Saigid looks toward the shore, trying to make out the source of the shout amidst all the chaos "Wait a minute... Did someone just yell out Yushai's name? Who the hell is that?"
"We need to go ashore," Yushai said calmly
Saigid nods "right, let's get the hell off this bridge and get on to solid ground. Mr. Obvious"
As they moved away from the bridge, Saigid kept peering at the shore trying to see who had called out Yushai's name.
The black liquid that fills the sea begins to grow in strange black thickets. Yushai ducked into one of these thickets. The bridge began to fall apart.
"do you have a preference to stay there?"
Saigid follows Yushai's lead, ducking into the thicket with him. He glances back at the collapsing bridge and responds with a hint of sarcasm "Yeah, I was actually hoping to stick around and chat with the local sea monsters. They seem like a friendly lot."
The thicket reaches the shore. The two make it to the beach without incident. Although it doesn't look like a beach anymore, it's more like a swamp. All behind them, the thickets become more and more spiky and dense. One person was waiting for them on the shore.
"Hello, hello! I'm Hanchu. And I'm going to help you win," Hanchu says enthusiastically.
"Yeah-yeah," Yushai says, and walks around Hanchu.
Saigid steps onto the swampy shore, boots sinking slightly into the muck. His red eyes narrow at Hanchu, voice low and unimpressed "Win what, exactly? Last I checked, we weren't in a damn game show."
He brushes past Hanchu like he's nothing more than an insect buzzing too close—then pauses, glancing back with a smirk "Though if it involves blood, bets, or bullets… now that might be worth my time."
"Am I some kind of joke to you?" came Hanchu's voice from behind them.
"we need to find shelter. Our task is to survive until tomorrow." says Yushai calmly, without stopping his step
Saigid snorts, raising an eyebrow as he glances over his shoulder at Hanchu "Oh, absolutely. You're a real barrel of laughs, pal."
Saigid falls into step beside Yushai, hands casually stuffed in the pockets of his jacket "Surviving til dawn doesn't sound too hard. I've been through tougher scrapes than this in my sleep."
Yushai just sighed meaningfully. Hanchu tried to catch up with the guys.
Saigid glances back at Hanchu again—can't this one take a hint?—then scoffs, picking up the pace a bit
"Keep up, little one," he says, addressing Hanchu with a mocking edge to his tone. "Don't let us get too far ahead."
He turns back to Yushai "So, who's the hyperactive cheerleader tagging along? Your new fan?"
"have you already chosen a sponsor?" Yushai says, looking around.
Hanchu caught up with the guys.
"You two level up as soon as possible."
A holographic translucent plaque appears in front of them.
[Saigid: Level F]
[Hanchu: Level F]
[Yushai: Level Σ]
Saigid smirks, raising an eyebrow as he eyes the holographic plaque in front of them. "Looks like the game's keeping score."
He scans the list, taking note of the levels next to their names. His smirk turns into a slight sneer, eyes narrowing at Yushai's level
"Sigma, huh? What's that, special privilege for being the quiet brooding type?"
"I'm guessing it's a system glitch," he said, removing his finger from the hologram screen.
Saigid chuckles, amusement flickering across his face "Yeah, right. A glitch. Sure. You mean you haven't been secretly hoarding XP and power-leveling behind our backs?"
He gives Yushai a playful jab in the arm "Come on, spill it. How did you end up with the fancy 'Sigma' level while the rest of us mere mortals are stuck at 'F'?"
"So Yushai has been stuck in the same day for several times already. More than a few times, but still," says Hanchu.
Saigid frowns, skeptical curiosity flickering in his eyes
"Stuck in the same day? Like, what, Groundhog Day style? You mean to tell me this guy has been living the same 24 hours on repeat? Bullshit."
He turns his gaze toward Yushai, studying him with renewed interest "Is that true, broody boy?"
"Is there a difference? For you," Yushai asked calmly
Saigid smirks, stepping closer to Yushai—voice low, dangerous "Is there a difference? For me?"
He tilts his head, red eyes glinting like embers in the swamp's dim light "Pal… when you've bled through enough days to lose count, time stops meaning anything. So no. Not really."
A slow, sharp grin cuts across his face "But you? You're reliving it on purpose. Which means you know something we don't."
He leans in slightly—"And that makes you interesting."
"Saigid, eww" Hanchu Said
Saigid rolls his eyes, turning his irritation towards Hanchu
"Oh, lighten up. Nobody asked for your opinion."
He steps away from Yushai and folds his arms, glaring at Hanchu with obvious annoyance "And keep your thoughts to yourself. I thought cheerleaders were supposed to... you know, cheer. Not annoy the hell out of people."
"You're saying strange things," Hanchu points a finger at Saigid.
"he's saying the right thing," Yushai said, looking up at the sky.
Saigid bristles at Hanchu's finger-pointing, red eyes narrowing in annoyance
"I'm just saying what everyone's thinking, sweetheart. You're like a damn mosquito, all eager to buzz around and get swatted."
He glances over at Yushai, hearing his comment
"See? Broody boy agrees with me for once."
"Which one of you wants to get a new level?" asks Yushai in a slightly commanding tone.
Saigid smirks, rolling his shoulders lazily "Oh, I always want more power." His gaze slides toward Hanchu with obvious distaste.
"...But not if it means dragging him along. Team-ups are overrated."
"you'll be bait for the creatures. The experience will be shared between the two of you."
Having said that, Yushai creates several golden spears from all the energy. And he continues to do so.
Hanchu giggles softly while looking at Saigid.
Saigid raises an eyebrow, unimpressed—but there's a glint of amusement in his red eyes "Oh? I get to be bait and babysit the giggling gremlin? How generous."
He exhales sharply through his nose, rolling up his sleeves as the golden spears materialize around Yushai
"Fine. But when this goes sideways—and it will—I reserve the right to say 'I told you so' before throwing Hanchu at the nearest monster."
"Yes, I remember," Yushai said without looking up from the process.