Second World Online

That night, after the confession that broke the years of silence between us, nothing else happened. The two of us merely lay on my rather spacious bed, sharing the same thick blanket.

I wrapped my thin arm around Mira’s shoulder, and she buried her face in my chest, listening to my calm, rhythmic heartbeat. There was no explosive passion or other adult activities. My body, having just recovered from a bone marrow inflammatory crisis, clearly couldn’t handle things that drained that much energy, hehe. Besides, the warmth of this embrace, the sensation of holding her body in my arms, was already more than enough to make me feel like the happiest man in the real world.

The next day, the morning sunlight greeted us again through the gap in the curtains.

I had actually woken up earlier, before the alarm or the light fully illuminated the room. However, feeling the comfortable weight on my chest, I chose to keep my eyes closed and hold my breath to pretend I was still asleep.

Not long after, I felt a small movement. Mira slowly woke up. From behind my slightly open eyelashes, I could see her blinking her brown eyes. When she was fully conscious and realized her highly intimate sleeping position, her head resting on my chest, her legs intertwined with mine, a deep red color instantly spread rapidly across her entire face and neck.

She looked incredibly embarrassed, biting her lower lip to hold back a smile. But at the same time, her eyes sparkled, radiating overflowing enthusiasm and happiness. Her gaze upon me was no longer the gaze of a maid toward her Young Master, but the gaze of a girl who could finally have the man she loved.

Mira slowly propped her body up using one elbow, staring intently at my face that was pretending to be asleep. She tilted her head, her long hair falling and tickling my cheek.

Then, with a very slow and careful movement like a cat trying to steal a fish she lowered her face. She intended to secretly steal a morning kiss from me.

Right when her soft and warm lips pressed lightly against mine, I decided to stop my act.

I opened my eyes completely. My hand, which had been resting on her waist all this time, suddenly moved up, holding the back of her neck gently, and I immediately pulled her into a much deeper kiss.

"Mmph!"

Mira gasped in surprise amidst our kiss. Her eyes widened perfectly from my surprise attack. However, her shock only lasted for a second or two. She didn’t resist at all. Instead, she closed her eyes again, letting her hands rest on my chest, and returned my kiss with a deep feeling.

This sweet sensation in the morning truly made me forget all the IV tubes and the smell of medicine that surrounded my life.

After a few moments that felt like an eternity, I released the link of our lips so we could both catch our breath.

Mira’s face now truly looked like a boiled tomato. Her eyes were watery, and she looked completely flustered facing this awkward yet thrilling romantic situation.

"I-I... I will go get your morning breakfast and medication schedule, Young Master I mean, Rian!" she squeaked in a panicked, high-pitched voice.

Without waiting for me to respond, she immediately jumped off the bed, hastily tidied her hair with frantic movements, and ran helter-skelter out of my room as if being chased by a high-level boss monster.

Watching her back disappear behind the door, I laughed freely. My laughter echoed in the quiet room, the most uninhibited laugh I had let out in the past year.

"So sweet," I muttered while wiping my lips, leaning my head back against the pillow.

My morning laughter slowly subsided, leaving behind a calm smile full of meaning. While staring at my white room ceiling, my mind slowly began to wander, thinking about the future.

I want to live.

If previously I played Second World Online (SWO) purely to escape a dark reality and the boredom of waiting for death, now everything has changed. Mira’s presence as my girlfriend provided a very strong anchor binding me to the real world. I wanted to walk with her through the park, go to the movies like a normal couple, and maybe one day, marry her.

"I have to get better. Even though I know the recovery percentage for this malignant leukemia mutation is very small... the probability is never zero percent," I whispered to myself, clenching my right hand that was free of tubes.

Besides, there was one major thing that became the foundation of my glimmer of hope.

The company that created SWO, Chronos Tech, wasn’t just a gaming or virtual entertainment company. They were a technology giant mastering various advanced scientific fields. The medical Game Capsule I currently used to log in which was capable of regenerating neural cells and monitoring vital signs in real-time was merely a public prototype version of their true medical technology.

My family, the Hortensia Family, was one of the wealthiest and most influential families on this continent. And more importantly, the Hortensia family was one of the largest funders and investors behind Chronos Tech’s secret medical research division.

From the information I overheard in a secret conversation between Papa, Mama, and Doctor Karin a few months ago, Chronos Tech was currently in the final stages of developing a Genetic Restoration Capsule. The machine was rumored to use nanotech waves and stem cell manipulation integrated with Full-Dive brainwaves, designed specifically to destroy cancer cells and reprogram a patient’s bone marrow down to the DNA level.

"If that device is truly successfully created and passes clinical trials... I will definitely be one of the first patients to use it thanks to the Hortensia family’s massive investment," I thought with my chest starting to pound with optimism. "I just need to hold on. Keep this body from giving up until that device is ready."

About half an hour later, Mira returned with a breakfast tray and my medicines. She had successfully regained her professional expression, even though a faint blush still adorned both her cheeks every time our gazes accidentally met. We enjoyed breakfast in an awkward atmosphere yet filled with a sweet warmth.

After breakfast was over and I had swallowed all the medicine, Doctor Karin sent an approval message so I could leave the room to get some fresh air.

Mira helped me off the bed and transferred me into my high-tech electric wheelchair. I was still too weak to walk far, but sitting in a wheelchair was no problem.

Mira pushed my wheelchair out of my sterile room, passing through the grand hallways of our residence, until we finally arrived at the backyard garden area.

As soon as the double glass doors slid open, a gust of cool morning breeze instantly hit my face. The air outside was still a bit damp from the remnants of last night’s rain, carrying the fragrant aroma of wet earth, cut grass, and dew that was incredibly refreshing for my lungs.

The Hortensia family residence’s garden was very spacious, designed with a blend of Japanese and modern styles. There were giant bonsai trees, neatly trimmed green lawns, and a large stone pond flowing with a miniature artificial waterfall.

Mira pushed me slowly near the edge of the stone pond. She then handed me a small jar containing fish food pellets.

"The sun is very nice today, Master... I mean, Rian," Mira said softly, correcting her own address while smiling shyly. She stood beside me, placing one hand on my shoulder.

"Yes, very cool. Much better than the smell of chlorhexidine in my room," I replied smiling, leaning my head slightly to touch the back of her hand.

I took a handful of pellets and threw them into the middle of the pond.

Splash! Splash!

Within seconds, dozens of Koi fish the size of an adult’s arm immediately swarmed, flicking their colorful tails and splashing water. Watching these enthusiastic fish fight over food somehow gave a certain peace to my heart.

"Brother Rian!! Sister Mira!!"

A very loud and cheerful shout suddenly shattered the morning tranquility of the garden. From the direction of the main terrace, I saw Alya, my hyperactive younger sister, running across the grass lawn wearing casual clothes bundled in a thick jacket. Her pigtails bounced full of energy.

Once she reached my wheelchair, she was panting slightly, but her eyes shone with an incredibly bright gleam of excitement.

"Good morning, little Princess. You don’t have school today?" teased Mira while straightening Alya’s slightly skewed jacket.

"Today is Saturday, Sister Mira! The weekend off!" Alya exclaimed cheerfully. She then squatted next to my wheelchair, looking at me with a highly suspicious triumphant face.

"Brother Rian! You have to hear what happened to me last night in Second World Online! It’s truly crazy!" she blabbered without preamble, both hands clenched in front of her chest from sheer enthusiasm.

I chuckled softly, threw the last remaining pellets into the pond, and then dusted off my dirty hands. "What is it? Did you manage to burn your own tail using your fire magic?" I asked mischievously, returning her smile.

"No way! I’m a Pro Player, you know!" grumbled Alya while pouting her lips, but she couldn’t hold back her enthusiasm any longer. "Last night, when my party and I were chasing a golden rabbit monster near a cliff in the eastern area, I slipped because the grass was slippery!"

"Slipped? You fell off a cliff?" I asked slightly startled, imagining what it felt like to freefall with one hundred percent immersion inside a VR machine.

"Yes! My friends panicked and thought I died a silly death. But it turns out, below that cliff wasn’t the bottom of a ravine, but a cave crevice hidden by an illusion of creeping vines! Do you know what that was?!" Alya stood up straight, spreading both her arms. "I accidentally fell and found the entrance to a Hidden Dungeon exclusively for the Beast sub-race!"

My eyes instantly widened. I, who for days had scouted the Whispering Forest using my Eagle Eye, had to painstakingly slaughter an Elite wolf boss first just to see the gates of an ancient Elf legacy dungeon. While my sister? She simply slipped chasing a rabbit and BAM, entered a Hidden Dungeon!

"What kind of main character luck is that..." I thought, feeling a bit envious but mostly amazed. "And then? Was your level high enough to survive there? Usually, Hidden Dungeons have double the difficulty level."

"At first it was super scary, Brother! The place was named [Trial of the Ancestor]. It was full of stone fox statues that could come alive and shoot fire," recounted Alya, both her hands mimicking magic-shooting motions. "Because that dungeon was dedicated to the agility of four-legged animal races, the system gave me a jumping trial. I ran, jumped, dodged fire traps, and continuously spewed Fireballs for almost three hours!"

"And you managed to complete it alone?"

"Of course I did! I already told you I’m super agile!" Alya laughed proudly while patting her chest. "As soon as I cleared the last room, I got the main treasure from that Dungeon. A Special Item named [Ember of the Nine-Tailed Fox] with a Legendary rank!"

Hearing the word Legendary, I almost choked on my own spit. Mira, who didn’t play games, just smiled listening to us, but as a fellow SWO player, I knew how impossible it was to obtain a Legendary-ranked item in the early days of a server launch!

"Wait, Alya... A Legendary Item? What is its exact function?" I demanded, leaning my body forward out of sheer curiosity.

Alya took out her smartphone and showed a screenshot she had taken through her game’s interface system.

On the phone screen, a glowing red crystal could be seen, inside of which was a swirl of fire shaped like a nine-tailed fox embryo.

[Ember of the Nine-Tailed Fox]

Rarity: Legendary (Bind on Pickup / Untradeable)

Type: Special Race Evolution Material (Beast)

Description: The residual pure power essence of the nine-tailed fox ancestral race. If used during the First Tier Evolution phase (Level 10), this item will trigger a bloodline mutation, transforming the user’s sub-race into an unregistered legendary exotic race.

I stared at the phone screen for almost a full minute without being able to say a word. My mind churned, calculating the statistical probabilities.

Inside SWO, players who took the Beast sub-race had a unique mechanic where their bodies would evolve every multiple of 10 levels, unlike the Human or Elf races whose growth was linear. If an ordinary animal race player reached level 10, they might only transform into a larger form or gain one additional passive ability.

However, with this Legendary bloodline mutation item... Alya had essentially just won the genetic lottery inside the game! She would obtain a special race that possessed Base Stats far surpassing normal players.

"Crazy... this luck of yours is truly illogical, Al," I praised and grumbled simultaneously, shaking my head in amazement.

Alya giggled in amusement seeing her brother’s typical jealous reaction. "Hehehe, right? But I’m currently still at Level 8, Brother. So I can’t use this Ember yet. I still need to hunt a little more to reach level 10 so I can start my evolution ritual.

"What time are you logging into the game later, Brother? I need your help to party up and help me fight Level 12 monsters outside the city so I can quickly level up to 10!"

I turned toward Mira standing beside me. Mira nodded slowly, giving silent permission, considering this was in accordance with the two-hour schedule determined by Doctor Karin.

"Around one in the afternoon after my rest schedule," I answered smiling. "Just wait in front of the fountain in the StoneBrook town square. I will take you hunting in a very special place."

"Awesome! Promise, okay!" Alya held out her pinky finger toward me, which I immediately answered with a smile. My little sister then waved her hand and ran back into the house, perhaps to log into her game capsule right away.

Left alone again with Mira in the cool garden, I stared back at the stretch of green grass.

"She’s only played for one day and night and already obtained a secret evolution Legendary Item," I complained while laughing softly. "It seems I, the older brother who feels like a genius, must work much harder today so I don’t get humiliated by my own sister when we hunt together later."

"Master... Rian can definitely surpass it. Rian is the greatest," Mira said sincerely from my side.

Hearing the sweet support from the girl who was now officially my girlfriend, my fighting spirit inside the game burned fiercely once again. With the design of the new crafter update, Intermediate equipment, and the prospect of hunting alongside the little one-tailed fox, my two-hour login session today was going to be the most packed and brutal session I had ever done.