It was getting dark as night time approached. Roland, having distanced himself from his angry friends, found a secluded spot to rest. He needed to strategize his next moves and figure out how to survive on his own from now on.

After a short rest, Roland stood up, realizing it was risky to sleep in the dark woods. He decided to keep moving, guided only by the faint light of the full moon above.

In the darkness, after an hour or two of wandering, Roland spotted something in the distance – an orange light flickering.

Wondering what it could be, he thought, ‘This smell? Is someone cooking something?’

The aroma and the distant glow intrigued Roland, prompting him to investigate. As he approached, the orange light revealed itself to be a campfire.

Curiosity led Roland closer to the campfire. As he approached, he noticed a figure sitting by the flames. It was Dragonire, someone he actually knew.

“D-Dragonire?! The hell are you doing here alone?” Roland asked.

‘The fuck? What is Roland doing here alone..?’ Dragonire thought.

Roland wasn’t the only one who was surprised to see Dragonire, as Dragonire was surprised to see Roland too.

“Eh? Roland..?” Dragonire said.

“Yo, what’s up man?! How are you doing?!” Roland was excited to see Dragonire.

“I’m good, thanks. Anyway, why are you here alone though? Where are the others?”

“......” Roland didn’t know what to say, as he was reluctant to tell Dragonire what happened to him.

Not wanting to tell Dragonire the truth, Roland decided to lie and made up a story and said, “Not much, just that my party was pursued by two Demon Leaders. As we fled, we somehow got separated. Now, I'm just trying to find my way back to reunite with them.”

Dragonire, raising an eyebrow, sensed something off about Roland's story.

"Demon Leaders, huh? That's quite a predicament. You managed to escape from them?"

Roland, feeling a bit embarrassed about his made-up story, scratched his head.

"Yeah, you know how it is. These Demon Leaders are no joke. Even though I’m strong, I’m still not willing to risk my life fighting against two of them at once, so that's why I chose to run."

Dragonire, deciding not to press further, nodded. "Well, it's safer to stick together at night, and you're welcome to share the campfire.”

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Roland, relieved that Dragonire didn't pry further, accepted the invitation and sat by the campfire. The warmth of the flames provided a comforting contrast to the chilly night.

“This meat you’re cooking, may I know what it is?” Roland asked.

“Oh, it’s T-Rex meat.” Dragonire replied.

"Y-You killed a T-Rex?!!" Roland exclaimed, his eyes widening in disbelief.

Dragonire chuckled at Roland's reaction.

"I didn't. I just happened to come across it by luck in the forest. It was already dead when I found it, but the meat is still fresh, though."

Dragonire lied; he didn't feel like telling Roland that he had killed a T-Rex because he wanted to keep a low profile.

“Ah, I see. Yeah that makes sense. I mean, after all, there’s no way a loser like you is even strong enough to beat a T-Rex anyway.”

Dragonire, maintaining his composed demeanor, chuckled at Roland's jest. "You got me there. I'm just lucky I stumbled upon it after it kicked the bucket. You know how it is, survival in this place is all about timing and a bit of luck."

Roland, completely buying into Dragonire's act, nodded in agreement. "True, true. I guess we all have to rely on luck in this messed-up world. By the way, thanks for letting me join your camp. It's better than wandering alone in the dark."

Dragonire waved it off casually. "No problem. Strength in numbers, right? We'll watch each other's backs."

Little did Roland know that the person he considered weak had just effortlessly deceived him. It seemed in Roland’s mind, he still perceived Dragonire as a sore loser.

They continued to chat for a little more and once around midnight, Dragonire went to bed first. While Roland stays awake to keep watch in case any monsters might ambush them.

Dragonire wasn’t worried about any monsters attacking them because he had already gotten rid of all the monsters in this area, so this area, for the time being, was safe. Of course, Dragonire kept it a secret and didn’t tell Roland about it, which was why Roland was still awake instead of sleeping.

While Dragonire was sleeping, Roland found himself in a dilemma. Betrayed by his friends, he now harbored trust issues, and this suspicion extended to Dragonire. In the quiet of the night, he entertained dark thoughts, contemplating the idea of taking Dragonire's life and drinking his blood.

‘Should I just kill this loser and drink his blood..?’ Roland thought.

Fearing Dragonire might betray him in the future, just like his friends did, Roland became extra cautious. The past betrayal left him uneasy, always worried about making mistakes. Even though Dragonire hadn't betrayed him yet, Roland knew that if he ever made a mistake that jeopardized their friendship, he wouldn't be surprised if Dragonire did betray him.

With this thought lingering in Roland’s mind, he planned to get rid of Dragonire to have a peace of mind.

‘Fuck friends! I don’t need them! From now on, I won’t trust anyone but myself.’

With determination, Roland unsheathed his sword and aimed it at the unsuspecting Dragonire, who was deep in sleep and unaware of the impending danger.

Roland hesitated for a moment, his hand trembling as he held the sword above Dragonire. However, he had already made up his mind, so there was no point in hesitating any longer. With determination, he proceeded to carry out what he had to do.

‘Die! You son of a bitch! Fuck y’all!’

As Roland was about to strike, Dragonire's eyes snapped open. It was as if he sensed the impending danger in his sleep. In an instant, Dragonire rolled away, narrowly avoiding the deadly swing of Roland's sword. The blade cut through the air with a swift and deadly intent, but it found only empty space.