Chương 15: This Isn't a Game!

Ch 15 - This Isn't a Game!

Toma took a shower. He reeked of garbage after shoving that massive dumpster into the alley, and he still had not washed up after spending the entire day at work. He stayed under the warm water for quite a while, letting it wash away not only the dirt clinging to his body but also the countless thoughts weighing on his mind. The game. How was he going to play it from now on? He had some money, and he should also be able to withdraw more by exchanging his in-game currency.

There was also the game capsule sitting at home, although its status was still unclear. Still… If he focused seriously on playing the game, he should be able to earn enough to buy a brand-new game capsule of his own. On the other hand, if he wanted to keep using the capsule they already had, it would probably cost far more to sort out its ownership. Saving that much money would take a long time. A while later, he stepped out of the bathroom and headed into the living room, planning to keep Lina company for a while.

"Huh?" She was already asleep on the sofa.

"Didn't she already take a nap before I left?" He walked closer and looked at her face. Her eyelids were slightly swollen, as if she had been crying. Had she been crying earlier? Without saying anything, Toma went to her room and grabbed a blanket. He carefully draped it over her, then switched off the television before quietly leaving the living room. After that, he prepared a cup of instant noodles and returned to his room. There were still plenty of things he wanted to research that night.

He opened several forums and started searching for information about the Goddess of Chaos. Before long, he found discussions about her and the other goddesses as well. Chaos. Cruelty. Malice. Discord. Despair. Corruption. Desecration. Those were the names of the seven goddesses who represented The Seven Calamities.

"Why did everyone in this group have such terrifying titles?" They looked nothing like those fearsome names when he had seen them bathing in the river. They had seemed divine, breathtakingly beautiful, and almost otherworldly. Still, it was obvious that very few players knew anything about them. Almost no one had ever even seen their faces inside the game. Only Toma had somehow stumbled onto that unbelievable encounter. And of all the possible moments... He had found them while they were bathing in a river. No.

He wasn't a pervert! Toma kept searching, but he couldn't find much more information about the Seven Calamities. A few players had managed to uncover some of their names, such as Sacrelia, the Goddess of Desecration, along with a handful of the others, but that was about it. He let out a quiet sigh and closed the topic before moving on to other research. The Kingdom of Valtherion. Caelan. His siblings. He searched through every bit of information he could find. After a while, exhaustion finally caught up with him.

Too much had happened in a single night. He made one last check to make sure the front door was locked and everything in the house was secure. That was enough for today. Tomorrow would be a better day. Tomorrow, he would start again with a clear mind. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. With that thought, Toma climbed into bed and soon drifted into a deep, peaceful sleep. ** This morning felt strangely different. The sunlight slipped through the gap between the curtains.

A gentle breeze drifted in through the slightly open window, carrying the fresh scent of the morning air. Everything felt peaceful, almost unreal. Toma slowly began to wake up, but he still kept his eyes closed. For some reason, his body felt incredibly relaxed, as if he had just enjoyed the deepest, most comfortable sleep of his life. Every muscle felt light, and he had no desire to leave the warmth of his bed just yet. He moved his hand, then suddenly noticed something unusual against his palm.

"What is this...?" Without thinking, he gave it a gentle squeeze. It was unbelievably soft and warm. Like... His eyes slowly opened. Lying beside him was a girl, fast asleep on her side, facing him. Her eyes were peacefully closed, while her long silver hair draped across part of her face and spilled gently over her body. Her steady, even breathing made it clear she was still in a deep sleep, completely unaware of what had just happened.

"Am I still inside the game?" No! Toma instantly jumped out of bed and landed on his feet. Only then did he realize he was wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

"Damn it! Who are you?!" The girl slowly stirred awake. She blinked a few times, looking completely confused before turning her gaze toward Toma. And that face... Damn it! Who the hell is she?! She was breathtakingly beautiful. Her flawless fair skin looked almost porcelain-like, and her long silver hair flowed gracefully around her shoulders and down the bed. Her delicate features gave her an elegant, almost unreal appearance. Then, as she shifted slightly, the blanket slipped from one of her shoulders.

The upper part of her chest was briefly revealed, exposing smooth, fair skin before the blanket settled again. Toma immediately looked away. He quickly pointed toward the door instead of looking at her again.

"Why are you in my room?! Get out right now! Or I'm calling the police!" ** From the kitchen, Lina was standing by the stove, wearing an apron as she prepared breakfast. After lowering the heat beneath the pan, she glanced toward the door of Toma's bedroom.

"Why is that kid yelling so early in the morning?" she muttered. She brushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear before walking toward Toma's room as the shouting grew even louder.

"I swear I just heard a woman's voice. Did I imagine it?" she wondered as she stopped in front of his bedroom door. She hesitated for a moment.

"Is he seriously watching a drama this early?"

"You pervert! Idiot! You... you awful human!" A young woman's furious voice suddenly rang out from inside the room.

"Huh?!" Lina froze on the spot.

"A girl's voice...?"

"You took something precious from me! This is all your fault! You followed me and peeked at me while I was bathing, and you even stole the most important thing I had! You have to take responsibility!" Lina's jaw slowly dropped. She stood there completely frozen, her mind going blank.

"Don't say something so ridiculous! I don't even know you! I've never seen you before! Get out of my room right now, or I'm calling the police!" Toma's angry voice immediately fired back just as loudly.

"Toma..." Lina whispered, her voice trembling.

"Is... is this why you wanted to move out of the house...?"

"I don't have anywhere else to go now! It's all because of you! I'll stay here until the day you die! And if you refuse... then maybe I'll just kill you instead!"

"What the hell are you talking about?! I don't even know who you are! This isn't some kind of game!"

"Who said I thought this was a game? If you refuse to take responsibility..." There was a sudden pause.

"... I'll kill you right now."

"No, wait! Let go of me! Put some clothes on first, you idiot! You're naked!" Toma's desperate shout echoed through the room.

"Naked...?" Lina repeated the word under her breath. Her face slowly turned pale. Then, almost immediately, it became bright red.

"W-What exactly is happening in there...?" A loud clatter echoed from inside the room, followed by the sound of something crashing onto the floor. Lina flinched. Her hand instinctively reached for the doorknob, but she stopped herself just before touching it.

"No... I shouldn't interfere. Toma is an adult now." Another loud crash followed, even louder than before. Something slammed against the bedroom door. Lina gasped and instinctively stepped back. At that very moment, the bedroom door slowly swung inward. Her body stiffened as the widening gap revealed what was happening inside. Until…

"Huh...?" Her eyes widened in disbelief. Toma was sitting helplessly in a chair, wearing nothing but his boxers. Standing over him was a young woman, her body covered only by a blanket, with no sign that she was wearing anything beneath it. Lina staggered backward until her back hit the wall. The shock was so overwhelming that her mind went completely blank.

"Lina! It's not what it looks like! I don't even know this girl!"

"Who is she?" the girl asked, pointing at Lina.

"Your mother? I need to speak with her. She should take responsibility too."

"No! She's not my mother!"

"Oh... then she's your wife. That's fine. I don't mind. I'll still stay here, and you still have to take responsibility." Lina let out a weak breath. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she slowly sank onto the floor.

"Toma... I know you're an adult now, but this is... this is too much. You even got a girl pregnant..." She covered her mouth in shock before shaking her head.

"No... that's not what I mean. I'm not angry. I'm actually happy for you. But you have to take responsibility."

"Yes," the girl nodded seriously.

"Take responsibility."

"Would the two of you stop talking about responsibility for one second and put some clothes on first!"