------ Carla's Point of View ------------
[Ra… t… ki… d… ra… t… ki… d…]
[What's with that weird snoring…] – I can't help but complain seeing Astrad snoring so comfortably that it would be impossible to associate him with our current situation.
[Kuegk…] – Astrad groans with annoyance when Margaret (whom we asked to come wake him up 20 minutes ago, but who apparently ended up falling asleep with him) puts her heel in his mouth, before letting out a silly, satisfied smile in her sleep.
Then, as if unwilling to put up with it, Astrad also moved his leg, crushing Margaret from her chest to her head. Thus, intertwined in a strange way, they began a sort of ridiculous competition while half-asleep, varying between grimaces of satisfaction and annoyance as they inconvenienced each other.
[I'm not even going to get mad…] – I resign myself upon realizing that, in the first place, we shouldn't have asked a bird of the same feather.
[Astrad, get up already.] – I shake him a bit to wake him up; if he were completely healthy, I could kick him, but let's not do that now.
But while I was thinking about being nice, Astrad suddenly moved a hand and squeezed my chest.
[Hyag?] – I couldn't help but startle and then…
[… Kekeke… Only the best for the rat kid…] – he said in his sleep, with a smug and satisfied smile.
[…. WAKE UP, YOU DAMN BASTARD!] – I flipped the bed.
[[GYAAAAAAAAAAAAA!]]
...…..
--------- Astrad's Point of View -------
[The rat kid is being treated unfairly.] – I complain as I walk out of the shelter house with a sandwich and juice in hand.
[I think my IQ dropped 3 points…] – Rat 9 also suffered a lot.
All because of that damn Carla who threw us out of bed while we were sleeping.
Is that how you wake your king? Damn troglodyte.
[HUMph]
When we look at her with resentment, the culprit just snorts and turns her back on us.
These bitches are already rebellious.
"Nyaaa~~~~" – the shitty magic cat accuses me with disdain as it stretches to the side.
[The rat kid didn't do anything.] – I complain. And in fact, I really didn't do anything this time. What's up with this? I feel dirty.
Is this the bitter sensation of unfair unjustifying injustice, full of unjustifying injustification?
[How did you wake up?] – asked Auntie while I was busy feeling the injustice of the world.
[As if I'd been run over by an orangutan's granddaughter.]
[I CAN HEAR YOU.]
When I sense danger, I quickly hide behind my aunt.
[Is it really necessary for 9 out of 10 of your words to look for trouble?] – the receptionist fox complains.
[It is my sacred duty. The tradition of my illustrious lineage.]
[What the fuck are you talking about…]
Just as I was about to explain to this uncultured fox…
[Seeeenpaaaaiiiii, I want to keep sleeeeeeepinnnggg.] – the brother-in-law comes out carrying the sister-in-law, who complains about being woken up early.
Seeing the tyrant who normally appears on the news surrounded by piles of bloody gang members, being carried like a capricious princess, is an image that says more about the brother-in-law than anything else.
The rat kid respects the brother-in-law… Tyrant Tamer.
[I already told you that you can keep sleeping, I'm carrying you, aren't I?]
[Ummm, then lull me to sleep eee.]
[Seriously, you're already in college and you're still this bad in the mornings. Aren't you embarrassed to make this scene with everyone watching?] – the brother-in-law uses reasoning, but the sister-in-law just buries her face even deeper into the brother-in-law's chest.
[Umm, I'll kill them laaaaater, dead men tell no taaaaales.]
[[[[[GULP]]]]]
Fear. But more importantly.
[… What the hell are you doing?] – Auntie complains when I jump on her back.
[Auntieeeee.] – I try to say something with the sweetest voice I can come up with.
[HYIIIICKKKK!] – But before I can say anything else, Auntie shudders as if she's been electrocuted and throws a punch at my face.
[GYAAAA!] – I scream in pain as I fall to the ground.
[So disgusting, don't you ever dare do that again.] – Auntie complained while rubbing her shoulders as if she wanted to shake off a chill.
And not just her, all the girls in the group began to do something similar while discreetly moving away.
[Gyaahahaha, this is going on the net.] – except for 9, she's just cracking up laughing and recording.
[Damn yooouuu.] – I was about to jump on 9, but I stop when my sleeve is suddenly pulled.
When I turn around, Kora is clinging timidly to me, while the girls cheer her on from behind.
[[[[[Go on, tell Daddy.]]]]]
Daddy? What do you mean Daddy? Where is my wife? What cup size are we talking about?
[What's up?] – I decide not to start a conversation that I am obviously destined to lose and address the problem directly with Kora.
[She's been weird since early on, always looking over there distractedly.] – Ana said.
Then she pointed to the terrace of the mega shopping mall unjustifiably full of weeds, a few minutes' walk away.
[That piece of crap reeks of a mid-boss event.] - I nod at 9's observation.
[Calling…] – Kora finally said, trying to imitate our language, something they've been trying to learn recently.
[Calling? Something is calling you from there?] – Kora nods at my question.
[Do you know what it is?] – asked Grandpa, but Kora just shook her head vigorously.
[What do you think?]
[Well, at this point, I can expect anything.]
[But if we cross the streets in that state, we could end up trapped.]
Soon the difficult conversations break out. Aren't they being a little too willing with this matter?
[When you were asleep, Kora insisted we go out and look for something; from her signs, it seemed like something important to help you, so we convinced everyone to follow her. Then it turned out to be the plant she used to heal you.]
Ana explains when she saw me confused.
Having demonstrated how useful it is to fulfill her wish, I'm not surprised that even Auntie is so receptive.
[But I guess this time it's closer to a whim than something with real utility.] – I ask directly and Kora shrinks further.
"Griii…"
[Kekeeke] – I laugh heartily as I lift Kora like a sack of potatoes.
[A kid needs to know when to be whimsical.] – I say and start walking.
"Griii" – Ruby immediately jumps on my back.
[Bitches, I'll be back in 2 hours or you leave without me.]
I declare turning my back on them with my hand raised in farewell. A cool dramatic exit worthy of the great me.
[AND SINCE WHEN DO YOU GOVERN YOURSELF?]
[GYAAAAAAAA!] ""GRIII??""
I fall to the ground in pain next to Kora and Ruby, when Auntie hits me on the head from behind without warning.
Why did everything turn white?
[Ahh, God. Even you should maintain a minimum of common sense and responsibility. We are in a group now, you know? You can't go around doing whatever you want, especially in such a pitiful state. You can't even take a little tap and you already fall like that.]
Little tap? I almost spat out my damn brain, stupid gorilla.
Ah, colors and shapes are coming back… That's good…
[Well, whatever, guys, I'll be back soon.] – Auntie concludes as she grabs me by the collar of my shirt and carries me on her back as if I were a bag of dirty laundry.
[[[[[WHY DON'T YOU APPLY YOUR OWN DAMN WORDS?]]]]]
[Huh?] – Auntie lets out a stupid voice when she gets scolded.
Me? I feel happy that my vision is focusing again.
.........
[This is stopping to be funny.] – Auntie mutters with feigned bravery, in front of the mall that now looks like a Jurassic Park facility, 100 years after the breakout.
Although instead of dinosaurs, what's walking around are long-legged insects.
Long-legged ants, long-legged flies, and in general, the insects you might expect in a suburban area, in long-legged version.
[A commercial forest?] – I finally conclude after much thought. "Commercial forest" is definitely the correct name.
[Oh, good name.] – the Gorilla Tamer agrees with me, case closed.
[Are you really having this conversation now?] – Auntie complains, obviously not understanding the romance of the commercial forest.
Currently, we are hiding in the shadow of the buildings near the commercial forest.
In the end, Auntie and John, the Gorilla Tamer, accompanied me along with the goblins.
The team is small for the simple reason that if a conflict is inevitable, then we drop this and go home.
[Hyick?] – Auntie clings to John scared when she sees a long-legged cockroach pass relatively close to us. It is literally the size of a pickup truck.
[I like it here. Kug] – John concludes; the rat kid cannot judge that.
When John is being scolded for being a loudmouth, I look at Kora who was already observing the commercial forest with a sad expression.
"Grii" – Ruby sends me that pleading look while comforting her sister.
Aren't these goblins too self-aware? Are they supposed to be this smart?
On the other hand, I don't know if calling them goblins at this point is correct. I'm not even entirely sure it was correct to have called them goblins at any point.
[Kekeke, hey, isn't this when you pull out one of your new superpowers and whatever is calling you comes to us in a magic light or something?]
I say it jokingly while petting Kora's head, but…
"Gri? … Griii" - somehow, she seems to have taken my comfort seriously and raised her hand in the direction of the commercial forest before starting to make faces as if concentrating hard.
Ruby also started supporting her, putting her hands on Kora's back and making similar faces.
[Imbecile, now they really are going to cry.]
[You screwed up, kid.]
[Kug…]
Auntie and the Tamer are already scolding the rat kid. Great, now the rat kid has more problems.
Just when I was thinking if I should find a way to set that place on fire and take whatever we are looking for amidst the chaos...
For some reason, the goblins started to glow.
""Griii"" – They let out a low squeal as the glow grows. Ruby glows with a slight touch of crimson, while Kora's glow is an intense green.
If the rat kid has learned anything, it's that "glowing" equals bad.
Bom
[[[…]]]
As if wanting to answer my bad feeling, an intense light was emitted from inside the commercial forest.
But as soon as it starts, it fades… only for a small seed to appear in Kora's palm... A bean? All that little light show for a bean? These brats are defective; if you're going to make so many little lights, at least summon a dragon or something.
"Grii" – Kora squeals excitedly hugging the bean, even though she looks exhausted with shortness of breath. On the other hand, Ruby looks happy for her, but seems even more exhausted.
GRAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
But, of course, everything goes to shit when a furious roar is heard from the commercial forest, vibrating the earth and shattering nearby glass.
[Let's get the fuck out, let's get the fuck out, let's get the fuck out.]
Quickly Auntie and John grab the girls and we start running, while the long-legged insects around the commercial forest went crazy.
CRACKKK
While we were running, something smashed through the roof of the commercial forest. An immense shadow plummeted to the ground like a newly bought car thrown by Superman at an enemy only to miss miserably.
CRACKKK
The ground rumbled when the damn thing crashed against it, a few meters from where we had been.
It was big, even bigger than the Orc Boss.
Unfortunately, its level of epicness and terror was minus ten.
[Toad-eater?] – I say without stopping running.
To put it bluntly, leaving aside its absurd size and strange colors… It's a fucking toad.