Chapter 54
Chapter 54
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 54
Chapter Title: Emergency
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Beimerung chided the Warrior guest. The Warrior guest repeatedly bowed his head, looking apologetic.
As the bus driver, I was also responsible for not providing enough warnings and failing to prevent the guest's sudden actions. Chiding the guest too much wouldn't look good.
Ultimately, he caused me immense pain, but there was no way for anyone else to know about my synchronization rate. I had to act like a normal user. It wasn't his fault. The one who was strange was me, for feeling such intense pain.
My body recovered as soon as I drank a potion. But the horrific sensation of being torn apart by the chimera still lingered, swirling inside me.
Strange. So strange.
It still feels like it hurts.
A potion in Astria Online should have healed me completely. My HP was full, so the pain should have disappeared.
Iseulbi's body in the outside world was screaming. If I let my guard down for even a moment, I felt like I would be ejected into the outside world, just like the first time I died.
No. Not yet.
I'm the bus driver, and since I'm getting paid, I have an obligation to clear this dungeon.
Just endure it a little longer. Okay?
I'll just take this one last guest for today.
Chris approached and spoke to me. A look of surprise was on her face, along with a faint hint of worry and concern.
I couldn't understand what she was saying. But I could tell she was worried about me.
I don't want to make Chris worry.
What kind of expression am I making right now? I hope I look okay.
Sometimes I'd get startled and show a weak side. It's not easy to control those reactions in Rain's body.
Still, the pain is actually fine.
I'm good at hiding when I'm in pain.
When I was alone, I'd sometimes clutch my body and tremble until the pain subsided, but if I did that in front of her, she'd be extremely worried.
If I answer like this, she'll probably feel relieved.
I put on a radiant smile, praying my answer would reassure Chris.
"My ultimate move, it was cool, wasn't it?"
Now, even my vision is blurry.
I moved instinctively, blocking Aspero's attack.
Fortunately, my body moved as it remembered. I wasn't hit by the demonic orbs.
If I let myself get hit again in this state, something irreversible might happen.
The demonic orbs exploded around me.
Like a muted video, silent explosions erupted everywhere.
*Bang, bang!*
It would have been fitting to hear that sound, but I can't hear anything clearly.
I barely held onto my fraying consciousness and endured until the last named monster was cleared.
Once the Warrior guest left, Chris and Beimerung came over to me.
This time, neither of them hid their worried expressions. They must have read the clear signs of pain on my face.
Chris grabbed my shoulders and spoke urgently.
Ah, so it's come to this.
Chris, what are you saying? I can't hear you well.
Please, I hope my voice isn't trembling.
"I'm, sorry. For, for today, this is... it."
Static.
Before I could finish my sentence, strange noise filled my vision.
Soon, I was ejected into the outside world.
The capsule opens. I lift my body, which feels as heavy as lead. My heart is beating fast. My head is throbbing. My nose won't stop bleeding. The world is spinning. Every part of my body is crying out in pain.
That's strange. I drank a potion, so I should be all better, but it still feels like it hurts.
The blood staining the tissues red doesn't stop.
I wipe it, wipe it, try to stop it, but it keeps soaking the tissues and flowing out.
Thump, thump, thump, thump.
My heart keeps pounding. I wonder if this violent throbbing will accelerate my worsening condition.
My body shows no signs of calming down.
This is worse than I thought.
Hospital. I need to go to the hospital.
First, I should grab my welfare card. That emergency medical support for the vulnerable, or whatever it was called... it should still work, right?
I managed to change my clothes and move myself into the wheelchair.
So I can still move this much. It doesn't seem like a huge disaster just yet.
The moment I was about to go out the door, my eyes fell on the boxes and trash bags I'd left by the entrance.
Hmm, I'll have to throw out the trash after I get back.
It's dark outside.
What time is it? It looks like it's past hospital hours.
Should I go to a big hospital's emergency room? I wonder if the medical aid covers the ER.
Even the nearest hospital is quite a distance, from what I remember. Should I take public transport?
I have no strength in my body. Using the bus or subway seems like it would be difficult.
Should I take a taxi? The fare will be expensive, though.
Call 911? Is it that urgent? I don't think it's that bad. I don't want to cause a fuss and make people who are in a more critical condition suffer because of me.
I'll maneuver the wheelchair and carefully go down the slope.
Sway.
Oh, danger.
Thud.
My body swayed sideways, and I fell out of the wheelchair.
The wheels of the overturned wheelchair are spinning freely.
That's a relief. At least I managed to turn sideways so I didn't roll.
They told me to be careful about falling from the wheelchair when I was hospitalized before.
The wheelchair tipped over. It's going to be hard to set it upright.
I can't put any strength into my body.
At this rate, I can't even get up myself.
The world has turned yellow.
My arms won't move either.
What do I do.
What am I going to do.
***
*Thump-thump-thump-thump!*
The sparsely placed streetlights cast a dim glow on the path. A woman's red hair shone conspicuously as she passed under a streetlight. Her face was filled with tension and anxiety.
Old, shabby houses were packed tightly together, and trash was scattered everywhere. The slope was littered with broken cement and gravel that got in the way with every step.
The streetlights flickered faintly, making it difficult to find the way in the darkness. The walls were covered with old graffiti and flyers, and the smell of dampness and mold stung the nose.
"Damn it...! Rain was living in a place like this?"
"Haa, haa! C-Chris! Please slow down a bit! I'll guide you to the exact location!"
"Lee Jae-wook, you're complaining at a time like this!?"
Nam Da-yeon and Lee Jae-wook, following behind Chris, were just as frantic.
Chris bit her lip and quickened her pace.
"When Rain logged out, her body was covered in static. That's something that happens when there's a problem with one's physical body in the real world."
"Could the problem have started during the last bus run? After that guest, Leroy, woke up the egg...."
"No, it wasn't just the last bus run. Rain hasn't seemed right for the past few days."
"Sob, I-I'm sorry. I-I tried to keep an eye on Rain's condition, but if only I had noticed sooner. If only I had at least talked to you about the situation Rain was in, Chris."
Nam Da-yeon teared up, her face full of guilt.
Chris shook her head.
She had no intention of blaming Nam Da-yeon or Beimerung for not noticing something was wrong with Rain. She could also understand why they hadn't told her about Rain's real-life situation.
Extending a helping hand without regard for the other person's wishes is arrogant. Besides, Rain wasn't the type to ask for help. She would have tried her best to overcome her harsh environment on her own.
But now that she knew something was clearly wrong with Rain's body, there was no time to waste. She had to check on Rain's condition as quickly as possible.
Lee Jae-wook and Nam Da-yeon searched their memories and guided Chris to the place where they had once seen the real Rain.
"She was carrying trash back and forth around here, so it must be one of the houses right near this alley. But which one?"
"Ah... Aah! I should have found out exactly which house Rain lives in!"
Lee Jae-wook frantically looked around, looking like he was about to knock on the gates of every house in sight.
*Whirr.*
Just then, a faint mechanical sound reached Chris's ears.
Without hesitation, Chris headed toward the source of the sound. Nam Da-yeon and Lee Jae-wook followed her.
Rounding a wall, what they found under the dim glow of a streetlight was.
*Whirr.*
A free-spinning wheelchair.
And next to it, a collapsed, white-haired girl.
Rain.
The Rain who clearly existed in reality.
Scattered around her, a stark contrast to her white hair, was that... a black liquid?
No. The streetlight made it hard to see the color properly, but it wasn't black. That color was definitely.
"Blood...!"
Chris's heart pounded like crazy.
Thinking faster than she could process, Chris ran forward and gathered the collapsed Rain into her arms.
Rain's slender body rested in Chris's embrace.
Small. Soft.
Light. So incredibly light.
Rain's lovely face came into Chris's view.
The face she had always watched over, even if only in virtual reality.
But that face was now stained with blood. Unconscious, it was steeped in pain.
Chris's mind went blank.
This was no time to feel moved by the fact that she had finally met Rain in person and was holding her in her arms.
Chris hastily took off her coat and used it to gently press against and wipe the blood from Rain's face.
It wiped away easily. The blood hadn't been flowing for long. But soon, more blood began to trickle from Rain's nose, staining her face red again.
The bleeding isn't stopping. This is dangerous.
Nam Da-yeon shouted urgently.
"Lee Jae-wook, call 911!"
"And wait here for an ambulance to arrive!? She looks like every second counts!"
"Then what do we do!? That's the only way!"
"No."
Chris lifted Rain onto her back.
Rain's limp body leaned against her. Light and soft as a feather.
Why is her body so light? Has she been eating properly?
Chris, Chris. You idiot.
How could you not notice until Rain was in this state? Can you still call yourself the person she relies on?
Chris began to walk down the path, her steps careful yet swift, so as not to jolt Rain's body. Nam Da-yeon and Lee Jae-wook hurriedly followed her.
Chris's eyes grew calm.
"I brought my car. I'm taking her straight to the emergency room."