Alice chuckled to herself and patted the ball. "All right, now just gotta move this big fella down the path."

  …Except it's not going to be easy. As she pushed the ball along the path, a new issue arose. The terrain in this area was not level, which made pushing the heavy ball more difficult. She struggled to maneuver the path, pushing the ball over inclines and bumps in the path. It took more effort than she expected.

  She huffed in frustration, the heavy ball resisting her efforts. "Damn...This is harder than I expected. Feels like it just keeps getting heavier.”

  She looked up at the distance, seeing that the path was growing steeper and more rugged. The thought of having to push the ball up that steep incline made her more anxious. "Ugh... This is gonna be tough.”

  But she knew she couldn't give up. Taking a deep breath, she summoned her strength and continued pushing the ball up the inclines, her muscles straining under the weight.

  "Just...a bit...more..." she muttered through gritted teeth, pushing the ball inch by inch, determined to reach the top of the incline.

  Once she reached the top of the incline, she exhaled a sigh of relief. "Whew... Finally made it over that damn incline…”

  But her relief was short-lived as she looked ahead, seeing that the path was not getting any smoother. The terrain was growing more rugged, with rocks and debris scattered along the path, making it more difficult to push the ball. "Damn it! This is going to be a pain…”

  She gritted her teeth, her determination growing stronger. She began maneuvering the ball around the rocks, finding tiny gaps in between to pass it, and pushing it over a large rock. "I'm not gonna give up. We'll get this ball to the top, no matter how hard…”

  Meanwhile, Zalgo was climbing up a structure to reach the glowing green crystal ahead, which will bring forth a new path for the ball Alice is rolling.

  Zalgo grunted softly as she made her way up the structure. Each step was difficult, and she had to be careful not to lose her balance. "How did I end up with the most stressful mission... Climbing these walls is not easy..." She huffed, carefully pulling herself up to the next level.

  The climb was tiring, and her arm muscles were trembling, but she pushed forward, determined to reach the top. Soon, she reached the top and spotted the glowing crystal. "Almost there…”

  She inched closer to the crystal, her breathing becoming heavier with each move. She knew that once she touched the crystal, it would light up and the path would be cleared for Alice and the rolling ball. But she also knew that getting too close could end up causing an early trigger.

  After a bit of hesitation, she edged closer and finally touched the crystal. As soon as she did, the crystal lit up, illuminating the surroundings with a bright green glow. At the same time, Alice noticed the new path forming and quickly directed the rolling ball towards it.

  With the new path in sight, Alice pushed the rolling ball forward with increased enthusiasm. "Finally, it's working! Good job, Zalgo!" she called out, noticing Zalgo's success from a distance.

  "Thanks! Now get that ball rolling towards the hole at the top!" Zalgo replied, her voice filled with exhaustion from the climb.

  A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  Alice pushed the ball with all her might, the ball rolling at a fast pace down the new path. It seemed to be going smoothly, as the new path was free of any obstructions. It was a clear path, and the ball was approaching the hole at the top. "Almost there…”

  The hole was coming closer and closer, but the path started to become narrow and rocky. Alice panicked slightly, knowing that the ball could get stuck. "Uh oh, the path is getting narrower. Come on, we're so close. Keep moving, ball!”

  "Keep going! Almost there!" Zalgo shouted from her spot, watching the scene unfold from afar.

  Alice pushed the ball with all she had, but the ball suddenly got stuck at the narrow passage. It was stuck tight, with no way out. "No! It's stuck. It won't move any further. It's jammed in!" she yelled, frustration coursing through her veins.

  Zalgo facepalmed, realizing the dire situation. "Crap! We're so close, and it just had to get stuck at the end. We need to find a way to un-jam it.”

  Alice nodded, her eyes fixed on the stubborn ball. "Yeah, but how? It's jammed tight. We need to find a way quickly, or we'll lose our progress!”

  Zalgo thought for a moment, trying to come up with a solution. "We need to push it from the other side. Can you go down and try to get the ball moving?”

  "Yeah, I'll give it a try." Alice replied. She took a deep breath and prepared herself for the task ahead. It was going to be a struggle, but she knew it was their only chance.

  With a determined nod, Alice hopped off the rocky platform and made her way back down the path. She moved carefully, her footing steady as she made her way towards the stuck ball.

  Once she reached the ball, she placed her hands on it, ready to push. She gave it a firm push, her muscles straining under the effort. "Come on... Move, you big stubborn ball!”

  But the ball remained stubborn, glued to the narrow passage. It didn't seem to move an inch, despite Alice's best efforts. "Arghh! It's not budging!" she exclaimed, frustration creeping into her voice.

  Her eyes glowed a warm blue as she used Increase on her arms to boost her physical might, her aura swelling around her body.

  With an almost impossible amount of determination, she pushed with all her strength against the massive ball, sweat dripping from her forehead. After a while, the ball slowly began to shift, inching forward. "It's......moving...!”

  "Keep pushing! You're doing it!" Zalgo called out from above, her heart racing as she watched.

  Alice grunted, pushing with all her might. The ball was gradually sliding forward, making slow but steady progress. "Almost...there…”

  As the ball moved out of the narrow passage and onto the rocky platform, Alice let out a sigh of relief. "Phew! Thank the Goddesses. It's finally free!”

  "Great job, Alice!" Zalgo exclaimed, relieved that the ball was free again. "Now push it up to the hole at the top.”

  "Right," Alice replied, pushing the ball with renewed energy. "We're almost there, just a little bit more."

  As the ball rolled up the steep incline, it started picking up momentum.

  Alice had to move a bit faster to keep up with the ball, using the Increase technique to maintain control. "Woah! It's getting faster! I better stay focused and keep pushing with all my strength!”

  "You've got this, Alice! Keep it moving." Zalgo called from the top, watching as the ball gained speed.

  The ball grew closer and closer to the top of the structure, the hole within reach. "Almost there!" Zalgo shouted, excitement in her voice.

  "Just a little more!" Alice grunted, her arms shaking as she pushed with all her might. The ball was almost there, and it only needed a final boost to reach the hole.

  With one last burst of energy, Alice gave a final heave and pushed the ball directly into the hole. The sound of the ball disappearing into the hole echoed throughout the area, signalling their success.

  Zalgo cheered from above, her face filled with excitement. "We did it! You did it, Alice. Great job!”

  Alice sighed, a wave of relief washing over her. "Phew... That was intense. I thought we weren't going to make it for a moment there.”

  Zalgo nodded, a smile on her face. "I know, I was worried too. But we persevered, and we did it as a team. We make a great team."

  Rachel crawled out from under a crevice in the wall and greeted the other two girls: "Hey! How's it goin' on your side of things?”

  Alice beamed at Rachel and chuckled. "Hey Rach! We're good here. The ball is in the hole, and it seems like everything is working as expected.”

  "That's great to hear," Rachel replied, her face showing the wear of the trials. "Looks like we're done here. Let's report back to Arana.”

  Zalgo nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's head back."

  The girls carefully made their way back, discussing their success.