What Kind of Dream Does the Brave Have? (5)
What Kind of Dream Does the Brave Have? (5)
On the second day of training camp, I tested the Macro Skill and the Virtual Reality Device's Time Perception Adjustment Function. The more I used it, the more I realized how broken it was.
In virtual reality, I engaged in life-or-death battles to raise my stats, but since my real body only received electrical stimulation inside the device, there was zero actual danger.
Moreover, even when using the Virtual Reality Device's Time Perception Adjustment Function, the Macro Skill put my brain into a sleep state, preventing any fatigue buildup.
This meant I could crank the Time Perception Adjustment to its maximum limit of 1/100 without suffering any mental damage.
The fact that I could connect to the Virtual Reality Device via the Forgotten Space skill for unlimited combat training, while using the Macro Skill to eliminate penalties from Time Perception Adjustment - this was truly incredible luck.
"X, good job."
[Object omitted, unable to interpret meaning.]
"Just take the compliment, bastard."
If X hadn't told me that the Forgotten Space skill could interface with the Virtual Reality Device, I wouldn't have been able to train freely and would've spent most of my time undergoing physical modifications.
This way, I could train for 2,000 hours per day. Calculating for the remaining 27 days at camp... Hmm... That's a whopping 54,000 hours.
"54,000 hours - how many days is that? No, how many years?"
[6 years and 3 months.]
"Wow! If I hunt Deathworms nonstop for 6 years and 3 months, how strong would I become?"
Starting from the third day, I spent as much time as possible in the Virtual Reality Device based on verified information.
"Actual usage time: 20 hours. Time Perception Adjustment: 1/100. Execute Deathworm Hunt Macro."
Since there were no penalties for me, I could run the macro 24/7. However, I didn't want to give up the game consoles, manga, and novels prepared in my room. Some looked vaguely familiar, suggesting that bastard Arpien had restored content from the pre-destruction world.
"How is this even possible?"
Restoring such minute details was so fascinating that I asked X about it, but even it didn't know. It only gave vague answers like, "Nothing is impossible for Professor Arpien-nim."
Having been an otaku type in the pre-destruction world, playing games and reading manga/novels brought me great joy.
Particularly a novel titled "Yeongbingnyonyeo" - though it kept introducing absurd martial arts training methods - had characters and a synopsis perfectly matching my taste, so I stored it in my Inventory.
Since I'd be unconscious while using the Macro Skill, I spent my pleasant camp days enjoying games, manga, and novels.
Day 29. Tomorrow would be my discharge date. Opening my status window, I saw my Strength and Stamina had noticeably increased.
Name : Kelrot
Gender : Female
Strength : 255
Stamina : 255
Intelligence : 53
Mental Power : 53
Special Abilities : None.
The stat increase notifications had stopped appearing some time ago. It seemed I'd hit the cap achievable through the Virtual Reality Device. But 255 meant over 20 times stronger than an average male.
"I could probably take down ordinary monsters barehanded now, right?"
If I wore X, I might even stand a chance against Sras and Garuda, who'd previously defeated me.
The only disappointment was that Intelligence and Mental Power hadn't increased at all. The same went for skill levels.
"Can't expect more from lying around receiving electrical stimulation."
Out of habit, I lay in the Virtual Reality Device again today, linking with Forgotten Space. As always, I opened my eyes in a pure white space.
"Wonder if my stats will increase today."
While setting the number of Deathworms to summon as usual, I suddenly felt like trying something different.
"Stats won't increase anyway. Might as well mess around."
I flew high enough that Deathworms appeared as tiny dots, then set their spawn count to 1 billion.
"Hehehe, this'll be spectacular."
If things got out of hand, I could just delete them. Without hesitation, I pressed the 'Apply' button.
"Huh?"
No response. When I pressed 'Apply' again, countless Deathworms soon filled my vision before a deafening roar collapsed the white space's floor. A powerful current from the gaping hole sucked me and the Deathworms downward. My battlesuit's boosters couldn't resist the airflow, and I plummeted into the rift at terrifying speed.
"What the hell? Cancel!! Cancel!! Exit!! Exit!!!"
"Kwooooooaaaaaahk-!!! Kwoooaahk-!!!"
Watching Deathworms collide into bloody pulps, I frantically pressed the virtual reality shutdown button. But strangely, the device showed no signs of terminating.
Did it break?
Fortunately, the distance between me and the Deathworms meant I wouldn't become part of their fleshy mass.
"X!! What's happening? Can't you force shutdown the Virtual Reality Device?"
[Due to system overload, the Qualified One's consciousness is strongly linked to Forgotten Space. Forcibly disconnecting may cause physical brain damage.]
Green fluids from a billion Deathworms scattered through the air. Though someone might call this spectacle an artistic masterpiece, knowing these creatures made it just a disgusting bloodbath to me.
Let's think calmly. This is just virtual reality. Even if I die here, nothing happens to my real body. There's no need to risk brain damage with a forced shutdown. I'll endure until the system stabilizes.
White masses appeared ahead. Instinctively, I felt colliding with them would be fine.
"They're clouds."
Piercing through the clouds revealed an unbelievable landscape - skyscrapers, traffic-filled roads, and a great river. It looked like a city housing millions.
I unconsciously gulped loudly enough to hear it.
"This... is still virtual reality, right?"
A billion Deathworms rained down over the city. The system error prevented cancellation. Left unchecked, I'd witness the massacre of millions.
Using X's zoom function, I saw countless citizens continuing their daily lives unaware. This would become a horrific tragedy.
"X!! This is virtual reality, right? Answer me!!"
[This is the Forgotten Space designed by Professor Arpien. He does not create fakes.]
"What?"
X's unexpected answer stunned me. Pointing at the people below, I asked X in a horrified voice:
"You mean all those are real, living people?"
X gave no answer. The billion Deathworms drew closer to the ground.
"Shit, shit, shit."
All I could do was keep pressing the training termination button. Right before the Deathworm swarm hit the city, unable to witness the carnage, I shut my eyes.
"Hey you. Who are you?"
A sudden poking sensation struck my forehead. Opening my eyes, I saw the descending Deathworm swarm frozen mid-air like someone pressed pause.
Against this backdrop, a Caucasian boy with dazzling silver hair and blue eyes poked my forehead with a tree branch.
"What the."
I suddenly realized my chair was vertically placed against a skyscraper's wall.
"Whoa, whoa!!"
Instinctively flailing toward the ground, I found gravity inexplicably didn't affect me. The silver-haired boy stood naturally vertical against the building too.
He clutched his stomach laughing at my predicament. After laughing tearfully, he wiped his eyes and grabbed my shoulder.
"I wondered what kind of person became X's new master. You exceed expectations."
I couldn't believe my ears. Until now, only Alice had known about X.
How did this boy I just met know about X?
"Don't make that suspicious face. It'd be stranger if I didn't know X. I created it."
"What?"
If he's X's creator, then could it be...
"Are you Arpien?"
"Correct. Most call me Professor Arpien, but just my name's fine."
Before Arpien finished speaking, I rushed forward and bowed deeply.
"Arpien-nim!!! If you're truly Arpien-nim, please restore my body to its original form!!!"
Wasn't enduring all this suffering just to reclaim my original body? I need neither money nor power. If I could return to being Kelrot-nim, the Sexy Guy of the Wasteland, I'd abandon everything and return to my village right now.
Kissing Arpien's sneakers, I looked up at him with my most pitiful expression and voice.
"If you're Arpien-nim, restoring my body should be simple! I'm suffering so much I think about dying daily. Please return me to my original male body."
Arpien scratched his head awkwardly with an apologetic tone.
"Uh, about that... Did X not tell you? You need to absorb four Manganese fragments to unlock Admin Mode. Even I can't arbitrarily open X's Administrator Mode."
Don't lie.
"You created X! Open Admin Mode and change me back to a man!!!"