Chapter 49

“Hup.”

My shower process is not as difficult as one might think.

With technological advancements, electric wheelchairs these days come with various functions.

It can slowly climb slightly bumpy roads, even stairs. When you press a button, something like tracks that change shape according to the ground comes out and slowly climbs up.

Anyway, unlike the old appliances and furniture around me, this state-of-the-art wheelchair with welfare features was a great help in my life.

One of those functions is, in addition to basic waterproofing, the ability to fold the backrest and seat completely so that I can shower as is. There’s also a function to dry the moisture on the wheelchair after showering.

Of course, I had to struggle to undress by myself.

Even with a disability, I have to shower.

I entered the narrow bathroom and stared at the showerhead attached to the wall.

The showerhead was attached at a position barely within reach of my hand at sitting height.

I grabbed the armrest of the wheelchair tightly and tilted my upper body slightly to grab the showerhead handle.

Shhhh.

As the warm water flowed out and touched my shoulder, I felt the sleepiness fade away and my slumped body loosen up a bit.

It’s just a small single room in a poor neighborhood, but I could give high marks for the properly working boiler.

I fell into thought for a moment while being hit by the warm stream of water.

After 24 hours of farming, my body, pushed to its limits, fell asleep as if collapsing.

My consciousness returned 24 hours later, after taking a full day’s sleep.

For the 0% last-ditch pattern of ‘Demon General Aspero’, the last named boss of this dungeon, it was impossible to resist all 6 full area-of-effect skills alone without party protection skills.

Of course, if you maintain full HP until the last-ditch pattern, you can take one hit with your body.

However, the process of taking that one hit with the body becomes a big problem for me who feels the pain vividly.

I gritted my teeth and ran on the first day when weapons maintained high prices, but I don’t have confidence to keep doing that in the future.

The weapon price is expensive enough to endure the pain on the first day, but from the third day of the dungeon opening, it seemed better to run buses with the help of Chris’s party starting today.

Squeak.

After finishing the shower during this brief contemplation, I wiped my body and came out of the bathroom, returning the wheelchair to its original state.

Whirr.

I dried my wet hair using a hair dryer.

It takes quite a while because my hair is long.

When I lived in modern times before, it would have dried just by leaving it. I often feel the fact that my gender has changed in such trivial things.

I’ve never been to a hair salon since coming to modern times.

When it grew too long, I clumsily handled it myself. I did that when I was alone in the Astria continent too.

Of course, now that I’ve lived as a woman for well over ten years, it’s not particularly awkward. However, I’ve only lived as a woman in modern times for a little over a year.

The headache that was throbbing when I just woke up had subsided a bit while showering.

These days, my head keeps hurting and my body feels weak. The occasional nosebleeds suggest my condition isn’t good at all.

My body is already weak, and it must be because I play games for too long. But I had to make money.

And, since I slept well after pushing myself, I should be fine again from today.

I checked Chris’s message that appeared on my smartphone.

[Yin-Yang Master ‘Chris’ (Online)]

-Contact me when you log in! It’s the Alpharion Empire capital, right? Let’s meet in front of the fountain in Central Square!

I have an appointment with Chris today.

I installed a messenger app linked to ‘Astria Online’ on my smartphone. Since I haven’t added any friends except Chris, it’s purely to see Chris’s messages while offline.

I’ve saved quite a bit of money through farming on the first day of this elite dungeon ‘Aspero’s Fortress’.

Today I’ll accompany Chris, and from the next day, I can make more money by running buses.

I looked around my small shelter once.

I don’t feel much inconvenience in my immediate life, but due to the ‘poor neighborhood’ characteristics, it’s not a good location. It’s inconvenient when I go out very occasionally. The roads are steep and bumpy.

It seemed like the day to say goodbye to this place wasn’t far off.

To a place that’s more cozy and neat, even if it’s small.

If I make money like this in the next dungeon too, I should be able to save enough to get a decent long-term deposit rent.

Monthly rent is good too, but I don’t know how long I can keep making money like this.

At least long-term rent, if not owning.

[Welcome to Astria Online]

Woong.

With a strange floating sensation, my body returned to the Astria continent.

Hop hop, stretch stretch.

After finishing the exercises to adapt to my body, I checked my surroundings.

“Hmm.”

Since I logged out in the city after finishing 24 hours of nonstop farming on the first day, I was now located in an inn in the Alpharion Empire’s capital. Resting at an inn for a certain time or logging out had the effect of recovering fatigue value.

Fatigue is also a significant value to manage. If it accumulates fully, penalties are applied to stats. The Rain character who ran dungeons nonstop for 24 hours had quite a lot of fatigue value accumulated before logging out.

There were many nice mansions and houses in the capitals of each Empire. They could also be purchased and used through the ‘housing’ system.

Users who mainly do dungeon hunting usually used inns, but users who do crafting and life content would buy housing and operate their own workshops.

“The housing system, huh.”

Should I buy a house in Astria Online?

It seems quite expensive, but I spend more time living here.

I might be more satisfied with it than a spacious house in reality.

The central square of the capital is not far from the inn. Since Chris said to meet in front of it when she logs in, I should start moving soon.

Thump thump.

I left the inn and headed towards the square while looking around at the scenery of the capital.

It was my first time properly sightseeing the Empire’s capital today, as I had only been running dungeons and wandering around plains area villages and mountains so far.

Indeed, it was the capital of a huge Empire. It was a very clean city.

The street floor was properly paved, and the footsteps of people walking on it echoed pleasantly. The stone buildings lined up on both sides of the street each exuded a unique charm with different shapes and colors.

Vibrant shops were located throughout the streets. Golden letters engraved the names and symbols of the shops on the signboards.

There were people who looked like NPCs in front of a bakery where the fragrant smell of bread wafted. Judging by the users among the NPCs standing in front of the bakery, it seemed there were users who preferred bread types, which are cheap and easy to carry, as food to fill their satiety value.

Finally arriving at the wide square in the center of the street, there was a dragon-shaped fountain in the middle.

Clear streams of water poured out of the dragon’s mouth, filling the fountain. There were benches and flower beds around the fountain, providing a space for people to rest for a while.

I exclaimed in admiration while looking at that splendid fountain.

“Wow, it’s amazing.”

In the time period background when I was active in the past, it was just two Empires with names only, built by humans who escaped the demons’ clutches.

It was quite emotional to see one of them develop like this.

The capital of the Betarion Empire would probably have a similar landscape, not just the Alpharion Empire.

Thump thump.

Soon, I could hear the footsteps of two people approaching me while I was admiring the wonderful fountain.

“Rain! You were here first!”

“Did you wait long? I hope we unnies weren’t late?”

I turned my head to look at the two people approaching me.

The pink-haired short female Mage, Bae Merong, and the tall red-haired female Yin-Yang Master, Chris.

“Hello, unnies.”

I bowed my head modestly.

I don’t know why they wanted to meet me in a place like this today, but since we definitely made a promise a few days ago, I have to accompany Chris today.

“Huhu, isn’t the scenery of the Alpharion Empire capital amazing? Unnie was surprised when she first saw it too!”

“Yes. It’s a very developed city.”

Medieval fantasy world view. The capital of the Empire. There’s certainly a big difference in development compared to frontier cities.

Well, even modern Seoul still has poor neighborhoods, so it might not be that different.

“We have some places to take Rain today. It’s a shop Bae Merong discovered when she came alone last time, Rain will really like it!”

“Oh.”

A shop I might like? Somehow I’m looking forward to it.

I held Chris and Bae Merong’s hands and followed where they led me.

“Woah…”

I looked around while sitting at a neat outdoor table of a shop.

I’ve never been to one in reality, but this is like.

“A cafe?”

“Yes. Isn’t it amazing? The owner of this shop is a life-oriented user. They say he’s famous enough to be called a master craftsman here.”

“They say he’s especially good at making drinks or desserts. The rumor is that he gathers ingredients himself and recreates the taste of modern desserts very similarly.”

It’s more expensive than real cafe drinks, but it seems there are also long-lasting buffs that mitigate fatigue increase and such.

Enjoying the atmosphere of a cafe while appreciating the scenery of the Empire’s capital in a fantasy world. Business targeting users. Is this what economic activity in the multiverse is like?

After waiting a bit, the drinks Chris ordered came out.

A transparent drink with a yellow tint, even ice cubes are floating in it.

Is it some kind of lemonade? It’s very authentic.

I gaped at that pretty color.

“Huhu, what are you doing? Try drinking it.”

I closed my eyes and smelled the refreshing scent of lemonade. The fresh lemon scent tickled my nose, making my heart feel cool.

As I took the first sip, the ice cubes made a clear sound as they collided. The tangy lemon flavor spreading in my mouth enveloped me.

“Wow!”

I exclaimed.

The lemonade had a harmonious blend of sweetness and sourness. The soft sweetness of sugar and the tangy sourness of lemon stimulated my tongue, seeming to instantly relieve the fatigue that had accumulated.

Did they intend this? The unnies have good sense. I felt strength returning to my body tired from nonstop farming since the dungeon opened.

As the cold drink went down my throat, I even felt like I had found an oasis in the heat.

Taking another sip, I savored the taste while drinking slowly. The freshness of lemon and the sweet aftertaste lingering in my mouth made my mood even more refreshing.

“Uuugh…!”

At that crisp and sour aftertaste, I closed my eyes and shuddered.

It’s delicious! So refreshing!

I kept sipping the lemonade.

Chris and Bae Merong just grin while looking this way, pausing from drinking their lemonade.

It’s so delicious, why aren’t they drinking?

Having emptied a glass of lemonade before I knew it, I held out the empty cup.

And, I timidly said.

“…Unnies, are you done drinking?”

The words ‘If you’re not going to drink it, give it to me’ were omitted, but they seem to have understood my intent.

Chris held her stomach and laughed while ordering one more glass of lemonade for me.