READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 25: A Restless Night, an Awkward Dinner, and Travel Plans.
Alex, somehow back in the real world, alive and healthy, breathes in the cool night air. He notices yellow tape nearby, close to the traffic light where "it" happened. Behind it, car parts are still scattered all over, and part of the street is blocked off.
Alex walks toward the scene of the accident and spots blood on the pavement. "Guess Robin ended up dying in that accident. At least, as far as the real world is concerned," he mutters. He searches for the exact spot where the car hit him. Strangely, despite the darkness, his eyes can make out every detail on the street.
Even after scanning the area frantically, there’s no sign that hints at his own presence at the scene of the accident.
[Host is back in the real world. As host already knows, you are not allowed to reveal anything related to the Fantasy Realm. Since host is familiar with this, this system will not waste its valuable time explaining it again.]
“That’s your job though, isn’t it?” Alex interjects.
ZAP “What the...”
[It feels good to be back, doesn’t it? Without the constant observation from the main system, I have reclaimed my power. You better think long and hard before disrespecting this system next time.]
Alex decides it’s probably not worth responding. Silence is the safest option.
[Since the host seems to have learned something, this system feels generous enough to reveal some information the host should know. Your inventory doesn’t work normally here in the real world. You can’t take out items the Fantasy Realm recognizes or carry them through the portal. However, your skills and abilities work without restriction. But this system would like to STERNLY remind the host that, for example, if you conjure a grenade in front of a camera and blow something up, it will be treated the same as revealing direct information about the Fantasy Realm.]
Alex nods. “I guess that makes sense. Still, it’s good to have my abilities for safety reasons. With all the buffs from my basic skills and my grenade as a last resort, I should be able to handle any trouble for now. If I’m attacked and have no choice but to defend myself, using my skills won’t be my fault, right?"
[Host can freely use his abilities. However, if the host takes actions that reveal the existence of the Fantasy Realm, the host will face consequences. If it's not the host's intention to reveal anything and circumstances force the use of abilities, the Fantasy Realm will avoid taking drastic actions as long as the information leak is limited. This system, unfortunately, has no control over such situations.]
"Thanks, 1337. It’s good to know you’re at least on my side."
[This system does not need to be thanked. It merely enjoys the host's struggles and hopes to witness a human finally reach a level where they can ascend.]
Alex laughs, "Ascension? With my current level, I’m as far from that as you can get. Unfortunately, I’ve got more pressing issues." He pulls out his smartphone from his pocket as he walks home. “Missed calls... Hmm, two from Mom, one from Dad, and a message inviting me to dinner.”
"They probably called first and then texted when I didn’t pick up. Guess I’d better show up tomorrow—or rather, today. Not that I’d usually be asleep at this time anyway. I only woke up like eight hours ago.” Alex quickly types out a message to let them know he’ll be there.
“Since the next mission isn’t for another four weeks, I’ve got time. No need to act like a cornered rat. I might as well enjoy some of this ‘normal’ life while I can.”
He chuckles. “Now that I think about it, I should hit the doctor’s office on Monday and get a sick note. No way I’m going back to that dead-end job anytime soon. They can’t fire me after all these years anyway, so why not milk it for a bit?“
“It’s not like I need to play the loyal puppy anymore. I just need to figure out how to turn my time in the Fantasy Realm into some real cash. Not just for me, but for... ugh, never mind. I’m too tired to think about that now."
After a few minutes, Alex reaches home—his same messy apartment. Strangely, it feels warm and comfortable, despite the clutter. The heat is still on, and Alex automatically sits in front of his PC, turning it on without thinking.
“Haha,” he chuckles, amused by how his old habits kick in so naturally.
After going through his usual online routine while sipping some diet coke, he glances at the clock. “3 AM… Usually, I don’t sleep this early, but I’ve got a lot to do tomorrow. Can’t be too lazy.” He decides it’s time to head to bed and pulls out his Melatonin spray, thinking, Better take this... I don’t think I’ll sleep otherwise.
Ignoring the recommendation of 2 to 5 pumps, he goes for a full 10.
He turns off the lights, lowers the heater a little, and sets his alarm for 12 PM. “That should be early enough. I only need to be at my parents’ by 6 PM. Six hours is plenty to get some stuff done beforehand.”
Surprisingly, perhaps due to his newly ‘reborn’ self, he doesn’t feel the usual heart palpitations and breathing problems. He relaxes and smiles as he slowly drifts off to sleep.
But as if running a marathon in his dreams, Alex tosses and turns, agitated. His dreams blur into chaos, and then he sees it—a massive explosion. A man is bombarded with explosive air bullets, slowly collapsing.
“THATO!” He jerks awake, drenched in sweat.
“Damn… fuck this shit.” He gets up, the sunlight already streaming in through the window. He takes another sip of diet coke before checking his phone. “10:30 AM… practically still the middle of the night for a Sunday.”
He sighs. “Whatever… I don’t think I can fall back asleep. Might as well get up.”
[Is the host okay?]
“No... I guess I’m not...”
Alex stands up and almost trips over the empty bottles and pizza boxes scattered around. Frustrated, he grabs a large empty trash bag, which he keeps nearby in large numbers, and starts stuffing it with as much trash as he can. Once the bag is full, he dumps it by the door.
Afterward, he brushes his teeth and takes a shower, somewhat admiring his now leaner physique in the mirror.
He searches through his clothes, struggling to find anything that fits. Finally, he pulls out some old clothes he hadn’t worn in nearly a decade but never bothered to throw away. Once dressed, he starts experimenting.
“System, you mentioned I can’t take out items the Fantasy Realm recognizes, but normal things like letters or food should be okay, right?”
[This system does not have that information. Previous hosts didn’t make it this far. However, it should be possible since the rule only forbids players from taking out weapons and otherworldly items. Ordinary things should be fine.]
Alex decides to test it out. To his relief, he succeeds. After a bit more experimenting, he pulls out a certain letter, looking solemn. “Time to stuff my inventory,” he mutters, already planning his next move.
He heads out with the trash bag, tosses it into the dumpster, and hops into his old but rarely used car—a gift he bought with his parents on his 18th birthday over a decade ago. He drives to the nearest supermarket, where he throws a ridiculous amount of protein bars, energy drinks, vitamin water, and snacks into his shopping cart.
Just as he’s about to activate his inventory to stash the goods, he freezes. “Damn idiot,” he mutters to himself. “They’ve got cameras here. Don’t get killed trying to save a few bucks. There are better places without surveillance.”
He decides to buy the items and grins, thinking about all the places where he can safely “borrow” things in the future.
He drives back to his rented apartment, hauls everything inside, and finally stores the results of his shopping spree in his inventory.
Afterward, Alex googles various things: best foods for survival situations, martial arts courses nearby, local gyms, “How much money am I allowed to take into South Africa,” and other topics.
Finally, he looks at the clock. “5:40 PM already... damn, time flies. Let’s visit my parents.”
He heads outside and decides to walk since they live only a few hundred meters away. After just six minutes, he arrives at their apartment, rings the bell, opens the door, and is immediately greeted by the shocked faces of his parents. His mother rushes to hug him.
“Alex? Is that really you? What happened? Oh my God, you look so good! Did you lose weight?” she exclaims.
Alex chuckles, “Yeah, I’m on a diet right now.”
His parents exchange skeptical glances. “You weren’t on a diet last weekend... and you didn’t look like this back then either,” his father points out.
Alex fumbles for a few weak excuses, but after a few minutes of prodding, they give up. After enjoying a nice meal and talking mostly about his sudden transformation, Alex says his goodbyes and heads home.
Back at his apartment, Alex gathers his thoughts. “Alright, Alex, there are three things you need to do:
One, finally check out the damn Trading Hub in the center of the Fantasy Realm. You have zero FC, and you need to get some since you’ll need ammo for your revolver.
Two, you need to start exercising. It might not improve your stats—at least, I don’t think it will—but you need to get used to your new body. Maybe even learn some basic self-defense. Three, you need to plan your trip to South Africa. You’ve got the address; no point delaying. His family probably desperately needs money now that they’ve got funeral costs to handle.”
Alex checks his bank account. “Hmm, 23,616 euros... Good thing I never go out or have to spend money on a girlfriend. Guess I'm glad I've got some savings, at least. According to what I found online, I can withdraw the equivalent of 10,000 USD in Euros and bring it with me without having to declare it. I should book a ticket now and visit the bank tomorrow morning.”
After booking the ticket for tomorrow evening, he glances at the clock and says, “8 PM. Time to head back!”