---
After defeating Atma, Bima approached us. Meanwhile, Loka was helping to heal our wounds.
"Brother, how are they doing now?"
"The three of them are badly injured, but it's not critical. You don't need to worry."
"That's good to hear. Is there anything I can help with, brother?"
"Yes, Bima. Do you still have any gold coins left?"
"Yes, I do."
"Buy Elixirs for the three of them. I read about it in the store—it's a powerful potion that heals various wounds and diseases. Please get them now."
"Alright, brother. Give me a moment. S T O R E O P E N!"
"Hang in there, you three. Bima is buying a healing potion for you."
"Here you go, brother. I bought five B-grade Elixirs."
"Thank you, Bima."
"You're welcome, brother."
"Drink this, Roro. It will help you recover faster."
Gulp... Gulp...
"Ugh... (Roro opens her eyes) Brother Loka, Bima. What happened? Ugh, my head hurts a little."
"Roro opened her eyes, brother."
"Rest, Roro. You're still not stable yet. The Elixir is working. Now Bima, please give this to Jay and Yusa."
"Alright, brother. I'll give it to them."
Bima helped Yusa and me drink the Elixir. As we drank it, the pain that once overwhelmed us began to fade. Not long after, my body felt noticeably lighter. This healing potion truly was effective in treating our injuries.
"Ahh… My body feels lighter."
"You're right, Yusa. The pain and wounds I had are fading. I feel much better now."
"Hahaha, you two finally woke up. I'm so glad you're okay."
Bima hugged us both. With his large body, he embraced us with heartfelt joy.
"Oh no, stop, Bima. I can't breathe." Yusa was crushed by the hug.
"Hahaha, sorry! I got too excited."
"My body's breaking..."
"Please don't do that again, Bima."
"Hahaha, alright."
The three of us began to recover thanks to Loka and Bima's help. They also assisted us in returning to Roro's house.
"Roro, climb onto my back. I'll carry you home."
"No need, brother. I can still walk."
"It's okay, come on. The distance isn't far anyway."
"Alright, thank you."
"Bima, help Jay and Yusa."
"Of course, brother. Leave it to me."
"No need, Bima. I can still walk."
"Same here, I can still walk."
"Hahaha, then I'll support both of you as you walk. Hold onto my shoulders."
"Alright."
"Thanks for the help."
At Roro's house, we rested, while the remaining wounds slowly healed. Though we drank Elixirs, they weren't instantaneous. Certain injuries take time to fully recover.
Elixirs are healing potions made by a Mage who has evolved into a Special Job—an Alchemist. An Alchemist studies alchemy.
Alchemy is the magical-based study of chemistry aimed at creating unnatural items or substances, and helps make tasks easier for players.
"You three, get some rest. Even though you've had Elixirs, they don't instantly restore you."
"You're right, Loka. The pain is gone, but I still feel weak. I guess I'm exhausted from the fight."
"Same here. I feel the same way."
"I'll cook something. Bima, keep watch over them."
"Thank you both, Loka and Bima. Without you, things could've gone really badly for us."
"Don't mention it. Bima and I came rushing back when we heard the battle. We knew someone was attacking you, so we returned as fast as we could."
"Jay, do you know who attacked you?"
"Yes, Bima. He's the leader of the thugs in this area. He's also the one who repaired the buildings here."
"That makes sense. No wonder the buildings here are still intact. So he's responsible."
"Yeah, he and his gang claimed ownership of this territory."
"Why did he attack you?"
"At first, his men attacked us, demanding 1000 gold coins—for the clothes we took from the store and rent for this house."
"What? This is Roro's house! Why are they charging rent?"
"I don't know. But they said this house was destroyed before, and since Atma—who's their boss—repaired it, they claimed rent. We saw it as extortion and fought back. We beat his men, but then Atma himself attacked us. He was too strong—we couldn't beat him."
"I see. What kind of powers does Atma have? When I hit him back, he seemed low on mana."
"He's a Summoner. He can summon five Djinn, command them, and borrow their power. We were crushed by the Djinn's attacks."
"So he's that strong, huh? Hahaha, now I'm excited to fight him again."
"Oh, Bima, did you return the clothes?"
"Uhh, no, Jay. When my brother and I went to the clothing store, it was empty. We picked some clothes, then heard the battle and rushed back. We found you three already collapsed."
"I see. This area is truly abandoned. No wonder Atma and his thugs are so bold with outsiders like us."
"You're right, Jay. But now that Atma is gone and his men defeated, this place is really empty."
"Yeah, I think everyone already left for Trowulan—our next destination."
"Bima, can you help me bring this food?"
"Sure, brother."
Loka and Bima brought us warm soup. Loka's cooking was excellent. This soup made my body feel warmer and definitely helped the healing process.
"You three, finish your food. Then rest and sleep—it'll speed up your recovery." Loka urged us to eat.
"Wow, this soup is amazing. You're a great cook, Loka." Yusa enjoyed it thoroughly.
"Hahaha, Loka and Roro usually cook for us, and they never disappoint."
"Alright, stop talking and finish your food. Later this afternoon, we need to prep supplies for the journey to Trowulan."
"You're right. We should depart tomorrow."
"Exactly. So eat, rest, and be ready to prepare by this evening."
"Yeah!" Everyone cheered up.
After eating and cleaning up, we all rested. Even though I wasn't sleepy at first, seeing everyone else sound asleep made my eyes grow heavy.
[Your Constellation Sponsor Wishes to Speak With You Through Your Subconscious]
"Hey Thole, I've been wanting to talk to you for a long time. I've seen your potential from the beginning."
"Whose voice is that?"
I was confused and slightly afraid. I suddenly found myself in a completely dark place. I had just been sleeping at Roro's house, and now I heard someone speaking here in the void.
"You seem like an interesting person."
"Why can I hear a voice in this dark place? Where am I?"
"Just wait… when the time comes, we'll meet again."
"Hey! Who are you? Where am I!?"
"Wait for it… Wait…" The voice slowly faded.
"Aaahhhh!" I screamed and woke up.
The fear from that dream jolted me awake with a loud scream, waking the others as well. They tried to calm me down.
"What's wrong, Jay?" Roro asked, surprised by my scream.
"Haah, haah. (I held my head) Sorry, did I wake you all?"
"Why did you scream, Jay? Is something wrong?" Loka added.
"Ehm… I guess I'm just exhausted."
"Looks like you had a nightmare. Just rest, Jay. Your body and mind need it."
"Yusa is right. Get some proper sleep, Jay." Bima added.
"Yeah… okay. Sorry, everyone. Go back to sleep."
My friends helped calm me down. I couldn't tell them what I dreamed—it might've just been a nightmare caused by exhaustion. Eventually, I fell back asleep and didn't even realize it was already evening.
"Oh, you're awake, Jay?"
"Where is everyone else?"
"They're at the beach."
"You didn't go, Yusa?"
"Nah, I just took a bath instead. I've had enough of the beach."
"Hahaha, alright. I'm going there then."
"Sure."
Since my body felt better, I decided to join them at the beach.
"Hey, Jay. How are you feeling?"
"Hey, Bima. I'm much better now."
"Good to hear."
"You guys were so cruel not to wake me up."
"You were sleeping so soundly. We didn't want to disturb you."
"Hahaha, exactly. Since you're here, jump in!"
"Alright, I'll change first. Wait, aren't we preparing for tomorrow?"
"I said later this evening, not now. It's our last day here—I want to enjoy the beach one last time. Who knows when we'll get to do this again?"
"Fair point."
"Now hurry and change before it gets dark."
"Alright."
After changing, I jumped into the sea. After all the fighting, resting, and now swimming, it really helped refresh me. This was our last day here. Tomorrow, we would continue our journey.
Our laughter and fun here were coming to an end. Even though we only stayed two days, this place meant a lot to all of us. A place full of good memories—relaxation, bonding, and training.
I don't know when we'll have days like these again, especially with more monsters appearing and powerful players like Atma in our path. I'm really lucky to have met these friends who always stand by me.
As night fell, we finished swimming, got changed, and returned to Roro's house to prepare dinner.
As usual, Loka and Roro cooked while Yusa, Bima, and I set the table and got the utensils ready. Once the table was set, I helped Loka bring out the food.
We served the meal on the table, and everyone was ready to eat. As soon as it was all laid out, we dug in. The food was delicious, and we enjoyed every bite.
"Uwahh, I'm stuffed. Thanks for the meal." Bima was full after eating heartily.
"Tonight's our last night here. Tomorrow, we leave."
"That's right, Loka. Our little vacation is over."
"Let's hope our next destination has a place as fun as this."
"Hahaha, you're right, Roro. Let's hope so."
"What's really in Trowulan anyway? Why is everyone heading there?" Loka asked curiously.
"Yeah, the Dungeon there is still a mystery. No real info about what's inside," Yusa added.
"By now, maybe some players have entered it. Since the Dungeon appeared when the Gates first did," Bima said.
"True. If that Dungeon is still standing, then no one has reached the final floor yet."
"Ehm, Jay? How do you know that?" Loka asked me.
(Everyone stared at me)
(thinking) "Oops! I slipped up! What do I do?"
I panicked. I couldn't tell them I knew about this world from the fantasy novel I read. They'd think I was crazy. Especially since that novel doesn't exist anymore.
"Ehh, well… I used to read a lot of fantasy novels. Dungeons always appear in those stories. That's why I know a bit about them. You know—hunters and dungeons, common in fantasy novels." I tried to explain.
"Oh, I see. That makes sense. I've never read fantasy novels though. Hahaha." Yusa believed me.
"But Jay..." Loka was still curious.
Before Loka could ask more, the System window popped up with a new Quest notification. I might've gotten lucky—without that, Loka would've pressed me further about the Dungeon's mystery.
[Quest: Kill Monsters & Find the Dropped Item]
[Time Limit: 2 Hours]
[Starting Now! 01:59:00]
"Ah, look everyone! There's a Quest. Let's go do it."
"What!? Another Quest already? We were going to rest for tomorrow! These Quests always pop up unexpectedly!" Loka grumbled.
"Hahaha, don't worry, sis. Jay, Yusa, and I will handle this Quest. You and Roro can stay here. If it's just monsters, that's easy for us."
"Alright, Bima. If you need us, we'll be ready to help. Be careful."
"Of course, sis. Let's go, Jay, Yusa—let's take them all down!"
"Yeah!"
Bima, Yusa, and I headed out to hunt monsters and search for the item. The reward could be great—items aren't always part of Quest rewards, especially high-grade ones. If one of us found it, it could greatly strengthen the user. Or fetch a high price if sold. We had to find it.
"Let's go! Wipe them all out!"
---
To be continued...