Finally back at the rest stop, seeing the old motel room that was the only thing Mai owned, she smiled to herself sadly, with a sense of dread.
Adam just looked at her silently, not talking, letting her experience it.
[Adam: Rehan… can't we just take her through the Tower?]
[Rehan: Let's see… you can't. You're the only one who can enter. You can purchase her in the creation point.]
Adam grew annoyed and angry, squinting at Rehan, while Rehan looked anxious, smiling oddly.
Owner: Level 2Adam…
Creation Point: [1000]
[Go Back Home?][Yes] [No]
Mechanical World… [Pending shop]
Dream World… [Pending…]
As I looked at Manori, I suddenly bought a food course cuisine. I swiped my hand, spending 1 point on food—rice with curry and some beef on the left, broccoli and beans on the right, with sliced chicken varnished with bread in the middle. It was a large, hot dish.
"Here."
Mai was surprised to see a dish appear, hunger hitting her hard. Her stomach gnawed at her as she realized how long it had been since she had eaten anything. "How?"
Adam: "Food."
Moments passed as we set the plate on the stable ground near a wall table. A tree at the center waved its leaves over us. I handed her a spoon and fork, and we ate—grabbing the crabs and eating them.
The curry in my mouth had a delectable aroma, squishy, slightly chewy, tender enough to almost fall apart, the sweet scent clinging to the air around us. It truly was a large dish.
Mai gobbled up the beef curry and the rice, eating as if she hadn't had something like this in a long time. She remembered eating with her family at restaurants during holidays. It felt great.
Adam and Mai ate chopped chicken pieces coated in ketchup, seasoned with chili, garlic, and pepper. The meat was thick to chew, soft, coated fully in the ketchup so the flavor covered her whole mouth.
There were plump mushrooms at the side, giving a bland but grounding taste.
After some moments passed…
Mai: "Where did you get this!?"
Thankfully the creation system had spare paper towels for our mouths. Adam said, "Magic."
Mai: "Teach me… how is this possible? Am I going crazy? Am I dreaming or something?" She pinched herself, but it didn't work. She was still awake. She wondered if this was schizophrenia. Did delusions even create something like this? She was confused.
She smiled tiredly, looking at herself, then at him. "Why do you want to help me?"
Adam looked at her, putting the plate into a trash bag. Mai thought it could still be useful. "What do you mean?"
Mai: "What's your purpose… helping me?"
Adam: "I want to."
Something blocked her from expressing her thoughts. She tried to speak but felt it get stuck, still afraid even when someone wanted to help her. She held his hands. "What do you want?"
Adam: "You." He looked at her.
Mai stared blankly. "Me?"
Adam: "You, the person. I want you. And…" He looked away. "When I want something close to me… I never want it to disappear. Does that make sense?"
Mai: "I'm useless…"
Adam: "That doesn't matter." He remembered Manori helping him even through the toughest times, helping a stranger she didn't even know. "You're not as useless as you think."
It was so weird… the sky looked like a doodle.
Mai: "So you want me to come with you?" Her heart trembled with anticipation and fear. Her mind was happy, confused, and scared all at once.
Adam smiled and spent 50 creation points. A goldfish the size of a horse flew through the air. Monsters and animals—wolves and strange creatures—surrounded them, surprising her. "I don't know… but… wait. Because no matter how long, I'll save you... And by this youll know... That I exist... Im real" Golems rested around them.
He bought a floating radio that played music… and a wand. He tossed it to Mai. When she waved it, colorful blue flowers and glowing petals appeared in the night, the grass lighting up as it responded to the wand.
Adam: "Man… dream items are great…"
Mai smiled as imagination came alive. "Haha… how?" She flailed the wand around as butterflies appeared, vines and moss spread and moved the way she wanted.
She ran around creating things of fantasy, wolves cuddling against her, golems lifting her up nine feet from the ground.
I sighed softly, relieved it was midnight or people might see this. Grateful for how empty this old place was…
Mai smiled blankly at nothing, feeling happiness. As if the previous experiences didn't matter anymore.
Nothing matters in the face of a happiness you can actually see. But part of her was scared that it would fade… that it was only a delusion. Thoughts ran wild—of other people like her. People in poverty. Broken families. Disasters. People in sickness with no one to save them.
People in disaster, people murdered, people wrongly accused, people who failed, people suffering.
She smiled sadly… at everything happening around her.
She was tired...