Chapter 58: Ramen, Markets, And The Question Sorin Asks!
Neve woke to cold air and the sound of something soft shifting beside him.
He opened his eyes slowly and blinked at the ceiling for a moment before turning his head.
Cael was asleep in the chair next to the bed.
Not on the bed. In the chair, with his head tilted back at an angle that looked extremely uncomfortable, and one arm hanging over the side like he had given up halfway through arranging himself properly.
Neve stared at him for a moment.
He shook his head to himself and sat up carefully. "No matter how much I try," he said quietly, "he’ll never sleep on this bed."
He moved to the other end of the mattress and climbed down without making a noise. The cave was cold enough that his breath came out visible when he exhaled. The light coming through the bedroom entrance was the pale blue of moonlight, not the yellow of the sun. Still night then. Or very early morning, that specific hour when night was ending but hadn’t fully let go yet.
He stretched once and walked out of the room.
The main cave was quiet. The fire in the corner had burned down to coals. The kitchen was dark and still. Through the entrance, he could see snow piled high against the outside world and the moon hanging pale and heavy above everything.
He wondered what time it actually was.
He wondered whether the festival was still going on or had ended while he was asleep.
He thought about going back to wake Cael and ask him.
He decided against it. Cael had been working hard all day. The sleep was more important than information.
He stood in the cave entrance and thought about what would taste good in this weather, the cold and the quiet.
"I would kill for some hot ramen right now," he said to the space.
The system appeared immediately, helpfully.
{Would you like to return to your original world for ramen?}
Neve’s eyes went wide. His hands came together in front of his chest in genuine gratitude before he could stop the reaction.
"Fuck yes," he said. "Please. Is that even possible?"
{NO. Haha!}
The system was laughing at him.
Neve threw a punch at the screen without thinking. His hand went straight through it as it always had, which somehow made it worse. He had expected it and was still disappointed.
His good mood deflated like something with a hole in it.
He stepped out of the cave anyway and started walking toward the festival grounds. The snow crunched under his feet. The moonlight was bright enough to see clearly. The path was marked by the footprints of people coming and going all night.
It would be dawn soon. When the sun came up, the festival would end. Everyone would start packing. The tribes would head back to their territories. The next gathering would be a year away, at some other tribe’s location.
Neve found he was not dreading it.
He would worry about that later.
Right now, he was walking through the snow and was heading to the festival.
"Hey, system! What is my next mission?"
{No pending missions currently available.}
"How do I get things I want without waiting for missions? Is that even possible?" he said.
{Reach Level 5. Unlock Market. Purchase items directly.}
Neve stopped walking.
"Market? You mean I can shop from my original world?"
{Affirmative.}
It did not say no. Which meant it was not teasing him this time. He could actually do this.
"What currency do I need? Crystals?" he asked.
{Points. Currency will be determined once you reach Level 5.}
He checked his status screen.
Level 3.
He was at level three. He needed two more levels to unlock a market where he could shop for things from his original world. Two levels, and he could potentially have ramen whenever he wanted it.
"Maybe I can finally have ramen," he said to himself, and he felt a genuine smile spread across his face.
A voice came from above him, from somewhere in the trees.
"Ra...men?"
Neve froze completely.
He thought it was an echo at first. The word hung in the cold air like something he had accidentally made real by saying it out loud.
He looked up.
Sorin was crouched on one of the lower branches, looking down at him with an expression that was somewhere between curious and blank. As soon as their eyes met, Sorin jumped.
He landed hard enough that his legs sank past the ankles in the deep snow. His white hair caught the moonlight. He brushed snow off his shoulders like he had done this a thousand times.
"How have you been?" Sorin asked.
Neve blinked at him.
Sorin was the one he had met by the river. He was the one he had met a few days ago before winter started, and there they were again, standing together like old friends. The fact that he was asking Neve about his well-being was odd enough that Neve’s brain took a moment to process it. Sorin never talked to him.
"I’ve been fine," Neve said carefully.
Sorin stepped forward and reached up without asking. His hand touched Neve’s forehead gently.
Neve looked at him. "Are you concerned about me?"
"Unfortunately, no," Sorin said. He pulled his hand back. "I’m simply following instructions. The dragon king said we should care for you. I would prefer not to have my tribe burned down."
Neve laughed. "He won’t burn anything."
"I see no logical reason to believe that based on what I witnessed," Sorin said. He stepped back slightly and tilted his head. "Though I will admit I’m confused by his choice."
Neve raised an eyebrow.
"You’re male," Sorin said, stating it like a fact he had just confirmed. "The dragon king is ancient and powerful. He’s chosen a male as his mate. That’s unusual." He paused, watching Neve’s face carefully. "Specifically because a male cannot give him heirs. A king requires multiple bloodlines through multiple mates. Multiple alliances through reproduction. A male mate serves no reproductive purpose in that system."
Neve just smiled. He did not say anything back.
Sorin’s expression shifted slightly, like he had said something he had not intended and was now waiting for Neve to correct him or explain or deny the logic of what he had just said.
Instead, Sorin raised an eyebrow.
"You’re not saying anything to counter or agree to what I just said. Can you really give heir?" he asked.
The question hung between them in the cold night air.
Neve looked at him steadily.
"Me?" he said slowly. "Well. Yes. A male like me can get pregnant."