First Cash-Out (2)
“Haha! Just kidding, just kidding! At Aintech, we sell all our capsules strictly at the listed price!”
“What the hell are you saying, hyung? Seriously, I can’t understand why old guys like you insist on these lame dad jokes.”
It was such an expensive, limited-edition capsule that for a split second, I actually fell for it. Of course, the old urban legend-level notoriety of this place flashing through my mind didn’t help.
“You scared me there, boss. Anyway, can we take a look at the product first?”
“Of course. It’s a hot item with reservations nationwide, but our store’s pretty big, so we got five units allocated. Three are already gone, but Hyunjung here begged me to hold one back just for him.”
“I told you, hyung— one of my buddies is aiming to be a ranker. That’s him right there.”
“Sheesh, even so, it’s not cheap... Impressive for someone so young.”
“Ah... I got lucky and snagged a Legendary item. Never thought I’d actually be able to buy the TX I’d been dreaming about. And with the new PRO version just released...”
“The icon of rags-to-riches, Taitonic-style! Reinvesting your Taitonic earnings back into Taitonic—that’s impressive in itself. Most regular folks can’t manage that.”
“Hyung, enough chit-chat. Can we see the capsule now? Test drive’s included, right?”
“How about we check your sync rate first, before the test? We need your BVI stats to fine-tune the connection. That okay?”
“Of course. Please do, boss.”
Everyone’s brainwaves and neural response speeds vary wildly. BVI is the data metric for how well your brainwaves sync with VR through the capsule. Unlike early VR that only handled visuals, full-sensory VR games like Taitonic relied heavily on high BVI sync for immersion. That’s why capsules come in tiers. While the DX only offered three standard BVI presets, the TX provided 256 customizable settings—like going from off-the-rack clothes in three sizes to a perfectly tailored suit. The new PRO version even accumulated and analyzed your personal BVI data for even smoother, more integrated play, or so the ads claimed.
Am I really blowing money on this? No, come on, Kang Jihwan—didn’t you swear to forget about cost-performance from now on? You made it here after all this time.
Lying in the measurement machine for the first time in three years brought random thoughts bubbling up. Ninety percent of Taitonic gamers used DX capsules. Meaning, the three presets were fine for most people. I’d stuck with DX from day one and never felt inconvenienced. But if money could squeeze out even a tiny hardware edge, I’d carve out time from hunting to make the trip.
“Okay, BVI scan complete. Give me five minutes to set it up for a test run. This would’ve been Smart Beta settings on a DX.”
“Yes, exactly, boss. You know your stuff.”
No one had test-driven it yet since it was pre-reserved, so setup took extra time. Watching, Hyunjung got tempted and spoke up.
“Hyung, mind if I hop into the last TX for a quick connect?”
“Huh? Gonna dive into Taitonic together?”
“Yeah.”
“Sure, we’ve got one left—test run’s fine, especially for you. Since you came all this way, wanna feel why it’s worth the price?”
“Hell yeah! I know my exact BVI, so set it up quick!”
Even using a 10-million-plus FX, Hyunjung was buzzing to try the top-tier TX PRO. Made sense—few shelled out 100 million for a marginal gain, so most would never experience it. Especially since they couldn’t just let anyone test it.
“Jihwan-ah, I’ll log in first and grab a room—whisper me!”
“Yeah. Where?”
“Kaljen Castle!”
Seeing Hyunjung slam the capsule shut and log in, the boss said,
“That kid’s a high-level player, huh? Hunting in Kaljen territory...”
“Ah, you play Taitonic too, boss?”
“Of course! What kinda capsule shop owner doesn’t? Kids are grown, so after work, I play with buddies. My oldest is obsessed with that Sandro thief guy lately—rerolled into a thief...”
“Y-yeah? The one who picked up the Holy Sword?”
“Yep. Guy’s living the dream. Meanwhile, I’m scraping by selling capsules... Life’s unfair, right?”
“Ah, yeah, yeah. Heh.”
Listening, memories of my pocket-change grinding days surfaced.
One day, boss, you’ll hit the jackpot too.
Chat wrapped up as setup finished. I climbed in and connected.
La la la~
The familiar wind spirit melody at login felt... off. Different. Yesterday, it was flat—today, it was like a live concert hall performance, vivid and spatial.
“Whoa, insane... This is nuts.”
Welcome to Taitonic.
We hope you enjoy your adventure.
I opened the door from Kaljen’s main castle where I’d logged out and stepped into the plaza. Sunlight pouring down. Breeze tousling my hair. Distant bell tolls from the outer village... Everything felt new, astonishing.
“Was I really playing the same game all this time? Higher sync rate turns it into a whole different beast.”
Rich players had been living like this? Regret hit hard for sticking with the cheapest capsule since launch three years ago, dismissing differences as hype.
Using Quick Movement toward the inn, awe didn’t stop. Running faster than real life, yet landing exactly where intended—not a millimeter off. This body felt more controllable than my real one.
At the inn, I picked up Hyunjung’s dropped key from under the table and entered the virtual private room.
“You’re here? Man, TX version is wild. FX is trash compared to this.”
“You bastard! If an FX user says that, what about DX peasants like me? This is insane! Why didn’t I upgrade months ago?”
“Told you not to cheap out. So, impressions?”
“Remember full kit marches in the army? That 20kg load?”
“Vividly.”
“Feels like ditching it— I could fly!”
“Show-off.”
“Not exaggerating. Wanna duel?”
“Bring it. Been waiting.”
One-on-one duels: Illusion’s PvP system for safe practice. HP hit 1 instead of death, so villages often had duelists. The instanced inn room was spacious enough.
“What’s with you? Where’s my borrowed Legendary sword? Dropped it?”
“Huh? Lion King’s Sword? What’re you talking about— I’m holding it.”
“You psycho! Who changes a longsword to a black umbrella?!”
Hyunjung appeared in a black suit and fedora instead of his old white tux. Fine, whatever. But drawing a coiled black ‘long umbrella’ instead of the flashy mithril longsword? Curses flew.
“You only grind levels, blind to trends? Umbrella reskins are hot—pairs perfect with suits, expensive as hell!”
“Getting worse. Fine, whatever. Restore the look when you return it.”
“Restoring costs more? Umbrella collection’s pricey—why revert?”
“Shut up! Let’s duel!”
“Touchy. Fine, get ready.”
Blessed Face has challenged you to a duel. Accept?
[YES]
Duel with Blessed Face has begun.
“Consecutive Slash!”
Duel started, Hyunjung charged confidently with a familiar skill. I dodged razor-close, noses nearly brushing.
[Shield Bash!]
Follow-up. But inches from impact, I Shadow Stepped behind him.
Whoosh—basic attack grazed his collar, canceling into Consecutive Slash. Old cancel felt body-contact triggered; now, it was armor-graze precise.
Not just feel—confirmed hit, then skill fired.
Exact timing I wanted. Minimal path, body obeyed. Alien sensation, first time.
“Oho, not bad? Dodge this—Shield Charge!”
After trades, he closed with a lunge, shield swinging. No angle... so I tried the skill that convinced me to upgrade.
Active: Guaranteed evasion on limbs (head/torso excluded).
Whoosh, whoosh—zigzagging sword and shield whiffed my limbs. All evaded.
“Argh! Holy Sword, Ma Shin wielder—dodging everything? Cheat!”
“Hahaha! This skill’s broken! Limbs can tank hits—total evasion! Kek!”
Duel pointless. Hyunjung’s HP plummeted from sword hits; my MP untouched. Sparing his pride, I quit.
“Money’s the best... Gonna pay and go!”
“Quitting test already?”
“Yeah. Install at home, then hunt. No need more test—this capsule’s a must-buy!”
“Kekeke. Feeling money’s power now, huh?”
I logged out, ignoring his cackles.
“Huh? Out quick? How was it? Sync good?”
“Boss... Game-changer. I’ll buy.”
“Haha! Must’ve loved it. This way.”
I paid via virtual wallet for the TX PRO. Over 100 million cash equivalent, yet zero regret.
Boss and a worker loaded it onto carrier bots, heading to my Hwaseong one-room.
“Hyunjung-ah. Thought it’d take days—quick install’s nice.”
“Why we came ourselves. Aini hyung’s installed thousands—perfect setup. Did ours; no wobbles ever.”
High-tech rideable gear needed pro install. DX at 3 million was DIY; this service? Money talked, repeatedly today.
“All set. Same feel as store.”
“Thanks, boss.”
“Thank you. Call anytime.”
Gaudy purple-silver capsule dwarfed my tiny room, but routine for him—he finished nonchalantly and left.
My first cash-out: reinvested into Taitonic IRL too.