Everyone was full after eating the berries and stayed hydrated thanks to Reina's skill and quick thinking.
As time passed, the fire slowly died down, and everyone began to rest.
Hayato volunteered, speaking softly, "Everyone, go to sleep. I'll keep watch while you rest. Something dangerous might appear again."
Riku nodded. "If you get tired, wake me. I'll take over next, okay?"
Hayato smiled. "Thanks."
Many hours passed, and Hayato was still on lookout duty.
Suddenly, someone grabbed his shoulder. He jolted in surprise.
"Oh, shi…!" Hayato froze, then let out a breath when he saw who it was. "Oh, it's you, Riku. Haha… you startled me."
Riku raised a hand apologetically. "Sorry, man. It's your turn to rest. I'm well-rested now, go get some sleep. I'll take over the watch."
"Okay," Hayato replied. "I'll go."
He moved to the cave wall not far from Riku and leaned against it. The two exchanged a bit of quiet small talk as time stretched on, and before long, Hayato's eyelids began to droop.
"Oh yeah…" Hayato asked, his voice sluggish with sleep. "What year and department are you in, Riku?"
Riku chuckled softly. "Oh, right. I never mentioned it to you, or anyone else, did I? My sister and I are in Section 1-B, from the Athletics Department."
"So we're all freshmen," Hayato murmured. "That's why we didn't recognize each other's uniforms from before."
He paused, then added lazily, "What club did you join?"
"I joined the Judo Club," Riku answered. "My sister joined the Martial Arts Club."
"Oh… really… When I was in junior high…" Hayato yawned, his words slurring. "I also joined the Ken… do… club…"
A moment later, his breathing evened out as he drifted off to sleep.
Everyone felt more energized and rested after what felt like a long while. Inside the cave, it was hard to tell how much time had passed. Souta quietly woke Riku and Hayato.
Riku didn't realize he had fallen asleep during his watch. Luckily, Souta had woken up at the right moment, when Riku began to doze off. Souta silently took over the lookout and let him rest.
Riku snapped awake, eyes wide with shock."Oh, sh*t! I fell asleep!"
Souta gave a small, calm smile. "Don't worry. I had you covered last night."
Riku let out a relieved breath, a smile breaking across his face. "Thanks, bro."
Then Hayato also woke up.
When everyone was ready, they began exploring the cave, searching for a way out.
Reina raised her hand, opened her palm, and recited, "Flare." A small fireball ignited in her hand, casting light around them and lighting their path.
As they walked and explored, Reina spoke up, explaining to the group, "The last time I checked my status window, my mana had decreased from using my skills. But when I checked earlier, it was back to normal. I think resting helped me recover my mana, and maybe it works for you guys too."
Yuna's eyes widened, sparkling with admiration. "Wow! Reina, you're really smart!"
Takumi nodded vigorously, his face a mix of relief and awe. "Yeah… really smart. Without you here, I think we'd already be dehydrated and starving."
Many hours had passed. They had walked and explored for a long time, and Reina's arms began to ache. The fire floating in her hands flickered, and then… went out.
Reina rubbed her arm and spoke, "Sorry, guys… my arm got tired."
Riku suggested, "I think we should rest here."
Everyone agreed, but it was still too dark.
Miyu murmured softly and recited, "Light." An orb of glowing light formed in her hands, floating freely in the air. It was brighter than Reina's fire, and she didn't need to hold it. It followed Miyu on its own.
Everyone was impressed.
"Wow that's bright." Reina smiled at her. "Thank God, you have that skill."
Miyu returned the smile, feeling proud.
An hour passed before they resumed moving and exploring. While walking, Hayato asked Miyu, "How long does that orb of light last?"
Miyu replied softly, "Oh, according to the description, it lasts about five hours."
Hayato's eyes widened in admiration. "Wow… that's really cool."
They continued walking, still not encountering anything dangerous, only rocks, cave walls, and a few small holes.
After about thirty minutes, they spotted a dim light ahead and rushed forward. Suddenly, a growling and scratching sound echoed through the cave.
Hayato picked up a long rock that looked like a baseball bat. Reina raised both of her hands, ready to cast a spell. Souta stood on guard, alert and cautious. Takumi, his face full of fear, picked up a few small stones, while Miyu hid carefully behind Reina's back.
Then Riku, leading the group with a cautious expression, said, "Everyone, stay back. Let me take a look."
He peered ahead and saw three small, dog-like creatures with a humanoid body.
He whispered, "Identify." A screen popped up.
[Monster Identified: Kobold]
Type: Humanoid Beast
Rank: E
Description: A small humanoid creature, about 1.5 meters tall, thin, with dog-like features.
Then he warned everyone, "It's a kobold, a rank E monster."
Then Hayato spoke, "We can defeat it."
While everyone's faces were full of fear, Hayato convinced them.
After a long convincing, everyone agreed. "Guys, we can win this. We can defeat those monsters. How long will all of you be afraid? And plus, if this really is just like a game, killing those monsters will gain us experience so we can be powerful."
Everyone thought long for about 10 minutes, thinking one by one, and they all agreed.
Reina spoke, "Yeah, you've got a point."
Yuna, with an eager and energetic expression, also said, "Yeah! Let's beat those monsters."
Riku interjected, "Whoa, Yuna, calm down! You've already been hurt, so no."
Yuna replied, "B-but, brothe..."
Riku then spoke firmly, "No, Yuna."
Hayato then spoke to Riku, "Don't worry, Riku. I really do have a plan."
Then Riku gave in. "Oh, fine. This better be a good plan."
Yuna smiled with joy. "Yes."
Souta also agreed, and Miyu only said, a little afraid, "I'll try."
But Takumi said, "No!" Then Hayato and Yuna convinced him.
Hayato said, "Don't worry, Takumi. You'll just be staying here. You're a marksman, so you need distance to attack."
"Yeah, scaredy pants, we can win this." Yuna smiled and added.
Takumi sighed, then agreed. "Ok, but I'm staying far away, ok?"
Hayato then said, "Good, everyone is on board. But before I make a plan, I suggest that everyone to share their skills so we can make a better, more efficient plan without us being hurt."
Hayato said with a confident nod, a small smile of assurance on his face, "Ok, everyone, let's execute this perfectly."
Then Riku, Yuna, Reina, and Souta nodded confidently, while a nervous Miyu and a frightened Takumi joined in, and together they spoke in unison, "Alright!"