"Zen!" Aria’s voice echoed sharply in his ears, snapping him back to reality.
"Oh! Aria, you are awake?" Zen asked, noticing the cute female staring at him as if she were looking at a lunatic or something.
"Yes, I’m awake because of your crazy mumblings," Aria replied with a huff, glaring at him sharply.
"Uhm, Aria, you have..." Zen began as he pointed at her and then wiped his cheeks, causing her to raise an eyebrow in surprise.
"Have what..." she trailed off, placing her hand on her face and realizing it was slightly wet. Her eyes widened in shock and her cheeks flushed red. "Crap," she muttered as she quickly wiped the dribble off her face.
’Wait, mumblings? So I was speaking aloud? Crap! What if she heard everything I said?’ Zen panicked as he stared at Aria, who quickly turned away in embarrassment.
"Wait, Aria. What happened? How did we get back to the clan?" Zen asked with a raised eyebrow, prompting Aria to facepalm herself.
"That’s right. You were out cold after that explosion, so you weren’t aware that Sir Tom came to our rescue," Aria replied, causing Zen to raise another eyebrow.
"Sir Tom? So the clan did send somebody. Phew! That’s good to hear." Zen heaved a sigh of relief. "Wait! The others?"
"They’re all fine. Everybody is fit and healthy. But what about you?" Aria asked, furrowing her brow.
"What about me?" Zen asked, his confusion evident.
"Yes, what about you? Are you feeling okay?" Aria asked again, worry lining her expression.
"I’m okay, why?" Zen asked as he stared at her, still confused.
"Nothing," Aria quickly replied, turning away. "How could I not ask when you were mumbling and shouting like someone who had lost his mind?" she murmured beneath her breath.
"So..." Zen said, pulling Aria out of her thoughts. "Where are the others?"
Zen hadn’t even finished his words when the sound of the door clicking echoed through the room, and it swung wide open, letting some familiar faces trickle in.
"Oh look! The sleepyhead is awake," Kael chuckled softly, walking in with other familiar faces slightly behind him.
"I thought you wouldn’t wake up again. I was planning on freezing you to death if you didn’t wake up," Erin coldly said as she walked in, her new cloak fluttering behind her. She didn’t put on the hood though.
"E...Er...Erin?!" Zen stuttered, staring at the young woman with practical stars dancing in his eyes.
"Sheesh. I know that look," Rina added as she also walked in, staring at Zen. "That’s the look Zarin always gave me."
"I don’t know what you’re talking about," Zen said quickly, turning his gaze away from Erin but still sneaking a few glances at her side.
"Yup. That’s the look," Rina chuckled as everyone fully trickled in and leaned against the walls.
"Take it from me. What you did was pretty reckless and stupid at the same time," Kael commented loudly, chuckling. Chapters first released on NoveI★Fire.net
"Kael! Your clothes!" Rina shouted, her face beet red as she glared at him.
"Oh my! How did this happen again?" Kael asked, staring at his nearly bare body, only his underwear clinging to him. "But you can’t lie though. I have a pretty thick tool, right? Right?" He grinned widely, suddenly feeling a literal chill crawl up his neck, and froze as realization hit him.
"How about I help freeze the tool so it can become thicker," Erin whispered into his ear, her words carrying a cold, teasing mist that made Kael stiffen and shudder in both fear and embarrassment.
"Zen." A calm voice suddenly echoed through the room as one more person entered. His deep blue eyes, reflective and serene, scanned the room as he calmly walked toward the seated NPC and then knelt before him.
"Th...thank you for saving my life when I could barely move. That was quite brave of you to do despite how weak you were. I’m truly grateful for you saving me," Jace said, his voice thick with emotion, eyes slightly moist as he stared at Zen.
"Nah, that was nothing. I felt like you were our best shot at escaping that hellhole, so I decided to help you survive. I’m glad to see my effort wasn’t in vain," Zen replied warmly, giving a thumbs up at Jace, who almost welled up instantly.
’I...I’m not useless in his eyes? So...so I can be useful to people?’ Jace thought, tears beginning to drip down his face as he suddenly lunged forward, wrapping Zen in a tight, grateful hug.
"Thank you," Jace whispered, slowly wiping his tears while still hugging the stunned Zen.
’He...he feels so warm. Was my suspicion wrong? Could he actually be a reliable ally? Ca...can I trust him, even knowing he’s a real player?’ Zen wondered, too stunned to return the hug immediately.
"And I promise, we will conquer this game together and get back to reality soon," Jace whispered into Zen’s ear, causing his eyes to widen as memories of the dungeon raid flashed through his mind.
Zen remembered whispering some words to Jace during that desperate moment, not knowing if he would hear them:
{’No! It’s not your time to die yet. We all need to stick together and conquer this game.’}
’I said those words because I truly meant them at the time. I didn’t know why they came out, but they came from my heart. So I guess... I’ve found a potential ally thanks to a life-and-death situation,’ Zen thought, a small smile forming on his lips as he finally hugged Jace back.
"Yes, we will," Zen whispered, and Jace’s face lit up with a genuine smile in response.
"Oh, will you look at that? The sleepyhead who has been asleep for two weeks is finally awake," a voice boomed across the room, making Zen freeze in his tracks. His eyes went wide as he slowly broke free from Jace’s hug to stare at the new arrival.
But it wasn’t the entrance that caught his full attention—it was the words.
"Wait! Two weeks?!" Zen shouted, disbelief and shock overtaking his voice.