Although they offered to, Yume ended up being alone on watch duty at night while the two slept. Making them wonder if she ever slept. It wasn't like what they were used to. The tent helped cushion their ground, but it still felt weird. On top of that, a lot of animals were making sounds and the wind was very cold.

They woke up to Yume roasting something over a fire.

  "Uhh, what's that?"

  "There're lots of Veirs in the mountains. Their meat has a lot of fat, but it's pretty good. Need me to cut the leaner parts out for ya?"

  "It's fine, we'll just take a big piece and share it."

  "Alright, suit yourself."

  After eating, they rested for a bit to let their food digest and then continued their climb. The couple then realised how much they underestimated the 'Sleeper Route'. Not only were they walking along narrow cliffs and meeting a variety of dangerous animals, they also had to wake nonstop along uneven terrain and tons of rock climbing.

  By the end, Yume had to carry the two on her shoulders. Not literally, but they were so exhausted that Yume had to carry them on piggyback most of the way through.

  Like the night before, they tried to convince her, but she was stubborn. So they ended up going another night with Yume on watch duty while they slept. She seemed truly inrudian.

  The morning of the second day was quite similar to the first. Woke up to a good smell, Yume was cooking something, they ate, they rested, then they climbed.

  But now, they truly realised how much they did in a day. They could already see the clouds as if they were in arms-reach. That motivated them extremely as they continued their climb.

  This time, it went a lot smoother. Although they needed to take breaks, they didn't seem to be as exhausted as last time. And even when they did get tired, they toughed through it and kept going.

  Eventually, it was already dark. By this time, they'd usually call it a night but Yume suggested they keep going for a bit longer. They were weirded out, but trusted their guide and agreed.

  "What do you...think she's thinking?"

  "Probably not much...maybe she has...a plan...?"

  It was pitch-black, they couldn't see anything, but they reached some kind of flat point. It felt easy to walk on compared to the uneven, always slanted terrain they were on earlier. Not only that, but it felt warm. Not hot, more like a nice warm bath. It seemed like Kelrias compared to what the cold, muddy and rocky areas they were getting accustomed to.

  They didn't think too much about it. Yume helped set up their tents and they went to sleep. But that night, they slept a bit more comfortably. And in the morning, they'd wake up to a nice surprise.

 

  "Morning you two, get up."

  This was the first time Yume opened their tent and woke them up herself. When they got out of the tent, they saw an orange glow on the horizon. With clouds and mist engulfing it. Giving it a view like no other.

  "Wait...don't tell me..."

  "Congratulations, you have reached the top of Mt. Luonjeihl, the 2nd tallest mountain in the world, and also the largest active volcano."

  "WE'RE STANDING ON A VOLCANO?!"

  "It was plugged up long ago so don't go crazy. Supposedly happened a hundred years or so after The Reset, some guy kept getting his crops burnt by the heat emanating from the huge-ass volcano, and the nearby town was in danger from the lava, so he brought a huge boulder, smoothened the top and plugged up the thing. His crops kept dying but the lava did stop, mostly."

  "Mostly?"

  "There are random holes in the base where lava comes out of from time-to-time, but they're monitored so we're safe now."

  "I see..."

  "More importantly, pass me your fult, I'll take a picta for you"

  "Oh! Right, here you go."

  "...Smile!"

  It was...a weird, albeit pleasant experience. Yume would then carry the two of them and jump down, cushioning herself with spells as she went down. Thinking back on it, the two loved every part of it and would love to go on that kind of adventure, with those kind of surprises. But in the moment, it was exhausting and uncomfortable.

  Yume got a nice tip from the two for a job well done. She decided to head back home and finally take a rest. It was a fun job, but very physically and mentally taxing. She reached her blocks and went into her room, took a drink from the fridge and walked over to her living room.

  She was thinking of sitting down. She walked over to her closet instead and said, "Knock knock."