Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: In the Crevices of Reality
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Klaus Capsule Corporation, the number one capsule sales company in South Korea and one of the top three in the world.
The president of this company, headquartered in Gangnam, was a former American who had married a Korean woman and had a daughter here.
South Korea had actively promoted naturalization policies to solve its demographic crisis. But even with the passage of time, it was still rare for a former foreigner to successfully establish themselves and build a leading enterprise in the nationalistic environment of South Korea.
And Chris, the daughter of the Klaus Capsule Corporation's president, was also a researcher at this company.
The virtual reality capsule test room, located on the fifth floor of the main building.
Today, Chris found herself shaking her head as she observed the antics of an intern researcher.
"Sigh, here he is again today."
Whiz! Whiz! Whiz!
But Chris soon let out a sound of admiration as she watched the screen linked to the test room's capsule.
"Still, I guess that's a former amateur boxer for you."
On the screen, countless steel balls were being shot at a young man with sharp features inside the virtual reality space.
The young man was dodging the steel balls with swift movements.
Whoosh!
The young man tilted his head slightly. A heavy steel ball grazed past his head.
He quickly ducked into a weaving stance. Whoosh! Whoosh! With minimal movement, the young man dodged every single steel ball rushing toward him.
Beep—
A beep signaling the end of the test rang out, and the barrage of steel balls stopped.
The young man cracked his neck, knocked his fists together, and shouted spiritedly.
"Alright, Level 5!"
The young man's voice flowed from the speakers attached to the screen.
Chris was aghast and spoke to the young man through the microphone.
"Heo Jun-hyeok! What synchronization rate are you using right now? And why did you set the material to steel?"
"Hmm? Is that you, Chris? Just a minute. I think I can make it to Level 5 today."
Whiz! Whiz!
Before he could even finish, a feast of steel balls erupted on the screen. The young man began to narrowly dodge them.
His movements became erratic. The terrifying sound of the balls cutting through the air echoed. And before long, a steel ball he failed to dodge slammed into his side.
Thwack!
"Ugh!"
A barrage of steel balls rained down on the young man as he groaned and dropped to his knees. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Fzzt, the young man's virtual reality avatar began to flicker.
"You crazy...!"
Chris rushed toward the capsule containing the young man's body.
Whirrr.
Just then, the capsule opened, and the young man, his hair drenched in sweat, shook his head and sat up.
Chris checked the synchronization rate of the reaction speed test program and looked like she had a headache.
"Hey, Heo Jun! I knew you were crazy, but 60% synchronization? Did you become a researcher just to do this?"
"It's Heo Jun-hyeok."
"Shut up, Heo Jun. You're banned from the test room for the time being."
"...I'd rather you call me Death of Death."
Chris sighed and helped Jun-hyeok get out of the capsule.
"So, why'd you do it?"
"If you think it won't hurt when you get hit, your movements get sloppy. A moderate amount of tension enhances your reactions. This was also an experiment, a sort of overload test. Aren't you curious how much pain a human can endure in a high-synchronization virtual reality?"
"You'll go insane if you keep doing experiments like that. There's a reason the law limits the synchronization rate in virtual reality. You're probably the only one who'd willingly subject himself to torture. Sigh, it's a good thing the capsule has a built-in shutdown system that detects brain overload."
"Hmm... a built-in shutdown system, you say."
Jun-hyeok stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment.
"The one that makes the avatar flicker and forcibly ejects you from the program. Still, you held out for quite a while."
"Pain is just something you endure. As a boxer, I've taken strong body blows, so I thought I was used to pain, but it seems the system judged that I couldn't handle it."
"We can't sell capsules without these safety features. A 60% synchronization rate... there's a limit to how reckless you can be."
"Ahem, I've heard enough, so I'd appreciate it if you'd stop nagging me."
"You're really committed to that tone, aren't you? As if you're some grand adventurer from the Astria Continent. Anyway, cut the excuses. Mr. Death of Death, you did this because of *her*, didn't you?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about."
"The Swordsman from the No Name Party, Rain."
Chris smirked and poked Jun-hyeok in the side. Jun-hyeok broke out in a sweat and tried to look away.
"What, feeling some rivalry as a tanker? This isn't some space hero cartoon where you train in a gravity chamber. Do you really think it's okay to use company equipment and programs for this? Since I'm at the company, maybe I should go pay my dad a visit."
"Ah, alright! I was wrong, so please, anything but that!"
*
"Jae-wook, long time no see! What brings you here?"
"I was hanging out with a friend nearby and thought I'd stop by. I wanted to say hello if you were here, ma'am."
"Phew, it's not easy finding part-timers these days. It's been over three months since you quit, and I still haven't found anyone, so I'm still working the night shift. I swear, we need to turn this place into an unmanned store already."
"Haha...."
Jae-wook greeted the manager at the convenience store near the moon village where he used to work.
Today, Jae-wook was out with Da-yeon, a friend from university and a fellow gamer, for dinner and to hang out in the area. He decided to stop by his old convenience store since it was nearby.
The manager greeted Jae-wook warmly. For a moment, Jae-wook forgot Da-yeon was with him and chatted with the manager.
Just as the conversation started to go off on a tangent, Da-yeon discreetly gave him a look.
"Ah, I should get going. Take care."
"Alright, alright, you go on. Come visit again sometime!"
Tinkle, tinkle.
Da-yeon, who had dragged Jae-wook out of the convenience store, glared at him with a pout.
"What, you said you had a place to stop by, and this was it? Your old convenience store?"
Jae-wook spread his arms wide with theatrical exaggeration, as if in a musical.
"Oh, Beimerung! How could a mere mortal like you possibly understand? This is the place where the Spirit Master Cherni's journey in 'Astria Online' began! The very place where I earned the funds to buy my capsule."
"I wonder if you've even taken care of your own business before coming out to play. Just don't get chewed out by Chris later."
Jae-wook paid no mind to Da-yeon's nagging and walked on with a chuckle. Da-yeon followed behind him and asked.
"Where are we going now?"
"This place is also worth a look. Ever heard of a moon village?"
"Isn't that the kind of neighborhood you'd see on TV back in the day, when celebrities did those 'sharing love with coal briquettes' charity events? I remember thinking it was fascinating that places still used coal briquettes back then... Ah, so this is one?"
"Well, it seems even in places like this, they don't use coal briquettes anymore."
Da-yeon looked up the sloped alley and let out a gasp.
The alley was very narrow and uneven. Old houses were crammed together, separated by a single wall on either side, seeming to starkly represent the circumstances of the people living there.
The traces of time were etched into the walls. Faded bricks, cracked cement, and temporary patches here and there were all visible.
"I can't believe a place like this still exists in Seoul."
Da-yeon's mouth hung open as she walked up the alley, constantly looking around.
"Most of them have disappeared due to redevelopment and whatnot, but they haven't vanished completely. Usually, a lot of elderly or disabled people live here, so there must be complicated circumstances. It doesn't seem to be just about compensation money. Some places were on the verge of redevelopment before it was canceled."
Da-yeon nodded at Jae-wook's explanation. Even in such a developed era, people lived in all sorts of ways. Though just having become an adult, Da-yeon was mature enough to understand that.
It was late at night. The streetlights intermittently illuminating the alley created an even eerier atmosphere.
Da-yeon huddled up and moved closer to Jae-wook.
"...What, Nam Da-yeon, are you scared just because you're a girl? Heheh. We're still in Seoul, what could possibly happen? You can rest easy with the great Spirit Master Cherni by your side."
Da-yeon kicked Jae-wook in the shin.
"Shut up, Lee Jae-wook! I'm not scared, okay? I-I've seen enough, so let's go back down!"
"Ow, ow. Heheh. ...Huh?"
Whirr.
As Jae-wook chuckled while getting his leg kicked by Da-yeon, a familiar mechanical sound reached his ears.
"Wait."
"H-huh?"
Jae-wook pulled Da-yeon behind the corner of a wall, crouching down and holding his breath.
Whirr.
The mechanical sound grew closer.
It was a sound he had heard constantly during the three months he worked here; there was no way Jae-wook had misheard it.
Jae-wook knew the person who used a machine that made this sound.
And before long, a girl in a wheelchair appeared.
Her white hair shimmered silver as it caught the light of a streetlight.
Her small body, reliant on a single electric wheelchair, gave off an inexplicable sense of fragility.
Her profile revealed a youthful air, but it was obvious to anyone that she was a rare beauty.
The girl passed by, separated from them by only a single wall. Fortunately, she didn't seem to notice Jae-wook and Da-yeon hidden in the shadows of the corner.
Not only Jae-wook, but Da-yeon also knew the girl's name. Albeit, only her in-game nickname.
"Ra...!"
Da-yeon barely managed to stifle the name that escaped her lips like a gasp, clamping a hand over her mouth.