"Good m, Luo. You have rested for 7 hours and 27 minutes. It is now 5:43 AM."

  That was what my room system said right when I opened my eyes. Yawn. I finally woke up naturally and with enough time, as usual! It was even far from breakfast time! So it was the perfect time to... ze around while cheg Helios.

  Uh, yeah. Getting up and starting immediately with active activities was good. But I wasn't pressured by an urgent matter; stantly dedig myself to my goal in a row could be mentally exhausting, especially sidering I sustained intellectual effort all day yesterday... What was wrong with me spending a little time on freedom? Including the freedom to wake up and start the day slowly.

  After ving myself like that, I began to turn my body. Face down. Buried my head into the pillow. And snuggling on it. Hmm, oh, yeah, soft. So soft! The best. ging to something so fortable was very stress-relieving! Hmmm, um. Alright!

  Satisfied with sav the warmth of my bed, I began to raise my fad gesture with my fingers. It was then—

  Beep!

  —a holographic s appeared in front of me after the short notice sound was heard from Helios. Still half-buried in my pillow, I did a little searg before scrolling through the social media with minimal effort using my forefihe s then scrolled, showing posts from people, news updates, and the occasional idiotic meme.

  'eople drawn to these ge jokes?'

  It was natural for me to ask this question as that post was crowded with thousands of ents! Oh, well, maybe they wanted escapism. But I really hope productive things like cooking videos weren't this deserted. Also, most were women, whereas cooking should be a survival skill for everyone, not just tech—Oh!

  'The talk about World: The in!'

  Threads about its lore passed by my homepage (even though I didn't join their Grub). It must be because it was a hot topibsp;Fan theories, hiddes, detailed breakdowns of fotten ruins, you . Made sehough. It was history, fi, and discovery all rolled into one. Most games these days try to pull off "deep lore," but few could actually deliver.

  Like Bde & , where the lore was in these dusty old books you'd never read unless you were desperate to kill time, or Eon Scrolls, which sprinkled a myths around but still boiled down to smashing crabs for loot.

  But World: The in? That was a different matter altogether—it didn't just tell stories; it lived them. Every item, every shadowy nook of ruin, even the ways NPced at you suggested yers of untold stories. pared to most open-wames, where reading lore felt like homework, this game made its history as a survival; it was stitched into the gamepy, and failing to pay attentio you'd miss how the world worked.

  That was why lore junkies couldn't get enough of it.

  'Maybe it is enough...'

  See this? Even when I was chilling out reading casual stuff, my mind was jumbled out, though my eyes were on the s. In fact, my finger also occasionally pulled the header to check the time.

  'Now is five minutes left before six, anyway.'

  With a deep breath, I pushed the holographic s aside and sat up. I took a moment to rub my eyes and wipe my face. Then, I picked up the dirty dishes from st night's dinner pile on my puter desk befoing downstairs.

  While walking, to make use of the time, I pnned what to do today; first breakfast, then a shower. Because brushing your teeth was best after eating. , che with Guo Dai again before entering World: The in.

  I was halfway down when I spotted my father in the downstairs hallway in his casual clothes; his shocked face was clear from those slowly widening eyes. Seemed like he thought I'd shut myself in my room all day—or perhaps at all, sidering how we had left things before. He opened his mouth. But then his words seemed to get caught as no sound came out.

  I deliberately went downstairs at a slow step.

  He turned awkward. Even the look in his eyes became somber, and he scratched his head—he seemed to have abahe idea of saying anything.

  Just standing there, weirdly.

  'Uh, well...'

  I uood what Father was trying to do, so I tinued downstairs.

  As soon as I passed him in the hallway, I turned my head to him to give a nod. He looked surprised for a few seds before nodding back at me. With that, I quied my pato the kit.

  When inside, Mother was busy cooking breakfast; the delicious fragrance of fat melting in the heat wafted through the air. I approached her—in the back so as not to disturb her movements too mud said, "Help?"

  "Oh!" That, unfortunately, surprised her; Mother jolted and almost hit the dishes I was carrying with her elbow, but I quickly lifted them up as I stepped back. As soon as she realized it was me help, she giggled. "My, my... Sure you help! Please take over, dear, I will wake your sis. Oh, don't fet the vegetables and synthesized nutrients!"

  Nodded. I put my dirty dishes into AutoDishes, then washed my hands before turning to the cooking ter. I took the spatu from her hand. Mother stepped out; from the kit's half-open wall to the dining table, I could see she reparing the table before heading to Lin's room on the sed floor.

  I turned my attention to the sizzling filets.

  From the color of the flesh and scales, which are all white and gradually turn e, this should be Silverin Darts1Silverin Darts are medium-sized fish, typically 20 to 50 timeters long, with a torpedo-shaped body and a reflective silver sheen. They might resemble a blend of mackerels and flying fish, sharing the mackerel's streamlined body and schooling behavior, while their iridest fins and agile movements through the water recall the dynamic of flying fish.. Cooking this fish was tricky because it quickly broke apart when flipped over. And the skin—the best part—could e off and stick to the pan. So, I carefully slid the spatu uhe first fill to e was underh befently flipping it over. The perfect golden crust on the skied me.

  I proceeded with the same teique for the remaining pieces.

  'Fish done, ... vegetables and synthesized nutrients.'

  While I was cooking like this, I heard footsteps in the hallway. One gnce showed that Father was already seated. Another voice, anhere was Muiding sleepy Lin, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Hair messy. Her eyes were closed. Yet, when the fragrance reached there, my sister opened her eyes and looked surprised.

  She even stood up from the table and shouted, "Whoaaa!! Big Brother is cooking!"

  Lin rushed into the kit, while Mother only smiled at her behavior. She skidded to a halt beside me, eyes wide as she admired the beautifully cooked Silverin Darts and the sizzliables. Her ha up—Nope. I wouldn't just ghis time; I quickly spped her hand, which was about to grab the ly arranged fish oe."

  Ouch!" She drew back her hand as if she had touched something hot.

  Before she could protest, I picked up the pte of Silverin Darts and ha to her. "Put it oable."

  "Fiyrant chef."

  She muttered those while puffing out her cheeks at me. But, soon, it was repced with a smile as she walked over to the dining table a looking at Silverin Darts in her hands. Now, it was Mother who ehe kit, and we quickly fiher dishes. While Father... uh, made sure Lin didhe fish before anyone else.

  With breakfast finally oable, we all sat down, and the air filled with a fortable silehat was broken only by the king of cutlery and my sister telling a story with every mouthful. Sure, if it wasn't for her, we would have eaten so quietly that I wondered who this chatty kid desded from.

  'Oh, well, that jest seems more appropriate for me.'

  "...right, Brother?" Lin suddenly looked at me with a smile—

  Wait, wait.

  Did she talk to me? I wasn't paying attention. Oh, whatever. I shrugged it off. But that made Lin angrily shake my body, which was sitting directly beside her.

  "You weren't listening, were you?!"

  I nodded. "I am."

  And that made Lin appear satisfied? She nodded and patted my back. "Good, good! You are ho!"

  'Is that really good...'

  Then, I heard another voice after his long silence. " Luo..."

  I raised my fad looked like Father was again not going to tinue speaking. Yes, keep doing your awkward iions with me, just a little more! You could do—Okay, that was an overkill. He only tried to ed make amends to me for what had happened, yet struggled with direunication. Especially if it ontaneous, as he was too reliant oablished routines.

  And so, there you have it.

  I also preferred structured matter, so everything was easy to trol. But I had no problem adapting—even though I disdain it for a bit—otherwise, I might bee as stiff as a man sitting before me.

  I just put down my spoon and started talking to him to make this hanging talk less awkward. "Father, have you ever thought about how much games have ged tely?"

  The man sitting on the chair before me was fused hearing that, caught off guard. He looked at me for a while, likely to make sure the question was directed at him. Theuro look at Mother, likely asking for help.

  'Guess that topic wasn’t what he expected.'

  "Ba the day, games were just games, right? But now, the lore is part of how you survive. Pyers must dig through hidden messages, analyze item details, and figure out the world's secrets to move forward. It is like learning history but with sequences. At least, that is what I find in World: The in."

  Holy, I didn't bring this up because I thought Father would care about game meics. But talking about something I uood made the silence less awkward. Discussing games was safer than talking about... us. If anything, it was my way of reag out without digging into unfortable topics.

  'tally, I just read about this earlier, right?'

  Father's face softened as he listened, still uain. Oher hand, Mother nodded as though she got the point and smiled slightly. While Lin... excited, as always.

  "Oh, oh! Like when Brother spent hours reading through forums and guides? That game is really deep."

  I chuckled. "Yes. Uhose games where you just folloath while swinging a sword. This one requires more and provokes thought. And I kinda like it. Thinking, I mean."

  Father finally spoke, his tone cautious. "That sounds iing. Is that the game you wao buy? Should I look into it?"

  "No need." I shook my head. "It is no longer in produ, and if someone sells the sedhand, the price gonna be unreasonable. I don't want to be given by you either."

  Father was silent. He looked slightly disappoihat his attempt to bond had been thwarted. But this man didn't give up. He started to turn on the Helios' s and search for something, only to be made sulk even more.

  'That makes me feel guilty. A little.'

  "I mean... I choose to buy things on my own and sider them based on its patibility with what I am currently w on. And if I expin what I am looking for iail to you, it will be difficult. So if you want to buy me something, better t me along."

  Father paused, fingers on the s stilled, probably sidering my words.

  "I see..." He g me and smiled faintly; his gaze really became warm. "That makes sense. Let us pn—"

  "No. I have my own pns already."

  And he was sulking again.

  Ha!

  Here I was, lifting you high so I could sm you hard. And Mother just giggled at us, probably feeling Father deserved it (due to yesterday)? I didn't know. Ohing was for sure, despite her gentle appearance, my mother could be sadistic too...