Nightmare Game
Copyright© 2025 by CaffeinatedTales
Chapter 61
Silence fell; despite earlier wishful thinking and avoidance, they couldn’t deny Ethan’s logic.
Seeing their hesitation, he sensed they were swaying and pressed on. “The village head said we’d get one task daily, specifically mentioning to return after four in the afternoon.”
“Those who’ve done Dreamplay know that any time-specific instruction carries weight; breaking it could trigger a crisis.”
“I suspect this is no exception: ignoring or missing the deadline might bring disaster.”
“Are you willing to stake your survival on that earlier guess?”
Oliver scratched his head, looking at Ethan. “Man, my brain’s not cut out for this; just tell us what to do next.”
Eyes turned to Ethan, a mix of unease and hope.
He thought for a moment, then addressed them. “We’re on the back foot because we lack info. I suggest we carry out the village head’s tasks while digging into Arachnis and the village.”
“The official festival starts in four days, so even if we spot something off, we’ve got time to pull out.”
“What do you think?”
Oliver was first to agree. “Sounds good to me.”
“Makes sense.”
“I’m in.”
With someone leading, the group’s mood shifted quickly; in such a tense setting, people often followed the crowd.
Relieved to see progress, Ethan exhaled.
He’d feared they’d all quit, leaving him to handle the tasks alone while facing their resentment.
“Let’s settle on that then,” Bennett cut in.
“One more thing: gathering info in this creepy village is tricky. Group action is slow, but going solo risks danger.”
“So I propose we split our nine into three teams; how’s that sound?”
No one, including Ethan, objected, so Bennett continued. “Who here has a Blessing?”
They glanced around; only Jack stepped forward.
“Just two of us?” Bennett frowned.
One more would’ve let them place a Blessed member in each team.
“You all know Blessed folks have a higher margin for error in Dreamplay; I suggest Jack and I each lead a team to keep everyone safer.”
“For the third team...”
He looked at Ethan, impressed by his mental sharpness and composure, though puzzled why someone so capable hadn’t earned an animal’s favor in prior Dreamplays.
Even without a Blessing, he saw Ethan as the clear choice for third team leader.
“Ethan, will you take it?”
“Sure.”
Ethan didn’t refuse, though he preferred going solo. Having already challenged their ideas, acting too independent now might sour the mood unnecessarily.
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