CH 101.1

Not a single speck of light entered my field of vision.

An expanse of dark space was all.

There was no sensation, only a feeling. Feeling of levitating listlessly.

Still, I wasn’t surprised.

Because it was a familiar situation.

[Ah, master. Can you hear me?]

An elegant voice spoke.

However, the owner of that voice was anything but elegant.

[Hey. Didn’t I tell you not to enter the spirit world until I’m done? What if I get caught?]

[That’s why I haven’t contacted you for more than a year. We’re talking after a whole year and this how you greet me, huh?]

[Oh alright. Nice to meet you. Satisfied?]

[Insensitive bastard.]

[Huh?]

[Nothing. Do you know how surprised I was back then? Does a person just suddenly collapse and become unmoving, closing off his mental world at the same time? ]

[You think I did it because I wanted to? It just happened that way.]

[And what made you almost parcel an NTR game?]

[…god, I even have to answer this? I didn’t buy it to enjoy it, but to give it as a gift to that guy for not paying me back—]

[Huh. But Master’s friend already paid the money back.]

[What? When?]

[A month after Master collapsed. He even paid interest and remitted 3.1 million won?]

[…]

Damn.

If you’re going to give it to me, give it to me sooner.

I was a bit annoyed, but since he had paid me back with interest, letting go…

[I installed a new computer set up with that money, how’s that?]

Already spent!?

[Hey! Why waste money to buy a new one, wasn’t our last computer in good condition?!]

[But Elden Ring came out? Who would have thought FromSoftware would pull such a move? You know that pretty much left me with no choice.]

[But you could’ve played it on our previous computer as well! Dark Souls 3 worked on it just fine!]

[Oh, Master, please! Dark Souls 3? You haven’t changed your graphics card in years. Does it make sense to use a 1060 in an era where even 3080ti has made its appearance in the markets! How do I run the Elden Ring on a computer like this!?]

[Goddamn it…]

This insidious b!tch doesn’t understand the real value of money…!

I held back the tantrum that was about to rise.

[Yeah… What can I do when you have already bought one? Enjoy yourself, yeah. Just do what I told you to do and do it right. Oh, speaking of which. How much longer until you are finished?]

[Yes? Ah… that… I…]

[…don’t tell me you haven’t even started.]

[No! Of course, I have. I’m working hard. That, and… how is Master doing these days? How’s everything there?]

She changed the subject in a hurry.

It looked obvious, but I decided to pass it on. There’s more than one way for me to check, other than just asking verbally.

[It’s much better than the place I was taken to before. I just gather my colleagues and loiter around.]

[By colleagues… you don’t mean a bunch of rambunctious men, do you? Alas, my poor master. Doesn’t even have a girlfriend…]

[I actually have one?]

[Huh?]

[I have a girlfriend.]

[Huh??]

[And… I don’t have any guys either? They are all women.]

[Huh???]

Leah was silent for a while, as if stumbling to carry the conversation.

After a while, she spoke again.

[You mean, real girlfriend? Not like, friends with benefits?]

[Hey.]

[No, how can I not be surprised?! Your ideals, your—]

[People’s minds can change. Anything surprising about that?]

[Still…]

Leah stretched out her words, then let out a sigh.

[Oh right. It’s time for Master to wake up, so let’s hold on over sweet, stretched conversation for later. And Master—]

Leah’s tone turned serious.

[I’m saying this just in case, but even if your c*ck dominates your brain, you have to be patient. Otherwise, you might really regret it later. You know?]

[What? Hey, what do you…]

Just as I was about to ask what she was talking about, a crack broke through the darkness and light leaked in.

My consciousness awoke and was forcibly ejected from the mental world.

When I opened my eyes, what I saw was an alien ceiling.

“This is…”

“Hero, you’re awake!”

Turning my head, I saw Ophelia with a bright expression on her face.

* * *

Leah wormed out of the mental world and returned to reality.

She was lost in her thoughts with her arms crossed. It was because of her master’s attitude in the spirit world.

‘It’s true that people’s minds can change…’

Leah remembered the image of the broken man holding a woman’s limp, dead body in his arms and wailing under the rainy storm.

‘Master is not a man like that.’

Even if he had a change of mind, he wouldn’t react or act on it so readily.

In other words, it seemed something had affected his personality.

‘…Did a small gap seeped in the mental spirit as the soul moved between planes?’

Someone, finding the chance, dug that gap.

Otherwise, it couldn’t be explained.

Her master’s spirit was so rocksolid that even Leah would have trouble finding a dent, much less a gap.

Leah frowned.

She didn’t know who it was.

Maybe the one who whisked away his soul, or some other transcendent being.

But either one doesn’t matter.

Whoever it was would pay dearly for daring to touch her master.

Starch, white eyes shone brightly. Every time she murmured, runes rose into the air, spinning around her.

Across her, a notification popped up stating the installation of the Elden Ring was completed, but she didn’t even spare a glance over.