******
Before long, Aurelia finished filling Xylen in on how her day had gone and then turned back to him, her eyes suddenly shining with anticipation.
"So, what about you, Brother? What have you been up to in the game?"
Seeing her eager expression, Xylen could instantly tell she was dying to know everything, which only fueled his determination.
’I can’t afford to fail this quest. Once it’s done, I’ll start collecting as many coins as possible, pending the time the in-game currency can be converted into real money. That way, she can spend freely in the future without ever worrying about running out.’ He thought, understanding that if Aurelia hadn’t been so considerate, she should have experienced the game herself instead of dying just for him to fill her in.
With this, Xylen sighed, wanting to clench his fists, but then... nothing happened.
He subconsciously looked down, and in the following second, a bitter smile formed on his face, finally remembering that he had returned to his paralyzed body, where even the slightest movement was nothing but a hopeful wish.
Shaking his head exasperatedly, he glanced back at Aurelia and began to recount everything that had happened in the game: how he was given a race and class he hadn’t liked at first but turned out to be overpowered; his mission — carefully omitting the penalty of failure; and every single event she needed to know.
At first, Aurelia’s body buzzed with adrenaline, her eyes gleaming brighter and brighter until they seemed to glow like torches. But then suddenly... her smile disappeared, and her expression turned sour.
That’s right. She suddenly stared at Xylen unhappily as he continued speaking animatedly, oblivious to her change in demeanor — at first, though.
"So, what do you think?" he finally asked as he finished his recount breathlessly, his gaze filled with anticipation as he looked at Aurelia.
It was then that he saw her sour expression, and he froze, completely taken aback.
"Are you okay?" he asked carefully, concern lacing his voice.
Hmph!
Aurelia snorted, almost as if smoke would come out of her nose.
"I’m okay," she responded coldly, her voice biting.
"This..."
Xylen’s brows furrowed. ’Did I do something wrong?’ he wondered in a daze. But before he could dwell too much on it—
"So..." Aurelia drawled, catching his attention. "This Lilith you’ve been talking so excitedly about... this nice and loyal handmaid of yours. Is she an NPC or... a player?"
Xylen, "..."
He immediately stared at Aurelia in a trance, his brain short-circuiting for a moment. Then, slowly, he added one plus once and pieced everything together.
In the next second, a bright grin spread across his face.
"You’re jealous?" he asked abruptly, completely catching her off guard.
"I am..."
Aurelia’s mouth opened to deny it, but seeing Xylen’s beaming expression, she realized she had already been caught red-handed.
Her face instantly flushed red with embarrassment, but she still managed to compose herself.
"Hmph! I’m merely asking a question," she snorted again.
"Hahaha!" Xylen laughed harder, finding this side of Aurelia utterly amusing.
With this, the two bantered for a while before Aurelia’s expression suddenly turned serious as though she had recalled something important.
"So, Brother..." she called out, her tone heavy.
Xylen immediately stopped laughing, his face turning serious.
"Like I said," she began, "you haven’t moved at all since you entered the gaming cabin—it even seemed like you weren’t breathing. You also didn’t log out to eat or drink. Hope this will not have any side effects?"
Xylen, "_"
He froze for a second, utterly caught off guard by Aurelia’s unexpected question, then he smiled.
To be honest, he hadn’t cared about this concern of hers in the past.
His only goal back then was to play the game nonstop, completing missions to earn money for his treatment. He had disregarded food, water, sleep, and any possible side effects.
But he had heard from fellow gamers inside the game that the cabin was designed in a way to monitor a player’s body, automatically supplying supplements and hydration.
It was built to keep the body inside healthy at all times and prevent any sort of fatigue from setting in.
After piecing everything together, Xylen explained it all to Aurelia, and only then did she feel relieved. But then her eyes began to widen in bewilderment.
"Wow!" she finally exclaimed. "Rex Corps is really a beast in terms of technology. How did they make such a godly item like this?"
She gazed at the gaming pod as though it were some sort of immortal treasure.
Xylen smiled at this, sharing her amazement.
Eventually, they calmed down, and Aurelia helped Xylen out of the gaming pod. And since they didn’t have any chairs yet, she settled him on the floor, after which she brought out dinner.
Although Xylen wasn’t hungry—since, as he had told Aurelia, the cabin would continuously provide supplements as long as one remained inside, he still eagerly ate the meal she had painstakingly prepared, savoring every bite.
Despite being made from cheap ingredients, the food tasted incredible, not only because of the love she had put into it but also because Aurelia was a talented chef who could transform even the simplest and cheapest recipe into a mouthwatering dish.
They ate in silence, each showing their table manners, and once they were done, Aurelia cleaned up before returning to sit beside Xylen.
"Do you want to return to school?" Xylen suddenly asked, just as Aurelia was about to sit.
In the following second, she froze, suddenly staring at him in a trance.
"You..." her voice rasped, her breathing hitching and her heart pounding in her chest.
Xylen smiled gently.
Aurelia had withdrawn from school years ago to take care of him after their mothers had their the same day.
He had often noticed the longing in her eyes whenever she saw other students since then, but back then... let’s just say Xylen hadn’t understood her worth.
Now, he silently waited for her response.
Aurelia’s mind, however, was currently in turmoil.
Of course!
She wanted to return to school. This had always been her greatest wish.
But...
"What are you talking about, Brother?" she asked awkwardly. "Why would I waste my precious time returning to school?"
Xylen, hearing this, smiled, not surprised by her rejection.
This was Aurelia, after all—the most selfless person he had ever known. She never prioritized her own wants or needs.
Still, he smiled.
"Don’t say that," he argued, but before she could object, he continued, "Look at me now. I’m definitely going to become a burden in the future. How do you plan on taking care of me if you don’t go back to school now, get a degree, land a great job, and start earning money?"
Aurelia flinched.
She wanted to refute his words, especially the part where he called himself a burden because he had never been a burden to her, not once and never, but he had already pressed on.
"We still have some money left from today," he said. "It should be enough to get you through college. And since I’ll be spending most of my days in the game from now on, I won’t need you as much."
"I..."
Aurelia trembled, and then finally, the tears she had been holding back gushed out.
"Thank you so much, Brother!" she cried, jumping into his arms and hugging him tightly. "I promise I’ll study hard, get a good-paying job in the future, and find a cure for you!"
Xylen wasn’t offended by her words. He only smiled.
’Why would I want you little brat to find a cure for me? Just focus on your studies and wait for me to give you the best life you could ever dream of. You won’t even have to work,’ he thought, keeping his promise to himself.
The two stayed like that for a while before finally calming down to discuss which school Aurelia wished to attend.
By the time they were eventually done, nearly three hours had passed.
Eventually, Xylen urged Aurelia to go to bed, knowing she would have a long day ahead, preparing for school enrollment.
But before leaving, she helped him back into the gaming pod and shut it.
In the next second...
[ Welcome back to your last location, Player Xylen. ]