Ch 73 - An Unexpected Ritual

Toma ended up spending far longer at the dining table than anyone normally would. Even after they had finished every last bite, neither of them had any reason to leave. Without realizing it, nearly two hours had slipped by.

Every now and then, he found himself laughing as Zetia happily talked about the little things she had discovered throughout the day.

"I finally figured out why socks always disappear," she said with complete seriousness.

Toma looked at her. "You did?"

"Yes. I was convinced they were being stolen by invisible creatures."

"...And?"

"I found one behind the washing machine."

He couldn't help laughing.

"And then there was the vacuum cleaner," she continued. "I thought it was some kind of monster at first. It made so much noise, but then I realized it was actually eating all the dust."

"It kind of does."

"But it never gets full. Isn't that strange?"

"It has a dust container."

"Oh." She nodded thoughtfully. "That makes much more sense."

She continued telling him about countless little discoveries, from learning how to fold towels neatly to spending nearly ten minutes trying to understand why the microwave kept beeping after it had already finished heating the food. None of the stories were particularly important, yet somehow they kept the conversation going with effortless ease.

Eventually, they stood and began cleaning up together. Toma stacked the empty plates while Zetia gathered the bowls and utensils before carrying everything over to the sink.

Without saying a word, they naturally settled into a rhythm. Toma washed each plate before passing it to Zetia, who carefully dried it with a towel and placed it back inside the cabinet. Before long, the kitchen looked just as tidy as it had before they started cooking.

Once everything was finished, they walked back into the living room. The game capsule rested quietly on the floor, its sleek metallic body looking strangely out of place in the otherwise small and cozy house.

Toma stopped beside it before turning toward her.

"Are you ready, Goddess?" he asked, gesturing toward the capsule with an open hand.

Zetia looked at the machine for a long moment.

"...What will happen to me if I go inside?" she asked, her voice noticeably quieter than before. "Will I be sent back to Yunatea?"

Toma gently shook his head.

"No. First, the system will analyze your consciousness. After that, it'll generate a character based on the results. You'll also be asked to choose an in-game name. You can keep using Zetia if you want. The game doesn't require players to use their real names, so everyone is free to choose whatever they like."

"I see..."

"And..." She hesitated before asking another question. "What will happen to my body here?"

"Nothing. Your body will simply fall asleep inside the capsule. The headset synchronizes with your brain's neural activity and transfers your senses into the game, making it feel as if your consciousness has moved into another world. Your body will remain here the entire time, perfectly safe."

He smiled.

"When you open your eyes, you'll be standing in Yunatea again. But this time, you'll be starting as a level-one adventurer instead of the Goddess of Chaos." He let out a quiet laugh. "It'll probably feel very different, but... I think you'll do just fine."

Zetia lowered her gaze for a moment before smiling to herself.

"...I'm ready."

Toma nodded before activating the capsule.

A soft mechanical sound echoed through the room as the lid slowly lifted open.

Stolen from NovelPhoenix, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

He offered her a hand, helping her step inside before she carefully lay down in the cushioned interior. After adjusting her position, he gently lowered the neural headset over her head and checked that everything was properly aligned.

"The lid will close after this," he said. "From that point on, the system will guide you through everything. You don't have to do anything."

"Okay," she replied with a small nod.

The transparent lid slowly lowered until it sealed shut with a quiet click.

A gentle electronic chime echoed from inside the capsule as a row of indicator lights came to life. One by one, they shifted from blue to green while the system began its startup sequence, bathing the capsule in a soft, rhythmic glow.

Toma sat cross-legged on the floor beside the game capsule, waiting.

As he sat there, he started thinking that he might as well go out for a run later. He had forgotten to ask how long Zetia would be inside. Since it was her first time logging into the game, there was a good chance she would spend a long time exploring.

For all he knew, she might stay there the entire day.

He hadn't really prepared himself for the possibility that he would be spending all that time by himself.

The truth was, he had suggested countless times that Zetia try logging into the game.

For any reason at all.

Whether she truly came from Yunatea or was somehow connected to the game company like he had once suspected, it had to be boring spending so much time alone in this house.

After all… Other than going out for their morning runs or accompanying him to the supermarket, Toma had hardly ever taken her anywhere.

Then again, Lina was home most of the time and often kept Zetia company. Which somehow made him feel a little guilty.

Shouldn't he have been the one doing that instead?

After all… She was his wife?

Toma let out a slow sigh as the thought repeated itself in his head.

How had he ended up trapped in a marriage he had never intended to have?

Not that he actually disliked it.

It was just...

He had come to know Zetia over the weeks they had lived together. They had talked every day, shared meals, laughed over small things, and gradually grown comfortable around each other.

Even so, there were still far too many unanswered questions.

“Was any of this actually real?”

How could a character from a game suddenly appear in the real world?

Before he could continue the thought, a sharp mechanical tone echoed from the capsule.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Toma immediately looked over.

The indicator lights, which had previously been glowing green, had turned bright red and were flashing repeatedly.

His expression stiffened.

"...What happened?"

**

The desert wind roared across the barren land, lifting waves of sand high into the air. Dust swept through the wasteland with enough force to blur the horizon, swallowing everything in a haze of gold.

Then, from within the swirling sand, a figure calmly stepped forward.

The sharp sound of black heels echoed against the dry ground.

She wore fitted black bottoms tucked neatly into knee-high black boots. Dark stockings covered her slender legs, while a sleek outfit of black with deep maroon accents wrapped around her figure, giving her an elegant yet imposing appearance.

As the sandstorm gradually settled, her face came into view.

She was an elf. Short, dark crimson hair framed her face, and a pair of pointed ears extended from beneath it.

The young elf smiled faintly as she gazed into the distance.

"Oh... Eighth Prince Caelan," she murmured.

She fell silent for a moment, deep in thought.

"So Her Highness Princess Rania's suspicions weren't misplaced after all." A small smile returned to her lips. "It seems that the crybaby prince really has changed... and in such a short time too."

She tilted her head slightly.

"Isn't that just a little too unusual?"

The elf named Esta let out a quiet laugh, her crimson eyes narrowing with amusement.

She folded her arms across her chest, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips.

"I think such an extraordinary achievement deserves a fitting reward."

Her smile deepened ever so slightly. "A reward so unforgettable... that he won't even have the chance to say thank you afterward."

She fell silent for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

"Or is that a little excessive?" she murmured. "After all, Her Highness Princess Rania only ordered me to observe him and find out just how much support is really standing behind the Eighth Prince."

She closed her eyes briefly.

"I wouldn't want to underestimate His Highness. A prodigy is still a prodigy, no matter how suddenly he appeared."

Esta turned around.

In the distance, several figures stood silently among the drifting sand, their white-colored cloaks blending almost perfectly with the landscape. Eight of them were positioned in a wide circle, remaining perfectly still as the wind swept past.

A massive magic circle slowly spread beneath their feet.

Ancient symbols illuminated one after another, forming countless rings that rotated in opposite directions as crimson light pulsed through the patterns.

"Are the preparations complete?" Esta asked calmly.

"Everything is ready," one of the cloaked figures replied.

She turned back toward the horizon. Far away, beyond the endless sea of sand, the city walls could just barely be seen through the shimmering heat.

"Begin the summoning."

Her crimson eyes narrowed slightly.

"Let's see how the kingdom's newfound prodigy responds... when faced with a true calamity."

The magic circle erupted with blinding red light. A deafening explosion shook the desert, sending pillars of crimson energy bursting into the sky behind Esta. The earth trembled violently beneath their feet as the ritual reached its peak.

A monstrous roar echoed across the wasteland, growing louder and louder until it seemed to shake the heavens themselves.

The sandstorm exploded outward.

Esta merely smiled. Her body dissolved into countless streams of wind, scattering into the air before vanishing completely.

Only the deafening roar remained.

The ground continued to quake as an enormous silhouette slowly emerged from within the crimson storm.

It was colossal. At first glance, it seemed three times her height. Then five. No... closer to ten times taller than the elf who had just vanished.

Its towering shadow stretched across the desert, swallowing the sunlight as it took its first step into the world.