Freedom.
Ray was finally near the end of the Calm Plains.
The Calm Plains are surrounded by a barrier that stops monsters from entering.
This barrier can only be seen from the inside and only when one is 10 meters away from it.
And Ray was.
Ray stood in front of the barrier, his legs shaking violently from all that running.
On his back, tied with mana, was Lina, sleeping peacefully. Her breathing slow and steady, one hand gripping Ray's collar, the other near her chest.
Ray stared at the barrier for a few seconds, breathing heavily.
He lowly raised his hand and pinched himself on the cheek.
"Pretty sure it's not a dream." he said to himself. "Let's go then."
He slowly walked forward, savoring the taste of freedom.
He took one step forward.
Then another.
Then another.
After a few more, he was outside the barrier.
The outside was also a little bit like the inside.
Greenery with few trees in sight.
Ray took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"Freedom. What a bitch. Feels quite nice though."
After standing there for a few more seconds, Ray sprinted off again.
His goal now was simple. To kill monsters and get food.
However he could. So that Lina wakes up and has a lot to eat as always.
He hadn't gone far when he found a giant hole in the ground.
A "Death Digger". A mole-like monster that digs giant holes in the ground to where it keeps all the corpses of the monsters it kills.
"Well, that's a jackpot." Ray said as he jumped into the hole without hesitation.
He landed about hundred feel into the ground on a mountain of monster corpses.
"Oh, damn."
Just then, he felt a rumble and jumped up.
A mole-like monster burst out of the wall.
It was 5 meters tall with sharp teeth. It's claws which it used to dig through the ground were as long as a sword.
Ray dug his fingers into the wall to get a grip on it and stay hanging.
"Yo," Ray called out to the monster. "Mind sharing some? Or I'll have to kill you and get everything."
The monster just lunged to attack as soon as Ray stopped talking.
"You chose your fate. Don't blame me."
He immediately made a really long spear and thrusted it into the mole's neck.
The mole died instantly, handing on the spear.
"Well, well, well. Looks like we're having a feast today."
A few hours later, Lina woke up after the rug's effect ended.
She rubbed her eyes with her tiny hands and stretched her legs.
Then immediately got splashed with water on her face.
Ray did it. He was sitting by a big campfire, eating a big chunk of meat.
"Wakey, wakey, dear Lina." Ray said as he took another bite of the meat.
Lina shook her head rapidly to get the water off of her.
And immediately got faceplanted by a towel.
She dried herself and stood up.
She walked up to Ray and stood there for a few seconds.
"Wassup?" Ray said, not sure what she was trying to do.
She stood there for a few more seconds.
Then she headbutted Ray.
"Ow." Ray exclaimed. thought he didn't get hurt at all.
"Dummy papa." Lina said as she sat down next to him, pouting with her cheeks puffed.
"Alright, little miss delinquent. Papa's sorry." Ray said as he patted her head gently.
"I want that big one. Then I will forgive you." She pointed at the biggest chunk of meat cooking in the campfire.
"So you want compensation now, huh?" Ray teased. But he still picked it up and gave it to her. "Can you even finish it?"
"Papa will if I can't. But I will try." She said as she took a bite. "It's sooo goood!"
"Well, I did make some spices. Eat as much as you want."
Lina began devouring that piece of meat and Ray just sat there, looking at her eat.
Then he got the urge to tease her a little.
"Hey, kiddo."
Lina looked up to him while eating. "What is it, papa?"
"You know about the 'Seven Deadly Sins"?"
"Yes, I know! Papa taught me!" Lina said enthusiastically. "Greed, Wrath, Envy, Sloth, Pride, And..."
"Well, there is one more but you're too young to know about it. You know the last one?"
Lina shook her head. "I forgot."
Ray pointed at her. "You."
"Me?"
"Gluttony. Mini version, actually."
Lina got angry an bit Ray's finger.
"Ouch!"
"That's what you get for calling my a glutton." Lina said while pouting before immediately going back to devouring the meat.
"Was I wrong, though?" He muttered to himself as he watched her live up to what he called her.
"Well, anyway." He picked her another piece of meat and started eating. "Gotta get to the Kingdom or Ariziana quick. Sure hope nothing happens while we're going."
He took another bite of the meat. "I sure hope I'm not jinxing it."
This father-daughter duo is now out of the Calm Plains.
They got food.
They have a goal.
But will they be able to achieve it?
Or will a tragedy happen?
And how will Ray take care of it while protecting Lina?
To Be Continued...