Elin: "....We're here!"
A small grocery store sat squeezed between two buildings, it's narrow storefront barely visible from the cramped space.
Ethan: "That's it?"
Dylan: "What does that supposed to mean? It's a grocery store, not a supermarket."
Ethan: "I don't know. Just expected a bit more. Does this even have a working generator?"
Elin: "Apparently it does."
As they stepped closer, Dylan noticed a hole through the front door. It was dark and hard to tell but something had obviously entered.
The hole seemed a bit too small for a goblin. But that fact alone didn't reassure him anymore.
He immediately grabbed Ethan and Elin to a halt.
Dylan: "Something's inside."
Ethan: (Oh boy, here we go again.)
His finger aimed at the store.
Elin: "Wait no, that's me."
She hurriedly grabbed Ethan's hand away.
Dylan: "What?"
Elin: "The last time I came here, I was with a group. We were desperate for cover and that was the result of our desperation."
Ethan pulled his hand back and kept it in his pocket. And this is the tale of how Elin saved a store's life that day. Even though she was the reason it happened in the first place.
Ethan: "Should've said it sooner."
They entered carefully through the shattered glass. The store was pitch black, completely shrouded in darkness.
Only the slight silhouettes of shelves standing in front of them were visible, but their contents were impossible make out.
Elin quickly pulled out a flashlight.
Elin: "Just wait here for a moment."
*Click*
A narrow beam of light tore through the darkness and Elin's figure soon disappeared into the store.
The brothers just stood there, near the entrance, waiting.
Dylan: "Soo, what do you think we should do now?"
Ethan: "Hm?"
Dylan: "I mean our situation. Do you want to still try and leave?"
Ethan: "Well yaa?"
Dylan: "Even after everything that happened?"
Ethan: "I think? Maybe? I don't know anymore."
He rubbed his forehead.
Ethan: "Why do you keep asking me that same goddamn question over and over again? This is like the third time already."
Dylan: "Just 'cause."
Ethan: "Just CAUSE?"
Dylan shrugged.
Dylan: "It feels like every couple days we find something new. So I'm just confirming, if we are on the same page."
Ethan: "That's because we do find something to fuck us up every few days. If I change my mind you'll be the first person to know... Same page? What's that supposed to mean?"
Dylan: "It's nothing."
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
Ethan: "Oh really now, why don't you tell me what YOU think we should do?"
Dylan: "What I would do?..."
He racked his brain for a few moments.
Dylan: "Well personally, a part of me wants like to uproot the source of these monsters, taking the fight to them."
Ethan: "You serious?"
Dylan: "No. Just a passing throught."
Ethan: "Pft– Passing thought. The guy who can't even make cup noodles is thinking about messing with the fabric of space. Ya that'll end well. As if the goblins and undead fuckers weren't enough. I can't even began to imagine the monstrosities you would spawn."
Dylan: "Says the guy who can't even go on a twenty minute hike without collapsing. You would give up before you even find the thing responsible."
Ethan: "Depends, do I get a copy of GTA6?"
Dylan: "Well going through the bridge seems to be our only path forward now."
Ethan: "If you knew why'd you ask?"
Dylan: "My bad, what I meant to ask was do you have a specific plan in mind?"
Ethan: "Of course I don't. I am smart, not fucking Batman."
Dylan: "I thought maybe–"
Ethan: "I racked my brain for hours and all I got was a headache. The damn bridge is our only option, and I doubt that will change anytime soon. All we can do now is prepare as many options as possible at our disposal, before we have to full send it."
Dylan: (Man I killed the mood.)
Dylan: "I mean, we could get an ability. Something to traverse over water or teleport."
Ethan: "The system? With our luck?? Something that convinent is just wishful thinking."
Dylan: "Right."
A seemingly long silence interrupted their conversation.
Dylan: "When do you think we should commit to it?"
Ethan: "Probably level twenty. At this pace we should hit that level cap in a week, give or take."
Dylan: "I think it will take longer. I don't know why but it feels I'm getting less exp."
Ethan: "Me too. Maybe it's a pokemon type situation."
Dylan: "A what?"
Ethan: "We get less exp because the goblins are considered weaker than us. Basically the system doesn't want us to overlevel.
Dylan: "Oh. I guess it kind of makes sense."
Ethan: "But still, as long as nothing unusual happens we–"
[ Next merger – 29:59:42 ]
And the system took that PERSONALLY. No wonder it took its sweet time, it was waiting for the perfect moment. And what a moment it was.
Ethan: "Motherfucker."
Ethan: (I fucking jinxed it.)