It was broad daylight, with the sun staking its claim in the sky.
Compared to last night’s fire, the campfire now was tiny, just a small flickering fla.
Rohan felt the gentle warmth reaching out toward him and glanced down.
"Hnnng…"
Ichinose was fast asleep—so deeply that she wouldn’t have noticed if soone carried her away.
Despite her overwhelming strength, her breathing was soft and steady, as if she were peacefully exploring the world of dreams.
'Should I just burn this last piece?'
Rohan pulled one more log from the pile and placed it into the fire.
Once it turned to ash, he planned to wake Ichinose up.
'It hasn’t even been that long since I woke up, but I’m already sleepy, hungry, and thirsty…'
After setting the wood down, Rohan opened a bottle of water and took a quiet sip, quenching his thirst.
'Experiencing it firsthand… this is no ordinary test.'
The situation reminded him of the ti, back in his hunter days, when he was trapped underground for an extended period, surrounded by monsters.
It was a testant to how potent the sticker’s effects were.
For cadets who had grown up in comfort, this would undoubtedly be a shocking ordeal.
It also made sense as preparation for Monolith Dungeons.
Rohan stared blankly at the fire, watching as it devoured the logs bit by bit.
This was what they called fire-watching, right?
The crackling of burning wood. The soft rhythm of Ichinose’s breathing.
Surrounded by a blend of ambient white noise, Rohan pulled up his quest window.
[Unsettling Peace]
◇ Quest Objective: You have observed the shadows that linger in this world. Though you are aware of the turbulence and impurities blending into the flow, as a cadet, you must focus on completing your midterm exam properly.
◇ Category: Main Story
◇ Reward: Distributed based on ranking and contributions.
◇ Failure Penalty: None.
He studied the description, deep in thought.
'Will Main Story Chapter 2 play out exactly the sa?'
Of course, he rembered it well.
Compared to the bitterness of Chapter 1, Chapter 2 was lighter, and the ending was visually enjoyable.
It allowed players to witness true powerhouses in action, observe the combat standards they should aim for, and even get a glimpse of one of the hidden masterminds of the world.
'But that was in the ga.'
What seed light and visually pleasing was from a player’s perspective.
Experiencing it in reality—Chapter 2 was far more dangerous.
'Oga… The ga only ntioned that he "escaped," so it’s hard to guess how he actually got away.'
Rohan revisited the main story’s structure, going over it carefully.
The appeal of Chapter 2 was interacting with other cadets, leading to different outcos depending on player choices.
It featured non-lethal battles, allowing players to experience different characters—including those they hadn’t unlocked yet or upcoming releases.
And once they milked all the rewards, the Reverse Praise Society would appear—introducing players to one of the major recurring villains.
"Hmm…"
How would these elents translate into reality?
Focusing only on the exam without considering the broader picture seed risky.
Of course, the final battle was beyond the protagonist’s control, so if things followed the script, the most important monts would unfold as expected.
But Rohan couldn’t shake off his unease.
Could the battle truly play out identically to the in-ga version?
Would Juyeon and Oga’s fight escalate dramatically, only to end in a ti-limit draw?
'Knowing what’s coming gives an advantage, but… Oga is too high-level for .'
Unlike with Shion, this opponent was far beyond Rohan’s reach.
Since Chapter 2’s climax was Juyeon’s stage, it was only natural that her opponent matched her level.
If a cadet recklessly interfered, they wouldn’t even know how they died.
Or worse—if they disrupted Juyeon, the battle might not even end in a draw.
'Honestly, it’d be great if the Reverse Praise Society just didn’t show up… But judging by the quest title, that’s probably wishful thinking.'
As long as things didn’t spiral out of control, the cadets would remain safe.
After all, Oga made a deal with Hekes—he wouldn’t go back on that promise.
"Ah."
It was ti to wake Ichinose.
Rohan had spent too long contemplating potential outcos, and ti had slipped away.
He glanced down at the peacefully sleeping girl and called out—
"Baby-nose. Wake up."
"…Mmm."
Ichinose’s personality ant letting her sleep in wouldn’t work again.
As much as he’d like to let her rest, Ichinose wouldn’t accept an unequal burden.
Dividing roles evenly was the best way to avoid unnecessary friction.
"Ichinose Yui, open your eyes imdiately."
When Rohan lowered his voice, adding a hint of command—
Ichinose stirred, murmuring drowsily.
"Daddy… just five more minutes…"
"Daddy?"
Rohan snickered, unable to hold back.
Even the sharp, composed heir of the Ichinose family turned soft and sleepy around her family?
This was a rare sight, sothing even Abyss City never showed.
"Daddy will make you ran. Get up."
"…?"
Ichinose’s dazed eyes fluttered open, her golden irises peeking out before disappearing again.
"You awake?"
"…"
Her eyelids lowered once more—but she was definitely awake.
Silence.
Her lips slightly parted, betraying internal conflict.
What was Ichinose thinking about right now?
Did she rember what she just said?
"Hmph! Pardon …"
She suddenly sat up, acting as if nothing had happened.
But what a sha.
Though Ichinose had learned to hide her emotions, she wasn’t yet skilled enough to suppress extre embarrassnt.
She wasn’t brazen enough for that.
Which ant—he had to say sothing.
"Rohan."
"What?"
"Forget it. Erase it from your mory."
"Forget what?"
"Th-that…"
Ichinose’s blush had nothing to do with the small campfire.
It was obvious.
Seeing her flustered expression, Rohan couldn’t help but push a little further.
"Tell , sweetheart. What should I forget?"
"!!!"
Ichinose sprang up from her spot, utterly shocked.
Her golden eyes, usually calm and composed, were now wide open in pure panic.
For a second, it looked like she was about to run straight out of the cave.
"Alright, I won’t say it anymore."
"…"
"Sit down. I’m debating whether to eat first or just go back to sleep."
"Haaah…!"
Ichinose let out a deep sigh, rubbed her face, and sat back down.
Was this a test to create new embarrassing mories?
She was getting dizzy just thinking about it.
"Anyway, I’ll go fill the ss tin with water."
A perfect excuse to give Ichinose so ti to recover.
Besides, it was better to use up yesterday’s water supply before it went bad.
Rohan grabbed the ss tin and stood up.
After waiting a while, Rohan returned to the shelter, still holding back a laugh.
"Baby-nose."
"What if soone hears you calling that?!"
"So it’s fine as long as no one else is around?"
"Of course not!"
Ichinose was absolutely sure of one thing—
If she opened her eyes right now, Rohan would be smirking.
Unlike Noah’s usual teasing, this was an entirely different flavor of mischief.
"Sha. It rolls off the tongue so well, I feel like I’ll keep thinking about it."
"Haaah… If you’re going to be like this, I should co up with a nickna for you too."
"Go ahead. I'll even change it on my phone when we get back."
"…"
Rohan imdiately realized—this was his last warning.
If he pushed it any further, Ichinose would actually get annoyed.
Ti to change the subject.
"Ichinose, do you like ran?"
Rohan casually placed the ss tin over the fire, letting the water ripple gently.
Ichinose pursed her lips before answering.
"I’ve had it before. I don’t dislike it."
"How’s your appetite? If you’re not hungry, you can sleep a little longer."
"I’m hungry… And so are you, aren’t you? Let’s eat now."
Her straightforward answer was satisfying.
Rohan grabbed the ran packet, then started muttering his thoughts aloud.
"Cooking it right is important, but ran is one of those things where the situation matters a lot. There are tis when ran just tastes better."
"That’s a thing?"
"Ran after swimming, ran after shoveling snow in winter, ran for a hangover cure. There are a few more."
"…Isn’t that just about being hungry?"
Rohan chuckled at Ichinose’s logical response as he opened the ran packet.
They had already agreed to save the canned food for later, so he left it untouched.
"Anyway, eating ran outdoors is one of those factors that makes it better."
"You’re the one cooking? I know how to make ran too."
"This isn’t about dividing tasks. I refuse to back down. I’m the one making the ran."
For once, Ichinose’s lips curved into a playful smile.
"So you’re saying you’ll introduce to a new world of ran?"
"Hmm, maybe not that dramatic… but I’ll at least make sure the water ratio is right."
"Wow, I reeeally can’t wait now."
Ichinose cupped her face in her hands, watching him expectantly.
She was clearly pressuring him, but to Rohan, just seeing her like this was relaxing.
'Let’s do this.'
Since they had already decided to eat, there was no need to delay.
Rohan adjusted the firewood, making sure the ss tin was balanced properly over the flas.
"Once the water boils… Hm?"
A faint presence.
Rohan, mid-ran lecture, imdiately looked toward the entrance.
He grabbed his sword from where it lay on the ground.
Ichinose was even faster—
She was already fully prepared, her hand on her blade, ready to strike at a mont’s notice.
"…"
Without speaking, the two exchanged hand signals, a skill they had learned in class.
Carefully, they moved out of the shelter, making sure to avoid the narrow terrain.
Soft footsteps.
Ichinose could hear them clearly.
Two people.
They were moving across the muddy ground, still approaching their direction.
Ignoring them wasn’t an option.
As the strangers drew closer, the natural tension should have risen—
But instead—
Rohan and Ichinose exchanged knowing glances.
"This…?"
"It’s a familiar presence. They’ll notice us soon too."
Rohan relaxed his grip on his sword.
The two stood still, waiting for the approaching cadets to erge from beyond the bushes.
Reviews
All reviews (0)