Back in his own little nest, he shut the door and sealed away the clamor of the outside world.
He let out a long breath. At last, he could begin his adventure.
On the TV screen, the pixel hero set out on his journey once more.
He threw himself into the game with total focus, exploring the vast wilderness beyond Tantegel Castle and pressing south toward unknown regions.
New monsters appeared: "Hammerhoods," stronger than Slimes, and "Dragons" that breathed fire.
The experience points and gold that came with every victory gave him a pure sense of satisfaction.
He calculated how much experience he still needed for the next level, and planned how much money he had to save to buy a new weapon.
The immersion and urge to explore that the game brought let him temporarily wave goodbye to the fatigue of a week's work, as well as that slightly eerie scene downstairs just now.
However, just as he was controlling the hero to carefully avoid a powerful "Armored Knight," from next door—Mrs. Sato's place—there faintly came a blurred tune that seemed to be the game's opening music.
Though it came in fits and starts, mixed with Mrs. Sato's somewhat clumsy explanations.
Tanaka's hand trembled, and he nearly made the hero run straight into the monster.
A subtle, indescribable feeling rose in his heart.
The game he had skipped work to buy—how had it somehow become the neighborhood's new social topic?
He could even imagine Mrs. Sato holding the controller, enthusiastically showing a bewildered Mrs. Kawai how to "attack" a Slime.
By Sunday afternoon, the carbonated drinks in the fridge had run out.
Tanaka Kenichi had no choice but to pause his adventure and go out to "resupply" at the vending machine downstairs from the apartment building.
He had just