"Let's take a break." Bertrand suggestion as he can feel the hunger chipping away the strenght of his body.
"Is there any food remaining?" Shirna asked.
Bertrand shakes the Bag of Storage they used for food upside down, and the only thing falls from it are 3 leaves.
Claustrine, Sophia and Shirna have a sad expression on their face.
From what Grand Ecstasy's estimate, they're traversing the cave system for 17 days now. The supposedly 2 days worth of supplies, the party manages to extend it for 4 days but in exchange of their strenght as their food intakes is just enough to make them stay alive but not enough to give them energy to do labor extensive work like combat. The only good thing about their situation is the cave doesn't have any dangerous monsters that can surely defeat them in their state right now.
"Should we hunt those little monsters?" Shirna said, implying the bat like creatures.
"Absolutely not! Do you forgot how we find those creatures to begin with?" Sophia's absolute disapproval.
"I think, I also agree with Sophia. I don't want to eat those things." Beltrand said.
"How about the worms?" Claustrine refers to the abundance of vividly colored worms they found near ponds of water.
"Nope. Too risky, those colors screams "Poisonous"" Shirna said.
The four gives a deep sigh followed by silence.
Food is not only their problem, their light source- a lamp powered by arcane stones are also getting dimmer. Magical spells that can also become a source of light can provide them temporary illumination but considering their state. They don't have energy to maintain even the minor magic like that active for long. Without light, the darkness would surely brings them to madness.
Mateo just watch his friends. He's very conflicted on what he's going to do.
Using his last hours of preparation before their journey to Reverse Tower, Mateo is already prepared for this very situation since Graham warns them about the dissapearance. But Mateo is still doubt if his plan is a good idea for him in a long run. He still tries to follows the strict rules he made for himself afterall. So Mateo tries to be optimistic. Believing that they can escape the caves early without risking his secret.
But now that his optimism is shattered and seeing their situation slowly getting grim for each passing hour. Mateo can't stomach to see her friends slowly getting weaker due to starvation. Mateo looks on Claustrine who holding her stomach, trying to ease her hunger.
"Fuck this! We need to survive first!"
"I'm so sorry guys for making you suffer like this."
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.
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"I'm hungry..." Beltrand says quietly.
"We know." Everyone agrees.
Beltrand, Shirna, Claustrine and Sophia starts to slowly lose their hope. They just stare on the ground.
"Perhaps, this is the end huh?" Beltrand.
"Yeah. I'm glad that I meet you guys." Shirna said as he reminiscence on their past adventures.
"Guys please stop saying something like that. Its not over... Yet..." Claustrine still tries to motivate her friends even though she's also not sure, to no avail as Sophia slowly starts to sob.
"C'mon Sophia. Don't cry." Claustrine console Sophia.
"B-but there's nothing w-we can do. In the end, we also follow the other... d-dead adventurers we m-met earlier." Sophia said then quietly weeps.
The four understads what Sophia feels and thinks. Beltrand especially thinks that maybe ending it early is better than reaching the worst case scenario. But knowing his leader, he knows that Mateo would never agree to do such thing nor the other grim options they can think off.
In the end, Beltrand just stay silent. Clenching his teeth and fist out of frustration and guilt.
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"Beltrand! Catch!"
Beltrand is surprised to hear the sudden command and out of reflex, he make a quick catching posture. Seeing something flying on his direction, he catch the thing and see what looks like hard bread covered by some sort of transparent coating.
"Huh?" Beltrand is confused and then he looks to the direction where the thing came from. Only to see Mateo preparing to throw other things coated by the same transparent cover.
"Shirna! Catch!"
"Sophia! Catch!"
"Claustrine! Catch!"
Mateo throws something on the other three which they panicly catches.
"W-what is this?" Sophia asked.
Mateo opens his own packet and picks a circular hard bread.
"Bread." Mateo non chalantly said.
"ah ok bread..." Sophia said with no surprise.
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.
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"WHAT!? B-B-BREAD!?" The four is shocked after realizing what Mateo just said. Mateo just nods before taking a bite on his biscuit.
Curious, Beltrand rips the plastic cover and the aromatic smell of bread instantly reach his nose. He slowly takes a piece of bread and give a huge bite.
"!!!"
Bertrand can't deny that its indeed bread. But he can't describe the taste. It's completely different on the common hard bread they carry as surival food. It's more like high end bread that sold in the cities. But Beltrand due to his hunger, just ignore thinking and just aggresively eat.
Shirna, Sophia and Claustrine also do the same thing. Sophia and Clausteine gets a soft bread with sweet filling and Shirna gets a donut glazed with butter and sugar.
After finishing the bread. The questions return on their mind.
"Oi Mateo! How you have this breads on you!?" Beltrand asked. He was angry on Mateo for hiding some food.
"Why you hide these food?" Sophia is sad and upset.
Mateo didn't answer and continues to pick something on his dimension storage.
"Oi answer me Mateo!"
"Yeah Mateo! Do you have more food on you!?" Shirna asked.
Claustrine after looking on the plastic wrap finally connects the dot on what's happening.
"Wait a minute... Are you serious!?" Claustrine is shocked.
Mateo brings out a blue mini gas tanks, a burner attachment, a stainless steel pot, and pockets of instant noodles and more bread.
"I would explain later but right now. Let me prepare our food. Please give me some water." Mateo asked then gives and assuring smile.
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.
Grand Ecstasy surrounds themselves on the gas stove which is currently cooking the seafood flavored noodles. The heat gives them warmth and the unfamiliar yet inticing smell of the noodles makes everyone hungry. Shirna is salivating while looking at the boiling noodle.
"I see... It doesn't make sense." Beltrand said, still confused on everything Mateo said.
"Everything I said is true. Trust me."
"How we can suppose to believe that you came from another world and we just don't know that after years of us adventuring together? That's absurd."
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"Yah yah! It's totally nuts!" Sophia also questions.
"Are we going to eat?" Shirna asked.
"Then explain these. These thing is not powered by magic." Mateo said while pointing to the Gas stove.
"Claustrine is that true?" Beltrand asked.
"Yes. Everything he said is true." Claustrine sides with Mateo.
"W-what?" -Sophia.
"And why you look so sure?" Bertrand asked, his eyebrow is raised.
Mateo turns-off the stove and prepares to put some noodles on each bowl.
"Because I already see his world?"
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"Eh...?" Sophia and Beltrand is confused while Shirna is just excited to eat.
Beltrand is dumbfounded. Mateo gives him a bowl of noodles which Bertrand carefully accept. The smell brings him back to his senses.
"What in gods sake are you saying Claustrine?" Beltrand is even more confused.
"I said I already visit his world."
Beltrand just looked on Claustrine with confusion and just take a little sips on his bowl of noodle. The explosion of taste that likes combination of different sea food and spicyness gushes on Beltrand's mouth. Surprised and amazed, Bertrand gulps the bowl and he even slurps the silky noodles even though its still hot.
"WOOOOOO! DELICIOUS!!" Bertrand screams.
Shirna is also ethusiastically eats the noodles while Claustrine and Sophia takes their time slowly enjoying the unfamiliar and tasteful food.
"Give me more!" Shirna reach his bowl to Mateo who carefully filled it with steamy hot noodle.
"Wait I forgot! Claustrine! Are you saying that you already know about Mateo's secret? And why we don't know it for years now!?" Beltrand asked
"Calm your horse Beltrand. I also just recently learn about Mateo's world."
"But still, do you think it's unfair that we don't know anything about that?" Beltrand's serious question.
"True! It's very unfair especially if Claustrine already enjoys Mateo's world and eat some new food!" Shirna complains.
"Claustrine. Do you also eat more delicious food on Mateo's world?" Sophia asked.
"Yes. I eat familiar and unfamiliar foods. All of them tastes amazing." Claustrine says with a smile as she was re-imagining all the food she eat in Earth.
"Unfair..." Sophia sadly said. A single tear flows in her cheek.
"Look. I have my reasons why I hide these to you guys. It's just that our situation is so dire that I need to reveal my secret." -Mateo.
"Then why Claustrine knows about it earlier than us?" Shirna asked. Mateo sighs.
"She find it on her own. She stalks and follows me and then boom, I just realized that she already followed me in my world." Mateo explains.
"Hehe..." Claustrine acts smugly.
"Ok that's a very Claustrine thing to do. No wonder she's the first to learn about your secret. Then the reasons why you hide your secret to us?" Beltrand asked.
Mateo fills Claustrine, Shirna and Sophia's bowls with noodles first then he reach on his dimensional storage bag and picks from what for others is a small, flat, rectangular and black board.
Then the rectangular thing's side suddenly brighten up and they watch Mateo swipes it using his finger.
"I'm still amazed on that thing." Claustrine commented.
"What exactly is that?" Beltrand asked.
Mateo place the phone on the ground and he taps the play button. Suddenly, a music so alien to everyone except Mateo fills the surrounding.
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[Kathang Isip - Ben and Ben]
Everyone stays silent as they listen to the mellow music. The four clearly resonates to the song but its just alien enough that they can't comprehend how its even possible.
Bertrand clearly understands the lyrics about a guy giving up on his love.
Sophia recognize some of the instrument like what sounds like Piano and Violin but it sounds more refined. The style of singing is also different from what she commonly hear from church and bards.
Shirna and Claustrine just really enjoys the music. The harmony of each instruments plus the vocals gives them a relaxed feeling.
Mateo suddenly pause the music which makes everyone upset.
"Awww." Shirna's reaction.
It takes few seconds before everyone returns to the topic.
"O-ok... H-how you can put an entire music band on that tiny thing?" Sophia is slightly scared as her instincts tell her that it might be an heretical magic.
"Is that magic?" Beltrand asked.
"I told you. Magic doesn't exist on Mateo's world." Claustrine clarifies.
Mateo picks the phone on the ground.
"This is just one of the technology of our world. It's called a Smartphone and playing music is not the only thing it can do."
Mateo suddenly snaps a photo. The flash of the camera makes everyone startled a little. He shows the photo to everyone to their surprise as they see their surprise faces on the photo.
"It can take images."
Mateo goes to the gallery and shows so many pictures and he shows one where Claustrine happily picking clothes in a clothing store.
"It can also stores information like images, music-"
"Why you take a picture of me?" Claustrine asked but it was remained unanswered as Mateo continues the explanation. He plays a video he recorded years ago where him and his family takes a vacation on a carnival.
"Recollection of events, and many more."
Bertrand and Shirna are amazed to see what can only looks like magic to them. in their mind, they trying to convince themselves that everything Mateo said is not magic.
"Claustrine."
"Yes Sophia?"
Sophia didn't answer but instead look at her with a very envious and sad look. Claustrine just give a deep sigh.
"Sorry..."
Mateo close his phone and returns it to his Bag of Storage.
"It also have a calculator, light, compass, map, and many more. Smartphone can also store hundreds of books in non physical form, send messeges, videos and images miles away from different smartphones around the world."
Bertrand, Shirna and Sophia is speechless as they can't fully process everything Mateo said. But a single thought runs on their mind.
"Mateo's world must be a very advance world and a powerful one."
"And I repeat, it's just one of thousands of technology in my world alongside this gas stove and the technology used to preserve this noodles. I hope you guys understand why I tried to hide my secret for so long."
"Y-yes. I understand now and to think that you have that kind of device. You must be a very powerful person on your world." Beltrand said with awe.
"Huh? The smartphone?"
"Yes the smart thing."
Mateo shake his head.
"No no no. The smartphone is a very common thing to own in my world. In fact any citizen can buy it if they wanted to."
"Eh...?" Beltrand's mind just shut down after hearing what Mateo said. Sophia and Shirna eventually also stopped thinking.
"I understand you guys. I feel the same dumbfoundedness." Claustrine's reaction.
Beltrand returns back to his senses.
"You know what? Let's stop. My head feels like ripping itself. Just promise me one thing Mateo."
"What is it?"
"If we manage to escape this cave alive. Promise us that you going to let us visit you world."
Mateo is suprised at first on Beltrand's proposal but he just accepted it as his secret is already revealed to them anyway.
"Well then. Just promise me that we going to escape this cave and I personally tour you in my world. Is that clear?" Mateo said and smile.
"Hahahaha! Of course! Thats a promise!" Beltrand is excited.
"I-I do my best!" Sophia is determined.
"Just be sure that you going to give us food there." Shirna agreed and smiled.
"Mateo. There's no turning back now." Claustrine shortly said.
"Between us dying in this darkness or all of you knowing my secret. I would choose the latter." Mateo's only answer to Claustrine's warning.
"Anyway Mateo. I just want to ask. Are you really sure that your secret is safe with us?" Shirna asked.
"Shirna why you suddenly ask something like that?" Beltrand is concerned.
"I just want to sure that Mateo is not regretting his decision to reveal his secret." Shirna explains.
Silence...
"I understand what you implying. But... It feels like you say that Mateo didn't trust us." Bertrand said.
"It's ok. I understand what Shirna is implying. To be honest, maybe if its our early days adventuring together perhaps I will not trust you and not tell all of these secrets."
The party stays silent.
"But I believe its already 4 years of us adventuring together. Thats a very long time of us relying on each others' back. I can truly say that you four are the most important people in this world for me and I glad that we become a party."
Bertrand, Shirna, Sophia and Claustrine smiles as they hear the genuine words of Mateo.
"So yes. I trust all of you on keeping my secret until the very end."
"Thank you for trusting us." Claustrine said.
"You secret is safe. Right guys?" -Beltrand
"Of course! I rather die than reveal your secret to anyone!" Sophia's conviction.
"Oi I wish we didn't reach that point. But yes, as a proud member of Elven race. Not even the wind can spread your secret." Shirna's answer.
Mateo smile.
"Thank you."
Grand Ecstasy finishes their lunch and Mateo asked the party to clean the surroundings and don't leave any trace of his world. After the clean-up and shoving the plastic scraps to his Bag of Storage. The party continues their journey, but unlike earlier. Everyone is now ethusiastic and optimistic that they can escape the darkness of the cave.
As Grand Ecstasy continues their adventure, another journey is just going to start.
"You're the first Platinum adventurer sent here and let me tell you. Don't get comfortable because you're an experienced adventurer. This is the first time that this happened in Reverse Tower. All guilds already issued a ban for Gold Adventurers to enter, if you found remaining Gold Adventurer inside please tell them to leave as soon as possible." The guard for entrance of Layer 6 explained.
"Leave it to me. Anyway, do you have an estimate for the number of remaining Gold Adventurer inside?"
"I believe its 10 because most of them already leave the deeper layers."
"Is there a recent party entered the deeper layers?" Gilmore asked.
"Hmmm... Oh I remember! The most recent is a party named Grand Ecstasy. They already visit this tower several times so I remember them except for the elf." The guard explained.
"I see... Do you have any more information about the anomalies inside?" Gilmore explained.
The guard gulped.
"According to the gold adventurers. They spot numerous Apex lurking on Green Despair and Bloody Ice. That's absurd right?"
"Yeah. Absurd indeed." Gilmore's only words. He's also intrigued on the revelation.
"At first I don't believe them because that doesn't even happen in the past, but when the reports of Apex beasts increase. I decide to take a stroll in Green Despair and not only that the minor beasts are acting erratic, I just saw two Apex beast fighting."
Gilmore is surprised to hear the severity of the situation. If what the guard said is true, He don't know if he can still save the party at time.
"Do you think Grand Ecstasy can survive the anomaly?" Gilmore asked. He want to know what type of people Grand Ecstasy consist of.
"To be honest with all of this happening, I'm not sure. But I know that party is strong and the cautious type. I wish they just escape those Apexes and rush to the exit.
"Thanks for the information. I want you to remember all of the Apexes spotted by the Gold adventurers, write a list and send it to the higher ups."
"Yes sir!"
The guard gets a paper and pen then starts to remember all of the names given by the escaped adventurers. As the guard starts to write, Gilmore enters Layer 6 and prepares for anything that can happen.
And his preparedness pays off as when he enters Green Despair, he instantly sensed danger and easily blocked all the red bristles flying on his direction using his sword. The bristles scattered in front of him and Gilmore already knows the culprit.
"Tsk... Apex Bristle Ape. This is absurd."
Gilmore sensed another barrage of poisonous bristles and he just side steps all of them efforlessly.
The Apex ape becomes agitated even further when it sees that his attack doesn't land at all so the ape jumps high up in the air and prepares a slam attack.
With a blink of an eye, Gilmore slashed his sword upwards on his side where he came from and it was followed by an loud slam and clouds of smoke and dust.
When the dust slowly dissapears, it was slowly revealed the Apex Bristle Ape. But its already a corpse, cutted in half.
"I didn't expect to instantly encounter an Apex. I hope everyone is ok." Gilmore is concerned as he wipes the blood on his sword and sheath it.
Gilmore continues his mission with more awareness that he might be encounter more unexplainable situations.