Second World Online

Chapter 4: Chapter 4: HARSH REALITY AND RETURNING ENERGY

My consciousness had just fully landed back in my real body. The moment the logout command was executed, the boundless freedom I experienced as Syl the silver-haired Elf girl in StoneBrook vanished like smoke blown by the wind. Reality embraced me in the cruelest way possible. My eyelids felt extremely heavy as I slowly opened them. My vision immediately met the curved surface of the futuristic Game Capsule’s glass cover, which refracted the light from my private medical room.

I tried to take a breath, but what came out of my throat was only a short, suffocating gasp. This leukemia, the monster that had been gnawing at my bone marrow for the past two years, immediately demanded its territory back the moment my soul returned. All my joints felt stiff, as if hot liquid lead had frozen inside them. A constant, faint ache began crawling from my spine toward my ribs, brutally reminding me that I was still a twenty-year-old young man who was dying.

The capsule’s glass cover was designed with internal mechanical touch sensors. In theory, I only needed to place my palm on the scanner panel on the ceiling to trigger the hydraulic valve to lift it. I gathered what little willpower I had left and tried to move my right arm. However, the command from my brain seemed blocked by exhausted nerves. My arm felt like a heavy, wet piece of wood. When I managed to lift it a few centimeters, all the muscles in my arm trembled violently before falling limply back onto the ergonomic gel padding.

I didn’t have enough strength. Forget pressing the panel simply holding my arm up in the air for three seconds was a luxury this frail body didn’t possess. Frustration crept into the corner of my heart, but I quickly brushed it aside. I couldn’t give up over something this ridiculous.

Using the last bit of strength in the tips of my fingers, I slowly slid my arm across the surface of the protective gel. I directed it toward the side, where the interior glass wall was located. Once my fingertips touched the hard surface, I began tapping my knuckles against the glass.

Tok... Tok... Tok...

The sound was very faint and muffled from inside the sealed pod. In the usually deathly silent sterile room, I could only hope that these weak knocks would be picked up by the room’s voice sensors or by someone watching over me outside. I paused for a moment, steadying my racing heartbeat from such a trivial activity, then repeated the knocking once more with slightly more force.

Tok... Tok... Tok...

Fortunately, I heard hurried footsteps approaching from the direction of the bedroom door. The footsteps were light but steady a rhythm I knew very well. Through the dim transparent glass, I could see the silhouette of a figure quickly approaching the game capsule where I lay.

A moment later, the external emergency mechanism was activated from outside. There was a soft hydraulic hiss followed by a crisp mechanical click. The metallic black glass cover of the Game Capsule slowly rose, allowing the sterile, antiseptic-scented air from my medical room to rush in and fill my nostrils.

"Young Master! Oh my goodness, I’m sorry for not realizing sooner that you had woken up," a soft voice full of worry immediately greeted me.

The person standing beside the capsule was Mira. She was the personal maid specially assigned by my mother to handle all my daily needs and medical care outside the doctor team. Mira was a girl exactly the same age as me twenty years old. But the contrast between us was like heaven and earth. While I resembled a fragile, pale wax statue due to chemotherapy, Mira had an extremely healthy and attractive figure. The modern maid uniform she wore fit perfectly, accentuating her hourglass silhouette a combination of elegance, health, and natural feminine charm. Her beautiful face was adorned with a pair of expressive round eyes, which at this moment radiated deep concern.

I tried to give her a faint smile to calm her down, even though my lips felt very dry.

"It’s okay, Mira... My body is just being a little... uncooperative today," I replied in a hoarse voice that was almost a whisper.

With quick and gentle movements, Mira leaned into the capsule. Her warm hands carefully supported my back and shoulders, making sure her movements wouldn’t trigger pain in my fragile bones. She helped me rise from the lying position and slowly shifted my body until I could sit on the edge of the Game Capsule with my thin legs dangling weakly without touching the floor.

I closed my eyes for a moment, lowering my head while placing both palms on my thighs. I focused on regulating my breathing, taking deep breaths to stabilize the oxygen supply to my constricted lungs. Mira remained faithfully standing beside me, one hand still gently supporting my back in case I suddenly felt dizzy and lost balance.

After several minutes of silence filled only by the mechanical hum of the medical equipment in the corner, I began to feel my blood flow stabilize a little. The dizziness that had been spinning in my head gradually subsided. I opened my eyes and looked up at Mira’s beautiful face, which was still patiently waiting.

The room felt extremely quiet compared to the warmth when my entire family had gathered a few hours earlier before I did the Link In. That loneliness triggered curiosity in my mind.

"Mira..." I called softly.

"Yes, Young Master? Is there any part of your body that hurts? Should I call the doctor team?" she asked rapidly in a protective tone.

I slowly shook my head. "No, I’m fine. I just wanted to ask... where is everyone? Why does the house feel so quiet?"

Mira let out a sigh of relief upon hearing that my condition was stable, then her expression became calmer as she explained.

"Ah, about that... Master Alexander just left about two hours ago, Young Master. He went with Master Raymond, your eldest brother. Apparently there was an emergency board meeting at the company headquarters that required their direct presence to make business decisions."

I nodded in understanding. My father, Alexander, and Brother Raymond were the backbone of our family’s business empire. They were both geniuses who controlled an extraordinarily large economic machine, and I knew how packed their schedules were to maintain the fortress of wealth that had been funding my treatment.

"What about Brother Bramasta?" I asked again, remembering my second brother who had a sturdy build and a disciplined military demeanor.

"Second Master Bramasta returned to the military command base an hour ago," Mira replied while tidying some blankets inside the capsule. "His service leave ended this morning, and he has to lead a new tactical training operation at the border. However, before leaving, he specifically asked me to make sure you don’t push yourself too hard in the virtual game."

I smiled inwardly. Brother Bramasta had always been a strict protector with a very caring heart. "And my little sister, Alya?"

"Young Miss Alya is of course still at her high school right now, Young Master. Today is the exam, so she couldn’t skip even though this morning she insisted on staying here to accompany you when the new capsule arrived," Mira chuckled softly, remembering my little sister’s spoiled behavior that often brightened up this room.

"And Mother?" I asked, referring to the most authoritative woman in my life.

Mira’s expression turned respectful. "Lady Elena is very busy today at the city hall. As Mayor, she has to lead coordination meetings with department heads regarding the new district development project and the reception of a foreign diplomatic delegation. She sent a short message to the house staff system saying she would likely only return late tonight, but she promised to check on you as soon as she arrives."

I nodded slowly again. My mother, Elena, was a Mayor with extraordinary dedication to the community, as well as a mother who never missed monitoring my health charts every day through her medical tablet. My family... They were all great people with incredibly busy lives at the peak of the social ladder, yet they sacrificed so much energy and emotion just to ensure I still had a reason to keep living in this luxurious room.

A warm, emotional feeling spread through my chest, mixing with the remnants of virtual energy that seemed to indirectly provide a positive psychological impact on my real mentality. I glanced at the digital wall clock. It was already midday. Lunchtime had arrived.

Surprisingly, for the first time in months, I felt a faint signal of hunger from my stomach. Usually, due to high-dose chemical drugs, my stomach would reject all kinds of food, triggering constant nausea even just from smelling cooked food. But this afternoon, the memory of leisurely walking and shooting straw dummies in the game seemed to stimulate my body’s desire for real energy intake.

"Mira," I called while looking directly at her. "Please prepare lunch for me."

Mira was momentarily stunned. Usually, she had to persuade me repeatedly or wait for instructions from the nursing team to install an automatic feeding tube if I completely refused to open my mouth. Hearing me request lunch on my own initiative was a very positive anomaly.

"Understood, Young Master! I’ll immediately ask the private chef to prepare it and bring the food here as quickly as possible," Mira replied, her eyes suddenly bright with joy. She helped me lean back comfortably in the special wheelchair beside the capsule before turning around and hurrying out of the room.

It didn’t take long for Mira to return. About ten minutes later, she pushed a small trolley table containing a silver tray emitting soft, savory steam. When the food cover was lifted, the menu served before me was actually exactly the same as this morning’s a bowl of white rice porridge cooked with pure bone broth. However, there was one small difference deliberately added this afternoon: on top of the porridge, there was a sprinkling of finely shredded organic chicken and a thick premium beef broth to stimulate appetite.

Mira placed the bowl on the small table adjusted in front of my wheelchair. She took a silver spoon, ready to feed me as she usually did every day.

"Let me try it myself, Mira," I said softly while extending my still slightly trembling right hand.

Mira hesitated for a moment, but eventually handed me the spoon carefully. I gripped the spoon handle with my thin, dry fingers. Lifting my arm to chest height felt exhausting, but I forced myself. I scooped a small amount of warm porridge mixed with shredded meat and put it into my mouth.

The rich savory flavor immediately danced on my taste buds. Usually, any food would taste bland or bitter like bile on my tongue due to the remnants of chemotherapy toxins. But this time, the porridge truly tasted delicious. I swallowed it slowly, waiting for my stomach’s reaction. Miraculously, there was no usual surge of nausea. My stomach actually welcomed the warmth of the food well.

One spoonful. Two spoonfuls. Three spoonfuls.

Mira stood nearby with her round eyes wide open. She seemed to be holding her breath, as if afraid that the slightest sound would make this miracle happening before her eyes suddenly disappear. Usually, even in the best condition, I could only force one or two spoonfuls before turning my face away due to severe nausea, leaving the rest of the food wasted.

But this afternoon, I continued moving my hand in a slow but consistent rhythm. I chewed the finely shredded meat patiently, savoring every second. There was a strong internal drive in my soul; I knew that if I wanted to continue exploring freedom in Second World Online, if I wanted to see what lay beyond SWO as Syl, I had to keep this real body from collapsing first. This physical body was the foundation that supported my virtual existence.

Without realizing it, my silver spoon gently clinked against the bottom of the now-empty bowl. The entire bowl of medically nutritious porridge with added meat had been finished without a trace. I put down the spoon and took the glass of warm water Mira immediately offered with slightly trembling hands due to overwhelming emotion.

"Young Master... you finished it all," Mira whispered, her voice caught in her throat. Her eyes were teary, radiating disbelief and immense happiness. For a maid who had watched me dying for months, seeing me finish a meal was a huge victory.

I drank the warm water slowly, then wiped my lips with the tissue she provided.

"The food was really delicious today, Mira. Please convey my thanks to the chef," I replied with a much more sincere and energetic smile than before.

After that extraordinary lunch, I asked Mira to let me rest for a while in the wheelchair while looking out the large window of the room, whose curtains had been deliberately opened slightly. The bright afternoon sunlight bathed our neatly arranged garden. My mind drifted far away, crossing the boundary of reality, toward the medieval world I had just left.

I thought about my character status as Syl. Even though I had extreme physical weaknesses due to the Albinism debuff, the accumulation of high-level passive skills Slow Walking and Bow Mastery gave me great confidence. I still had 19 Skill Points and 6 Attribute Points untouched in my interface, ready to be used to adapt to the monsters outside StoneBrook’s gates. I knew the real adventure had only just begun, and that the digital world was the only place where my soul could spread its wings without limits.

A comfortable drowsiness began to visit my consciousness a natural effect of my stomach working hard to digest real food for the first time. However, I refused to sleep in the real world. I wanted to sleep and wake up in the virtual world, where there was no pain tormenting me with every breath.

"Mira," I called, breaking the room’s silence.

"Yes, Young Master?" Mira immediately stepped closer from the medical table corner.

"Help me back into the capsule. I want to return to the game," I instructed with a voice full of conviction.

Mira showed no signs of objection or trying to stop me. The doctor team had previously stated that the nerve stimulation from this Chronos Tech capsule actually helped keep my brain activity in synchronized alpha waves, which was very good for body cell regeneration as long as I didn’t harbor negative emotions. Moreover, after seeing me finish an entire bowl of porridge, Mira fully believed that whatever I did in the virtual world had an extremely positive impact on my mental health.

With the same gentleness and professionalism, Mira helped me rise from the wheelchair. My thin body was once again lifted with extreme care and slowly transferred into the Game Capsule’s interior, where the padding still felt warm. The moment my back touched the nerve-protecting gel, I felt its familiar embrace, removing the heavy pressure of Earth’s gravity from my fragile bones.

The wireless sensors automatically readjusted their positions on my temples and chest. I positioned myself in the most relaxed state, straightened my arms at my sides, and looked at Mira’s face one last time in this cycle of reality.

"Happy adventuring, Young Master. I will always take care of your body here," Mira said with her warmest, sweetest smile, waving her hand as a temporary farewell.

"Thank you, Mira," I replied softly.

Mira pressed the external panel button. The metallic black hydraulic glass cover slowly descended again, sealing me tightly inside the cutting-edge technology tube. The noise from the outside room disappeared instantly. The blue neon indicator lights on the capsule ceiling began blinking rhythmically, emitting a calming glow in my eyes.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and let the warmth of the real food in my stomach flow energy throughout my nervous system. With a blooming smile on my lips, I murmured the absolute command that would take me back to true freedom.

"Link In.".