Astral Online: Cursed by the Demon Lord to Become the Strongest Beautiful Girl, I Rapidly Grow and Dominate with Cheat Skills Despite Being the Weakest Profession - Chapter 85
Chapter 85: Understanding
There is a famous proverb that says, “Truth is stranger than fiction.”
It means that real events happening in the world are often stranger than those written in novels of imagination. This expression comes from a line in the work of a British poet.
That phrase perfectly describes the current situation.
I, who was once a black-haired high school boy, have now become a silver-haired, blue-eyed Russian girl due to a curse from a game.
Is it really possible that my cousin looks exactly like my current self? Such a miracle seems unbelievable.
If I calmly think about it, the game ?Astral Online? doesn’t even offer silver or white hair as a color choice when creating characters.
That’s why it’s impossible for Kurono, who used a black-haired, black-eyed character, could have imagined herself as a Nordic-style silver-haired girl.
However, looking back, there were hints.
The first time I met her father, Hart, he mistook me for Kurono for just a brief moment.
At the time, I didn’t understand why, but now I realize he made that mistake because his daughter is also a silver-haired, blue-eyed girl.
As I reach this understanding, I pick up the glass of barley tea I had prepared, tilt it, and take a sip.
“Phew…”
I’m so overwhelmed that my mind is in far greater chaos than during the Leviathan battle, with all kinds of emotions swirling around.
To top it all off, Shino hits me with the final blow, saying, “So, you were affected by the curse after all,” showing she understood my current state.
Hearing those completely unexpected words, the tension inside me burst, leaving my emotions a jumble of shock and joy.
On top of that, Kurono also accepted me, saying, “I like you, no matter what you look like.”
I don’t even know what kind of face I should be making anymore, and I end up with a twisted expression, trying to hold back my tears.
Sitting on the sofa, I glance at Shiori next to me.
Then, across the table, I look at Kurono Takanashi and Shino Tsukinomiya sitting across from me.
Shino has become more mature than she was five years ago, carrying herself with a composed demeanor.
To put it in words, she feels like a cool, capable older sister type.
Meanwhile, the silver-haired, blue-eyed girl sitting next to me, unlike me who sticks to wearing boys’ clothes, is dressed properly in girls’ attire.
Her black shirt dress accentuates her long silver hair, making it stand out even more.
Even though she hides her face with a straw hat, the way she shyly glances over at me now and then gives off a small animal-like vibe, making anyone feel the urge to protect her.
She’s entirely different from me, who still has the mind of a boy.
She’s literally like a beautiful girl straight out of a story.
Honestly, isn’t she just too cute?
While I’m thinking that to myself, Shino takes charge of the situation and suggests we start with introductions.
Shino knows everyone here in real life, but for me, my sister, and Kurono, it’s our first time meeting.
Shiori starts with a dignified introduction, followed by Kurono, who introduces herself timidly before immediately hiding her face behind her straw hat.
Lastly, I awkwardly introduce myself, saying something nonsensical like, “I’ve turned into a girl because of the Demon Lord’s curse, but I’m actually a boy,” and then sit back on the sofa.
At that moment, Shino lets out a sigh and looks straight at me.
“I had a feeling this might happen when I heard that the members of the ?Guardian? Organization said if you log out with a curse or any other negative status, it gets reflected in real life. To be honest, I was really hoping my bad feeling wouldn’t come true…”
She closed her eyes and leaned back against the sofa.
Her words carried genuine concern for me.
“Honestly, you idiot.”
She smiled softly and gently scolded her foolish disciple.
“If I hadn’t moved here, you would have kept it hidden from us, wouldn’t you?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“You’ve always had the bad habit of trying to handle everything by yourself without relying on those around you. I bet you haven’t even told your parents or close friends about your situation.”
She truly understands me.
With a silent nod, I had no words to counter her sharp observation.
“Yes, you’re absolutely right…”
“I’ll contact them later on your behalf. Of course, I’ll mention that I’ll be by your side to protect you, so there’s no need for them to panic and cause any accidents.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“Once summer break is over, you’ll have to face them whether you like it or not. As for your close friends, you need to tell them yourself by the end of this month. Got it?”
As always, Sora thought, she has a way of handling things smoothly.
She takes on the most troublesome parts, but when it comes to the things I need to do myself, she doesn’t force me. Instead, she presents the facts in a way that makes me confront them on my own.
Sora nodded deeply and looked straight at Shino.
“…Understood. I’ll make sure to tell Shinji and Shiro about my condition myself.”
“Yes, that’s my disciple.”
She stood up, slowly approached, and gently patted Sora’s head.
It made me think, nothing has changed since the old days.
Whenever I made a mistake and felt down, she always seriously listened to me, and in the end, she’d always pat my head like this.
Holding back the tears that were about to spill, Sora accepted the warmth of his strict yet kind Master’s hand.
After a while, I calmed down and took a deep breath.
Looking over at Shino standing beside me and Kurono, who was still hiding her face under the straw hat, I turned my gaze toward them.
“There’s something I need to talk to both you and Kurono about.”
I began to speak and told them about what had happened yesterday.
I had undergone a medical examination at the hospital, but no abnormalities were found in my body.
It seems my body is functioning normally as a female, and it’s not some advanced illusion where only the skin appears female.
Then, I met a self-proclaimed god, El Aurum, and managed to get the conditions needed to save Hart and the other “beta testers” trapped in ?Astral Online?.
After hearing everything, Shino had a serious expression, and Kurono looked like she was on the verge of tears, knowing we had found a way to save her father and mother.
“Sora, thank you…”
“Kurono, we don’t know for sure yet if we can save them. Save your thanks after we rescue Hart and clear ?Astral Online?.”
“Mm… but if there’s even a chance we can save my dad and mom…”
That alone was enough for her.
If she tried to put it into words, she wouldn’t be able to hold it in anymore, and Kurono’s tears began to flow uncontrollably.
A crying beautiful girl—could anything look more picturesque?
But rather than seeing her cry, I wanted Kurono to smile.
Without saying a word, I stood up, walked over to Kurono, and gently patted her head, just like Shino had done for me earlier.
Kurono clung to my waist, burying her tear-streaked face into me.
As I gently embraced her, Shino, who had somehow moved right beside us, spoke.
“It’s no wonder Kurono is crying. For the past six months, we hadn’t found any clues. And then, in the span of a single week, she was able to meet her father, and on top of that, we found a way to save him. This could only be described as a miracle.”
“Of course, I’m not going to let my big brother hog all the glory. Let’s work together and clear this so-called god’s conditions,” Shiori said, smiling as she stood behind Kurono and placed her hands on her shoulders.
Shino nodded deeply in agreement.
“It’s not just the four of us here. Let’s also tell the members of the ?Valkyries? who came to Japan with us, and tackle this challenge with the best of the best.”
“If Master’s team is joining us, we’ll be unstoppable!”
The ?Valkyries?, a team of pro gamers, had handled two Leviathan Generals during the Leviathan battle, separate from the group led by Glen. Having them on our side was incredibly reassuring.
I exchanged glances with Shino and Shiori and nodded.
Now, our course of action was clear.
We would progress through ?Astral Online? and rescue the “beta testers” trapped in that world.
And then, we would defeat the Demon Lord and reclaim everything.
With that decision made, we began discussing our future actions and how to move forward.