The sun was already dipping toward the jagged horizon, spilling the ruins in long shadows. What little light remained stretched thin across the broken stone columns and shattered walls as Kairo and his group trudged deeper into the desolate remains of the old city. They had escaped the patch of trees—and all those slimes—but after that frantic run, they hadn't found a single monster to hunt.
Silence followed them… until Theo's stomach suddenly growled like a dying beast.
"Ugh—! I can't take this anymore!" Theo clutched his belly dramatically. "I'm hungry! I want to eat, right now!"
"Same!" Flint raised both arms with absolute despair. "My legs feel like twigs! I can't walk anymore!"
Even Lilian was panting softly, dust on her dress and her hat wobbling every few steps. "I… wouldn't mind… a small rest," she admitted quietly.
Kairo exhaled. (They're exhausted. We need a place to rest before someone collapses.)
He scanned the area—and then he saw it. Half-buried in vines and rubble stood the skeleton of a decapitated house. Most of the walls were gone, but the roof still clung stubbornly to the remains of its frame. It wasn't perfect, but it was shelter.
"There," Kairo said, pointing. "Let's rest inside that house. We'll spend the night there."
Theo's eyes sparkled like he had found paradise. "FINALLY—some real rest!"
Flint pumped his fist. "And this time," he said proudly, "no slime armies to wake us up."
They didn't even wait for permission—Theo and Flint practically sprinted toward the ruined house, laughing like children who found a secret base.
Kairo followed with a tired smile. Tonight… they would sleep in the ruins.
Night eventually swallowed the ruins, the last traces of daylight fading behind the broken skyline. The moon rose high, its soft golden glow spilling through the shattered roof, painting the cracked stone in warm light. Inside the leaning, decapitated house, a small campfire crackled—weak, but enough to chase away the cold creeping through the night air.
Flint and Theo sat closest to the fire, legs stretched toward the warmth. Both were laughing, swapping exaggerated retellings of how they "totally almost died but didn't." Their voices echoed lightly against the hollow walls.
Kairo sat a little farther back, leaning against a pillar's broken stump as he checked the Command Nexus. A faint holographic display only he could see shimmered in front of him.
[Green Slime — Eliminated]
EXP Gained: +5%
Total EXP: 85%
[Shackled Hound— Eliminated by: Onyx]
EXP Gained: +5%
Total EXP: 90%
Kairo tilted his head, "Shackled what? Did onyx kill something strong? I'll have to check when we return."
While he was lost in the invisible screen, Lilian sat quietly on the other side of the fire. Her eyes drifted toward him, watching his calm expression illuminated by moonlight and firelight. No one in her life had ever looked the way he did—focused, gentle, unbothered by her flaws, and somehow… safe.
(What is he doing? Just staring at nothing like that…) she thought, tilting her head.
But then her chest fluttered unexpectedly. (He's different. Completely different from anyone I've ever met…)
Before she realized it, she had been staring at him for far too long.
Kairo blinked and looked up, noticing her gaze. "Hm? Lilian? What's up?"
Her heart jumped. "Ah—! N-nothing!" she squeaked, turning sharply toward the fire and covering her face with both hands. (H-he saw me!? What will he think of me!?)
Kairo scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Do I have something on my face…?" he whispered to himself.
Theo clapped his hands together. "Alright! Time to eat!"
Lilian's eyes sparkled with hope. "Finally! I'm so hungry I might faint—"
Her joy shattered the instant Theo and Flint dumped a pile of bug corpses onto the floor.
"BUUUGS!?" Lilian shrieked, stumbling backward. "Why do you HAVE those!?"
Flint shrugged casually. "We didn't hunt anything after the slime, and everything we hunted before it was inedible… except the bugs, so this is it."
Lilian pointed accusingly at them. "You fools killed tons of things! How come bugs are the only edible option!?"
Theo raised a brow. "Would you prefer goblin meat? Or maybe slime goo?"
Lilian froze, disgust twisting her whole face. "I'm not eating these disgusting things…!"
"Alright then," Theo said, unbothered. "More for us."
They began preparing the bugs over the fire until Kairo stopped them. "Hold on. How are we even supposed to eat them?"
Lilian glared at him. "That is your biggest concern here!?"
Kairo scratched his cheek. "We don't have any other food, and I heard bugs are high-protein. I'll give it a shot."
Theo snickered. "Let's try cooking the legs."
Flint laughed loudly. "Yeah! Why not?"
They roasted several large bug legs. When they finished, Kairo picked one up. "Looks… okay. Taste test time."
Flint chomped down first. A loud crunch echoed. He stuck his tongue out immediately. "Bleh! Bitter!"
Theo smacked him. "You're eating the armor, idiot!"
Kairo thought for a moment. "Maybe we eat them like crabs."
He cracked the softened shell and took a bite. "Hmm… honestly? Not bad. Kind of nice for a change from roasted meat."
Lilian watched in horror. "How can you eat that!?"
Kairo offered one to her. "Just try once. If you don't like it, I won't ask again."
Lilian hesitated… then accepted. She stared at the leg fearfully—then took a bite.
Her eyes widened. "This… is actually good."
Theo smirked. "So you do like bug meat."
Lilian puffed her cheeks. "This is the FIRST and LAST time! Don't say anything!"
Everyone burst into laughter as they kept eating under the warm firelight.
To be continued.....