Artemia: Journey To The Thirtieth Floor

5. To Mount Leona

"Alright, a whole day has passed. Everyone seems to have calmed down. But plenty of people died yesterday after taking floor one on without any prior knowledge about it," Blake said and looked at me. He raised a brow at me as if he was taunting me, which annoyed me to death. "So, what are we going to do now?"

I'm not sure if he's trying to mess with me or if he really acknowledges me as the leader of the team. But either way, it doesn't matter. I have decided not to pay attention to his petty little tricks. And it's not like I'm depending on him just because he's an amazing gamer. After they chose me as a leader, I swore to myself that I must keep this team a whole. So if I pick fights with Blake, I wouldn't be able to fulfill my new duty.

Anyway, I was thinking about what to do yesterday with Freya's help. We did a little investigation together by using maps. I also stepped out of the inn to talk to some NPCs, so I was able to figure out the best course of action out of all the possibilities. Of course, I consulted Dylan about this, since he's good at strategies. He said that it seemed good, so I went with it as well.

I cleared my throat as I stepped forward. "We're going to Mount Leona today. It's nearby and I don't think the monsters and animals there would still be wiped out because they respawn within a matter of two hours. I've talked to some people out there and it seems like there aren't that many players there anymore," I said, trying to hide my trembling hands.

Ever since the sun rose, I have been feeling nervous. Blake seems surprisingly strict when it comes to this kind of thing, so I was worried that he might think that my idea was ridiculous. Sure, I recognize my flaws...but Blake is the type to humiliate someone when they do something wrong. He's done it a couple of times in class, and I don't think he wouldn't do it to me.

And...the truth is, I didn't want to open my mouth because I felt like my suggestion would be wrong in their perspective, especially Blake's. Perhaps I was too afraid to disappoint them. I think I'm just putting too much pressure on myself, but I want to do something right for the first time.

The only thing that I could think of is that I was chosen as a leader. I've gained a purpose in this team! Although I just accepted it because no one else wanted to, I thought that it's still necessary for me to do well. I thought...they could depend on me.

Anyway, it seems like Blake is thinking about what I said. I looked at Dylan to make sure that he would help me out in case an argument comes up. Freya would never help me in that situation because she'd end up humiliating both of us. I'd rather have her sit in a corner and watch than ask for her help in a debate.

Dylan smiled at me and looked at Blake with a passive expression. I was afraid that it would spark another argument because the two of them didn't seem to like each other. Maybe I should just refrain from being a bit too clingy with Dylan. I like him, but it'll be a hassle to deal with fights.

Blake looked at me. "That's a good idea. I know a way to reach the mountain without walking," he answered with a blank face as we walked out of the room.

I heaved a sigh of relief and followed him. Ah, I was finally able to relax after the unbelievable amount of tension filled the room earlier. Freya laughed and tapped my back, teasing me. Dylan just smiled and gave me a thumbs-up, telling me that it's okay. I couldn't help but smile a little because of him, so I had to pull myself together.

Anyway, it seems like Blake really knows his way around here, so we just followed. He's more suited to being the leader! I mean, everyone is already relying on him, so I'm a bit upset that they pressured me to be the leader when he's here. I have no complaints if he leads the team as well! But I doubt that he would agree.

"Did you stay up late thinking of that?" Dylan asked as he walked beside me, smiling a little.

I nodded, scratching my nape out of embarrassment. "I also thought of many other possible options but I settled on this one."

"Oh, I see..." he trailed off. "But there's something I'm a bit curious about."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Is there something going on between you and him?" he asked as he pointed at Blake, sounding a little jealous. Oh, gosh. "There's this tension between you two and you looked like your life was at risk a while ago."

My brows furrowed. "Nothing, really. We're just classmates. Why do you ask?"

He sighed. "I was just curious."

I'm not sure if it's just me, but he sounded a little jealous. It was as if he was going to get upset if I said that there was something between me and Blake. Could this mean that he likes me? No, no. It's also possible that he likes Blake. Well, I'm not sure if Dylan is straight anyway. That's why I shouldn't assume anything or put any meaning to his actions. We're friends. Yes, we're just friends.

"Are you sure?" he asked as he eyed Blake.

"I like her," Blake said bluntly as he looked at me, then he turned to Dylan with a subtle glare.

My breathing hitched after hearing what he said. Even after how much he told me that, I thought I'd already gotten used to it. He used to say it like some sort of joke! But now that he said it in a serious way, I couldn't react properly. It was as if my gears stopped functioning and there was absolutely nothing left for me to say!

Dylan looked at me before glaring at Blake as if he was picking a fight. f**k, things took a turn for the worse with a single statement. I looked at Freya to ask for help but it seemed like she found this whole situation interesting. Well, if I'm being honest...it is. But we have to set our priorities straight.

Should I step in...? And what? Tell them to look me in the eye and that the way they're acting isn't like them? I don't think I'll be able to stop them anyway, so...I might just watch from the sidelines. It would be scary, but I think I'd want to witness such a thing!

"Sir, here's your ride to Mount Leona."

I almost heaved a sigh of relief after the driver of the Caterpillar Express came to fetch us. It was the ride that Blake mentioned earlier and it could take us to anywhere we wanted quickly, which I found fascinating. Oh, gosh. I'm glad that he arrived on time because I was about to get a heart attack when Blake held the case of his sword.

Anyway, the tension seems to have gone down because of that, so we proceeded to ride it. I tried to sit beside Freya but she smirked at me and said that she wanted to sit alone. There are eleven rows, including the one where the driver sits, and two people can sit in each row.

This bitch...

I pursed my lips and sat on the seat behind her while my heart was racing like mad. Please, let them sit together because if one of them sits beside me, I don't think I'll be able to bear it. I looked at the two of them only to see them arguing. Right, why did I expect them to just shut up and find their own seat?

I could totally hear them arguing about the seat beside me, but I chose to ignore them. Heck, why are they even fighting about me? It's not like I'm a whole ass goddess for them to go crazy over me. Sure, I'm a bit pretty, but I've got nothing more than that. These guys...

"Who do you want to sit with?" Blake asked me sternly, as if he was telling me to choose him.

Huh...?

Dylan sighed. "She's obviously not comfortable with you. Why would she want to sit beside you?"

I was about to butt in and say that I would rather sit by myself, but Dylan went ahead and sat beside me, something that enraged Blake. He clenched his jaw and I could see that he was about to punch Dylan. f**k, what should I do? I have to step in if they're going to actually fight. The only thing that I want right now is to get to Mount Leona.

"Ah, I think we should hurry up before the others get ahead of us," I said, and pointed in the direction of the mountain.

Blake sighed and sat behind us, shaking his head as if he was really disappointed. I thought he was mad at me and didn't want to be anywhere near me?! He never said that but that was how I felt. And he's not the type who is always serious! Ah, what the hell...

"Are you bothered because of him?" Dylan asked.

Yeah...

I shook my head. "I just don't want you two to fight," I lied.

Dylan smirked. "Glad to know that."

I heard a scoff and a few mutters from behind, but I decided to ignore that and pay attention to the scenery instead. To be honest, this world is really beautiful. The natural resources are still abundant and they look as traditional as they can be, something that made me feel a bit more relaxed.

But there was something that caught my attention, the huge tower that was visible from a few kilometers away. I guess that's the tower, Khrysheira. I see...it's located far from the starter town. I wonder if we can reach that place immediately after farming for a bit. But I doubt it would be a walk in the park.

"The first floor is easy," Blake said, so we looked at him. He licked his lips before speaking. "Don't worry, I can take the final boss on by myself. Just leave that to me."

"But we're a team..." I mumbled. I saw Dylan raising his brow, staring at my face. He's making me feel conscious now!

He pursed his lips and looked away. "Fine, I won't go solo..." he murmured.

I smiled. "I'll try my best! I promise that I won't drag the team down."

Blake gave me a pat in the head with a stifled smile. "Sure."

Heh, he turned soft once again! I thought that he might have been trying to be cold because of what I did, but he seems to still be the Blake that I know. Dylan might not like it, but I'm going to be equally nice to all of them from now on! Of course, I'll be extra nice to Freya, but that's because she's my beloved sister.

I looked at the scenery again, fascinated by literally everything. We're in a different world, after all. Everything here is quite different from Earth's, so I want to see how everything around here works. Although I'm not sure if it's been made possible because of technology or magic. Still, it looked fascinating!

The flowers aren't shaped like Earth flowers are. They're practically just circles with different colors and the grass is blue. The soil is also different because it was greenish or maybe it was just like that because of the leaves? It's certainly odd...

"Cute..." Dylan murmured from beside me.

I looked at him, curious as to what the cute thing was. But he was just looking at me with his usual smile, which made me feel flustered. I could hear furious sighs from behind, so I just pouted and looked away, worried that another argument would occur now that we're near the mountain already.

"Whoa..." I murmured when we finally reached the foot of the mountain.

It's really high and pretty, but it doesn't seem like it'll be a pleasant journey towards the top. I swallowed the lump in my throat, beginning to feel scared because of the mountain's vibe. Maybe I'm just overthinking, but it gave off an eerie vibe. It's as if there's someone there that would suddenly drag you to the depths of hell.

"Hey, are you okay?" Freya asked worriedly.

I pursed my lips as I squeezed her hand. "Yeah."

And then I remembered that we had to pay the driver of the express. I was about to open the main menu to pay the driver but they were gone! Eh...? I blinked twice to see if it was real but they were really gone. Then I guess there's no need to pay.

"Did you-"

"What are you dilly-dallying for? Hurry up," Blake cut me off and went ahead.

I pouted and followed them to the foot of the mountain because we were cautious of other players. The only ones that we can trust right now are our party members, so we can't afford to socialize with others. Although it doesn't seem like there are plenty of people here, it still felt scary. Perhaps the mobs are the ones that scare me the most right now.

Blake looked around before gathering everyone. "The thing is, we can't afford to lose any party members, so we should farm in an area that people won't find easily. I know where those places are. Our leader agrees with me, right?"

Not this again...

I nodded at him, so he did the same and went ahead. We reviewed the type of monsters around these parts and their weak points so we should be able to deal with this quickly. Unless, of course...we're stupid. But we're not, so I think this will be a cinch!

We've also checked our stats, equipment, and skills. The only ones that we haven't seen so far are Blake's abilities. And if I'm being honest, I am looking forward to him. He's a beta tester. As far as I know, he's a pro. He would probably be good at this!

"I'll watch first while the three of you take these monsters on, " Blake said and took a step back.

He's definitely not bragging because I know what expression he makes when he's trying to show off. But he's just serious now, so I'm pretty sure that there was no ill intention behind his words. I'm worried that he's being left behind because he's taking care of us, though.

"What about you?" I asked out of concern.

He shook his head. "I can take all of Mount Leona's strength as a whole...alone."