Lyle smirked at Jacob's enthusiasm but shook his head. "You say that now, but wait until you're knee-deep in something's guts."
Jacob scoffed, laughing despite himself. "Pfft. That's the best part—I love getting knee-deep in things."
Puff's composed demeanor cracked into a smile on Aria's face before she quickly lowered her gaze, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Connor, however, was more measured. He wasn't about to let excitement cloud his judgment—not after what had happened the last time they'd underestimated the creatures of this world. That almost cost them both their lives. This time, he needed a plan.
"What kind of monsters are we dealing with?" he asked, shifting his weight onto his prosthetic.
Finn sat up, his easygoing demeanor slipping just a little. "Depends on how far we go. Near the camp? Mostly scavengers and small fries. Some Bigger than they should be, sure, but manageable. Farther out?" He whistled. "That's where things get nasty."
He continued, "The last time we went out, we found footprints that looked human, along with signs of a struggle. But of course, when things die, they disintegrate. Whatever was killed wasn't there anymore, so we couldn't tell who won or lost."
"But we're going in a group, right?" Jacob asked, his voice hopeful.
Connor sighed internally. His brother always assumed someone would be there to help, rather than learning to handle things on his own.
"Oh, we'll be there," Lyle said matter-of-factly. "In fact, we're going to help others too. After all, human society only achieved great things by relying on a strong community."
Connor scoffed inwardly. Of course, a community built on false promises and the discrimination of others. He shot Lyle a suspicious look.
Wait a minute. In his anxious thoughts, it hit him: "Wait, how do we leave this place? What the hell is this bullshit?" Connor snapped.
"Oh, right," Lyle said, sounding almost casual. "You didn't get the notification. It's called the Trial of the Jungle. The quest requires that only one person can win—unless you have a special system quest."
He paused before continuing, "Out of a million people, only one will remain at the end. I'd say it's best to start forming alliances while you can."
Ohhh, I knew it, Connor thought bitterly. He's only helping us to gain allies to boost his chances of survival. He stared off, lost in his own thoughts.
"Oh, so that's what that was," Jacob said, looking far too innocent.
"What?" Connor asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It was on the menu. If you had looked carefully, you would've seen it, but you didn't," Jacob explained. "I thought it was like The Snackrifice games—you know, if we tried hard enough, maybe they'd let us make it, just like in the movies."
Everyone paused, staring at him.
"Is that so?" Finn asked, his expression a mix of disbelief and amusement.
"Yeah," Jacob replied with a grin.
Connor sighed, a hand rubbing his face in frustration. Of course, he didn't notice it...
"Right..." Lyle said awkwardly, shaking his head. "You're an interesting guy, you know that?"
Jacob grinned. "Oh, you think so? Ah, thanks!"
"That's probably the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me," Jacob said with a grin.
Lyle gave him a long, measured look before replying, "Sure."
Then, something broke the silence.
"You said only one person can win, right?"
Lyle nodded. "Yes."
"Then how do I know you all won't just try to kill me in my sleep?" Connor asked, voice laced with suspicion. "Seems like the perfect setup for backstabbing."
"You'd think so, wouldn't you?" Lyle said with a smirk. "But don't worry—I've already thought of that. I have everything under control."
"Ohhh, you do? Well, that's a relief. I'll just leave my survival in Dr. Lyle's capable hands," Connor quipped sarcastically.
"Well, I'm no doctor," Lyle corrected. "I was a fighter jet pilot. My sis—I mean, Aria over here," he gestured toward the blonde-haired girl, "she was the doctor."
Connor smiled, though inside, he scoffed. This damn politician-slash-actor...
"Oh, excuse me," he said aloud, feigning sincerity. "I just want you all to know—I'll be leaving my well-being entirely in your hands, okay?"
She raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? You might want to look after yourself."
"Ohhh," Connor interjected smoothly. "Like Lyle said, it's all about community. And in a community, I'll be relying on all of you." He gestured across the adventurers, his finger sweeping over each one—
Until it landed on Markus.
Then Markus pointed at him and said, "You..."
Before anything else could happen, Finn cut in. "Alright, that's enough for today. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow—monster hunting and all that. We should probably get some rest."
Everyone glanced around as the sun began to set, the sky darkening as night crept in.
They slowly settled down on the ground beneath a tree, making do with their lackluster bedding arrangements. Naturally, the conjoined twins, Connor and Jacob, struggled the most—Connor was ready to sleep while Jacob kept kicking his legs up, likely too excited about what tomorrow would bring.
Connor took a deep breath, and Jacob, sensing it, immediately stopped. His thoughts wandered to a story of a boy who embarked on adventures, sailing the seas with friends in search of treasure called One Peas.
Now, it was his turn for an adventure, and he couldn't wait. Eatyour O'Dough or Eiichiro Odda, well, whichever one it is; I'll see you soon, he thought as he began humming the tune.
"We are— Come on, let's go! Nobody can take it away, You won't betray me anymore."
He kept slurring the lyrics, and Connor, not wanting to be the downer, joined in alongside his brother, just like in old times.
They kept singing the song into the night, their humming growing quieter as the moon moved across the sky, until it eventually came to a stop, signaling that they had likely fallen asleep.