Chapter 162 Dream Land.

"Doctor! Doctor! Let's go into this one next!"

"Okay okay..."

Deciding what attraction to go to first had been a dilemma, but once they settled on one the rest were quickly picked and the date proceeded without interruptions.

From bumper cars to a carousel, a tilt-a-whirl then multiple roller coasters. Sam was amazed by how everything felt like the real thing, and every time the rides ascended to a high altitude he couldn't help but think of how painful it would be if they fell to the ground. Nevertheless, he was having so much fun that his calm and collected mask fell at some point allowing him to smile and laugh for the first time in a long while.

That said, whether it's because of his age, personality, or the nature of his work, he still found it difficult to keep up with Miku's hype and enthusiasm as she dragged him around the theme park.

'If I had a stomach I would probably be puking by now.' He thought as they got off one of the more extreme roller coasters which they rode for the third time in a row.

"Hm... where should we go next?" Miku asked, looking from one direction to the other.

"How about..." Sam's voice was cut by the continuous panting. "How about we take a break first."

"Alright! How about we try that then!?"

What she pointed at was a nearby ice cream stand. It was the change of pace Sam was looking for so he didn't object and followed after the young Valkyrie as she went ahead.

One thing Sam noticed is that the crowds seemed to naturally disperse whenever they approached a certain location. With how many people are around he expected to spend some time waiting in the lines for popular rides, but that never happened. He guessed that, although NPCs were placed in the park intentionally to give it a lively atmosphere, they were all programmed to make way for the real visitors who couldn't bother to wait for too long.

Miku ordered a cone of vanilla ice cream decorated with chocolate chips while Sam chose chocolate and coconut. The two of them sat at a nearby bench and started partaking in their treats.

"Doctor," holding her cone up, Miku smiled at him. "Say aah..."

Though he was a bit reluctant Sam took a taste. He then proceeded to offer some of his and the blond Valkyrie happily took a bite. The flavors were so close to reality that it was impossible to tell the difference. If one didn't know they were in a virtual world it wouldn't be far-fetched to mistake it for the real one.

As they ate, Miku leaned against him and hummed a joyful melody. Peaceful moments like these were as enjoyable as the adrenaline-inducing rides. Being able to slow down and enjoy something sweet was the kind of break Sam needed before welcoming the Nephilim to the negotiation table.

"WHOAAHHAAAAA!!!"

Meanwhile, three other Valkyries were experiencing the excitement of Dream Land's most extreme rollercoaster, though each of them had her own reaction. B3 was having the most fun with her arms raised high laughing uncontrollably. Behind her was a calm and collected Nino not making any sound, however her lack of expression had nothing to do with her tolerance to such rides and more with the giant soft cushions her head was buried in.

"KYAAAAAAAAAAA!!!"

Ichigo was the most terrified hugging the smaller Nino as she screamed at the top of her lungs. Due to her being a cleansing specialist she rarely had to fly around and maneuver in the air at such high speeds, adding to that having no control over how the train moves and what you get is one of the scariest experiences of her life.

"Hm?" Thinking he had heard a scream different from that of the NPCs Sam came to a stop to look in its direction, however Miku pulled his arm hurrying him along as they headed for the next thing.

"Doctor! Let's go there next!"

"A hunted mansion, huh?"

Contrasting the vibrant colors of the entire park was a single building painted in dark colors. It appeared to be on the brink of collapse surrounded by dead trees and tombstones of different shapes and sizes.

"They sure went hard on this one." Sam commented.

They even went as far as making the atmosphere dark and gloomy despite it being a sunny day in the rest of Asgard. That section alone seemed to be cut from the rest as if it was in its own world.

"Doesn't it make your heart race?" Miku said, looking like she is about to start hopping in her place. "What are we waiting for? Let's go inside!"

Miku was a Valkyrie who had experienced the cruel battles against the Calamities; Sam was sure nothing in that mansion would scare her. That said, he made a bit of a miscalculation thinking the attraction is the same as those in the real world, and he failed to consider what effect it would have on him as well.

"KYAAAAA!!!"

Being in a virtual world removed the limitations theme park rides had in the real world. Walking inside felt like having a blind playthrough of some terrifying video game, only there is no screen and everything looks and feels real. It wouldn't be an understatement to say the ghosts are real ghosts. They appear out of nowhere and disappear as fast. They're incorporeal and can pass through anything, but their touch can be felt on the skin creating a truly uncomfortable situation.

At first Sam was enjoying Miku's cuteness as she clung to him, screaming whenever they arrived at one of the jump-scares. He was actively suppressing the fear he felt trying to appear like a strong male figure that's always calm in such situations, however when a skeletal hand popped out of the ground and grabbed his leg his heart sunk so fast he almost sullied himself. If he still had his human body he was confident his heart would've stopped long ago.

By the time they reached the exit Sam began to regret blindly following Miku around, but as if to give him another hit the young Valkyrie turned around with a smug smile.

"Should we go in one more time?"

Staring at her for a second, Sam let out an exhausted sigh then crossed his arms in an X shape.

"No."

"Wha-!? But it was so much fun!"

"We don't have infinite time and there are still many attractions to visit."

As ashamed as he was of that excuse, it was true that they had a limited amount of time. Though the simulation can be accelerated to allow them to stay there as much as they want Odin advised against it since it might affect their mentality toward the real world.

Miku seemed to take the bait deciding on the next ride almost instantly. They went to one that seemed to be based on a sci-fi movie where they had to shoot alien holograms using toy guns. The young Valkyrie took the chance to show Sam her shooting skills, but what she didn't expect was for him to be as skilled and the competition between them ignited.

In the end Sam somehow managed to come out as the winner. He thought she would be sulking after suffering a defeat, but to his surprise Miku was looking at him with newfound admiration having never expected such a side to him.

Having gathered the most points in the game Sam won the first prize: a Rolly plushy wearing the clothes of the main character from the movie the ride is based on. Without hesitation, Sam did the sensible thing and gifted it to his date which scored him a great number of points and he got to see Miku's pleased smile as she hugged it close.

Stopping to get a proper meal, the two continued on with their date visiting whatever attraction caught their attention. Before they knew it the sky began turning dark which signaled the end of the day. All that was left is the fireworks show at the end, after that they would have to leave for the real world.

As they watched the colorful flowers bloom in the sky, Sam felt Miku clench the hand she held his with. Their day together was about to end and it seems she didn't want that to happen.

"How was it, Miku?" Sam asked, clenching her hand as well. "Did you enjoy today?"

"Un... yes..."

He sensed a hint of sadness in her voice, but there is nothing to do about it.

"Let's come here again when we have the time." Wanting to reassure her a little he decided to make another promise. "Or we can go somewhere else if you want."

"No..." shaking her head once, Miku spoke in a satisfied voice. "There are many rides we didn't try today. Let's make sure to do it next time."

"Okay."

The fireworks lit the sky one more time after which it was announced that the park will be closing. The ride back was a silent one. Though they could return to the real world from anywhere in Asgard, the stuff they got outside would be lost if they did so they decided to return to their apartments in the virtual world before leaving.

"Then, see you in a minute." Sam said, having walked the Valkyrie to her place first.

"Yes. Thank you for today, Doctor."

ραпdα nᴏνa| сom ~♡~

When he opened his eyes, Sam saw a blinking sign saying "log off complete". He took the headset off then slowly crawled out of the capsule used to enter Asgard.

Waiting for him outside was Miku. Since the clothes she wore for their date only exist in the virtual world, she was currently in her pilot suit. Sam was wearing one as well, however unlike the leotard-like design that of the Valkyries has, his was more like a diving suit that covered most of his body.

"This thing sure is amazing, right?" Sam commented, glancing at the capsule.

A device that allows one to fully emerge in a virtual world. Sadly it doesn't seem to work for normal humans so the likelihood of it being used in gaming was quite low.

"Yes."

Turning in the Valkyrie's direction he noticed that she was slightly blushing as she kept stealing glances at him. Sam allowed a small smile to form on his face before approaching her.

"Eh?"

Before she noticed, Miku found herself being held in a princess-style carry. Her face heated up even more seeing the way Sam was looking at her, and though she was nervous her lips curved upwards as a warm feeling spread through her chest.

The trip to the theme park might have come to an end, but their date has yet to conclude.