The Original Heroine and Protagonist Encounter Dinosaurs in Virtual Reality
The result of the illusion magic Rian had conjured. Vesperia peered at the transparent dome with sparkling eyes, while the black kitten nestled in her arms wagged its tail curiously.
"Whoa. So this shows the illusion?"
Vesperia reached out to touch the dome's surface with her finger, but it bounced off as if blocked by an invisible barrier. She turned to Rian and asked,
"It's not dangerous if we go in there, right?"
"It's just an illusion anyway, so you won't actually get hurt or die."
Rian answered nonchalantly.
"I've lowered the pain settings way below default, so even if you get bitten inside, it won't hurt much. Just a little sting?"
Ardelia's shoulders twitched slightly on the sofa at his indifferent reply.
...Bitten?
Ardelia's red eyes trembled faintly. The very concept of virtual reality was alien to her. And now, the premise was that something might bite her the moment she entered. What on earth had he created inside that transparent dome?
But Vesperia didn't bat an eye at the mention of being bitten.
"Hehe. As long as I don't die, it's fine! I'm in!"
"Yeah. Go ahead."
Rian nodded at Vesperia's enthusiastic response. Ardelia bit her lip, hesitating for a moment. An unknown, uncharted magic. Nothing like it existed in her memories from before her regression. It felt like she'd fall behind if she didn't experience this world the boy had made firsthand.
"I'll do it too."
Ardelia agreed in a resolute voice. Rian jerked his chin toward the sofa.
"Then both of you lean back comfortably on that sofa and lie down."
"Pardon?"
Ardelia blinked in confusion.
"I thought we were supposed to enter that dome-shaped space directly?"
By common magical knowledge, one would physically step into a bounded or arrayed space. But Rian shook his head.
"That's not a place for people to enter. The dome is like a virtual reality server that runs the illusion magic I programmed."
Server was a concept that didn't exist in this world. Ardelia and Vesperia both wore puzzled expressions.
"Oho~ I see."
Professor Ashe, on the other hand, watched with keen interest, as if she understood.
"You leave your body safely on the sofa here. Then, through the illusion barrier, only your mind connects to the virtual world inside the server. Think of it as a kind of dive."
Rian tried to explain at their level as best he could. It was a system that controlled human senses and injected data directly into the brain. A perfect full-dive experience where the body didn't need to move—brainwaves alone let you navigate the virtual space.
"While connected to virtual reality, your real body will be in a completely defenseless sleep state. That's why you have to lie on the comfy sofa. If you're standing when you connect, you'll end up like this morning's mosquito."
He referenced Asrion's case, who had planted a deep kiss on the floor.
At that, Vesperia obediently lay down on the sofa. Ardelia followed, lying diagonally beside her, unable to shake her uneasy feeling.
"And what if you get scared inside and want to log out?"
Rian began explaining the safety protocols, like a modern game's tutorial.
"Just shout 'log out' into the air anytime. The system will ask if you want to disconnect. Say 'accept,' and you're out. It's a safety device command, so memorize it."
"Log out. Accept. Got it!"
Vesperia replied briskly. But Ardelia's face remained tense. Her mind blared magical warnings.
"Rian. It's not just showing an illusion—you're separating the mind and trapping it in that space? That's..."
Ardelia's voice quivered slightly. With her 4-circle knowledge, she was aware of such magic at a basic level.
"Isn't that dangerous soul alchemy?"
Magic that separated mind from body belonged to a highly perilous field. Rian shrugged at her sharp observation.
"Well, I did reference a brutal torture spell formula that forcibly rips out the target's mind and traps it in eternal agony."
"...!"
"But I reverse-engineered and tuned it safely, so don't worry. It'll be a fun, enjoyable world."
The words brutal torture spell from Rian's mouth turned Ardelia's face pale in an instant. She recalled the horrific despair and terror Asrion had suffered that morning. A world based on a torture spell by this mad boy? It couldn't possibly be safe.
"W-Wait a second! On second thought, I...!"
Ardelia tried to sit up in a panic. But it was too late.
"Dive."
A short incantation left Rian's lips.
Swoooosh—!
Two thin tendrils of blue mana extended from the transparent dome-server like cables, swiftly touching Vesperia and Ardelia's foreheads.
"Ah."
"No...!"
The two girls' bodies slumped limply onto the sofa. Their vision blacked out into pitch darkness.
* * *
"Ugh..."
Ardelia lifted her heavy eyelids. The first sensation was the humid, muggy air assaulting her. Each breath filled her lungs with thick earthy scents and a fishy dampness.
Where...?
Ardelia staggered to her feet. She couldn't close her mouth at the sight before her. Professor Ashe's comfortable lab was gone.
"Whoaaa!"
Vesperia's cheer rang out beside her. Towering plants blotted out the sky, dense and gigantic. Massive ancient trees, dozens of meters tall, intertwined into an endless forest. Sticky, squelching mud squished underfoot vividly. Unidentifiable insect wings buzzed and bizarre beast cries echoed stereoscopically from all around.
It feels so real. Is this really just an illusion?
Ardelia looked at her palm. Flexing and extending her fingers, the muscle contractions and skin sensations matched reality without a 1% error. Even the wind brushing leaves felt chillingly authentic. Pinching her arm revealed the difference.
It doesn't hurt?
No—technically it did, but the pain was so faint it was negligible. That pain gap proved this wasn't reality.
"Nyaaaoong!"
"Kyuu?"
Familiar cries came from her feet. Looking down, she saw Kkaman and Balme standing obediently—the same spirits she'd held in the real world.
Did the spirits come in with us too?
Ardelia's mind raced. This world had summoned her and Vesperia. Naturally, their contract-bound spirits had entered the illusion as well.
"This is amazing. Is Rian a god or something? How did he make this at our age? It's as real as Professor Ashe's illusions!"
Vesperia fiddled with wet leaves, gushing admiration. Ardelia secretly agreed. As the two girls lost themselves in the pinnacle of illusion magic, marveling at their surroundings—
Crunch.
Crack.
A grotesque munching sound came from beyond the forest bushes, like something chewing tough plants.
Thud.
Thud.
Heavy footsteps shook the ground, roughly parting a cluster of giant ferns.
"Uh...?"
Ardelia's heart plummeted. Vesperia froze, holding her breath.
The creature that emerged shattered their common sense with its bizarre, massive bulk.
"Buoooh."
Elephant-sized. Gray skin covered in tough scales and hide. Most overwhelming was its head: a massive horn at the nose tip, two sharp, spear-like horns above the eyes, and a broad, bone-plate frill like a shield at the back.
What kind of monster is that?
Color drained from Ardelia's face. She'd read countless beast tomes in the imperial library. Never had she seen a creature with three horns and a bony head shield.
Dinosaurs didn't exist in this romance-fantasy world. Unbeknownst to her, it was merely late-Cretaceous herbivore Triceratops data from Rian's mind rendered in the virtual reality.
Vesperia, danger!
Seized by bewilderment, Ardelia backed away. She needed to flee with Vesperia. The Triceratops spotted them, pausing its meal and turning its massive head. Even as a herbivore, its size exuded unimaginable pressure.
Pruuurrr—!
It snorted roughly, scraping the muddy ground with its front feet, wary of the intruders.
"S-Scary. Rian said you won't die even if bitten inside, but..."
Vesperia trembled, clutching Kkaman tightly. A terrifying standoff, as if those huge horns might charge like carpet bombing.
Then—
"RAAAAAWR!!!"
Balme, crouched at Ardelia's feet, exploded with a ferocious cry.
"Balme?"
Ardelia looked down in surprise. Balme's golden feathers bristled, tail lashing wildly. Its rear sickle claws dug deep into the earth, muscles bulging as if ready to spring. Sensing its master's fear, the Velociraptor spirit perceived the Triceratops as a threat.
Light mana concentrated in Balme's eyes.