It was Friday night, and our heroine excitedly opened the door to her apartment. She had a bag full of energy drinks in one hand while her other hand was barely able to hold on to the bag of junk foods and a box of cake. These were her fuel for the weekend.

While most working adults she knew spent their Friday nights and weekends at bars or hanging out with friends, she spent them at home and in front of her computer while playing a game. And she had been doing so ever since she started working and living alone. 

Life as a working adult is hard, and playing this game is what's keeping her alive and able to get through day after day of working as an office clerk. 

Our heroine hurriedly took a bath and changed to her comfortable PJs before she started on her chocolate mayonnaise cake. She then arranged her cans of energy drinks and junk food near her computer and sat in front of the computer screen.

"Just a few more levels and I'll be able to take the job class change." She grinned excitedly as she waited for the game to load. "If I keep at it all weekend, I should be able to make it before Monday!"

Just like that, our heroine started grinding for her character - the one person that she feels most comfortable spending time with. Yes, person. Because for our heroine, the game World of Genus is the only reality that she would like to have and live in, and all of the people she associates with in it are real to her. Although the other players are a given, even the NPCs are people that our heroine treats as real people, too. 

And so, two whole days of barely sleeping a wink and turning energy drink to water later, this World of Genus junkie finally managed to meet the final condition for her job class change. 

It was already the dawn of Monday. Just a couple more hours, and she would have to start preparing for work. She hadn't had a bath for the past couple of days, nor did she have a proper meal. But it was all worth it. The smile on her face was priceless for this achievement. 

Just as the semantics for her job change was about to end, she stood up from her chair so she could freshen up a bit and get a few hours of sleep before going to work. But as she did, she suddenly felt her chest hurt so much as if it was about to burst.

As our heroine fell to the floor, wondering what was happening to her, she got a glimpse of the cans of energy drinks scattered around her. Ahh~ Yes. Didn't the clerk at the convenience store she bought those cans from warn her that she'd regret drinking too many energy drinks? 

Well, she is indeed feeling regretful. But not because it looks like she's about to take her last breath. No. She felt regretful because she wouldn't be able to play with her character's new skills, nor would she be able to explore the new islands and dungeons available to her after her job class change. 

"Damn… it…"

Truly regretful, indeed. 

+}xxx@xxx{+

The little girl seated on the throne frowned at the soul floating in the middle of the dark throne room. It was the last soul that she was supposed to revive for today, but before she could, she noticed something odd about it. 

For some reason, the soul both had a familiar and foreign feel to it. Which shouldn't be the case at all, given that all of her children should only have her dark essence in them. This one, however, not only has her essence but also the energy that's the complete opposite of it. And if that wasn't surprising enough, instead of clashing, the two types are in perfect harmony as if they didn't exist just to destroy each other.

In fact, this soul wouldn't have been able to undergo her trials if it didn't have a purely dark essence. And yet now that she's just about to return it to its body, something's already mixed in?

Just then, an incident that happened a long time ago came to mind. And suddenly, everything starts to make sense. 

That incident could only be the possible explanation for this.

A smile slowly formed on the little girl's face as she summoned the soul right in front of her. She regarded it affectionately and kissed it.

"So you were that man's child all along. To think that he would be able to fool even me. Well, he did have your mother's help… "

Slowly, the little girl once again sent the floating soul to the center of the room. As it did, it started glowing as it floated upward until it ultimately filled the entire room in light.

"He had been looking forward to your return… And I cannot wait to see what your return will bring to this world, my precious child."