"Young Miss, you shouldn't be doing this..." the Head Butler of the White Mansion whispered into Carita's ear as they stood together in the guest room, facing the bed.
But they weren't alone. Lying on the bed was a bandaged figure, being attended to by a female doctor—the White family's personal physician. Carita, of course, was the Young Miss of the White family.
She had brought Malik to the White Mansion herself and immediately summoned the family doctor to tend to him. The Head Butler thought her actions outrageous—far too bold for the sake of a stranger—but she merely shrugged her shoulders. She didn't have to explain herself. Not to anyone.
"Miss Carita, I think I'm done here," the doctor said as she began packing up her things. Carita arched a brow.
"You think?"
"Yes. Your friend's wounds are superficial. No serious injury was sustained."
"If that's so… then why is he still unconscious?" The Head Butler couldn't help but butt in.
"That..." The doctor paused, adjusting her glasses. "When I ran a scan through his body, I discovered he hasn't eaten anything for the past few days—not even water. He's also undergone considerable stress recently, which led to his total exhaustion. The beating he received only sped up the process. Passing out wasn't because of the attack…"
"It's hunger," both the doctor and the Head Butler concluded at the same time, causing Carita's eyes to light up.
"Abdulmalik was acting strange in class today... But why hasn't he eaten in days? Wait—is this the Ramadan period?" she wondered aloud, deducing the possibility.
The doctor shook her head. "No… It isn't. Ramadan was at the start of the year. Your friend hasn't even had water for five days. So I think you know what to do."
As the doctor left, Carita turned to the Head Butler, who gave her a respectful nod. No words were exchanged—he knew exactly what needed to be done.
Within a minute, Carita was left alone with her so-called friend, unconscious on the bed.
"Why won't you eat or drink water for five whole days?" she murmured, stepping forward and resting her knee against the edge of the bed.
"Wait… five days. Isn't that around the time the Shadow Guild announced his account had been crippled? That he'd been reset to Level 0 for courting the Guild Leader's woman?"
Her eyes widened as she quickly pulled out her phone and started scouring the internet forums.
"Yes… It was during that exact period. At Level 0… he'd have been forced back to the beginner's town—Green Leaf Town. Did he log out and just wallow at home all this while? But that still doesn't explain why he didn't even drink water. And he hasn't shown up to classes these past few days… Was he avoiding the Shadow Guild? But then why did he appear today—looking like that? Deep eyes, messy hair…"
"There's only one possibility… He must've been in God's Realm all this time." Her eyes sparkled as the hypothesis began to take shape. Still surfing, she stumbled across the latest headlines.
Today's Headline:
A Dungeon has opened up in Green Leaf Town.
This Dungeon was caused by the destruction of the Feral Cave.
Green Leaf Town is now packed to capacity.
Every player wants to conquer this Feral Dungeon.
Guilds are deploying their members.
Individuals are forming parties.
Carita's gaze shifted from her phone to the still silhouette on the bed. Why do I feel this way? Why do I feel like he's involved in all this?
She walked to the other side of the bed and bent slightly, their faces just inches apart. Her eyes studied his—flawless, without a single blemish.
"Who are you?" she whispered.
And in that moment, his eyes snapped open.
"..."
"Eeh…"
"Haa!" Carita screamed and stumbled backwards. Just then, the maids entered in an orderly line, trays of food in hand.
The moment the aroma hit Malik's nostrils, his body rose on instinct. His mind blank, his vision locked onto one thing—food.
"Place the food on the bed," the Head Butler ordered, and a maid obeyed.
It was as if Malik had been waiting for it. He grabbed a plate immediately and, without a second's thought for cutlery or manners, began devouring the meal.
The Head Butler, Carita, and even the maids stared in disbelief at the sheer speed and intensity of his eating.
In less than five minutes, ten trays had already been emptied, and Malik was down to the last one—eating slowly now, as if trying to make it last.
Then, a soft voice floated into his ears. "Do you want more?"
"Is there more?" His eyes lit up—only to dim again when he realized the trays were empty. The food was gone. In his daze, he hadn't even seen the maids, let alone Carita or the Head Butler.
To Malik, he was still in a dream.
"You heard him… bring more."
In less than three minutes, another round of food appeared before him. This time, he ate everything with a calm yet joyous intensity, finishing off with several bottles of water.
After downing the twelfth bottle, Malik let out a loud belch and collapsed back onto the bed, drifting once again into deep sleep.
Carita was still stunned. Everything had happened so fast… too fast for her to process.
"The doctor was wrong. Your friend might not have eaten in months," the Head Butler remarked. Carita didn't argue. She had never seen anything like it. His appetite… it wasn't normal.
"No... There must be something I'm missing," Carita muttered to herself, turning and heading out of the room, leaving the rest in her butler's capable hands.
She needed answers. But where could she get them without asking him directly?
As soon as her thoughts drifted to him again, his flawless face flashed in her mind. His eyes… staring into hers. Her cheeks warmed, and goosebumps trailed her skin.
"What… What's happening to me?"