"Come in."

The old man entered, closing the door behind him. Then, he looked around, found a rusty stool and sat down, handing Sunny the plate.

"Sorry. It's not much."

Indeed, it wasn't. The broth the soldiers had cooked was made out of synthpaste, monster meat, and spices. It was a common army dish that could be made with all kinds of ingredients, as long as there was water and basic rations at hand. This particular version looked almost edible, too.

Sunny shrugged.

"That's alright. I'm from the outskirts of NQSC, so... I'm not a stranger to synthpaste."

Professor Obel nodded, then curiously studied the map Sunny had created as he ate. After a while, the old man said:

"It is in moments like this that I am reminded of how potent Utility Aspects can be. Their wielders tend to be overlooked in favor of combat specialists, who get all the glory. But your ability is truly incredible. Someone more versed in battle would have been able to kill a few dozen more Nightmare Creatures... maybe even a hundred or two. But with this, we will be able to sneak past thousands of them, and defeat those that we do encounter with minimal losses, or none at all. This map will vastly increase our chances of survival, more than any warrior would be able to."

He paused for a moment and looked around.

"...This bunker, too. Your soldiers are a fearsome bunch, Master Sunless, but without your sight and awareness, liberating this outpost without casualties would have been a tall task even for them. You seem to be able to see everything, and be in several places at the same time. I think I owe my life to that last ability of yours, actually."

Remembering the bloody incident that had happened in the safe room of LO49, Sunny swallowed a spoonful of broth and nodded.

"That is a lot of compliments. Don't be mistaken, though. I am a menace in battle, too."

Professor Obel chuckled.

"I am just giving credit where credit is due. You might have not realized it, but you are uniquely suited to lead this convoy, Master Sunless. Still, it is a lot of responsibility, especially for a young man such as you. How are you holding up?"

Sunny stared at him blankly.

"...I am fine, thank you. I've been through worse."

The old man sighed.

"I'm sure that you have."

His tone seemed strangely regretful.

"What is he getting at?"

Sunny frowned, then asked frankly:

"Professor... I am sure that this is not just a social call. What is it that you want from me?"

Professor Obel remained silent for a few moments. Eventually, he smiled:

"I guess I am really easy to read, huh? Comes with the territory, I guess. At my age, people don't have time for pretense. Yes, you are right. I wanted to talk to you about something, Master Sunless... or rather, I have a favor to ask."

He looked at Sunny with a fatherly expression - which was an entirely new experience for Sunny - and said:

"There is a long road ahead of us. In the future, you will have to make a lot of decisions as the leader of this convoy. Our lives are literally in your hands, Master Sunless... so, I wanted to ask you in advance. If a time ever comes when you have to decide between saving my life and that of someone else - especially my assistant Beth, that stubborn child - I want you to choose against me. Keep someone else alive and leave me behind."

Sunny stared at the old man for a while, perplexed by the sudden request.

"With all due respect, Professor, I can't agree. My orders are to deliver you safely to a siege capital... you, and you alone. Everyone else is just a bonus. They don't have the same value."

Professor Obel simply shook his head.

"Value... you are wrong, Master Sunless. I am old, and don't have much time left. It is young people like you and Beth that hold true value. I might have done a few worthy things in the past, but you are the ones who will accomplish great and amazing feats in the years to come. You will carry the flag of humanity into the future... not old fossils like me. If a species starts to cannibalize its young to prologue the lives of the old... there's no value in that. None at all."

Sunny looked away.

"...That's great, but I am not even sure if humanity has a future."

The old man laughed.

"Oh... forgive me, young man, but I've been hearing these words for almost a century. When I was young, many people were convinced that we were all going to go extinct soon. But we didn't. Then, they went around saying that if things did not change for the better, humanity would surely be doomed. Things changed for the worst, but humanity still persisted. Then, the Nightmare Spell appeared, and it seemed like all their fears came true... and yet, here we are. Still kicking. Humanity is far more tenacious than you think, Master Sunless."

...That it was. Humans were incredibly adaptable, resourceful, and stubborn creatures. They tended to cling to life so ferociously that eradicating them was often a futile endeavor.

But not always. © 2024.

Sunny glanced at the Professor darkly.

"Humans that used to inhabit the Dream Realm were tenacious, too. Where are they now?"

The old man did not seem to have an answer, so he just sighed dejectedly.

After a while, he asked:

"So, are you going to grant my wish or not?"

Sunny remained silent for a bit. Then, he scoffed.

"Why do I have to choose whom to keep alive? I'll just make sure to save everyone. There's no need to decide between you and Beth, so why would I?"

Professor Obel looked at him with a slightly somber expression.

"That might be an unreasonable ambition, young man."

Sunny shrugged, his expression nonchalant.

"This whole campaign is an unreasonable ambition. Should we just give up?"

The old man studied him for a while, then suddenly smiled. His smile, for some reason, seemed a bit brighter than usual.

"Indeed, that is also true..."

At that moment, Sunny glanced at the three people sleeping in the infirmary and frowned. His eyes seemed to grow a little darker.

Deactivating his communicator, he looked at Professor Obel and said in a cam tone:

"I think it's time for you to go, Professor. I have... some matters to attend to. Thanks for the food."

The old man lingered for a moment, but then nodded and stood up. As soon as the door closed behind him, Sunny summoned the Moonlight Shard and walked over to the Sleepers.

It seemed that two of them were about to wake up. Whether as people or Nightmare Creatures, though...

That, Sunny did not know.