Chapter 46 : I have a step, and one breath is resting

▣ [Declaration] From today onwards, we, the members of Soul Gallery, declare:

[Screenshot of Sno.1’s broadcast, SeongWon’s face is visible.]

From today onwards, SeongWon is the new owner of Soul Gallery.
Sign the petition immediately.

–Soul Gallery…… owner…… SeongWon……
–At this point, she is the owner, right? Yes.
└Real.

▣ Ready2Die? Who is that?

[Picture of SeongWon giving a bear thumbs-up.]

We only know SeongWon? We only acknowledge SeongWon?

–Your memory is like a goldfish, lol.
–This guy, if you look at his gallery logs, he was all “Ready2Die under SeongWon” until yesterday, and now he’s switching sides lol.
–Her face is the narrative. Yes.
└With that face, the narrative checks out……

▣ What do you mean SeongWon is the owner? Lol. No way.

[Clip from Sno.1’s broadcast, SeongWon is revealing her face.]

She’s a goddess? She’s not someone who would be an owner?

–Lol.
–The owner should be a dark, manly guy lol.
└Yes, real real.
–The gallery’s a mess, but this is hilarious lol.

▣ But seriously, isn’t this the peak?

[Clip from Sno.1’s broadcast, SeongWon’s last 3-team battle scene.]

3 vs. 4 vs. 1 battle and the 1 wins;
Even pros can’t do this. Yes.

–Cut the crap, dude lol. No need to even mention Ready2Die, even BackRazor or ZeroOne can do that lol. Stop overhyping streamers.
└[Video of Ready2Die watching SeongWon’s broadcast, he’s gaping in awe at SeongWon’s last 3-team battle.]
└The owner acknowledged her.
└‘Former’ owner. Correction, please.
└In the first place, if you’re playing in The Hundred’s rating range, your opponents are mostly top-tier high-rankers lol. Do high-rankers look like a joke to you?

▣ But in the end, her real face wasn’t revealed, right?

Virtuals are meaningless anyway.
Isn’t that all edited?

–If it’s edited to that extent, the original must be at least top-tier among ordinary people. Does this dude think virtual editing is like plastic surgery?
└Lol. It could be plastic surgery.
–It’ll probably be decided at the Patchick year-end settlement in December, right? That’s when the Patchick streamer year-end awards ceremony is.
└With this level of fame, they’ll definitely invite her.
└She’s definitely a superstar.

▣ There’s still one more shot left.

[Picture of a happily smiling Pepe the Frog.]

SeongWon will appear at the year-end awards ceremony with the same face she showed on broadcast today. The #1 donator, super soul genius beautiful girl will reveal herself to the world on that day. Everyone, prepare to be blessed.

–Damn it, you’re the one with the poop picture, I remember your IP, you bastard.
–This guy’s back with a dynamic IP lol.
–Running again?
└Sorry, my bad.

▣ But if that’s really her face, it’s a real-life Truman Show.

[Scene from the movie The Truman Show with Jim Carrey waving, SeongWon’s bear mask photoshopped over his face.]

“I might not be able to say this later, so I’ll say it now.”
“Subscribe, like, and turn on notifications.”
Really, if she appears with that goddess face at the Patchick awards ceremony, she’s definitely a broadcaster made somewhere with meticulous planning.

–What is this?
└It’s a really old movie. Watch it, it’s fun.
└Boomer.
–It’s real, she fooled everyone. In fact, it must be the #1 donator, beautiful girl, soul genius for real. To refute this is to deny SeongWon, Soul Frame, and me.
└This guy’s using Tor.
–It’s made somewhere with meticulous planning.
└Soviet, you idiot, Soviet.
└Real, Soviet technology has now gone beyond AI to create robots that look like humans.
└Probably stole the tech from the US.

* * *

“Ah.”

I opened my eyes in the dark room.

I sat up in bed with a dazed face, then my mind snapped awake.

‘Where am I?’

I quickly sat up and scanned my surroundings with my senses. What did I do yesterday? I can’t remember. I’ve only ever fallen asleep so unguardedly right after defeating the first evil god.

It seems the tension has eased since I returned to Korea. To be so defenseless like this! Let me summon the holy sword first, then Miley and the others…….

Korea?

“Ha.”

I finally relaxed.

Right, I’m in Korea.

A safe place.

Only then did I remember yesterday’s events.

“I passed out after the broadcast, huh.”

I vaguely remember exiting the virtual machine. But I don’t remember what happened after that. I think this is my house, but how did I get here? Did Miley bring me?

I went to the window and pulled open the blackout curtains.

Intense sunlight stabbed my eyes.

“……It’s daytime.”

It seems I slept all day.

I found my smartphone on the bed and sent a message to Miley. Soon after, I heard a clattering sound, and Miley opened the bedroom door and came in.

“Master, you’re awake? Are you feeling alright?”

“My body?”

I examined myself. I don’t think there’s anything wrong.

“I think I’m okay?”

“You passed out yesterday, so we went to the hospital.”

“Oh, really?”

Wow, cognitive acceleration really is an incredible technology. For me to pass out like that. I think I need to strengthen my body a bit. Should I increase my exercise?

“Yes, you received IV fluids and underwent some other tests. Since your weight had decreased by over 3 kilograms…….”

“Oh, great diet effect.”

I chuckled, and Miley frowned.

“This is not a laughing matter, Master. Your health was at risk. It was a serious matter.”

“Well, it was common back there, wasn’t it? Aren’t you overreacting over nothing? It’s okay, it’s okay. Don’t worry. First, the broadcast…….”

Then Miley strode towards me.

I wondered what she was doing, but then Miley knelt down and hugged me tightly. Since she’s tall, the hugging posture is a little weird…….

‘I’m thinking those kinds of thoughts,’ Miley whispered.

“Master, this is Earth.”

“…….”

“This isn’t that place. This is Earth. A world where losing 3 kilograms while playing a game is abnormal.”

“Th-that’s right.”

That’s right.

This isn’t another world.

It’s not a battlefield where lives are at stake.

A world where there’s no dying, no killing, nothing.

Perhaps sensing my confused state of mind, Miley gently hugged me again. Then, she quietly whispered.

“Master. Do you trust me?”

“……I trust you.”

“Then…….”

Miley looked me in the eyes. Blue eyes, filled with concern, gazed intently at me.

“I think it would be good for you to seriously consider going to a hospital. For therapy, or psychiatry.”

“…….”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, but the way you react to things has been a little concerning.”

Miley whispered softly.

“I’m not a doctor, but…… I think it might be a symptom of PTSD.”

I was silent for a moment, then nodded.

Indeed, even I thought I wasn’t normal.

* * *

I decided to look for a hospital slowly.

This is a really sensitive matter.

“I’ll take responsibility and check this out.”

“Okay, I’ll leave it to you.”

I lay on the sofa and replied to Miley, who was making clattering sounds in the kitchen. It seemed like Miley had matured a bit. Or maybe I’d become more childish. I’m not sure which one is the right answer.

“She’s not a troubled child anymore, huh…….”

“I couldn’t hear you properly, Master. What did you say?”

“No, nothing. Ignore it.”

Somehow, it feels like I’m watching a grown-up child now.

‘Miley was much, muuuch taller than me from the moment we first met, but…….’

Still, back then, she had a lot of childlike qualities. Even recently, some of those qualities were still visible.

But thinking about it the other way around, it occurred to me that those might have resurfaced after meeting me again.

“Miley.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Miley, when did you come here?”

“Yes? If you’re asking when I came…….”

I wiggled my feet meaninglessly on the sofa.

“I, well, in a way, I was dragged across dimensions. So when I returned, I came back to the same time and place I was taken from.”

I was just dragged away from the corner of my room for no reason.

Well, I was thinking about suicide before that.

Anyway, I was dragged away the moment I had that thought.

“But listening to you, Miley, you talk as if you have a family here, or something. I don’t think I ever asked about that.”

The clattering sounds in the kitchen became a bit more cheerful. It felt like she suddenly became excited. I don’t know why, though.

“I, um, was reborn.”

“Reborn? Reincarnated?”

“Yes. Reincarnated. I was born as the daughter of parents in France. I struggled a bit when I was young because of my past life memories, but I had good parents.”

“You struggled because of your past life memories?”

“Yes.”

A wistful voice, as if reminiscing about the past, came from the kitchen. She seems to be in a good mood today. Is it because we’re going to the hospital?

“I had the thinking ability and comprehension of an adult since I was young. So, my thoughts and things didn’t really match with other children of the same age. My parents must have thought I was smart, because they had high expectations of me.”

“Speaking of which, you said you graduated from some university, like Granjo or something?”

“It’s Grande école, Master.”

It was a very proud voice.

Bad girl. I’m a middle school dropout.

“I see. Then how did you find me?”

“The Lord told me.”

“……Huh?”

“The Lord told me that the person who won the US Super Powerball lottery last year was Master. So I purposely prepared and waited to serve Master.”

“Prepared to serve me?”

“Yes.”

Miley spoke in a voice that sounded like she was boasting. It was the tone of a child bragging about finishing their vacation homework.

“I knew that Master would have a lot of inconveniences living after returning, so I studied at a butler academy. And I worked hard, using my connections, to find a way to get to Master.”

She studied at a butler academy because my life skills are disastrous. This is nice, but also strangely unpleasant.

“……What would you have done if I hadn’t hired a butler?”

“You would never not hire me.”

“…….”

Miley, this girl. She knows me too well.

I sighed.

“……You’re really something. The Lord is something too.”

To precisely orchestrate and reveal that.

Well, that’s why he’s God.

That bastard was indeed a god.

I smiled faintly.

“So, are you satisfied with finding me?”

“I’m satisfied. ……I think I’m also happy.”

I slowly got up from the sofa.

It’s because the things I need to do are coming to mind.

I went to the kitchen and asked.

“By the way, what are you doing right now?”

“I’m making porridge for Master.”

Making porridge?

“……Miley. Shall we start with explaining why the porridge is green?”

“…….”

Wait, do butler academies not teach cooking?

Her cooking skills haven’t changed at all?