I yawn loudly as I sit under the awning shielding me from the snow. Man, I’ve been sitting here for hours and we're only here for an interview with several new restaurants opening in a neighborhood right next to my school. When Mom said she needed help on a "big scoop", this isn't what I had in mind... I’d been expecting to carry some big equipment like cameras, but I never thought I would take photos of the restaurant's interiors and menus.

  Still, this is a nice break and all. This is winter break and I can't spend the whole vacation playing in a VRMMO every day. If I really want to start working for my future, I might as well learn more about Mom's occupation. There are a lot of choices before I graduate next year, but I must remember that I can't rush through them immediately. I still have a few months of my teenage life ahead of me. I might as well enjoy this boring job of picturing food...

  "Oh, didn't see you again here, Windy."

  I scream the moment I hear a voice and a hand touching my shoulder. With my flight-or-fight reaction triggered in full force, I quickly raised my camera without thinking about my would-be attacker...

  "Hey, hey, hey! That's not how you greet a fellow [Isekai] player!"

  [Isekai]? That word is enough to snap me out of my shock. The moment I put down the camera, I saw that it was only Zane White, the very same guy who appeared in front of us like Batman. Only this time, he's carrying a cup of coffee in his hand with a casual smile just like the last time we met.

  "Geez... Just when I thought I wanted to buy another cup when I saw you here." Zane sighs. "Maybe I think I caught you in a bad time..."

  Seriously?! I'm just about to ask him the same question! I feel like he's starting to become an annoying NPC who does nothing but ruin my peaceful day. But it's too soon since this is our second meeting, so I'll save that judgment after this.

  "Doubtful. I'm only here to help out on my mother's work," I answer. "But why are you here? I thought you were in the game training your [Familiars] for a tournament or something."

  "The very same reason as you, but not in a work-related sense." Zane takes a quick sip and lets out a sigh. "I just came back bringing lunch to my Dad."

  I raise my eyebrow. "And your Dad..." I quickly stop with a sigh on my own. "You know what? I rather not pry into your privacy a bit further. Besides, I thought you're the type to train all day for a big event in the game."

  Zane then chuckles and says, "True. But I rather not overstress myself with farming and grinding every day. Exploring a new world created in virtual reality for a long period of time can take a lot of my mental health and touching grass in real life is a good way to break the monotony and stress coming from the game."

  I'm still iffy about him, but he does have a point. I took up Mom's offer just so I could take a break from the game for a while during winter break. Sure, it has kinda messed up my schedule with Kazuki in the game and I could have said no to her. However, I want to try opening my horizons a bit and I’ve already decided to see how Mom works as a journalist. I would go over the thought of taking breaks from the game, but I think I'm straying off-topic here.

  "Really? Well, if you're looking for my brother, he's back at home, probably playing [Isekai] by himself," I informed him.

  "By himself? So he already went past the "minor" phase, huh?"

  "Minor" phase? That sounds a bit disturbing when I take it out of context. "Whatever it is you're planning, I suggest you give it up. The more we meet like this, the more you give you red flags."

  Zane sighs after taking another sip. "Seriously? You're really overly cautious just like in the rumors. I get that you're brothers in real life, too. But why don't you lighten up a bit? You're looking a bit scary with that face."

  I huff in offense. "What do you want anyway? If you're not looking for my brother, then why did you approach me? I already keep your warning in mind regarding our [Familiars]."

  "Okay, okay... I get it. I don't want to be a jukebox in repeat," Zane puts up his hands defensively. "But I am curious how you still keep a level-headed mind after several sessions in [Isekai]."

  I raise my eyebrow, confused at what the hell is he saying. "What are you on about? I barely know you and you are already judging me from our first meeting."

  "Yeah, you got me. But I'm serious about you. Most of the players I met are too focused on the gameplay. Leveling up to get stronger, farm materials and loot dungeons so they can get stronger weapons, and fighting other players to see who is the strongest... That's something you see in an action-fantasy webtoon online. You and your brother, on the other hand, are not like them. You craft items not just for improvement, but also for fun. Always talking about real-life stuff whenever I see you two in town... You treated the game like a second home than a real video game."

  "Is that...bad?" I ask cautiously.

  "Not exactly. Only a few players have treated [Isekai] as a community space lately. While the point of leveling up and becoming the strongest to overcome obstacles in the game is very true, they’ve forgotten why MMOs were made in the first place."

  I tilt my head, still confused at what he's trying to say. "I thought MMOs were only glorified versions of a multiplayer video game. You know, with playing other players, except you're playing online instead of playing on the same TV."

  "True, but that's not what I mean," Zane corrects me. "I mean, before the advent of social media decades ago, MMOs were a few places you could jump into the game and hang out with your real-life friends online. Whether you're partying together or just having a chat in town, all you can do is simply type in your keyboard, open up your microphone, and just be with your friends in an online world. Heck, not all retro MMO games I know from my parents don't involve RPG mechanics and fighting bosses. Just search online and you'd be surprised at the number you can find."

  Huh... I’ve never thought of that before. Kazuki did invite me into [Isekai] all for the sole purpose of playing with him after school. With my graduation looming in a few months, I could guess the reason behind his invitation and insistence to play with him as his [Guardian Player]. But now that Zane mentions it, I realize that not only am I hanging out with Kazuki and my friends a bit longer than in real life, but I’ve gotten to meet new people and know them behind their avatars. There were safety concerns initially, but I cautiously got through the downs and saw the ups of interacting with other players. And that's saying someone who rarely interacts with people outside of my circle.

  "Are you saying that I'm only treating this game as a social media or forum?"

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  Zane sighs. "Sort of. Either way, your gaming style is very unique to you and your brother. Becoming stronger is great if you want to explore other areas in , but you shouldn't forget the bonds you forged during your adventures, both with the players and NPCs. If you do, you might open up to new avenues in your journey."

  "Hayate! The food is ready! I need you to take photos before we have lunch!"

  And Mom is calling out to me. I was wondering when she will need me for her job right now.

  "I guess I shouldn't hold you up any longer." Zane raises his other hand to me. "The next time we meet, it will be in . Tell your brother I said hi again."

  I huff but accept his handshake. "Likewise."

  With that, Zane leaves the café with the cup still in his hand. I still don't know what the hell he is thinking. But I appreciate his enlightening insight into the game. It's not much to change my viewpoint a lot, but I can rethink my approach when it comes to interacting with other players and NPCs in the near future. I should also share this to

  In the meantime, I can hear my stomach rumbling right now. I stretch out my arms as I enter the Moonlight Star Cafe to resume my temporary job and get lunch afterward.

  Phew... I’ve managed to finish all of the tests and the related [Quest]. I have to admit, it's a bit harder than the one in . But at least I’d managed to read the lore and setting of the game in the official wikis enough to pass all of the questions. Still... The librarian here is much meaner than the last one...

  Anyways...

  Now that I have the [Library Card] for this branch, I'm free to read some books available in . I do want to read more on magic if I want to gain an edge on the upcoming exam. Last time I first went to a library, I was briefly interrupted by an invitation disguised as a locked book by a [Sign Sage]. It didn't distract me that much, but I feel like I took too much time away from taking notes from my initial goal that time. This time, I pray that nothing similar will happen to me again once I study through these books.

  First off, I check out the "Magic" section of the library sitting at the back of it. Thanks to a magical ladder nearby, I gather a lot of books even located at the top which I couldn't reach with my two feet alone. However, I’m a bit picky about which book I should choose considering the time limit I was given.

  One of them is the [Guidance of Mana Control]. I recall that Azel had that book when we first met, but I doubt I have any use for it. Still, I might as well read it to see if I can find something useful from it. Another is the [Mana, Mana, All Around Us]. It sounds like a children's book and from just skimming through it, it seems like was written for younger mages than me. Probably not a book I should read for my own sake. There is also [The Relations Between Mana Circuits and Signs]. It seems like it focuses mostly on [Signs]. I'm curious to read it, but I'll do it later once I'm done studying for the exam.

  Other than those three, I think I should spend the whole in-game day reading all of...

  Huh?

  Just as I get down, I notice a book sitting on the empty part of the bookshelf. The cover has a gray sheen with a gold frame around the edges and there doesn't seem to be any words written on it. It looks a bit scary, but I slowly grab it out of curiosity.

  So this is also a [Key Item], huh? But unlike the one the sage gave me before, it doesn't seem to recognize what kind of book it is. I can try reading it as the description suggested, but I fear something will happen if I open it without knowing what will happen to my character afterward. On the bright side, this one doesn't require me to hide it from the public. So maybe the librarian has some ideas...

  So I slide down the ladder and walk up to her once more to ask about the mysterious book.

  [Huh... Didn't expect you to find this book in all places...] The librarian says. [Normally, any sane guy would put it back just to avoid glares and hostility.]

  "Hostility"? That's not something you would describe in a book without a reason.

  "Are you saying the book is cursed?" I sheepishly ask.

  [No. But the subject in it is. It's a memoir of a former patient who almost succumbed to [Mana Corruption].]

  [Mana Corruption]... Now why does that name sound familiar... Maybe I need to press that topic further.

  "I'm a bit confused. To tell you the truth, I'm new in and I don't know much about the current events here, I think."

  [Then consider yourself lucky. It's considered as the worst outbreak the kingdom has ever seen,] the librarian calmly explains. [Many who had high [Mana Reserves] in their bodies fell from the disease and some became monsters that had to be put down for everyone's safety. If you're curious about the context, then I doubt I'm the person who can give you.]

  My eyes widen at this revelation. People can turn into monsters from this so-called [Mana Corruption]?! I didn't know there was such a disease that exists in this fantasy world! In fact, this might be important for our main quest to find the culprit behind Bai Hu's home's near-corruption. I still need to study for the exam, but this is too good to pass up.

  "If that's the case, is it okay for me to read this book and take notes of it?"

  The librarian shrugs. [Hey, it's your funeral, kid. But the moment you learn the truth, you might end up one of the people who might become another instigator or another victim. Just saying...]

  I pout at her response. She really isn't empathetic when it comes to these kinds of books, does she? Either way, I decided to take the book just as its description finally updates itself.

  This is a bit unexpected on my part. But I think I’ve got everything I need for an impromptu study sesh. Might as well get started before the librarian thinks I'm goofing off afterward.

  Christine Luu for supporting me on Patreon! Of course, a new advanced chapter has been released alongside with this!