Chapter 5: Chapter 05: Saw The Bunny
'Could the Dungeon's collapse have been caused by an external force if it doesn't collapse above 5 TP (Threshold Point)?'
Arlo mused to himself as he meandered down the street, his gaze fixed on the ground despite his resolution not to observe others.
"Arlo... Arlo…"
A voice echoed from behind, persistently calling Arlo's name, but he was too engrossed in his thoughts to notice.
"Arlo… Arlo…"
"This blockhead!"
The voice grew louder and closer, culminating in a forceful slap on Arlo's back that sent him sprawling on the ground. He sprang up, anger flashing in his eyes, but the face of his assailant was obscured.
When Arlo regained his footing, the first thing that caught his eye was a prompt display floating above them:
[Bunny Diane]
The sight of that name sparked an exclamation from him, "Bunny!"
His excitement was palpable, momentarily eclipsing his concerns about the Dungeon and the System prompt.
"You look like you died and returned from hell. What's up, Arlo?" Bunny inquired, her tone laced with concern.
Bunny, with her distinct golden blonde hair and brown eyes that exuded elegance and beauty, stood at shoulder level to Arlo yet emanated a sense of command that made Arlo appear childish.
"Ever the sharp one, aren't you?" Arlo retorted playfully, ruffling her hair.
A coughing sound drew Arlo's attention to Remi, who was glaring at him.
"Quit messing with my wife's hair, you jerk," Remi admonished Arlo.
In response, Arlo placed both his hands on Bunny's head and tousled her hair even more.
"Enough, Arlo," Bunny protested, shaking off Arlo's hand, "Do you have any idea how long it took me to style my hair?"
Her once beautiful hair now resembled a disheveled broomstick.
"Yeah, you heard her. Stop messing with my wife's hair. Back off," Remi echoed Bunny's sentiment.
"I'm still your fiancée, not your wife yet," Bunny corrected him.
Remi stuttered, "Bunny, we're getting married in a month. We're already halfway there. Why are you giving me a hard time?"
Bunny responded with a hint of sarcasm, "I don't know, maybe I'll find a better partner, like someone who is wearing a red shirt and black shorts."
Bunny looped her arm through Arlo's, and Arlo grinned, replying while glancing at Remi, "Sorry Bunny, you're not my type."
Bunny feigned heartbreak and placed her hand on her chest, saying in a playful tone,
"Well then Remi, all I have is you. Ready to tie the knot?" She extended her hand, inviting Remi to hold it.
Annoyed, Remi raised both hands and messed up Bunny's hair to the point where he accidentally plucked one of her hairs.
"OUCH!" Bunny winced.
Remi was terrified of Bunny's potential reaction, but Bunny didn't notice. She assumed he had just scratched her head with his nails. Arlo noticed what happened but looked away, not wanting to draw Bunny's wrath upon them.
During their awkward and unconventional relationship discussion, Bunny mentioned,
"We were just heading to your building. Lucky we ran into you."
"Not his building, my building," Remi corrected.
Arlo disregarded Remi's comment and asked Bunny,
"What's the big news? Remi was here this morning, why didn't he mention anything then?"
Bunny chuckled, "Nothing major. Just that this big baby was whining about how you ignored him today and left the room without saying a word. I had enough, so I brought him to talk to you. Let's have a chat, both of you."
Both Arlo and Remi avoided each other's gaze and fell silent.
"What are you guys, high school kids? Still feeling awkward about having serious conversations in front of others?" Bunny grumbled.
Suddenly, Arlo quipped, "Can you believe her parents actually named her Bunny? I feel for you, man, adding Bunny to your family name, Endrick."
Remi smirked, "I'm more worried about which animal name she's going to give our children. She's got quirky tastes like her parents."
Arlo and Remi joked, suggesting names like, "If it's a boy, Wolf," and "If it's a girl, Peacock."
"CRACK!" "CRACK!"
Their laughter was abruptly cut short when Bunny retaliated, landing swift punches on their treasures.
Arlo and Remi both clutched their groins as they collapsed on the ground, Bunny storming off, fuming.
"It's my fault, thinking I could make these idiots resolve their petty squabbles."
As Bunny departed, both of them sat on the deserted sidewalk.
"I'm sorry," Arlo apologized, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"I didn't complain to Bunny for your apology, I just wanted to know what's bothering you. Though it's subtle, I can sense you're overthinking something from back in your room. Just tell me, what's the problem?" Remi probed.
Arlo activated the prompt by rubbing his wrist and asked, "Can you see it, Remi?"
Remi looked puzzled. "See what? Are you messing with me?"
Arlo queried, "Remi, is there a technology or magic that can enable time travel?"
Remi was taken aback that Arlo was discussing technology and magic, topics he despised. Even when Remi brought them up, like getting a phone or a TV, Arlo would get irate.
Remi responded to Arlo's time travel question, "No, there's no such thing, and probably never will be. It's nearly impossible to even send an object to the past, let alone humans."
Arlo thought to himself, 'I should not tell him about my time travel. It's not safe to involve him right now. I need some solid proof that this is safe, otherwise, I'm dragging him into the mud too.'
Arlo looked dissatisfied. "Is there a device that lets you see things like a system window in front of you, and only you can see it?"
Remi, with a smug look, said, "Yes, there is," then stood up and told Arlo, "Follow me, Ignoramus. I'm going to show you something you've probably never even dreamed of before."
Remi and Arlo departed the 'Aegis' district, they reflected on how this area used to be known as the strongest military province, renowned for its soldiers.
Soon, cybers began to replace soldiers on the battlefield. It slowly began to rot like an iron shield soaked in blood. Their buildings were destroyed, their land was stolen from them, and they built tents in the streets, just waiting for the end to come.
But as Arlo and Remi headed towards the new district named 'Aurora', just like its name portrayed, even in the morning, the buildings glowed with lights and skyscrapers pierced through the clouds. The streets were always filled with people wearing clean, shiny clothes, and the streets were pristine.
Even a child could tell the countless differences between both districts.
As they headed there, Arlo, wearing his dirty, rugged clothes, couldn't escape the glare. Is Remi going to show him something worth all this humiliation?
[End of Chapter]
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone