The heat of the sun beats down on the outside of my tent. I struggle to push off the curtain of sleep that threatens to consume me once again. Overall, I slept pretty well. We had to rotate night watch, but other than that, the night was uneventful.
I sit up and look around me. Josh is sleeping soundly with a conspicuous tumor attached to his hip. Not wanting to interfere with the newlyweds' alone time, I put on some clothes and scooch out the door. As I'm leaving, I can hear a tumor giggling softly beneath the covers.
The grass is damp with dew. I walk through the light fog of morning to the campfire, where Sam is already preparing something to eat.
"You're up early," I remark.
"I was the last person on night watch, so I figured I should make breakfast." She smiles lightly in my direction before turning back to the fire. The morning chill seeps into my clothes, so I sit down by the fire to ward it away. My body still aches, but I feel much better than yesterday. I send a probe down inside myself to check how I'm doing, and the only response I get is a low grumble from my stomach.
"Breakfast will be ready in just a minute," Sam says to my complaining digestive system.
[I've never really interacted with Sam before, but she seems pretty introverted, so I'm sure she won't mind the silence.]
I sit back and look up at the sky as the memories of yesterday run through my head.
[Oh yeah, I need to choose my next skill.]
I open my status and browse the list of possible skills I could learn.
[The list is longer than the last time I checked.]
Several new skills I see are: Proximity Vector, Hydraulic Strike, and Steelflesh. From the looks of it, proxy vector allows me to place delayed force vectors on any surface I touch. Hydraulic strike works similarly to hydraulic punch in that it amplifies the power of my attack, and Steelflesh is just an upgraded version of Ironflesh. I'm not sure of the costs and benefits of Steelflesh, so I'm leaning more towards an offensive skill. Seeing the way Yuki uses the applied force vectors in battle sets alight my imagination. The ability to focus on speed while having the force vectors apply damage completely changes how one can fight. Instead of winding up to deliver a strong but apparent attack, one can deliver devastating damage even with a glancing blow.
[What are my biggest weaknesses currently, and how can I mitigate them?]
I think back to my fight with the giant spider. While outmatched in every metric, I did have a few chances to land an attack, but I couldn't break past its defenses. If I had some way to deliver a powerful blow, the fight might not have been as one-sided.
"You're quiet this morning." Sam breaks my concentration with her comment.
"Is there something you want to talk about?" I ask.
"No, I guess I'm just surprised. You almost always have something to say." I ignore her thinly veiled insult and respond with a question of my own.
"All human interaction is merely an exchange of values. Why would I voice my values when you never bother to express yours?"
"…"
"How is anyone supposed to know that you feel like you're being taken for granted if you never say anything?" She visibly flinches at my accusation. "If you want to talk about something, I'd love to hear you out. If not, I'm more than happy to just enjoy the silence."
I don't want to make her feel ashamed for feeling vulnerable, so I turn away to avoid seeing her reaction. This way, she can at least act like my words didn't have any effect on her.
Getting back to the task at hand, I decide to choose Hydraulic Strike after we leave the forest. I'd like to wait until we all get out of the forest before making my purchase, as I may still need my increased stats should we encounter something dangerous. The adventure doesn't end until we make it past the gates.
[Wait, is it possible for me to learn these vector-related skills without spending my levels? If so, I can save them for more advanced skills. I'll have to do some research once I get back to town; I bet Jezabel would know.]
Various plans for the future clash inside my skull while I stare up at the clear blue sky. My stomach grumbles to remind me that I'm hungry.
"Um, breakfast is ready if you want anything," Sam mumbles behind me. I turn around and see thin strips of roasted pork from an Acriporcos we slew yesterday, Warm bread covered in melted cheese, and various fruits and berries from the surrounding foliage.
"Oh my god, did you make all this?" I'm shocked by the buffet Sam was able to prepare in the middle of the forest. A salty smell wafts past my nose, causing my mouth to fill with saliva.
"It's nothing. I just threw together whatever we had on hand."
"It looks amazing. Thank you so much!" I smile brightly in her direction, but she avoids my gaze.
"Really, it's not a big deal." I shove down the sadistic impulse to tease her for feeling embarrassed. I'm sure she must have a million thoughts running through her head at the moment, and I don't want to color them with shame. I sit down and grab a slice of bread covered in cheese and lay a piece of pork on top of it. One bite is all it takes for me to fall in love. The exhaustion I've accumulated from the previous day is all the flavoring I need.
"God, this is so good. Will you marry me?"
"What?! No!" Sam shouts incredulously.
"Okay, but the offer is still on the table." I dive back into my meal after messing with the chef. The rich saltiness of the pork blends nicely with the thick greasy cheese. I close my eyes in ecstasy and focus on the flavor.
[All we need are some eggs, and it would feel like we're having breakfast back on earth.]
It isn't long until the smell of breakfast lures everyone out of their tents.
"Aahhhh!" Josh jumps out of our tent in nothing but his underwear. I'm curious as to the cause of the commotion, but not enough to put down my sandwich.
"Babe, come back to bed; it's cold out here." Sakura pokes her head out while still in her pajamas and sleepily tries to persuade her love interest.
"No, not until you leave." Josh walks over to me with his arms crossed. His body is noticeably shivering. I carefully remove my jacket while ensuring I don't drop my sandwich and hand it to the half-naked boy. Sakura has tears in her eyes as she comes to terms with his rejection. Their relationship has changed recently, and I'm sure it's difficult for someone her age to deal with. She sadly slides back into the tent. For the next few minutes, I can hear muffled sobs coming from her direction.
Everyone else has gotten used to the kids' antics, and they don't even bat an eye. The remaining members of Ironhead and Shinobu gather around the large stone Sam pulled up from the ground to use as a table. I can see their eyes dazzle at the sight of the spread.
"Anything happened during your watch?" Travis asks his teammate while grabbing some bread.
"Nothing much. Oh, Nick proposed to me, so that was pretty weird." Sam giggles.
"Ha, good luck with that one, kid. She's already got a man."
"No, I don't!" Sam protests. Not wanting to drop the act, I stand up in mock anger.
"Where is that bastard? If I ever see that guy, I'll kill him."
"He's Mythril rank."
"With kindness, of course." I quickly change my tone when Travis informs me of his rank. No joke is worth getting killed over. "I'm sure he's a great guy if he's close to Sam; I'd love to meet him."