It looks like the end of a story, and a happy ending that is. Me, after surviving countless mortal trials, finally reunite with all of my friends, talking and laughing about our adventure, sitting in circle around the bonfire.

Well, I was giving Haru a massage, something about “you owe me because you arrived so late, blablabla”. I accepted anyway because she would sulk at me all night otherwise. It didn’t startle anyone that I arrived last, actually, the surprised is that I arrived here in one piece – Marie was disappointed.

I was already shocked by what Prom and Marie told me one their first struggle, but apparently, it’s the same for everyone. Even though they all found the quest confusing and the power level required a bit too much sometimes, it was nowhere what I had been through. No one saw the Black and Yellow Death – the bee I encountered in the jungle, Val told me its name at some point –, no one met with a ridiculously powerful and hypersensitive psychic, and most of all, they all have a decent guide.

Fuck you, Val! You could have at least told me how to use flux properly! Or that there was a time limit after finishing a struggle! I could have seriously died on the 5th! Also, she skipped that there is exactly seven guide, watching all of us, like a bunch of perverts. I just sincerely hope they can't see everything...

None of us knows how they do that by the way. Apparently, it wasn’t a feature of the quest to communicate with the book at first, but one of them managed to implement it. It’s Marie’s guide that did that, and according to her, he is nowhere close to her genius, so she is planning to upgrade significantly the book again. She already managed to build a lot of stuff that works with flux, including her bionic arm. She never goes into details, but apparently, she already created a compressor to stock a hell lot of material. The rest is sorcery, literally.

Another thing about Val: she is the main reason why everybody was worried about me. According to each of there guide, mine is the worst. Mainly because she usually bet that the newcomer she is watching upon will be the first to die, and she often wins. It seems she didn’t do that this time, but it’s not like it would have changed anything anyway.

I swear, she will kill me one day.

A common theme though, is that none of the guides told us about their past or how they got to the end of the game. I never questioned it, but if tens and tens of session took place, why are there only 7 people up there?

We have 2 hypothesise, either the game is getting harder and harder, which is the most plausible one, or something will happen in the upper sphere of the quest.

For now, the only thing we know is that there is an end to the game. So everything we did wasn’t pointless.

At least, this moment is worth it. Roasting marshmallow with everyone around the fire - don’t ask me how they got their hand on some I don’t know and I don’t want to know. Everyone is smiling or laughing, especially Nami, she’s been more joyful than usual.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

As expected, the discussion inevitably ended up on me, as I was the late one. I tried not to be too explicit, because I’m not sure myself about what really happened each time, but also because they asked me about way too many things. About my struggles, my physical growth -I did grow some muscle during Kunan’s training-, my powers, the 6th trial, Valentine, my mental state, my health, my sex life…

“What?! You’re joking right?”

“Come on man! This is also an important part of the adventure!”

“Don’t “man” me Prom! It’s personal!”

“Don’t listen to him. He just wants to be reassured he’s not the only virgin.”

“You’re the one to talk! Miss Chastity!”

“Don’t call me that!”

Gosh, that was close, glad those two diverted the topic.

“It’s not like Sammy would sleep with someone he just met, right?”

“Of course not.”

Shit. I totally forgot. I looked down. Has she heard it?

“Masy… you… ”

Shit! She heard me!

“Haru? What happened? Did he lied?”

Please, Nami! Don’t ask!

“Through his teeth.”

“Wait, does that mean...”

“Okay, guys! Playtime over! I’m sleepy! Good night!”

And I absconded to my tent as fast as possible.

Honestly, they are the worst! Can’t a man have some affair without being questioned about it!

Shit, I sound like a player…

To be fair, lying in front of Haru was my mistake.

The tents are not really far from the fire, so I can still hear them laugh loudly. Pff, bunch of kids. And now that I think about it, I do have a good reason for what I did. Each time, it was actually included in the main Objective. It’s absolutely not like I wanted to do it… kinda.

Let’s forget about that, they’ll laugh about it for a couple of hours and tomorrow everything will be fine.

I ran away from the discussion with a pretty lame excuse but I am in fact pretty exhausted, as I didn’t have much sleep last night.

If only I had a way to block the fucking noise they’re making!

Sigh… Anyway, I managed, after several minutes, to finally fall into slumber.

Until I got wake up in the middle of the night. Seriously? Can’t you guys leave me alone on my first night! I knew we pranked each other a lot but come on guys!

“Sam.”

“What?!”

In response to the outside whisper, I violently opened the flap. It was Nami.

She was smiling at me.

“Hey sleepy head, delighted you are awake.”

“Whose fault is it?”

She lightly smiled at me… Why can’t I ever get mad at her?

“I heard you wanted to talk with me, I didn’t think it would be this urgent.”

“It isn’t. Nonetheless, I was impatient.”

“Is it… about what happened before the quest?”

“Maybe...”

Out of the blue, she got closer and put her lips on mine. In surprise – after 2 solid seconds – I pulled myself back.

“What do you..? Didn’t we broke up?”

“What are you saying? Us? Breaking up?”

“We had a pretty huge fight.”

“Sam… We strive all the time, they are all aware of that.”

“So… we’re good?”

“For now, we are… you know… I missed you.”

She looked at me, and slowly approach her body to mine, pushing me inside the tent.

I guess I missed her too.