Alex was at a loss for words after Paul’s confession.

  Though the sense of guilt was the clearest emotion he felt, like someone punched him.

  He could have never imagined that Paul had gone through something like that.

  To lose someone while being utterly helpless to do anything.

  Alex can’t say that he has experienced losing someone since all his friends and family were out in the real world.

  But he does understand what it means to be helpless.

  It makes you feel such a heavy sense of desperation that it might consume a person.

  Unlike Alex, who used rage as a cover.

  Paul devoted himself to his faith.

  But both were ultimately going down the same path—

  Escape.

  They both wanted to escape the abyss that haunts them daily.

  But to say Paul’s purpose is to meet Alex makes his chest stuffy.

  Alex can say strongly that he isn’t someone worth that much effort.

  He’s just a blind man longing to survive in a harsh world in order to go home.

  A man so afraid of the possibility that he would never make it back.

  “I…” Eventually Alex felt like he had to say something, but he could only open his mouth.

  “Are you speechless? Heh, you’re making me shy again,” Paul chuckled and coughed out blood as a result.

  “I guess you must be feeling quite good.” Alex felt his eyebrow twitch.

  “I just confessed and then it got so awkward between us, so I wanted to lighten up the mood,” Paul said shyly.

  “Can you speak clearly?” Alex rolled his eyes and offered Paul a hand.

  “Am I being accepted? Did I finally turn you to the right way?” Paul placed a shaky hand in Alex’s palm and beamed.

  Alex, in annoyance, smacked his hand away and resisted the urge to kick him again.

  “Brother, are you suppressing a fart? Why do you look so strained?” Paul looked at Alex suspiciously.

  Alex: speechless.

  He counted one to ten in his head while rubbing the side of his forehead.

  But the urge to kick the fallen man only grew stronger.

  “Help me up if you’re not going to fart,” Paul waved his hand to Alex.

  Alex narrowed his eyes and helped the young man up in one swift move.

  “Thank yo—” Paul was about to express his gratitude when he fell down again.

  “Why are you so clumsy?” Alex gave him a kind smile.

  Paul shivered at his unusually nice smile and remembered the leg that kicked the back of his knee and rolled back.

  But then he ended up rolling to a table and smacking the back of his head against the legs of the table.

  “Hiss,” Paul whined while rubbing the back of his head.

  “Pfft.” Alex laughed loudly but smacked his hand over his mouth to stop it.

  “Hey, it’s not funny.” Paul wanted to sit up, but he was close to the table so he ended up smacking his forehead on the edge of the table.

  Paul closed his eyes and wanted to massage his head.

  Somehow, he ended up hitting the table and causing it to fall and slam onto the back of his head, hitting his back squarely.

  Paul squealed and started rolling around until he stopped randomly.

  “Wouldn’t this make a funny death? I got hit by a table in a hospital and then my head inflated like a balloon because all the blood rushed to my head,” Paul said seriously.

  “I don’t wanna die yet.” Then he switched to ugly crying.

  “And now I feel so embarrassed.” Then he covered his face in shame.

  “I think I might have gotten more stupid though.” Then he scratched his head.

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  “I’ve acted out enough. Now can you please stop laughing?” Paul glanced resentfully at Alex, who was clutching his stomach with laughter.

  “I think you’re pretty cool.” Alex gave him a thumbs up.

  “Can you say that without looking constipated because you’re holding your laughter in?” Paul snorted.

  “Then I guess I’ll just laugh then,” Alex said seriously before howling with laughter again.

  Paul glanced at him with disdain before shakily getting himself up.

  But his legs were weak, so he almost fell down quite a lot in the process.

  To which Alex pointed at him while laughing.

  “It’s good you’re finally smiling. You should do that more,” Paul said soft words, but his entire face heavily showed annoyance.

  “For some reason, I think I’ve heard that same line in a romance movie.” Alex shivered with crossed arms and moved back.

  “Didn’t you hear what I said? I already have a beautiful girlfriend waiting for me in heaven,” Paul rolled his eyes.

  “Honestly, I thought you liked me or you were at least after my body,” Alex said truthfully.

  “I don’t swing that way. I just love you as a fellow human being. It’s just compassion, I promise.” Paul waved his hand and explained.

  “Sure, I believe you,” Alex said.

  Paul: but your face looks so full of suspicion!

  “I have a girlfriend.” Paul grabbed Alex’s shoulder and said seriously.

  “You said so,” Alex replied.

  Paul: it’s obviously clearly written on your face that you think I’m lying.

  “I love my girlfriend,” Paul tried once again.

  “You must have loved her a lot.” Alex nodded along.

  Paul: why does it feel like that sentence has a double meaning?

  “It’s okay,” Alex assured him once he saw that he wasn’t talking.

  Paul: speechless.

  “After all, people change and things happen.” Alex placed a hand on his shoulder.

  “It’s not that!” Paul roared but was interrupted by Alex putting a hand on his mouth and holding it tightly.

  “You’re too loud,” Alex glared at him.

  Paul nodded.

  Alex released the hand on Paul’s mouth and wiped it on Paul’s shirt.

  Both of them fell silent.

  “Actually, I also have a selfish reason for stopping you from bringing Shae Harris here.” Paul placed a hand on Alex’s shoulder.

  “I have to do what I have to do to go home,” Alex wanted to say the truth for the first time.

  “I understand that you have a lot of burdens to carry, but I still believe that you are a good person,” Paul chuckled.

  “What’s the reasoning anyway?” Alex rolled his eyes but did not agree or refute.

  After all, Alex doesn’t know what kind of person he is anymore.

  Good or bad.

  Selfish or selfless.

  Sometimes he helps people and to them he is a good person.

  Other times he has the ability to not even consider saving the other person or offering help without benefit.

  To them, Alex becomes a bad person.

  Or Alex can be selfish and keep all his food to himself, even while watching others starve.

  But sometimes he can see a man on the brink of dehydration and offer him a bottle of water.

  Alex was a good person at first, good within his capacity.

  But then things happened, and his moments of being “good” were less and less.

  Soon he started considering benefits to everything he did.

  Eventually it all depended on his whim and mood at the time.

  Either to be a hand stretched out or a fist poised for attack.

  “I told you about my girlfriend being cheerful. Well, Shae Harris reminds me a lot of her.

  Both of them are very strong-willed people that seem to always have a smile on their face.

  They joke around with everything without a single care in the world.

  In truth, they are just people who care too much about everyone.

  They subconsciously think that they have to take care of their friends without complaint.

  Their joys and sorrows are clear to all.

  But the burden behind their bright smile is huge.

  It’s rare to meet two people with that kind of personality.

  Usually they are people with the worst position in life yet they smile the brightest.

  I want to protect that smile and that inherent kindness.

  I feel like I owe it to my girlfriend.

  Plus, my girlfriend adored the girl and wanted to adopt her if she could ever escape her parents’ grasp.

  I also think of her as a cute little sister, so obviously I hope you treat her gently.

  After all, you’re both my friends.” Paul winked at the last part.

  “Who’s your friend?” Alex said with disgust.

  Paul clutched his chest, pretending it hurt.

  “Relax, I am just planning to talk to her. I’ll be very polite,” Alex said.

  “I trust you. After all, you’re a good person,” Paul beamed.

  “Now would you please help me to the clinic?” Paul slumped completely on Alex and passed out.

  Alex rolled his eyes and dragged the unconscious man to the clinic.

  After that, he began to seriously pack his belongings while thinking of where to go.

  Truthfully, Alex planned to force the teenager to talk.

  If she didn’t, then he would just tie her up and drag her back to the hospital.

  Alex had a feeling that the doctor meeting with Shae Harris would reveal all the answers he needed.

  As for the opinion of the girl, it was never within his plans.

  What does he care whether she was uncomfortable or not?

  He just wanted to go back home.

  Besides, he wouldn’t just hand her over to the doctor just like that.

  Alex never trusted the doctor, and neither does he trust Shae Harris.

  Instead, he would use Shae Harris as a bargaining chip to make the doctor speak.

  Or he would place the two in a safe environment within his sights to observe their interactions.

  There must definitely be something wrong with Shae Harris for the doctor to speak about her that way.

  I mean even a lie about someone requires a reason to fabricate it.

  But now, well, he changed his mind.

  He was going out to look for Shae Harris to talk politely.

  He was going to use peaceful methods first.

  Or trick her into spilling her secrets.

  After all, she’s basically still a child.

  One that doesn’t have experience of the outside world at all, no less.

  Tricking her should be easy.

  Fighting her even easier due to the major fact being that she has a terminal illness.

  Aside from that, she’s a teenage girl, and Alex was an adult with a system.

  The two sides were never equal in the first place.

  Alex finished packing up his stuff into his backpack.

  He planned to leave the next morning while everyone was still asleep.

  Especially without the knowledge of Paul.

  That idiot might just cry and cling to him again.

  Pestering him to take him out with him.

  To that, Alex shivered, thinking about spending that much time with that idiot.

  Hmm, I might actually kill him ten minutes into the trip, Alex thought.

  It’s better and safer for my mental health and his life for Paul to stay back.

  Alex spent the rest of the day strolling around and stopped by the room set aside for patients.

  Sitting down on the stool, Alex watched Paul in a daze.

  It feels peaceful, just sitting here and doing nothing.

  Alex thought belatedly.

  For the first time, he almost felt that this instance was an actual world.

  The people laughing and chatting around him are real people.

  Maybe even the body he was currently using was also a real person.

  And a very tiny part of him went crazy as he thought that he almost belongs here.

  That he can actually stay in this world.

  But then this random crazy urge would be quickly doused by the system screen appearing in front of him.

  It always appeared whenever he went crazy and thought this world was real.

  Like a silent reminder that he wasn’t home just yet.

  Just seeing the floating blue screen was enough to wake Alex up each time.

  After all, something as magical as the system can’t possibly be in the real world.

  Though this game itself isn’t exactly normal to have the ability to throw him into the instance.

  Then does that mean his original world also wasn’t without its own magical elements?

  Come to think of it, the instance background was similar to his original world.

  The difference was that they didn’t have nobles and sci-fi technology.

  The instance must have copied his original world and then added the natural disasters and zombies.

  Copied it down to the last letter, as all the culture, trends, celebrities and even the history were the same.

  Exactly the same.

  Alex narrowed his eyes, feeling like he was about to grasp something extraordinary.

  Those thoughts seemed to have ignited a spark in him that would burn down a fog even he didn’t realize existed.

  [Note: you are running out of time] the system voice rang out in his head.

  Oddly enough, all former thoughts flew out of his head like they were never there.

  Instead, he scolded himself to focus on the most important thing.

  Completing the instance and going home.

  Nothing else matters.

  Alex repeated in his mind, but there was already a crack in the wall that blocked his mind.

  Alex belatedly realized it was late and went to his room to sleep.

  The next morning, he woke up before everyone else and quietly stood beside Paul’s hospital bed.

  Paul’s eyes fluttered open, and he spoke once seeing Alex dressed with his backpack.

  “Did you really plan to leave without saying goodbye?”

  “I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be the case.” Alex smiled.

  “As your friend, I have to send you off,” Paul hummed.

  “As your friend, I advise you against making any more friends in your usual way.” Alex stretched out a hand.

  “I told you that I have a girlfriend that I’m in love with, and I really didn’t mean anything.” Paul grasped his hand and chuckled.

  “Take care of yourself, idiot. I’m sure your Lord doesn’t wish you dead just yet.

  Who knows, you might actually be able to change me,” Alex chuckled.

  “I already did. Look how docile you are,” Paul winked.

  Alex applied more pressure on the hand holding his and gave Paul an evil smile.

  “Wow—ow, I was wrong,” Paul pleaded.

  Alex snorted and released him, while Paul rubbed his sore hand and looked at him pitifully.

  Alex gave him a disgusted look.

  “I’m leaving before I actually kill you,” Alex said impatiently and left.

  “Take care of yourself and believe that you’ll find what you need most!” Paul shouted.

  Alex waved a hand, meaning that he understood, then left the room.

  “Goodbye, dear friend,” Paul murmured.

  He closed his eyes and thought back to his dream with a sad smile on his face.

  Actually, I never told you that you were my first friend and that this might just be a permanent goodbye.