The Price of a Dream
In the past, Maetan was home to the headquarters of South Korea's largest conglomerate.
Because it was a world-renowned giant with numerous high-tech industries, it maintained an intranet—an internal network disconnected from external access to preserve confidentiality. Thanks to this, even when artificial intelligence seized control of the global internet, Maetan was able to preserve a vast amount of data without being hacked.
Among the projects Maetan had been pushing forward at the time was a venture into VR and virtual worlds. That accumulated know-how became the very foundation of Intra-Maetan.
While other human sanctuaries still existed here and there, as far as I knew, none of them possessed a virtual world on the scale of Maetan.
The existence of this virtual world played a massive role in why so many people found Maetan so alluring.
A world where humanity had lost the war, leaving all infrastructure shattered.
To those who still remembered the abundance of the pre-war era, their current lives—filthy, cramped, and plagued by constant hunger—were nothing short of hell.
Intra-Maetan was a dreamscape for those citizens.
Through advanced virtual reality technology that connected directly to the brain to project illusions, they could taste foods that no longer existed and walk down pre-apocalyptic streets they could never see again.
The experience, and its addictiveness, was more potent than any drug.
It was no exaggeration to say that the citizens of Maetan currently worked solely for the chance to log into Intra-Maetan even once a week.
"Mister! Next is over there! Let's go over there!"
Float.
A Sun Bear wearing a red cape floated up into the sky and flew rapidly past the cumulus clouds.
I donned a green cape and chased after it.
The wind brushing past my cheeks, the occasional droplet of water hitting my forehead, and the gentle sunlight wrapping around my entire body felt wonderful.
A sea of clouds.
It was an attraction adapted from an old online game, where wearing a cape allowed you to ride the wind and fly above the clouds.
"Where should we go next?"
“We're heading back soon. I have to go to work.”
"Tsk."
CC pouted, tearing off a piece of cloud candy and eating it.
It was an apple-flavored cotton candy with a slightly chewy texture.
"Mmm. Sticky, but delicious."
The Sun Bear—no, CC—sucked the cotton candy stuck to her fingers... wait, her paws.
"This is insane. Absolutely insane. How can they be so shameless... Ugh."
"Isn't that... I think I saw that at the Garden..."
"It's got some customization, but... definitely... one of the Sun Bear series..."
Even though it was early morning, the whispers of the bustling crowd stung.
I did my best to ignore the voices and the stares.
From the moment I logged into Intra-Maetan, a bear wearing fishnet stockings had been standing right next to me.
A Sun Bear named Munchi.
Without a doubt, this was CC's doing.
“What do you think? Cute, right?”
“Didn't you say you couldn't use it in Intra-Maetan because it's an illegal avatar?”
“A little hack like this is nothing. Don't worry, we'll never get caught! And even if we do, I made sure it won't trace back to you, Mister!”
I tried to stop her, but before I could even speak, CC dashed off to enjoy Intra-Maetan's entertainment services to her heart's content.
“Hey, stop playing around and follow me.”
“Why? There's still time before work. Let's play a little longer.”
“Ah, shut up and follow me!”
I grabbed the Sun Bear's hand—no, paw—and headed toward a secluded area.
"Oh my god, he took it into a back alley...!!"
"So... so dirty...!"
Forcing myself to ignore the voices drifting over, I spoke to CC.
“Log off.”
"Eh... why?"
“You're drawing too much attention.”
"Ah. Because I'm too cute?"
My head throbbed.
“Just log off. Can't you make yourself invisible like you do on the internet?”
“But that's boring. I want to move around too.”
The Sun Bear hopped in place, dancing.
Was it because my sensibilities were warped that I found her ballet-like leaps on her hind paws somewhat elegant?
“Then could you at least take off those fishnet stockings?”
“Eh... if I take these off, I'm just a regular bear.”
A regular bear was infinitely better than a bear in fishnets.
“Tsk.”
CC plopped down on the ground and grunted as she struggled to pull off the fishnets. She moved her paws carefully, trying not to rip them.
“Ugh... I can't. It's impossible with bear fingers.”
“Just rip them!”
I slipped my fingers into the mesh and yanked hard.
"Roaaar! (Kyaaa!)"
CC's scream, filtered through the roar of a bear, echoed across the blue sky.
The Shopping Server was the largest and most data-dense sector among all of Intra-Maetan's servers.
Thanks to the efforts of Players exploring the internet and countless field agents, they had reconstructed a flawless shopping district based on real-world landmarks like Gwangjang Market, Myeongdong Street, and Shinsegae Department Store.
No matter what their individual goals were when logging into Intra-Maetan, everyone was bound to stop by here at least once.
The streets bustled with passersby, barkers, and various street stalls.
In the past, I would have been deeply impressed by the sheer density of the data, but having experienced the actual internet, I felt a bit differently now.
It lacks vitality.
Most of the people walking the streets right now were Maetan citizens wearing avatars.
Meaning they were actual humans.
Despite that, it felt less alive than the world inside the internet.
I quickly realized why.
...There's only what's absolutely necessary here.
Because Intra-Maetan's server capacity was limited, measures were put in place to minimize the computational load as much as possible.
If trash fell on the ground, it vanished within seconds. No bugs peeked out of the sewers, and no birds perched on power lines or roofs.
Because of this, the internet world—where even those useless details were fully rendered—actually felt more real.
It was a distinction only someone who had experienced the internet could perceive.
"What are we buying?"
The Sun Bear asked, grooming its fur.
"An avatar for you."
"Eh, I'm fine. I like this one."
"Well, I'm not fine. We need to buy you something decent."
Thanks to the reward and performance bonuses from Sprout, I had plenty of money.
"Then, can I choose?"
"I don't care. As long as it's not too expensive."
"Roaaar! (Yay! Thank you!)"
The Sun Bear roared and did a somersault.
A few passersby clapped and cheered.
Though some looked at the Sun Bear with deeply unsettled eyes.
Regardless, she was the entity that would assist my computations from now on.
A little treat like this was fine.
The only problem was...
...I had vastly underestimated what it meant to go shopping with a female.
There were several types of avatars, but the main ones were personal avatars constructed by the users themselves, and combination avatars sold by Maetan.
First, personal avatars replicated the user's real-world appearance.
Because they were far more realistic and offered a stronger sense of self-identity than combination avatars, many people preferred them.
Although the level of detail rendered in virtual reality was absurdly high, surprisingly, the computational load borne by the user was much lower compared to combination avatars.
A Maetan avatar technician had explained this by saying, "It's because visualizing your original appearance and moving your own body is a natural, subconscious process."
Combination avatars, on the other hand, were created by mixing and matching data within Maetan's servers. They were entirely fictional faces made by combining various body and facial parts.
Anyone could use these, and they were sold at avatar shops.
Prices varied wildly, ranging from a cheap 10,000 Maetan Points to millions of points, and they demanded varying degrees of computational load from the user depending on the avatar's complexity.
And the ones provided to employees, like the goblin avatar I used, were called NPC avatars. Since the server handled almost all of the computations, they imposed even less of a load than personal avatars.
Thanks to that, I could stay logged in for long periods in my goblin form.
While personal avatars were the norm, combination avatars were highly coveted.
They cost money and required a high computational load, but because they allowed users to choose an appearance entirely different from their real selves, they were the best-selling commodity in Intra-Maetan.
Naturally, there were many shops that sold them...
...and choosing one took an eternity.
"I'm going to die..."
I collapsed onto the sofa of the avatar shop.
I was exhausted.
The soles of my feet ached.
To begin with, the boots my goblin avatar wore were incredibly uncomfortable.
Avatar shops visited: thirteen.
Time spent in each shop: roughly twelve minutes.
Avatars tried on: 118.
I was more fatigued than I had been during the forced combat marches while guarding the rear of my unit during the war.
Meanwhile, the Sun Bear was full of energy, trying on one avatar after another.
"Hmm... this one seems okay, but I don't really like the cheek modeling on this one..."
"Hey! Just pick one already! It's almost time for work!"
“There are still thirty-two minutes left.”
“We have to get there twenty minutes early! Do you have any idea how heavy the burden of being the rookie is?!”
As the rookie of the Customer Satisfaction Team, I had the responsibility and duty to arrive before anyone else, fill out the schedule, and prepare for the day's work.
"But there's nothing I like..."
"Please... just pick one... I want this to end..."
As I let out a near-tearful groan, the clerk made a suggestion to CC.
"Valued customer, how about a custom avatar?"
"A custom avatar?"
"Yes. We measure your brainwaves to generate your ideal avatar, and then our designers refine and polish it to completion. It takes a bit of time and money, but you will receive a one-of-a-kind avatar perfectly tailored to you."
CC looked at me.
"Do whatever you want. Just buy it quickly."
"Yay! Awesome! What do I need to do?"
"Hold this and imagine the self you want to become."
The clerk handed CC a transparent, heart-shaped glass bottle with a flower inside.
"This is an Aerial Element Fixation Device. It will manifest the form you desire."
CC took the Aerial Element Fixation Device and stepped into the fitting room.
A moment later.
"...How is it?"
A young girl, looking barely past ten years old, stepped out of the fitting room.
She had blonde hair with neatly trimmed bangs, a short bob in the back, and large, cute eyes. There was a strange, familiar warmth to her, as if I had seen her somewhere before.
"You look absolutely adorable! Right? Don't you think so too, sir?"
"Yeah. You look cute."
"Really?"
CC spun around in front of the full-length mirror, checking herself out.
She seemed to love it; a bright smile never left her face.
"I'll take this one!"
"Understood. There is a designer's room right through the back. Would you like to adjust the details there?"
"Yes!"
CC vanished into the back of the shop.
The clerk quietly approached me and whispered in a low voice.
"In Maetan, romantic relationships between adults and minors under fifteen are strictly prohibited."
"...She's... over fifteen."
Seven years of war, seven years after the war.
It was close, but she should be over that, right?
No, even if she wasn't, she was an AI, so it wasn't like there was an actual issue.
"Ah, of course. Minors under fifteen can't be equipped with a Neck-Hub anyway, so it should be fine. My apologies."
The clerk bowed politely in apology.
I gave a light nod instead of answering.
A moment later, the Sun Bear reemerged from the back of the shop.
“What about the avatar you just made?”
"They said it needs some adjustments."
"For custom avatars, a designer will refine the details and polish the model, register it to Maetan, and then send it to the account that paid for it. It takes about a week."
The clerk added an explanation and handed me the bill.
Dun-dun.
Twelve million Maetan Points?!
I stared at the clerk with trembling eyes, and he gave a quiet nod.
“Unlike combination avatars that copy and paste existing data, a custom avatar is built entirely from scratch. In other words, it occupies dedicated storage space within Maetan's servers. The twelve million Maetan Points includes the cost of that storage.”
The clerk smiled warmly and gestured toward CC with his eyes.
There sat the Sun Bear, rolling around on the floor with the happiest expression in the world.
"Roaaar...!"
The stares of the crowd stung.
Their eyes held a mix of curiosity and pity.
Sure, look all you want. Where else are you going to see a Sun Bear crying its eyes out at the top of its lungs?
"Roaaar! (Mister lied to meeee...)"
"Give me a break... Twelve million isn't pocket change..."
My monthly salary was 1.4 million Maetan Points.
It was nearly a year's worth of wages.
Even if I had thirty million points, it wasn't a sum I could just throw away lightly.
"Groaaan! (You said you'd buy it for meeee...!)"
"I'll buy you a different avatar... Please, just stop..."
I was dragging, pushing, and coaxing the flailing Sun Bear toward the exit of the Shopping Server when a handsome blonde man approached us.
"...Can I help you?"
"I've been watching you for a while."
The man spoke in a low, quiet voice.
...Don't tell me he knows what CC is?!
I stepped between the Sun Bear and the man, shifting into a stance that would allow me to react instantly to whatever happened.
"What exactly have you been watching?"
"...There's no need to be on guard. I'm one of your own."
The man handed me a blank black business card.
As I cautiously accepted it, glowing text materialized on its surface.
[ VIP MEMBER INVITATION ]
Certified Member: Suspicious
"This is..."
"Every Sunday at 7 PM. Come to the Maetan Ranch Server and show this card to Cow Number Seven."
The man whispered, leaning in close to my ear.
"And... while I admire your boldness, walking around in public with a roleplay avatar like that is a bit... bold. We are still a minority, after all. For now, let's be content with keeping our mutual understanding between ourselves."
The man vanished into the crowd, leaving behind a gentle smile.
His parting words still echoed in my ears.
“Ah, I quite like goblins myself... I truly hope to see you again.”
I stood frozen in place long after he had departed.
Having finally stopped crying, the Sun Bear asked.
"Who was that?"
"...Just buy that custom avatar from earlier."
"Really? Seriously? Yay!"
...I should probably start thinking about getting a different avatar than a goblin too.
I was pondering low-load avatars as I stepped into my workplace, the Goblin's Forest.
“I've been waiting for you.”
A man radiating a menacing black aura blocked my path.