Chapter 16: Back to Reality

Joshua woke up with a start, gasping as if he had just surfaced from drowning.

A sharp throb pulsed in his skull, radiating outward like a jackhammer drilling through concrete.

"Goddamn, my head hurts like fuck."

It was unlike any pain he had ever experienced before—like a hangover from hell, except instead of just his head, his entire body ached as if he had been run over by a truck, revived, and run over again for good measure.

His eyeballs throbbed, feeling as if they were about to pop right out of their sockets.

Groaning, he rubbed his temples, forcing himself to focus.

Then it hit him.

"Wait a minute… why am I back?"

He blinked.

He wasn't in Maydee's room anymore.

He wasn't in the library.

He wasn't even inside the game anymore.

He was… in his apartment.

Joshua sat up, his heart pounding as his gaze darted around the room. His bed, his desk, the familiar clutter of empty ramen cups and energy drink cans—it was all exactly as he had left it.

Confused, he reached for his phone and checked the time.

12:30 PM.

But he had only been in the game for… three hours, at most.

"What the hell?"

Had he been forcefully logged out again?

His thoughts raced as he swung his legs over the bed and stood up, his body screaming in protest from the lingering soreness.

His stomach rumbled violently, a deep, aching hunger gnawing at his insides.

"Shit… feels like I haven't eaten in days."

Ignoring the discomfort, he stumbled toward the bathroom, desperate for some relief.

The hot water cascaded over him, soothing his aching muscles as he braced himself against the shower wall.

For a moment, he simply stood there, letting the steam rise around him, his mind drifting back to what had just happened.

"I formed a core. I awakened my energy lines. My body went through some kind of transformation."

"Then… I was suddenly back here?"

His fingers traced his chest, expecting to feel something different—a scar, a mark, anything—but there was nothing.

His body looked the same.

And yet…

Something felt off.

Joshua closed his eyes, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

Or rather—

Heartbeats.

His eyes snapped open, his body going rigid.

"No fucking way."

He pressed a hand to his chest, feeling for it again.

One steady, powerful rhythm…

And then another.

A second beat. Slightly off sync.

His mind reeled.

"Am I tripping? Did I seriously just develop a second heart?!"

Panic clawed at his throat.

His first instinct was denial—maybe it was a trick of his imagination, a side effect of overexertion in the game.

But no.

It was real.

"Okay… okay. Deep breaths, Joshua."

His fingers clenched into fists.

If this was happening to him…

Did it happen to other players too?

His thoughts swirled, but he had no answers.

One thing was certain—he needed to get checked out.

Joshua grabbed his phone and scrolled through his contacts, quickly finding the name Vaughn Solis—one of his old college buddies, now a doctor.

He hit call.

Ring… ring…

"Yo, what's up, nerd?" came Vaughn's lazy drawl.

Joshua sighed. "I swear, man, if you call me that one more time, I'm sending you a virus that'll replace all your browser bookmarks with anime waifu wallpapers."

Vaughn snorted. "Joke's on you, I already have those."

Joshua groaned. "Why am I not surprised?"

Vaughn laughed. "Anyway, what's up? You finally decided to stop being a hermit and get some sunlight?"

"More like I need a full-body scan."

There was a pause. "Wait… what? You sick?"

Joshua hesitated. "Not exactly, but something weird is going on with my body, and I need you to check it out."

Vaughn hummed thoughtfully. "Hmm. Weird, you say? Did you finally hit puberty? Got some chest hair growing in?"

Joshua deadpanned. "Yeah, yeah, hilarious. You free today or what?"

Vaughn chuckled. "Lemme check my schedule… okay, yeah, I got time. My clinic's on 2nd Avenue, come in at 3 PM. I'll run some tests, see if you're turning into a werewolf or something."

Joshua rolled his eyes. "Thanks, man. I owe you one."

"Nah, if it weren't for you tutoring me back then, I wouldn't even be a doctor. So consider this payback."

Joshua smirked. "Yeah, yeah. See you at 3."

"Try not to grow a tail before then, alright?" Vaughn quipped before hanging up.

Joshua sighed, tossing his phone onto the bed.

"Alright… one problem at a time."

He got dressed, pulled up his bank app, and checked his balance.

$90,400.

Joshua leaned back, exhaling.

"Still good… screw it. Let's pig out today."

His body felt drained, like he had burned an insane amount of calories in just a few hours.

The best way to fix that? Buffet.

A cheap, greasy, all-you-can-eat buffet.

He grabbed his jacket and headed out, making his way to the bus station.

As the bus rumbled through the city streets, Joshua stared out the window, his mind still racing.

Every few minutes, he could feel it—

That extra heartbeat.

A constant reminder that something inside him had changed.

His fingers tapped against his chest absentmindedly.

"Am I the only one? Or are there others?"

If this was happening to him…

Was it happening to every player of Wrath?

He had too many questions, and no answers.

But right now, there was only one thing he could do—

Eat like a goddamn king before heading to Vaughn's clinic.

Joshua got off at his stop, taking a deep breath as he spotted the neon sign of his favorite buffet joint a block away.

The place was small, a bit run-down, but the food? Unbeatable for the price.

His stomach growled loudly, almost violently.

Joshua chuckled, shaking his head.

"Alright, alright, I get it. Time to feast."

He stepped inside, ready to devour enough food to feed a village before his doctor's appointment of a lifetime.