The mountain was very high, with almost no escape routes at this altitude.
I was done explaining the plan to my teammates "Do you guys understand now? Make sure to do everything you can."
"Yes, we will. This is what our life depends on." Conrad replied.
"Alright, now Conrad and I will make a run for it, you two do as I told you," I told Alina and Alvin.
Conrad and I sneaked towards the enemy.
Eventually, we got closer to them. I could see Alina and Alvin peeking towards our way. I immediately signalled them with a wave, and they started moving too.
A few moments ago…
Apparently, Alvin discovered that we could still buy from the shop, but the item could only be used in this Dream.
We used this chance to buy a flare gun and 3 charges for it. It seemed like it was better to buy a gun, but we were short on coins, and none of us was the type of person to kill.
We also got a little bit of other stuff, too.
Into the present moment…
Alvin got the signal and fired the flare towards the opponent. It blasted into shiny orbs that flew around the enemy, and fire spread out.
"Looks like it wasn't a normal flare gun," I told Conrad "This is our chance, let's move now."
I threw a smoke bomb into the fireplace, where most of the enemy looked distracted but aware. The smoke mixed with the fire to create a spiral flame around the area.
The screams of the enemy could be heard, but it was not our concern anymore, because Conrad immediately used his Speed up skills to dash onto the back of the "leader" and get 1 of the flags.
Unfortunately, we couldn't get the other flag, because the other team noticed.
They immediately started charging towards us with their fists.
WHOOM. Someone threw a punch at me; luckily, I dodged it.
The people were too many to deal with, since we were down one man, and the other two aren't made for fighting.
Just as I thought this, I saw a spark of light from the other team's flag bearer. It was Alvin.
He used some sort of skill to go near the flag bearer and ambush him.
"LUMIAN! Take this." Alvin said as he threw the flag towards me.
I jumped up and caught the flag before anyone noticed. I started to look for an escape route.
"You really think you can escape now?" A random said from the other team.
"Yes, I do," I replied.
"Quite the confidence you have," he said. "You guys! Come here, look who I found with the other flag."
"Lumian!" Conrad shouted.
"Don't come here! Run and take the flag away, secure more points. Me dying and you guys surviving is better than all of us dying because of me." I shouted to Conrad.
But he started running to me either way.
"I told you to go." I scolded him.
"I don't really care. After all, who will help us with the other dreams?" He asked.
"Well then, you're stuck with me," I told him.
"So what's the plan?" He asked me.
"See that valley down there. Let's use the flags and jump. Put the poles into the ground so that we'll reduce fall damage." I explained to him while looking down into the valley.
"That's risky. But what has to be done has to be done." He understood.
"What're you two planning? Your death," the random replied mockingly.
I immediately snapped the flag in half while looking at Conrad. He understood what to do and copied me.
"You think that'll help you escape or fight us?"
"No, but this will," I told him while signalling Conrad. We threw the other snapped bit on the other team and jumped off the cliff.
"Hopefully this works," I shouted to Conrad as we were falling. I stuck the stick into the ground, and thankfully, it started to slow us down. It was halfway working, but I was still falling at death's speed.
Conrad, on the other hand, was doing fine; he used his feet to slow himself. "Wish I had that physique," I thought to myself.
I decided to try his strategy, but upon reviewing it, I took an extra step. I put my hands and feet on the ground. The sheer speed and friction immediately started hurting my hands, but I know that these wounds will heal after we complete the Dream.
THUMP…
We reached the ground, but I couldn't get up. My hands and legs gave out, and all I could see was Conrad, all I could hear was. "Get up, Lumian, those guys are catching up."
"SIIEEGGGGGG!!" Conrad screamed.
*Author note: Sieg is a war scream for victory in German*
Your morale, resolve, and abilities have been boosted. Conrad had a war scream skill. I got up and started running with him. My body felt lighter and faster due to his scream.
I then saw the other team sprinting for us. "Conrad, they're catching up. What should we do?" I asked him.
"I don't know, only the gods can help now," Conrad replied. "But either way, we still have a chance. Look at the team notification."
The team notification had 3 messages.
[Your team has captured a flag from the Pink team]
[Your team has captured a flag from the Orange team]
[Your team has captured a flag from the Orange team]
Looking at this meant that Freya soloed Pink team for a flag. This meant that even if we lost a flag from this place, we could still win.
[Time remaining: 00:24:46]
We still have 24 minutes to keep this flag with us. But I don't think we can keep this going on.
"Conrad. How will we keep running from the Orange team for 24 minutes?" I asked Conrad.
"I don't know, but just have faith." He replied.
Faith, he said. What's faith going to do? But we just have to keep running until the time ticks off, I guess.
A few tiring moments later…
[Time remaining: 00:10:00]
We have been running for 14 minutes. But soon enough, the war scream wore off. Now we were using pure pace to run. But that is not helping as we were losing the gap between the Orange team.
As the time ticked off, the forest became darker. But we kept on running, even though we couldn't see anything in front of us.
But that was our mistake, being unable to see our surroundings.
Both Conrad and I tripped over a large tree root.
I could see the Orange team catch up; they had a faint light, probably their ability.
Just then, I felt the air swoosh around me. I looked around and saw what looked like the leader of Team Orange.
"Did you really think we couldn't catch you? If you do, you're mistaken." He told me while looking me dead in the eye. "If you didn't know, we could've caught you because of my super speed, but I let you run like dogs, because it entertains me to see people like you doing so much just to stay alive."
"What's up with that speech? You think we're scared," Conrad told him while trying to stand up.
But an external force held him down, just enough to make him kneel.
"Great job, mage!" The leader shouted into the forest.
"Quite a sadistic guy, aren't you?" I told him.
"Me, I'm not. I'm nice enough to let you off with one flag." He told me. "But I have ONE condition. You need to BEG FOR IT."
"Sure, you'll let me off." I looked at him.
"I would, but first. MAGE!" He shouted.
Just at that moment, my body got on all fours. And our flags got taken. We really needed to do something about this situation. But hoping for someone to come to save us would be a stupid mistake.
"As it stands, you have to BEG for it, or else, you will die!" He warned us. "Look at the standings."
[ Ranks:
1. Team Orange - 574
2. Team Red - 572
3. Team Yellow - 569
4. Team Purple - 565
5. Team Green - 561
6. Team Brown - 556
7. Team Blue - 549
8. Team Pink - 536
9. Team Black - 454
10. Team Cyan - 194 ]
We are still second to last. And if we don't get any flag now, WE WILL LOSE.
"Okay then… I guess–"
"What? Just beg for it already." He interrupted me.
"I beg you!! Please, let us have this flag!" I begged him on all fours.
A light started sparking around the leader.
He then spoke.
"Now, do you know why I am a leader?" He spoke as a heavenly light bestowed upon him. "Because I am a KING. Anyone who begs to me has given me their freedom."
I looked at him, confused. But I couldn't answer him because my mouth couldn't move, my body was static.
"KNEEL below me!" He ordered.
My body automatically knelt below him.
He took his foot and crushed my head. "This is for stealing our flags."
Conrad himself couldn't do anything. His body was being held down by the mage, who still can't be seen anywhere.
"Now, to show you my strength. I order you to give me your life, and let me take it!" He shouted to the heavens.
A sword appeared in his hands, and it was shining with a divine light. The leader had a crown bestowed upon him.
He raised the sword in the air. He got his stance ready to strike.
"3…2…1… Die in dirt!" He screamed.
CLANK.
"GET AWAY FROM MY CHILD!" A voice roared around me.
A divine figure could be seen; it had the same aura as when I was talking to my goddess.
I looked towards the leader, but he was cut in two.
[You MERE MORTAL. HOW dare you touch A GOD'S CHILD?]
The flags immediately went into Conrad's and my hands.
Before I could speak to the divine figure, it vanished into sparkles of light.
And just like that, we were on the go.
[The Dream has come to an end.]
[Please wait till the results are calculated.]
Everywhere was dark, and I couldn't see anything or anyone.
[Your team has passed Dream 2. Congratulations.]
[The rewards are being calculated.]
[You have been awarded a free wheel spin and 10,000 coins.]
[You will be woken up in a bit.]
A few moments after floating in darkness. I saw light rush into my eyes.
It's finally morning.