The Dreamer's POV

[11:43 AM; Saturday, 29th of April, 2024]

"M-my name is Lisa. Lisa Scofield."

I was seated right opposite Lisa on the comfortable sofas within my suite, listening to her very awkward introduction.

We were both still recovering from the shock of nearly dying, so I could understand why she would stutter in a simple name exchange.

"I'm Mikey Rael. Just call me Mikey, but… ah, you already knew my name." I laughed a little awkwardly.

My nerves were already calm, thanks to my Title's effects, so I could manage a laugh. I suppose it was very convenient having a Title like that.

'I wonder what Title she has…'

So far, we hadn't said much to each other. Other than casual exchanges, and trying to get ourselves calm, this was pretty much our first proper interaction since the Demon left.

"W-well, you should have known my name too. Haha… its on my name tag…" She pressed a tag that firmly stood on her slightly bulging chest.

Perhaps it was because of her sweat, but it seemed a bit more provocative than usual. I swiftly looked away, of course. It wasn't appropriate to stare at a lady that way.

"Is that so? Well, I guess I was just too distracted to see the tag. It's good to hear it, though. Your name. You have a nice name."

"You too. Mikey is a… good name."

"You can lay it on me, it's not a common name." I laughed a little, now feeling a bit more comfortable with Lisa. "It's not even a nickname either. My parents had a weird naming sense."

"Really?" Lisa joined me in chuckling, which made me a bit more relieved for her. It seemed she was slowly getting over her fears.

"Yeah. I mean, they named my brother Buddy." I hadn't talked about my parents in years. It felt refreshing to talk about it, I guess.

"And where are they now? Ah… I'm so sorry, I didn't…"

It seemed Lisa finally realized the situation. I wondered what gave it away? My darkened face, or the fact that we were both trapped in a hotel crawling with monsters that craved our deaths.

"No, its fine. They died when I was ten. I lived with my uncle for most of my life, but he passed away recently too…"

Now that I thought of it, perhaps going to the gym and having my frequent interactions with the pharmacist in the drugstore, was my way of maintaining my tether to society.

Thanks to the remote jobs I did, I hardly got involved in social interactions. Was that why the end of the world was so easy for me to accept?

The fact that I had no one I really cared about?

"A-ah, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I brought it up." Lisa apologized profusely, but she honestly didn't need to. I had already made peace with their deaths.

More importantly, there were other things we had to talk about.

"What about your friends and family, Lisa? Have you been in contact with them?"

"N-no…" Her expression quickly fell. "My cell is down. No service. I don't know anything that's happening beyond this place."

I figured this would happen. My internet and phone service were down too. It had to be because of this new world that we found ourselves in.

Even though Lisa was still recoiling from her shock, and worrying about the fate of her family, I had something that kept nagging at me. Even though I had been ignoring it since we first met, I had to address it now.

"How did you escape the monsters?"

"Huh…?"

"The Demons. How did you survive them? You made it to the second floor, and you were even able to reach my room in one piece. How did you manage that?"

Looking at her cloth, other than the sweat that drenched it, there was really no sign of harm or injury. She appeared perfectly fine.

'Humans can't outrun or outgun those things.' I had real-life experience with them. It was impossible for ordinary people to square off against them, talkless of a receptionist like Lisa.

'Back then, she used Telepathy to speak to me. That means her Skills are different from mine. Maybe she has a Skill that allowed her to survive this far.'

Of course, this was all on the assumption that she had more than one Skill.

"I… I watch a lot of anime."

"What?"

"Anime. These sort of things happen a lot in the anime I watch. I watch a lot of them."

"Uh… huh." Was she being serious right now?

"When it happened, I was in the bathroom. When I suddenly saw a System Announcement telling me about a Tutorial, I instantly knew what was going on. I called out for my Status Window, and I was able to figure out what was happening."

Was Anime really that useful? I wasn't an avid fan, so I wasn't so sure. I was more into novels, and even then, I prefered hyper-realistic ones.

'Novels like High School Syndrome… not fantasy ones.'

"I was the only one in the bathroom, so the first thing I did was to lock it. I decided to plan my next course of action from there." Lisa continued her story.

The more I heard, the more her level-headedness surprised me. Unlike me, who had to experience this frightnening reality multiple times, she was able to pick herself up from the very start.

"That was when it struck me."

"What struck you?" I asked.

"You."

"Me?"

What was she talking about now?

"You appearing in this four-star hotel, saying its your first time here, even though your house address is closeby. You kept looking around, admiring how fancy this place is, even though its pretty standard for a four-star hotel. It showed you probably haven't been to a four-star hotel before.

You also ordered lots of food, and you were particular about lodging on the first floor, which would be the most convenient for escaping."

I was stunned—no, bewildered—as Lisa poured out her observations. It felt surreal—her level of attention to detail.

'H-how did she figure all of that out?!'

"Once I thought of all of that, I decided to find my way to your room. I thought, for sure, if anyone survived, it would be you. Thankfully, I rmemebered the suite you lodged in, so I carefully made my way up here."

How was she able to escape the monsters that would have been swarming the receptio area, though?

Ah, wasn't there a bathroom on the first floor? Maybe she used that.

"There's a stairway that's only available to the staff. I knew I'd encounter less monsters there, so I decided to use that to my advantage. The System also warns us when we encounter monsters, but if you ensure you're hidden when it appears, you'll simply be aware that a Demon is close."

Her analysis put me in awe. I couldn't believe her words.

"It wasn't easy, though. I was caught by one, and it began to chase me. It took me too long for me to lose it. That's why I'm so sweaty now. I was out of breath when I finally arived at the front of your door. I knew I had little time, so I used my only Skill to communicate to you, betting it all on your response."

In essence, if I had refused to save her… I would have thrown all her efforts and hopes away.

"You really trusted me that much?"

"Well…" She made a soft smile, and pink hues appeared on her cheeks. "... You didn't seem like the kind of person to abandon a person in need."

I felt my heart jump a little, and then a tiny sting of guilt coursed through me. I couldn't help but feel I was recieving undeserved praise.

"You're wrong about me. I'm not that great a guy." A small smile formed on my face as I stared at her. "But I am happy I saved you. I'm happy you made it this far."

If it was Lisa, then wouldn't it be fine telling her everything I knew? If she could survive on her own with only very little information, and lots of anime knowledge, wouldn't she be more helpful if she knew about my ability?

'My knowledge of the future, and my <Dream> Skill, plus her intelligence. If we collaborate, we should have a higher chance at survival.'

"Lisa, there's something I have to tell you." This was the best alternative. I could tell.

"It's about my powers."

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[A/N]

Thanks for reading.

The start of a blossoming friendship, and hopefully a chance for mutual survival.