Kai stared at the message request. It came at the moment he sent the message to the chat room, so it felt off. Curious, he clicked on it.
[BB; Hey, I saw your message in the chatroom]
'Why did they message me privately and not just respond to my tag inside the room? Is it that information concerning this is being kept secret? But why? If something of this nature is happening, why not inform people?
Come on, Kai, why are you thinking so dumb? Of course they'll not tell people. No government tells people what is happening in the world until they weigh the benefits and see how they can profit the most.'
Tch, I'm thinking too much, I should respond to them.
[Oh you did?]
[BB: Yeah, I did, don't send it again]
'What? They came here to warn me to stop? Who the hell do they think they are?'
[And why should I not?]
[BB: You'll get yourself in trouble]
[What sort of trouble?]
[BB: Just take my word for it and don't try to tell anyone anything about what you discovered. The game isn't as simple as it seems, but only one percent of people have discovered it, because you need to get certain rare things to start feeling the effect and then it grows over time]
'Whoa, could it be that they also got something that's affecting real life?'
[So you also have something affecting real life?]
[BB: Yes, I do, and for your own safety, keep it to yourself for now and enjoy your game, and yes, whatever it is you felt, it is real and happening, accept it and grow it.]
'So the game is really affecting reality somehow, but it is being kept secret, tch. I can't fully grasp what is happening right now, but his warning seems serious, and there is no reason to tell anyone.
The more I play the game, the more I'll be able to know if what is happening is real or not.'
[Alright, thank you for the information]
[Account deactivated]
"What? They deactivated their account? What the hell?" Kai stared, stunned. How important could it be to keep this a secret that he went as far as to get rid of the whole account?
Kai decided to delete all the chats, but he wasn't going to delete his account. After he was done, he leaned back into the chair. The food in the pot boiled away, its wonderful smell wafted into his nose, but he barely paid attention.
He picked up the phone again, turning it on. He logged into his streaming account. This day he had received more gifts than he had in a month before.
The streaming platform took their twenty percent, as well as ten percent for maintenance, and he was left with seventy percent plus bonuses and what he had in the account before, bringing everything up to 5000 credits.
"This is the most money I have had in my account at a particular moment.
I could get a new pod, the cheaper versions run for three thousand, it's ten times better than this thing I am using.
No, I shouldn't be hasty with such changes. Aoi needs her tests, and since I have the money, she'll get the full thing, and all the drugs needed. I also need to stock up on food."
He whipped out his notepad app and immediately started making a budget surrounding whatever he currently had, and when he was done, he had budgeted four thousand, leaving a thousand for emergencies.
"That does it for now," he said, turning off the phone and returning to the kitchen. He finished the meal and served hers before taking it to the room to feed her.
When he got inside, she was staring at the door as if waiting for him.
"Hey sis."
"Hey bro," she replied.
He walked in and placed it down on the table.
He sat beside her and held her hand, mostly to feel her temperature. He rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand softly.
"You'll be going to the hospital tomorrow for a thorough checkup, I'll make an appointment later," he said. She was about to say something, but he continued.
"Don't worry about the money, I have that covered, just rest up and tomorrow we'll go." Without choice, she nodded her head in agreement.
He fed her and then spent some time with her until she fell asleep, then he walked out of the room.
'Wait, I think the game allows people who can't walk to play with only an advanced headset. But those cost five thousand and above to get.
Still, if I manage to get one for Aoi, she'll be able to play along with me and get the feeling of walking even before she heals.'
With that thought in mind, his conviction rose. Right now it was morning, which meant it would be night inside the game.
Kai went and took a shower first, then placed a cup of water beside his sister's bed, with a note that he would be in-game, and if she needed him, she just had to press a button on her phone and it would notify him through his streaming account.
After everything was set, he got into the pod, got the headset on, and the pod turned on with the same loud whirling noise.
This time he logged in without an issue, appearing right on the bed. He opened his eyes, only to see Mira standing there. His heart leaped into his throat, he leaped back in fear.
"I have been waiting for you," Mira said in an innocent voice.
"Uhm yeah, sorry," he said before dragging himself from the bed, but then it hit him.
'She was waiting for me?'