Arvian stood still for a moment, thinking hard. He had never been good at doing goofy stuff like Jaxyn, but he couldn't back out now.
"Alright, here it goes," Arvian muttered to himself.
He chose to try it with a straightforward but absurd idea. Arvian took a deep breath and began to move clumsily in Jaxyn's direction, as though he was unsure of how his legs worked. He took exaggerated, wobbly steps, making his arms flail as if he were trying to balance himself.
Jaxyn, obviously interested, arched an eyebrow.
"Whoa, Arvian, what are you doing?"
Arvian didn't answer. He simply continued to move in the most ludicrous manner imaginable, purposefully tripping over his own feet. He would make a strange, high-pitched "Oof!" sound and flail his arms once more whenever he stumbled, as though he were about to fall but had managed to catch himself in time.
He stopped abruptly, gave Jaxyn a wide-eyed stare, and then slowly cocked his head to the side as he was about to make another dramatic trip. "You know, Jaxyn... I think I'm an elegant dancer."
Prior to Jaxyn's reaction, Arvian began spinning uncontrollably. His arms were extended as if he were attempting to glide across the floor, but his feet continued to shuffle in the wrong direction. "Look at me, I'm a professional!"
At that point, even Declan couldn't hold back a chuckle.
Jaxyn clutched his stomach as he erupted in laughter. "I... I didn't think you had it in you! That was... amazing!"
Arvian grinned sheepishly, a little surprised by how well that worked. "Alright, I guess I win?"
Jaxyn was still laughing, barely able to breathe. "Yeah, yeah, you win! But I gotta admit, you're a better dancer than I thought!"
"Now, it's time, but it wouldn't be fun if we both played the role of the girl. Well, I guess we don't have to do that," Jaxyn said.
Arvian sighed.
"Alright, how about we head to the city early tomorrow morning for training? After that, we'll go back home for the night," Jaxyn suggested.
"Isn't Dareth there too? We should take care of him as well," he added.
"Don't go far anywhere or else get punished by the old man," Declan mumbled.
***
Both of them carefully left the base and walked through the mountain road toward their small house.
"So, Arvian, do you have any other friends or a best friend?" Jaxyn asked, looking over at him.
"No one," Arvian responded, his voice quiet.
"Really? Me too," Jaxyn admitted, a hint of sadness in his tone. "I don't have any friends either, but... can we be best friends?"
Jaxyn grew up without any friends. He had been kept close and alone by his father, the Velnoctenes' leader, to protect him from the harsh outside world. However, Jaxyn secretly yearned for a companion with whom he could share his experiences, play, fight, and simply be himself. And now, Arvian was that person.
"We already are," Arvian smiled, a sense of warmth growing in his chest.
"Ahem!" Jaxyn suddenly cleared his throat with a mischievous grin. "So, how about we give each other nicknames?"
"Haha, that's interesting, Muffin King for you," Arvian said with a smile.
Arvian felt a strong connection with Jaxyn, and for the first time, he felt at ease with someone.
"Damn you! Shit Monarch for you... hahaha," Jaxyn replied, laughing heartily.
They both entered the house, which was at the base of the mountain.
They went upstairs and checked on Dareth. He was still unconscious, resting soundly in bed.
"Ah, rest well. Hope you wake up soon," Arvian muttered softly, looking at Dareth.
The two of them spent the night laughing, talking, and sharing stories, enjoying the warmth of their newfound friendship. Neither of them had ever felt so at ease with someone before.
They each went to a room and lay down on different beds as the night went on.
"Dareth, thanks for making me a friend," Arvian said quietly, almost to himself.
"You too... now, let's sleep, Shitty Monarch. We have to get up early tomorrow," Jaxyn replied with a grin, already pulling the blanket over himself.
Suddenly, a screen flickered to life in front of Arvian, displaying a notification.
[Quest Notification]
New Quest Available!
Objective: Reach the designated portal 100 meters away from your current location to receive further information regarding the quest.
Time Limit: 10 minutes
Failure Penalty: Assignment of Unhuman/Evil missions.
Arvian's heart raced. "Holy smokes... what am I going to do? I can't leave... Shit, shit... What should I do?!"
The minutes passed by too fast as he sat there in a panic, trying to think. His mind raced, but he couldn't focus. By the time he realized it, the timer was up.
"Failure..." he muttered, feeling defeated.
Jaxyn, who had been sleeping next to him, muttered drowsily, "Why are you acting so strange? Go to sleep." Unaware of the panic that had just taken over Arvian, he laughed a little, obviously half asleep.
With a sigh, Arvian sank back into the bed and tried to quiet his racing mind. It was too late to do anything now. He'd just have to wait for the consequences.
And suddenly another screen panel appeared.
[Quest Failed]
Failure Penalty: Unhuman/Evil Missions Assigned
Regretfully, Unhuman/Evil missions have now been activated as a result of the failure to arrive at the portal in time. These missions are extremely dangerous and are made to test the body and mind in ways that are impossible for the average person to handle. Your very essence might be twisted by them, making you face evil, supernatural forces.
Details of Unhuman/Evil Missions:
1. These missions can be assigned at any time from tomorrow.
2. There is no end to unhuman mission unless you don't complete them
3. Completing these missions may drastically affect your health, sanity, or morality.
4. Failure to complete an Unhuman/Evil mission will result in unbearable punishment, pushing the limits of human endurance.
——
As Arvian read the failure notification, his heart started to race.
"Dang... what the heck... I wonder... will it involve innocent people's lives? Holy smokes."