"Goodbye, my little neighborhood."

I took one last look around the small, moldy one-room apartment that had been my home, and then stepped outside to view the surrounding slum.

The time had come to part ways with the place that had sheltered my body for nearly a year.

The move happened as fast as lightning. 

There wasn’t much to pack in my tiny room. The only somewhat bulky items were my latex mattress, PC, and the capsule. 

I decided to leave behind the second-hand microwave and the small fridge I’d bought. Chris’s house was fully equipped with state-of-the-art appliances, so bringing mine along would be pointless. 

As much as I wanted to bring my well-worn latex mattress that had perfectly conformed to my body, Chris had assured me that my new room was already furnished with a high-end bed. But why on earth did she buy a new bed for a place she lived alone?

There were a lot of things I had to throw away. In the end, the essentials to take were just my clothes, the capsule, and my PC.

While the movers handled the capsule and the PC, I busied myself packing my personal belongings.

“…Rain, can’t you throw that away, too?”

I shook my head as I hugged my coffee pot tightly.

“As long as I have this, I can survive anywhere.”

A coffee pot is a gift from the gods. Buy a cup of instant noodles from any convenience store, and that’s a meal for the day.

But that’s not all. It’s perfect for brewing yulmu tea or any instant food that requires boiling water. No need for a stove or anything.

“If you need a coffee pot, I’ll buy you a new one. My house already has the latest model, you know?”

“…I’ve grown attached to this one.”

It was an old, second-hand model, but it had kept me going for so long.

I refused to part with it, and Chris could only shake her head in resignation.

---

"Mmm..."

I rubbed my eyes and slowly woke up.

A new ceiling.

Not the one I had grown accustomed to in the hospital, but something entirely different.

Clean white wallpaper, and a soft glow from a nightlight gently illuminated the ceiling.

*Whirrr...*

As I woke up, the blinds on the window automatically opened, letting in the morning sunlight.

Wow. Everything here was state-of-the-art.

It felt like I’d stepped into the future.

My old slum was a relic of Earth’s past. But this... everything here was amazing.

"Seulbi, you need to get used to this. This is your new home now."

I pressed down on the bed I was lying in.

*Squish.*

It sank in. So soft and comfortable.

After the move yesterday, Chris had brought me here and tucked me in. I fell asleep almost immediately. It felt like wearing clothes tailored just for me.

And...

"The capsule."

The high-end capsule I had been using since my days in the slum was set up right next to the bed.

It was so close that I could roll straight out of bed into the capsule, or hop out of the capsule and back into bed with ease.

The room was clean. Spacious.

It was the smallest room in this house, yet it was incomparable to my old one-room place. No moldy smell. And it even had a pristine bathroom attached.

*Whirrr...*

I moved my wheelchair over to the bathroom to take a look.

“A bathtub?”

Tears welled up in my eyes from sheer emotion.

A large bathroom with a bathtub. Not only could I shower, but I could even take a bath.

But since my body had deteriorated, I hadn’t tried taking a bath. It could be dangerous to do it alone.

Could I manage a half-bath while sitting in my wheelchair? It wouldn’t be much different from a shower. But I wanted to fully immerse myself.

Hmm, there must be a way. For now, I’ll stick to showering while seated in the wheelchair.

---

After a simple wash, I went back to bed.

So soft. This mattress was leagues better than my old latex one. I couldn’t believe how comfortable it was.

*Bzzzz…*

Just as I was about to doze off again from sheer comfort, my smartphone buzzed.

[Onmyoji 'Chris' (Offline)]
- Rain, are you awake? Do you want breakfast?

A notification from the messenger app linked to *Astra Online*. 

It was Chris.

Still half-asleep, I groggily typed a reply.

- In a bit, I’ll  eat… I’m still slee…py

A few typos slipped in. Despite washing my face, I wasn’t fully awake.

- Should I come get you? Can I come in?
- Yea

I was still holding my phone when I began drifting back to dreamland.

*Swish.*

Suddenly, I felt a hand touch my body, and then I was being carefully lifted.

Whoever held me had a firm grip, supporting me in a way that felt secure. My head bobbed but found support on their shoulder. It was expertly done.

Only one person could handle me like this.

"......."

I slowly opened my eyes, looking over the shoulder of the person carrying me. Through my blurry vision, I saw the unmistakable red hair.

It was Chris.

She was carrying me somewhere.

"Rain, let’s eat."

*Doong, doong.*

---

Despite living in a rich house, we weren’t eating steak for breakfast. It was a simple, traditional meal with rolled omelet, anchovies, beans, and other side dishes.

However, the nutritious porridge in front of me was lavish, packed with meat and abalone. Half rice, half solid ingredients, and perfectly seasoned.

I took a spoonful of the porridge.

It was delicious.

Chris, who had been smiling as she watched me eat, suddenly looked like she was about to cry.

"Rain, I have to go to work today. Can you take your medicine and eat on your own while I’m gone?"

Chris had mentioned she was in her fourth year of university, but she also worked, with special arrangements to attend classes. And she still found time to play *Astra Online*. What kind of job did she have?

"Hehe, I work for the capsule company. Playing *Astra Online* is part of my job."

What a dream job. Getting paid to play games.

*Whirr.*

A robot with wheels rolled toward us, making a sound similar to my powered wheelchair.

"This is a home assistant robot. It’ll bring you meals even if you don’t go to the kitchen."

"Wow."

I marveled at the wonders of future science.

Chris explained how the robot worked. It was linked to a smartphone app and could reheat food and bring it over when called.

No need to wheel myself to the kitchen for meals anymore. I could eat right in my room.

My mobility remained the same, but the quality of life had improved.

Moved to tears, I looked at Chris with gratitude.

"Hehe, isn’t it great? From now on, it’s all yours."

Chris, beaming with pride, suddenly changed her expression to one of curiosity.

"So... how have you been showering all this time? You refused help even in the hospital, didn’t want the nurses touching you… or was it because you didn’t want anyone touching your body?"

My body? Not hers?

Her word choice was odd, but I explained how I’d been managing my showers.

"I’ve been doing it like this. With the modified wheelchair, I can shower on my own."

"I see."

Chris clicked her tongue in thought.

---

After seeing Chris off at the front door for work, I returned to my room.

*Whirrr…*

Even though it hadn’t been used in a while, the capsule opened smoothly.

Chris didn’t charge me for using it since it was a work perk, but that didn’t mean I could just live off her generosity. I needed to help out with at least the utility bills and maintenance.

Lee Seulbi’s body had improved a lot. Her living environment had drastically changed for the better. From now on, I could focus on earning money as Rain and enjoying that world without worrying about real-life burdens.

Finally, I’m going back. Back to the continent of Astra.

[Welcome to *Astra Online*]

*Whirrr…*

With a strange sensation of floating, I was back on the continent of Astra.

"Inhale~ Exhale."

I took a deep breath, feeling the air of this world once again.

With a spring in my step, I spun in place and flashed a victory sign.

"Rain, revived!"

Oh, how I missed this place, the continent of Astra!

I had logged in right in front of the elite dungeon, *Aspiro Fortress*.

"Is that... isn't she from Chris's bus raid team?"

"Should we go talk to her?"

Some players seemed to recognize me.

"Uh-oh."

Quickly, I scurried away from their gaze and hid behind a pile of rocks.

Even though a month had passed, the area in front of the dungeon was still bustling with people.

I glanced at the region announcements for a moment. As expected, the chat was flooded with bus service ads.

[Aspiro Fortress Bus! Lowest prices! Free extra round after every ten!]
[Fast Bus Service! Full refund if overturned!]

The competition had increased, and prices had dropped, but it seemed like the bus services were still running well.

It was about time to level up again. The top players were already progressing to the next area.

Most of my financial problems as Lee Seulbi were solved, so I didn’t need to worry about real money anymore. My job now was simply helping Chris with her bus service whenever she needed me.

While Chris had been kind enough to take care of Seulbi, I couldn’t live at her place forever. I needed to save up the in-game gold I earned to prepare for independence.

Still, gold was important. There were so many cool outfits, desserts, and items I wanted to buy.

"I heard you can make higher-grade Echo Stones now."

Even while Seulbi was in the hospital, the world of *Astra Online* had been evolving.

New PvP content like the arena had been added, and a higher grade of Echo Stones had been introduced.

The Elite+ grade Echo Stones had 1.5 times the stats of regular ones. Equipping them to weapons would give a significant boost in power. They’d be useful in the upcoming dungeons too.

You could make them by combining three regular Echo Stones, but the success rate was notoriously low. As a result, the market had been swept clean of available Echo Stones.

"I need to earn a lot of gold."

If I bought Echo Stones through daily quests, it could take months to collect enough. And if I failed to combine them, all my effort would be for nothing. The most practical solution was to buy tradeable Echo Stones from the auction house for hundreds of gold and try combining them. But that required a massive amount of gold.

And then...

"The housing system."

Housing that could be purchased in the empire’s capital was expensive, but it was worth the investment. It helped regenerate fatigue quickly and could be used as a workshop.

Seulbi’s living situation had drastically improved. Having a house for Rain would be amazing too.

I could decorate it nicely, buy furniture...

I began counting the people I wanted to invite with my fingers.

"I’d invite Chris, Beimerung... Maybe Cherni and old man Deathmaster, too."

Once I had earned enough gold, the first thing I’d do was buy a house.

Grinning from ear to ear, I walked forward with a spring in my step.

*Tap tap tap.*