Sad Reality Of Adventures

"Five more hours..." Janis looked at me with a tired gaze and went back to sleep. I was surprised she could do something like this, and by doing so, I knew she must have been tired.

"If you wanted to sleep longer, you should have done that first." Begrudgingly, I tease Janis with all my might, making her wake up.

A part of me wanted to see how Janis would react and what actions she would take, knowing that I would purposely annoy her and try to wake her up with no urgency needed. There was still the need to check on the other adventures to see if they finished their task. I know it was unrealistic for everyone to complete their job, but this was what they had signed up for.

An adventure was known to take risks, and dying on a mission wasn't uncommon. If they weren't confident in such a task, they should have quit in the first place. This take wasn't something I would typically think of, but it was a reality check anyone would need.

I did this to Janis for other reasons besides that Janis had it coming. She hadn't listened to my words about overdoing it, and I had never made Janis angry or annoyed. I wanted to see how it would feel when she directed those emotions at me. If there was a point where I had done something wrong, I wanted to prepare for the consequences that I might face.

"Roy..." Janis ignored all my attempts and drifted to sleep like it was nothing. To make me stop, she hugs me tighter by the second, and if I provoke her more than necessary, I will suffocate in her chest. Dying from boob suffocation was a way to go, and as someone looking forward to living, let's not.

~

"Roy, it's time to wake up." Janis's voice reverberated as I woke up from a nap.

It was ironic how the situation turned around. Now, she was the one who had asked me to wake up. Janis is forced to wake me since my body is cushioned against her. Unless she forcefully dragged or pushed my body away, that was when she would be able to move.

"How long have I been asleep?" I did feel bad for sleeping in, but I blamed it all on Janis, and it was her fault that I was tired.

"I wouldn't know. What I do know is that I sense another group returning." A chilling feeling surrounded me, and I couldn't help but shiver at her words.

If Janis could sense the people outside the tent, doesn't that mean the others could also do so? What if the two dark elves sensed our actions last night? I was now reluctant to go outside, and facing the two dark elves would be somewhat awkward.

"Roy, you're overreacting. Compared to a regular tent, the space inside is different. I can sense what is going on outside, but no one can sense us on the inside." She patted me on the head, finding my actions adorable. This made me feel a little better, but there was still a chance the dark elves would notice.

"Hurry and get dressed. You wouldn't want the others to get suspicious." She smiled at me while getting dressed. I did the same, and after that, we exited the tent with Janis taking it in her storage pouch.

Upon our exit, the group we found was one of the elf groups. What surprised me was that only four people in their group of five made it back. It wasn't hard to conclude that one of them had passed away, and with how tragic their appearance was, a tragedy in this expedition had already occurred. I was going to greet them, but it didn't seem like the best time to do so.

"Did you complete your task?" Unlike me, Janis asked the group how they did it with clear thought and tone. Janis did notice that their companion was gone, but she was focused on the task and didn't react much to their loss as if it were a natural thing.

"This is what's left of our target." The scroll they handed Janis was a picture of the white slime. Like the blue slime, the effects of the white slime were also unknown. It could be that the blue slime could absorb water to an unimaginable degree, but this could apply to all slime.

"We're also here to withdraw from this expedition." Janis and I could see that they weren't in any condition to fight, so staying here would only make them a hindrance.

And without any more words, they had left, returning to the village. I have never witnessed a person's death, but with how heavy the mood is coming from them, I hope that such an incident will never occur.

The mood had dampened, and the dark elves, who were out eating, had overheard us and realized the situation.

"Janis, could you tell the dark elves if they want to travel with us? You have seen what happened to one team. It would be better if we worked together rather than in a rotation." Trying to switch the mood, I asked Janis to see if she could convince the two to join us.

The consequence of Janis doing this is that we would steal the assistance of one team if we took the dark elves with us. I felt terrible for doing this, but I would prioritize Janis's and my safety any time of day.

Each slime had a gimmick of its own. Once solved, defeating them would make the task easier. I was confident we could defeat the remaining four, but that didn't mean that I would be overconfident and make a mistake because of it.

"I will try. Don't be disappointed if they reject my offer." Following Janis, we made our way to the dark elves. I felt slightly nervous, as I still felt conscious of our nightly activities. Let's just hope they won't notice or, if possible, point it out.