It had been quite a while since I went out.
I was going to the hospital and also doing some grocery shopping.
"Hm, sure, these days everything gets delivered right to your door by robots, but there's something nice about picking out groceries yourself."
Chris hummed a little tune as she picked out fresh meat, vegetables, and cheese.
Next to her, I sat in my wheelchair, piling snacks and treats on my lap.
The grocery store was pretty quiet in the afternoon.
It was a weekday, and in this world, which was more advanced than the faint memories of my own world, almost everything was done through delivery.
Whirr.
I heard wheels moving, but not just mine. Other robots with wheels were zipping around, putting items into shopping baskets.
"Wow."
It still amazed me every time I saw it.
In a way, this might as well be another world from my perspective.
Chris put a pack of beef into her basket and glanced back at me.
"Good news, huh? No need for hospitalization."
"If I had to be hospitalized, that would’ve been a disaster..."
I shuddered.
The last time I was hospitalized for a month, I suffered huge losses. I missed out on prime farming time, missed bus fees I could’ve charged at a premium, and got into new content late. Luckily, no new dungeons were released during that time, or it would have been a nightmare.
"Anyway, you’re really not going to push yourself too hard anymore, right? Gah, my heart almost stopped back there."
"Yes, yes."
Chris had been reminding me all day not to overdo it.
I felt bad for worrying her.
If I pushed myself too hard, Chris would be sad.
Even though I didn’t feel great, I recovered quicker than I expected.
Maybe it’s because I’ve been eating well and taking care of myself. They say the best medicine is a good meal.
And of course, the hospital helped. With just a bit of treatment and medication, my body was almost back to normal.
You see it in comics and movies—heroes fight villains and get seriously injured. But after the fight, they go to the hospital and come out good as new. That is, if they don’t die or get permanently disabled.
"Hospitals are amazing."
---
"Ah~"
"Ah."
I opened my mouth and took the meat Chris was feeding me, my cheeks turning a bit pink.
Sure, I’d taken some damage recently, but I wasn’t so weak that I couldn’t feed myself.
Lately, though, I’ve gotten too used to this dynamic.
Chris and Beimerung—those two are the ones I meet most often here, and they both love feeding me.
Of course, I don’t mind. It’s just a little embarrassing as an adult to be fed like a child.
Nibbling away, I deftly used my chopsticks to shovel rice and side dishes into my mouth, trying to show that I could feed myself just fine.
Chris, for some reason, wore a thoughtful expression, tinged with a bit of doubt and concern.
"You’re pretty good with chopsticks..."
"...?"
I stuffed my cheeks full with meat and rice, puffing them up a bit as I stared at Chris.
What’s gotten into her today?
She’s seen me eat plenty of times before.
Gulp.
As I swallowed my food, Chris asked me a question.
"Does the food suit your taste? Korean food might be a bit unusual, but you’ve been here for two years, so I guess you’ve gotten used to it. I wonder... you were eating well there too, right?"
"...?"
Chris was suddenly saying strange things.
I tilted my head and popped a piece of aged kimchi into my mouth.
"Mmm."
The sour taste hit me all at once, and I squinted as I savored the flavor.
"Aged kimchi is the best."
A question mark seemed to blink above Chris’s head.
"It’s hard to wrap my head around this whole ‘another world’ thing. From the way you eat, you’re definitely Korean... Or not? If that yellow-haired team leader is to be believed, you’re not fully from another world... Ugh, it’s complicated."
Chris mumbled quietly to herself.
Another world?
Has she been playing *Astria Online* too much?
Korean?
I *am* Korean.
I tilted my head in confusion as I finished my meal in front of the now-befuddled Chris.
---
I sat on the sofa, nibbling on snacks, as Chris combed my hair.
She was good at it. I naturally had smooth hair, so it didn’t tangle much, but it still felt nice when Chris brushed it.
While absentmindedly staring at the TV, I started thinking.
I think I know why Chris is acting this way.
It’s probably because of what happened at the World Tree. It’s been weighing on her mind.
I felt a bit embarrassed, too. I had cried so hard in front of her at the World Tree. To anyone else, it would’ve looked like I was crying over a video game.
But while I was asleep, Igrain and Chris must have had a conversation. It wouldn’t be surprising if the subject of my hero party days came up.
Chris seemed confused.
It’s a strange story, after all.
A game NPC knowing me personally.
She probably sympathized with my emotions at the time and tried to comfort me, but looking at it from a distance, it’s still incredibly odd.
I can’t exactly say, "I’m a hero. This world is real, and I saved the continent of Astria."
Of course, Chris adores me so much that she might believe me without question.
And then what?
"We must risk our lives to stop the new threat to this world!"
Thus, the "Hero Sisters" are born.
We’d become a pair of sisters who are way too immersed in the game.
I could handle that, but I didn’t want others to see Chris in a weird light because of it. Though I’m sure she’d manage just fine.
In this beautiful yet mysterious world of *Astria Online*, I just wanted Chris to enjoy it as a game.
I muttered softly.
"One crazy person is enough."
"Huh? Rain, did you say something?"
"Ah, nothing!"
I closed my eyes and focused on the feeling of Chris’s gentle touch.
Srrr, srrr.
As she ran her fingers through my hair, my complicated thoughts began to settle down.
It felt good.
Maybe things could stay like this.
"This is nice, sis."
"Hm?"
Chris asked out of the blue.
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"What do you mean, nice?"
"How are you going to handle the weekly *Abyss Tree* dungeon now? Even if you’ve farmed one set of earrings and rings, you need to get the full pair, right?"
"Ah."
Chris was right.
The *Abyss Tree* is a weekly raid dungeon. You can only clear it once per week. The legendary-grade accessories, with their overwhelming stats and abilities, can’t be obtained anywhere else. I had earned one earring and one ring by soloing the 12-man raid, but I needed at least one more clear to complete the pair.
And, for money’s sake, I needed to keep farming.
I wanted to pat myself on the back for managing to grab the loot, even in my dazed state.
The item I got from defeating Crow was a weapon upgrade material. It looked like it could upgrade an elite weapon to legendary. Of course, I’d have to log in again once I was fully recovered to confirm the details.
Since I already had a great legendary weapon, *Astaroth*, if the new item was of similar value, I could sell it.
There were lots of things to check—evolution paths, additional materials, the weapon's stats, and whether it could be traded.
"Are you really going to keep doing this solo? I wish you wouldn’t."
Chris's voice was laced with concern.
I nodded slightly.
Yeah, I managed it once, but it’s not something I can keep doing.
After clearing it the first time, I knew all the strategies, so I wouldn’t need as many attempts.
But soloing is a different story.
The biggest issues are still the damage output and mechanics.
How much more would I need to level up to whittle down a 12-person boss’s HP on my own? How much more agility would I need to handle all the mechanics solo?
To clear this consistently, I’d have to use my cheat-like abilities.
And to do that?
I’d have to endure intense pain.
I’d have to put my health on the line.
In the worst-case scenario, I could even end up gambling my life here in this world just to solo farm. If I collapsed and bled out again, it would be the end. Chris might respect my wishes for now, but if that happened, she’d drag me straight to the hospital, no questions asked.
"Yeah... It’s probably too much, huh?"
"Sigh, what the heck have you been doing to pull it off? Looking at your condition, you’ve clearly been in a lot of pain. You said you don’t want to go through synchronization treatment, but are you really going to keep hurting yourself like this?"
"...I’m sorry."
I shrank back.
Chris’s tone had turned sharp.
I couldn’t argue. This was all my fault.
"You know, right? *The Abyss Tree* is a locked dungeon. The Crimson-White Raid Team is already full with 12 people, so there’s no space. Of course, if you wanted, I could kick out one of the less likable members immediately..."
"N-no! That’s not necessary!"
"Right? I figured you’d say that."
Chris gently lifted me off
her lap and set me beside her.
"Don’t worry. I’ve got something planned."
"...?"
She gave me a reassuring smile.
"I’m going to form a raid team just for you."
I tilted my head in confusion.
How?
The *Abyss Tree* is a weekly dungeon, and each character can only clear it once per week.
If the Crimson-White team clears it, Chris’s character will be locked to the dungeon.
She doesn’t have two bodies.