The Dreamer's POV

"You think he's realized it yet?" The mature voice of a middle-aged man filled the air, almost in the form of a chuckle.

It belonged to Fitz, who was currently seated on the ruined earth. If he was to say, his buttocks itched him a little, and he was a little sore, but beggers couldn't be choosers.

As for the one he was talking to…

"WEEEEEELLL… I DON'T KNOWWWWW…" The Whispering Treant growled.

The unusually massive creature was currently seated beside Fitz, and they both seemed to be in too much of a friendly dialogue for parties meant to be enemies.

The Treant was meant to be trying to kill Fitz, while the latter was meant to be running for his dear life.

No… Fitz was meant to be dead by now.

"I guess it's about time now. It's been uneventful for a while, but he should have found the room, and gotten the goods."

"INNNDEEEEED…" The Whispering Treant nodded slowly.

When it came to intelligence, it was inferiror to Fitz, but at least it could hold a conversation.

That was plenty sufficient.

"Our role here is done. Well, mine is anyway. As for yours… it's just beginning. You know what you must do, right?" Fitz's smile was soft, almost sad, as he glanced in the direction of the Whispering Treant.

"YEESSSS… BECOMEEE… HIIIIISSSSS… MIIIIINNNIIIOOOOONN…?"

"Minion? Ah, yes, that's the word! At least, for now… yes. Become his Minion and help him out when he needs it." Fitz chuckled even more as he rose to his feet.

He didn't bother dusting his buttocks. He wouldn't need to because of what was about to occur.

"WWWHAAAAT AAABOOOUUT YOOOU? WWOOONN'T YYOOOUUU DOOO TTHEEE SSAAAAMEEE?" The Whispering Treant also slowly rose to his feet.

"Naa. This is currently a puppet form of myself anyway, so its too weak to properly serve him."

"TTRUUUUEEEE…"

"Besides, he hasn't reached the precipice. That's why you have to guide him well. At least, until he can reach me."

"UNNDEEEERRSTTOOOD… ADMIIRAAAAL FIITTZZ…"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Good. Good boy, Wit. You've done well until now. It's finally time for the final act."

The words exchanged between these two weren't at all what you'd expect from enemies, but rather comrades.

It seemed as if they were old friends who were discussing about the past, as well as prospects of the future.

"KIIILLL YOOOU… RIIIIGHT?"

"Yep. It's only a puppet, so it's fine." Fitz shrugged, his aged smile adding more veracity to his words.

"OOOF COURSEEE. I WOOULD STTAAAAND NOOO CHAAANCE AGAAAINST YOOOUR TRUUEEE FOOORM."

"Haha! You sell yourself too short. Your clones are currently spread around this entire First Floor. In your complete form, I'm sure you would stand a chance."

"SUURRREEEEELY… YOOOOUUU JEEEST."

In response to the words of the Whispering Treant, Fitz could only leak out a knowing smile.

The both of them already knew the answer to the question in the air; so much so that it wasn't even a simple query.

And then…

"Alright. He's close already. Let's resume the act."

With a smile from Fitz, the Explorer, and the shimmering eyes of Wit, the Whispering Treat, the both of them reverted to their previous states.

No longer friends or old comrades.

Rather… predator and prey.

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!~ Discover more content at empire

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[Time Left: 30 Days, 3 Hours]

<Current Number of Participants: 3,888>

I could hear loud rumblings as I reached the end of the first corridor I appeared in.

For some reason, <Teleportation> wouldn't take me outside, so I had to simply sprint to the first point I arrived at to find a way back to the surface.

Sure enough, once I reached it, a bright Magic Circle shone around me, enveloping me in its brilliance instantly.

I felt swirling winds, and a warmness I couldn't quite explain permeate my body.

And then…

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!~

… I arrived at the surface.

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMM!!!~

The area was devastated.

No. Beyond devastated. It was utterly ruined.

The landscape was completely altered to suit a tapestry of chaos instead. With my mouth agape, I took in the potholes that had spread all over the earth and the fallen trees that littered the area.

It was too much destruction.

'But… it's not the worst I've seen.'

As I took in the sight around me, I felt the ground tremble once more, causing me to regain my full alertness.

"That is—!" My eyes widened as I noticed two figures in the distance.

One was obviously the Whispering Treant. It's bulky frame towered above a much smaller figure, who was curently lying helplessly on the ground.

"Fitz!" I gasped.

The massive tree monster seemed to be drawing closer to Fitz, and every move it made caused the ground to tremble.

'It's very surprising he isn't dead yet, but the System must want something like this to be the case.'

What would happen afterward? Would Fitz bestow something to me as his dying wish? Was this just meant for Aesthetics?

I wasn't so sure.

In any case, I had to at least play my part and save him.

'<Teleportation>'

In a flash, I closed the distance between me and Fitz, using <Elevate> in conjucction with <Turbo>, to leap to the Whispering Treant and give it a solid hit in the chest.

~BOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!~

The Whispering Treant shrieked out loud as debris of its wooden form scattered away from the area of impact.

It stumbled backwards, its feet kicking the dust it trampled on.

"GROOOOAAAAHHHH!" Falling back-flat on the ground, the Treant's roar echoed in the air.

I ignored it and swiftly glanced at Fitz, teleporting to his side in an instant.

Once I did, I realized why Fitz had been lying on the ground so helplessly.

A massive tree shard had pierced his belly. Dark red blood already stained the ground, and even more blood oozed out of his gaping injury.

I personally thought the blood leaking out was too much, and still wondered why he wasn't yet dead, but my thoughts were irrelevant for now.

Right now, what mattered most was Fitz.

"Y-you… came back…" Fitz croaked, blood oozing from his lips as he coughed slightly.

"I promised, didn't I? Of course I came back!"

His body was trembling slightly, and his face was so pale.

I knew instantly that he didn't have much longer to live.

'Should I use my Holy Elixir? Saving him might trigger a reward. No… how can I be so sure? It's too risky.'

Torn between saving him for potentially greater rewards, or following the script and letting him die for my reward, I unconsciously made a sorry face.

"Don't look so sad… young man." Fitz leaked out a smile, despite his eyes being moist and the rest of his body practically oozing out his pain.

"Fitz…"

"D-did you find them? T-the treasures…?" He continued to whisper, the sound of his voice choking due to the blood.

"Y-yes! I did. Just as you said, Fitz. I will take the first share, but the rest are—"

"No. It's too late for me now, young man." Fitz's smile widened further.

'Ah, so the Holy Elixir wasn't the answer, after all. If it was, he would have hinted that.' My thoughts trailed as I still squeezed my face to leak out as much pain as I could.

"Take it all, young man. Those rewards… are all yours."

I could tell already. This was how this story was meant to progress.

'Fitz is meant to die here.'

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[A/N]

What are your theories about what just happened in this chapter?

In case you're confused, it'll be revealed as the story progresses.

Thanks for reading.

Cheers!