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Chapter 75: Monkey King’s Jurassic Clash Before the Paradox Kingdom
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15 minutes earlier…
The monkey figure still followed Ryo’s group from behind, curious why the White Rabbit he knew was in the Upper Worlds and why he was leading this Japanese man toward Son Doong. It hid behind rocks, hopping stealthily from tree to tree, until the two and their guides finally reached the massive entrance of the cave.
The monkey figure now stopped on top of a tree above a towering limestone cliffside jungle. He leaned forward, watching from above as Ryo, the White Rabbit, and their guides stood below.
The monkey figure whispered while looking at Ryo from above.
“Now then, foreigner… what are you up to?” Then he looked at the White Rabbit. “And why did you bring that man here…?”
Ryo went inside the cave. After a few moments later…
Deep within Son Doong — boom! Boom! BOOM! Heavy, monstrous footsteps shook the ground, and then a monstrous—
“ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!”
The monkey figure flinched, startled. “Impossible! A monster? It was supposed to be empty inside that cave!”
Back in the present…
The heavy footsteps thundered toward Ryo. Tense and panicking, he tapped his light — it flickered off, then back on. When the beam hit, a T-Rex’s face flashed in the glow, charging straight at him.
“OOOHHH SHIIIIT!” Ryo’s eyes widened. He spun on his heel and sprinted toward the exit of the cave.
The T-Rex crushed the damaged helicopter underfoot.
White Rabbit and the four guides heard the roar from outside and saw Ryo sprinting toward them.
Minh shouted, worried. “Mr. Kuroda, what was that?!”
“A monster?!” White Rabbit trembled.
“Exactly, what wa—” Thuy began, but before he could finish, Ryo ran past them, shouting, “TALK LATER! RUN, FELLAS, RUUUUUUN!!”
The T-Rex emerged from the cave with a deafening “ROOOAAAR!!!”
The guides and White Rabbit’s faces drained of color, and they screamed, “HOOOLYYYY CAROOOOTS!!!!”, hurriedly dodging as the beast barreled past, still chasing Ryo.
Ryo glanced back. “WHY THE HELL IS THERE A FREAKING T-REX IN THAT CAVE?!”
Ryo’s backpack was heavy, slowing him down, and the T-Rex was closing in. He reached for certain supplies hanging and strapped to his backpack—items given to him before the trek began—and quickly dropped the unnecessary supplies the guides had provided, now feeling lighter.
But the T-Rex roared again and lunged, its mouth wide open, sharp teeth bared. Ryo looked back and shouted, “OH GOD!”, leaping to his left and landing face down, narrowly dodging the attack.
The beast landed on its body and chin, struggling as it slowly tried to get back up.
Ryo quickly got up while the T-Rex was still down. He noticed the four guides looking terrified, while White Rabbit clung to Bao’s shoulder, equally scared. The guides were confused—despite having led countless tours of Son Doong, they had never encountered a T-Rex inside the cave before.
Ryo didn’t want to involve the guides or put them in more danger. His objective was clear: get into Son Doong with White Rabbit and search for the alternative rabbit hole to Wonderland.
He knew that if any of the guides were harmed or killed, he would feel responsible. Back at Hang En Cave, the four guides had warned him to stop venturing into Son Doong. Still, it was entirely up to him to decide—especially after hearing rumors from their acquaintance that previous tourist groups and rescue teams had never returned, which, as it turned out, was true.
Why? Because now, right in front of him, stood a T-Rex. Ryo assumed that the missing tourists and rescue teams had been killed by this very creature and never made it out alive.
But still—how was there a T-Rex here?
And in this era?
Weren’t they supposed to exist only in prehistoric times?
There was no time to ponder about it now. He could think about it later. The four guides needed to escape from this area, and to do that, Ryo would have to distract the T-Rex and give them a chance to get away. Once they were safe, he could enter the cave with White Rabbit and begin their search for the alternative rabbit hole—even if it meant the T-Rex would be hunting them inside.
Ryo’s legs trembled, his entire body shaking with fear at the sight of the T-Rex. But Alice’s life mattered more than his own. If he didn’t reach the alternative rabbit hole, he wouldn’t make it to her final trial in Wonderland. She needed him there—as her defense attorney, the only one who could represent her.
“You guys, get out of here!” he shouted, then turned to Bao. “Give me the AI White Rabbit!”
“What about you, Mr. Kuroda?!” Lan shouted.
The T-Rex rose, ready to charge. There was no time to answer.
Ryo sprinted toward the T-Rex before it could charge. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flashbang, whispering, “Ready to get blind, a**hole?!” He yanked the pin, stopped running, and hurled it straight at the T-Rex’s eyes.
BANG!
The T-Rex roared in pain, squeezing its eyes shut from the blinding flash and thrashing its head violently. It was temporarily blinded—distracted, but only for a short while.
“I can’t answer that now!” Ryo shouted, pointing into the distance. “NOW GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE YOU BECOME DINO FOOD!”
The guides, though reluctant to leave Ryo behind, understood what needed to be done. Bao grabbed the White Rabbit from his shoulder, and the rabbit’s eyes widened in panic.
“EH?! ARE YOU REALLY ABOUT TO THROW ME?!”
Bao’s face was dead serious. “That’s right, AI White Rabbit… in mascot missile style.”
He took a stance like a baseball pitcher. The White Rabbit flailed his arms wildly. “WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT—!”
Ryo sprinted toward them, and Bao hurled the rabbit through the air.
“YAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!” the White Rabbit screamed as he soared toward Ryo like a fuzzy missile.
Ryo caught him tightly in his arms, then paused and glanced back at the four guides as they ran off into the distance to escape. Without wasting another second, he turned and dashed back into Son Doong Cave—now with the White Rabbit clutched in his arms.
Minh whispered softly as he glanced back, watching Ryo and the White Rabbit disappear into the cave’s shadows.
“Make it back safe… Mr. Detective.”
The T-Rex regained its vision and quickly spotted Ryo and the White Rabbit entering the cave. Luckily, the guides had already vanished into the jungle, unseen. With a furious roar, the beast charged after Ryo and the White Rabbit into the depths of Son Doong.
As Ryo sprinted deeper into the cave with the White Rabbit tucked firmly under his arm, he leapt over a narrow river, his heart pounding. Behind him, the T-Rex’s thunderous footsteps echoed through the cavern, each one shaking the ground as it closed the distance. Panic surged through them both. Then, through a shaft of sunlight piercing the cave ceiling, Ryo spotted a cluster of towering stalagmites near the Doline ahead.
He dove behind the nearest one, pressing White Rabbit against his chest. The T-Rex thundered past, oblivious, and disappeared into the dense Son Doong forest, still searching for them.
Ryo exhaled shakily, whispering harshly, “Why the hell is there a T-rex inside this cave?! Were you aware of this beforehand?!”
White Rabbit shook his head frantically, his ears twitching in panic as he whispered. “I swear I didn’t know… even I was never informed of such prehistoric creatures existing here!”
“Then how did you even know the alternative rabbit hole was here?” Ryo asked, still crouched.
White Rabbit replied, whispering, “I heard news in Wonderland that the Queen of Hearts abandoned the alternative rabbit hole here in Son Doong because it contains magic she cannot control. It’s probably magic cast by a certain deity.”
“Deity?” Ryo whispered. “What are yo—”
A sudden series of sounds froze them mid-whisper.
“grrrruuuh…”
“grrrnk…”
“kraak…”
“brrraaaahh…”
“woooom”
Cautiously, they peeked above the stalagmites. Light from the doline spilled into the cave, revealing a breathtaking, terrifying sight: a Triceratops trudged through the forest, a brontosaurus nibbled leaves from a towering tree, an Ankylosaurus and Stegosaurus argued loudly in their dinosaur language, raptors dashed in coordinated groups, and the T-Rex still lurked, hunting for its prey.
Ryo stared in disbelief, turning to White Rabbit, whispered. “WHAT THE HELL IS THIS, SIR HOPS-ALOT?! I came here for Wonderland! Not a guided tour through Jurassic Kingdom!”
White Rabbit flailed, whispering back, “I swear, I had no idea—this is new to me too!”
And this was definitely strange…
When Ryo spoke with the guides back at Hang En Cave, they never mentioned a word about dinosaurs existing in Son Doong. He had even seen countless posts and videos online showing tourists exploring the cave safely with their guides. Thousands of successful expeditions had already been completed before. So naturally, Ryo expected nothing more than a breathtaking panoramic view inside Son Doong Cave.
But for some mysterious reason… dinosaurs from the Jurassic period were freely roaming here. Weren’t they supposed to have gone extinct over 66 million years ago?
This would also make finding the alternative rabbit hole to Wonderland much more difficult, since they now had to avoid danger and carefully navigate their way past all these dinosaurs.
But then suddenly, something shimmered faintly beneath Ryo’s shirt. He pulled it out—it was the Medallion of the Whispering Silver necklace. Ryo remembered that Nuada had given it to him; a medallion said to sense subtle traces of magic. But why was it shimmering now? That could only mean one thing—something magical, though not very powerful, was nearby.
Ryo whispered, “Is there anything magical in this cave?”
“Yes,” White Rabbit replied softly. “It’s the alternative rabbit, but I don’t know exactly where. It’s definitely here.”
That meant the alternative rabbit hole had to be nearby. And since its magic was cast by some unknown deity, that deity must have woven in enchantments so faint and subtle that only this medallion could detect them.
Ryo raised the medallion, scanning in every direction. At first, its glow was weak—until he turned toward the massive formation known as The Wedding Cake Stalagmite, sitting at the very center of Son Doong. The medallion’s light grew stronger, pulsing brighter as Ryo leaned the object slightly forward in that direction.
But the formation was 50 meters tall. To reach it, they would have to climb—and that meant risking being seen by the carnivorous dinosaurs prowling nearby, even if they tried to sneak.
But before they started moving, Ryo wanted to make sure there really was a rabbit hole up there. From where he stood, it was still unclear—the cave’s mist made it hard to see anything clearly. So, quietly, Ryo took a pair of binoculars from his bag and peered through them in that direction.
Then Ryo turned to White Rabbit and whispered, “It’s there.” He leaned in closer and said softly, “Alright… here’s the plan.”
“Plan?” White Rabbit whispered, trembling. “Are we really going through all these dinosaurs just to get there?!”
Ryo ignored him, whispering, “We keep low, move slowly through the forest, and climb silently once we reach that tall Stalagmite.”
“But what if the carnivorous dinosaurs see us while we climb?!” White Rabbit panicked.
But before Ryo could answer, a massive shadow suddenly fell over them. Something was looming above, accompanied by a deep “wooooom” sound that vibrated through the air.
Ryo and White Rabbit blinked, slowly tilting their heads upward—and their faces darkened. Towering above them was a brontosaurus, its enormous head lowering until it hovered barely two meters above. It stared down at them with a calm, expressionless gaze, curious about the strange pair of a human and a rabbit.
This was getting even worse—they’d been spotted before they could even begin to sneak. Ryo and White Rabbit both trembled in fear.
But then Ryo remembered—the brontosaurus was a herbivore. It wouldn’t attack unless it felt threatened. Still, they needed to divert its attention somehow, because in the distance, the T-Rex was still searching for them, its massive back turned their way. The moment it noticed the brontosaurus staring in their direction, it might sense something was off—and come investigating.
Then Ryo remembered the chocolates he always carried with him. He reached into the side pocket of his bag and pulled out a single chocolate bar. He wasn’t sure if a brontosaurus could even eat chocolate—but at this point, it was worth a try.
“Brontosauruses can’t eat chocolate, sir!” White Rabbit whispered, panicking.
The brontosaurus perked up, mouth opening wide. Ryo tossed the chocolate inside. The creature chewed, eyes sparkling, and lifted its head with a satisfied “WOOOOOM!”
But it backfired—the T-Rex heard the cheerful sound and snapped its head toward their direction, letting out a thunderous roar.
Ryo didn’t hesitate. He scooped up White Rabbit and sprinted through the cave’s forest, passing an Ankylosaurus and a Stegosaurus, both of which flinched and turned wide-eyed as the pair dashed by, trying desperately to stay out of the T-Rex’s sight.
Boom! Boom! Heavy stomps shook the ground as the T-Rex began chasing after Ryo and White Rabbit once again.
As they ran through the forest beneath the Doline, Ryo’s eyes widened in horror—scattered across the ground were the remains of other tourists and rescue teams. Some were half-eaten, others stripped to bone, and a few torn apart completely.
Ryo, gasping for breath, whispered in terror, “If we don’t… get to that rabbit hole fast… we’ll end up like them!”
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKK!” White Rabbit screamed.
Then suddenly, a raptor—taller than a human—leapt out in front of them. Ryo froze, his heart stopping for a split second, before turning around—only to see two more raptors closing in from behind. And the thunderous steps of the T-Rex were getting closer.
Without thinking, Ryo whipped out his gun from his pocket and fired into the air—BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sharp cracks echoed through the cave, scaring off two of the raptors—but the last one lunged.
“SIR DETECTIVE!” White Rabbit screamed.
Ryo turned, aimed, and fired. The bullet struck the raptor in the skull—it collapsed just a meter before them, lifeless.
He barely had time to breathe when an Ankylosaurus suddenly charged from the side, threatened by their presence—only to collide head-on with the approaching T-Rex.
The impact thundered through the cavern. Both beasts tumbled and roared, shaking the ground. Ryo didn’t waste a second—he grabbed White Rabbit and ran, as the T-Rex bit futilely at the Ankylosaurus’s armor-like body. The Ankylosaurus swung its massive tail club, slamming the T-Rex’s gut.
Ryo stumbled behind a tall rock formation, ducking down to catch his breath. But as he turned his head to the left—he froze again.
A baby T-Rex stood before them, half his height, roaring adorably like an oversized puppy.
Ryo blinked, whispering carefully, “Hey, Ogumoan! Shhh! Don’t be too loud, alright?”
The little creature tilted its head, its eyes sparkling as if pleased by the name. It wagged its tail cheerfully.
But then Ryo and White Rabbit’s eyes shifted behind it…
There—just a few meters away—stood two massive adult T-Rexes. The female was crouched low, while the male stood behind her in a very questionable position. They had clearly been moments away from starting their “steamy session” when both suddenly turned their heads toward the small intruders.
White Rabbit trembled, whispering in horror, “What… were they… about to do, sir?”
Ryo whispered back, his face pale, “Something a family-friendly… character like you… shouldn’t… know…”
Both T-Rex parents roared, clearly offended by the intrusion.
Ryo’s voice cracked as he yelled sarcastically, “OH GREAT! Just what we needed — front-row seats to Jurassic Kingdom: The Unsafe Honeymoon Edition! Someone grab the fainting couch— or better yet, us! GOTTA RUN BEFORE WE BECOME OGUMOAN’S MEAL!”
White Rabbit shrieked, and the two bolted. Ogumoan happily dashed after them—thinking it was just a game of tag—while its enormous parents thundered in pursuit, roaring furiously as they charged past their playful child.
Ryo’s lungs burned as they ran—but then, up ahead, another shadow loomed.
The first T-Rex, the one that had fought the Ankylosaurus, appeared in front of them, teeth bared. Behind them, the two parents slowed to a stop.
They were surrounded—three T-Rexes circling them, closing in from every side.
Ryo and White Rabbit stood frozen, trembling.
The air was thick with growls, and the stench of blood from their previous human victims lingered heavily. Ryo could feel the heat of their breath.
“W–We’re trapped…” White Rabbit whispered, shaking.
One of the T-Rexes lunged, jaws wide open.
Ryo and White Rabbit screamed, hugging each other tight, eyes shut, bracing for death.
Then—
THUNK—CLANG!
Something golden was hurled down from the Doline and slammed into the ground between them and the T-Rex, stopping the beast mid-lunge.
Ryo flinched, his eyes opening slowly. The T-Rex had halted—its gaze fixed on the shining weapon embedded on the ground before it.
The cave fell eerily silent.
Ryo stared at the object, his eyes widened; he recognized that weapon from a mythical tale he once read.
He whispered, “Is that… the… Ryu Jingu Bang… staff?”
A moment later—
“HOOOOO—HAAAAAAA!!”
A voice yelled from above.
Ryo looked up. A figure was diving down through the doline—sunlight cascading behind it. The figure spun midair, landing perfectly atop the staff’s hilt with a loud BOOM that shook the cavern floor.
He crouched there, balanced, until he slowly rose. His silhouette was bathed in golden light, armor gleaming, headband shimmering. The face—of a monkey, proud and fierce, yet standing upright like a man.
Ryo’s eyes widened, voice trembling in awe. “Are you… Sun… Wukong… from forgotten folklore?”
The Monkey King smirked, leapt off the staff, and landed with effortless grace. He yanked his golden weapon free, twirled it in one hand, then rested it across his shoulders.
“Guess my myth is that famous in the upper worlds.”
Ryo froze.
That phrase—“Upper Worlds.”
He’d only ever heard White Rabbit say this to describe Earth’s surface.
So why… does Sun Wukong know of it too?
The T-rex that had failed to eat them looked enraged. It lunged again, jaws wide, ready to make sure it didn’t miss this time.
Ryo panicked, reaching out a helpless hand and pointing. “WATCH OUT! BEHIND YOU!”
But Sun Wukong didn’t turn. He raised his staff, aimed it at the charging T-rex—still not even glancing at his enemy—and whispered, “It’s showtime, baby.”
The staff glowed gold, then extended in an instant. The hilt struck the T-rex’s chin with a tremendous crack, sending the beast’s head tilting upward before it crashed to the ground, eyes dazed, tiny pterodactyls circling its head like dizzy cartoon stars.
Sun Wukong pointed toward the rabbit hole above the towering Wedding Cake Stalagmite.
“You two—climb up there and get to the rabbit hole as quickly as you can. I’ll hold these monsters off.”
His gaze shifted sharply to White Rabbit, eyes narrowing. “As for you, Rabbit… we’ll have a little talk afterwards.”
White Rabbit stiffened, clearly nervous. “Y-y-yes, Sir Wukong!”
“Sun Wukong and White Rabbit know each other? What’s going on here?” Ryo thought, curious and confused.
What kind of relationship could a mythical figure possibly have with a fairytale character?
But Sun Wukong was right—they needed to reach the rabbit hole above as fast as possible. Fortunately, Sun Wukong would defend them. Though Ryo hoped he could really protect them, he didn’t want to be overly optimistic; experience had taught him that too much optimism often led to downfall.
So Ryo readied his gun just in case. Even if Sun Wukong was the kind of figure Ryo had always idolized, he knew he still had to stay cautious.
He tightened his grip on his weapon, ready to act if needed.
Ryo turned to White Rabbit. “Alright, let’s go.”
White Rabbit nodded. “Of course, sir detective.”
And they headed straight for their target—but the other two T-Rexes thundered toward them.
Sun Wukong spotted the danger. He retracted his staff to normal length, sprinted forward, then extended it again—this time as long as a vaulting pole. Planting it into the ground, he vaulted skyward, soaring above the two charging beasts.
Midair, he twirled his staff, grinning wide. “Oooo! Oooo! Eee eeee!”
He came crashing down—SMACK!—striking one T-rex square on the head. The creature collapsed instantly.
The second T-rex roared in fury, stepping back as its fallen ally hit the ground.
Sun Wukong landed gracefully, turned to face the remaining one, and curled a finger, taunting.
“Come on, Rexy. Give me all you’ve got.”
Enraged, the T-rex charged. Sun Wukong flipped backward, dodging with effortless acrobatics—front flips, back flips, and spins that seemed almost playful.
Then, from a distance, a Stegosaurus suddenly charged in his direction.
Sun Wukong sighed. “Isn’t a plant-eater like you supposed to ignore meaty monkeys like me?”
The Stegosaurus didn’t care—it felt threatened.
Sun Wukong twirled his staff again, then swung low. The staff extended beneath the creature’s legs, tripping it and sending the massive beast crashing sideways. The staff retracted just as swiftly.
Then the T-rex lunged again. Sun Wukong didn’t flinch. He leapt high, landing right on the monster’s head.
“We return to my mountainous homeland in China!” he shouted, half-playful, half-commanding.
The T-rex roared violently, shaking its head to throw him off.
But before it could succeed, Sun Wukong vaulted high into the air, both hands gripping his staff. His eyes glinted as he murmured, “Go to sleep.”
Spinning downward, his staff became a blur of gold. Then—SMACK!—it struck the T-rex’s skull with crushing force.
Sun Wukong landed on the grass, twirled his staff with flair, and raised it proudly. “Glad you enjoyed my showtime.”
But the chaos didn’t end there.
Ten raptors suddenly surrounded him, their screeches echoing across the cave. They lunged all at once.
Sun Wukong planted his staff into the ground, lifted himself up, and spun around it—his kicks whipping through the air like a storm. Each raptor fell one by one, tumbling across the ground as they were knocked back by his strikes.
He dropped to the ground, lifted his staff, twirled it again, and struck a dramatic martial arts pose. “Wooooooo!”
But it wasn’t over yet. The fallen T-rexes began to stir—slowly rising, angrier than before.
Sun Wukong smirked, stretched out both arms, and roared, “ALL OF YOU! COME AT ME AT ONCE! ENOUGH WITH THESE PATHETIC SCENES—I’LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!”
The three T-rexes thundered toward him, and Sun Wukong met them head-on, their clash echoing through the cavern—a blur of golden light, scales, and earth-shaking impacts.
Meanwhile…
Ryo and White Rabbit had reached the base of the Wedding Cake Stalagmite, preparing to climb.
Ryo glanced back. Sun Wukong was still fighting—yet… he wasn’t killing them.
It was clear he was holding back.
Ryo realized that perhaps the Monkey King wasn’t fighting to destroy.
He simply enjoyed the thrill of the battle.
Ryo leaned toward his client. “Hop on my shoulder, I’m gonna start climbing this rock.”
White Rabbit nodded and carefully hopped onto his shoulder, clutching his helmet tightly. Ryo began crawling up the Wedding Cake Stalagmite, but the surface was slippery—he slipped and slid back down to the ground.
White Rabbit whispered, doubtfully, “Can he really climb this?”
Ryo’s eyes scanned the stalagmite, spotting jagged rocks spaced every ten meters. He remembered that one of his guides had given him a rope during the trek—just in case he fell into something deeper, since he had slipped several times before. He tied the rope into a loop, swung it overhead like a cowboy, and hooked it onto the first jagged rock.
Pulling himself up carefully, he climbed ten meters. At the next section, he untied the rope, swung it again, and continued upward.
Suddenly, Ogumoan, the baby T-Rex, appeared below them, roaring cheerfully.
Ryo groaned, “Why the hell did you bring TinyFoot with you!!”
Ogumoan’s companion, a baby brontosaurus he named TinyFoot, stood beside him, eyes sparkling with excitement, clearly pleased with the name.
Then Ryo saw the giant brontosaurus from earlier standing in the distance—the one he had given the chocolate bar to. It was staring at Ryo’s bag. That’s when he realized: this was TinyFoot’s mother. She seemed to have loved the chocolate he had given her and had clearly told her child, TinyFoot, all about it. Now she wanted both her child and her friend Ogumoan to have a taste of the chocolates she once enjoyed.
The way the mother looked, and the expressions on Ogumoan and TinyFoot, was unmistakable—both cheerful and hopeful.
Ryo could read everything from their brightened expressions and groaned under his breath with sarcasm.
“Great… TinyFoot from ‘The Land Prior to Clocks’ and Ogumoan from ‘Digitalmoan,’ who are now happy that I’ve given them names, are eager for chocolates thanks to TinyFoot’s mom and her motherly gossip. Perfectly normal—just like a mother nudging her kid to beg for candy from their misfit uncle… except my ‘nephews’ aren’t even from this time—they’re straight out of Jurassic Kingdom.”
Unfortunately, Ryo didn’t have time to hand them chocolate bars. He and White Rabbit needed to reach the rabbit hole as quickly as possible while Sun Wukong kept the T-Rex busy in combat. Turning away, Ryo’s gaze returned upward—to their original objective, the rabbit hole.
He swung his rope and hooked it onto another jagged rock, securing it. Ryo began pulling himself up, reaching another ten meters. He repeated the motion, gaining another ten meters. Only the final ten meters remained.
TinyFoot and Ogumoan’s cheerfulness vanished, and they whimpered, their cries echoing in dinosaur voices—they were upset that “Uncle” Ryo wasn’t giving them treats. The mother brontosaurus noticed and, clearly furious, gritted her teeth and let out an angry “WOOOOOM!” before charging toward Ryo and White Rabbit.
White Rabbit shrieked, “LOOK OUT!”
Ryo’s eyes widened in panic. “OH CRAP!”
The mother brontosaurus stopped just before the Wedding Cake Stalagmite—her massive shadow swallowing Ryo and White Rabbit whole. Then, with a thunderous whoosh, she swung her neck.
Ryo’s eyes widened. If that swing connected, they’d be sent flying—straight toward where Sun Wukong and the T-Rexes were locked in battle.
There was no time to think. Ryo let go of the rope and jumped, hoping to dodge.
But it was too late.
The mother’s colossal head slammed into them.
“UAAAHHHH!!” Ryo and White Rabbit screamed as they were hurled through the air like ragdolls, spinning uncontrollably.
Below, the two T-Rexes turned toward the incoming shapes—two small silhouettes falling from above.
Both predators opened their mouths wide, rows of teeth glinting in the cave’s faint light.
Everything felt like slow motion.
Ryo saw the gaping teeth, the darkness waiting to swallow them whole.
“Is this it…?” he thought, breath caught in his throat, his final thought hanging in the air before gravity claimed him.
Sun Wukong tilted his head up, whispering in horror, “Oh no…”
The Monkey King quickly leapt skyward, reaching the misty heights of Son Doong. With a dramatic sweep, he pulled the swirling mists into a gleaming Somersault Cloud, placed it beneath him, and landed on it.
Ryo and White Rabbit flew toward the T-Rex’s jaws, just two meters from certain death.
Sun Wukong gestured toward them and shouted, “ZOOOOOM TIME!”
The cloud surged forward at impossible speed.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!” Ryo and White Rabbit screamed as Sun Wukong forcefully grabbed Ryo’s right wrist and White Rabbit’s ears, swinging them in a wide arc to safety. The T-Rex snapped its jaws at them—but missed.
“HAH! Is that how you react after being saved by me, the Showtime Way?!” Sun Wukong called out, grinning.
The T-Rex roared in fury below, but they were already too high. Sun Wukong leveled the cloud toward the rabbit hole atop the Wedding Cake Stalagmite.
“Time to return home to Wonderland!” he shouted.
The cloud entered the hole, then sped down a tunnel of soil walls, carrying Ryo and White Rabbit. The wind roared past them, distant light faintly glowing ahead.
“WONDERLANDS 22KM! HOW LONG ARE WE GONNA GET THERE?!” Ryo shouted.
“2 minutes!” Sun Wukong answered.
And that’s strange—usually the ‘Somersault Cloud’ Ryo remembered from the old mythical tale of Sun Wukong could take him that distance, or even farther, in just a few seconds. But this one was different.
Then suddenly, their surroundings grew darker—they had now reached the 10-kilometer mark. An eerie, tragic music began playing unexpectedly around them. Broken furniture whizzed past as they dodged through the tunnel, and cracked framed images of Alice appeared on all sides. Some showed her happy, others sad, but the deeper they went, the more sorrowful the images became.
Ryo even saw Alice in a broken state, sobbing as if she desperately needed help. His chest grew heavy as he took in the images, even though he already knew she was locked up and facing execution before her final trial. Could these images in the rabbit hole be reflecting her heart… and her situation?
Either way, Ryo knew he had to reach Wonderland quickly—to investigate the kingdom and help her, defend her as her defense attorney—even if it meant relying on Sun Wukong and his cloud to get there faster.
Only 30 seconds to go and 5 km left before they reached Wonderland. Ryo was about to pass out from the incredible speed—the G-forces were overwhelming for a normal human like him. Faint light in the distance began to glow brighter and brighter.
Ryo whispered weakly, “The pressure’s… too… much…”
Ten seconds left, one km remaining. The light now shone wider and stronger—they were almost there. Ryo couldn’t handle it anymore. The G-forces became unbearable.
And then…
…he blacked out.
A while later…
“WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT ALICE?!” someone shouted.
Ryo felt like he wasn’t diving into a rabbit hole anymore. Instead, he was lying on something soft—like a cushion or bed.
“DID YOU JUST SAY… SHE’S ABOUT TO GET EXECUTED IN 5 DAYS!” the voice continued, frantic and angry.
Ryo mumbled in his sleep, “Who’s… shouting like that…?”
BANG! The sound of a door kicked open echoed sharply.
“I’M SAVING HER EVEN IF IT MEANS DESTROYING THAT PRISON AND KILLING THAT DAMN QUEEN!” the voice roared, then abruptly left.
Ryo slowly opened his eyes. There, standing next to him, was White Rabbit.
“Oh good heavens, Sir Detective! You’re finally awake!” White Rabbit exclaimed, relief flooding his voice.
“Sir… Hops-a-lot?” Ryo whispered weakly.
Ryo slowly sat up and looked down at himself—he was no longer wearing his hiking gear, just his regular T-shirt and trousers. He then inspected his bed: a simple floor bed, with his backpack resting beside it.
“Where am I?” he asked, scanning the unfamiliar room.
“This is my house,” White Rabbit replied.
Ryo’s eyes widened. The room wasn’t the whimsical little space he’d imagined from the original story. Columns flanked the walls, sunlight streamed through tall arched windows, and marble inlays decorated the floor. High ceilings soared above with frescoes depicting mythical battles, and statues lined alcoves.
It felt… Ancient Greek.
“Are you a fan of ancient Greek stuff?” Ryo asked, leaning back, trying to wrap his head around it.
White Rabbit smiled faintly. “I understand everything seems unfamiliar, but instead of just explaining, it’s better to show you.”
Ryo nodded and got out of bed, took out his trench coat from his backpack and slipping it on.
White Rabbit led him to the living room. It was vast—marble floors, Ionic columns, frescoes of legendary heroes, a grand hearth with intricate carvings, and statues of gods and mythical beasts. The space could easily hold a large family, nothing like the tiny room in the original storybook.
They reached the front door. White Rabbit opened it.
Ryo stepped outside—and froze.
The world outside was breathtaking: a sprawling city blending ancient Athens and Olympus. Marble-paved streets curved between majestic stone buildings adorned with statues of gods. People walked in tunics and chitons, carrying baskets of fruit or scrolls. Musicians played lyres, children played with wooden toys, and a group of scholars debated in the marketplace. Sunlight glinted off rooftops, highlighting golden columns and staircases leading to temple-like terraces. Everywhere he looked, the city shimmered like a living myth.
Ryo turned back toward White Rabbit’s house. The house was huge, and the garden beside it was expansive, filled with tall olive and cypress trees—the kind with the rabbit hole below, likely the entrance White Rabbit used to reach the Earth’s surface—and flowering vines. The house itself looked more like the home of an aristocrat from ancient Greece than a storybook rabbit.
Ryo was completely stunned. This didn’t feel like Wonderland at all. “Where in the underground land am I?!”
White Rabbit gestured expansively. “Welcome… to Wonderland’s Greek realm, Olyndora.”
Ryo was shocked, of course, but he’d seen so much fantasy nonsense that he didn’t feel the need to overreact anymore.
Instead of panicking, he rubbed his temple and exhaled. “Okay… can you please tell me how this REAL version of Wonderland is different from the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland story? I mean…” He pointed at the people walking by. “Look at them—they don’t seem like they’re from this time period.” Then he gestured around, completely baffled. “And this city… it feels like I’m in a long-lost myth. The setting looks like it came straight out of ancient Greece, around 500–300 BCE.”
It’s understandable that Ryo is confused, so White Rabbit explained: this is the real Wonderland. The whole “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” storybook was purely fiction. In reality, Wonderland consists of five realms. They are: Olyndora, the Greek realm they’re currently in; Ashvanyara, the Indian realm; Xianglura, the Chinese realm; Ekhropolis, the Egyptian realm; and Mydrovith, the Norse realm.
Each realm is ancient, with its own ruler.
The idea of rulers confused Ryo, because he remembered confirming with White Rabbit that the Queen of Hearts rules all of Wonderland. White Rabbit apologized for not being clearer. He explained that while each realm has its own ruler, all of them surround the Queen of Hearts’ palace in the central part of Wonderland. This central hub mirrors the exact scenery and design of the original Alice story. The Queen of Hearts herself rules not only the central hub but also all five ancient realms.
Ryo then asked why these ancient-looking realms exist within Wonderland. White Rabbit explained that the people Ryo sees come from long ago, from different eras in history. Pointing across the street, White Rabbit showed Ryo a man who sells fruit. He said the man is 28 years old but was born in 405 BCE. The reason he still looks young is that time flows differently in Wonderland.
White Rabbit began revealing an untold history.
Long ago, multiple extinction events struck different eras across the world—meteors, droughts, volcanic eruptions, mega-tsunamis, and even category 8 hurricanes. People from ancient Greece, India, China, Egypt, and Norse lands had to flee.
In each of their ancient cities, they discovered rabbit holes leading to Wonderland.
However, access to Wonderland was guarded by the Queen of Hearts’ card army. People could only enter if they swore loyalty to her and never disobeyed. Otherwise, they would be left to die in their own era’s extinction event.
The rulers of the five ancient cities agreed, swore loyalty, and were granted entry. The Queen warned them that she could expel anyone at any time, sending them back to their original era to perish in the disaster.
This means that even if the Upper World is now in 2025, the Queen can send anyone back to the time they came from. Wonderland, in essence, is a time-warped kingdom. For example, someone entering from 2025 could meet someone who entered from 1300.
Ryo then asked how White Rabbit had met Alice in 1862 in England. White Rabbit explained that he had originally lived in the central hub—not in the Queen’s palace itself, but in the large surrounding forest. Original residents of Wonderland can travel to different eras in various countries once they enter a rabbit hole and appear in the Upper Worlds of that time. This is how White Rabbit met Alice in 1862 in England. Later, in search of the ideal defense attorney, he entered the present timeline of 2025—where people were more knowledgeable—until he found Ryo.
Then Ryo looked around at the ancient Greek-style architecture and assumed that people had begun rebuilding their traditional structures across all five realms, just to make the place feel like home.
He deadpanned at White Rabbit, his sarcasm dripping like olive oil over the Mediterranean Sea.
"Wow, nothing weird about this… amazing worldbuilding lecture you just gave me, because, you know what? This whole thing is Totally normal. I can just meet Perseus, the Gorgon Slayer, like he’s your next-door neighbor. No big deal. Just your everyday thing. Maybe later I’ll have some Greek salad and feta cheese with him, too."
“Well…” White Rabbit said, pointing to the house next door and dropping the bombshell, “My next-door neighbor is Perseus, the Gorgon Slayer.”
Ryo froze. His brain short-circuited. He slowly turned to see a man tending his garden.
The man looked up, smiling, and waved. “Good morning, Chronos!”
The time in Wonderland was now 7 AM
The man exited his garden, stepped into White Rabbit’s, and stopped before them.
Ryo pointed shakily, stammering. “A… a… are you… Perseus? And did you just call Sir Hops-a-lot… Chronos?”
Perseus grabbed Ryo’s pointing hand and shook it firmly, smiling. “Yes, my full name is Perseus Danaeides Argivios,” he said, glancing at White Rabbit. “And Chronos is this little guy’s nickname I gave. We’re close friends.”
“You have… a full name? And you’re not just a story character… you’re real?” Ryo asked, his eye twitching — though part of his mind was still hung up on the fact that White Rabbit somehow got a cool nickname like “Chronos” from a legendary figure.
Perseus crossed his arms, grinning. “I’m aware that in the present timeline of the Upper Worlds, I don’t have a full name and am just mythical. Modern historians haven’t dug deep enough.”
Ryo squinted. “Riiiiiiight… I’ll just roll with every fantasy nonsense that never follows logic around here.” He looked at White Rabbit. “People all throughout history appear here… but dinosaurs in Son Doong? In 2025? That makes zero sense.”
White Rabbit’s paws clenched as he gazed at the grass. “Even I’m not entirely sure how that happened.”
Ryo decided to leave that mystery for now. “How about Sun Wukong? I assume he’s from the Chinese Realm. I heard him shouting while I was asleep.”
White Rabbit’s face darkened. “He’s about to charge into the Queen of Hearts’ domain… to save Alice.”
Ryo froze. “Wait… what?! Won’t that risk him being expelled from Wonderland and thrown back to his extinction era?”
White Rabbit sighed. “I don’t think we have to worry about that… because the Queen of Hearts has loyal pantheons as her guards, stronger than her card soldiers, who serve her. Wukong won’t be a match for them—he’ll most likely lose and get thrown out of the palace like dirt after getting easily beaten before the Queen finds out.”
“Easily beaten? There are other beings here stronger than Sun Wukong? Just who are these loyal pantheon guards? Some other famous figures throughout history?” Ryo thought.
White Rabbit’s tone turned urgent. “Either way, you need to start investigating. Only five days remain before Alice’s final trial.”
Ryo’s eyes widened. Five days? He had hoped for six. That meant he’d lost an entire day after passing out during that 22-kilometer rabbit hole speed dive.
He exhaled through his nose. “Alright… but first, I need to know where these five people were murdered.”
“All five realms have one victim,” White Rabbit said. “You must investigate each realm before Alice’s final trial begins.”
Ryo nodded. “Am I allowed to meet Alice at her prison? I need to question her for details, to hear her side of the story.”
“Of course,” White Rabbit said. “She’s held at the central hub’s prison near the courthouse. But you can only meet her with me. That’s how it went with previous failed defense attorneys.”
Perseus raised a hand. “Are you the new defense attorney Chronos hired?”
“Yup. That’s me,” Ryo answered.
“Come with me,” Perseus said, turning. “The ruler of Olyndora demands an audience with the new defense attorney if Chronos actually found one.”
White Rabbit’s eyes widened. “Eh! Really? She wants to meet Sir Detective?”
Ryo furrowed his brows. “And who is this ruler of Olyndora?”
“The Great and Almighty Zeuras Kronides Lykaios,” Perseus answered.
Ryo tilted his head, looking extremely confused by the name. “Zeu… who now?”
The monkey figure still followed Ryo’s group from behind, curious why the White Rabbit he knew was in the Upper Worlds and why he was leading this Japanese man toward Son Doong. It hid behind rocks, hopping stealthily from tree to tree, until the two and their guides finally reached the massive entrance of the cave.
The monkey figure now stopped on top of a tree above a towering limestone cliffside jungle. He leaned forward, watching from above as Ryo, the White Rabbit, and their guides stood below.
The monkey figure whispered while looking at Ryo from above.
“Now then, foreigner… what are you up to?” Then he looked at the White Rabbit. “And why did you bring that man here…?”
Ryo went inside the cave. After a few moments later…
Deep within Son Doong — boom! Boom! BOOM! Heavy, monstrous footsteps shook the ground, and then a monstrous—
“ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!!!”
The monkey figure flinched, startled. “Impossible! A monster? It was supposed to be empty inside that cave!”
Back in the present…
The heavy footsteps thundered toward Ryo. Tense and panicking, he tapped his light — it flickered off, then back on. When the beam hit, a T-Rex’s face flashed in the glow, charging straight at him.
“OOOHHH SHIIIIT!” Ryo’s eyes widened. He spun on his heel and sprinted toward the exit of the cave.
The T-Rex crushed the damaged helicopter underfoot.
White Rabbit and the four guides heard the roar from outside and saw Ryo sprinting toward them.
Minh shouted, worried. “Mr. Kuroda, what was that?!”
“A monster?!” White Rabbit trembled.
“Exactly, what wa—” Thuy began, but before he could finish, Ryo ran past them, shouting, “TALK LATER! RUN, FELLAS, RUUUUUUN!!”
The T-Rex emerged from the cave with a deafening “ROOOAAAR!!!”
The guides and White Rabbit’s faces drained of color, and they screamed, “HOOOLYYYY CAROOOOTS!!!!”, hurriedly dodging as the beast barreled past, still chasing Ryo.
Ryo glanced back. “WHY THE HELL IS THERE A FREAKING T-REX IN THAT CAVE?!”
Ryo’s backpack was heavy, slowing him down, and the T-Rex was closing in. He reached for certain supplies hanging and strapped to his backpack—items given to him before the trek began—and quickly dropped the unnecessary supplies the guides had provided, now feeling lighter.
But the T-Rex roared again and lunged, its mouth wide open, sharp teeth bared. Ryo looked back and shouted, “OH GOD!”, leaping to his left and landing face down, narrowly dodging the attack.
The beast landed on its body and chin, struggling as it slowly tried to get back up.
Ryo quickly got up while the T-Rex was still down. He noticed the four guides looking terrified, while White Rabbit clung to Bao’s shoulder, equally scared. The guides were confused—despite having led countless tours of Son Doong, they had never encountered a T-Rex inside the cave before.
Ryo didn’t want to involve the guides or put them in more danger. His objective was clear: get into Son Doong with White Rabbit and search for the alternative rabbit hole to Wonderland.
He knew that if any of the guides were harmed or killed, he would feel responsible. Back at Hang En Cave, the four guides had warned him to stop venturing into Son Doong. Still, it was entirely up to him to decide—especially after hearing rumors from their acquaintance that previous tourist groups and rescue teams had never returned, which, as it turned out, was true.
Why? Because now, right in front of him, stood a T-Rex. Ryo assumed that the missing tourists and rescue teams had been killed by this very creature and never made it out alive.
But still—how was there a T-Rex here?
And in this era?
Weren’t they supposed to exist only in prehistoric times?
There was no time to ponder about it now. He could think about it later. The four guides needed to escape from this area, and to do that, Ryo would have to distract the T-Rex and give them a chance to get away. Once they were safe, he could enter the cave with White Rabbit and begin their search for the alternative rabbit hole—even if it meant the T-Rex would be hunting them inside.
Ryo’s legs trembled, his entire body shaking with fear at the sight of the T-Rex. But Alice’s life mattered more than his own. If he didn’t reach the alternative rabbit hole, he wouldn’t make it to her final trial in Wonderland. She needed him there—as her defense attorney, the only one who could represent her.
“You guys, get out of here!” he shouted, then turned to Bao. “Give me the AI White Rabbit!”
“What about you, Mr. Kuroda?!” Lan shouted.
The T-Rex rose, ready to charge. There was no time to answer.
Ryo sprinted toward the T-Rex before it could charge. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a flashbang, whispering, “Ready to get blind, a**hole?!” He yanked the pin, stopped running, and hurled it straight at the T-Rex’s eyes.
BANG!
The T-Rex roared in pain, squeezing its eyes shut from the blinding flash and thrashing its head violently. It was temporarily blinded—distracted, but only for a short while.
“I can’t answer that now!” Ryo shouted, pointing into the distance. “NOW GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE YOU BECOME DINO FOOD!”
The guides, though reluctant to leave Ryo behind, understood what needed to be done. Bao grabbed the White Rabbit from his shoulder, and the rabbit’s eyes widened in panic.
“EH?! ARE YOU REALLY ABOUT TO THROW ME?!”
Bao’s face was dead serious. “That’s right, AI White Rabbit… in mascot missile style.”
He took a stance like a baseball pitcher. The White Rabbit flailed his arms wildly. “WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT—!”
Ryo sprinted toward them, and Bao hurled the rabbit through the air.
“YAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!” the White Rabbit screamed as he soared toward Ryo like a fuzzy missile.
Ryo caught him tightly in his arms, then paused and glanced back at the four guides as they ran off into the distance to escape. Without wasting another second, he turned and dashed back into Son Doong Cave—now with the White Rabbit clutched in his arms.
Minh whispered softly as he glanced back, watching Ryo and the White Rabbit disappear into the cave’s shadows.
“Make it back safe… Mr. Detective.”
The T-Rex regained its vision and quickly spotted Ryo and the White Rabbit entering the cave. Luckily, the guides had already vanished into the jungle, unseen. With a furious roar, the beast charged after Ryo and the White Rabbit into the depths of Son Doong.
As Ryo sprinted deeper into the cave with the White Rabbit tucked firmly under his arm, he leapt over a narrow river, his heart pounding. Behind him, the T-Rex’s thunderous footsteps echoed through the cavern, each one shaking the ground as it closed the distance. Panic surged through them both. Then, through a shaft of sunlight piercing the cave ceiling, Ryo spotted a cluster of towering stalagmites near the Doline ahead.
He dove behind the nearest one, pressing White Rabbit against his chest. The T-Rex thundered past, oblivious, and disappeared into the dense Son Doong forest, still searching for them.
Ryo exhaled shakily, whispering harshly, “Why the hell is there a T-rex inside this cave?! Were you aware of this beforehand?!”
White Rabbit shook his head frantically, his ears twitching in panic as he whispered. “I swear I didn’t know… even I was never informed of such prehistoric creatures existing here!”
“Then how did you even know the alternative rabbit hole was here?” Ryo asked, still crouched.
White Rabbit replied, whispering, “I heard news in Wonderland that the Queen of Hearts abandoned the alternative rabbit hole here in Son Doong because it contains magic she cannot control. It’s probably magic cast by a certain deity.”
“Deity?” Ryo whispered. “What are yo—”
A sudden series of sounds froze them mid-whisper.
“grrrruuuh…”
“grrrnk…”
“kraak…”
“brrraaaahh…”
“woooom”
Cautiously, they peeked above the stalagmites. Light from the doline spilled into the cave, revealing a breathtaking, terrifying sight: a Triceratops trudged through the forest, a brontosaurus nibbled leaves from a towering tree, an Ankylosaurus and Stegosaurus argued loudly in their dinosaur language, raptors dashed in coordinated groups, and the T-Rex still lurked, hunting for its prey.
Ryo stared in disbelief, turning to White Rabbit, whispered. “WHAT THE HELL IS THIS, SIR HOPS-ALOT?! I came here for Wonderland! Not a guided tour through Jurassic Kingdom!”
White Rabbit flailed, whispering back, “I swear, I had no idea—this is new to me too!”
And this was definitely strange…
When Ryo spoke with the guides back at Hang En Cave, they never mentioned a word about dinosaurs existing in Son Doong. He had even seen countless posts and videos online showing tourists exploring the cave safely with their guides. Thousands of successful expeditions had already been completed before. So naturally, Ryo expected nothing more than a breathtaking panoramic view inside Son Doong Cave.
But for some mysterious reason… dinosaurs from the Jurassic period were freely roaming here. Weren’t they supposed to have gone extinct over 66 million years ago?
This would also make finding the alternative rabbit hole to Wonderland much more difficult, since they now had to avoid danger and carefully navigate their way past all these dinosaurs.
But then suddenly, something shimmered faintly beneath Ryo’s shirt. He pulled it out—it was the Medallion of the Whispering Silver necklace. Ryo remembered that Nuada had given it to him; a medallion said to sense subtle traces of magic. But why was it shimmering now? That could only mean one thing—something magical, though not very powerful, was nearby.
Ryo whispered, “Is there anything magical in this cave?”
“Yes,” White Rabbit replied softly. “It’s the alternative rabbit, but I don’t know exactly where. It’s definitely here.”
That meant the alternative rabbit hole had to be nearby. And since its magic was cast by some unknown deity, that deity must have woven in enchantments so faint and subtle that only this medallion could detect them.
Ryo raised the medallion, scanning in every direction. At first, its glow was weak—until he turned toward the massive formation known as The Wedding Cake Stalagmite, sitting at the very center of Son Doong. The medallion’s light grew stronger, pulsing brighter as Ryo leaned the object slightly forward in that direction.
But the formation was 50 meters tall. To reach it, they would have to climb—and that meant risking being seen by the carnivorous dinosaurs prowling nearby, even if they tried to sneak.
But before they started moving, Ryo wanted to make sure there really was a rabbit hole up there. From where he stood, it was still unclear—the cave’s mist made it hard to see anything clearly. So, quietly, Ryo took a pair of binoculars from his bag and peered through them in that direction.
Then Ryo turned to White Rabbit and whispered, “It’s there.” He leaned in closer and said softly, “Alright… here’s the plan.”
“Plan?” White Rabbit whispered, trembling. “Are we really going through all these dinosaurs just to get there?!”
Ryo ignored him, whispering, “We keep low, move slowly through the forest, and climb silently once we reach that tall Stalagmite.”
“But what if the carnivorous dinosaurs see us while we climb?!” White Rabbit panicked.
But before Ryo could answer, a massive shadow suddenly fell over them. Something was looming above, accompanied by a deep “wooooom” sound that vibrated through the air.
Ryo and White Rabbit blinked, slowly tilting their heads upward—and their faces darkened. Towering above them was a brontosaurus, its enormous head lowering until it hovered barely two meters above. It stared down at them with a calm, expressionless gaze, curious about the strange pair of a human and a rabbit.
This was getting even worse—they’d been spotted before they could even begin to sneak. Ryo and White Rabbit both trembled in fear.
But then Ryo remembered—the brontosaurus was a herbivore. It wouldn’t attack unless it felt threatened. Still, they needed to divert its attention somehow, because in the distance, the T-Rex was still searching for them, its massive back turned their way. The moment it noticed the brontosaurus staring in their direction, it might sense something was off—and come investigating.
Then Ryo remembered the chocolates he always carried with him. He reached into the side pocket of his bag and pulled out a single chocolate bar. He wasn’t sure if a brontosaurus could even eat chocolate—but at this point, it was worth a try.
“Brontosauruses can’t eat chocolate, sir!” White Rabbit whispered, panicking.
The brontosaurus perked up, mouth opening wide. Ryo tossed the chocolate inside. The creature chewed, eyes sparkling, and lifted its head with a satisfied “WOOOOOM!”
But it backfired—the T-Rex heard the cheerful sound and snapped its head toward their direction, letting out a thunderous roar.
Ryo didn’t hesitate. He scooped up White Rabbit and sprinted through the cave’s forest, passing an Ankylosaurus and a Stegosaurus, both of which flinched and turned wide-eyed as the pair dashed by, trying desperately to stay out of the T-Rex’s sight.
Boom! Boom! Heavy stomps shook the ground as the T-Rex began chasing after Ryo and White Rabbit once again.
As they ran through the forest beneath the Doline, Ryo’s eyes widened in horror—scattered across the ground were the remains of other tourists and rescue teams. Some were half-eaten, others stripped to bone, and a few torn apart completely.
Ryo, gasping for breath, whispered in terror, “If we don’t… get to that rabbit hole fast… we’ll end up like them!”
“EEEEEEEEEEEEEEKK!” White Rabbit screamed.
Then suddenly, a raptor—taller than a human—leapt out in front of them. Ryo froze, his heart stopping for a split second, before turning around—only to see two more raptors closing in from behind. And the thunderous steps of the T-Rex were getting closer.
Without thinking, Ryo whipped out his gun from his pocket and fired into the air—BANG! BANG! BANG!
The sharp cracks echoed through the cave, scaring off two of the raptors—but the last one lunged.
“SIR DETECTIVE!” White Rabbit screamed.
Ryo turned, aimed, and fired. The bullet struck the raptor in the skull—it collapsed just a meter before them, lifeless.
He barely had time to breathe when an Ankylosaurus suddenly charged from the side, threatened by their presence—only to collide head-on with the approaching T-Rex.
The impact thundered through the cavern. Both beasts tumbled and roared, shaking the ground. Ryo didn’t waste a second—he grabbed White Rabbit and ran, as the T-Rex bit futilely at the Ankylosaurus’s armor-like body. The Ankylosaurus swung its massive tail club, slamming the T-Rex’s gut.
Ryo stumbled behind a tall rock formation, ducking down to catch his breath. But as he turned his head to the left—he froze again.
A baby T-Rex stood before them, half his height, roaring adorably like an oversized puppy.
Ryo blinked, whispering carefully, “Hey, Ogumoan! Shhh! Don’t be too loud, alright?”
The little creature tilted its head, its eyes sparkling as if pleased by the name. It wagged its tail cheerfully.
But then Ryo and White Rabbit’s eyes shifted behind it…
There—just a few meters away—stood two massive adult T-Rexes. The female was crouched low, while the male stood behind her in a very questionable position. They had clearly been moments away from starting their “steamy session” when both suddenly turned their heads toward the small intruders.
White Rabbit trembled, whispering in horror, “What… were they… about to do, sir?”
Ryo whispered back, his face pale, “Something a family-friendly… character like you… shouldn’t… know…”
Both T-Rex parents roared, clearly offended by the intrusion.
Ryo’s voice cracked as he yelled sarcastically, “OH GREAT! Just what we needed — front-row seats to Jurassic Kingdom: The Unsafe Honeymoon Edition! Someone grab the fainting couch— or better yet, us! GOTTA RUN BEFORE WE BECOME OGUMOAN’S MEAL!”
White Rabbit shrieked, and the two bolted. Ogumoan happily dashed after them—thinking it was just a game of tag—while its enormous parents thundered in pursuit, roaring furiously as they charged past their playful child.
Ryo’s lungs burned as they ran—but then, up ahead, another shadow loomed.
The first T-Rex, the one that had fought the Ankylosaurus, appeared in front of them, teeth bared. Behind them, the two parents slowed to a stop.
They were surrounded—three T-Rexes circling them, closing in from every side.
Ryo and White Rabbit stood frozen, trembling.
The air was thick with growls, and the stench of blood from their previous human victims lingered heavily. Ryo could feel the heat of their breath.
“W–We’re trapped…” White Rabbit whispered, shaking.
One of the T-Rexes lunged, jaws wide open.
Ryo and White Rabbit screamed, hugging each other tight, eyes shut, bracing for death.
Then—
THUNK—CLANG!
Something golden was hurled down from the Doline and slammed into the ground between them and the T-Rex, stopping the beast mid-lunge.
Ryo flinched, his eyes opening slowly. The T-Rex had halted—its gaze fixed on the shining weapon embedded on the ground before it.
The cave fell eerily silent.
Ryo stared at the object, his eyes widened; he recognized that weapon from a mythical tale he once read.
He whispered, “Is that… the… Ryu Jingu Bang… staff?”
A moment later—
“HOOOOO—HAAAAAAA!!”
A voice yelled from above.
Ryo looked up. A figure was diving down through the doline—sunlight cascading behind it. The figure spun midair, landing perfectly atop the staff’s hilt with a loud BOOM that shook the cavern floor.
He crouched there, balanced, until he slowly rose. His silhouette was bathed in golden light, armor gleaming, headband shimmering. The face—of a monkey, proud and fierce, yet standing upright like a man.
Ryo’s eyes widened, voice trembling in awe. “Are you… Sun… Wukong… from forgotten folklore?”
The Monkey King smirked, leapt off the staff, and landed with effortless grace. He yanked his golden weapon free, twirled it in one hand, then rested it across his shoulders.
“Guess my myth is that famous in the upper worlds.”
Ryo froze.
That phrase—“Upper Worlds.”
He’d only ever heard White Rabbit say this to describe Earth’s surface.
So why… does Sun Wukong know of it too?
The T-rex that had failed to eat them looked enraged. It lunged again, jaws wide, ready to make sure it didn’t miss this time.
Ryo panicked, reaching out a helpless hand and pointing. “WATCH OUT! BEHIND YOU!”
But Sun Wukong didn’t turn. He raised his staff, aimed it at the charging T-rex—still not even glancing at his enemy—and whispered, “It’s showtime, baby.”
The staff glowed gold, then extended in an instant. The hilt struck the T-rex’s chin with a tremendous crack, sending the beast’s head tilting upward before it crashed to the ground, eyes dazed, tiny pterodactyls circling its head like dizzy cartoon stars.
Sun Wukong pointed toward the rabbit hole above the towering Wedding Cake Stalagmite.
“You two—climb up there and get to the rabbit hole as quickly as you can. I’ll hold these monsters off.”
His gaze shifted sharply to White Rabbit, eyes narrowing. “As for you, Rabbit… we’ll have a little talk afterwards.”
White Rabbit stiffened, clearly nervous. “Y-y-yes, Sir Wukong!”
“Sun Wukong and White Rabbit know each other? What’s going on here?” Ryo thought, curious and confused.
What kind of relationship could a mythical figure possibly have with a fairytale character?
But Sun Wukong was right—they needed to reach the rabbit hole above as fast as possible. Fortunately, Sun Wukong would defend them. Though Ryo hoped he could really protect them, he didn’t want to be overly optimistic; experience had taught him that too much optimism often led to downfall.
So Ryo readied his gun just in case. Even if Sun Wukong was the kind of figure Ryo had always idolized, he knew he still had to stay cautious.
He tightened his grip on his weapon, ready to act if needed.
Ryo turned to White Rabbit. “Alright, let’s go.”
White Rabbit nodded. “Of course, sir detective.”
And they headed straight for their target—but the other two T-Rexes thundered toward them.
Sun Wukong spotted the danger. He retracted his staff to normal length, sprinted forward, then extended it again—this time as long as a vaulting pole. Planting it into the ground, he vaulted skyward, soaring above the two charging beasts.
Midair, he twirled his staff, grinning wide. “Oooo! Oooo! Eee eeee!”
He came crashing down—SMACK!—striking one T-rex square on the head. The creature collapsed instantly.
The second T-rex roared in fury, stepping back as its fallen ally hit the ground.
Sun Wukong landed gracefully, turned to face the remaining one, and curled a finger, taunting.
“Come on, Rexy. Give me all you’ve got.”
Enraged, the T-rex charged. Sun Wukong flipped backward, dodging with effortless acrobatics—front flips, back flips, and spins that seemed almost playful.
Then, from a distance, a Stegosaurus suddenly charged in his direction.
Sun Wukong sighed. “Isn’t a plant-eater like you supposed to ignore meaty monkeys like me?”
The Stegosaurus didn’t care—it felt threatened.
Sun Wukong twirled his staff again, then swung low. The staff extended beneath the creature’s legs, tripping it and sending the massive beast crashing sideways. The staff retracted just as swiftly.
Then the T-rex lunged again. Sun Wukong didn’t flinch. He leapt high, landing right on the monster’s head.
“We return to my mountainous homeland in China!” he shouted, half-playful, half-commanding.
The T-rex roared violently, shaking its head to throw him off.
But before it could succeed, Sun Wukong vaulted high into the air, both hands gripping his staff. His eyes glinted as he murmured, “Go to sleep.”
Spinning downward, his staff became a blur of gold. Then—SMACK!—it struck the T-rex’s skull with crushing force.
Sun Wukong landed on the grass, twirled his staff with flair, and raised it proudly. “Glad you enjoyed my showtime.”
But the chaos didn’t end there.
Ten raptors suddenly surrounded him, their screeches echoing across the cave. They lunged all at once.
Sun Wukong planted his staff into the ground, lifted himself up, and spun around it—his kicks whipping through the air like a storm. Each raptor fell one by one, tumbling across the ground as they were knocked back by his strikes.
He dropped to the ground, lifted his staff, twirled it again, and struck a dramatic martial arts pose. “Wooooooo!”
But it wasn’t over yet. The fallen T-rexes began to stir—slowly rising, angrier than before.
Sun Wukong smirked, stretched out both arms, and roared, “ALL OF YOU! COME AT ME AT ONCE! ENOUGH WITH THESE PATHETIC SCENES—I’LL TAKE YOU ALL ON!”
The three T-rexes thundered toward him, and Sun Wukong met them head-on, their clash echoing through the cavern—a blur of golden light, scales, and earth-shaking impacts.
Meanwhile…
Ryo and White Rabbit had reached the base of the Wedding Cake Stalagmite, preparing to climb.
Ryo glanced back. Sun Wukong was still fighting—yet… he wasn’t killing them.
It was clear he was holding back.
Ryo realized that perhaps the Monkey King wasn’t fighting to destroy.
He simply enjoyed the thrill of the battle.
Ryo leaned toward his client. “Hop on my shoulder, I’m gonna start climbing this rock.”
White Rabbit nodded and carefully hopped onto his shoulder, clutching his helmet tightly. Ryo began crawling up the Wedding Cake Stalagmite, but the surface was slippery—he slipped and slid back down to the ground.
White Rabbit whispered, doubtfully, “Can he really climb this?”
Ryo’s eyes scanned the stalagmite, spotting jagged rocks spaced every ten meters. He remembered that one of his guides had given him a rope during the trek—just in case he fell into something deeper, since he had slipped several times before. He tied the rope into a loop, swung it overhead like a cowboy, and hooked it onto the first jagged rock.
Pulling himself up carefully, he climbed ten meters. At the next section, he untied the rope, swung it again, and continued upward.
Suddenly, Ogumoan, the baby T-Rex, appeared below them, roaring cheerfully.
Ryo groaned, “Why the hell did you bring TinyFoot with you!!”
Ogumoan’s companion, a baby brontosaurus he named TinyFoot, stood beside him, eyes sparkling with excitement, clearly pleased with the name.
Then Ryo saw the giant brontosaurus from earlier standing in the distance—the one he had given the chocolate bar to. It was staring at Ryo’s bag. That’s when he realized: this was TinyFoot’s mother. She seemed to have loved the chocolate he had given her and had clearly told her child, TinyFoot, all about it. Now she wanted both her child and her friend Ogumoan to have a taste of the chocolates she once enjoyed.
The way the mother looked, and the expressions on Ogumoan and TinyFoot, was unmistakable—both cheerful and hopeful.
Ryo could read everything from their brightened expressions and groaned under his breath with sarcasm.
“Great… TinyFoot from ‘The Land Prior to Clocks’ and Ogumoan from ‘Digitalmoan,’ who are now happy that I’ve given them names, are eager for chocolates thanks to TinyFoot’s mom and her motherly gossip. Perfectly normal—just like a mother nudging her kid to beg for candy from their misfit uncle… except my ‘nephews’ aren’t even from this time—they’re straight out of Jurassic Kingdom.”
Unfortunately, Ryo didn’t have time to hand them chocolate bars. He and White Rabbit needed to reach the rabbit hole as quickly as possible while Sun Wukong kept the T-Rex busy in combat. Turning away, Ryo’s gaze returned upward—to their original objective, the rabbit hole.
He swung his rope and hooked it onto another jagged rock, securing it. Ryo began pulling himself up, reaching another ten meters. He repeated the motion, gaining another ten meters. Only the final ten meters remained.
TinyFoot and Ogumoan’s cheerfulness vanished, and they whimpered, their cries echoing in dinosaur voices—they were upset that “Uncle” Ryo wasn’t giving them treats. The mother brontosaurus noticed and, clearly furious, gritted her teeth and let out an angry “WOOOOOM!” before charging toward Ryo and White Rabbit.
White Rabbit shrieked, “LOOK OUT!”
Ryo’s eyes widened in panic. “OH CRAP!”
The mother brontosaurus stopped just before the Wedding Cake Stalagmite—her massive shadow swallowing Ryo and White Rabbit whole. Then, with a thunderous whoosh, she swung her neck.
Ryo’s eyes widened. If that swing connected, they’d be sent flying—straight toward where Sun Wukong and the T-Rexes were locked in battle.
There was no time to think. Ryo let go of the rope and jumped, hoping to dodge.
But it was too late.
The mother’s colossal head slammed into them.
“UAAAHHHH!!” Ryo and White Rabbit screamed as they were hurled through the air like ragdolls, spinning uncontrollably.
Below, the two T-Rexes turned toward the incoming shapes—two small silhouettes falling from above.
Both predators opened their mouths wide, rows of teeth glinting in the cave’s faint light.
Everything felt like slow motion.
Ryo saw the gaping teeth, the darkness waiting to swallow them whole.
“Is this it…?” he thought, breath caught in his throat, his final thought hanging in the air before gravity claimed him.
Sun Wukong tilted his head up, whispering in horror, “Oh no…”
The Monkey King quickly leapt skyward, reaching the misty heights of Son Doong. With a dramatic sweep, he pulled the swirling mists into a gleaming Somersault Cloud, placed it beneath him, and landed on it.
Ryo and White Rabbit flew toward the T-Rex’s jaws, just two meters from certain death.
Sun Wukong gestured toward them and shouted, “ZOOOOOM TIME!”
The cloud surged forward at impossible speed.
“WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!” Ryo and White Rabbit screamed as Sun Wukong forcefully grabbed Ryo’s right wrist and White Rabbit’s ears, swinging them in a wide arc to safety. The T-Rex snapped its jaws at them—but missed.
“HAH! Is that how you react after being saved by me, the Showtime Way?!” Sun Wukong called out, grinning.
The T-Rex roared in fury below, but they were already too high. Sun Wukong leveled the cloud toward the rabbit hole atop the Wedding Cake Stalagmite.
“Time to return home to Wonderland!” he shouted.
The cloud entered the hole, then sped down a tunnel of soil walls, carrying Ryo and White Rabbit. The wind roared past them, distant light faintly glowing ahead.
“WONDERLANDS 22KM! HOW LONG ARE WE GONNA GET THERE?!” Ryo shouted.
“2 minutes!” Sun Wukong answered.
And that’s strange—usually the ‘Somersault Cloud’ Ryo remembered from the old mythical tale of Sun Wukong could take him that distance, or even farther, in just a few seconds. But this one was different.
Then suddenly, their surroundings grew darker—they had now reached the 10-kilometer mark. An eerie, tragic music began playing unexpectedly around them. Broken furniture whizzed past as they dodged through the tunnel, and cracked framed images of Alice appeared on all sides. Some showed her happy, others sad, but the deeper they went, the more sorrowful the images became.
Ryo even saw Alice in a broken state, sobbing as if she desperately needed help. His chest grew heavy as he took in the images, even though he already knew she was locked up and facing execution before her final trial. Could these images in the rabbit hole be reflecting her heart… and her situation?
Either way, Ryo knew he had to reach Wonderland quickly—to investigate the kingdom and help her, defend her as her defense attorney—even if it meant relying on Sun Wukong and his cloud to get there faster.
Only 30 seconds to go and 5 km left before they reached Wonderland. Ryo was about to pass out from the incredible speed—the G-forces were overwhelming for a normal human like him. Faint light in the distance began to glow brighter and brighter.
Ryo whispered weakly, “The pressure’s… too… much…”
Ten seconds left, one km remaining. The light now shone wider and stronger—they were almost there. Ryo couldn’t handle it anymore. The G-forces became unbearable.
And then…
…he blacked out.
A while later…
“WHAT DID YOU SAY ABOUT ALICE?!” someone shouted.
Ryo felt like he wasn’t diving into a rabbit hole anymore. Instead, he was lying on something soft—like a cushion or bed.
“DID YOU JUST SAY… SHE’S ABOUT TO GET EXECUTED IN 5 DAYS!” the voice continued, frantic and angry.
Ryo mumbled in his sleep, “Who’s… shouting like that…?”
BANG! The sound of a door kicked open echoed sharply.
“I’M SAVING HER EVEN IF IT MEANS DESTROYING THAT PRISON AND KILLING THAT DAMN QUEEN!” the voice roared, then abruptly left.
Ryo slowly opened his eyes. There, standing next to him, was White Rabbit.
“Oh good heavens, Sir Detective! You’re finally awake!” White Rabbit exclaimed, relief flooding his voice.
“Sir… Hops-a-lot?” Ryo whispered weakly.
Ryo slowly sat up and looked down at himself—he was no longer wearing his hiking gear, just his regular T-shirt and trousers. He then inspected his bed: a simple floor bed, with his backpack resting beside it.
“Where am I?” he asked, scanning the unfamiliar room.
“This is my house,” White Rabbit replied.
Ryo’s eyes widened. The room wasn’t the whimsical little space he’d imagined from the original story. Columns flanked the walls, sunlight streamed through tall arched windows, and marble inlays decorated the floor. High ceilings soared above with frescoes depicting mythical battles, and statues lined alcoves.
It felt… Ancient Greek.
“Are you a fan of ancient Greek stuff?” Ryo asked, leaning back, trying to wrap his head around it.
White Rabbit smiled faintly. “I understand everything seems unfamiliar, but instead of just explaining, it’s better to show you.”
Ryo nodded and got out of bed, took out his trench coat from his backpack and slipping it on.
White Rabbit led him to the living room. It was vast—marble floors, Ionic columns, frescoes of legendary heroes, a grand hearth with intricate carvings, and statues of gods and mythical beasts. The space could easily hold a large family, nothing like the tiny room in the original storybook.
They reached the front door. White Rabbit opened it.
Ryo stepped outside—and froze.
The world outside was breathtaking: a sprawling city blending ancient Athens and Olympus. Marble-paved streets curved between majestic stone buildings adorned with statues of gods. People walked in tunics and chitons, carrying baskets of fruit or scrolls. Musicians played lyres, children played with wooden toys, and a group of scholars debated in the marketplace. Sunlight glinted off rooftops, highlighting golden columns and staircases leading to temple-like terraces. Everywhere he looked, the city shimmered like a living myth.
Ryo turned back toward White Rabbit’s house. The house was huge, and the garden beside it was expansive, filled with tall olive and cypress trees—the kind with the rabbit hole below, likely the entrance White Rabbit used to reach the Earth’s surface—and flowering vines. The house itself looked more like the home of an aristocrat from ancient Greece than a storybook rabbit.
Ryo was completely stunned. This didn’t feel like Wonderland at all. “Where in the underground land am I?!”
White Rabbit gestured expansively. “Welcome… to Wonderland’s Greek realm, Olyndora.”
Ryo was shocked, of course, but he’d seen so much fantasy nonsense that he didn’t feel the need to overreact anymore.
Instead of panicking, he rubbed his temple and exhaled. “Okay… can you please tell me how this REAL version of Wonderland is different from the original Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland story? I mean…” He pointed at the people walking by. “Look at them—they don’t seem like they’re from this time period.” Then he gestured around, completely baffled. “And this city… it feels like I’m in a long-lost myth. The setting looks like it came straight out of ancient Greece, around 500–300 BCE.”
It’s understandable that Ryo is confused, so White Rabbit explained: this is the real Wonderland. The whole “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” storybook was purely fiction. In reality, Wonderland consists of five realms. They are: Olyndora, the Greek realm they’re currently in; Ashvanyara, the Indian realm; Xianglura, the Chinese realm; Ekhropolis, the Egyptian realm; and Mydrovith, the Norse realm.
Each realm is ancient, with its own ruler.
The idea of rulers confused Ryo, because he remembered confirming with White Rabbit that the Queen of Hearts rules all of Wonderland. White Rabbit apologized for not being clearer. He explained that while each realm has its own ruler, all of them surround the Queen of Hearts’ palace in the central part of Wonderland. This central hub mirrors the exact scenery and design of the original Alice story. The Queen of Hearts herself rules not only the central hub but also all five ancient realms.
Ryo then asked why these ancient-looking realms exist within Wonderland. White Rabbit explained that the people Ryo sees come from long ago, from different eras in history. Pointing across the street, White Rabbit showed Ryo a man who sells fruit. He said the man is 28 years old but was born in 405 BCE. The reason he still looks young is that time flows differently in Wonderland.
White Rabbit began revealing an untold history.
Long ago, multiple extinction events struck different eras across the world—meteors, droughts, volcanic eruptions, mega-tsunamis, and even category 8 hurricanes. People from ancient Greece, India, China, Egypt, and Norse lands had to flee.
In each of their ancient cities, they discovered rabbit holes leading to Wonderland.
However, access to Wonderland was guarded by the Queen of Hearts’ card army. People could only enter if they swore loyalty to her and never disobeyed. Otherwise, they would be left to die in their own era’s extinction event.
The rulers of the five ancient cities agreed, swore loyalty, and were granted entry. The Queen warned them that she could expel anyone at any time, sending them back to their original era to perish in the disaster.
This means that even if the Upper World is now in 2025, the Queen can send anyone back to the time they came from. Wonderland, in essence, is a time-warped kingdom. For example, someone entering from 2025 could meet someone who entered from 1300.
Ryo then asked how White Rabbit had met Alice in 1862 in England. White Rabbit explained that he had originally lived in the central hub—not in the Queen’s palace itself, but in the large surrounding forest. Original residents of Wonderland can travel to different eras in various countries once they enter a rabbit hole and appear in the Upper Worlds of that time. This is how White Rabbit met Alice in 1862 in England. Later, in search of the ideal defense attorney, he entered the present timeline of 2025—where people were more knowledgeable—until he found Ryo.
Then Ryo looked around at the ancient Greek-style architecture and assumed that people had begun rebuilding their traditional structures across all five realms, just to make the place feel like home.
He deadpanned at White Rabbit, his sarcasm dripping like olive oil over the Mediterranean Sea.
"Wow, nothing weird about this… amazing worldbuilding lecture you just gave me, because, you know what? This whole thing is Totally normal. I can just meet Perseus, the Gorgon Slayer, like he’s your next-door neighbor. No big deal. Just your everyday thing. Maybe later I’ll have some Greek salad and feta cheese with him, too."
“Well…” White Rabbit said, pointing to the house next door and dropping the bombshell, “My next-door neighbor is Perseus, the Gorgon Slayer.”
Ryo froze. His brain short-circuited. He slowly turned to see a man tending his garden.
The man looked up, smiling, and waved. “Good morning, Chronos!”
The time in Wonderland was now 7 AM
The man exited his garden, stepped into White Rabbit’s, and stopped before them.
Ryo pointed shakily, stammering. “A… a… are you… Perseus? And did you just call Sir Hops-a-lot… Chronos?”
Perseus grabbed Ryo’s pointing hand and shook it firmly, smiling. “Yes, my full name is Perseus Danaeides Argivios,” he said, glancing at White Rabbit. “And Chronos is this little guy’s nickname I gave. We’re close friends.”
“You have… a full name? And you’re not just a story character… you’re real?” Ryo asked, his eye twitching — though part of his mind was still hung up on the fact that White Rabbit somehow got a cool nickname like “Chronos” from a legendary figure.
Perseus crossed his arms, grinning. “I’m aware that in the present timeline of the Upper Worlds, I don’t have a full name and am just mythical. Modern historians haven’t dug deep enough.”
Ryo squinted. “Riiiiiiight… I’ll just roll with every fantasy nonsense that never follows logic around here.” He looked at White Rabbit. “People all throughout history appear here… but dinosaurs in Son Doong? In 2025? That makes zero sense.”
White Rabbit’s paws clenched as he gazed at the grass. “Even I’m not entirely sure how that happened.”
Ryo decided to leave that mystery for now. “How about Sun Wukong? I assume he’s from the Chinese Realm. I heard him shouting while I was asleep.”
White Rabbit’s face darkened. “He’s about to charge into the Queen of Hearts’ domain… to save Alice.”
Ryo froze. “Wait… what?! Won’t that risk him being expelled from Wonderland and thrown back to his extinction era?”
White Rabbit sighed. “I don’t think we have to worry about that… because the Queen of Hearts has loyal pantheons as her guards, stronger than her card soldiers, who serve her. Wukong won’t be a match for them—he’ll most likely lose and get thrown out of the palace like dirt after getting easily beaten before the Queen finds out.”
“Easily beaten? There are other beings here stronger than Sun Wukong? Just who are these loyal pantheon guards? Some other famous figures throughout history?” Ryo thought.
White Rabbit’s tone turned urgent. “Either way, you need to start investigating. Only five days remain before Alice’s final trial.”
Ryo’s eyes widened. Five days? He had hoped for six. That meant he’d lost an entire day after passing out during that 22-kilometer rabbit hole speed dive.
He exhaled through his nose. “Alright… but first, I need to know where these five people were murdered.”
“All five realms have one victim,” White Rabbit said. “You must investigate each realm before Alice’s final trial begins.”
Ryo nodded. “Am I allowed to meet Alice at her prison? I need to question her for details, to hear her side of the story.”
“Of course,” White Rabbit said. “She’s held at the central hub’s prison near the courthouse. But you can only meet her with me. That’s how it went with previous failed defense attorneys.”
Perseus raised a hand. “Are you the new defense attorney Chronos hired?”
“Yup. That’s me,” Ryo answered.
“Come with me,” Perseus said, turning. “The ruler of Olyndora demands an audience with the new defense attorney if Chronos actually found one.”
White Rabbit’s eyes widened. “Eh! Really? She wants to meet Sir Detective?”
Ryo furrowed his brows. “And who is this ruler of Olyndora?”
“The Great and Almighty Zeuras Kronides Lykaios,” Perseus answered.
Ryo tilted his head, looking extremely confused by the name. “Zeu… who now?”
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「え？私たち、付き合ってますよね？」
なぜ？どうして？全く身に覚えのない主張に秋人は混乱し激しく否定する。だが、夏帆はまるで聞いていないかのように、秋人に猛烈に迫ってくる。何を言っても、どんな態度をとっても、その鋼のような意思は揺るがない。
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