First Encounter

"What's with that kid? She's gorgeous."

"Looks like she ran away from home and Mom's dragging her back."

I said stop staring, you idiots.

You're just game NPCs. Why the hell do you care?

I knew it wasn't really their fault. I would have stared too.

But I was a shut-in who'd spent his entire life loving nothing but the four walls of his room. Just being thrown into a situation this sudden was already enough to send me into a full-blown panic — and now I'd gone and drawn every eye on the street. I could barely handle it.

Still, once I was in the woman's car, I managed to catch my breath.

She'd tried to call the police and the Hunter Administration, but my fierce opposition finally made her throw up her hands.

"Do you have somewhere to go?"

"…No."

"How old are you? You look about middle-school age."

"L-like I said, I don't remember a single thing. Except my name."

The woman studied me for a long moment, then let out a sigh and lifted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her smartphone. After a brief call with someone, she turned back to me.

"You said Cia, right? For now, let's go to my place."

"Excuse me?"

"I'm Kang Jiye. My identity checks out, so don't worry."

She pulled a business card from her wallet and held it out. I accepted it carefully.

The Hunter Administration.

A subordinate agency of the World Ability Organization, responsible for managing Korea's awakened. It tracked the numbers and locations of ability users, along with information on their powers.

There was one key difference from the Hunter Administrations you usually saw in hunter fiction, though: it didn't involve itself much with gates. Ability users had a habit of producing the occasional uncontrollable specimen, and issuing warnings to — or hauling in — those people was the agency's main job.

Why did I know all this in such detail?

Because Pecia had exploited exactly those human tendencies to sow absolute chaos. Things like disguising herself as the protagonist's party and attacking the Hunter Administration, for instance. If you didn't keep your head on straight mid-story, you even got missions where you had to fight them.

Deputy Director of the Incheon Branch, huh. Lucky break.

Of course, she was an NPC with no place in my memories. The story had mostly played out inside Seoul.

Still, her official standing was a real help. The moment she confirmed I had no mana, she cut me a civilian family register. She skipped every verification procedure that mattered and got me an ID card and a bank account on the spot. If some ordinary office worker or housewife had picked me up, it would have taken forever.

And so, a mere three weeks after arriving at Kang Jiye's home—

"Here. Take this."

"Ah — thank you."

—I officially became a resident of Gate Apocalypse.

…

The full name. Seriously.

Why would I do something that insane?

The short answer: that damned system. The second I tried to make an ID under a Korean-style name, this warning message popped up.

Does the system's personality take after the original owner?

Well, the original Pecia had been a narcissist beyond imagination. Rainbow Garden, for example, had been absolutely packed with photos and portraits of Pecia herself — so much so that players almost universally complained of motion sickness the moment they set foot inside. Weirdos like Chi-Ai excepted, of course.

Whatever. Not thinking about it.

Getting shoved into this body in the first place had already been absurd enough. And names like this weren't exactly rare around here.

Tap—

"…?"

Something suddenly brushed the back of my hand. I looked down. A little girl who barely came up to my waist was beaming up at me.

"Sis, you're living at our house for real now, right? You are, right?!"

Kang Jiye's daughter.

It hadn't been long, but it already felt like we'd gotten pretty close. Honestly, she'd liked me from day one. I was the only one who'd had to work at closing the distance. This kid had been a little puppy from the start.

Kang Jiye scolded her gently.

"Sis has to go into the dorms, Yena."

"Then we'll go into the dorms too!"

"Dorms are for one person."

"Aaaaaah!!"

"Hush. No throwing tantrums."

Her tone was firm, but it wasn't as if Kang Jiye found me a nuisance. If anything, she seemed glad — I took Yena to kindergarten for her, stayed home with her, the whole package. For a widowed working mom, my presence was almost ideal.

But she was sharp. She'd figured out I was the solo type. So at some point she'd started shutting down Yena's little campaigns, and on top of that she'd even secured me a single room in the Integrated Academy dorms for next year's enrollment.

I was grateful for the kindness — and a little guilty, too.

I thought of you as an NPC.

In the game, people like her lived or died without consequence. I'd planned to take the help and leave, then spend my days alone in a room the way I had in my past life. But feeling that kind, warm consideration up close had changed a lot of things.

Even so, I still couldn't bring myself to say I'd actually live in this house…

But I should at least make this much of a promise. If I'm going to call myself a person.

I gently cupped Yena's puffy little cheeks.

"Even after I start school, I'll come visit a lot. Don't worry."

"Nooo. Then I'll be all alone until then."

"You'd be alone anyway once Sis goes to school. You gonna follow me there too?"

Hesitation flickered across Yena's face.

"…If I follow you, do I have to study?"

"Yep."

"…"

"Yena?"

"I'll try being alone. But you have to come play a lot."

Pfft.

Knew it. Kids were kids, this world or the last one.

Just then, Kang Jiye looked up from her phone.

"Alright, I'm heading out, so you two play nice. Yena — keep a good eye on Sis Pecia at the playground, okay?"

"Okay! Don't worry!"

Creak— Thud!

The second Kang Jiye was out the door, Yena grabbed my hand.

"Playground! I'll watch you so you don't get lost!"

She marched ahead with determined little steps. Honestly, going outside was a mild hassle, but I followed quietly.

Which meant this had been Kang Jiye's plan all along. Yena loved playing grown-up, so she'd given her the role of "look after your big sister" — and at the same time, made sure Yena wouldn't wander out of my sight on her own. Lose me, and she'd fail as an adult. Simple, but smart.

"No swimming! You'll catch a cold!"

That wasn't me talking, either. I'd pretended to bolt excitedly toward the water, and Yena had stopped me.

"But ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Sis really wants to go in…"

"I said nooo!"

She swatted at me with her tiny hands. So cute I thought my nose might actually start bleeding. With a mother as beautiful as Kang Jiye, it was no surprise Yena had a doll-like face of her own.

Whew… anyway, the pool seal was a success.

It was autumn, but they still ran the pool for a bit in the middle of the day. Yena loved splashing around, so I'd had to get ahead of her. Catching a cold was not an option.

"Okay. Then let's go play on that island."

"Yay!"

We crossed a rope bridge painted with pirate markings and reached the little island ringed by the pool.

The playground looked a lot like Pecia's Rainbow Garden. Bright, multicolored ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flooring and slides. The first time I'd seen it, I'd flinched a little — half-expecting a Party Bear with a steel needle to pop out and go for Yena's throat. But by now, the quiet of ordinary days had settled my nerves. Even a shut-in like me couldn't help feeling better, watching kids laugh in the bright afternoon sun.

"Yena, over here! That's it!"

I kept catching her so she wouldn't tumble off the spiral slide. Before long she'd forgotten the grown-up act entirely and was just happily riding the thing.

Then, mid-slide, Yena suddenly went still, staring off somewhere.

Kids her age. And next to each of them, a parent.

Ah.

"…"

Yena looked up at me.

"Sis."

"Yeah."

"Let's go home."

I watched her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠for a moment, then nodded.

"Okay."

Sometimes I wondered. What if I'd actually been a girl? Maybe I could have comforted her a little more gently. Unfortunately, I had no social skills. I didn't know how to console a small child. Being left alone on the weekend was sad — what else was there to say?

"Sis. Sis Pecia."

"Hm?"

"When we get home, let's take a bath together."

"…"

Normally I would have said no. A guy on the inside bathing with a little girl? If I'd been the parent, my eyes would have rolled back into my skull.

But…

"Sure. Let's do that!"

"Hehe, yay!"

I decided to take that secret to the grave.

What the hell is this woman even doing on the weekends.

Part of me was a little resentful. I understood a single mom being busy, but weekends at least could go to her kid. It just made me feel rotten for no reason.

And it brings back old memories, too.

That was when it hit me.

"Wait — what is that smell?"

I stopped mid-step. A stench rolling in from somewhere made my face twist. Not urine or feces — something higher-order, something that made you want to vomit on contact. It had been faint earlier, but now it was completely blatant.

Yena tilted her head.

"What smell?"

"You don't smell it? Like rotting food or something…"

"Excuse me~. Pardon me~."

A low, scraping voice made me turn.

A middle-aged man with a face gone deathly blue was speaking to some kid's mother. His mouth was split wide in a grotesque smile.

…!?

"Oh, shit—!"

The instant I saw it, I scooped Yena up and ran. And almost in the same breath, something tore into flesh behind us, and a woman's horrific scream ripped through the air.

Crunch—

"Kyaaaaaaah—!!! H-help!!!"

"Aaaagh!! A monster!!"

"Mom, Mom!"

"Ye-jun!!"

The playground dissolved into pandemonium in seconds. I shoved the scene behind me as fast as I could, clamping my hands over Yena's ears.

"Yena, close your eyes!"

"Sis, Sis, what's happening?!"

I barked it.

"Close your eyes!"

"…!"

Yena flinched, tears welling. But as the screams kept coming, she buried her face completely against my chest.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!!

…Thud-thud-thud-thud!

You've got to be kidding me — they followed!

Footsteps layered over mine at a set distance. No — closing in.

Pecia's agility was far higher than a normal person's, but so was theirs. Ghouls — the beasts that prowled underground dungeons. By hunter standards their combat power wasn't that high, but raw physical ability alone made them absurdly strong. If they'd come out of a gate, there had to be at least a hundred of them.

Elevator… no good!

I pounded up the apartment stairwell, shouting.

"Please open a door! Just for a second, please open up!"

No response.

"Just take the kid! I can't run carrying her!"

Damn it… what now.

They were already one floor below. Punching in the door code would get me caught instantly. Opening a gate was out — Yena had no mana, and she might not make it through.

Turn and fight? I haven't even allocated my ability points yet. Can I win?

Of course I'd win. I was Pecia.

But ghouls always went for the weakest target first. They might ignore me entirely and charge Yena. And more of them were climbing up from the floors below.

Damn it, I should've put points into Strength! Then I could just kick them off and run!

"Grr… I said I just wanted to ask you something~."

"Shut up!"

I put on a strong front, but a chill ran down my spine. I'd killed these things dozens of times in the game — but facing them for real, my legs felt ready to give out. Even that ridiculous way of talking was somehow more terrifying in person.

So this is reality…!

Why hadn't I understood it until now? If NPCs felt real, of course the monsters would feel real too. I'd gotten so soft on peace that I'd forgotten this place was Gate Apocalypse.

I'm at my limit…!

I had to make a stand. Climb any higher and I'd meet them completely exhausted.

And then there was the truly garbage part of me — for a split second, I imagined dumping Yena and fleeing into a gate. The rationalization flickered up: It's just a game world, right?

Heh. Grow up already, me.

"Yena, run!"

I set her down on the sixth floor like I was throwing her, then immediately spun into a back kick. The ghouls' awful stench let me gauge their position.

Thud!

"Grk!"

But it felt like kicking a boulder. Even with a clean hit to the chest, the thing clung to the railing and tried to hold on.

Not zero damage, at least.

Forcing myself calm, I jumped, twisted, and drove the other foot in. This time a proper left-leg kick landed square in its chest.

Bang! Crash-tumble!

The ghoul went flying down the stairs. I used the opening to cast.

"Card Summon — One Pair."

Poof!

Smoke burst, and a smooth texture bloomed into my right hand. Without hesitation, I threw them.