The night came surprisingly uneventfully.

I couldn't do anything after getting the large stone, so I decided to just settle in for the night. How bad could sleeping on the ground be?

I squeezed in between Nun and the rock. Nun, on my right, would stand between any potential river beasts and me. The large stone, on my left, would hopefully be a deterrent to any probing Stationary Ents who might not stay stationary.

Some might say I'm being paranoid but those people get eaten in their first night of sleeping in a strange world with no protection. As it stood, the fairy was missing and Nun was the only cultivator present who was more or less capable of at least trying to fend off hungry beasts. If he didn't run away and leave me defenseless first.

So maybe I couldn't count on him. At least, not yet. My monkey buddy was too cowardly¹Note: This is totally not hypocritical because I am not able to defend myself as Nun can. Me running away and leaving the monkey to deal with threats is not the same as vice versa. to be counted on.

But I tried to put those thoughts behind me for now. Even if something happened, there was technically nothing I could do about it. I just needed to get a good night's rest; I'd figure everything out later.

A familiar, high-pitched voice woke me from my fitful rest. <I left you for four hours and this is all you've done?>

It turns out that sleeping on the ground when you're not used to it is very bad for you. I had all sorts of kinks in my neck and sore shoulders from twisting and turning all night. I hadn't wanted to take off my sweatshirt and expose my skin to the chilly forest night, so I used a curled up Nun as a pillow.

The monkey hadn't minded, fortunately, but he wrapped his legs around my head and-

Let's just say that wasn't a pleasant experience.

Nonetheless, I managed to get a few hours of uncomfortable sleep until the morning - and an agitated fairy - greeted me.

Blinking the sleep out of my eyes, I muttered, "What?"

I couldn't see her. Her voice, as loud and projected as it was, could've been coming from anywhere.

Blurred eyes took in the dreary morning and they failed to adjust to the low morning light. Oh, I thought. I need my glasses...

I felt around the ground near my head. My hand blindly grasped for anything resembling my cherished spectacles until I found them, lodged underneath the rock. I made to move my arm to grab it but Nun had wrapped himself around the limb, rendering it inert until the little monkey woke up. Sighing, I awkwardly shimmied my glasses out from under the rock and put them on.

"Oh, great," I growled. "The lenses are scratched."

<Are you ignoring me again, mortal? Oh, I swear, when I get my hands on you->

I sat up, ignoring the rest of her threat. I knew she wouldn't go through with it...Probably. I really hoped she wouldn't; it was my job to hurt her with my eventual betrayal.

The fairy dropped down onto the large stone. The impact cracked it a little, much to my dismay.

"Hey! Watch what you're doing! It took Nun," I raised my arm, flexing my muscles so it could bear the monkey's weight, "a lot of energy to make this thing!"

<You,> she growled, <are utterly incompetent!>