An Unexpected Bond (1)
An Unexpected Bond (1)
My name hadn't even appeared in the news.
The only report was that a sudden lightning strike had pierced the city shield and destroyed an overpass.
Yet quite a few people had figured out that I was the one behind it.
The flood of messages that arrived said it all.
Sender: 'Natalya Petrova'
- I heard the news, saw it too.
- (Net Space news link address)
- Seems like you're famous on the net too.
- Next time, just sleep over before you go. (angry emoticon)
- I'll look into Smile Zone separately.
- And I'll give Smith a proper scolding.
- From now on, always come back with our employee.
- See you later then.
Sender: 'Andrea Rose, Red Horn'
- Hey! Hey! Hey!
- The news, what the hell happened!
- Did you get caught up in another incident?
- Reply before I come find you myself!
- Definitely!
Sender: 'Kind Cyberware Specialty Store, 24-Hour Consultation'
- Yep yep, looks like you got tangled up in something again.
- Hey Si-un, we're still friends, you know?
- If you need help, make sure to contact me.
- Otherwise I'll just have to come pick you up like last time.
- That's the only way I can repay the favor I owe you.
- Send me a reply.
Sender: 'White Rabbit'
- The news, that was you, right, Si-un-nim?
- Did something happen by any chance?
- I know I won't be much help.
- But if something comes up, please let me know...
- Oh, and about what you mentioned last time─.
That wasn't all of it.
On top of that, messages had flown in from a handful of other people I knew.
I sent back replies to the messages that had arrived, even if just roughly. Just ignoring them would've brought a storm I was afraid to face.
For reference, there was no message from Catherine.
She'd come straight to my place and nearly broke down the door, so I'd explained the situation to her well enough.
So many people were worried about me like this.
And yet here I was, right now.
"Ugh..., seriously. This guy plays the game like absolute shit."
Taking a break.
8. An Unexpected Connection (1)
Of course, under normal circumstances.
I hadn't planned on enjoying any games for a while.
Seriously.
It was an urgent situation where Smile Zone might target Eve again at any moment and attack.
And thinking about Smith, who was probably getting chewed out by Natasha after just letting drunk me go home, only reinforced that.
She'd handled the cleanup so neatly for me.
I couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit sorry for him.
I'm only human, so I did some reflecting.
But there was a perfectly valid reason I had no choice but to play a game.
That reason was a message from Julia.
- Oh, and about what you mentioned last time.
- About playing another game together.
- If the opportunity arises, would now be possible?
I had definitely made that promise.
But that was back when I didn't know who she, Julia, really was.
If I'd known earlier that Julia was a wanted criminal registered in the NCPD database.
I probably wouldn't have made that suggestion.
Well, once the promise was made, it couldn't be helped.
A promise is a promise.
And playing a game together wasn't exactly a difficult promise to keep.
It was absolutely not because she was a knife-wielding wanted criminal (critical).
I just purely wanted to keep my word.
Rationalizing it to myself like that, I made a call to Julia.
The unchanged default ringtone continued.
After a moment, Julia's hologram appeared.
"Hello?"
[Ah, hello.... Si-un-nim.]
Her innocent-looking appearance materialized through the hologram.
I knew I shouldn't be fooled by an innocent appearance.
But at a glance, her face could easily be mistaken for a child's, so it was hard to keep my guard up as much as my mind wanted to.
Julia was inside some room.
The interior design looked familiar, somehow. It seemed to have a similar layout to the house I lived in.
Without paying much attention to that detail, I immediately asked Julia the important question.
"Have you played any games on your own?"
If she had a game she was already playing, I could just join her in that.
That was the intent behind my question.
[The, the games I've played....... The one I played with you last time, Si-un-nim, that was my most recent.... ]
"Oh-ho."
An exclamation slipped out without me realizing.
Mmm, this fresh newbie smell.
I couldn't resist.
Alright.
From now on, our relationship was no longer wanted criminal and Mage, but beginner and veteran.
I smacked my lips in thought.
What game would be best?
What kind of game would Julia like?
What game would match her taste for beating people up (probably) while also being something I could enjoy?
The brief deliberation came to an end.
"I'll send you the net link by message, so make the payment and download the game and then......, no. I'll just gift it to you. Do you have virtual reality dive goggles?"
[......Yes.]
For an augmented reality game, the neural computer chip inside the body would've been more than enough.
But still, running a virtual reality game on just a neural computer chip was difficult.
To enjoy a virtual reality game, a separate device made in the shape of goggles was required.
Hm, a bit disappointing.
If she hadn't had the gear, I'd planned to use that as an excuse to postpone and say, "Let's play another time."
Her preparedness was more thorough than I'd thought.
"Then I'll give you the code. Once you're in, send me a friend request first."
[...Okay!]
I sent Julia the identification code you could register in the game, then ended the call.
Heh heh, it's been a while since I could enjoy something like this.
[......I question why you are smiling so sinisterly.]
"Sinister? Come on. This is the smile of a veteran looking out for a newbie."
[I use the expression, 'lying through your teeth without even wetting your lips.']
"......."
I flipped the goggles resting on the desk over my eyes and put them on.
I connected the signal and powered them on.
With a familiar beep, a white world unfolded.
An endless horizon stretched out before my eyes, a virtual reality built in an instant.
The first virtual reality game I was going to enjoy with the newbie Julia was none other than this.
『IRON FIST - XII』
A fighting game.
A lot of people probably thought that fighting games in virtual reality were only for those good with their bodies.
But surprisingly, the assist systems were strong, so even beginners could enjoy the game smoothly.
Even someone like me, physically weak and clumsy.
If I used outstanding techniques and tactics, I could climb to a high tier.
It would suit Julia's tastes too, just as I thought.
Because when I'd seen her last time, she seemed to enjoy moving her body.
There was no sinister intent behind this.
Julia's voice came through.
【Um, I've connected.】
【Confirmed. Want me to invite you?】
I naturally skipped her tutorial.
Games are originally learned by getting beaten up.
An avatar embodying Julia's appearance appeared.
Above her head was written 'Tokkigyeongdyu-nim.'
For reference, above my avatar, it would say 'Real Wizard Im.'
This was not revenge for my warrior character.
I was absolutely not harboring a grudge in my heart about getting PK'd when I first met her character in the classic old game.
It was just.
This was the only game that matched her tastes and was something we could enjoy together.
I rationalized it that way to myself.
【Heh heh.】
A laugh slipped out without me realizing.
Alright, shall we go for a light round?
* * *
I lost.
【So this kind of game exists...! It really is fun!】
It wasn't fun for me.
It felt like we'd played ten rounds in a row.
I hadn't won a single one.
Forget winning—the health gap only grew worse with each round.
By the end, I couldn't even land a single hit.
【This is..., ridiculous!】
I shouted.
The virtual avatar perfectly represented my anger and movements.
【......Right, my dive goggles are an older model. That's why. The response speed is pretty slow.】
Eve, who had been observing my behavior, calmly offered her impression.
[I learn that this is the emotion called 'pathetic.']
Ughk.
The remark stung bitterly.
But what I said wasn't wrong either.
If I'd had a newer device with faster response speed, the situation would've been different.
The moment I quit the game, I resolved deep in my heart to buy the latest gear.
I couldn't let it end with me losing to a newbie.
Julia spoke to me as I was lost in turmoil.
【Um..., do you need the latest gear?】
【......I'll order one and it'll come, so let's have a rematch once it arrives at my place.】
【Ah.......】
Julia's character avatar tilted its head with an expressionless face.
【Then would you log out of the game for a moment?】
【Huh?】
Why the game all of a sudden?
Well, I'd been planning to quit anyway.
After confirming that Julia had exited the game, I also exited, took off my goggles, and set them down.
- Ding-dong.
The intercom bell rang.
What the—who was it?
Had Bill come to visit again?
Or maybe it was an attack from Smile Zone.
I cautiously checked the intercom.
Beyond the intercom screen was Julia's face.
"?"
I opened the door for now.
Julia smiled and handed me something.
It was the latest virtual reality goggles.
The box showed no signs of having been opened, so it was clearly a brand new product.
"...Well, I also, by sheer coincidence, happened to move to this floor, you see....... I'd been meaning to introduce myself, but I missed the chance...."
"......Where do you live?"
"Right there."
Julia pointed to another front door at the end of the same hallway on the same floor.
"......."
To my memory, a noise-sensitive neighbor had lived there.
How did she know my unit number?
And where did the person who lived in that unit go?
Before I could even ask, Julia spoke.
"......Then let's play the game again."
"......."
Right.
Indeed, what had happened to the person who lived in that unit wasn't terribly important.
Surely she hadn't killed them or anything.
And how she'd known my apartment number also wasn't a hugely important matter.
There was only one thing that mattered right now.
"Yeah, log back in."
"......Okay!"
Black and white.
Light and darkness.
Winner and loser.
Determining that was what mattered.
Now there were no more excuses left.
I resolved to show her my true skills. I'd been going easy because she was a newbie—it seemed she'd mistaken my earlier performance for my real ability.
Once I got serious.......
* * *
I decided to quit fighting games.
No, maybe a piece of trash like me should just quit virtual reality games altogether.
A loser's mindset dominated my entire body.
With sluggish movements, I pressed the power button on the old monitor.
It wasn't that I was running away to the classic old game I used to play because I'd gotten beaten so badly by Julia.
I'd thought about it while getting pummeled.
There was a way I could personally gather information on Smile Zone.
If Smile Zone was a terrorist, it was clear that he was a figure from the underworld.
In that case, inside this classic game, I could probably find some information.
With familiar hand movements, I spammed the jump key.
My character hopped in place a few times.
This feeling was different from virtual reality.
This cool, weighty sensation.
It felt more nostalgic than I'd expected.
I needed to find another playable classic game soon, but the problem was that I couldn't easily find one.
But then, in the corner of the screen, someone's character came running in the direction of my character.
[ P2034871140(Warrior): Hey! You're that guy from before, right? ]
.......
Who was that?
The ID was weird, so I couldn't remember it well either.
Since I hadn't talked to many people while playing this game, he had to be one of them.
Hmm.......
I checked the person's ID once more.
I looked at the ID and checked the class.
(Warrior).
"Ah."
I remembered.
I debated whether to quit the game right then and there.