My eyes widen as I point at him, but before I talk, he continue.
We're still there, in the middle of the hallway.
"Do you truly think you're the only one that realized the problem? They are getting comfortable"
Snapping my finger, I point at him, a smile climbing on my face.
SOMEONE ELSE NOTICED THE PROBLEM!
"Fuck, I thought I was the only one!"
He sigh and look around "No you're not."
He fiddle with his sling. Eyes looking down at it, inspecting it, stretching it. Figuring out whatever he need to figure out.
And that's while doing that, that he throw those next words at me
"You should do something about it."
I should.
Wait
Wait what? Me? What?
"The fuck you mean?"
He wave his hand around "You want to fight, like me" wait wait, I don't want to fight.
First off, I think that's a big difference.
I just want to advance, I want to go home, that's different.
But he continues before I can clarify.
"They listen to you, just say you're healed in a loud enough voice, say we'll move, and they will move."
"You're overthinking this, this is a problem yes. But this was to be expected, we have food, water, and a place to sleep after all"
The misunderstanding, that's still building up. Since hulk, fizzle out of my mind as his words.
I don't really think about clarifying anything about the fighting thing, too absorbed by the simple words.
Is that all? Can I just do that and take care of the problem?
Can I just stop it with some simple words and confidence?
Looking back at malfoy. Who's looking at me after answering with the exact shit. Like, I wasn't expecting him to figure out the problem too.
And even better, he just straight up give me a solution.
So I think it's normal my brain do a small short circuit.
And my hands do to, my finger pointing at him in a sort of finger gun as I try to indacate something.
Doesn't work that well.
"Yes?"
Wait wait he's talking focus Lud.
"You just said..." He frown, completly lost at what's happening, and I get it. I would be completly lost too.
Probably.
"I mean, like!" Pushing my hand up fast in exclamation, he look at them like they are a weapon of war and answer before I talk again.
"You thought you were the only one that noticed?"
YES!
His shoulders drop and he sigh.
"Are you still on that ludger? You do have some problem noticing the obvious, I already answered you."
AND FUCK YES HE DID!
My hands come down on my hips as I release a big sigh of relief "well damn I thought I was the only one"
He close his eyes and take a big breath before pointing at me. "You already said that."
Damn damn, alright focus ludger. Calm your brain.
Good good. I can feel it, the double shock from malfoy noticing, and then just telling me I can take care of it by speaking three words move away.
Soon enough I'm back! Thoughts normal!
Malfoy focus back on his sling, turning it around and analyzing it like it's a fucking sci-fi weapon.
"I'm pretty sure everyone know."
Turning my head back to look at him, my face do some strange ass shit as I wonder what he's talking about.
But really I'm just hiding the truth, I think I got what he meant too.
Yes. I can understand something again when my brain doesn't fucking short circuit. Damn that was embarrassing.
Turning my head to look back toward the safe zone I sigh, I'm sighing too much.
"Yeah, yeah, they won't move if nobody push them a bit."
"Can you blame them though?"
2 months ago I would have said no.
Today though? This month though? Yes.
But before I answer he continue "we are in a pretty good situation all things considered." Before I can refute him, he wave at an invisible thing.
"Doors, and homicidal goblins non included, we are pretty comfortable here"
Turning my head slowly to look back at him, I really want to retort back to him.
Just to counter him, just to avoid agreeing with him.
But that's probably only because I want to go back home as soon as possible.
Alright Lud, you were already being crazy when you tested this grandpa skill, so let's calm down, and see it logically.
He's right.
"Yeah, yeah. I guess it would be easier to hype us up to go fight giant boors if we didn't had food, a bed, and infinite water in our inventory all things considered."
Nodding back he struggle a bit with the miniature throwing shit before putting it back in his inventory "indeed it would have been easier. But maybe it is a part of said tutorial"
Humming a tone as an answer, I think about what he said for a while.
It may actually be a part of the tutorial, like:
'Will you content yourself with mediocrity and live here? Or will you challenge the heaven like some kind of crazy xianxia shit!'
The skills names sound xianxia too.
My eyes roam to the open hole, the one leading to the safe zone, and especially how we opened it.
Not one. There wasn't even a slight hint at what to do to open them.
It was pretty obvious but, there is really nothing forcing us to continue...
During the hearth room we didn't have food or water, so maybe this pushed us. But since we found the small groove?
Nothing.
The more I think about it. The more logical it feels. I don't know much about the system, actually I almost don't know anything.
But this system seems related to power isn't it? The challenges are fights.
Even if you can get creative with them like we did to kill the goblins during the night.
I lick my lips. Thinking faster.
But overall. They are fight. They are dangerous situation you need to go against, or fucking die. There isn't a middle ground.
Just go. Hope to get a point to get SLIGHTLY stronger, and die if you lose.
What the hell is this difficulty? What the hell is this design even about?
Apart from the desire to go home, at least for me, what push people to go forward?
Nothing. Almost nothing. Because really, let's talk a bit about the sheer luxury we're in.
No really. We live in luxury.
We're not...comfortable comfortable, but we have water, food, and even a bit of privacy in a bathroom.
A bathroom, really? Did you ever see a litrpg where the protagonist is given a free toilet during the tutorial?
We don't have entertainment yes.
But we're still surrounded by people, and we also have a lot of space to move around in the safe room.
It's just WAY more comfortable to stay there than to go risk your life, safety, and comfort.
A nasty part of myself rear it's head back in the bottom of my gut, for once I'm glad it's here.
"Procrastination is a fucking mess"
He nod back at me "it is."
We stay together in silence for a while, just resting here, thinking.
Before he break the silence again. "What are you going to do about it?"
Well, I would love to waste on my bed with some of those snack bars.
Even if they are bland. Not disgusting. Just bland. See luxury!
Unfortunately for me, my hands are twitching.
And I barely managed to stop myself from going to the next door injured, just to go faster.
If they can't move without me pushing them a bit, then I'll be their deadline.
"I'll push them a bit"
Turning around, my steps lead me back to the open hole "we'll go to the next door tommorow at best, ready yourself"
I hear his humming from behind me as I leave.
Procrastination, bane of the earth.
And a great coping mechanism.
...I'm not the only one going crazy am I?