Waking up felt less like rising from a slumber and more like a hard reboot after a system crash.
Rin opened his eyes, expecting the blinding white light of the server room or the darkness of a coma, but instead he saw a ceiling made of matte black stone pulsating with faint gold circuitry lines.
He groaned, trying to sit up, but his body felt heavy, not tired-heavy but gravity-heavy, like the physics engine was still deciding how much he should weigh.
"Easy," Joy's voice came from his left. "You've been out for twelve hours, which is honestly a record for you."
Rin blinked, focusing. He was lying on a cot in what looked like a converted barracks room inside the Castle. The air smelled clean, sterile, recycled.
"Status," Rin croaked.
[System Interface: Version 2.0]
[User: Administrator (Probationary)]
[HP: 45%]
[Mana: 10% (Regenerating)]
[Current Location: The Fortress of Zero (Player Base)]
"Player Base?" Rin muttered, rubbing his temples. "I own the castle?"
