Second World Online

After collecting all the valuable loot from the Orc Blood-Shaman’s body and ensuring that those items were safely secured in my inventory, we both immediately used a Return Scroll, a cheap magic scroll that could return a player to the nearest city within ten seconds, provided they were not in combat status.

Blue light enveloped my body and Alya’s white fox form, transporting us across space and time, until we finally set foot again on the brick paving of the StoneBrook town square.

Upon arriving in the safe zone, Alya couldn’t contain her joy. Her tail wagged continuously at maximum speed.

(Party Chat) [Yuuki]: Brother! My real party friends are already waiting for me near the fountain! They couldn’t believe I managed to level up twice in less than two hours! I’m going to show off to them first, okay!

I looked toward the crowd near the fountain, where three players, a human Warrior, a female Mage, and a Cleric were waving toward my little white fox. They looked astonished seeing Alya’s level aura which now far surpassed theirs.

I smiled faintly, feeling like a parent who had just dropped their child off at the school gates.

"Go on. Have fun with your friends," I said gently. "Make sure you find a truly safe place before using that Ember of the Nine-Tailed Fox. The evolution process usually takes time and leaves your character vulnerable if done in the wild."

(Party Chat) [Yuuki]: Got it, Brother! You really are the best! See you at the dinner table tonight! Bye-bye!

The white fox leaped lightly, squeaked cheerfully, and ran toward her friends who immediately swarmed her with various amazed questions.

Watching Alya laugh and interact freely without physical limitations in this virtual world warmed my heart. I immediately left the group (Party), then walked slowly toward the wooden inn where I usually rested.

Upon arriving in my room, I took the time to check my inventory. A Rare dark element magic staff, dozens of high-quality Orc skins, and hundreds of silver coins. This was an incredible harvest. If I sold this staff at the auction house, I could definitely buy the entire set of Intermediate equipment for my crafting and alchemy professions tomorrow.

I sat on the edge of the virtual bed, took a deep breath to calm the remaining combat adrenaline, and then summoned the system interface.

"System, Log Out."

The scenery of the wooden inn room instantly faded, replaced by a tunnel of light zooming past rapidly, before everything finally turned to total darkness.

Hssshhh...

The sound of hydraulic air pressure releasing could be heard. The glass hatch of my Game Capsule opened slowly, releasing cold vapor into the air of my real room, whose temperature was perfectly regulated.

I opened my real eyelids. The white ceiling of my room greeted me once again. My body felt heavy, a contrast that always made me feel a bit nauseous every time I returned from the agility of my Elf avatar.

I turned my head to the side, expecting to find Mira’s sweet smile and a warm towel. However, strangely, the chair beside my bed was empty. Mira wasn’t in my room.

"Where did she go?" I mumbled softly, my voice sounding hoarse. "Usually she never misses my log out schedule by a single second."

I tried lifting my right hand to reach the call bell button mounted on the side of the capsule. However, right at that moment, an incredibly massive wave of drowsiness suddenly slammed into my nervous system. My head felt very heavy, my vision blurred slightly, and my eyelids felt as if they had a ten-kilogram weight hanging from them.

"Ugh... the side effects of the sedatives and immunosuppressants from this afternoon’s medication schedule are apparently just reacting now," I complained internally, realizing that my body was demanding forced rest to repair its damaged cells.

Initially, I intended to crawl out of this capsule and move to my medical bed next to it. However, looking at the one-meter distance separating the capsule and the bed, that intention vanished instantly. It was too exhausting.

Besides, the interior of this Chronos Tech Game Capsule was specially designed. Its padding was made of memory foam gel that adjusted to the posture of the spine, kept the body temperature stable, and prevented bedsores. It felt incredibly soft and comfortable, beating any five-star hotel mattress.

"I’ll just sleep here... it feels more comfortable than my own bed anyway," I whispered as I surrendered to gravity.

I let my hand fall limply back to my side. Without needing to close my eyes too tightly, my consciousness immediately faded. I sank into a very deep, peaceful, and dreamless sleep within the embrace of the sophisticated capsule.

When I opened my eyes again, the atmosphere of my room had changed. The golden-orange afternoon sunlight sneaked in through the gap in the curtains, giving off a warm, soothing vibe.

I glanced at the digital clock on the wall. 18:00 WIB. Six in the evening.

"Good. This time I didn’t oversleep until late at night," I thought, feeling much fresher. The pain in my joints that usually tortured me every time I woke up felt vastly reduced today. Perhaps it was the effect of a good mood, or perhaps the experimental drugs continuously injected into my body were starting to show small progress.

"Young Master Rian! Oh my, you’re awake!"

A panicked voice I knew very well diverted my attention. In the doorway, Mira stood panting slightly. She was still wearing her neat head maid uniform, but the white apron tied around her waist had a few flour stains on it.

Seeing me awake inside the capsule, she immediately rushed over to me with a face full of guilt.

"I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Rian," she said in a panic, instantly forgetting her formal address because we were alone. She grabbed my hand and wiped the sweat from my forehead using a small towel. "I was in the main kitchen earlier, helping the head chef prepare a special dish. I didn’t realize your capsule’s timer alarm had gone off two hours ago. When I returned, you were already fast asleep in here. I didn’t dare wake you up to move you to the bed."

Seeing her face almost on the verge of tears from feeling negligent, I instead smiled widely. My free hand slowly rose, stroking her soft cheek, wiping away the small flour stain stuck there.

"It’s okay, Darling," I replied softly, deliberately stressing the last word to see her reaction.

As expected, Mira’s face instantly turned beet red upon hearing that address.

"B-besides," I continued with a soft chuckle, "sleeping inside this gel capsule is very comfortable. My body feels much lighter. What event is happening in the main kitchen that my personal head maid had to step in and handle flour?"

Mira swallowed hard, trying to master her nervousness from my teasing. She cleared her throat softly and then tidied my blanket.

"Tonight is the monthly extended family dinner schedule, Rian. The Master and Madam, along with both your older brothers are all home today. The Madam specifically requested that all family members’ favorite menus be served perfectly, so I helped supervise in the kitchen," Mira explained.

"Ah... no wonder," I nodded in understanding.

The Hortensia family was an extraordinarily busy conglomerate family. My father managed a multinational company, my oldest brother was being prepped as the primary heir and often traveled abroad, while my second older brother was busy with the military. Gathering them all at one dinner table on the same day was a miracle that usually only happened once a month.

"In that case, help me get ready, Mira. I don’t want to be late and make them wait at the dinner table," I said enthusiastically.

Mira smiled sweetly, nodding her head. Very painstakingly, she helped me out of the capsule, washed my face, dressed me in warm and neat casual clothes, and then transferred me onto the electric wheelchair.

The main dining room in our residence had a size almost equaling a hotel hall. In the center of the room was a long mahogany dining table that could accommodate twenty people. A giant crystal chandelier above it radiated a luxurious yellowish light.

When Mira pushed my wheelchair into the room, the atmosphere was already very lively.

At the head of the table sat my Father, Alexander. A middle-aged man with sharp facial features, hair starting to whiten at the temples, yet exuding a thick aura of authority. To his right sat my Mother, Elena. A graceful and beautiful woman who passed on her eye color to Alya; she always appeared elegant with her warm but also firm maternal smile, as she served as a mayor.

On the left side of the table sat Brother Raymond, my oldest brother. He wore a neat shirt even though he was at home, with thin-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, busy reading something on his tablet. Next to him was Brother Bramasta, my second older brother, wearing a military t-shirt that highlighted his large arm muscles, currently chewing on a slice of apple.

And of course, Alya sat across from them, already showered and neatly dressed, but constantly stealing glances at me with a secretive smile.

"Ah, Rian is here," greeted Mother with a gentle voice, immediately getting up from her chair to kiss the top of my head as Mira parked my wheelchair in the special spot that had been prepared. "How are you feeling today, Son?"

"Much better, Ma. My appetite has also started returning thanks to the delicious chicken porridge," I answered, lying a little about the porridge’s taste for the sake of politeness, while briefly glancing at Mira standing in the corner of the room with the other maids. Mira merely offered a small smile, bowing her head.

"That’s good," my Father’s deep voice chimed in. He put down his coffee cup and looked at me with a slightly softened gaze. "Doctor Karin said the game capsule machine you are using shows positive results on your peripheral nerve regeneration. Keep playing if it makes you happy, but don’t forget your time limit."

"Understood, Pa," I replied, smiling.

Dinner began. The dishes served were truly spectacular. From A5 Wagyu steak for Brother Bramasta, grilled salmon for Father, to clear broth soup with organic vegetables specially made for my fragile stomach.

The dinner atmosphere was colored by pleasant conversation. Brother Raymond talked about his trip inspecting a new factory in Europe, while Brother Bramasta enthusiastically discussed military exercises with other countries.

Alya, of course, couldn’t keep quiet. She kept chattering about her experiences in Second World Online.

"Pa, Ma! Did you know, Rian is super good in the game! This afternoon he shot a giant monster from afar with a hurricane from his arrow! Hwaaash! Boom! The monster died instantly!" Alya recounted with a hyperbolic style that made everyone at the dinner table smile in amusement. She deliberately didn’t discuss her fox form because she didn’t want to sound childish in front of Father.

Father laughed softly. "Oh really? Rian does have incredible focus. Back before he got sick, he was the archery champion at the academy. It seems his true talent carried over to the virtual world."

"Of course! Rian is indeed the best among us when it comes to accuracy," chimed in Brother Bramasta while gently patting my shoulder. "Sometime when you are cured, you have to come with me to a real shooting range, Rian!"

"Definitely, Brother," I answered, feeling a warmth spreading through my chest. This was the reason why I loved my family so much. Amidst all their busyness and wealth, not a single one of them viewed me as a burden or a pathetic sick person. They always treated me normally, providing encouragement without ever pitying me excessively.

The lively dinner finally concluded around eight at night.

Following their usual routine, Father and Brother Raymond immediately excused themselves.

"We have to go to study. There are company merger report files we have to sign tonight to be sent to colleagues abroad," Father said while standing up. He patted my head gently. "Get enough rest, Rian."

"Yes, and don’t make Alya cry too often in the game," teased Brother Raymond, which was immediately answered by Alya sticking her tongue out. The two of them then passed by, heading up the stairs to the second floor.

On the other hand, Brother Bramasta stretched his arms, flexing his chest muscles.

"Well, my calorie quota for today has been met. Time to burn them. I’m going to the gym in the back pavilion first, Ma. Rian, Alya, don’t stay up too late!" he exclaimed before jogging down the hallway toward his private sports facility.

The dining room slowly quieted down. Mother, who didn’t have any meetings scheduled tonight, smiled looking at Alya and me.

"How about we move to the family room? There’s a good nature documentary on the television channel tonight," Mother offered.

"Let’s go, Ma!" Alya immediately agreed, grabbing the armrests of my wheelchair and pushing me slowly, taking over Mira’s duty.

The three of us moved to the very spacious and comfortable family room. A thick fur carpet covered the marble floor. A hundred-inch flat-screen television hung on the wall, displaying a view of the African savanna in 4K resolution.

Mother sat leaning back on the plush main sofa, while Alya sat cross-legged on the fur carpet, right next to my wheelchair. Mira, who had taken off her apron, came in carrying a tray with warm chamomile tea for Mother and Alya, and a glass of warm plain water for me, before finally stepping back and standing guard loyally near the door.

The narrator’s voice from the television flowed soothingly, recounting the migration cycle of reindeer. The room was filled with a warmth and peace I rarely felt.

Alya rested her chin on her hand, her eyes pretending to look at the television screen, but she tilted her body slightly closer toward my chair’s wheel.

"Brother," she whispered very quietly, making sure Mother didn’t hear our ’nerd’ chat. "I already used the stone, you know."

I looked down at her, one eyebrow raised. "Really? When did you use it? Weren’t you hanging out with your friends?"

"Earlier, right before you told me to find a safe place! My friends protected me while I performed the evolution ritual inside an empty house on the outskirts of the city," Alya whispered again, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"And then? What were the results? Did you evolve into a giant or remain a fox?" I asked, my curiosity piqued as well. Unlike my linear class, the mechanics of Beast race mutations were the biggest mystery in Second World Online right now.

Alya grinned widely, a mischievous fox-like smile that perfectly suited her character.

"Secret," she whispered playfully. "Tomorrow you will see it for yourself. What’s clear is... I’m no longer a mute little fox that can only meow. And my new stat parameters... are absolutely crazy."

I chuckled hearing that, stroking the top of my highly spirited sister’s head.

That night, accompanied by the warmth of chamomile tea, an animal documentary, Mother’s smile, and Mira’s presence in the same room, I felt complete peace.

A peace in the real world that made me even more certain of one thing: I will fight this disease, while carving my name in the Second World alongside the people I love.