After logging out of World: The Origin, my mind still felt scattered, but I needed to get a grip; I tried to focus on the here and now. Closed my eyes. Open. Closed again. The blurry silhouette of my room finally became clearer. I turned to the side... sure enough, it was [12:43 PM], according to the digital clock on the wall.


    Pushing myself up, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. From here, I noticed that my throat felt dry. It was natural after many hours of lying down without moving at all.


    I croaked, "Water."


    "Dispensing water." My room system complied; a panel on the wall beside me slid open, revealing a glass of water. I picked it up to enjoy the coldness of its touch on my palm. Then, I took a long drink, feeling more grounded with each sip.


    I set the glass on my bedside table and, like a cat waking from a long sleep, stretched for a moment. I had a slight ache in my wrists and shoulders that felt stiff. I massaged several joints of my body, including twirling my shoulders one after another.


    I preferred to do everything on schedule—eating, studying, sleeping, and having free time—so, of course, my body also chose that fixed time. Any deviation from this routine was met with protest. Like now, with my stomach growling right on cue. I curled in, pressing both arms against it.


    ''Hang in there, buddy.''


    Still, I wasn''t always this consistent. There were times when I became so absorbed with my "stuff" that I lost track of everything else in my room. I would stay up all night. No eat. No sleep. Those moments were rare but intense, and my family had learned to let me be. My mother often joked that I lived on my own time.


    Because of this, my family had long accepted my independent nature. They understood that I would eat when I was ready, so they had given up calling me for meals. So understood, right? Really understanding to the point where I felt terrible. Though I couldn''t change my tendency either.


    My stomach growled again, louder this time, pulling me out of my thoughts. I sighed. It wasn''t good to ignore the signals my body was giving me.


    I got up from bed reluctantly. Some faint aroma of lunch now wafted from the kitchen, warm and inviting. Before my mind knew it, my feet began to move on their own as if to some beacon down to the kitchen. The smell of spices was more pungent, and it reminded me of how I had skipped my meal.


    To make matters worse, Mother was there, apparently busy sorting out the plates from lunch... uhh, I was hesitant to go in.


    Maybe wait until she finished? I quickly turned around—


    "Oh, Luo?"


    As I heard my name cut through the air, I froze mid-step. My heart beat a bit faster. I was glad to see my family, but I also felt a twinge of guilt for not following the usual routine. Sadly, there was no escaping now. I took a deep breath, steadying myself, then turned to face the kitchen entrance.


    "Yes?" And I gave a smile.


    "You must be hungry. There is some left for you; let me prepare—Oh, do you want synthesized nutrition like usual?"


    "Just let me," I interjected, eager to maintain some independence and to spare her the trouble. Quickly, I got in and scanned the kitchen counter, searching for the leftovers. Left, right, I surveyed the area before opening the refrigerator—


    "Here." A voice behind me provoked me to look over; Mother was there, handing me a plate of food. "Your favorite, stir-fried vegetables with Vectis'' meat. And there are grains in the Processor."


    Hmm, actually, I didn''t have a favorite; I wasn''t that picky as long as it was edible. But I appreciated the effort. "Thanks, Mom."


    She just nodded with a smile.


    I took the plate from her hand and put it into the NutriSynth. When the glass door closed, a holographic panel appeared. I made some adjustments. My Helios bracelet glowed when I did so, as it interfaced directly with the device. This warmed my meal while infusing it with additional vitamins and minerals tailored to my preferences.


    Ding!


    The finished notification came out. I took a bowl of grains and gathered the food, which was now a warm dish.


    Carrying it, I headed to the living room, setting my meal on the table—Oh, drink. I walked back to the kitchen to get a glass of water, and sure enough, Mother wasn''t there. Probably went to the back room or front yard? I didn''t know. I just went back to the table with a glass in my hand.


    But my wandering back and forth to the kitchen seemed to attract my little sister''s attention; Chen Lin was sitting at the dining table with a stylus-pen in her hand, her head held high, and her wide-open eyes fixed on me. Then, hurriedly, she collected everything scattered on the table within arm''s reach and carried it up.


    While I was sitting on the sofa, Chen Lin was also there. But she, instead, sat on the floor while spreading digital panels of her assignment onto the coffee table. I slid my meal away with the glass still in hand.


    "Big brother! Studying together?" Her sparkling eyes were directed at me. How excited; she even twitched her cross-legged legs with enthusiasm.


    "Sure. But can I eat first?" I reached over and ruffled her hair, eliciting a surprised squeak from her. "And I want to check the news. There might be something interesting today."


    With her head down from my patting, Chen Lin looked up as soon as I withdrew my hand from her. Her expression was shocked, and she blinked repeatedly at me. She finally gave me pouty cheeks as if to show me that she was angry, but that quickly changed. The brightness returned to her face as she nodded.


    "Okay, but don''t take too long! We got stuff to talk about!"


    I chuckled softly and then picked up my spoon, savoring the first few bites of my meal. The living room settled into a rhythm: the soft hum of Chen Lin''s digital panels mixed with the occasional clinking of my spoon against the dish. Every now and then, I looked at her, noticing the furrow in her brow as she scribbled with her stylus-pen. How immersive to her study. A good sign, though.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    When I finished my food, I placed the plate on the coffee table; only then did she respond, "WHAAA!!!"


    Chen Lin''s scream, honestly, was quite loud and exaggerated, even to the point of touching her own head with both hands! Of course, it drew my attention to her. "What?"


    "Too fast! You finished already!"


    ''Finished... my food?''


    Didn''t I usually eat like this? How puzzling. So, I just responded with an awkward smile. "Um, sorry?"


    "Why apologize? You didn''t do anything wrong!"


    ''My thoughts, exactly.''


    "I just didn''t have time to ask anything!" Her gaze swept across the panel and holograms. "Oh, no, I understand everything in this section!"


    ''Isn''t that great?''


    Oh, well, maybe Chen Lin was trying to interact with me with her "Child Function" concept based on psychology—she had a natural, perhaps unconscious, tendency to express her emotions purely, like the spontaneity associated with childhood. I kind of envy it. Though... I hope she could stay like that.


    With a faint smile, I flicked her forehead. "Idiot."


    She rubbed her forehead with a pout. But quickly returned to her usual bright self as if something had crossed her mind. "Hey, help me with the next part, then! Applications in quantum computing network models. I got the basics down but kinda lost in the integration part."


    Quantum computing, huh? I shifted the empty plate, glass, and bowl to tidy them up, then leaned forward. "Sure. Surprise me."


    Chen Lin eagerly shuffled the holographic panels after hearing my response.


    When she explained her understanding of the subject, she used dense blocks of text and diagrams that floated between us. I listened, occasionally asking questions to clarify her reasoning.


    But the longer this topic went on, the heavier the discussion became, even to the point that Chen Lin, who was explaining naturally with a twinkle in her eye and her hands moving around, was now squinting her eyes and scratching her head with her stylus-pen. Our conversation had gone far beyond the realm of her academic studies—the advanced topics she would encounter when she entered college.


    It was apparent she was pushing herself, which made me feel a bit on top of myself... did she try to match my mindset? Because I could tell she was trying hard. Too hard, even.


    I leaned back, letting the sofa catch me as I shifted into a more relaxed position. Propping my head up with one hand, I chuckled. "You are doing great, but you are overcomplicating things."


    She paused mid-sentence, her hands hovering over the panels. "Huh? Overcomplicating?"


    "Yeah." I gestured at her scribbled notes. "You have already figured out most of it. You are just second-guessing yourself."


    Her eyes narrowed skeptically. "So... we are done?"


    I grinned. "We are."


    "B-But I still don''t understand!"


    "You do. Trust me, with this level of understanding, you will master this topic properly in a couple of years."


    "Couple of years? That is forever!" she huffed, crossing her arms.


    I couldn''t help it; a small laugh escaped me. I tapped Chen Lin''s forehead lightly. "Alright, genius. Let me tell you something: you are already ahead of your friends. You don''t need to impress me this hard."


    Her face flushed pink. "WHAT?! No! I wasn''t—I mean, I wasn''t trying to impress you!"


    "Sure you weren''t. So, about that news..." I pointed to the screen. "Do you mind if I watch now?"


    She crossed her arms, still pouting, but gave a reluctant nod. "Fine, go ahead. But next time, I am finishing my explanation!"


    "Yes, yes. Good luck, Chen Lin! I am rooting for you."


    It seems my teasing made my little sister even more embarrassed; she ended up shaking me with both hands. It felt nice to keep pretending like this, so I just let her be; she''d tire herself out eventually (as evidenced by her now letting go of me despite her characteristic pout). I also just let myself keep smiling like this.


    I then reached for the remote, my fingers brushing its surface as I searched for the power button and pressed it. The OLED screen on the wall flashed to life. I started looking around for channels that were interesting enough to follow. And I found one.


    <table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 90%; border-color: rgba(35, 111, 161, 1); border-style: double" border="1">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="width: 99.0252%; text-align: center">A New Development in Medical Science: The NeuroVerse System</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That bold sentence appeared when the newscaster''s voice echoed throughout the screen.


    "The NeuroVerse system combines virtual reality, neuroscience, and physical therapy. Truly marvelous advancements! And now, to delve deeper into this innovation, we have a special guest with us today." The camera panned to the side as the host continued, "Please welcome NeoGen''s Chief Scientist, Dr. Adrian Shaw!"


    The much-anticipated figure entered, composed and confident, sitting in the opposing chair. He was really a man whose age was difficult to pinpoint. His hair was ash brown, while his eyes were sharp and observant, lime-colored. He was dressed in a suit, and a glittering pin with the NeuroVerse symbol was displayed on his lapel.


    "Dr. Shaw, your work on the NeuroVerse system is revolutionary! Could you share what the future holds for this technology?"


    The addressee smiled at the newscaster. "We had a goal more than just an entertainment product. We aim higher; there is a clear roadmap we are following. Unfortunately, we are still far from that stage, and thus, revealing all our plans today might be premature. But I can tell you the NeuroVerse system is tied with the concept of Khasan."


    "Khasan? A term that represents one''s true nature?" Visibly interested, the newscaster leaned in. "How does it relate to the NeuroVerse system inside VR:Scanner?"


    "In our context, Khasan is about unlocking the potential. Our system allows individuals to explore their Khasan without the limitations of the physical world. We are talking about a deeper connection with our true selves, like paralyzed people who can recover. Because we, by nature, should be able to move."