novelraw Chapter 2
Chapter 2
In a room that resembled a toy box, cluttered with all sorts of miscellaneous items, a man who had been sleeping slowly opened his eyes and woke up.
"Haaam~ Ah, it's morning already."
For a moment, the man stared irritably at the sunlight piercing through the window, then let out a small yawn and sluggishly got out of bed with a sleepy movement.
He was over 180 centimeters tall, but his thin frame and long bangs that covered his eyes made him look frail.
The man skillfully avoided stepping on the objects scattered on the floor as he made his way out to the living room.
Poof-
He threw himself onto the expensive, high-end sofa.
'This must be what it feels like to lie on a cloud.'
The man chuckled, reaching out his right hand to grab a book rolling around nearby while simultaneously using his other hand to turn on the TV and speakers with the remote.
---!
The sound from the TV and the speakers mixed together, becoming difficult to understand, but the man didn't particularly care.
He hadn't turned them on because he wanted to watch or listen to anything specific, but just to alleviate his boredom even a little.
Flip- Flip- Flip-
One hour.
Two hours.
Three hours.
From a comic book to a novel.
From a novel to a smartphone.
From a smartphone back to a comic book.
His posture only changed slightly when what he was holding changed, or when some interesting news came from the TV, but otherwise, the man's appearance wasn't much different from when he was sleeping.
Even his expression remained slack.
-♩♪♬
The man, who had been lying there limply, heard the sudden sound of the doorbell and looked toward where it came from.
"I'm not expecting anyone."
Though he said that, the man got up from the sofa and walked toward the front door.
He had a rough idea of who the culprit ringing the doorbell might be.
"I wonder if it'll be heated jade mats or a religious group this time~"
The man wondered how he should play with the toy that had come to his house of its own accord as he opened the front door.
"Delivery."
"......A delivery?"
However, waiting for the man was a delivery driver, something he hadn't expected at all.
The delivery driver tilted his head at the man's reaction, then checked the number on the door and the writing on the box.
"Are you perhaps Mr. Lee Shin?"
"Yes, that's right."
Lee Shin took the package and examined it.
It was definitely addressed to his home with his name on it.
"What did I buy?"
After going inside, Lee Shin checked the contents of the package.
"A virtual reality game access device? Ah!"
As he opened the package and checked, a memory from the previous night surfaced in Lee Shin's mind.
The memory of when he wasn't in his right mind after being engrossed in a game for a full 48 hours, when he happened to see an ad for a virtual reality game access device and impulsively bought it because it looked fun.
"Ha, virtual reality."
Recalling the forgotten memory, Lee Shin let out an involuntary, dry laugh.
It wasn't very convincing coming from the person who bought the item, but Lee Shin wasn't foolish enough to believe in something as absurd as a virtual reality game.
Although he lived as a recluse at home, he was financially well-off from making money in stocks, and he sometimes listened to the news when the timing was right, like today.
"What's this, there's something written on the paper?"
Upon inspection, it was an introduction to the virtual reality game.
『A perfect virtual world just like reality, 'Pantheon'.
Time there flows five times faster than in reality, and the NPCs are so perfect they can hold natural conversations with humans.
Enjoy the ultimate game where martial artists, mages, and psychics live and breathe, and countless monsters exist.』
Hmm~
"This is tempting enough even for someone who hasn't read novels or comics."
It was a story that was too flimsy and absurd.
But people have a way of being drawn to such absurd stories.
"Well, it was only ten thousand won, so it doesn't matter if I just leave it."
Having convinced himself, Lee Shin took the contents out of the package.
"The quality is better than I thought?"
Pleased with the cybernetic design of the helmet, Lee Shin opened the user manual next to it.
"Wow, the operating instructions are incredibly simple. A kindergartener could use this."
Connect the helmet to the internet with a USB cable, then press the power button. That was it.
Lee Shin casually tossed aside the practically useless manual and returned to the sofa.
If he had seen any signs of a scam, he would have just thrown it all away, but the "take it or leave it" attitude actually piqued his interest.
Lee Shin connected the helmet to his laptop.
A flashy light turned on in the connected helmet, indicating it was working properly.
Lee Shin put the helmet on his head and lay down on the sofa.
He was aware that this was a foolish act, but contrary to his thoughts, his heart pounded with excitement.
Click-
Finally, Lee Shin's hand pressed the power button, and a whirring operating sound came from the helmet.
At the same time, a mechanical female voice entered Lee Shin's ears.
-Confirming player connection. Executing the game.
Thud-
The moment he heard those words, Lee Shin lost consciousness as if he had fainted.
It was an unbelievable event, but he was not the only one experiencing it.
Lee Shin, who had shut himself off from the world to play a new game, was unaware, but a huge number of people worldwide had bought this device.
The reason so many people bought the machine?
It was simple.
An event had occurred all over the world that was significant enough to make people believe such an absurd claim was real.
"Come to think of it, it's today."
Not long after, the TV in the now-empty living room turned on the news, as if to fulfill its duty.
"Yes, exactly one week ago, a massive event occurred at landmarks all over the world."
Along with the female anchor's words, the TV screen changed.
A giant green snake coiled around the Statue of Liberty.
A bird with flaming wings preened its feathers elegantly atop the Eiffel Tower in Paris.
A brilliant golden knight showed off its majesty at Big Ben in the UK.
Countless people focused on them, and amidst it all, the monsters turned into smoke and formed letters.
Though written in the respective languages of each region, the meaning was all the same.
-Virtual reality game Pantheon, official opening in one week.
After the video ended, the anchors began to speak again.
"One week ago, fantastical creatures that appeared simultaneously in dozens of countries around the world turned into letters, mentioning a virtual reality game."
"Yes, and today is that very 'one week later'."
"Although several countries perceived this act as a form of terrorism, it's undeniable that people have shown a deep interest in 'Pantheon'."
If it had been an ordinary advertisement with only text or video, people would have just scoffed.
But the large-scale hologram performance that defied common sense made people consider the possibility.
"With people's interest in 'Pantheon' exploding......"
The light from the TV illuminated the figure of Lee Shin lying down.
***
"......Huh?"
Lee Shin snapped to attention as if someone had tapped his shoulder while he was dozing off and looked around.
His eyes were filled with confusion.
"What is this? A temple that looks like it belongs in ancient Rome?"
Lee Shin looked at the massive temple in front of him for a moment before entering it.
Once inside, a silver altar stood prominently in the center, as if telling him to come here.
At that, Lee Shin approached the altar and lightly touched it.
Paaat-
Then, a sphere of light floated up above the altar.
In that instant, Lee Shin unhesitatingly threw a punch toward the rising mass of light.
An attack made at the same moment the light gathered.
Lee Shin's fist accurately pierced the center of the light.
"As I thought, it just passes right through."
However, Lee Shin couldn't feel any sensation in his fist, as if he had punched empty air.
Lee Shin clicked his tongue in disappointment that his attack didn't work and withdrew his fist.
The ball of light floating above the altar flickered a few times before glowing softly and speaking to Lee Shin.
-Greetings, player.
"The word player...... does that mean this is a game?"
-That is correct, player.
At the system's confirmation, Lee Shin let out a dry laugh.
"Huh, it was really virtual reality?"
Lee Shin clenched and unclenched his hand a few times.
The sensation of his fingers bending and straightening was as vivid as in reality.
'This isn't a level that can be dismissed as mere over-technology.'
Lee Shin briefly tried to think it over but gave up in less than ten seconds.
It wasn't a problem that could be solved by a moment's thought, and more importantly, it seemed like it would be fun, so he didn't care.
"So what are you?"
-I am the game's system. I exist to assist the player's smooth gameplay.
"You mean I should ask you if I have any questions?"
-Precisely.
Lee Shin thought it was convenient and good.
"Hmm, for now, tell me the basics."
At that, the system flashed its light once as if it had received the request.
-The place the player is currently in is a waiting area before connecting to the game. Here, the player can ask questions about the game or access the internet.
"That'll be convenient for searching."
-That is correct.
"......"
-......
In the strange silence, Lee Shin opened his mouth.
"Is that it?"
-That is correct.
"......The explanation seems a bit lacking."
Lee Shin muttered, dumbfounded.
-It was determined that it would be more convenient to explain other information as you proceed with the game.
It was a somewhat understandable reason, so Lee Shin decided to let it go.
"Alright, then explain the rest."
At Lee Shin's words, the system glowed a little brighter, as if signaling the real start.
-Would you like to proceed with the game?
Lee Shin nodded at the system's question.
-Please state the character name you will use.
"Shin."
He couldn't be bothered to think, so he decided to just use his name without the surname.
-Character is being created. The character will be registered in the ranking system.
"Ranking system?"
At Lee Shin's "what's that" reaction, the system displayed a translucent hologram in front of him, with countless names listed in order.
-The ranking system is a system that ranks players. All characters are registered in the ranking system upon creation.
"Hmm....... I see."
Lee Shin had nothing to say, so he just nodded vaguely.
-Next, please select the game's starting point.
"Starting point?"
-Yes.
The system said, creating three holograms.
The words Martial Arts, Magic, and Psionics were written on each hologram.
-There are three starting points: a region that uses martial arts, a region that uses magic, and a region that uses psionics. The player must choose one of these.
At the appearance of unexpected choices, Lee Shin thought for a moment before speaking.
"Is it possible to try them out before choosing?"
-Yes, it is possible in the tutorial.
Originally, the tutorial was a place you went to after selecting a region, but changing the order slightly was not a problem.
"Then I'll decide after experiencing them."
-Which would you like to use first?
"From the left, in order."
At Lee Shin's words, the system flickered its light once as if it had received the request.
-Understood. Then I will sequentially infuse internal energy, mana, and aura into the player.
"Can't I make it myself?"
Lee Shin asked, recalling the novels he had read.
-It is possible. However, it is difficult as the player lacks the knowledge and sense for it.
"That's a shame."
Lee Shin said with genuine feeling, deciding to save it for later.
Woong-
At that moment, Lee Shin felt a certain energy forming inside his body, precisely in his dantian, and smiled with interest.
"Hmm, so this is internal energy."
As soon as the internal energy formed, Lee Shin felt his physical condition improve.
As Lee Shin was laughing in amusement, the system spoke mechanically.
-Proceeding with the tutorial.
Whooosh-
With the system's words, a vortex of light appeared in front of Lee Shin.
Thump- thump-
Hearing his heart pound for the first time in a long while, Lee Shin stepped into the vortex of light.
(End of Chapter)