The group finally arrives in Mexico, in a city called Chihuahua. As they enter, the locals don't pay much attention to them. While exploring the area, they stop at a local restaurant for a meal. While eating, they overhear a conversation about a facility in Mexico City, the capital, that has made a huge breakthrough in floral production.
After finishing their meal, they get back into the RV and begin their drive. To avoid traffic, they decide to take the backroads, admiring the beauty of the Mexican landscape along the way.
As they drive, Luna glances at Priscilla. "Um… is the Chupacabra real?"
Priscilla simply nods while sipping her coffee. "Yes, it is."
Rhea quickly looks at her, eyes wide. "Wait—what!? The Chupacabra is real!?"
Priscilla nods again. "Yes, they are. They're an annoyance, to say the least."
Rhea raises an eyebrow. "What about Bigfoot?"
Priscilla nods. "Yes, Bigfoot is real."
Seeing an opportunity, Rhea leans forward, eager for more information. "Well, what ab—"
Before she can finish, Priscilla raises a hand slightly. "Nessie is real. Mothman is real. The Jersey Devil is real. Yes, angels are real. Yes, demons are real. Yes, werewolves are real. Yes, devils are real. And yes, there is a difference between demons and devils."
Rhea pauses before asking, "What's the difference?"
Priscilla takes another sip of her coffee. "Devils make deals and contracts. Demons like to eat souls. Devils prefer order—to an extent—while demons thrive on chaos."
Rhea nods slowly, taking it all in. "I see… You know, being thrust into this world is kind of interesting."
Priscilla nods. "Yes, and you're taking it well. But you are a member of the Gold family—practically a royal hunting family."
Rhea tilts her head. "Well, I mean, when Luna and I were growing up, we were pretty well off."
Priscilla shakes her head. "No, that's not what I mean. The Gold family has produced some of the greatest hunters to ever exist."
Rhea stares at her in shock. "Wait… what do you mean by 'greatest hunter family'!?"
Priscilla raises an eyebrow. "You don't know? Did your family not tell you anything?"
Rhea rapidly shakes her head. "No… Luna, did you know anything about this?"
Luna shrugs. "I didn't find out much about our family until I became a hunter. Even then, I was just told the name was pretty special."
Priscilla sighs. "Yes, it's extremely special. So, how about you two do some research on your family's history together? It can be a bonding activity!"
Luna shrugs, and Rhea smiles while looking at her sister. "Well, that could be pretty fun, right?"
Luna nods. "Yeah, I guess that would be alright."
Suddenly, Tera runs by, looking at the three of them. "Are we there yet, humans!?"
They all shake their heads. Priscilla reaches over to give Tera a gentle head pat. "We'll be in Mexico City in a few days, honey. Just be patient."
Tera stomps on the ground, pouting. "No! I want to be there now!"
Luna opens a bag of nacho chips and hands it to her. Tera snatches the bag and runs off happily.
As they drive through the Mexican desert, the roads feel bumpy, and they occasionally see wild animals darting across the landscape. Tera repeatedly tries to run after them, forcing the group to hold her back each time.
Finally, after a long drive, they arrive in Mexico City. After another solid forty-five minutes of navigating the city streets, they reach the facility.
Upon exiting the vehicle, they are greeted by two security guards. When questioned about their presence, Sunny pulls out her Hunter's License, and the guards quickly allow them inside.
As they step into the facility, a man in a lab coat approaches with a cheerful expression.
"Hiya! My name is Ricardo. I'll be showing y'all around the facility."
As they walk through the lab, they observe various experiments taking place. In one section, scientists are working on growing plants beyond their natural sizes. Another area is dedicated to mass-producing vegetables. Further along, researchers are developing methods to make non-edible plants edible.
Luna raises her hand. "Why are we here exactly? You all seem to have plenty of guards."
Ricardo sighs. "Because we had an accident a few weeks back. One of the plants we were experimenting on in the back got out of hand. It attacked one of our senior members... and they died before anyone could help them."
Sunny raises an eyebrow. "Wait... show us the plant that killed one of your lab workers." Her sharp glare sends a shiver down Ricardo's spine.
He sighs before leading the group down to the lowest level of the facility. The difference between this area and the rest of the lab is striking. This section is heavily guarded, with armored walls, reinforced doors, and bulletproof windows.
At the end of the hallway, they approach a massive vault door guarded by two heavily armed soldiers, both equipped with machine guns. As the guards step aside and begin the unlocking process, they hear the sound of several security doors disengaging one by one. Finally, the main vault door slowly swings open.
Several lights slowly turn on, gradually illuminating the room until the final light clicks on. There, in the center of the room, stands a tree.
Suddenly, the tree's branches begin to shake. Then, to everyone's surprise, a face emerges from the bark—two eyes, a nose with a mustache, and a mouth.
"Greetings, humans. How are you all doing today?"