Ryan's indomitable spirit surged up again. The more the game tried to kill him, the more determined he was to thwart it.
Ryan was acutely aware that if he could return to reality, he could change his family's fate. Naturally, he was not willing to die here.
With gritted teeth, Ryan thought of his parents, both in their early forties, already with gray hair. This thought ignited an unprecedented will to survive within him.
The thought of how devastated his parents would be if he died here sent a shiver down his spine.
They had already been worn down by life's hardships; if they experienced the pain of losing a child, Ryan feared they might not be able to endure it.
In this moment, his will to live was not just for himself but also for his parents.
Ryan gathered his strength, threw off the blanket, and struggled to get out of bed. He staggered toward the supply room.
This villa had more supplies than the one on the mountaintop, and it also had a fair amount of medicine.
Ryan didn't bother to check the functions of each drug; he just rummaged through the shelves and filled a cardboard box with various medications.
He was so casual because he didn't think he would need all these drugs.
But at this point, his energy was completely drained, and he could barely walk without holding onto the wall.
His body was alternating between chills and fever, making his mind sluggish. He couldn't remember where he had put the cardboard box of medicine.
Ryan decided not to think about it and started searching room by room.
It felt like an eternity had passed.
He had no idea how much time had gone by when he finally found the medicine box. By then, he was completely exhausted and collapsed onto the floor.
But he knew he couldn't rest or sleep; if he did, he might not wake up again.
He dragged the medicine box to his feet and started examining each pack of medicine one by one.
He discarded any that didn't seem relevant.
After going through the entire box, he finally found a few that might help: a box of anti-inflammatory drugs, one for cold and fever, and another for detoxifying heat. He didn't have time to be picky; he just took them all according to the dosage instructions. He found a bottle of mineral water in the room and swallowed all the pills.
After taking the medicine, Ryan felt his body give out completely. He got up and collapsed onto the bed in the room.
Before he fell into a deep sleep, he made sure to cover himself with a blanket.
Even though he was fast asleep, Ryan kept dreaming.
Sometimes he dreamed that he died in this game world, other times that the white wolf had bitten his throat.
Then he would dream of Monica Baker, the woman he had a crush on at the company, walking by with her boyfriend, acting all lovey-dovey in front of him.
Next, he would inexplicably dream of Aileen Jones, his cold and distant female boss, suddenly becoming passionately affectionate toward him.
Their relationship escalated unnaturally, skipping countless steps and hurtling straight into bed. The dream quickly turned carnal.
Ryan's sleep became a feverish odyssey through fractured dreams, clawing futilely toward wakefulness that always slipped away.
He realized he was stuck in the dreamscape. If he didn't wake soon, he might never return. Panicking, he scrambled for an exit.
"I can't die; no one can make me die!"
A primal will to survive surged through him.
Suddenly, an idea struck. He clenched his teeth and bit down hard on his tongue.
A piercing pain came over him, instantly waking him up.
The metallic tang of blood filled his mouth, his tongue throbbing. He shook his head, consciousness snapping back as memories flooded in.
Only then did he realize he was sticky all over, covered in sweat, and his breath scorching.
Yet, the chills and body aches from before had eased.
He breathed a sigh of relief — he had survived this crisis.
Had he not found the medicine earlier or mustered that desperate resolve in the dream, he'd be dead.
He slowly sat up from the bed. Checking his phone, he realized he'd slept a full day.
The first thing he did when he got up was to get the medicine he had taken yesterday.
Though he didn't know which medicine worked, repeating the regimen felt safer since the symptoms had been alleviated.
After taking the medicine, Ryan went to the bathroom, took a shower, and found a set of clean clothes to change into. He finally felt better.
However, Ryan's body was still a little weak. He couldn't do anything and could only lie in bed to sleep and rest most of the time.
Time flies, and three days have passed quickly. It was the 19th day since Ryan entered this world.
It again confirmed his previous speculation that surviving one crisis bought temporary peace.
During these three days, the white wolf did not appear, nor did any other ferocious beasts appear.
Ryan's health was getting better day by day, and he had almost recovered by this time.
Apart from the occasional pain in his arm, there was nothing serious.
The only thing that worried him was the wind and rain outside had become stronger.
Although it was not obvious, he could still judge from the accumulated water outside the mansion and on the mountain road.
Ryan knew he needed higher ground—Regent Business Tower outside the Fallford Bay.
The 400-meter skyscraper, nicknamed "The Bullet" for its shape, is a landmark of Fallford Bay.
It boasted many awards for withstanding tsunamis and Category 17 super typhoons.
Ryan didn't know if it was true, but he felt this was the best place to go.
However, Ryan knew very well that even if he had gone over now, he would not have been able to climb up.
The power in this world had been cut off long ago, and he could only climb up.
Given his current physical condition, it seemed impossible for him to climb a 400-meter-high building.
So before going to Regent Business Tower, Ryan felt it necessary to rest here, regain strength, and wait.
The game's rules granted brief respites. Perhaps his body—if not his arm—would be ready by the next crisis.