[Yasaka Residence - Living Room]

In a certain living room, there was a naked girl lying down on the sofa.

She slept soundly, not caring the fact that her body is completely exposed and bare. Her name was Yasaka Ruri, 18 years old. Currently, she took a quick nap to rest after experiencing a big battle. The carnage in which she beautifully betrayed her own allies.

In the span of 30 minutes, Ruri had experienced a nostalgic dream in her nap.

Dreams about the past where she fought for her freedom and independence. How she silently sharpened her nails and waited, without arousing any suspicion from the eyes around her.

♠♠♠

 

[Two years ago]

When the young Ruri finished drinking the Elixir, her body miraculously felt better than before.

All of the weakness seemed gone without any trace and she could move her body as she pleased. Not only that, she found out that all of her skin began to peel, replaced by smooth skin. Every scar from her childhood to that day also disappeared, along with her peeling skin.

Ruri rejoiced by this fact, but she did not share this to anyone, even to her parents and relatives.

Who knows what people will do if they know she can materialize items from the game, especially her relatives. Those white-eyed wolf¹Idiom: Vicious people like aunts and uncles would undoubtedly milked her dry if they know this!

- In that case, nobody shall know the truth!

Shortly after that, she make another request to the doctor, to stop the treatment and let her go home.

Originally, the doctor obviously rejected that request, saying how important the treatment is to prolong her life. But, then Ruri make a plead to let her spend the rest of her lifespan inside the game.

- The treatment is too painful to bear, meanwhile death is unavoidable. Since that's the case, rather than spend the remaining time slightly long but full of suffering, why not spend the remaining time, short but in happiness.

After very long discussion and persuasion, the doctor finally agreed, only if her parents allowed to. Perhaps, they also feel burdened with the hospital fee, so her parents agreed.

Before going home, Ruri stubbornly refused the last checkup.

Even without that, she already knows that her leukemia is already gone and she did not want anyone to know that. She couldn't just explain she drank an Elixir that she manifested from a game.

Just in case something goes wrong, Ruri's terminal bracelet was installed with a Health Manager app, so when it detects something abnormal happening in her health, it will immediately release a signal and an ambulance will rush directly to her house.

What they didn't know was that the bracelet did not send any emergency signal even after 2 years.

Thanks to the social distancing rule, attending school did not really matter anymore. As long as Ruri passes the class promotion test, her grades will automatically advance. In this case, Ruri's absence for 6 months due to hospitalization did not hinder her at all.

But, things can't be the same again as before. Her parents began to accompany her less and less, they started to work outside and their presence at home become rare. First, it was 3 days later, 1 week, after that 2 weeks... then 1 month...

And in the end, they didn't bother to go home at all, only occasional phone call to confirm if she still alive or not.

Only later on Ruri realizes the truth. Her parents were not married by love.

Her parents were just business partners, and the marriage was for the sake to unite the two companies. Each of them has their own lover outside, and both parties are aware of that fact. In truth, both parents already have children with their lovers. Ruri had never met her half-siblings yet, but she had learned that fact from one of their phone calls.

Then, why are they still married? Don't they know that a forced melon doesn't taste sweet²A melon forced off its vine is not sweet.
 
lit. if you have to use force to break a melon off the vine, it won't taste sweet (because it's only when the melon is ripe that it can be removed with just a slight twist) (idiom)
fig. if something is not meant to be, it's no use trying to force it to happen.
?

The reason they haven't divorced yet is because they can't!

If they dared to, their share of the company will be cut off by her grandparents from both sides.

Ruri's life and death basically did not really matter in front of their eyes. Since the company uses shareholder system, there is no real heir of the company. The parents' shares can be inherited for their child. In that case it would be better for them if Ruri died so they could inherit their shares in the name of their own child.

This house basically inhabited by her alone. Though at this point, it didn't really matter that much, since with her ability to bring out game items into reality, Ruri has become self-sufficient.

 

Lack money...?

Well, Ascension in-game currency,  Gold Coins is basically made of pure gold!

Though, she didn't dare to sell uncertified gold unscrupulously, as it was too conspicuous. She won't be able to answer if she was asked where is this gold came from. But even so, she had the way to procure money without drawing too much suspicion.

In Ascension, beside Job-classes there are also Sub-classes.

Unlike the Job-class that were solely focused in combat, Sub-classes is kind of versatile, especially for production or just mainly role-playing. Many of Sub-classes existed in the game and it involved various kinds of subject, such as:

• • Production type: Farmer, Chef, Alchemist, Blacksmith, Tailor, Carpenter, Brewer, etc...
  • Role-playing type: Maid, Butler, Collector, Florist, Idol, Prostitute, etc...

Players can choose only one Job-class, and this is a permanent choice. But they can choose up to 3 Sub-classes by completing its prerequisite quests and if they want, they can delete it from their status at any time.

Sub-classes have an Exp mechanism that is separate from Job-class and can only be trained by repetitive use of their skills. If player decided to delete a Sub-class, all of the experience will reset and need to be trained again if they decided to retake it.

Hecate currently has 3 Sub-classes that she exploited with her ability:

• • Blacksmith: Enables players to create and repair equipment. Can process metals, ores or other minerals.
  • Collector: People who like collecting certain items as a hobby. On a practical level, it has the ability to slightly increase drop rates, to enhance collecting efficiency.
  • Acrobatics: Grants flexible body, making the user more nimble during movement.

Acrobatics Sub-class allowed Hecate to move in a difficult terrain with a nimble movement like a master parkour. She utilizes this to enter troublesome places like crossing a swamp in the forest or a ravine in the mountain.

Collector Sub-class can somewhat increase drop items. Hecate can get rare items like Eldritch Bone Wand or Cloak of the Fallen easier than other player thanks to this Sub-class.

Though, the effect is not quite noticeable when she hunts critter mobs, for example: Wind Wolf.

- An extra Wolf Teeth in the drop list, who will care?

But despite their useful benefit, only a few people will take two Sub-classes above. Not because they were bad, but because they were generally overshadowed by other Sub-classes.

Many Sub-classes provides benefit that increase their Job-class versatility, like how Poison-brewer Sub-class goes well with Assassin Job-class, or Sword Master Sub-class to anyone that wields swords regardless of their Job-class.

And lastly, Blacksmith Sub-class. The ability to process metals, ores and many other things is the true windfall. Hecate can process all the materials she got from hunting and purchasing with her Blacksmith skill.

Well, not exactly an active skill... She need to manually pounce the metal with a hammer, then the metal bends. As for the shaping, it depends on her own sense. But that's already enough.

With internet access, she can find many fancy DIY self made goods like fold-able chair, table and such. It did not take too long to make and imitate them inside the game. Then, she materialize anything she made to the real world and sell it online.

- When the items sold, then it is sold... with huge profits.

The cost of manufacturing is basically close to zero, just a bit puff-puff and done. But the end results was sold with high price.

Create money from nothing! It was like a scam!

Ruri top-up all of the profit money into her game account, purchasing a lot of  Gems. Then, the Gems were used to purchase cash shop items and subsequently, sold it to the market to obtain lots of  Gold Coins. Then again, she used the  Gold Coins to buy a lot of materials in the market.

Rinse and repeat!

And during this time, Ruri was able to determine some of the rules behind game item manifestation.

1. 1. The manifested items only appeared if there is enough space.
      ⇒ In other words, she can't bring out big sized item in a cramped room.
   2. The manifested items can't be transferred back into the game.
      ⇒ The transfer process is only one-way. Once transferred, then it will be lost from the game forever.
   3. Real world items can't be manifested inside the game.
      ⇒ Point 2 applied, can't cheat the game by bringing real-world item.
   4. Skill-enchanted equipment can be manifested but the skill can't be used.
      ⇒ The skill requires MP to activate, and Ruri is not Hecate so she can't activate skill.
   5. Magic artifacts can be manifested but it can't activate.
      ⇒ There is no magic in the real world to activate the artifact.
   6. Can't transfer living beings like pet or growing plants, but plant seeds can be transferred.
      ⇒ Ruri can introduce a brand new plant species to the world... If she wanted to.

There is still many things that Ruri doesn't know yet. But she confident that time will allow her to solve it eventually.

♠♠♠

 

*PIPIPIPI* *PIPIPIPI* *PIPIPIPI*

Thirty minutes has passed and the house AI sounded the alarm as Ruri commanded before.

Ruri slowly open her eyes and wakes up from her dream. Though, the moment when her eyes are opened completely, most of her dreams were wiped out in the memory.

"Hoahm...!!" 

Still feel sleepy, Ruri couldn't help but make a big yawn.

It has been 2 years since that time...

Now Ruri has no shortage of money, nor does she need to spend it, except to top-up to her game account. Her Capsule Pod has already been switched with the most advanced one that costs almost ¥12 million. Complete with the medicinal liquid and a comfortable massage chair.

Food can be obtained directly from the game, so Ruri didn't have to go out to buy groceries.

All fresh ingredients obtained in Ascension are pesticide-free, and will always be fresh when they are materialized. She also can get cuisine made by players with Chef Sub-class like Rena-cchi. Any food she wants, Ascension have it.

Fancy clothes and jewelry, their price in the game was cheap like cabbage. Though, the design was kinda fantasy-like. If anyone were to wear them, they would look like attending a cosplay party.

It looks like very hard to sell so she didn't bother to do so.

In her views, 200 is no longer expensive. In fact, her refrigerator is full of Elixir supply. Although the taste is crap, but those little bottles can save lives if the need arises.  

Stabilizing her breath, Ruri slowly gets up from the sofa and walked back to her room. The bell in her ankle keeps on chiming every time her foot moves.

"Oh well... Resting time is done! I still need to wash off the blood from Hecate's name...
Before Leon and the others come back from the Death Penalty."

Soon, Ruri arrived at her room and she immediately sit back on the Capsule chair.

With a press of a button, she closes the Capsule lid and her consciousness started to drift into Ascension.