and placed the berries into it, then crushed them with the help of a large blunt stick.
"I'm so sorry, but I didn't make any more than just one mug when I had the time. You know, didn't really think I would… survive… hehe…"
First, he gave the bottle to Maduka. After all, she was the lady out of the trio. And also, the one who Tanuki knew to have a mouth.
"Uwaah, so good!" Maduka wiped the red berry juice off her lips. "What is da name of da drink?"
"The Thrilling Juice!"
"Why is it named Da Thrilling Juice?"
"It gives the drink a 'thrilling flavor' when you realize I had no idea what berries I used to make it and they might be poisonous."
Maduka spat out the drink.
"Is ya crazy?!"
"Woah now! I drank the same juice as you before and I'm not dead!"
"Yet!"
"Hmph!" Tanuki raised his nose arrogantly and turned towards the Professor. "Some people just don't know a good drink when they taste it. Am I right, Professor?"
The figure gently rubbed the pointy beak of his white bird mask while his neck twitched unnaturally.
"I'd most humbly accept thy kind offer, but the taste of sweet nectar could quench the thirst I've known too well to feel anymore."
"Uh, alright, you could've just said no."
In the end, Tanuki drank his juice all by himself while Maduka almost threw up and the Professor refused to sit down.
"So, this is my life now, eh…" Tanuki sighed before taking another sip of his juice.
"Far from it." The Professor replied. "I've appeared not simply to observe thy health, Mister Hachiro, but to beg for your support."
Tanuki raised an eyebrow upon hearing that. What could he possibly do to help the Professor? His world consisted of a small forest, some flowers on a field, and a vomiting gobbo. Those couldn't be of any help for such an intelligent person.
"Uh, and how could I help?"
"It is not a matter one could easily explain. Simply put, a cartographer has his secrets, not only to secure the well-being of his privacy but mostly as a cause of the peculiarity of his expertise."
"Still, you need to tell me what you want, otherwise I have no idea how to help."
"Indeed, you're right, Mister Hachiro. But what better way to explain mine wish, than to let you observe thy newest powers?"
Tanuki was about to drink from his mug, but he stopped just as he was about to let the berry juice fall into his mouth. He knew what the Professor must have meant by that, as the last time he asked something similar, the solution resided in the Gaia Core.
"Do you mean my Gaia Core unlocked new options?"