Chapter 12: Checking the forums
I miscalculated, Adyr thought, tasting the bitter sting of his mistake.
The mission he'd given the NPC, meant solely to understand its nature, had completely backfired. Now, knowing that his real body was lying there defenseless, waiting to be torn apart by a horde of skeletons, he realized everything had been left to luck. He had no control over the outcome, and he hated that to his core.
Or is it? He chuckled quietly as he hung up the receiver and turned back toward the table.
When Marielle saw that he had ended the call, she considered asking what could've been so important for Victor to use the emergency line — but she held back. She wasn't the kind of parent who poked around in her children's private lives, and she knew better than most how reckless teenagers could be. So, she let it slide.
Soon, her tired eyes began to close, and in the soft candlelit room, as the low murmur of her children studying filled the space, she drifted into a quiet, peaceful sleep.
***
Morning light poured through the window as Adyr slowly opened his eyes and sat up in bed. He glanced at the wristwatch resting on his desk — 6:00 AM.
The first thing he did was check if the power had returned. Sure enough, the game helmet's indicator light was on. It had begun charging.
According to the manual, a full charge took exactly three hours — the same as one in-game session. It also didn't allow play while charging, and although Adyr briefly wondered why a device this advanced didn't support fast charging, there was nothing he could do about it.
Since there was no need to rush, he stood by the window for a few minutes, watching the sun rise. Afterward, he did a light stretch, visited the bathroom for his usual morning routine, and then headed downstairs.
The house was quiet, no one else was awake yet. He made himself a cup of coffee in the kitchen, then set the table and prepared a simple breakfast for the family. Afterward, he returned to his room and opened his laptop.