Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Astria Online (2)
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Tap.
Hungry, I immediately started eating.
With practiced hands, I unwrapped the triangle rice ball and took a bite out of its pointy tip.
Chomp.
"Mmmph...!"
The sharp spiciness of the red pepper powder stung my nose. I shivered slightly before taking another bite.
Munch, munch, munch.
Today's pick was the stir-fried kimchi triangle rice ball.
As expected, it was a choice I wouldn't regret.
Moving my small mouth continuously, I polished off the rice ball in an instant and switched on the electric kettle.
Bubble, bubble.
The water I'd filled it with earlier quickly began to boil.
Even though much time had passed since the world I knew, convenient things were still in use.
When I was in the other world, I can't tell you how much I craved simple foods like this.
Of course, there was something else I wanted to eat most after returning to Earth, but with my current finances, this small luxury was my limit.
Finding a small happiness in the simple meal, my mood lightened a little.
Then, I looked around my sanctuary, this small studio apartment.
Hmm, it's still a bit small.
This Earth, more than a decade after the era I had lived in.
When I first returned, I felt a strong sense of disconnect in many ways.
Fortunately, the welfare system of the Republic of Korea, still robust in this age, kept someone like me with a disabled body from ending up on the streets.
Adequate financial aid, decent support with assistive devices, and even periodic visits from social workers and an employment support system.
It had developed a lot in its own way, unlike the Astria Continent, where the state's reach didn't extend to the vulnerable. I suppose this is modern society.
Well, I was the one who refused the social worker visits and employment help.
Should I be thankful to the Supreme God of Astria for providing the Cognitive Interference Service, which allowed me, someone dropped into this society without any connections, to blend in quietly?
As I blankly scanned the small studio, my gaze fell upon a new, foreign piece of furniture.
"So, it's finally here."
I let out a deep sigh.
The reason I'd thought of drinking today, something I never usually do, was this piece of furniture.
A virtual reality capsule.
Furniture I'd bought by scraping together my meager savings, even taking advantage of a welfare discount for the vulnerable that I'd never bothered to look into before.
My legs, the nerves below my thighs dead, couldn't be healed even with the advanced technology of this era.
Still, it seems that in this age, VR capsules also serve as therapeutic aids for mental health.
For someone who couldn't use their legs or arms their whole life, there's probably nothing more blissful than being able to move freely in a world that feels just like reality.
Of course, I didn't buy it for that kind of mental therapy.
"Astria Online."
The world I fled from after experiencing terrible pain.
A game title with the same name as the continent where I had my adventures.
Is it a coincidence?
But after seeing the scenery in the promotional video, I had no choice but to admit it.
'Astria Online' is a game modeled after the Astria Continent, where I lived for over a decade.
I curled up into a small ball and chuckled.
"Is this what you call after-sales service?"
They should have just fixed my body properly.
The god of that world or the god of Earth must be playing a trick on me.
No, maybe both of them.
But, in the end, I had no choice but to decide to start the game.
I glanced down for a moment, looking at my legs.
My legs, which no longer move.
If I go inside this, will they move freely?
A missing sense of reality.
Will I be able to feel a sense of reality in here?
Tick-tock.
Even as I was lost in thought, the time arrived.
Midnight.
The official launch time for 'Astria Online'.
I don't care anymore.
Whatever happens, I have to face it.
*
Whirr.
[Welcome to the full-dive virtual reality game, 'Astria Online', the continent of sword and sorcery.]
The screen goes dark, an announcement chimes, and my body is enveloped in a strange sensation of floating.
The title OST begins to play. Soon, the screen brightens.
The continent spreading out before my eyes, as if viewed from the sky, was the very one I had hated, yet at the same time, longed for.
"The Astria Continent."
Before I had time to get lost in sentiment, an announcement played, prompting me to create a character.
[Would you like to customize your character's appearance?]
"Hmm..."
The character's appearance before me was an exact replica of myself, as if my body had been scanned.
She was, in a word, a beautiful girl.
Silvery-white hair that fell below her shoulders, slightly covering one eye.
Bright, sparkling black eyes, like obsidian.
A petite frame, not even 150cm tall.
A chest so modest it was barely there.
Delicate yet distinct facial features.
A face pretty enough to rival a celebrity's.
Looking at the interface, I made a few minor customizations.
"Race, Human. Hmm, the rest as is...?"
[With the user's current physique and race customization, the Strength stat may be limited. Do you still wish to proceed?]
"I don't mind."
I puffed out my chest.
It's been over a decade since I got this body; the time for feeling shy about a female form has long passed.
As much as my companions on the Astria Continent had praised and adored me, I held a certain pride in my appearance.
Even if I spent ages meticulously customizing, I probably couldn't create a face this beautiful.
From the bits of information I'd looked up about the beta, people who were confident in their looks often kept their appearance as is, aside from minor tweaks to hair or eye color.
Since returning to Earth, I haven't made any new connections, so no one here would recognize me anyway.
[Character appearance customization complete. Please set your final nickname.]
Before my eyes, which had yet to perceive my new body, an interface appeared.
Without hesitation, I typed in the letters.
'Drizzle Rain'
['Drizzle Rain'. Would you like to set this as your nickname?]
"Yes."
Drizzle Rain.
That was my name there.
The name I was given when I was left in front of a church on the Astria Continent, on a day of drizzling rain.
A name far more familiar than my faded old one, or the new one I received on Earth.
'Rain, you're so pretty. Your silver hair, too.'
'Khahaha! Dwarves are a race that loves jewels! Rain, your eyes resemble obsidian! Let me have 'em someday!'
'Goodness, Mr. Ain! What a scary thing to say!'
'Eek, eek. I think I'm starting to dislike Mr. Ain.'
'Kukuk, he probably doesn't mean anything by it. Most dwarves just blurt out whatever comes to mind about jewels without thinking, you know?'
It felt as if I could hear my companions' laughter.
As I was lost in memories, a faintly crackling announcement broke through.
[...*Crackle*. Error Code AAECA...*fzzzt*.]
['Drizzle Rain'. Are you sure you want to set this as your nickname?]
"......?"
I already said yes, why is it asking again?
"Yes. Use that name."
Suppressing my confusion, I confirmed it once more.
[Character creation complete. May your adventure on the Astria Continent be an enjoyable experience.]
And then, the world went dark again.
Splash, splash.
The sound of waves.
Is the starting location for beginners in this game a beach?
Feeling the touch of the sea breeze on my body, I gently opened my eyes.
"......."
I raise a small hand to check my body.
Perhaps because I hadn't customized it, it didn't feel out of place.
It was my body, just as it was.
A moment later, I pushed my upper body up, planting my hands on the white sand.
And my legs.
"Ah."
My legs. I planted them.
And stood up.
"My legs."
They're moving.
Crunch, crunch.
I can walk.
How long has it been since I lost the ability to move my legs?
A year? Since I returned to Earth?
For the first time in a year, I could walk on my own two feet.
Thump, thump.
I didn't think about anything.
I just wandered blankly across the white sand, moving my small feet.
"Uh, hmm."
After walking around like that for a while, I eventually stroked my chin and fell into thought.
Is this supposed to be a moving moment?
Isn't it a huge event for someone who couldn't walk to feel the sensation of walking again?
But for some reason, I didn't feel overwhelmed with emotion.
It felt like I was just doing something I was supposed to be able to do.
And then, I strongly felt a sensation I had forgotten for so long.
"A sense of reality."
The feeling of floating through life back on Earth, like an anomaly that had intruded upon a world that was already turning just fine.
Here, that feeling was gone.
Paradoxically, I was feeling a stronger sense of reality in this virtual world than in actual reality.
The strong sea breeze hitting my skin.
The salty smell of brine I could taste in the air.
Was virtual reality always this amazing?
The things you see if you live long enough.
I chuckled, thinking how, in my small body, I felt like an old woman who had seen it all.
But it's just a game.
To confirm that, I spoke the universal command for VR games.
"Status Window!"
Beep.
An interface appeared before my eyes.
[Drizzle Rain]
[Beginner Adventurer]
Below that, initial stats like HP, Strength, Intelligence, and Agility appeared.
And, at the very bottom.
[Synchronization Rate: 100%]
"Huh?"
I tilted my head.
Before starting this game, I'd looked up quite a bit of information from the early beta testers.
Detailed information was hard to find since some people were aiming for a faster launch-day run than others, but I had already familiarized myself with images of the status window interface.
However, I had never seen any information about a stat called 'Synchronization Rate'.
Truthfully, even I, with my limited knowledge of virtual reality, knew a little about synchronization rates.
Due to the VR technology that directly connects to the brain to control sensations, the higher this value, the stronger the sense of reality and the more intense the sensations are said to be.
Even pain.
But I'd heard that combat-oriented games like this, where your body could be harmed, were legally required to have their synchronization rates strictly limited to a low value.
But 100%?
A feeling of unease crept over me.
Isn't this... dangerous?