Episode 06 — Broadband in Another World

Three days had passed since my house was relocated from the top of the giant tree down to the ground.

And for those three days, I had done nothing but stare at my phone screen.

“…It connects. Tama, it actually connects!”

Sitting on the living room sofa, I held up my phone with trembling hands.

For the six months I’d spent on top of that giant tree, the internet had been hell.

The video I’d been loading at the moment of the transfer crawled forward by a few seconds every few days, like data traveling through a divine dial‑up connection.

But now?

Ever since the house was moved to this forest near the fortress city, my signal bars were permanently full.

“The video… isn’t stopping. I can watch in full HD. When was the last time I saw HD?”

Tears streamed down my face as I binge‑watched all my old favorite channels.

A question flickered in my mind—

Why could I access servers in Japan from another world?

But who cared?

Electricity and gas worked for no reason too.

Worrying about the internet alone would be like finding free Wi‑Fi and then stressing about the encryption protocol.

“Alright. Time for a test.”

I opened my browser and tapped the top bookmark.

—【Lumina Shopping】.

The one and only online store the goddess Lumina had installed on my phone.

“…It works! I can add things to the cart!”

I scrolled through the listings.

There they were—ordinary items from my old world.

・Frozen Udon (5‑pack)……300L

・Cola (1.5L)………………150L

・Chikuwa (3‑pack)………100L

“The currency being ‘L’ is weird, but… I’ve got half a year’s worth of points saved up.”

According to Lumina, these points were awarded simply for “continuing to exist.”

A dream system for any NEET.

With a trembling finger, I tapped the chikuwa.

“Meow?”

Tama looked up at me curiously.

“Tama, watch this. If this really gets delivered, our life becomes a perfect sanctuary. We’ll never have to step outside again.”

“Meow. (You never planned to go outside anyway.)”

“You’re right! Exactly!”

I nodded to myself.

Tama flicked her tail in exasperation.

I hit the order button.

A message popped up:

【Fastest delivery: 5 seconds!】

“…Five seconds? But I didn’t even open the front door…”

I glanced at the clock.

And then—

*Ding‑dong.*

The familiar chime of the doorbell echoed through the quiet living room.

My heart nearly exploded as I ran to the entrance.

I took a deep breath.

(Calm down… It’s just a delivery. Another world or not, a package is a package…)

With shaking hands, I turned the doorknob.

Creak…

And there it was—

“…Chikuwa.”

A three‑pack of chikuwa sat neatly on the welcome mat.

No delivery person.

No footprints.

No presence.

Just the product, delivered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“…Amazing. This is already more convenient than Japan.”

I hugged the chikuwa, trembling.

“Meow. (You’re shaking… from happiness?)”

“Exactly! I knew you’d understand!”

Tama flattened her ears as if to say “No, that’s not what I meant.”

“…By the way, Tama. How does Lumina Shopping even deliver things?”

“Meow. (You’re better off not knowing.)”

“Right! Thinking too hard is bad!”

I peeked outside.

A forest.

A narrow animal trail.

No delivery trucks.

No wheel marks.

“…Yeah, physically impossible.”

“Meow. (Told you.)”

“You’re so smart, Tama!”

Tama slapped her tail on the floor in protest.

——That night.

While I slept on the sofa hugging my chikuwa,

Tama slipped out through the slightly open window.

A black silhouette landed silently on the moonlit ledge.

(Seriously. That man has no idea.)

In her human form, Tama vanished into the forest.

No footsteps.

Not even the sound of grass bending.

The forest at night was a different world—

thick with corrupted mana, distant roars echoing through the dark.

(Alright… time to hunt. I need to earn more of those “points.”)

Her eyes narrowed, glowing faintly in the moonlight.