Chapter 11: A Mystery Dream
After being rejected on his offer to sleep in Sara's room, Zhen went to the 3rd floor where his room is near the end of the hall.
The room is big enough and looks like your five-star hotel room on Earth.
The bed looks comfy so Zhen jumped straight on it and the cozy feeling made him fall asleep within 10 minutes.
Kuro sleeps on the floor as there is no bed size for him and although there is a place for the magical beast to rest, he is Zhen's family despite his mischief so he stays with him.
As Zhen continued sleeping, Zhen found himself in a weird place that looks like a space with multiple stars but somehow he's able to gain a footing.
'This is weird. I don't recall coming to this place at all.'
Zhen stared at this new environment in confusion as he was still sleeping in the bed.
Trying to understand his location, Zhen starts walking around, and suddenly, there is a flashback scene on land being erupted and multiple landscapes collapsing.
'What the hell is this? An action-packed movie with me as an audience now.'
Zhen said inwardly when he saw the stars start projecting multiple images.
'Where's my popcorn then? I'm being forced to watch this unrelated, broken CGI movie with nothing else. At least give me a chair so I won't be standing still.'
Zhen continued to complain since there was nothing else he could do to stop the video.
Just at this moment, like the space environment has heard Zhen's complaint, all the scenes disappear and leave him alone with this space-like atmosphere around him.
'Sigh, an astronaut might be happy about this but it's not my interest.'
Zhen was thinking that he should be dreaming about him and Sara doing lovely things, not this boring stuff.
'My brain must be malfunctioning to not be able to provide me a good dream but this bland and overrated movie.'
Hitting his forehead lightly for not giving him a wet dream, Zhen decided to lay down and close his eyes to sleep.
To be sleeping outside while sleeping inside a dream sounds familiar to an anime character but Zhen forgot what it was again.
While he starts sleeping, there is something blinking in the space, watching him.
The blinking blinks for 5 seconds before going straight inside Zhen's stomach and disappears again while space starts to collapse.
By the time, the space environment collapsed, it was already morning.
Zhen woke up with a yawn and complained about that mystery dream.
'Brain listens up, I want to see me and Sara doing some mature stuff and not that space environment so do your job correctly.'
Complaining one last time, Zhen heard a knocking on his door.
*Knock* *Knock*
"Zhen are you awake yet, I made breakfast for Kuro and you."
With a wide smile on his face because from this beautiful voice, it can only belong to his beautiful and lovely Sara.
Zhen replied, "Yes, I'm awake, I'll be there soon after washing myself up."
Sara replied with an okay voice and told him to hurry before the food gets cold.
Zhen washed himself up and saw Kuro still sleeping like a dead pig.
A smirk appeared on his face while Zhen thought inwardly, 'It's not my fault that you can't eat Sara's cooking. You are too busy having a good sleep but don't worry, your Master is kind enough to eat your portion too.'
Zhen left the sleeping Kuro on the floor while he started to walk down the stairs and you can already hear the chattering noise.
'As expected of a popular inn, the place is already crowded despite being the morning since usually, only the nighttime will be full of people and morning is when people go do their work.'
They can only be described as lazy people as Zhen wonders if his lovely Sara will be unable to accompany him.
When Zhen walks down to find a table empty, he can tell Sara reserved it for him since it's at the edge of the corner that is isolated from the rest of them.
Sara knows Zhen and Kuro do not like being surrounded by many strangers so she has saved this best table for him.
Zhen sat down while Sara came out from the kitchen to place my breakfast but asked "Where is Kuro? Did you bully him to not be able to eat my food again?"
With a sincere expression, Zhen replied "Kuro is tired from yesterday as he was fighting the Likra and hasn't rested until now. As a kind Master, I let him sleep more to regain his energy."
Sara nodded and understood how a team would be exhausted after fighting a mid-rank 3 Likra, not to mention Kuro alone.
Kuro who was still sleeping like a pig did not know he had once again been sold out and betrayed by his Master.
If he knew Sara made breakfast for him, he would have rushed down to the table and eagerly waited to be served.
Sara is in a dilemma now because she made two portions, one for Zhen and one for Kuro.
Zhen who seems to understand her dilemma gladly offers, "I can eat Kuro's portion as I'm a big eater. You wouldn't want the food to go to waste since it will be cold and if you store it, the food will still taste bad compared to freshly cooked."
'Hehehe, this is exactly my plan, Kuro dares to eat 3 portions of my plate yesterday so today I shall eat your portion of food.'
Zhen can't help but grin inwardly at how perfectly he executed his performance to scam Sara's food from Kuro.
Sara's cooking is just fantastic so Zhen can eat no matter how much she gives him.
'Call me a never before seen genius to think all this out.'
Bragging inwardly while having a sincere expression on the surface to keep up with his act.
Sara didn't know about Zhen's plan and thinks he is right with the facts explained on how the food will not taste good if not eaten right away.
She placed down two portions before walking away. Zhen instantly holds back her hand and says, "You're not going to keep me company when I'm eating?"
Sara replied, "Un, I have to go to the adventure guild today because I failed to complete my mission yesterday on finding the Cacilla and need to report to Melissa. Otherwise, the penalty will increase as the guild won't know that my mission is completed or not."
After thinking it over, Zhen replied "I understand but let me hold your hand for a few more minutes. Your hand is smooth and silky which makes my appetite increase."
Sara is not his possession so Zhen won't force her to stay with him if she needs to do her tasks.
Sara blushed before pinching Zhen's waist and with a hmph saying, "Try to take advantage of me again and I'll pinch your waist harder."
Sara ran out of the inn after finishing her speech. Her pinching skills increase as Zhen's waist feels numb from her technique.
While Zhen has indeed taken advantage of her, she doesn't know that he injected some of his mana in her body which will react immediately if she encounters some danger.
Also, when that happens, Zhen would instantly know something occurs to her and could teleport to her with his mana on her as a coordinate.
Zhen was not about to fall for some overuse cliché on how she's been kidnapped and now he has to go save her.
'Sara may look fragile on the outside but she is a strong and capable fighter. She only lost to the Likra because of some unknown reason as Kuro explained to me how this Likra was different from how a normal Likra should be.'
The mana Zhen injected into her was additional security because there is no harm to be careful at all times.
Even though he trusts her skills, having more protection on her won't hurt. It's like how some police officer would wear a bulletproof vest before going to a party.
Accidents happen and that vest may save his life but he would definitely die if he didn't wear it.
While Zhen continues eating his breakfast including Kuro's portion, Zhen remembers that Uncle Davis should be finished butchering his Likra.
After all, he only has 3 gold on him now and if it weren't for Sara's generosity in not charging him, Zhen won't even be able to afford food.
Zhen looks forward to how much gold he'll be getting but knowing how black-hearted his butcher shop is, Zhen is pretty sure he will scam his gold with more excuses such as the orphan needs it.
'Sigh, I can only suck it up as he did help me gain more quality points on Sara.'
Although a bit disappointed, Zhen could only accept his fate since Uncle Davis is helping him to get closer to Sara.
If Zhen actually finds out the truth about Uncle Davis, he might faint like Situ Sheng because he wasn't a righteous person or the man of culture that Zhen believed him to be.
Finishing his food, a waitress came to collect his plate while Zhen thanked her before getting up to go to Davis Butcher.
Zhen wasn't lying when he said Kuro should sleep more as he is really fatigued so he doesn't want to overwork him to death.
Kuro is family, in the end, no matter what and Zhen doesn't want any mishap to happen because of him.