The corridor outside the arena was a flurry of activity as various monster girls milled about, congratulating each other and basking in the aftermath of the tournament. Stupimetheus stood tall and proud, his gaze sweeping over the crowd before landing on me.

  "Choose your teammates wisely, Amy," he rumbled, his voice echoing with authority. "Together, you will spread the gospel of dumbness to the far reaches of the realms."

  I looked around at the sea of faces, each one unique and powerful in their own right. My heart pounded with excitement and a touch of nervousness. I knew I had to pick those who would complement my dumb-powered might and help me shine a light on the stupid in this weird new world.

  My eyes landed on Smart Girl first. Her calm demeanor and the way she analyzed everything with those sharp, intelligent eyes told me she'd be an asset. She was the yin to my yang, the smart to my stupid. I walked up to her, a dumb grin spreading across my face.

  "Hey, you!" I exclaimed, poking her in the shoulder. "You're with me!"

  She raised an eyebrow but returned the smile. "I'm Mizuno," she said, extending a hand. "It's an honor to fight beside you, Amy."

  We shook hands, and I pulled her into a tight hug. "Awesome! Let's show 'em what we're made of!"

  Next, my gaze fell on Horse Girl. Her muscular build and noble air commanded respect. She was strength and speed personified, and I knew she'd be a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield.

  "Horse Girl!" I called out, waving her over. "You're my gal!"

  She trotted over, her hooves clicking against the stone floor. "I'm Misty," she introduced herself, bowing her head slightly. "It is an honor to serve alongside you, Amy. Together, we'll charge through any obstacle like a couple of dumb dumbbells on wheels!"

  I hugged her tightly, feeling her powerful muscles beneath her fur. "Yeah, yeah, let's kick some ass!"

  Lastly, I turned to Puppy Girl. Her boundless energy and loyalty were infectious, and I knew she'd bring a unique dynamic to our team.

  "Puppy Girl!" I shouted, beckoning her over. "You're coming with us!"

  She bounded towards me, her tail wagging excitedly. "I'm Sassy!" she barked happily. "Let's play!"

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  I scooped her up into a hug, laughing as she licked my face enthusiastically. "Alright, team! Let's do this!"

  Party Status:

  Stupimetheus watched our interactions with a satisfied nod. "Very well," he said, raising his hands and summoning a swirling portal before us. "To Earth, then. May the power of dumbness guide you."

  Mizuno stepped forward, her holographic displays activating as she sent a squad of drones through the portal to scout ahead. The drones zipped through the opening, disappearing into the unknown.

  Within moments, Mizuno's expressions turned from curiosity to disbelief. "This is... worse than I imagined," she murmured, her brow furrowing as she processed the data streaming in from her drones.

  "What do you mean?" I asked, leaning in to get a better look at the holographic feeds.

  Mizuno pulled up a map globe on her display, highlighting various locations with red markers. "They force both the dumb and the smart to sit in desk chairs for over a decade of their lives," she explained, her voice laced with disdain. "Robotic teachers drone on about utter nonsense, washing over the dumb like water off a duck's back, while the smart analyze and reject it as pointless. Only those lacking both dumbness and intelligence seem unpersecuted—and most of them are miserable."

  I scratched my head, trying to wrap my mind around the concept. "That's messed up," I said. "Why would they do that?"

  Mizuno zoomed in on a particular region, her voice taking on a determined edge. "The main culprit is the United Smart Asses (USA)," she said, pointing to the country on the map. "They impose this system on the rest of the world, using it to maintain their pretend moral superiority."

  She rotated the map globe, highlighting a different region. "But here, in Pashtunistan, the USA's influence is weakest," she continued. "This is where we should strike—a central Asian country on the other side of the globe from the USA. It's the perfect place to overcome their brutal system and puncture their false sense of superiority."

  Stupimetheus nodded, moving the portal exit to the specified location. "Very well," he said. "May the power of dumbness be with you."

  Quest Status:

  With that, we stepped through the portal. In a flash, the world changed. The ground was hot and dusty, the sky blue. And before us, a battle against the evil system we had come to fight was unfolding.

  * Sadly Lassie is still in copyright in the US, so we're left with Classy, Sassy, or, uuhh... Assy as potential names.

  * As for Horse Girl's name, well, she isn't a Chincoteague pony and Misty is a pretty common name. So it's fine, right? Umm, maybe I should change her to Mitty or Fisty or something...

  Destiny Among the Stars by O. C. Wanderer: a sci-fi LitRPG full of adventure, that'll make fans of traditional space opera and video games like MOO and Eve Online grin: