Chương 69: A quiet night with strangers

Despite Leah's worries about staying, the time passed without incident. Ethan had made the decision early on that while the information he had overheard was interesting, it wasn't something he needed to involve himself in. Whatever Bella and her group were chasing had nothing to do with him. He had no intention of getting dragged into something unnecessary, not when his focus needed to be on the mirage. Preparing himself and Leah took priority over everything, especially with Leah challenging it under level twenty.

Normally, as a rule of thumb, the challenger should at least have upgraded their class. And although Leah would be close, she wouldn't quite reach that milestone. But Ethan was confident for two reasons. One: she wasn't actually a fighting class, even if her next class options would incorporate her new skills into it. For now, she was a scout, so the mirage shouldn't contain too much combat. And two: she had awakened her cultivation, which was probably better than an upgraded class anyway.

All this was to say, Ethan had no more time to spare for other people, and things would stay that way for a while. They shared a meal with Bella's group, sitting around the fire as the heat of the day slowly bled out of the sand, replaced by the cooler air of night. Conversation came easily enough, though it was mostly driven by Jace, who seemed more than happy to fill any silence that might have formed.

At his insistence, Ethan shared parts of his encounter with the necromancer and expanded slightly on what had happened between the Broken Dawns and the Valkyries. It was nothing he considered sensitive, but judging by the way Bella listened, it was more than enough to hold their attention. By the time the food was gone, Ethan felt both full and faintly drained, more from the constant interaction than anything else. For all that Jacob didn't speak, Jace more than made up for it. Ethan pushed himself to his feet.

"That'll do me," he said, glancing toward Bella.

"Wake me when it's my turn for watch." Bella gave a small nod, though before Ethan could step away, Leah rose as well, only for Bella to speak up.

"You can share a tent with me, if you want. Furthest one on the left." Leah paused, glancing back toward Ethan, her expression caught somewhere between hesitation and relief. He couldn't help the grin that tugged at his lips. He knew exactly how much she'd been hating the desert—the constant sand, the sweat, the way everything clung no matter how often you tried to clean it off. At the same time, he knew how she felt about Bella, and it was clear she was weighing which she disliked more.

"Alright. Thanks," Leah said after a moment. Ethan raised a brow. Guess that answered that. Jace turned slightly, catching the exchange.

"Don't look at me. Mine's full." Ethan snorted, shaking his head slightly. He hadn't been looking for a—"You're not staying in mine," Roy cut in flatly. Ethan blinked once, then let out a quiet breath through his nose.

"Don't worry," he said, his tone easy.

"I'm perfectly fine under the stars."

"I wasn't worried," Roy replied. Jace leaned back, glancing toward his brother.

"He could squeeze, maybe. What do you reckon?" Jacob gave a small shrug, his expression unchanged.

"Seriously," Ethan cut in, raising a hand slightly.

"I don't want a tent. I'm good where I am. Just wake me for watch." He didn't wait for another response, turning away before the conversation could drag on any further. As he stepped away, he rubbed the back of his neck, muttering under his breath, "What a strange group." Leah snorted beside him, clearly having heard.

"You can say that again. I'm just glad I might actually get a decent sleep." Ethan glanced at her.

"You want to be crammed into a tight space just to get out of the sand? That tent's going to be hotter than outside."

"It's not about that," Leah replied, shaking her head.

"I just want to stay clean for more than five seconds." Ethan shrugged.

"Suit yourself. Try not to get stabbed for snoring." She shoved him lightly.

"I don't snore."

"Right."

"…Do I?" If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Ethan didn't answer, only giving another noncommittal shrug as he dropped his pack onto the sand and sat down, letting out a breath.

"She won't stab me, will she?" Leah asked, quieter this time. Ethan leaned back slightly, glancing up at her.

"Night, Leah. We're leaving early. Get some rest." She huffed softly but didn't push further, turning and heading toward the tent. Ethan lowered himself fully onto his pack, resting his sword within easy reach as he stared into the fire. Normally, he avoided lighting one when it was just him and Leah. Fire drew attention, and attention in the desert wasn't something you wanted. But with a group this size, it hardly mattered. If something came, they'd deal with it. Still, he didn't want to sleep in its light.

The others lingered by the fire for a while longer, their voices low and indistinct as the night settled in. Bella eventually stood, brushing sand from her hands as she made her way toward the tents. She paused briefly as she passed him, just long enough to glance down.

"Night, Ethan."

"Yeah. You too," he replied. She nodded before continuing on. Ethan closed his eyes, though he already knew sleep wouldn't come easily. Instead, he let [Keen Sense] remain active, his awareness stretching outward as he settled into a familiar rhythm, his breathing slowing as he slipped into a meditative state rather than true rest. The sounds of the camp faded, blending with the quiet hum of the desert night, and at some point, without him noticing exactly when, that thin line between awareness and sleep blurred.

Eventually, he drifted. —~~— Ethan woke as he felt something approaching. He stayed lying down, trying to figure out what it was.

"Ethan. Ethan, are you up?" Ethan lifted his head to see Bella crouching beside him.

"It's your turn for watch." Pushing himself up, Ethan wiped at his face, fully waking. It was still dark out.

"Sounds good. Who's on next shift?"

"It should only be an hour or so until the morning. Will you be alright to see it to the end?" Ethan nodded, standing and taking his sword.

"Thanks," Bella responded before turning and heading back toward her tent. Ethan's awareness brushed over it, making sure Leah was still fine. He could hear the slight rise and fall of her breath, so he walked to where the smoldering fire still burned. It was still reasonably dark, the only light coming from the stars above and the remnants of the fire. Ethan sat down, watching the empty, ever-shifting dunes. It didn't take long for him to notice something through [Keen Sense], though it wasn't any sort of monster.

Instead, Bella slipped out of her tent again. She stalked over to Ethan and sat down with a huff.

"Can't sleep?" he asked.

"Does she always snore like that?"

"Think so," he answered. After a slight pause, she spoke again.

"Hey, you know back with the necromancer… I really am sorry." She looked up at him.

"I was just so worried. It didn't make me think rationally."

"Don't worry about it. It's behind us. I can understand your reasoning, even if I think I would have gone about it a different way." He paused.

"I take it you've known them for a while then?" A small smile spread across her face.

"You could say that. We grew up together. Well, me and Roy did anyway. But the twins have always been around." Ethan hummed.

"It's lucky you found them then."

"It is."

"So what's his problem anyway?" he asked. Bella seemed to deflate a little.

"Who, Roy?"

"Yeah."

"He's just on edge. Don't take anything personally. He's actually not a bad person once you get to know him."

"I guess I'll just have to take your word for it." Bella snorted, about to respond, when Ethan paused as a notification flashed from his system. He looked at Bella. She must have also been getting one because she had gone still, her mouth slightly open as she was about to speak. Ethan could understand why. This was the first notification someone received where it didn't care if you were busy or not. Instead, it opened on its own, no matter where you were. Congratulations, participants!

Humanity has now fully entered the trials. It's time to set forth, conquer each level, grow, and prosper. Show the multiverse that you deserve to join them. Ethan closed it down with a sigh. Behind the notification was another one. Level one update. You now have three months to clear level one. Upon the end time, the floor will no longer be in use. Good luck.

"Well, fuck," Ethan muttered. It seemed time had slipped away on him. He thought he still had another week or so.

"What the hell," Bella groaned.

"That's nowhere near enough time for people to grow." Ethan had to agree. It was an absolute stitch-up, but as sad as it was, the last arrivals were full of the elderly, along with the sick or unstable. It was basically a death sentence. But those who did clear the level in that amount of time quite often became powerful in their own right. Movement caught his attention as everyone exited the tents at once. Leah made eye contact with him, and he gave her a slight nod. It was time for them to move on.

They made their way over to Bella and Ethan. Roy must have felt the same way, as he began insisting that Bella and the others should leave before it was too late. Ethan understood, but knew the man wanted to move on for an entirely different reason. Whoever they were tracking must be important to them. After Bella and her group talked about the consequences of what this meant, Ethan finally found an opening to let them know he and Leah would be leaving.

They grabbed their bags, confirmed with Bella that they would meet up on the second level, and left, setting out for the mirage once more. The sun had started to climb into the sky, bringing with it heat and light. Ethan looked back over his shoulder, noticing Roy watching them leave. The guy rubbed Ethan the wrong way, but he hadn't been outright hostile, so he would leave it. He actually hoped he found whatever he was looking for. Maybe that would make him more hospitable.

Ethan turned back, slipping his helmet on.

"Are we hunting any other monsters first?" Ethan looked at Leah, a smile touching his lips.

"Of course. We have to clear the way after all."