A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

I could feel the air shift around me, the faintest hint of cold creeping through the edges of the magical orb Agnos had handed me earlier.

This wasn't just any artifact. The Soulless Orb, a relic I had come to understand only through piecemeal explanations and cryptic warnings, had proven to be far more than a mere trinket.

With a quiet hum, the orb flickered in my palm, a soft pulse of energy emanating from it.

I had barely gotten used to its strange presence when Agnos—looking impossibly calm for someone so involved in these perilous situations—motioned toward the swirling patterns that began to unfold in the air.

The dim glow from the orb intensified, the markings shifting like ink in water. And then, like a dream twisting into reality, a massive doorway opened before us.

"Right on schedule," Agnos said, smirking as he led the way.

I hesitated. "What's this? Where are we going?"

"You'll see soon enough," Agnos replied cryptically, walking through the rift.

I followed him through the doorway, my boots crunching on what felt like a soft, silken surface that almost seemed to hum with a strange energy. A sudden pull, and then—

The world around me shifted.

********

The first thing that hit me was the noise—the clattering of dice, the unmistakable jingle of slot machines, and an unnerving energy that seeped into my bones. I staggered a step back, my mind racing as I tried to process what I was seeing.

This... wasn't the Underworld I had expected.

Gone were the images of dark caves and endless voids. Instead, I was standing in the middle of what looked like a twisted version of Vegas, neon lights blinding in their intensity, casting an eerie glow across the towering buildings that loomed like sentinels around me.

The air was thick with the scent of smoke, alcohol, and... something else.

Desperation.

Around me, crowds of beings shuffled through the maze of extravagant casino tables. The players were a mix of mythological figures—some familiar, others utterly foreign. There was no shortage of familiar faces, though.

I caught sight of Hercules, hunched over a poker table, his muscles tense and veins bulging as he stared down his cards. Nearby, Theseus was deep in conversation with a woman who looked more like a warlord than a gambler, her eyes sharp and calculating.

I leaned toward Agnos, my voice low. "What are they doing here? I thought the Underworld was supposed to be a place of punishment, not a gambling haven."

Agnos raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "It is a place of punishment, Carl. Just not the kind you were expecting."

He nodded toward the poker table, where Hercules was now facing off against a tall, imposing figure I hadn't recognized.

His opponent's skin was nearly translucent, his eyes hollow like those of a wraith. The tension between them was palpable. I could see the dealer's hand trembling just slightly, despite his best efforts to hide it.

I couldn't resist. "What's the game?"

Agnos chuckled darkly. "It's a game of fate, Carl. And if they lose? They pay with their essence. Forever."

I looked back at Hercules. He'd just pushed all his chips forward, a confident smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. "So, they're not... really punished?"

Agnos gave a slow, almost dismissive shake of his head. "They're here to pay for their sins. Some more than others. You'll see what I mean when you get a closer look."

But what really froze my blood was what I spotted a moment later.

Dr. Philippe.

And... Eldrin.

Both elves from MECCP, standing side by side at one of the blackjack tables, chuckling as they exchanged chips with a group of shady-looking patrons.

I squinted, not sure if I was hallucinating. But no—there was no mistaking it. The subtle flicker of Eldrin's platinum blonde hair, the pale skin of Dr. Philippe, both too polished, too out of place for this... sin city.

I felt my stomach churn as I approached them, my footsteps deliberate and heavy. They hadn't noticed me yet, and I almost wanted to turn away.

But curiosity—and a growing sense of disbelief—drove me forward.

"Dr. Philippe?" I called out cautiously.

The elf spun around, his eyes wide for a split second before he forced a grin onto his face. "Carl! What—what are you doing here?"

"Yeah, Carl, what are you doing here?" Eldrin added, a playful smirk tugging at his lips as he shuffled a deck of cards. "This isn't exactly your kind of scene, is it?"

I raised an eyebrow. "I could say the same about you two."

Dr. Philippe shifted uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. "Ah, well... It's not what it looks like."

"Undercover work," Eldrin chimed in, as if that explanation was supposed to clear everything up.

"Undercover work?" I repeated, incredulous. "In a casino? Really?"

They both looked at me sheepishly, eyes darting around as if searching for an exit.

"Well," Dr. Philippe started, glancing at the blackjack table behind him, "It's part of the investigation we're doing. We're gathering intelligence for MECCP."

"Right." I couldn't help but cross my arms, trying to keep my tone level despite the disbelief gnawing at me. "Gathering intelligence in a casino? That doesn't seem... very official. I thought MECCP was all about environmental conservation."

Eldrin smirked. "It is. But sometimes, a little... entertainment is part of the package, don't you think?"

I shook my head, unable to believe what I was hearing.

"Entertainment. In Hades' casino?"

My gaze flicked over the extravagant, dazzling displays of luxury that surrounded us—blinding lights, roaring crowds, and the smell of cheap thrills hanging thick in the air.

"This is supposed to be punishment. People are supposed to be paying for their sins, not—"

"Not gambling?" Dr. Philippe finished, his tone quiet and pointed.

"You'd be surprised, Carl. The underworld isn't what you think. It's... a place where debts get paid. Whether that's through working as a dealer, earning enough to buy your freedom, or gambling for your very soul."

He glanced around, almost as if watching for someone. "People here gamble for a chance at redemption, or, at the very least, for some hope. What you see? This casino?" He gestured broadly to the space around us. "It's both punishment and opportunity."

I felt a chill settle in my bones at his words. Punishment and opportunity. That didn't sound like any underworld I'd read about in the textbooks.

Agnos appeared at my side, his usual smirk in place. "This place is far from the boring, gloomy underworld most people imagine. The House of Hades—Domos Haidou—may seem like a sin city, but it's more than just gambling. It's where the rules of fate, life, and death are twisted into a game. A place where souls work endlessly to earn a chance to break free from their chains."

I turned to Agnos. "What happens if they win, then? What's the catch?"

Agnos' smile turned dark. "Winning here doesn't mean freedom, Carl. It just means... more suffering. The truly unlucky ones get sent down below. There's a prison beneath this place, you know. And that's where the real punishment begins."

I narrowed my eyes. "You mean the dealers... they're prisoners?"

"Exactly," Agnos said, flicking a hand in the air as he spoke. "It's a prison for the living, the dead, and the almost-dead."

"Then... the players?" I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.

Eldrin smirked, the kind that made you instantly suspicious of whatever was about to come out of his mouth. "They'll get a wish," he said, pausing just long enough for dramatic effect, "from Hades—the God of the Underworld himself. Oh, and a hefty pile of Mythica Credits on top of that."

Agnos let out a low whistle. "A wish from Hades eh? Now that's a prize worth risking your soul for. Well, for some people, anyway," he added with a shrug, clearly unimpressed.

"Wait, hold on," I said, my mind racing. "You're telling me Hades just hands out wishes? What's the catch?"

Eldrin's smirk grew wider. "Oh, there's always a catch. But that's for the winner to figure out. After all, when you're playing in the Underworld, the house always wins... eventually. Unless you're really lucky, of course."

He glanced at the neon lights of the casino, the flickering glow reflecting in his eyes. "The souls that serve as dealers here? They're cursed to work for eternity unless they win enough to buy their freedom."

I stared at him, the weight of his words sinking in. Every round, every game they play, determines how long they're here. They gamble their lives and their souls every single day.

I shuddered. This place was far more twisted than I had ever imagined. And as much as I wanted to leave, something told me I was about to learn a lot more about the Underworld than I'd signed up for.

Agnos' tone shifted, darker now. "It's a cruel system. You lose, you stay. You win, but not enough? You still stay. Only the luckiest make it out with their soul intact."

I felt the gravity of Agnos words settling over me.

This was no ordinary casino.

This was a hell of its own making—a twisted, eternal game with stakes higher than I could ever imagine.

And as Agnos spoke, my gaze drifted toward the towering structure at the center of the chaotic casino floor.

"Is that...?" I muttered, my voice trailing off.

"Yes." Agnos' tone darkened. "That's Domos Haidou. The House of Hades. The real casino, where the final bets are made. Where fate is sealed." His eyes narrowed as he scanned the room. "And no one wins there. Not unless Hades allows it."

My stomach lurched.

A casino where no one won? That didn't sit well with me.

But there was something else gnawing at me—the sense that I was standing on the precipice of something much larger than I could fully comprehend.