By the time the sun begins to set, everything hurts. My knees feel like they’re going to buckle and my arms are boiled noodles. I don’t think my dry-ass rations will suffice with all the training I did, but I don’t really have a choice.
I stumble through the darkening forest, sticking close behind Angel as he leads me back to the camp.
When I arrive, I’m surprised to see a small structure made of sticks and dried reeds built sturdily around a thick tree. Not far in front of it is a firepit with a roaring fire dancing in the earth and a spit made of debarked sticks roasting a succulent-smelling rabbit overhead.
Sako perks up from her cooking station and waves to me with a smile that washes all my ails away. For just that moment, all the pain and suffering I endured throughout the day was worth it.
“You made all of this?” I ask, taking a seat next to her beside the fire.
“Yep!” she says happily. “I haven’t waterproofed it yet, but it’ll keep us sheltered for tonight. Might be a little cramped, though.”
“That’s fine,” I say. “It gets chilly at night anyways.”
“Hm, and what’s that supposed to mean?” she asks coyly.
My face feels flushed, but I can’t find the words to respond. Isn’t my passive ability supposed to help in situations like this?
“Are you feeling okay?” Sako asks. “You look red.”
“It’s fine,” I say, averting my gaze. “I’m just tired from all the training.”
“Ah, well, you’re in luck! I dun caught myself a rabbit earlier,” Sako says. “Gutted it and everything.”
“Wow, you’re really good at this kind of stuff, aren’t you?” I ask.
“Yeah, my dad really did love the outdoors, and he taught me everything he knew,” she says, looking deeply into the fire. “It seems I’ve inherited that love now, too.”
“Sorry,” I say. “I feel like I brought up something I shouldn’t have.”
“It’s fine,” Sako says. “Talking about them actually makes me feel better. It reminds me that even though they’re not alive anymore, they were here.”
“I really wish I could be as optimistic as you,” I say. “Oh yeah. That reminds me. Have you checked your passive skills yet?”
“Yeah, Titania was giving me some lessons while I worked earlier,” Sako says. “Wanna see?”
“Sure,” I say.
Sako opens up her screen’s interface and goes to her passive abilities, where there’s a single skill, just like me.
[Innate ability: Boundless Joy]
With Boundless Joy, the user converts their happiness energy into stamina and can function effectively on little to no sleep. Excess happiness energy can be converted to EP as well.
Stolen story; please report.
“Wow, that seems uber useful,” I say. “More useful than mine.”
“That’s not true,” Sako says. “Titania told me about yours, and I’m kind of jealous. Making split decisions on the fly was never something I was good at, which is why I often make mistakes under pressure. I’m confused, though. You don’t seem like a pessimistic person to me.”
I guess that means that Angel just wasn’t telling earlier. Which begs the question: are the angels able to see any person’s skills, or just those I’m neurolinked to?
“Say, Lily,” Sako says.
“Ah, yeah?” I ask.
“What do you think is going to happen when we finally encounter a HET?” Sako asks. “Do you think we’ll be okay?”
“I don’t know,” I say.
I really don’t. That question has been on my mind for a while, and I dread the moment it’s answered. Part of me hopes that we never run into one, though I know that’s just not possible.
“If it comes to it, and I falter, will you protect me, Lily?” Sako asks. “I know it’s selfish of me to ask, but you’re the only one I can.”
As I look into her eyes, all I see is genuine modesty. There isn’t a hint of patronization in her tone; something I’m far from familiar with. She’s so innocent that all I want to do is protect and cherish her smile forever. Never change, Sako, even if the worst possible thing happens to you, never change. If you don’t, I think I might just have a reason to keep going.
“I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to,” I say. “But I promise to try.”
“And that’s all I could ever want,” Sako says with a smile. “Lily will be my knight in shining armor!”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I say.
Her knight in shining armor? Sako really says the cheesiest things, doesn’t she?
After eating some rabbit and roasted mushrooms, I let out an ungraciously loud yawn. I’m quite tired and about to pass out, so I get up to head to bed. Well, the lush mat of leaves Sako put together in the shelter to soften the ground. It’s not exactly memory foam, but it beats the dirt.
“Ready to go to sleep?” I ask.
“I’m not tired, actually, so I think I’ll get some training in,” Sako says. “I have to compensate for the points I spent on bushcraft skills, after all.”
That’s right; her passive ability will allow her to keep going without rest. I kind of wish I had that skill now, but I guess I can’t complain. It definitely suits someone like her.
“Goodnight, then,” I say.
“Goodnight!” she chimes, waving me off.
As I begin to drift away in the branchy tent, my mind can’t help but wander. I wonder what kind of skill I should develop in order to protect Sako and survive. I barely know anything about the HET, so how am I supposed to create an all-encompassing skill to kill them? Not just that, but it also has to work against other humans, too. I never want something like the bunker incident to happen again, but I know it will if I’m not prepared.
I’m not a creative person, either. I won’t be able to think of something ingenious that works like a Swiss Army knife. Angel really expects too much from someone like me. Then again, maybe he doesn’t. I have no idea how many other survivors there are out there, but surely there are thousands. Maybe even millions. With so many people left, I don’t have to be the one to drive away the HET or whatever. There’s no way I possibly could be.
No, my focus should solely be on surviving and keeping Sako alive. The heroics can be left to some other saps much more talented than a loser shut-in like myself.
I open up my stats to check them one last time before falling asleep:
Lily Lv.2
[Strength: 4]
[Speed: 5]
[Agility: 5]
[Perception: 6]
[EL: 102]
[AP: 6]
[EP until next level: 200]
[Current EP: 1070]
Current EP is 1070, huh? That means I was able to increase it by 70 today. In other words, if I want to get meaningfully stronger, I’m going to have to work my ass off. I’ve never been a fan of training before, but as it turns out, having something to protect is quite the motivator.
No matter what it takes or who I become, I swear I’ll protect her. This forsaken world can go to hell for all I care; it’s not like I ever actually liked it.