Elmo’s Concerns

Elin was feeling a lot better. Being able to talk with Elmo about nothing of any importance had helped her relax and mostly forget about the experience of exceeding her MP. Although, running out of her MP was also unsettling, but at least it didn't cause her such excruciating pain as exceeding it had.

"You know, its weird," Elmo commented, bringing Elin back to paying attention again. "You would expect to see at least some insect life here, even if it was gnats or flies."

"Why is that important?" Elin asked, not sure how bus had to do with anything here.

"Not sure," Elmo admitted. "It's just that it feels like something's off. I mean, it's warm enough for insects to be moving around, but I don't even see anything, no signs of them anywhere."

Elin nodded. "Is that the only things that's troubling you?"

Elmo shook his head. "With how slow we seem to be getting Xp for our systems now, you would think that there would be more monsters to fight. Yet, we haven't seen anything at all so far today, and there's also the fact that there isn't much food for us if we don't figure out how to get out of here soon," Elmo replied, then taking a deep breath, apparently trying to calm down. Which Elin thinks it might be doing just that for him. "Really, I think this whole place might be a death trap that will swallow most of us whole."

Elin shivered in spite of herself. "What is there that might change your mind?" Elin asked, not wanting to think that Elmo is right, but couldn't think of anything refute his conclusions with.

Elmo shook his head. "I don't know. It's still too early in whatever this is to say for sure that's what it is," Elmo sighed. "But I just can't help but feel that's what it is."

"I'm sure there'll be something that we'll be able to do when we find whatever challenge we need to beat in this place," Elin argued.

"Maybe, but until then, There's no telling what it is that we have to do. I mean, in a video game, the way out of the dungeon, aside from the way you came in, is typically by defeating the boss of the dungeon. Other methods are possible, but that's typically the way to do it," Elmo replid.

"What's a video game?" Elin asked.

Elmo laughed, making Elin feel like slapping him. It was an honest question, but when he laughed at it, it felt like she was being mocked for some reason. It was a feeling she wasn't accustomed to. For one thing, if her father saw someone mocking her, he'd have banished that individual from his march right away, even if it cost him dearly in his business dealings. So, she wasn't sure what to do about it herself.

When Elmo calmed down, he seemed more relaxed. "Thanks, Elin. I needed that," Elmo said.

Elin regarded Elmo. balefully "I'm not here for you to mock you know," Elin informed him coolly.

"Huh?" Elmo asked, looking confused for a moment before he seemed to realize something. "Oh, sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you feel like I was making fun of you. It's just where I come from video games are so common that only someone from a third-world country wouldn't know what a video game was, and even then, there would be a high chance they knew what it was."

Elin shook her head. Accepting his apology, but not able to let go of her feelings just at the moment. "Are you saying you think I'm from a third-world country?" Elin asked, letting her displeasure ring through her voice.

Elmo chuckled nervously. "I'm not saying that. It's more that because you didn't know what a video game was, I was surprised. You sound like you're from an advanced country in your world, so I would have thought that you'd know what a video game was. Or at least if your world had video games," Elmo answered.

Elin sighed. This wasn't getting them anywhere. "Yeah, well I'm still not used to not being on my father's march. This whole place seems like one contradiction after another," Elin replied, her own fears starting to bubble up inside her.

"You know, there's also a chance that we'll never be able to go back to our worlds," Elmo said, startling Elin.

"What?! How do you know?" Elin asked alarmed.

"Well, the announcement when we started indicated that whoever won this competition thing would be able to return to their world," Elmo said. "Nothing was said about those who didn't win. So, if we're not the ones who win this thing, there's a chance that we won't be able to go to our worlds."

Elin looked away in the distance, not sure what to make of his statement. She hadn't thought about not going home to her father's estate, nor about if she wouldn't be able to return. Her older sister had died from illness a few years back, and her younger brother hadn't proved himself yet, being only eight years old still, which meant that she was the only one who could take her father's title if something terrible happened to him. Especially since he was getting on in years and any number of natural things could occur that would necessitate him having a ready heir to take over for him.

"H-how long do you think we'll be here?" Elin asked, fighting to keep tears or despair from coming out.

"Can't say for sure," Elmo admitted. "I'm not even sure how many challenges we'll have to complete before this whole thing is over."

"I see," Elin said, feeling rather defeated at the moment. Then after a moment, partly trying to change the subject, she added, "I think it might be best if you and I added stats to increase our MP. That way we can cast more spells rather than casting stronger ones."

Elmo was quiet for a minute before he replied. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. Especially when it comes to our on-combat related spells. As in battle, we probably could go through a hundred spells easy and not do that much, but outside of combat, we might drain a lot of our MP through spells that don't directly relate to fighting. Like my 'View Stats' spell and your healing spells. It's hard to say how useful they'd be overall."

"Well, there's also the fact that the more we can use our spells, the more we can build them," Elin returned. "Who's to say that whatever spells we might learn after leveling the skills up, won't help us figure out how to get through this place."

Elmo sighed then smiled kindly at Elin, letting her know that he was done with the topic she'd shifted to. "Regardless, consider this," Elmo said. "Since we can't guarantee we'll be able to return to our own worlds, we should try to find a way to be comfortable here. Maybe we should wait until we're out of this dungeon first, but consider that we should make plans in the even we don't return to our homes."

Elin nodded. She hadn't thought really thought about not returning before this conversation. She had always thought in terms of being able to return to her world, so she wasn't sure what she could do if she wasn't able to.

Elin opened her mouth to say something when Jonas cried out, "Finally! Got it!"

Elmo and Elin turned to look over at Jonas, who was putting his dagger away and pressing or pulling various stone blocks in the middle of the wall where there wasn't anything to indicate there would be something.

However, after a minute or two, of doing whatever it was he was doing, a section of that wall opened up after there was a loud click.

Maybe they wouldn't be able to get home when this was done, but right now Elin wasn't willing to decide things as if they weren't.