"Truth or Dare!?" Xyla asked excitedly, though she didn't really know what she was so excited about. "What do we do?? The game!? What do we do?!"
"Calm down a little," Cassius said in a big-brotherly tone. "For this game, we each take turns asking either Truth or Dare. Depending on what the other person answers, we ask or request something. If the person answers Truth, then you ask a question—one that the person won't be able to lie about. However, if the person answers Dare, then you'll request that person to do something, and they won't be able to refuse. Do you get it…"
He stopped speaking toward the end as he realized, based on her puzzled expression, that he'd already lost her.
"Why don't I show you an example," Cassius said with a wry smile. "Truth or Dare? You answer either Truth or Dare."
Xyla's crystal-clear eyes brightened as she seriously deliberated over her response. "Trut—No, Dare! Wait, Truth! Da-Tru…!"
"Don't think so much," Cassius said as he patted her head, attempting to fully consolidate his upgrade from Weakling to Big Brother status. "Just answer whatever comes to your mind first."
Cassius—having long since prepped his questions—fired his first one right away. "Is it true that you practice something that makes you stronger?" He asked while flexing his muscles as a demonstration.
Xyla barely needed to think before nodding. "Am becoming stronger because of drinking Body Liquid!" she exclaimed, finding this game quite fun.
Cassius outwardly smiled while inwardly pondering. 'This Body Liquid… Is it some form of artificially created item? Or is it made in nature?'
He decided to add a question before reaching the others he had in store. Though, getting back to the game, he spoke up, saying:
"It's your turn now. Ask me Truth or Dare."
Xyla happily bobbed her head before following his instructions. "Truth or Dare!?"
Cassius answered Truth.
Going for Dare right away was risky, especially when he wasn't fully confident in the young girl's morality or personality…
After thinking for a moment while making an adorable face, Xyla finally thought up a question:
"Why is Weakling so weak!?"
Cassius faked a smile, pushing down the tears that wanted to be released.
"I… I was just born with weak bones," he said hoarsely. "I couldn't help being born so weak…"
After watching more enjoyment flash through Xyla's face, he exhaled and repeated the game phrase. "Truth or Dare?"
Much to his satisfaction, Xyla answered Dare.
"I dare you…to tell me where to get this 'Body Liquid,' and who, if anyone, is guarding the stuff."
Xyla touched her chin with her right index finger, wondering why the question was so weird. But seeing as she was a smart girl and that she was obliged to answer with the truth, she did just that:
"Body Liquid is there," she said while pointing at a small, clear pond hiding behind a massive waterfall. "Body Liquid is the water; no one guarding. Won't get stolen because Father is owner of Body Liquid pond. Scared of him."
Cassius's expression thoughtfully contorted as he observed the waterfall and the barely visible pond. He couldn't sense any strong presences in or around the pond, but with his severely limited aspects of existence, he wouldn't put all his faith in what he could or could not sense.
But with the young girl before him as a source of information, Cassius doubted that she would lie about something like that. He could tell from her beaming countenance that she was having genuine fun, and only wanted to have more fun. Lying would make the game less fun.
"And is this Body Liquid found in other places outside the Village?" Cassius asked.
Xyla's button nose crinkled as her cheeks puffed out. "Those are not rules," she said whilst giving him a good meat slap. "It's my turn, not yours again, Weakling."
Cassius crookedly smiled. "Of course it's your turn," he said. "What was I thinking? Go ahead then."
Xyla gleefully nodded, acting as if she hadn't just slapped a grown man with another slab of meat she pulled out of who knew where. "Truth or Dare!" she asked, her bow bouncing to the tune of her words.
"Dare," Cassius answered, choosing something other than Truth so as to not bore the girl. 'I still have a few more questions I wish to ask, after all.'
After a brief pause, Xyla finally came up with her dare.
"I dare you to tells me why you were out there on that cliff! Playing and fell?? What is it??"
'This girl is smarter than she looks,' Cassius thought, not having expected her to ask a question like that. 'I was assuming that she'd make me do something silly or inquire about an equally silly topic. But from just a single inquiry of mine, she was able to formulate a similarly worded question.'
But regardless of his improved opinion of the kid, he answered her question. He did so in a way that, although not painting the whole picture, was more than enough to satisfy her curiosity.
"Weakling got lost?? Really?? Your Village abandon you!? Because too weak!??"
'I only told you I lost my way while traveling; why'd you come up with your own speculations…?'
The Idle Evolution System was already more than enough for Cassius to handle alone, and yet now there was this kid. A young girl who, despite her cuteness and apparent innocence, was actually out to anger him to death!
"Haha…" Cassius dryly laughed, his face twitching all over. "You could say it was something like that. It's truly… truly very tough being so weak…"
Xyla bobbed in agreement. "Weakling is very weak; even fly could kill you!" she said as she pointed at the building-sized fly buzzing overhead. "Weakling needs to be stronger!"
The worst part about her accidental roast was that she wasn't even wrong. That fly really could kill him, and quite easily at that…
'I had assumed more than 50 years of developing my character and amassing greater strength would make me somewhat powerful in the grand scheme of things,' Cassius thought woefully. 'But it appears that my assumptions were just wishful thinking…'