Body Check
[Dark Zone Gallery Main Illustration]
Welcome, you damn newbies.
I know exactly why you're here, so don't hit the back button. I know you got hooked by this overcrowded piece-of-shit game and wanted to try it out at least once, so since you're already here, might as well get a taste.
If you've made it this far, you probably have some idea what Dark Zone is, so I'll keep it simple and start with BCI connector registration and how to connect.
[...]
[Connector Photo]
There might be some truly fresh VR newbies who've never touched anything like this before, so I'll explain from the beginning. I'm sure you all have some idea what this connector set is that's being advertised like crazy on the internet and TV.
It's basically a set of sensors and neuron signal collectors that you attach to various parts of your body and head, and you just put them on and connect. There are so many users that unless you're a 220cm giant or a damn pig weighing over 120kg, it'll recognize you just fine.
It can even cover E2-level Awakeners and above, so just rent one or buy one if you're rich and put it on. There might be an EM-level Awakener reading this, but if so, click here.
[...]
[Dark Zone Gameplay Photo]
You'll need a monthly subscription to play this game, but most of you are probably paying it together with the connector rental fee. Anyway, that's enough about that. What kind of game is it? It's exactly the FPS VR game you're thinking of.
For the gamers who don't know what FPS means, let me kindly explain: it's a first-person game. And like all games in this category, don't worry about the recognition quality being poor just because it's a non-invasive BCI connect machine — it's completely meaningless. Icarus has three data centers in Korea alone, each 25 square kilometers in size.
Graphics and server connections are handled there, so using a high-performance latest-model connector is more beneficial for you, okay?
[...]
[Character Customization Photo]
Like most VR games, Dark Zone also allows character customization. But these damn Icarus bastards — are they trying to mass-produce netcam addicts? They've made platform avatars available, and you can change gender, add ears, tails, everything.
Even if you use a female voice, it'll all show up when you verify your gender, so please avoid overly disgusting avatars, damn furry bastards. And if you're going to use those kinds of avatars, at least don't troll and show some awareness that you're here to learn properly, please.
Still, if your character is pretty, they'll be less likely to get mad at your face... damn Henslow bastard, looks like he planned this too. So just don't do damn concept cosplay and keep it to one person, unless you want a rifle butt to your face.
The guys in this gallery all use normal character appearances, but they really hate concept cosplayers.
[...]
[...]
[Random Photo]
Given the nature of the game, it's understandable to get close with people you meet in the gallery within the game, but don't drag them into the gallery. If you want to see you and your entire squad getting doxxed and killed, go ahead and bring them lol.
For reference, if you get killed, it doesn't end with getting cursed out in the gallery — your gaming experience will also become shit.
So have fun gaming.
You damn newbies.
"…Is she really coming?"
"She's already completed the body certification verification. Of course she's coming."
Icarus Korea Building. The first-floor lobby of the structure erected in Yeouido, painted entirely in black, earning it the insane nickname "Yeouido's Yanggaeng" — sweet red bean jelly. Two employees from Icarus Korea's Public Relations Support Team stood there.
They were frantically working with company-issued tablet computers that should normally be clipped to their sides or kept in their bags, handled only during work hours. Their attire was neat casual business wear dominated by black, more polished than other departments due to frequent meetings. Yet beneath it all, anxiety and anticipation they couldn't hide. Multiple green lights and a few red ones flickered across the panel above.
Their fingers moved busily, sending messages in all directions.
"Is there anywhere still not ready?"
"All the staff convenience facilities are done. There were a few errors during the simulation equipment inspection, but I think we can handle those."
"No, we submitted the cooperation request three days ago and you're telling me this…"
"That's how they are, you know. They're always like that — it's not the first or second time. They said it'll be done within 30 minutes, so it should be fine."
"Alright then."
After a few touches, the red lights were forcibly switched to green, and a completion message appeared. They'd barely reached 100% facility usage approval three minutes before the pre-arranged person's arrival, but whatever. The important thing was that it was done.
How long did they wait after that?
"…Ah, that must be her."
"Where?"
"Over there. You can tell who it is just by looking."
A single figure visible through the revolving door.
A woman who looked somehow…extremely seamless was walking toward the entrance. Her appearance wasn't particularly unusual — not like most Awakeners in South Korea, the Tiger types, with naturally impossible stripe patterns in their hair or ears popping out from the top of their heads.
But as she drew closer, her features became increasingly distinct. The pointed ears on either side were far too horizontal to be the elf ears commonly seen in fantasy.
And—
"Wow…"
"…I've never seen someone with a tail that long before."
A sleek, smooth tail that would make even someone who disliked reptiles gasp in admiration. As it swayed like a wisp of mist from the small of her back, both pairs of pupils shifted subtly.
She stepped naturally through the revolving door and into the cool interior of the building. It didn't take long for their eyes to meet.
Brushing the momentary fluster from their faces with care, the two managed to tear their gaze away from the tail and offered greetings.
"Are you Ms. Lee Eugene? Nice to meet you. I'm Lee Jin-chul, Deputy Manager of the PR Support Team."
"I'm Han Seol-ah from the Support Team. Nice to meet you."
"…I am Lee Eugene. Nice to meet you. I'll be in your care for today."
After a brief handshake,
"I suppose it's a bit awkward to say this in advance, but today's escort may not go entirely smoothly. Could you please bear with us?"
"What's the reason?"
"…Actually, this measurement is unprecedented for us as well."
Special Physical Examination.
Among the roughly one hundred thousand Awakeners scattered across the globe, fewer than five thousand were E2-level or above, and the EM-level individuals were so rare they couldn't even be counted.
Officially, this was created for those people — to collect physical data on the additional body parts that existed on their bodies, so they could function fully within the virtual reality. But…
"Looks like no one's applied."
"…You're the second person in the world."
"That's incredible."
Perhaps predictably, no one had applied.
Most people whose bodies had changed followed the pattern of their country's national animal — their symbolic creature. The list included tigers, lions, bears, wolves… and countless other animals. But many had tails too short to be usable, and beyond that… there was no real need to use their ears and tails in virtual reality.
In other words, this went beyond rarity — statistically, it was a situation that easily surpassed winning the lottery.
It didn't take long for a question born of equal parts duty and curiosity to come out.
"…If it's not too much trouble, could we see how you actually use your tail?"
"If there's a specific action you'd like to see."
"Ah, anything is fine."
Silence fell. Eyes met.
"We need to verify whether you can actually use that body part within the game, so a simple demonstration like that should be sufficient."
"Ah."
How long did it take?
"Is this enough?"
She raised both hands, palms open as if proving her innocence, and stared steadily at the two of them without wavering.
But then, at some point—
"Wow."
Naturally, like a third hand, the tail slid forward and wrapped gently around her phone, moving it toward her right hand.
She plucked the phone free with her fingers and shook it briefly to show them. Then she slipped the phone back into her pocket, and the brief demonstration was over.
The two, a half-beat late in coming to their senses, nodded slightly and then repeatedly, exclaiming in amazement.
"That's amazing. I never thought there'd actually be someone who could use it like that."
"Is showing this much okay?"
"Ah, can you do other things too?"
"I can do more than you'd think."
But it didn't seem like the time to show them now.
She didn't demonstrate anything beyond that, and the two who were supposed to escort her didn't spend more time trying to see either.
Knowing when to cut something off was one of the most important fundamentals in the world.
"…Alright then, let me give you a brief overview of the schedule. To implement your avatar within our physics engine, we need to input measurement values into the engine, and as part of that process, there will be a physical examination."
"I don't suppose I need to fast or anything, do I?"
"No, this isn't about determining disease status or anything like that."
The explanation continued as they moved toward the elevator.
"Through the examination, we'll check various things including muscle mass, and then run simulations using the measurement values derived from that. After that, we'll verify your actual physical abilities to see how much difference there is from the simulation."
"During this process, we'll attach several sensors to your…body. This is part of forming the physics model that will be used within the game, so please let us know if you feel any discomfort."
The doors closed, and a strange sense of weightlessness enveloped them.