Dexter was staring at the night sky, full of stars. The sound of an owl hooting and insects gently buzzing made him feel so peaceful.
"Ah, nature… Should I sleep for tonight and continue my journey tomorrow?"
Changing his leather shoes and sword for a pillow and blanket, Dexter covered himself with his temperature-adjusting blanket — ensuring comfort — while his pillow enhanced his rest, helping him sleep soundly.
'I hope I can lucid dream again. Seeing Stella in my dreams sounds good.'
With that, he lay on the thick branch, finding his balance before drifting off to sleep.
When Dexter opened his eyes, he saw the curtains flapping in the wind, making him reminisce about his newly built home with Stella.
He rolled over, pushed himself up to stand, only for a blanket to roll down from his body.
"You're awake, Dex… How are you?"
Dexter smiled as he walked toward Stella, who was busy preparing breakfast. She wore an apron and smiled at him lovingly.
"Stella… what are you cooking?"
Dexter hugged her from behind, kissing her cheek and resting his chin on her shoulder.
Stella was slicing tomatoes and onions when Dexter held her hands, helping her with the cutting.
'What a beautiful dream this is…' he thought.
"Dex… your hands will get stained from the veggies…" Stella said softly.
"It's okay, baby girl… as long as I can hold your hand…"
Stella kissed his cheek and continued chopping.
"So, how was your trip to Blackreach Throne yesterday? Are we millionaires now?"
"I haven't sold it yet. I'm still on some random branch, sleeping…"
Dexter's eyes widened.
"Is this a dream?" he asked.
"Does it look like a dream? Well… I guess so… my dream of being with you came true…"
Dexter released his embrace and stepped back, staring at Stella's confused expression.
"What happened, Dex? Are you okay?"
"Tell me, Stella — this is a dream, right?"
"Seriously, Dex… what are you talking about? You're confusing me…"
Dexter then looked at his bracers, his thoughts racing as he tried to remember what had happened before he fell asleep.
He checked his inventory — only to find nothing but coins.
"FUCK!"
…
Dexter sat slumped in his chair while Stella finished setting out the breakfast dishes. Each time she placed a plate on the table, she glanced at Dexter, who remained lost in thought.
After setting the last dish, she took her seat and leaned closer to him.
"Dex... what happened? Are you okay?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"Dex..."
Stella waved her hand in front of his face, but before she could lower it, she saw tears forming in Dexter's eyes.
In an instant, she stood up and cradled his face against her chest.
"Don't cry, my love. Baby girl is always here for you..."
Dexter held her for a moment, gently patting her back to signal he was alright.
Stella responded by hugging him tighter — so tight that Dexter's pats became frantic as he struggled to breathe.
"Urff... hrrph... Puh! Oh my God, Stella, you're drowning me!"
After taking a big gulp of air and a heavy sigh, Dexter guided Stella back to her chair.
Wiping his tears, he confessed:
"I... I lost all the equipment..."
Stella stared blankly, processing his words.
"Uh... what?"
"I said... I lost all the equipment..."
"FUCK! I SHOULD'VE SOLD IT ALL TO SA—"
Stella shoved a fried chicken leg into Dexter's mouth.
"Eat first, idiot. Who cares about lost equipment? As long as you're safe, that's enough..."
Dexter chewed reluctantly, his teary eyes locked on Stella — grateful she knew how to stop his dramatic spirals.
...
After finishing their meal, they both lay lazily on the bed. Dexter had finally calmed down under Stella's gentle touch.
"I thought you'd finished selling everything last night," Stella said, tracing circles on Dexter's chest.
"You suddenly appeared out of nowhere, lying on the floor. I put a blanket on you and, seeing you sound asleep, didn't try to wake you or move you to bed. That's why I slept beside you..."
"I don't know..." Dexter murmured.
"One moment I was busy running, then jumping, then resting... Next thing I knew, I woke up here. At first I thought I was dreaming... until it felt so real. But this really is real."
"So how did you get here without knowing?"
Dexter kissed her forehead and played with her hair.
"Well... I think I died without realizing it. Those fu— "
Stella silenced him with a kiss. When she pulled away, she glared at him like an angry kitten.
"No cursing when you're with me... got it?" she pouted.
"Fu—"
She kissed him again — this time sparking a much steamier morning session.
…
It was noon on their private island. Dexter sat on a stool with his Mythical Fishing Twig in hand, catching fish only to release them repeatedly to pass the time.
'100 million... My hard work worth 100 million... gone just like that...' He sighed.
'/KDLog.'
A list of his kills and deaths appeared before him, detailing every player he'd killed and those who had killed him.
"FrozenDonkey... with three assists, huh?"
After checking the player's profile and seeing both the guild name and alliance, Dexter gripped the Mythical Fishing Twig with such force that — were it not of mythical grade — it would have snapped like an ordinary twig.
"This fucking Limitless Alliance is everywhere... I was planning to let that Happy Go Lucky guys survive for a while after stealing my cigarettes. Now another one from their group stole my hard-earned craft."
"Time to cull these foolish AIs from Crimson Tree Zone..."
Dexter closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and stood up.
He left the Mythical Fishing Twig on the table and searched for Stella inside the house, but she was nowhere to be found.
'/w Stella Arzois I'll be back in the evening. Going hunting for a while...'
(Okay... Take care... Hope you won't come back lying on the floor again... teehee~)
Dexter walked toward the Traveler. With determined fury in his eyes, he selected Sunscar Kingdom and teleported — his gaze burning with hatred.