SSS-Rank Extra: I Got a Chaos System-Chapter 21: Shelter Among Beasts

The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows across the clearing. Kazuki leaned back, arms folded behind his head, staring at the stars. After a long day of arguing, running from monsters, and somehow not dying, he was just glad for a moment of peace.

Lillian sat a little closer to the fire, poking at the flames with a stick. She hadn't said much in the past few minutes, which was rare for her. Kazuki took a bite of the questionably cooked rabbit on his stick and sighed.

"Y'know," he said, mouth half-full, "for all the times you threaten to punch me into next week, you still haven't left."

Lillian scoffed, not looking at him. "Don't remind me."

He smirked. "What, starting to like my company?"

Silence.

The usual snarky comeback didn't come.

Kazuki blinked, glancing at her. Lillian was still focused on the fire, but her grip on the stick had tightened slightly. The flames reflected in her violet eyes, and for a second, she looked... lost in thought.

"Shut up," she muttered, a little too late to be casual.

Kazuki chuckled. "That wasn't a no."

Lillian jabbed him in the ribs with her stick—not hard, but enough to make her point. He winced, rubbing the spot, but grinned anyway.

"Seriously though," he continued, "you didn't have to follow me out here. You could've gone back to the village."

She hesitated.

Kazuki caught it.

Just for a moment, her fingers fidgeted with the hem of her sleeve—something she did when she was nervous.

"Yeah, well," she muttered, voice quieter than usual, "shut up and eat your rabbit."

Kazuki raised an eyebrow but let it go.

Then, as if the universe itself wanted to ruin the moment, a cold droplet smacked him square on the forehead.

He blinked. Another one hit his cheek.

Lillian looked up just as the rain started to fall in earnest, fat drops sizzling as they hit the fire. She groaned. "Oh, come on."

Kazuki, still lying back, held out a hand to catch the rain. "Guess we're not getting a peaceful night, huh?"

Lillian scowled at the sky. "Stupid weather."

The fire sputtered, struggling against the downpour. Lillian pulled her cloak tighter.

Kazuki barely had time to react before the fire gave a final hiss and died, plunging the clearing into darkness. The cold rain hit harder now, soaking through his clothes in seconds.

Lillian cursed under her breath. "We need to move. Now."

Kazuki sat up, shaking water from his hair. "Where?"

"Anywhere but here!" she snapped, already on her feet.

A crack of thunder rumbled in the distance, and Kazuki groaned as he pushed himself up. "I was really enjoying that rabbit."

Lillian grabbed his wrist and yanked. "Move it, idiot, before we drown!"

He barely had time to snatch up his pack before she dragged him into the trees, the rain hammering down around them. Their boots sank into the mud, the wind howled through the branches.

As they stumbled through the storm, Kazuki wiped rain from his eyes, grumbling under his breath. "Great. Just great. First bad rabbit, now we're running blind. What next?"

A familiar chime echoed in his head, cutting through the sound of the downpour.

[System Quest Activated: Shelter from the Storm]

Objective: Find a dry shelter before exhaustion sets in.

Hint: There's a cave nearby. Try not to get lost.

Kazuki blinked through the rain. "Oh, now you show up?"

Lillian shot him a look. "What?"

"Nothing!" He waved her off before focusing on the glowing text floating in his vision.

He narrowed his eyes. "Okay, but why does this sound so... suspicious? 'Try not to get lost'? What kind of advice is that? You might as well say, 'Hey dumbass, don't trip and die!'"

The system, of course, remained silent.

Kazuki scoffed. "Oh, now you don't have anything to say? You're being awfully cryptic today."

The rain pounded harder, and Lillian yanked on his sleeve. "Kazuki, I swear, if you're talking to yourself again—"

"I'm not talking to myself," he argued. "I'm talking to the—" He hesitated, then sighed. "Never mind. Look, there's a cave nearby. We should head that way."

Lillian frowned. "And you know this how?"

Kazuki hesitated. "Lucky guess?"

She didn't look convinced, but another gust of wind made her shiver, and she didn't argue. "Fine. Lead the way, genius."

Kazuki focused, and a faint tug—like an invisible string pulling at his chest—guided him west. "This way!" He grabbed Lillian's wrist this time, pulling her along as they slipped and stumbled through the drenched forest.

Lightning flashed, illuminating a jagged rock formation in the distance. A dark opening yawned beneath it.

"The cave!" Kazuki shouted over the wind.

They sprinted for it, feet sliding in the mud. The rain blurred everything, but the entrance loomed closer—safety, finally within reach.

Then, just as Kazuki thought they'd made it, a deep growl rumbled from the cave's depths.

Kazuki froze mid-step. "Tell me that was your stomach."

Lillian shot him a glare. "If my stomach sounded like that, I'd be dead."

Another growl rumbled from the cave, low and deep, vibrating through the soaked ground beneath them. Kazuki gulped. "Okay. Good news: We found the cave. Bad news: Something big is already in there."

Lillian groaned, shoving her drenched hair out of her face. "You led us straight into a monster's den, you lunatic!"

Kazuki threw up his hands. "Hey, don't blame me! Blame the system! It's the one that said—"

A soft chime echoed in his mind.

[System Message: Host has discovered shelter. Objective complete! :)]

Kazuki scowled. "Oh, now you're smiling at me? That's creepy as hell."

Lillian gave him a look that said she was two seconds away from punching him. "I swear, if you start arguing with your imaginary friend again—"

"It's not—ugh, never mind." Kazuki took a cautious step forward, peering into the darkness. The cave was massive, its walls slick with moisture, and nestled at the very back was—

He nearly choked on his own breath. "Oh. Oh, we're so dead."

Curled up in the shadows was a dragon.

Its massive form rose and fell in steady breaths, faint embers glowing between its half-parted jaws. Scales shimmered even in the dim light, its body coiled like a sleeping predator, tail twitching slightly.

Lillian grabbed Kazuki's sleeve, voice a harsh whisper. "Are you insane? We are not sleeping next to that thing!"

Kazuki, very much aware of the fact that they were both exhausted, cold, and out of options, forced a grin. "Or... hear me out... we sleep very quietly, and it doesn't eat us?"

Lillian looked ready to strangle him, but another gust of wind sent a violent shiver through her. She scowled, crossing her arms. "If we die, I'm haunting you."

"Noted," Kazuki said, already creeping inside.

The dragon didn't stir.

Carefully, they settled near the cave entrance, as far from the beast as possible. Lillian grumbled as she squeezed the water from her sleeves, her usual fire dimmed by exhaustion.

Kazuki sat beside her, rubbing warmth back into his arms. "Not so bad, right?"

She shot him a glare, then huffed and turned away.

A few moments passed in silence. Then, without looking at him, she muttered, "You're warm."

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Kazuki blinked. "Huh?"

She grabbed his sleeve and yanked him closer, curling up slightly against his side. "Shut up. I'm cold."

Kazuki smirked but wisely chose not to comment. Instead, he let his head rest back against the cave wall, listening to the rain outside.

The storm raged on, the dragon slumbered, and in the quiet warmth of the cave, they both drifted into sleep.

A soft chime echoed in Kazuki's mind, followed by one last message.

[System Message: Congratulations! You have successfully found shelter. Enjoy your night... with two beasts. ;)]

Kazuki's eyes snapped open.

"...Excuse me?"

Lillian, already half-asleep, grumbled. "Shut up and sleep, idiot."

Kazuki groaned, rubbing his face. "I swear, this system has it out for me..."

But despite his complaints, exhaustion won over, and he finally drifted off—sandwiched between a tsundere and a dragon.