The beast tilted its head, confused?. "RAWR RAER RAWR?"
.
Lila nods to herself.
"Just watch. In my dreams, something ALWAYS takes it."
.
"Trust me, I promise," she took a deep breath.
"Just relax your throat and maintain eye contact."
.
I raised a brow. "Wha—"
Lila turned her head aggressively at me
cutting me off. "Wait no, I don't mean it that way."
"Okay..."
"I SWEAR!"
"SURE."
"Please... Believe me..."
I just nodded...
"Y-yes... thank you, now let's wait something will take it."
.
Then for three full seconds, nothing happens.
Not even a fly.
.
It just stares.
All of its eyes, blinking, everywhere, then its eyes stared at us.
.
Then—
.
It steps forward.
THUD.
Then another step.
THUD!
Slow.
Heavy.
And staring each at us.
Like its choosing who to eat first.
.
And lila... She's like...
I know what'll happens next.
To
OH, no, no, no... This isn't the script— THIS IS NOT THE SAME DREAM.
.(See I know how to make a thoughts... I guess?)
.
She starts shaking.
"U-uh… okay… in my dream this is where something takes it so... so, SO WHY IS IT STILL HERE?!"
.
The beast snarls, drools spilling on the ground.
.
Vesper in front of us, fists clenched, ready to punch a 4-meter-high corrupted wolf-dragon-squid-failed-bigassclaw-many eyes abomination,
.
Vesper voiced trembled, but fierce.
"Fear not. If death must take us… I shall strike first."
.
She's about to fistfight a boss monster...
.
*Dun dun dun*
.
Ivy is hugging me, and her head was buried in my neck.
.
And She's shaking. like her soul is gonna leave her tiny body.
.
Then—
She raised her head and looked at my eyes, stared at it. seriously.
.
She sobs, and opened her mouth.
.
A Small. Horrified. Crying voice came out.
"Ahjussi… can I... c-can I call you Dad…?"
.
I blink.
.
"What?, Why?!"
.
She sniffles, wiping tears with her sleeve.
.
"B-Because… If we survive… I… I want you to be my Dad…"
.
She hiccup.
.
"But if we don't survive then… I want to call you Dad at least… once…"
.
"But you already called me Dad many times..."
.
"Please..." She sobs. Burying her Head in my neck once again.
.
I patted her back.
And looked at the monster.
At Vesper bowing down and holding her fist like she's charging up a punch with no mana...
And at Lila having a mental breakdown.
(N/A. IM SON GOKU!!!! IS PROBABLY VESPER IN THIS SCENE.)
.
And I sigh, deeply...
"Okay, okay… Sure."
I pat Ivy's head.
"Call me whatever you want." It's not like we're surviving this anyway.
Vesper froze.
And Lila.
Even the monster stopped crawling forward like its offended...
.
Ivy's raised her head and hit my chin, her eyes wide.
"R-really…?"
"Ouch!" I groan.
"Sorry. but really?"
"Yes, yes whatever, Daughter, penguin, talking potato, just cling tighter, I don't want you falling when we get eaten."
.
Ivy wiped her tears with her sleeves and sniffle. "Promise?"
.
"Yes." I nod.
.
"Yes is not enough."
.
"I promise, there."
.
Ivy finally breathes out, a tiny, shaky sigh. Then clings to me like her life depends on it.
Which, yeah… it kinda does...
.
Then the monster blinks.
.
All of its eyes.
At different speeds.
At different directions.
.
And it moves... Like its offended?
It lets out a long, wet, gurgling growl.
.
BRRGHKKSKS…
.
Lila:"Okayokayokayokay— THIS IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED IN MY DREAM. THIS IS NONSENSE. WHY IS IT OFFENDED???"
"YOU CANT BE OFFENDED!!!"
Lila looked at me, "It doesn't even PAY TAXES!!!"
.
Vesper, still bowing down and charging up her fist but with zero mana, whispers.
"Pray… pray, let it choose ME first. I shall strike—"
.
She punches the air once to test herself.
The air does not care.
.(See what I did there? BARS)
The beast confused, steps closer.
THUD.
The ground crack.
THUD.
The ground shook.
Then another THUD.
It lowers its massive wolfydraggy head…
Closer…
And
Closer…
The breath stinks... It smell Sour and like a rotten egg or a dead fish.
.
It exhale, releasing a black smoke.
.
Si Hon/ivy: "ew.../WAHHH!!!"
Lila on the floor screaming, and sobbing.
And Vesper, still charging up something... Without mana. Of course...
While she clenches her jaw — she hates this.
.
Then it's eyes focus…
On me.
On Ivy.
On all of us.
.
Slowly…
Its jaw opens
Rows and rows and more rows of jagged bone-teeth spreading... wider than its mouth should Allow.
.
It even has teeth in the back of its THROAT!!!
.
I swallow.
.
Hard.
"Well," I mutter, "this is where we die?"
.
Lila screams, "NO! IN MY DREAM SOMETHING SHOULD'VE SWOOOOOPED IN BY NOW—"
.
She looks up at the portal.
.
Nothing swoops.
.
Not even a fly.
.
Vesper tightens her fists, shaking but determined.
"If destiny wills my demise, so be it— BUT I SHALL NOT FALL QUIETLY—"
.
Ivy squeezes me like I'm her last piece of sanity.
.
"D-Dad…" she whispers, voice tiny. "It's looking straight at us…"
.
"I know."
"S-should I close my eyes?"
"Yes. No. Actually— maybe. I don't kn— JUST HUG ME TIGHTER."
.
The beast lunges forward—
.
A blur of claws, jaws, and too many eyes... Yea ew.
.
Its mouth opens—
.
And—
.
Time stopped, for me... Just me.
.
And in front of me. Where the wolf... or dragon? I'll just call it beast.
In front of it is the System... The blue transparent system.
.
────────────────────────
[ SYSTEM NOTICE ]
NEW QUEST ARRIVED: SURVIVE.
Objective: Survive.
Reward: ALL directions movement.
[Tap for more Details]
────────────────────────
.
I stared at it. Then tapped the 'Details'
.
The window shifted, letters rearranging themselves like they were thinking.
.
────────────────────────
[ DETAILS]
QUEST: SURVIVE
Objective: Remain alive.
Reward: All-Directional Movement (Locked)
Penalty: Death.
────────────────────────
.
I blinked.
I scoff. "It's not like I'm not gonna die if I Failed the quest..."
I sigh. Then looked at the window again. "…Locked? All-directional Movement? The hell does that mean."
.
Then another window snapped open in front of me
.
────────────────────────
ACCEPT QUEST?
[ACCEPT]/[DECLINE]
────────────────────────
.
"…as if I have a choice."
.
I pressed ACCEPT.
.
then time continued again, and the beast in front of me and ivy moved...
.
But before everything moved I noticed, A tiny line appeared under the main window.
.
Hint: The quest is always correct.
i frowned.
"What does that even—"
Then the ground shook. Slowly?
The beast continued to charge forward.
But i didn't scream, but ivy did, and... vesper is still calm...
Looks like she's still charging something.
But I could see a Yellow glow in her hand.
And I saw all of that in a mere 0.8 seconds
.
Wait where's the cashier? Lila?
.
And Am I thinking this fast?!
.
Wait... We're gonna die...
.
Then the window chimed again, like it found something funny.
.
Then a little line Appeared.
If the quest is 'Survive'… you will.
Even at 1%.
.
Okay. That's… cheating. But I'll take it.
.
And somewhere above the sky, the reward waited—
All-Directional Movement, just out of reach.
Sounds useless...
But I guess... I only need to stay alive long enough to grab it.
.
.
.
.
.
(Wohooo it's Long pace right? One of my friend told me to Like... My pacing is fast... I mean it teleports... Well there we go!!! Heheh)