Chapter 3: Quest (3)
Chapter 3: Quest (3)
After earning nearly six million won in a single month, one thought crossed my mind.
Is this actually legitimate?
It wasn't that I hadn't put in the effort. I logged into this bizarre game every single day and completed at least three or four quests daily.
The problem was that I couldn't tell if this was a justifiable income or if I had truly earned it myself.
Whenever I had a spare moment, I tried to look into the source of these funds and the company called Babylonian Games.
But I couldn't find a single thing.
At most, all I knew was that this was their first project and that I hadn't met anyone else who claimed to have played it.
Furthermore, as far as I knew, virtual reality games were limited to VR titles played with goggles strapped to your face.
I had my doubts about what kind of technology made this possible or if I was even actually doing something in a virtual reality at all.
[General Bank Account]
[5,879,401 KRW]
However, every time I saw the money filling my bank account, those thoughts were flushed away like waste down a toilet.
If the game had been boring, it might have been different, but it was actually quite fun.
In fact, every time I ran the game, it seemed to transform into an entirely different genre.
For instance, when I turned it on the day before yesterday, I was a contract killer for a criminal organization.
It was a game where I simply had to kill targets designated by the organization. However, the fun lay in the fact that I could pursue various methods to achieve that goal.
At first glance, it reminded me of a certain game featuring a bald assassin, but it was subtly different.
For one, the fact that it was full-immersion virtual reality made it feel much more real.
True to form, the quests were unique. Things like: Strangle a target to death after knocking them out with a briefcase, or Assassinate the head of a rival organization by making it look like an accident.
The rewards were quite generous to match. A briefcase-and-strangulation kill paid 150,000 won, while an accidental death paid 300,000 won.
Other quests were mostly similar, differing only in how the target was to be eliminated.
That day, I completed six quests and earned 600,000 won.
Another time, it was a survival game, which was quite difficult.
Perhaps the game was being considerate, but the quests were simple things like surviving for a long time or building a house.
The rewards were appropriately modest. I barely managed to complete four quests all day and earned 300,000 won.
Then there were games that suited me well and others that didn't.
The hardest among them was a horror game.
I died at least twenty times before finally clearing it, and the reward was a measly 150,000 won.
But considering the time invested, it wasn't that bad. Regardless of the circumstances, earning 150,000 won in two hours without any basic skills or connections is incredibly efficient, isn't it?
So, I played diligently even if the game didn't suit my tastes.
That wasn't all. I calculated that if I kept this up, I would have more than enough to provide my sister with her business capital. I figured it was only right to squeeze as much as I could out of this game while the opportunity lasted.
The first thing I changed was my computer. My old one wasn't bad—my sister had upgraded it for me after I took the CSAT—but a newer one is always better.
"Huh? A computer? How did you..."
"Oh, that... I found some work I can do from home recently. The pay is pretty good."
It was difficult making up excuses for her, but my eldest sister was fundamentally the type of person who trusted people easily.
And if that person was family?
"I see. Still, don't stay up too late playing games, okay?"
I knew she wouldn't suspect me.
So, I trusted her. I mean, what else was I going to do?
There was nothing to gain from doubting my own family.
Maybe if it were my second sister, it would be different.
"...Noona?"
Or so I thought, until I witnessed a scene that betrayed that trust.
I stepped out after my shower only to find my sister peering into my smartphone.
This wasn't my second sister—the nuisance, the coward who would watch a horror movie, get scared herself, and then claim she was sleeping in my room 'as a favor to me because I must be scared.' The one who always blustered and acted tough but was actually a loser starved for affection.
This was my eldest sister. The one who always looked after us with such kindness, who always felt bad she couldn't do more, and who, with her smiling face, was the sun of our home and a mother figure to us all.
That eldest sister was snooping through my phone.
Honestly, if it had been anyone other than my eldest sister, I could have let it slide.
My second sister was always like that anyway.
My youngest sister, Yu-ri, was a high school senior at an age full of curiosity, so I could understand her doing it.
She snooped quite often, after all.
But it was different with my eldest sister.
The problem was that someone who never did such things was suddenly acting out of character.
If my second sister had done it, I would have just scowled and said, "Ugh, you total bitch." Then, despite being older than me, she would have grumbled back, "What, you got something to hide? Why are you throwing a fit over a phone?"
As for Yu-ri, I wouldn't have had much reason to scold her. She would have just scrolled through my Instagram like usual and said, "Why did you follow this girl? Is this your type?"
But my eldest sister had never done anything like this before. That fact brought me a mix of shock and worry.
"Why did you do that?"
Because of that, even though I intended to confront her, my voice was thick with concern. I realized my mistake as soon as the words left my mouth, but there was no way she wouldn't notice how I felt.
If I had at least pretended to scold her harshly, she might have felt less guilty. Instead, she hunched her shoulders, making it painfully obvious how intimidated she felt.
"Well... that computer is clearly expensive. I was worried you might be doing something dangerous."
"I mean, even if I were doing something dangerous..."
Of course, I could understand her concern. Drugs and things like that were rampant these days, weren't they?
Even I had suspected that this game might be a money-laundering route for organized crime.
Her worry was justified. I understood where she was coming from.
"I earned it through a game."
"...A game?"
My sister's eyes, usually hidden behind her smiling expression, were revealed. Within her gaze, which seemed a bit hazy and reflected her fragile nature, I could sense her confusion.
"If it's a game... you mean, like... gold farming?"
How did she even know that term?
I thought that to myself but didn't let it show. What I needed now was to project confidence—to look like someone who was certain and proud of his choices.
"No, not like that. It's more like..."
I knew exactly what to say, but I paused on purpose. I acted as if I were contemplating how to best explain it to her.
"Right, it's like being on a QA team."
"A QA team...?"
"Quality As... something. Anyway, in Korean, it's like a quality control team."
My sister repeated my words like an echo, savoring the sound of them.
It was a term that sounded professional to anyone's ears. She seemed to realize that too, as she placed her hands against her flushed cheeks, blushing as if embarrassed.
"What exactly do you do?"
"To put it simply, I play the game before it's released to determine if it's something that can be provided to customers."
Even though what I actually did was different, my sister seemed intrigued by my explanation.
"What kind of game is it?"
Contrary to my hope that she would be satisfied and drop it, she seemed to have developed an even greater interest.
Was it because this was essentially my first job? It was very like her, I suppose.
Should I really introduce her to this? I hesitated for a moment.
I had a nagging feeling that I shouldn't show her this game.
But.
"...Do you want to try it with me if you're curious?"
I trusted her, and more than that, I wanted her to trust me instead of worrying about me.
So, even though I felt I might regret it, I made the offer.
Inwardly, I hoped she would decline, citing how busy she was.
But my sister wasn't someone who always acted according to my expectations.
"Shall I?"
She was a kind and good sister.
Perhaps it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her the best sister in the world.
She accepted my proposal, appearing genuinely grateful for the mere fact that we could do something together.
"I haven't played many games, so it might be frustrating for you. I'll apologize in advance."
I couldn't exactly say no to her when she said that with such a beaming smile.
Left with no choice, I accepted and brought her into my room.
"Still, I wish you'd asked me before looking through my phone. People keep all sorts of things on their smartphones..."
I figured it would have been faster to just ask me directly. Suspicion alone is enough to start a conversation.
When my expression soured at the thought that I might not have given her enough reason to trust me, she fidgeted noticeably before forcing a smile.
I got the feeling she was hiding something. But I couldn't interrogate her based on a mere feeling.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I'll ask first from now on."
Since she went that far, I couldn't press her any further.
I just hurried to set everything up.
Sitting side-by-side with her in front of my computer desk felt quite strange, but I had expectations of my own.
The hope that I might actually have a good time with her.
The hope that through this, she might find games fun and that we could play together often.
With those thoughts, I spoke up in advance.
"It might make you feel a bit dizzy, so it's best to just breathe comfortably and let yourself go."
She blinked her gentle, sheep-like eyes again, clearly puzzled by my explanation, but there was no need for further detail.
She would understand once she experienced it.
I just hoped for a game that wasn't violent and was actually enjoyable. I double-clicked the white goat icon sitting on one side of my desktop.
I closed my eyes as I felt the sensation of my consciousness being plucked out and flowing elsewhere.
The feeling of her clutching my forearm in panic faded away.
The sensation of the chair beneath my rear and the cool breeze of the air conditioner against my skin drifted into the distance.
In the midst of an unprecedented sensation that felt like being hypnotized, I felt my body slowly vanish and then reappear.
The sensations of my surroundings rushed in all at once. Completely different air and wind, different clothes against my skin, and even a different posture.
When I slowly opened my eyes, I saw a stark white room that felt somewhat desolate.
"...Huh?"
There stood my sister, looking around with a confused expression, wearing tight-fitting white clothes.
And then, unlike usual, a quest appeared before my eyes the moment I entered the game.
[Sleep in the same bed as your eldest sister, Kang Yu-dam.]
[Reward: 1,000,000 KRW Cash]
Isn't that a bit much?
I stared blankly at the quest window with the same expression as my sister.