Chapter 1

"Nice to meet you. I'm just a beginner with a bit of writing talent, but please treat me well."

"......Oh dear......"

Katsura Kaina was slumped by the window, trying to cool her overheated body. It wasn't because she had stayed in the bath too long. Rather, it was the result of deep thinking, prolonged contemplation, and a self-induced state of confusion that led to her overheating.

The landscape within her view was a clear blue sky dotted with white clouds, almost a perfect sunny day. Looking down, she saw a mountain range stretching endlessly, with a vast forest spreading from its base. Gradually lowering her gaze, she saw a dozen or so wooden houses lined up before her.

This scene, so tranquil and idyllic, yet not quite desolate, made her chuckle dryly to herself, feeling like a part of it all.

Her efforts to grasp her current situation and the root of her exhaustion traced back to this morning.

"Customer, it's morning~"

She opened her eyes slightly to the strong light that suddenly flooded in and the lisping call of a young voice. Above her, she could vaguely see a wooden ceiling with a grain pattern. Turning her gaze to the right, she saw a window with a sliding wooden shutter. To the left, a girl with a bright smile greeted her, her upper body peeking out from under the white sheets, saying, "Good morning~"

"Ah, ahfu... Good morning~?"

"Hehe, big sister, it's morning~"

Her response, mixed with a yawn, was met with a dazzling smile from the girl, which naturally woke her up. Stretching as if absorbing the morning sunlight, Kaina suddenly froze, looking down at herself. The girl standing by the bed tilted her head in curiosity.

"Morning sunlight... in a wooden room?"

Until yesterday, or rather, just a moment ago, she had been in a white-walled hospital room, a place she had grown accustomed to. The fact that she had woken up on her own, a feat she couldn't manage on her own, and had even stretched, left her in a daze.

The brief moment of shock lasted only a few seconds or minutes. Noticing the girl who had come to wake her looking at her with concern, Kaina sat up from her slightly slumped position.

"Are you okay, big sister?"

The girl, genuinely worried, had a hint of sadness in her black eyes. Kaina pondered how to reassure her, pushing her own concerns aside. She opened her item box and, grabbing a candy at random—its effect was to slightly restore MP—she held it out to the girl with a smile, just as she used to receive candies from the nurses when she was a child who cried a lot.

"Thank you, big sister!"

"You're welcome."

Leaving the bed, Kaina gently patted the girl's head, causing her to blush slightly and smile brightly. The girl, wearing a loose smock-like garment with an apron over it, tucked the candy into her apron pocket, stripped the sheets and blanket from Kaina's bed, folded them neatly, and carried them out of the room, not forgetting to say, "Come down for breakfast soon, okay?"

Immersed in the warm, cozy scene, Kaina suppressed her emotions with reason and reflected on her recent actions.

(......Opening the item box......?)

As soon as she became aware of it, a semi-transparent vertical window appeared at the right edge of her vision. It displayed 15 words at a time, and by manipulating the scroll bar in the upper right corner, a vast number of items flowed from bottom to top.

"This is... Could it be..."

She pinched her cheek.

...It hurt. Undoubtedly, it was real.

Recognizing this as reality through the classic method of distinguishing between dreams and reality, she opened the magic skill window next to the item window. Seeing "Dream Drop: Nightmare" highlighted, the blood drained from Kaina's face.

This place was the world of the online game she had been playing just moments ago. It was none other than Rialdeil itself.