"I... I'll cook for you!" Claire quickly lowered her head, nervously avoiding Ethan's gaze.
"But I want to eat you..." Ethan said teasingly, a grin forming on his face.
"Lily's still here!" Claire whispered, glancing toward their daughter, her cheeks flushing pink.
"Uh..." Ethan snapped back to his senses, scratching his nose awkwardly.
"I meant I wanted to eat the noodles you cook, stop overthinking," he quickly clarified.
"Hmph!" Claire shot him a playful glare, though a sweet smile tugged at her lips.
"Just wait, I'll make some now," she said as she headed into the kitchen.
Watching her walk away, Ethan couldn't help but feel a warm sense of happiness wash over him.
"Oh, by the way, has Damien come around recently?" Ethan asked casually, trying to gauge if there had been any trouble while he'd been immersed in the game.
"No, why would he? Isn't Damien your old schoolmate? Why would he come looking for me?" Claire asked, her confusion evident.
"It's nothing," Ethan waved it off, relieved that Damien hadn't made any moves yet. But he knew Damien wouldn't give up so easily. Ethan understood his old friend too well—Damien was the kind of person who wouldn't rest until he got what he wanted. The fact that he had been quiet for so long only meant he was brewing something bigger.
And Ethan's hunch wasn't wrong.
While he was visiting Claire, Damien was receiving some interesting information of his own.
---
**Damien's Mansion**
"Damien, I've just learned that Ethan received another payment!" came a voice over the phone, interrupting Damien during a rather... leisurely activity.
"Was it from Naomi again?" Damien asked, waving a hand dismissively as he continued his... exercise.
"No, this time it's from someone named Zion."
"Zion? Who's that?" Damien's brow furrowed. He didn't recall Ethan ever mentioning someone by that name.
"He's the leader of a guild."
"A guild? Which company does he work for?" Damien asked curiously.
"Not that kind of guild. It's a gaming guild."
"A gaming guild?" Damien froze, his brain stalling for a moment before it finally clicked. "You mean... from a virtual game?"
"Exactly. And from what I've gathered, Naomi's company is also involved in virtual gaming."
"So, you're saying Ethan's been making money from playing virtual games? That's how he's managed to earn so much?"
"You're a sharp one, Damien. That's what it looks like."
"Hah, interesting! I never expected Ethan, that gambling addict, to find such a lucrative path." Damien chuckled coldly, begrudgingly impressed by Ethan's resilience. Even at rock bottom, Ethan had found a way to rise again. Admirable, but also... futile.
"Have you found out which game he's playing?"
"Not yet, but based on current market trends, it's likely *Godfall*."
"*Godfall*... I see." Damien repeated the name to himself before hanging up the phone.
While he wasn't well-versed in the gaming industry, with his resources and connections, entering the virtual gaming market would be a simple task. Now that he knew the source of Ethan's newfound fortune, Damien no longer felt as unsettled.
After a moment of thought, he picked up the phone again.
"Hello, young master!" came the voice on the other end.
"I want to move into the virtual gaming market. Start assembling a team and draft a plan for me by tomorrow."
"Understood!"
Damien ended the call, a sinister smile creeping onto his face.
"Ethan, Ethan... It doesn't matter what field you're in. I'll crush you—whether it's in real life or in the game."
---
Damien's schemes were far from Ethan's mind as he enjoyed a home-cooked meal in Claire's cozy kitchen.
"You've lost weight," Claire noted, watching him wolf down the food with concern.
"Ah, it's not that bad. I've just been busy." Ethan responded with a grin between bites. Gaming could be pretty exhausting, especially when you were online as long as he was.
"By the way, I made another million. I'll transfer it to you later," Ethan said casually as he continued eating.
"Another... million?" Claire was stunned, her mind reeling. Combined with the 50,000 from before, that made 150,000 in such a short time. Could gaming really be this profitable?
"Are you *really* making all this money from gaming?" Claire asked seriously, her tone filled with worry. She couldn't help but be concerned. The last thing she wanted was for this newfound stability to disappear in an instant. She didn't mind being poor as long as things were honest.
"Of course. I'd never lie to you!" Ethan wiped his mouth, chuckling softly. "But, to be fair, this latest million is a bit different. I basically extorted it from another guild leader. That guy set up an ambush to kill me, but I wiped them out, so I made him pay me to let him go."
"Oh my god…" Claire covered her mouth, disbelief filling her eyes. She had been a gamer once herself, playing everything from *League of Legends* to virtual MMOs, but she had never heard of someone extorting a million bucks in a game! The sheer scale of it was mind-boggling.
"Isn't that dangerous? What if he reports you to the authorities?" Claire asked, her worry deepening. After all, there were strict laws governing online fraud, and Ethan's actions could easily be considered illegal. She didn't want to see him end up behind bars.
"Relax. *Godfall* is a bit different from regular games. There's nothing to worry about," Ethan reassured her with a dismissive wave.
He knew that Terra's laws hadn't yet extended to the virtual world of *Godfall*. In the future, as the game and reality became more intertwined, new regulations would come into play, but that was still a long way off.
"*Godfall*..." Claire muttered, her eyes lighting up in recognition.
She had read about *Godfall* before—it was currently the top virtual MMO on the market. She just hadn't connected the dots until Ethan confirmed it. Now that she knew, a thought began to form in her mind.
"Ah, I'm stuffed!" Ethan exclaimed, setting down his chopsticks and patting his full stomach with satisfaction. There was nothing quite like a home-cooked meal.
He pulled out his phone to transfer the million to Claire, but she quickly stopped him.
"Wait! You don't need to transfer any more money. The 50,000 you gave me before is more than enough. You should use this money to pay off your debts."
Ethan paused, thinking it over for a moment, before shaking his head. "I owe too much. A million won't be enough to make a dent, so we'll focus on Lily's treatment first."
"But—"
"No buts. Trust me on this one. Besides, this is the last time. Next time I'm back, Lily's illness will be cured for good."
"How could it be that easy?" Claire sighed, assuming Ethan was just trying to comfort her. Lily's condition was a severe illness, and even the best specialists couldn't offer a quick cure.
Seeing her doubt, Ethan didn't push the matter further. He knew that for someone who wasn't familiar with *Godfall*, claiming to cure a terminal illness in just a few days sounded like a fairy tale. It was better to let the results speak for themselves.
After dinner, Ethan decided to spend the night, knowing that the ship he'd boarded earlier would take two days to reach Winterhold. There wasn't much else to do in the meantime. However, he made sure to sleep on a makeshift bed, refusing to share the same bed as Claire, not because there wasn't enough room but because he didn't trust himself not to do something he'd regret. Especially with Lily in the room.
---
The next morning, Ethan accompanied Claire and Lily on a little outing, spending the day together until evening came. Then, he had to leave.
Standing outside the townhouse, Claire watched Ethan walk away, a smile of contentment on her face. However, a sudden thought struck her, and she rushed back inside.
After a moment of hesitation, she pulled out her phone and opened the *Godfall* official website. After some consideration, she placed an order for a game headset.
In less than an hour, the headset arrived.
"So, this is the *Godfall* game helmet, huh? It's beautiful!" Claire murmured, admiring the sleek, futuristic design.
After giving Lily a few final instructions, she eagerly put on the headset.
As soon as the device settled on her head, her vision was flooded with vibrant imagery, a powerful animation sequence unfurling before her eyes.
"Welcome to the world of *Godfall*, adventurer from another world!"