He is simply lying there, listening to the droning sound of progress. Looking up at the ceiling, listening to the generator downstairs pump electricity through the house. He never really noticed it in the past. After all, the house was never this solemn in the past. The ceiling was never this boring in the past.

His constant stare was enough to make even the ceiling crumble and decay. Not that he had to stare in order to make it decay. If you compare his house to the other people that he knew, you might think that he is poor. He himself called it priorities. If you are successful enough in life, you'd never need a fancy house. You'd be outside more often than inside, only getting there to rest. He'd rather invest into the future.

The future. What a bleak concept. All this investing into the future, and nothing really came out of it. It's all gone, in one blow. Those who don't know him might think that he is in shock. Then again, those who do would probably think the same. You might wonder what would drive a fresh new "adult", 19 years of age, to this kind of shock.

That what drives anyone to shock: the loss of something valuable. There's a heap of money on the table. "To cover the loss" is what the people said. As he is staring to the ceiling right now, the money was the last thing on his mind. At least, that would be the case, if one bill didn't get picked up by the fan and blown into his face. He had to face reality, even if it is just for this moment.

He started doing the arithmetic calculations he got praised for so often. Deduct the price of 4 years of University Education. Deduct the price of another 2 years to cover potential hiatus due to stress or trauma. Deduct the cost of the mortgage on this house, all of it. Deduct living expenses. Deduct water. Deduct gas. Deduct fuel for generator, probably also gas. Deduct the potential buffer for broken goods requiring replacement. Deduct budget for non-expected spending. He kept subtracting one number after another off of the pile of money, but it didn't seem to be depleting. It didn't seem like there would be a reason to continue the part-time job. Not that they would want him now.

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He kept staring at the mental image: Twenty thousand dollars left. He has enough money to do a lot of things. He has the capability to get a new hobby. The new semester for the university starts in 4 months, and he isn't expecting his part-time job to be a problem anymore. The entire definition of free time seems almost like a waste to him now.

Almost like a waste, that is. He still remembers a previous discussion. He was so against the concept back then. "Why waste your time playing, when you can invest into the future?" But he can see the reason now. As long as he can play, he won't have to face the facts. As long as you spend time in that world, you will only grow stronger in some way. There is no thing as a failed investment there. It is his perfect world.

It is the world of Royal Road.