[MDB Medical DeathBed]

Today, as always, Lee Ha-yan, who had been playing with Lee A-rang all day, looked at Lee A-rang.

Seeing Lee A-rang smiling contentedly while looking at her status, she almost stroked her head without realizing it.

Even though they had become friends, stroking someone’s head without permission was rude, so she lowered her hand again.

Even with the item buffs, Lee A-rang’s leveling speed with the near-endgame weapon was incredibly fast.

Even with Ha-yan, a healer, supporting her, Lee A-rang’s combat sense when attacking monsters was exceptionally outstanding.

At this rate, she could probably reach max level within three days.

Since LORE isn’t fundamentally an RPG where levels are crucial, reaching max level is easily achievable.

Tti! Tti!

A warning sound rang in Lee Ha-yan’s ears, and a warning message popped up.

It was because there wasn’t much time left to play today. Hearing the warning sound that goes off when there are 30 minutes left, Lee Ha-yan, who was about to tell Lee A-rang that she had to leave, closed her mouth.

‘Something’s weird…?’

Lee A-rang, standing there nonchalantly, tilted her head at Ha-yan.

“What’s wrong? Ah, is there not much playtime left today? Time sure flies.”

She had played for 15 hours and 30 minutes. Then how long has A-rang-i been playing the game?

Lee Ha-yan recalled what happened during lunch and dinner.

Humans basically can’t live without eating food. The same goes for water. The most important thing to be careful about while playing virtual reality games is malnutrition.

In the early days, when there were no restrictions, many people suffered from malnutrition when virtual reality games were released.

Because of that, when purchasing a connection device, mandatory education is required, and minors cannot purchase a connection device without a guardian.

It’s important to consistently eat while enjoying the virtual world using the connection device.

Today, they had a slightly late lunch and, consequently, a late dinner time.

Both yesterday and today, Lee Ha-yan logged out first during meal times. The strange thing was that A-rang-i was already logged in when she came back. And that was the same for dinner.

In other words, A-rang-i’s lunch and dinner times were shorter than Lee Ha-yan’s, which meant that her playtime was longer than hers.

‘But A-rang-i clearly said she logged in an hour earlier than the agreed time.’

Lee Ha-yan quickly calculated in her head.

She logged in at 10 AM, and it’s 3 PM now. Subtracting the lunch and dinner times, that leaves 30 minutes.

But A-rang-i said she logged in at 8 AM. Then how many hours has she been logged in right now?

She used less time than Ha-yan during lunch and dinner. Even if you calculate it generously, A-rang-i’s virtual world connection time is 18 hours now.

‘How is that possible…?’

The 16-hour limit on the connection device’s connection time is a mandatory rule. It can’t be changed even with illegal modifications.

‘But how is A-rang-i here in front of me right now…? Could she not be a human…?’

Lee Ha-yan stared at A-rang-i, who was blinking at her with bright, sparkling eyes. She was definitely too cute to be human.

But.

‘Is it possible to have an NPC with a status like a player who can manipulate the menu window?’

Absolutely not. She definitely exchanged emails with her in reality.

“Pinku Berry? Pinku Berry-iiii~?”

“Ah, yeah. I’ll log out first. We’re meeting at 9 tomorrow, right?”

“Yep, yep. See you in a bit~”

A-rang-i was about to head to the village with a light step.

“A-rang-a!”

“Huh?”

“Aren’t you going to sleep?”

“Ah~ I’m not sleepy yet! I’ll play a little more and then go to sleep!”

“Okay. Got it.”

Lee Ha-yan said she would log out first with the little time left and logged out.

There were 10 minutes left.

Lee Ha-yan didn’t prepare to sleep right away but sat in front of the computer. She doesn’t use the PC often now, but it’s still around because of the connection device’s usage time and various programs that can’t be used in the virtual world yet.

Lee Ha-yan sat in front of that PC and immediately went to Doodle to search for information about the connection device’s connection time.

As expected, there was nothing. No matter how much she searched, there was no connection device that exceeded 16 hours.

“Keueung. But I saw it… A-rang-i connecting for more than 16 hours…”

It wasn’t just watching a video; she saw it with her own two eyes. And she was with her. No matter how much she calculated and calculated, A-rang-i’s connection time exceeded 16 hours.

It definitely exists.

A connection device that allows you to be in the virtual world for more than 16 hours.

But there was nothing on the internet. As that meaningless time passed, she suddenly remembered something.

“A-rang-i isn’t connecting to the virtual world with a connection device…!”

Something popped into her head!

“No, what am I saying…? I’m just spouting nonsense because it’s late.”

The only way to enter the virtual world is through a connection device. But entering the virtual world with something other than a connection device is absurd.

“Wait, but A-rang-i playing for more than 16 hours is also absurd.”

She quickly deleted the connection device from the search bar and searched for information about the virtual world.

She didn’t even search this hard for her thesis assignment in college. While she was searching continuously, she found a paper related to the virtual world in a completely different place.

“Why is there something about the virtual world in a medical paper?”

Lee Ha-yan immediately bought the paper for a hefty sum. It was quite an expensive paper, but she bought it as if she was possessed by the very different combination of the two.

Reading the medical paper in English, she found the hint she had been looking for.

It was a story about using a connection device to give a comfortable death to people who were dying, suffering from terrible pain that prevented them from maintaining a normal mental state, and who couldn’t even take drugs.

The connection device is basically a choker type that blocks signals from the spine in the neck and enters the connection device, which is the principle of moving in the virtual world.

Because of that, they couldn’t feel the pain in their bodies, and there were reports that the patients maintained their mental state. Starting with this, the medical community collaborated with the connection device company to create a special connection device solely for medical purposes.

[MDB Medical DeathBed]

It was a device with a separate official name, not called a connection device like the connection devices everyone uses now.

But the name of the device was a bit strange.

Medical Deathbed.

It was a name that didn’t fit with a connection device.

“MDB was made in collaboration with the connection device company Marsble to give rest to patients nearing death who can’t even take drugs… and it was made without a connection time limit…?”

Lee Ha-yan immediately started looking for whether MDB existed in Korea. That information could be found in the connection device company Marsble’s annual report.

“Seoul Asan Hospital…? It really exists in Korea? And there’s only one? No way…”

==

After sleeping soundly, I was about to operate from the bed I prepared myself to play LORE again today, when someone knocked on the hospital room door.

Ah, right. Now that I think about it, today was the day for my checkup. I sent Pinku Berry a message saying I would log in late today.

I’m getting regular checkups because they don’t know when my illness will relapse after I came to my senses.

It’s frustrating that I’m the only one who knows that my body is healthier than anyone else, even though I don’t have arms and legs, and that I have transcendent senses beyond just being healthy.

Even if I tell them not to worry and that I’m healthy, no one believes me.

When I said I wouldn’t get the checkup, my parents and Anna were about to cry, so I said I would get the checkup regularly.

I turned on the TV in my virtual room.

The inside of the hospital room was shown on the huge screen that was possible because it was a virtual world.

I saw the deathbed machine that was the size of a refrigerator and myself lying on the bed connected to that deathbed machine.

It’s a fascinating sight no matter how many times I see it. The virtual world is really the best.

Anyway, I really look pitiful when I see myself lying in the deathbed machine.

Is it because I don’t have arms and legs?

I raised both arms and made fists with both hands, or moved my toes. They move well.

They don’t just move well; they move much more freely, smoothly, and quickly than my old body.

Of course, it’s uncomfortable and difficult when I leave this virtual world, but I have a big and beautiful deathbed machine anyway.

Medical technology provides perfect nutrients, and there are no unnecessary excretions, so there’s no need to leave this place.

In other words, I don’t have any reason to be uncomfortable or sad even if I don’t have arms and legs.

Because I have this virtual world! Keueu~

[A-rang-yang. Did you sleep well?]

The beautiful voice of the doctor in a pure white doctor’s gown comes through the deathbed machine.

Anyway, does this hospital pick people based on their looks? I thought she was a celebrity when I first saw her.

Due to my parents’ influence, a very talented female doctor in Korea is managing me. The scary thing is that my attending physician isn’t just that one doctor.

How rich do you have to be to make this possible? Well, they gave me 100 million won as allowance and even got me a deathbed machine that only exists five in the world. Wow, my family is the best.

“Yes. I slept well.”

[Are there any inconveniences in using the device?]

“No.”

[Then, you have an MRI and a bath scheduled for today, so you’ll have to come out for a bit. Is that okay?]

Eueueum, that’s a bit uncomfortable, but for my parents who are spending money for me, I nodded and said.

“Yes. I’m ready.”

[Then, excuse me.]

My eyes were dyed black, and then the pure white ceiling of the hospital room came into view.

I tried to stretch after feeling like I woke up after a long time,

Ah, right, I don’t have arms and legs?

I forgot because I was in the virtual world for two days. I want to play LORE soon.