It was midday, with the sun making its presence known.
Compared to last night, the campfire was lit to a much more modest size.
Rohan looked down, feeling the gentle warmth radiating from the flames.
“Huuuung…”
Ichinose was fast asleep. She was sleeping so deeply that she wouldn’t have noticed even if someone carried her away.
With soft breaths that contrasted sharply with her immense strength, she was off traveling through dreamland.
Maybe I’ll burn just one more piece.
Rohan pulled out a log from the stacked firewood and placed it into the flames.
Once the log he just added turned to ash, he planned to wake Ichinose.
It hasn’t even been that many hours since we woke up, but I’m already sleepy, hungry, and thirsty…
With his hands now free, he quietly opened a bottle of water and quenched his thirst.
Going through it myself… this is no ordinary exam.
He recalled the time during his Hunter days when he was chased by monsters and isolated underground for a long stretch.
That was how potent the sticker’s effect was.
It was certainly the kind of experience that would turn the world upside down for students who had grown up in comfort.
At the same time, it highlighted just how seriously they were preparing for the Monolith Dungeon.
“……”
Rohan stared blankly at the fire as it steadily chewed through the wood.
Wasn’t this what people called “fire-gazing”?
The crackling sound of burning logs. Ichinose’s quiet breathing.
Surrounded by this blend of white noise, Rohan opened his quest window.
[Unsettling Peace]
◇ Quest Objective: You have observed the shadows lurking in the world. Though you are aware of the turbulent currents and impurities blending into the flow, as a student, you must faithfully complete your midterm exam.
◇ Category: Main Story
◇ Reward for Success: Varies based on ranking and contribution
◇ Penalty for Failure: None
He focused on the content and went into deep thought.
Will Chapter 2 of the Main Story play out exactly the same?
Of course, Rohan remembered.
Compared to the bitter taste of Chapter 1 in Abyss City, Chapter 2 had a lighter tone and even ended with something pleasing to the eye.
Players had looked forward to it. They got to watch real powerhouse characters clash.
It allowed them to gauge the level of strength the protagonist needed to aim for and also introduced one of the shadowy figures pulling the strings behind the world.
But that was when it was just a game.
Calling it light and visually pleasing. Those were impressions from a gamer’s perspective.
If one were to actually live through it, Chapter 2 was far more dangerous.
Omega… The game just said he escaped, but since it was only mentioned in text, there’s no way to know how he actually got away.
Rohan carefully went over the events of Chapter 2 in his mind.
Naturally, his thoughts ran long.
The essence of Chapter 2 was the interactions with other students. Depending on the choices made, players could experience a wide range of events.
It was fun to engage in non-lethal combat, getting a feel for different characters including ones not yet unlocked or officially released.
After reaping all the rewards, the Reverse Reverence Society would finally appear in the finale, revealing themselves to be one of the recurring villains that would haunt players in the future. This was the backbone of Chapter 2.
“Hmm…”
He couldn’t say how all of that would translate into reality. There were too many variables to just zone out and focus solely on the exam in front of him.
Of course, the final battle didn’t include a role for the protagonist, so if he stayed put, there was a high chance that part would follow the established canon.
Still, he couldn’t completely shake the unease.
He was worried.
Would the battle unfold exactly like the video from Abyss City?
Would the showdown between Joo-yeon and Omega unfold with dazzling intensity, only to end in a clean draw due to time running out?
Since he had the upper hand in terms of information, he wanted to ride the flow and do something.
Unlike the situation with Sion, the enemy known as “Omega” was on an entirely different level.
As the final part of Chapter 2 was Joo-yeon’s stage, it made sense that the opponent would be a worthy rival.
If a student clumsily got involved, they might end up dying without even realizing what had happened to them.
Or worse, they could interfere with Joo-yeon and cause the battle to end in something other than a draw.
I just hope it ends without the Reverse Reverence Society showing up. But judging from the shape of the quest, that doesn’t seem likely.
Unless the situation veered wildly off course, the students should be safe.
After all, Omega had agreed to pay a price in exchange for Hex’s help.
“Ah.”
It was time to wake Ichinose.
He had gotten so caught up digging into the information in an attempt to predict the outcome that time had flown by.
Looking at the girl sleeping soundly, he called out to her.
“Baby-nose. Wake up.”
“Mmm…”
Knowing Ichinose’s personality, letting her sleep in like yesterday wasn’t an option this time.
He wanted to let her rest more, but making one side shoulder too much in a partnership of equals was exactly the kind of thing that would make Ichinose angry.
They needed to share responsibilities evenly to avoid any trouble.
“Yui Ichinose, open your eyes right now.”
When Rohan added another line in his low voice,
The girl stirred slightly and mumbled,
“Daddy… Yui wants to sleep a little longer…”
“Daddy?”
Rohan chuckled at Ichinose’s sleep talk.
Even the sharp, no-nonsense heir to a major corporation Yui Ichinose turned soft and mellow when with family, it seemed.
It was a rare sight. One that would never be seen in Abyss City.
“Daddy will make you ramen. Wake up.”
“……?”
Ichinose blinked slowly. Her face was drowsy and she was half-asleep.
Her golden eyes flickered in and out of view as she tried to steady her breath.
“Are you awake?”
“…….”
Her eyelids lowered again. Even with her eyes closed, it was clear she was no longer asleep.
Silence. Her lips hinted at inner conflict.
What was Ichinose thinking that kept her frozen like that? Was she remembering the sleep talk she had just uttered?
“Ahem! Excuse me…”
Ichinose sat up as if nothing had happened.
But what a shame.
Though she had learned how to hide her emotions, she wasn’t yet skilled enough to act through overwhelming embarrassment. She still lacked that shamelessness.
And so, she spoke up.
“Rohan.”
“What?”
“Please forget it. Erase it from your memory.”
“Forget what?”
“Th-That…”
The red flush on Ichinose’s face wasn’t because of the small campfire.
That much was certain.
Unable to resist, Rohan threw out a line.
“Just tell Daddy. What should I forget?”
“!!!”
Startled, Ichinose jumped to her feet.
She must’ve been really flustered. Her gem-like eyes were clearly visible.
Her swirling emotions looked ready to send her running for the door at any second.
“Alright, alright. I won’t say it.”
“….…”
“Sit down. I’m still debating whether I should eat or go back to sleep.”
“Haaah…!”
Ichinose sat back down after cooling off with a dry face wash.
Was today’s practical exam destined to be another chapter in her dark history? The girl felt dizzy at the thought.
“Anyway, I’ll go fill the mess tin with water.”
It was the perfect excuse to give Ichinose some time to catch her breath.
Saying it was better to use the drinking water they’d received yesterday sooner rather than later, Rohan grabbed the mess tin and stood up.
After giving her a bit of time—
Rohan returned to the shelter with a hint of a smile on his face.
“Baby-nose.”
“What if someone hears you calling me such an embarrassing name…!”
“So it’s okay as long as no one else is around?”
“Of course not!”
She had a feeling that if she opened her eyes, Rohan would be standing there with his usual cheeky smile.
This was a different kind of mischief from the kind she was used to from being around Noa every day.
“Too bad. It rolls right off the tongue. I feel like I’ll keep thinking about it.”
“Haah… If that’s how you’re going to be, then I’ll have to come up with a nickname for you too, Rohan.”
“Works for me. I’ll even change the name saved in my phone when we get back.”
“….…”
Rohan sensed it. The fun ended here.
Any further would be pushing it.
He was certain that if he brought it up one more time, Ichinose would get upset.
“Ichinose, do you like ramen?”
Rohan casually set the water-filled mess tin over the fire.
Ichinose pouted her lips slightly as she answered.
“I’ve had it before. I don’t dislike it.”
“What about your appetite? If you’re not feeling it yet, we can sleep a little more and eat later.”
“I’m hungry… You’re hungry too, aren’t you, Rohan? Let’s eat now.”
Ichinose answered honestly. It was satisfying.
Rohan picked up the ramen packet and began rambling whatever came to mind.
“Cooking it well is important, sure, but I think ramen is especially influenced by the situation. There are times when ramen just tastes better.”
“Is that really a thing?”
“Ramen after swimming, ramen after clearing snow in the middle of winter, ramen for curing a hangover. There are a few others, too.”
“…Except for the last one, isn’t that just because you’re hungry?”
Rohan smiled at the response that was just like Ichinose as he tore open the packet.
They had agreed beforehand to save the canned food, so he didn’t open it.
“Anyway, eating outdoors like this is one of those factors that makes ramen taste better.”
“Are you going to cook it, Rohan? I know how to make ramen too, you know.”
“This isn’t a matter of dividing up tasks. I’m not giving this up. I’m the one cooking the ramen.”
At Rohan’s declaration, Ichinose showed a rare playful smile.
“So what you’re saying is, you’re about to show me a whole new world of ramen I’ve never experienced?”
“Hmm, maybe not that far…? But I’ll at least do my best with the water measurement.”
“I’m really, really~ looking forward to it.”
Like she had finally caught him, Ichinose struck a flower-cup pose and stared at him.
It might have been her way of applying pressure, but just watching her made Rohan feel at ease.
Let’s get started.
Now that they’d decided on ramen, there was no reason to hesitate.
Rohan placed the firewood underneath to balance the mess tin horizontally.
“Once the water starts boiling… hmm?”
A faint presence.
Rohan who was giving his ramen lecture threw a glance toward the entrance.
He picked up the longsword lying on the ground.
Ichinose had already finished her preparations ahead of him.
She was ready to swing her sword at any moment.
“”……..””
Rohan and Ichinose exchanged the hand signals they had learned in class.
They stepped out of their shelter, holding their breath, trying to escape the narrow terrain.
They heard faint footsteps. To Ichinose, the sound was crystal clear.
There were two people.
They were approaching, stepping through the rain-soaked mud. The direction they were coming from made it impossible to ignore.
Normally, as the presence drew closer, the tension would have risen naturally.
But Rohan and Ichinose sensed a familiar aura and turned to look at each other.
“This?”
“A familiar presence. They’ll probably notice us soon, too.”
They relaxed the grip on their swords.
The two of them waited for the approaching students beyond the bushes.
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