Chapter 31: A Secret in the Tent

Chapter 31: A Secret in the Tent

I sat inside the tent, waiting for Rem to return with Sherial. Through the thin fabric, I could hear muffled voices, dull footsteps, and the clinking of metal — the camp was still alive even after the battle. But inside the tent, it was quiet. And slightly unnerving.

Not long ago, I had been standing on top of the massive stone wall, watching the battle. The first wave of monsters hit us with unexpected ferocity — deafening roars, screams, flashes of magic. But thanks to Rem’s golems and the coordinated actions of the adventurers, we managed to stop the wave.

When the battle ended, I remained frozen on the wall. Then Rem came up to me and told me to follow her.

I followed her without question. She walked ahead confidently, heading toward the largest tent in the camp. Next to it stood a girl who looked about sixteen. Rem calmly asked if we could use the tent, and the girl, though a bit surprised, agreed.

We stepped inside.

Right after that, Rem asked me to take her to the training room. There, she asked several questions — she wanted me to tell her everything I knew about my skill. I explained how the training room worked, how time flowed in it, who could enter, and what happened inside.

After listening, she asked me to leave her there alone for a while. I did so. And when I came back a few minutes later, I brought her back to the tent.

She simply said to stay and left. I assumed she had gone to get Sherial.

I think it was her idea… that we could hide inside the training room. Me, Sherial, and Rem. Yes, it really is a great plan.

Why didn’t it come to my mind earlier? I just stood there, shaking in fear. But Rem — she’s an experienced adventurer. She didn’t panic. She came up with a solution.

In the training room, nothing can reach us. We’ll be safe. But… accelerated time now works against us. Even if we spend a week in there — only a couple of hours will pass here. Maybe even less.

The monsters won’t stop. They’ll keep coming. And even if we avoid the worst phase, the danger will still remain.

What if we stay in the room for months? That’s possible too. But I can’t sleep there… That’s a serious problem. This skill has so many limitations…

I used to think it was almost cheat-level. Like a gift from fate. But in truth — it has so many downsides.

Well… I have health potions. If I use them wisely, I might be able to go without sleep for quite a while. A human body can survive three or four days without sleep — if I remember correctly. But potions restore the body. So they should relieve fatigue too. Physical fatigue, at least.

If I drink several potions a day — two, maybe three — I might be able to stay awake for a month. Or even more.

But they don’t heal the mind. They don’t cure mental exhaustion. The fatigue of thoughts. Insomnia doesn’t just hit your body, but your head too… your consciousness. So I’ll have to… try to think less. No calculations, no deep thoughts. Just sit, rest. Preserve myself.

Yes. It’s still the best plan. As soon as Rem and Sherial return, we’ll leave. We’ll transfer there.

To a safe place.

The flap of the tent lifted — and Rem rushed inside.

“Where’s Sherial?” flashed through Alisar’s mind, but he didn’t even manage to open his mouth.

— Take me to the training room. Now, — she said quickly, rushing as if every second mattered.

He was about to ask why Sherial wasn’t with her. But looking at Rem’s face, he understood: if she was in a hurry, there had to be a reason. Without a word, he activated the skill.

Darkness enveloped them — and a moment later, they were in the training room.

— Listen carefully, — Rem spoke clearly and without pause, as if she had already gone over this many times in her head. — You’ll go back to the tent. Leave me here. Come back and get me in about five minutes. Got it?

— Okay, — he replied almost mechanically.

After leaving Rem in the training room, Alisar returned to the tent. Silence surrounded him, broken only by the faint murmur of voices outside.

“What does this all mean?.. Why isn’t Sherial with her? Did I misunderstand something? Or does she have another plan?”

He frowned. “Doesn’t matter. The important thing is — she said to return in five minutes.”

He looked around. No clock, no hourglass — nothing. Just him and the tent.

“How will I know when exactly five minutes have passed?.. I’ll just count. In my head. Or out loud. Doesn’t matter. The key is to focus.”

He sat down on his knees, straightened his back, and began counting:

— One, two, three…

At first — quietly, in a whisper. Then louder and more clearly:

— One hundred twelve… one hundred thirteen… one hundred fourteen…

His voice gradually grew louder, as if with each number he was trying not just to measure time, but to drown out the thoughts, worries, and questions.

— Two hundred ninety-nine… three hundred.

He fell silent, focused — and activated the skill.

Darkness swallowed him for a moment, and he was back in the training room. Rem, who had been sitting cross-legged, rose immediately.

— Take us back to the tent, — she said briefly, already approaching.

Alisar didn’t ask. He just nodded, touched her shoulder — and they vanished.

A moment later, the tent once again covered them.

When they returned, Rem just stood still. She held her hand up, as if ready to lift the flap again, and froze mid-movement. Seconds passed — silence, stillness, tense expectation.

Then she slowly lowered her hand.

— Take us back to the training room, — Rem said calmly but firmly.

Alisar said nothing. He just nodded and activated the skill. The next moment, they were back in the familiar white room.

He gave her a puzzled look. It all seemed strange — why come back, stand for a few seconds, and then leave again? What was going on?

Rem looked at him. One short glance — and it seemed she understood.

— You don’t get it, do you? — she asked softly, without blame, but with a hint of weariness.

Alisar silently nodded.

— Alright, — Rem took a breath and slowly exhaled. — I’ll try to explain clearly and simply.

She turned slightly, as if seeing the scene at the wall again.

— In the tent… I summoned golems. On the other side of the wall, — she said calmly.

“Now it makes sense,” thought Alisar. “Wait—what?!”

— As for why we returned here… — Rem continued. — I can’t summon golems endlessly. I have about eighty-five thousand mana. One fifth-rank golem costs ten thousand. That means — eight summons. No more.

She spoke evenly, emotionless, but with clear inner focus.

— Lower-rank golems… — she shook her head. — Are useless in this situation.

Alisar listened silently. He could feel anxiety growing inside. Her words were clear, logical… and heavy.

— And this is where your skill becomes crucial, — she said. — Here in the training room, time flows hundreds of times faster, just like you said. That means I can restore mana much faster.

She paused, looked at him, and added:

— Yes, I could have used mana potions, — she said calmly. — But I don’t have any. I always sold the ones I got to the Guild — I never needed them. And even if I did, you can only drink seven or eight in a day. Any more, and my body can’t take it. You know that — you’ve experienced it.

Alisar nodded. She was right.

— Good. Then as I said, you’ll leave. And come back in five minutes.

— But… I could stay a bit longer, — he suggested hesitantly.

— No, — she replied sharply. — You said it yourself: if you get tired and fall asleep, you’ll be ejected back into the real world. We don’t know how long this wave will last. You need to be ready.

She stepped closer, her gaze hardening.

— If you stay here longer — you’ll get tired. It’s pointless. And if you fall asleep — I’ll be stuck here for too long. I can’t leave by myself. And then it’s over, — she said firmly.

Rem was right.

He really had to preserve his strength. He didn’t know how long this dangerous situation would last, and he couldn’t risk being exhausted at the worst moment.

About five hours passed.

Every five or six minutes, Alisar returned to the training room, brought Rem back to the tent. She would summon another golem beyond the stone wall, where the monsters would appear — and he would return her to the training room to restore mana.

Again and again.

Few words — only short phrases broke the silence. Everything was done clearly, calmly, almost emotionlessly. Alisar returned, transferred Rem, and left.

But this time, when he brought her to the training room again, Rem suddenly said:

— I need water. As much as possible.

He nodded silently and returned to the tent. Yes, water. She really needed it. Only five hours had passed here… but for her, it could’ve been nearly a month. Maybe more. Maybe less. Either way — an eternity.

He opened the flap and stepped outside.

Three people stood near the tent — two men and one woman, seemingly guarding it. One of them looked familiar.

Then Alisar realized.

It was the same leader who had commanded the adventurers when they first arrived at the wall.

“What is he doing here?..”

His heart clenched. He felt fear.

— What’s wrong? — the man asked calmly, attentively.

— N-nothing, — Alisar replied. — I just… need water.

— Water? — the man repeated. — How much?

Alisar swallowed and said:

— As much as possible.

— Kraiv, Ellina… get as much water as you can, — the man ordered, calm but firm.

The man and woman nodded and hurried off. Within minutes, dozens of barrels filled with water were brought to the tent. Each likely held twenty-five or thirty liters.

“Where did they get all this?.. Doesn’t matter,” he thought.

Without wasting time, he carried the barrels into the tent one by one. No one stopped him. No one asked questions. When he brought in the last one, he turned and said:

— Thanks.

Then slipped behind the flap.

He didn’t know why they helped. But it didn’t matter. There were more important things now.

He brought all the barrels into the training room. Twenty-one in total.

“That should be enough for now,” he thought.

Rem said the same.

A couple hours later, she asked for more water.

Alisar hesitated. Before stepping out, he decided: if the same three were still there, he’d ask again. Maybe they knew where to get more.

He straightened his back and stepped outside.

And stopped.

The same three were still there, standing as before, guarding the tent. But before he could speak, his gaze moved ahead on its own.

In front of the tent stood hundreds of barrels of water.

Alisar couldn’t believe his eyes.

“The water problem… is solved?” he thought.

He silently walked up to one barrel, checked the lid, and began moving them inside — first into the tent, then, one by one, into the training room.

From then on, he returned every few hours to carry in another batch.

If this continued…

If no one interfered…

If Rem could summon enough golems…

Then maybe — just maybe — they would survive this.

---

POV: Lili

“Why wasn’t I allowed to go with the others?..”

They were up there, nearby — on the wall. And she was left here, near the tent.

“They said it was safe here. That someone had to stay and guard the camp…”

She clenched her fingers.

“But I’m an adventurer too. I want to fight.”

It wasn’t fear she felt — it was frustration. They didn’t take her seriously. Though…

“Well, I did just reach Rank E. And everyone else in our group is already experienced…”

She sighed deeply and looked toward the walls blocking her view of the battlefield.

“Still… I’m upset. What if they… die?..”

“No, no, no. Don’t think that. No one’s going to die. No one! Don’t even let the thought in.”

Suddenly, she heard a lot of noise.

Loud shouts, stomping, explosions of magic — bright flares of light lit up above the stone walls. Spells erupted one after another, like fireworks in the night. It was all so close, just dozens of meters away — above her, beyond the towering stone blocks.

“It’s started,” she thought, tensing.

Her heart pounded faster. Lili stood frozen, staring toward the wall, even though she couldn’t see anything from this side.

Only a few minutes passed.

And suddenly — silence.

As if everything stopped at once. Then — voices. Cheerful, relieved. Someone laughed. Someone called out to a friend. Conversations and laughter floated down from the wall.

So everything turned out okay.

Lili exhaled in relief.

— Thank the gods… — she whispered softly, and a quiet, timid hope flared up inside her.

She was genuinely happy.

But as far as she knew, this was only the beginning.

The first wave. Others would surely follow. Possibly stronger. Possibly far more terrifying. And joy quickly gave way to anxious anticipation.

Lili stood still, eyes fixed on the stone wall. As if hoping that, if she stared long enough, she might catch a glimpse of what was happening above.

And then — movement.

Two figures began descending from the top of the wall.

A girl and a boy. They moved quickly, confidently, like they were in a hurry. When they reached the ground, they headed straight toward the camp.

Toward Lili.

She froze.

— To me?.. — she whispered, straightening up instinctively.

They came closer. No hesitation in their steps. Their goal was clear.

Her heart beat faster.

They were getting close.

The girl — walking confidently ahead. The boy — slightly behind, but not far.

Lili stepped back involuntarily.

The girl walked right up to her and asked without delay:

— Is this your tent?

The question was sharp, almost commanding.

Lili was caught off guard.

— Yes… I mean, no… It’s our group’s tent, — she stammered.

— Can we use it? — the girl asked, as if it was already decided.

Lili hesitated again, confused:

— Yes… I mean, no… Why do you need it?

— It’s urgent, — the girl cut her off, her voice firm, almost threatening.

Lili swallowed hard. Her chest tightened.

— Fine… Just please don’t touch anything, — she said quietly.

Without hesitation, the girl stepped inside. The boy followed, not even glancing at Lili.

“Damn… Why did I let them?” — Lili clenched her fists, feeling cold in her chest. — “But… the way she spoke… It wasn’t a request. It was a command.”

She bit her lip, staring at the tent flap.

“What will I tell the others? They’ll definitely scold me… And why did they need our tent specifically?”

She wondered.

The boy and girl… They had just been up on the wall. The first wave had just ended — and they immediately came down. To this tent.

“What are they doing in there?..”

Her gaze turned anxious. And then a thought flashed through her mind — fast, almost insane.

“No… That can’t be.”

“No, that’s a silly thought. No one would do that in a situation like this, when we could all die…” — she told herself. But her eyes stayed glued to the tent.

Still, the thought wouldn’t go away. It pulsed somewhere deep in her mind like a splinter.

“But… what if?..”

She shifted awkwardly. Scenes from books she had secretly read under the covers at night floated in her mind.

Romantic books.

Forbidden. Passionate.

“Sometimes,” the heroes in those stories would say, “it’s only when we’re close to death that we truly begin to live…”

“What if… they thought the same? That we might all die… and decided… right now… even in a dangerous situation…”

She exhaled sharply. Her face burned. Her ears were on fire.

— No, no, no! — she whispered again, clenching her fists. — Stop thinking like that, Lili!

But the thoughts wouldn’t stop. Every second the tent stayed closed felt like an eternity.

“What are they doing in there?..”

Lili quietly approached the tent, trying not to make a sound. She didn’t even know why — she just… just needed to know. Needed to confirm that her wild thoughts were just fear and fatigue.

She leaned in and pressed her ear to the thick fabric. No rustling, no sound — only the muffled breath of the dungeon, as if it too was holding its breath with her.

She was about to pull away when suddenly — the flap opened sharply.

Lili nearly screamed, jerking back. Her heart pounded like a drum. The girl emerged — with the same confident expression, as if nothing had happened. She didn’t even notice Lili. Or pretended not to.

She walked past in silence, heading back toward the stairs to the wall.

Lili remained standing, trying to catch her breath.

“Stupid, stupid Lili… — she scolded herself. — What are you even thinking? They wouldn’t do that. Not in a situation this dangerous…”

But something inside her still wouldn’t settle.

Just a few minutes passed — and the girl returned again. Without a word, she disappeared behind the tent flap once more.

Lili kept staring at the gently swaying fabric.

“No… but what if… what if it’s true?..”

She crouched down again and pressed herself against the tent wall, her whole body leaning in, as if trying to feel something, to catch even the faintest hint.

As if searching for proof of the impossible.