DOUGH:Hi dough here,so before ya'all read this chapter i wanna tell something —first i already fixing some couple chapter before this because i seen some thing that a bit ambiguous from chapter 7 ,like finn high when he now still 10 i write it as 5'1 feet tall previously now i changed it to 4'11 feet (149 cm) because it sound more logical for 10 year old? Right? (I also notice some error on chapter 4 sorry about that.)
And also about mannish man the minatour i make him in this story being guarding it like thousands of years,but the true is more he been guard it since Mesopotamian era?...i don't really want gave specific how long he been guard Enchiridion to be honest (i just want gave some extra shit)...
second im not so serious write this after all same goes with other two Fanfic (I'm want forsake one of them fr ,not Ben 10 one).
And third idk why ya'all read this 🗿 I'm comfused fr,and again truely sorry if some text is hard to read verb past tense or something..as i already said English not my main language,like fr dude...I'm write this with Google translate.
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As we all know, Ooo's got a massive desert down south—people call it the Badlands. It's a windy, blazing hot wasteland filled with ruins of an old civilization, wrecked vehicles left over from the nuclear war, and the carcasses of giant monsters. Bones are scattered everywhere—whales, mutants, and even creatures nobody can name.
Even though it looks like a nightmare, the Badlands still have a few some settlements here and there, like big kingdom as such the Slime Kingdom and smaller one like the Breakfast Kingdom, the Glass Kingdom, and maybe even other civilizations buried under the sand and ruins that we haven't discovered yet. For the most part, though, it's empty—just the occasional pack of hobos or bandits wandering around.
And of course, the bounty hunters—oh, they're everywhere in the Badlands of Ooo. A well-known community of outlaws you can hire when you don't want to get your hands dirty. Sometimes even nobles from the kingdoms pay them to do their dirty business—sometimes they act by their own. Their base, though? Not easy to find.
Deep in the Badlands, there's a massive crater shaped like some giant bite carved into the earth. Locals whisper it was made by an unknown creature with five glaring eyes, whose skull still sits half-buried in the center of the pit. Its bleached bones tower like jagged cliffs, and that hollow skull has become both a landmark and a warning.
Beneath those bones lies a hidden settlement—a whole city of bounty hunters, mercenaries, and outlaws.
They call it the City of Cassian, sitting right in the Maw Crater… silly name for a crater, I know.
The whole place is built into the crater walls and inside the massive skull itself. The city looks like an old-world shantytown, patched together with scavenged wood, rusted metal, and strange magical scraps left over from the Great Mushroom War. Rope bridges and busted elevators link the upper levels to the crater floor, where the main plaza and taverns buzz with shady deals.
The most famous spot is The Broken Fang, a rickety tavern carved into one of the creature's giant teeth. That's where hunters knock back glowing brews, swap contracts, and scratch their names into the bone walls for luck. Plenty of bounties get handed out there.
At the center sits The Skull Bazaar, a marketplace where hunters and mercenaries trade, rare weapons, and enchanted trinkets. The stalls are packed with bottled monster venom, cursed bullets, and nasty snacks so unsafe only bounty hunters are crazy enough to eat them.
Also… the Cassian City is infamous for another reason—slave trade. Not all the kingdoms of Ooo even know about it, since it's kept very secret. A lot of the slaves come from people bounty hunters capture because there's a price on their heads. Some are kidnapped. Some are killed outright if that's what the commission calls for. But if they're not ordered to be killed—and the hunters just don't feel like letting them go—then they usually end up as slaves or forced labor.
In some cases, they're sold after having their memories wiped and their faces magically altered so nobody can recognize them. And this kind of slavery doesn't discriminate—mutants humanoid creatures, drifters that being caught, even folks from other kingdoms (unknownly being take or someone annonimus gave the commision for them to gone out of the kingdoms ). Women, men, the elderly… even kids. Yeah, child slave trade is a common thing here.
Most of the child slaves in Cassian are taken when they're still babies. Sometimes it's because certain people didn't want them born in the first place. That makes up a small part. The bigger share comes from bounty hunters—when they kill a target, they sometimes take the victim's child and sell them off. Others are found abandoned or neglected by their parents. Altogether, that makes up about sixty-three percent of the child slaves in the trade.
As in here children being sell cheap—low prices compared to adults. Because of that, they're often sold as servants, subordinates, or raised for cruel purposes. Some are used as practice dummies. Others, even worse, are used as bait during bounty hunts… and many of them don't survive. That how this place work.
Surprisingly, the City of Cassian does have a kind of government. It's ruled by a single leader—an outlaw whose name nobody knows. Not even the people living there know who they really are or what they look like. All that's certain is that they've been running the place ever since it was founded, more than 260 years ago.
Even though the city is full of outlaws, there's still a code they live by—rules every bounty hunter is expected to follow:
Survival is Most important
No bounty is worth dying for. There will always be other jobs/ commissions to do, don't be foolish enough to throw your life for something that impossible,
Bounty is Not a person
A target is an "acquisition," not someone to sympathize with. Mercy only leads to mistakes. Complete the bounty regardless of morality—but don't interfere with another hunter's job, and don't kill a target unless it's necessary in the commision/jobs requests,if that so you need to kill them,see them as pests or lowly creatures.
Forget everything about what just happened
Once a job is done, it's forgotten. No records, no attachments, no lingering thoughts.
Complete the Mission
"He who hires my hand, hires my whole self." A hunter is bound to the contract and won't stop until the mission succeeds—unless it's truly impossible, in which case abandoning is allowed.
Lastly No Friends, Only temporary Allies then Enemies
Hunters live by strict self-reliance. Relationships are temporary, built only on utility. Most hunters work alone, sometimes forming short-term alliances. Many rely on their own slaves for help, rather than trusting another bounty hunter. That's why most bounty hunters in Cassian rely only on themselves—or tools, slaves, and resources are fair game to use—but never friends.
As for the mercenaries living there, their work is a bit different from the bounty hunters. Mercs are hired soldiers who fight for a faction, a government, or a cause—usually as part of a larger military action. In the Badlands, they're often hired by small, unknown kingdoms of Ooo or even by forces outside the land that get tangled in conflicts. Just like bounty hunters, mercenaries have their own moral code to follow.
Coin is Command
A mercenary's sword, axe, or spear has no master but money. Once paid, the mercenary fights with full force until the coin runs dry. Betrayal of payment is betrayal of life—anyone who cheats a merc usually ends up dead or dragged back into the crater as a slave.
Strength is Honor
A mercenary's worth is measured by strength and survival in combat. Running from a fight isn't shameful if it means living to fight another day—but outright cowardice is despised. Every merc must face challenges head-on. Power earns respect; weakness earns scorn… and often a pitiful death.
Band of Wolves
Unlike bounty hunters, mercenaries sometimes fight in packs. Loyalty to the group is temporary but absolute while a job lasts. Betray the pack mid-battle, and they'll tear you apart themselves. When the job's done, though, the bonds fade—brothers-in-arms today, strangers tomorrow.
That's the moral code in this place—a city filthy to the core, but still standing on rules that act as pillars for bounty hunters and mercenaries. But those codes only apply to their own factions.
The other outlaws who live here—the market traders, tavern keepers, commission-givers, even the information brokers—are under the protection of the two factions. But outside of that protection? Nobody cares. For everyone else, it's kill or be killed. You can cut someone down in the street, rob them, or worse (its rhythm with grape if you want to know it)… and no one's going to stop you.
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PLACE: CENTER OF CASSIAN CITY
The middle of the city was always packed—outlaws in dirty, tattered robes brushing past each other, weapons jutting out from under their cloaks like warnings. The air was heavy, loud, and dangerous. Smoke from roasting meat drifted through the streets, mixing with the stench of sweat, iron, fire, oil, and blood. Only those who could pay got to eat.
"Meat! Meat! Get your lizard roast, hot and fresh!" shouted a mutant with a swollen head and twelve arms, waving skewers over a crackling fire.
"Weapons! Anything from greatswords to whips—five gold, only today!" barked a tall creature made of living coal, hammering on glowing steel as sparks rained down, each strike doubling as both blacksmith's work and advertisement.
"Anyone here need a servant? A maid? Bait? Or tools!? Step right up—we've got what you're looking for! Slaves! Plenty of them!" yelled a short mutant humanoid, waving his arms as he showed off his "goods."
"Look at this child! Strong enough to carry your weapons, ladies and gentlemen! And what about this one—straight from the Berry Kingdom! Look at those curls! Sexy, ain't she? Could be your sweet, sweet partner for the night! Or maybe you need a guard? We got those too! Step right up!"
A filthy crowd pressed closer as he shouted, eyes hungry, some laughing, some spitting. The air was thick with smoke, sweat, and desperation. A nasty, vile place.
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...
"Huwaaak!!" screamed a mutant as he was hurled out of some bar on the side of the street,crashing into the dirt.
"You piece of Blubbins! How dare you come here without paying! This ain't Thief City!" roared a giant brute stomping out after him. The thing looked like a massive turtle, but it towered over the street, gripping a twisted metal bar in its hands."P–please… forgive me, I—" the mutant begged, coughing blood.
Before the mutant could finish his plea, the turtle brute slammed the metal bar down, smashing him into a bloody puddle.
"That's what you get…" the brute growled before stomping back inside the bar. Out on the street, no one cared. People just kept moving, stepping over the corpse like it was nothing. Scenes like this were too normal in Cassian.
Through the crowd, two robed figures passed by. They didn't stop, didn't look, didn't even notice what had just happened. To them, the blood on the ground was nothing more than a patch of red mud. One was tall, the other short, and they moved silently, slipping deeper into the throng.
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FINN POV:
Wow… this place smells nasty. I mean nastier than LSP's body scent. That walking pile of floating fat—LSP—smells like straight-up pigs crap, I swear to you. On God, she reeks. But here? The stench is even worse. Horrible, and right now it looks like me and Jake just stepped in some nasty red mud. Mushy, squishy, and it reeks like iron.weirdly some reason Jake's face twisted all scared as we walked through it. Great. Now I gotta wash my shoes later.
(Author:seem our MC have personal issue with her...)
Anyway, here I am, standing in some place I didn't even know existed: Cassian City. Didn't think it was part of Ooo late alone from the main show, but here we are. And man, it was a nightmare trying to find this place. If it weren't for Jake stretching himself into some giant dog with four long legs, we never would've made it let alone found this place through badlands.
And this place is huge. I mean it—massive. The city's all twisted and packed inside this monster skull, with old-world buildings shoved together, stacked up like crooked teeth. Some of them are giant sky-conversation towers, turned into raggedy apartments under these bones. Creepy, right? Honestly, this reminds me of the City of Thieves (no,I'm not go there yet) from the that episode i remember…both lawless, dirty, crawling inside a dead creature's ribs—well this one more like under the skull. And you're probably wondering—why are we here? Well… let me roll it back a bit. Flashback time.
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Sometimes ago.
It was a great day in the grassland market, same as always. People from all over Ooo came here to buy groceries or sell their goods, so the place was buzzing with noise and color. Perfect day for me to track down the ingredients for that all-healing elixir I'd been planning to make after long weeks for my leg to healed.
"Hmmm… let's see. Ground coffee, honey, grape juice, water… salt.....…olives... dates and pomegranate fruit. Easy enough," I muttered, checking my list while moving from stall to stall, buying what I needed and counting my change.
Thing is, in the Land of Ooo, everything's bizarre. If you manage to find something normal, that's maybe 40% of it. The rest? Total nonsense. Even the stuff I did find came from all kinds of strange little kingdoms. Like this ground coffee—it's from some mutant humanoid dude, who says it's a product from Coffee Kingdom. Basically, they grind up the tears of coffee bean people into fine powder. Yeah, sounds about right.
Then there's the honey, straight from a local bee farm up in the north side of Grasslands. From Sentient bees, of course. One of 'em (the honey product) just casually waved at me inside the bottle when I bought it. "Sup, dude!" said the talking honey inside the bottle. Like, no big deal.
And when I bought the grape juice from this female mutant humanoid, I overheard another mutant telling me it came from some old, weird factory out in the Badlands. Apparently the place still runs on drones! Like, what? An old factory, still operating all on its own, and nobody even knows how long it's been going. They even sell grape soda on the side.
Even after ten years of living here, I'm still not used to all this bizarre stuff. I mean, I've fought killer bears, cow-minotaurs, ice lizards, bandits—you name it. I had been throwing hands with them, and yet I'm still not fully used to it. But hey, that's the fun of it when you reincarnate as Finn, right?
At least the gallons of water I picked up were normal. Just mountain water—Super clear, no bacteria,filtered water.
As I headed out to grab the fruit ingredients, I knew exactly where to go. Soon enough, I came across a fruit stand run by a seller who—yeah, no joke—was a dog. Not just any dog either. A full-on German Shepherd, about Jake's size, rocking a farmer's hat like he owned the place. He waved goodbye to his last customer with a big cheerful grin.
"Thank you, come again! Oh, what do we have here—hi there Joshua and Margaret youngest son! Finn the Human! What can I do for a hero like you?" said the dog, his tail wagging like crazy, smile warm and welcoming.
"Hi, Mr. Diesel Pinen! Good to see you." I waved back. This guy wasn't just some random merchant; he was an old friend of Jake's from our old neighborhood, back when we still lived with our parents.
"Hahaha, good to see you too, Finn! You're lookin' healthy as always. How's your brother doing?" asked Mr. Diesel in his usual warm tone.
"He's fine, he's fine. Lazy and laid back as always," I answered with a grin.
"Hah! That's Jake, alright. Hahaha! …So, what are you after today, kiddo? Apples? Watermelon? Screaming melons? You name it—I've got every fruit you could want right here," the dog said proudly, listing off his goods.
The humanoid berries in stall beside me diesel from the Berry Kingdom were giving the dog some serious side-eye from their own stand nearby. Berry folks usually made their income from selling meat and crafts, not fruit. So to them, seeing a others hawking apples and melons looked… sketchy. Like he was selling their people. Yeah, sure, the fruits he sold weren't even sentient and came from a totally different branch of descendants, but try explaining that to a berry guy —it's useless.
"Yeah, I'm looking for some fruits. You got olives? Fresh ones?" I asked, shoving all my groceries into my green backpack.
"Hoh! Fresh olives, you say? You're in luck—I've got a bunch left," said the dog as he scooped up a bag of shiny, fresh olives. "Here ya go! Anything else?" He handed it over with that same warm smile.
"Wooow, isn't this too much, sir?" I asked, looking at the pile of olives in my hands.
"Hahaha, nonsense! It's my last bunch anyway, kiddo. You're doin' me a favor by taking 'em!" Mr. Diesel barked with a laugh.
"Ooh, okay! Thanks… also, do you have dates and pomegranates?" I asked, fishing out my backpack for bag of gold coins.
When I looked up, Mr. Diesel's face was… confused, like I'd just spoken Martian.
"Umm… what again, kid? Say that one more time?" the German Shepherd tilted his head.
"Uhh, dates? You know—small, oval fruits with a pit inside, usually brown, sweet as candy? And pomegranates—round, apple-sized, thick red skin, packed with hundreds of juicy ruby-red sacs with seeds inside?" I explained, making hand motions like that would help.
Diesel blinked at me, then scratched his cheek with a paw. "Wait, wait… you mean dates and pomegranates… from history?"
"Sorry? What do you mean history?" I asked, eyebrows going up.
He sighed, shaking his head. "Guess you didn't know, huh? Those fruits you're talkin' about… they've been extinct for thousands of years, kiddo. Wiped out ages ago. These days, you'll only find 'em mentioned in dusty history books."
I froze as I paid Mr. Diesel 3 gold coins for the olives."Heh!? Heeeeh!!!" I blurted out in disbelief as that info hit me."Woaaah?! You okay, Finn?" asked the German shaper, looking at me after I shouted out loud.
"A-ah, nothing Mr. Diesel, I just forgot something. I'll take my leave! See ya!" I said as I walked away from his stall."tch tch sigh..hahah Finn, Finn, that kid seems super stressed as a hero, hahah…hmmm? wait—he gave me 3 gold coins, ey! That's too much!" the dog said from his stall.
"Finn! You forgot your change! Hey kiddo!"
But I didn't hear him. I just kept walking through the crowded market. My head was spinning—those two fruits are extinct? Wait, how? It's only been like a thousand years after the Great Mushroom War! They should still exist… but now they're extinct???
I know this is some kinda alternate Adventure Time universe I ended up in… but still… how long has it actually been? I thought as I wandered deeper into the packed market stalls.
Damn it! I need to dig more into this world's timeline later on! Should I hit the library for searching ...or maybe just ask Princess Bubblegum for it? She's old, after all.
…Nah, scrap that. My ears still haven't healed from her last scolding. All because I already had the Enchiridion without her knowing—yeah, yeah, I know she would've made me get it later when I turned twelve, but me? I snatched it early. Geeez… she went full-blown mom/big sister mode, when she found out. Damn, she really lectured me hard.
As someone with a soul that's over eighty years old, it's kinda embarrassing getting yelled at like a kid. Yeah, I know she's over 800+ years old or more, but still…Well, after she calmed down, she asked me to let her take a little peek at the Enchiridion. Of course I wouldn't let her—Mannish Man already warned me about that. Speaking of mannish man Hmmmm… maybe I should just ask Mannish Man instead?
...
Nope… guess I can't ask him. I don't wanna bother him when he's finally free from guarding the Enchiridion. He's probably chillin' now with the Key-per and those old ladies up on Mount Cragdor. Sigh… what should I do? …hmmm.
While my mind was all over the place, I suddenly heard a familiar voice calling me in that sing-songy rhythm.
"Yooo-hooo, Finn the Human!?"
It was that silly goose's joyful voice as I walked past his stall.
"Oh… what's up, Choose Goose?!" I greeted him with the best smile I could put on.
"Ah, such an alluring sight to see you here in the market! Although I couldn't help but inquire—seeing your wondering face, your mind all burning with thoughts as you tiptoe in front of my shop," Choose Goose said in his usual sing-song way, looking at me like he already knew I was deep in thought.
"heh i...it's that so?" I said, scratching my cheek with one hand while the other held a bag of olives.
"Indeed, my good sire! You seem lost inside your mind! Would you be so kind as to spill the tea of what you're thinking? I might just help you, ho-ho!" said the silly goose, twisting his long neck up and down.
I sighed and looked at him. "Actually, I'm a bit disappointed right now, Choose Goose. I came to the market to buy some stuff, but it turns out what I wanted isn't here…" I said, sliding the bag of olives into my green backpack.
"You were looking for something, you say? Tell me, tell me! Perhaps I can help you find it—or maybe provide it myself, dear hero, ho-ho-ho!" said the talking goose in his goofy rhyme.
"Alright, I was hoping to find some ingredients to make something, and the two key ingredients were fruits," I said, explaining to Choose Goose.
"Ahe–ahe," he nodded, listening intently.
"And after I looked for them, it turns out the two fruits don't exist anymore. Total bummer, man…" I sighed."I see, hmm… what are these two sweet fruits you require for your needs?" the sentient white goose asked.
"It's pomegranates and dates…" I said. That made Choose Goose's eyes go wide."Yeah… I just found out they're extinct. Not cool," I added, slumping a bit as i didn't see the choose goose reaction.
"Y–you seek those ancient treats?" the goose gasped, pacing in thought. "I may not conjure such delicacies from thin air, Finn the Human… for they've turned to history and dust long ago… buuut!" he suddenly squawked, flapping his wings. "Come closer…" he said, leaning in so I'd do the same, then whispered something secret in my ear.
"I knew where the place you could find them!" Choose Goose whispered into my ear under my white bear hood, his voice all sing-song.
"Huh? Really? But they're already extinct, aren't they? Is there somewhere they still exist?" I whispered back before pausing. "Wait—why are we whispering?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Nothing, I just feel like it, hohoho~," the silly goose chuckled. Of course he'd say that.
"geeeez...choose Goose… hehehe." I shook my head in disbelief at his antics. Funny thing is, now that I think about it, he's kinda different from how I remember him in the show.
Shouldn't he be greedy and scammy? A manipulative salesman type? But nah—ever since I first met him in this world, when I was eight, and then through all the years me and Jake have known him, he's always been slightly different. Still goofy. Still helpful. Still entertaining in that weird goose way.
"So… where is it?" I asked again, pushing him to spill.
"To be honest, I don't know if they still exist either, my good friend," he said, twirling his long neck like a noodle. "But! I heard information—that a certain person knows of a place where they still do!"
"But! You know this piece of information is very not free, dear Finn the Human, wohoho~!" Choose Goose flapped all his noodly limbs as he laughed.
"Heheh, of course… of course it wouldn't be free. You're a salesman after all—always need something for everything you sell," I said, shaking my head, kinda amused. At least that bit of greed still fit this silly white goose.
"Hohoho, indeed I amma! So, would you like to buy this information, dear friend?!" the goose said, twisting his long neck around like a corkscrew.
"Alright, I'll buy it. What do you want for it?" I asked, digging into my backpack between the groceries and ingredients I bought earlier for the elixir.
"Hohoho! How about… three sacks of gold coins! That would be enough for this precious information!" he declared, wings spread wide.
"Heh, you want money instead of stuff? Well, works for me." I pulled out three small sacks, each heavy with forty gold coins. "Here you go—three bags of gold coins. I came prepared, buddy!"
"Oh dear me! Goodness gracious! That's a lot! Seems you were planning to grocery-shop for the whole week, wohooo~!" he shouted, hopping up and down in glee.
"Yes, I am!" I shouted, totally quoting a line from some anime I watched back in my younger days—in my previous world, no less.
"Alrighty then, I would gladly take it—and sell this precious information to you! So listen closely, dear customer~" Choose Goose tucked away the three bags of gold with a satisfied hum.
"There is someone, far from the grasslands of Ooo… in the hidden edges of the Badlands. I've heard they wander unknown places there, mapping what no one dares to see. And, as the tale goes, they stumbled upon a secret place… where strange, ancient fruits still grow. One is red, filled with many sweet seeds. The other—green, oval, and plain—yet turns sweeter than candy when dried."
He flapped his wings dramatically as he spoke, like he was reciting a ballad. I nodded along, soaking in every word."So… where can I find this guy?" I asked, leaning in.
"Ohhh, this wanderer's location is veeeery secret, veeeery hidden~" he sang, twisting his neck around like a spring. "But! You already paid me so handsomely, dear Finn the Human… I'll tell you where they's been hiding."he said before he lean closer.
"Do you even know a place called Cassian City?" the goose said with this over-the-top dramatic flair.
(Author:At this point i just Made up names like fr)
That name made me raise my eyebrow again.
"Cassian… City? What's that?" I asked. I'd never even heard of that place—not in the original show, not in all these years living as Finn. Even PB never mentioned anything about it on history of ooo school subject she gave to me years ago. So I just kept listening to Choose Goose's sing-song rambling, trying to catch what I could.
"Yes, yes indeed! Cassian City," the goose said, stretching out his words with a goofy dramatic tone. "A place where outlaws roam, where nobody's truly loved. A place of killers—some known, some whispered about, hohoho! I've only heard rumors… that it lies somewhere deep in the Badlands of Ooo. But beware, dear Finn the human! That place is crawling with killers. A city of bounty hunters, mercenaries, and outlaws lives that no kingdom of Ooo dares to claim!"
He twisted his long neck, flapping his wings as if to make it sound even scarier. "Hohoho! Very dangerous indeed. Even I don't know exactly where this city hides."
"So this guy's location is in that place? Huh…" I scratched my chin, sighing. "Alright then. I'll find it myself. Thanks for the info, Choose Goose. See ya later, pal!"
"See you later too, dear customer!" he called after me, bowing with a silly flourish. "Be wary of the place—and be safe, hohoho!"
After my little chat with Choose Goose, I sprinted back toward the tree fort. From the Grasslands market to our house, I followed the same old route. Man, I'm grateful my leg's fully healed now—can't even imagine trying to run like this while still busted up. That would've sucked.
When I finally got in front of me and Jake's giant weeping willow tree fort, I rushed inside. Passed through the treasure room, climbed up the ladder to the second floor—there he was, Jake, in the middle of cooking.
"It's delicious on my tongue! Tongue! So savory yet tangy! Tangy! Every bite, munchy munch!" Jake sang in his goofy rhythm, tail wiggling while his yellow paws worked the iron skillet.
"Jake!" I called out from behind, loud enough to make him jump.
"Waaaaaa! Finn! Dude, you scared me, man!" Jake yelped, stretching his long neck back to glare at me. "You know I hate being spooked while I'm cooking!"
"Hueheheh, sorry dude, couldn't help it," I said with a sneery chuckle as I pulled my green backpack around and started unloading all the ingredients I'd bought, laying some on the table and shoving the rest in the freezer to keep 'em fresh.
"Back already? You manage to grab all the stuff you needed for that elixir—or potion—or whatever you were talking about?" Jake asked, his fat neck stretching out like a snake so he could peek at the pile of ingredients. He kept multitasking at the skillet, frying and watching me at the same time.
"Hmm… yeah, almost actually…" I sighed."Almost? Something missing, bro?" Jake tilted his head, ears flopping."yup. At the market I grabbed half the ingredients no problem. But when I went to get the last two—they didn't have 'em." I looked over at Jake with a tired face. While Jake shut off the stove and slid the food from the iron skillet onto two plates, adding a quick garnish like he'd been practicing his chef skills or something. Looked like he'd made lunch for both of us—and BMO too, who was already sitting on the little wooden chair, waiting like a kid at a dinner table.
"So? What're the two last ingredients you're missing, Finn?" my yellow dog brother asked while patting the chair beside him for me to sit down and eat.
"It's fruits, actually. Pomegranates and dates," I said, grabbing the plate he slid to me and digging in. "But turns out those two have been extinct for who knows how long. I only found out today—guess I skipped over some books I should've read, heh."
"Pomegranates? Dates?" Jake tilted his head, still chewing mid-bite. "Never even heard of those before. What do they look like?" His eyes squinted with that usual curious-dog look.
"Oh, they look like… well, pomegranates are round, usually red, with this tough leathery skin. Inside, they're packed with hundreds of little juicy sacs. And the other one—dates—" I started explaining before Jake chuckled.
"Hehehe, dates. What, people bring those on… y'know, dates?" he snickered at his own dumb joke.
I laughed too, shaking my head. "I don't know either, man. Anyway—dates are kinda small, oval-shaped. When they're fresh, they're yellow or golden, sometimes amber.
When ripe, they turn soft and juicy. But when you dry them, they go dark brown and get all wrinkly, crinkly, and chewy. They've got this plump, glossy texture at first, but yeah—always just one seed in the middle."
As I kept explaining, I pulled some paper, a pencil, and colored pencils out of my green backpack, sketching while I chewed my food. A quick doodle later, I showed it to Jake.
"They look like this!" Jake's eyes widened. "Woooah, so that's what they look like? Btw, how do you even know all this, dude?" He raised a brow at me.
"There's illustrations and descriptions in the Enchiridion. See?" I dug into my backpack again, flipped it open to Volume 13: Alchemy and Transmutation, page 233 to 235. and slid it over to him.
BMO, who was sitting at the table pretending to eat their lunch, gasped with their little pixel-face lighting up. "Wooooah! They really pretty, just like I remember!" the tiny computer squeaked, staring at both my awful doodle and the clean illustration from the Enchiridion.
"Huh? You've seen those fruits before, BMO?" Jake leaned in, raising a brow at the little gameboy robot.
"Indeed I do!" BMO said proudly, pretend puffing up their tiny metal chest with their buttons. "That was some times ago… if my memory database is correct, Jake." Their screen kept showing munching animations as they pretended to eat.
Jake blinked in disbelief. "Okay, first of all—how the glob old are you, BMO??"
I couldn't help but laugh at his face, though deep down I was wondering the same thing. I already knew how long it had been since the Great Mushroom War… or at least, I thought I knew. In the original timeline it was about a thousand years, but in this alternate world? It felt like way, way more time had passed. I still wasn't sure how much.
Meanwhile, BMO just sat there smiling, happily making little munching sounds with their screen flashing "nom nom" like they were enjoying the greatest feast in the world. Jake sighed and gave up, shaking his head before chomping back into his food.
"So… what you gonna do now, bro? Find a substitute for 'em?" Jake asked, his mouth half full.
""I hope I can, man, but the Enchiridion—dude, it don't say squat about any substitutes for it..." I said, pushing away my empty plate.
"But hey, I do got some good news." I grinned. "Turns out there's somebody out there who knows a spot where those fruits still exist.....buuut.."
Jake tilted his head, suspicious as always. I could hear that big gulp run down his throat. "Glup...uh-oh i don't like hearing that word ..buts! Jakie don't like where this is goin'. Whenever there's 'bad news' involved, it ain't good."
"Yeah, you could say that," I sighed. "The dude lives in some place way out in the Badlands of Ooo—super secret. Like, no one even knows it exists. Not even the people of OOO would know about it—maybe?. But as i got this information this guy? He knows exactly where the fruits are." I waved my hands up and down for effect.
Jake blinked his big old eyes a couple times, then squinted at me. "...Okay, but where'd you even hear this from? You sure it ain't some trap?"
"Relax," I said flatly. "It's from Choose Goose."
"Oh. Really? Him?" Jake leaned back, stretching his arms. "Alright then... So where's this guy? You said no one even knows the place?" He picked up all the dirty dishes and carried them over to the sink.
"Yeah, so the place is cal—"
Jake cut me off. "Wait, hold up a sec. BMO? You finished your plate, buddy?"
"Yup,I'm done Jake!" BMO chirped, even though it was obvious they hadn't eaten anything.
"Alright excuse me BMO~." Jake swiped BMO's plate, scarfed down the leftovers, and dropped it in the sink with the rest.
"Burp!" He let out a huge burp.
"Pfft—dude, that's disgusting!" I burst out laughing.
"Heheh, sorry. Go on, man." Jake said, letting me continue whatever I was rambling about.
"So, like I was saying—the place where this person's at is called Cassian City… or something like that. Choose Goose said it's a real dangerous spot, full of outlaws, bounty hunters, mercenaries, and probably worse. But if this person really knows where the fruits are—the ones I need for the Panacea potion—it's worth a shot." I waved my hands as I talked.
"Sooo, you're planning to go there? To meet this person we don't even know if they really or not, and worst,we got no clue where this city even is?" Jake raised a brow at me.
"Yup." I said without hesitation.
Jake scratched his chin, frowning a little. "Hmmmm… I don't know, Finn. That place sounds really dangerous, just like you said. You sure you wanna go there to find some random person we don't even know exists? What if they're lying about knowing where those two extinct fruits still grow? I mean—it's in the Badlands, in some city we never even heard of before. Sounds like a big red flag to me, bro."
"But also—it's a good opportunity to adventure somewhere we haven't been yet." I said with a grin. I knew how dangerous that place could be, buuut... I couldn't help it. I wanted to go.
"Come on, Jake, this ain't even close to the time we helped the dwarf kingdom fight off those seven fire salamanders! Or that rock golem that trashed the Fishing Kingdom! And how about that time you almost got digested by that pink giant ogre?" I snickered. "Heheh, like I said—we've already done way crazier stuff. What's the worst that could happen?" I smiled wide.
Jake stared at me for a second, then realized I was right. "Ah, yeah… we have done a lot of dangerous stuff, huh? Heheheh. Guess there's never a safe day in Ooo when you're living the hero and adventure life." Jake chuckled, shaking his head at how dumb it was for him to think this would be any different.
"So, what do you say? Head out to some unknown, dangerous place… or just lay low and wait for the same dangerous stuff to happen tomorrow?" I asked, hands on my hips.
"Heh, alright Finn, you got me. Let's go to this place and find that person!" Jake said, tail wiggling with excitement.
"Heck yeah, that's awesome! By the way,hey BMO! You wanna come too?" I looked at the tiny computer robot on the table. His screen showed a shocked face—well, it's not every day we drag BMO out on an adventure. In the show, he mostly just pops up when finn and jake playing games or being cute.
But this time BMO might actually be useful. "Me? You're sure about that, Finn? I can join you two?!" the little game-boy robot said, hopping up and down on the wooden table, doing a tiny dance.
"Yaaay! BMO's going on an adventure! Yaaay, yaaay! I'm in!!" BMO cheered. "Hehehehe, I love seeing BMO happy," Jake chuckled, watching the little robot bounce around with excitement.
"Hahaha, yeah, same bud," I said with a grin then BMO stop bounce around and approching me."By the way Finn, when are we gonna go?" the little robot asked as they hopped off the table and walked up to me.
"Hmmm, let's see… how about four days from now? We'll need time to prep a bunch of stuff before heading out, because seem this would be long Adventure." I said, putting my hand on my chin, trying to look all thoughtful. I mean, for any sane person, you gotta prepare before going on an adventure or some others journey that probably would take 2 to 5 days?
"Okie!!" said BMO, their cheerful voice bursting through their little speaker. "Then I'm gonna pack lots of things for our adventure!" They scurried off toward the ladder and climbed up to the third floor.
"Guess I'll need to pack up some stuff too," Jake said, standing beside me.
"huh? Hahaha, this is the first time I've ever seen you prepare for anything, Jake," I teased my stretchy dog brother.
"Well, you're the one who said we need to prep before this adventure—unlike all the other crazy ones we just dive into," Jake said with a laugh.
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Back to present
Street of Cassian City
Well, that's what happened. And I'm tellin' you, Jake and BMO weren't lying when they said they were gonna prepare stuff for this adventure. All of BMO's stuff ended up inside my green backpack along with mine—why? 'Cause they're small, man. No way they could carry all that on their own.
And lemme tell ya, it's heavy. With this robe on, I probably look like some dude with a huge lump on his back—but really, it's just my bulky backpack. I could say it again, it's mad heavy, but I don't mind it. It's good training for strength—I need plenty of that anyway. My "smart version" of me always says to keep training, hehehe... ouch, my back.
And where's BMO, you ask? That little guy's tucked safely inside my backpack. No way I'm lettin' that tiny robot walk around on his own feet—someone could kidnap him or somethin'. No sir.
As for Jake, he's right beside me, wearing the same kinda robe to hide our identities. Yeah, he packed his own stuff too—but thank Glob he's got his own backpack, and since he can stretch and shift his size, weight ain't a problem for him.
"Heh... hehe... heh, maan, this place is horrible," Jake said, looking a bit freaked out. "My nose hurts from smellin' the air here—one of those times I really wish my sense of smell wasn't so good."
"Hehehehe..." I chuckled, seeing my pitbull dog brother look both annoyed and scared. "Anyway, I totally agree, Jake... this place is way more horrible than the Toenail Kingdom."
We kept walking down the cracked, dirty road—left and right, I could feel eyes on us. Mutant humanoids, shady-looking outlaws, and all kinds of freaky creatures stared as we passed. People with nowhere to go, the kind of folks that'd stab you for your boots. But I was ready for that; my hand was already resting on my Scarlet Sword—well, Golden Sword, but you know what I mean.
"Yeah... hey, by the way, did you realize what we just stepped on earlier?" Jake asked, his voice sounding weirdly serious.
"Hmm? I don't know, man. Felt like mud... kinda red mud, though. Why you lookin' so freaked out? You know what it was?" I asked.
Jake took a deep breath. "We... may or may not have just stepped on a dead guy, dude."My eyes went wide. "No kidding?"
"Yup."
"For real?"
Jake nodded slowly.
"Oh for Nightosphere's sake... really? Dang it, I gotta wash my shoes again."
Welp, that's one more thing I gotta do later after this adventure... sigh.
Hmmm? What? You think I'd freak out after steppin' on a dead body? Heh, nah, man. That stuff doesn't bother me anymore—Remember? I've already been killin' bad guys and creeps for, what, five years now? Steppin' on some guts ain't new to me.
Anyway, I gotta find some place around here… maybe a tavern or something? A spot where these people get their pay or hang out? I've already seen tons of mercenaries and bounty hunters back at the gates, so there has to be some main tavern around here—somewhere the big shots take commissions or trade info. That's our next stop.
"So where we gonna go now? You plan to search this person all over the city?" Jake asked, glancing around. "Not to be a downer, bro, but this place is hella massive. It's gonna take days to find 'em."
He wasn't wrong. The crowd was thick, and even with these robes, I could still feel all those eyes burning into us. Everyone looked dangerous—rough, mean, and ready to jump us if they got the chance."let's look for tarven,i mean big one unlike these small tarven across the street,seem those people we seen at gates earlier get their commision from an main tarvern that gave it to em."i said as i looked at Jake.
"Alright, I really hope we find that place fast, dude—I can't stand this air, aaagh!" Jake groaned, waving his hand in front of his face, trying to fan away the nasty smell from his poor dog nose.
"Heheh, yeah, I figured it'd be like this," I said, chuckling a bit before turning to my backpack. "BMO, you still in there, bud?"
"I'm right here, Finn!" came the little robot's voice from inside my bag.
"Cool. Could you grab two gas masks from in there? I'm pretty sure I packed 'em," I said.
"Wait... searching... Found it!" BMO called cheerfully, handing one out. "Here you go, Finn!"
"Thanks, bud." I grabbed mine, then tossed the other one to Jake.
He looked at it, then looked at me, then back at the mask again. "...Wait—you had this the whole time?!" Jake said, his voice echoing through the alley.
"Hehehe, yep," I said, grinning.
"Then why didn't you pull it out sooner, man? You had me breathing death air this whole time!" he said, frowning under his droopy eyes.
"Well," I shrugged, smirking. "Call it payback for when my leg was busted and you wouldn't stop teasing me about PB every time she came to check on me."
Jake froze. "I—Aa....Ah,....hmmmm,sigh... touche, Finn,touche..." he said, sighing in defeat before slipping the mask on. I could hear a muffled chuckle behind it.
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As Finn and Jake kept walking along the narrow streets of Cassian City, the crowd around them slowly started thinning out. One by one, the people disappeared, until the road was completely empty. The air felt heavier. It was the kind of silence that told you something bad was about to happen.
"Huh!" said the little game-boy robot as he crawled up from the pile of stuff inside Finn's bulky backpack.
"Finn!" BMO called out from under the hooded robe that hid the human's identity.
"Hmm? What's wrong, BMO?" Finn asked, turning his head a little while still walking forward.
"My radar just detected four people coming toward us!" the tiny robot said in its high-pitched tone from his screen face.
"What?!" Finn's eyes widened under his gas mask as he looked around the cramped buildings lining the quiet street. "Huh... figures. We're gettin' ambushed. No wonder it got so quiet all of a sudden," Finn muttered, adjusting the white bear hat beneath his hood.
"Wait, hold up a sec—you had a radar this whole time?!" Jake asked, peering at BMO with a curious frown under his own gas mask.
"Jake... not the time, bro," Finn said as he drew his Scarlet Sword—his golden blade—off his wrist in one smooth motion. The gold metal gleamed faintly even under the dim light.
"Get ready... we got company."finn said as he ready to clashing with whatever sorry soul that think ok to ambush them."got it!"bark Jake as he enlarge his fist.
And just like that, a few dark figures began stepping out from between the narrow alleyways ahead, their shapes slowly taking form as they closed in on Finn and Jake from every direction...
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As Finn and Jake braced themselves for the incoming fight, somewhere high above, a dark figure hunched on the edge of a tall building watched them closely. His body was bent and twisted, with a massive bump on his back, barely hidden beneath a tattered robe.
"Wohoho…" the stranger chuckled, his voice rough and aged, carrying a thick Scottish accent. "Now this looks interestin'. Two lively ones wanderin' into Cassian City, aye?"
He leaned forward, his shadow stretching across the wall like a crooked spider.
"Been years since I've seen a proper scrap in this dull city… hohoho, maybe tonight'll be entertainin' for once."
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DOUGH:I think this should be enough for two day chapter heheh...and I'm sorry this chapter wouldn't had omake,im gonna make it up to ya'all with chapter 8.5 later on.
Love ya'all dear reader,i hope all of you have great and bless day!❤️