VR Stress Management — Virtual Reality Experience Program

"No! I don't have one! Thank you so much…!"

The staff member confirmed that Sonia's personal file listed her as having no visual information module installed, then projected a special hologram display into the air — one clear enough to read with the naked eye.

Every gesture of the staff member's hands was precise and efficient, as if programmed into a machine.

When the sudden appearance of a dazzling product catalog made Sonia catch her breath in surprise, the staff member waited in silence until she had settled.

Only once the display had fully stabilized and Sonia's curious eyes began scanning the screen did the staff member finally begin the explanation.

"Sonia, since you have completed the single paid commission required to meet the Association's basic equipment eligibility, I will now explain the standard-issue gear as well as our Association's exclusive corporate partnership program. Please feel free to ask questions at any time."

"Yes… yes! Please take care of me…!"

Sonia answered with determined cheer, but her gaze was already locked entirely on one spot in the hologram catalog floating above the white-metal table.

An item labeled in vivid purple text: Plasma Pistol. Not the ordinary white or blue grade — purple, the color that marked a rare-tier item.

Even Luce, her fantasy-world friend who lived in the same apartment building, had bragged about obtaining a rare blue-grade weapon — and this was a full tier above that. Free gear like this? There was no reason to refuse.

Sonia stared at the weapon's image as if she could burn a hole through it. The sleek design and the energy core radiating blue light had completely captured her heart.

"If you would look at the next page…"

At a wave of the staff member's hand through the air, the hologram display slid smoothly sideways. The new page was filled with explanations of the Association's official uniforms and various services.

They were all bodysuits with designs that boldly revealed the body's lines — deep plunging necklines, navels left fully exposed — yet the material looked like thick, springy latex.

They were divided into Type A and Type B, each model differing slightly in its details, available in two colors: a clean pure white, and a deep, glossy black.

The staff member began by explaining the Association-issued uniform.

"The uniform the Association provides to its heroes is a combat latex bodysuit engineered for maximum defensive efficiency against energy-type damage. It is manufactured from the same raw material as the suit I am currently wearing. Upon request, it will be custom-tailored to your exact body measurements and delivered. The projected image is as follows, Sonia."

"Uh… oh… it looks good… please…"

The design, with its fully exposed cleavage and a navel cutout round enough for a finger to slip through, felt a little embarrassing.

Even so, the data graphs displayed alongside it proved the performance beyond any doubt. Compared to thick metal ballistic plating, the energy-dispersion efficiency and mobility ratings were vastly superior.

It's a bodysuit as armor, so it's treated as ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠advanced protective gear with clear strengths and weaknesses — not some fetishistic lewd outfit. Walking around in public shouldn't draw weird looks… That reasoning, however, did nothing to block the heated stares her voluptuous E-cup bust would inevitably attract.

Just imagining it for a moment made her cheeks burn, and her nipples stiffened so hard she half-expected them to poke through her blouse.

"Um… er… how much is it…?"

She asked carefully, just in case. The staff member answered without the slightest hesitation.

"Naturally, it is free of charge, Sonia. However, in cases of damage, repair, or loss, fees may be assessed according to the Association's internal regulations — or the matter may be handled free of charge."

"Ah… understood!"

At the word free, color returned to Sonia's face. In that same moment, a new set of options materialized in the air alongside the staff member's next question.

"Do you have a preferred design?"

With a light pop of sound effect, hologram touch-buttons labeled Type A and Type B appeared.

Sonia looked back and forth between the two designs, sinking into indecision. Without quite realizing it, she snuck a glance at the Association staff member behind that emotionless visor, trying to read her reaction.

The opaque black visor. It had erased every human trace from the staff member's face.

Beyond that perfectly smooth, vision-blocking curve, there was no way to read even a flicker of her eyes, a micro-tremor at the corner of a lid, or the faintest ripple of emotion.

Sonia was now facing a perfect mask of blankness. Her timid attempt to gauge the other person's intentions by reading the room had been impossible from the start.

And once she thought of it that way, she actually felt more at ease. There was no need to overthink. Instead of the complicated calculations circling through her mind, a very simple, very clear feeling welled up from deep in her chest.

The lingering echo of a soft voice she had heard not long ago, lying in a comfortable chair while watching glittering lights. An irresistible directive.

At the Association… you're supposed to… report honestly… to the staff, right?

It wasn't a rational judgment. Like an immutable law carved into her mind, an ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠impulse she could not defy took over her thoughts.

Surrendering to that honest impulse, Sonia spread both hands wide toward the two hologram buttons. In a voice as innocent as a child's, she gave voice to her most primal desire.

"Can I have both?"

"No, Sonia. Per regulations, I must ask that you select only one."

The cold answer came at once. The staff member's voice carried no hesitation, no emotional fluctuation of any kind — like a machine outputting a pre-programmed response. Sonia's clumsy attempt at charm scattered like cotton candy hitting a solid wall.

"Hiiing… then this one, please…"

Realizing her cute little scheme wouldn't work, Sonia pressed the white Type A uniform button with a dejected look on her face.

The glossy black that looked as if it would never show a stain was certainly attractive too — but the feeble rebellious streak of D-class hero Sonia only went so far.

The moment Sonia finished her selection, the staff member mechanically informed her that the suit would be delivered to her residence as soon as fabrication was complete. Without a single beat of pause, the briefing moved on to the next agenda item: the corporate partnership program.

"Our MegaCorp maintains exchange agreements with various small- and mid-scale technology firms in order to provide better equipment support for affiliated heroes and to help uncover latent aptitudes…"

The explanation was rather long and stiff, but its contents were extraordinary. Companies under contract with the Association would provide their latest equipment to affiliated heroes on a loan basis, and in return the heroes would submit real-world usage reports.

Amazingly, even if an item was completely destroyed during use, there was no liability for damages. Of course, a warning was attached: repeated intentional destruction or the submission of half-hearted reports could result in a hero being classified as "support-ineligible" and placed on a blacklist.

"Wow… that's really a great system!"

Sonia was genuinely impressed. It wasn't just the fact that she could try out expensive cutting-edge gear for free.

What truly surprised her was the program's very purpose — offering even an ordinary D-class hero the chance to discover her own hidden talents.

In this harsh world, heroes were guaranteed better income than ordinary civilians, but the cost and maintenance of energy weapons — a whole different dimension from conventional firearms — remained a heavy burden.

With a system like this, she could find a combat style that suited her without gambling on the purchase of expensive equipment. That much was certain.

Swoosh. Swoosh. At the staff member's indifferent gestures, the hologram catalog turned page by smooth page. It was packed with attractive prototype equipment not yet released to the market.

Sonia sat with her mouth hanging open, completely captivated by the glittering images of gear. From behind the visor, the staff member simply watched her with no emotion whatsoever.

The catalog's contents were truly diverse. Combat equipment like a translucent visor fitted with an assist module that predicted firing trajectories, and a hybrid electro-charged sniper rifle so ambiguous you couldn't tell whether it was an energy weapon or a conventional firearm.

Right beside them, absurdly, sat everyday items — a toaster devoted exclusively to the function of toasting bread, and an ordinary bed bearing the grandiose name "Ergonomic Sleep Induction System."

Everything looked appealing, but thrifty hero Sonia started with the most essential question. Just in case she "accidentally" lost a piece of equipment and had to convert it into potato chip and cola money. At her question, the previously motionless staff member's shoulder twitched — ever so slightly.

Only after a faint psssh sound, like pressure escaping from somewhere in the staff member's bodysuit, did she return to the perfect image of an Association employee and answer.

"…The available rental quantity is indicated in the lower-right corner of each product, Sonia."

An explanation followed: the higher ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one's rank and the more extensive one's activity record, the more varied and rare the products one could rent — and in greater numbers.

Blunt as it was, the staff member did not forget to advise that it would be best to carefully select only the equipment truly needed. At those words, Sonia pointed to the new plasma pistol that had caught her eye from the very beginning, and—

"This one, and this one!"

There was no way of knowing why the rental products bothered listing estimated consumer prices. Thanks to those very price tags, Sonia unhesitatingly chose the two most expensive items within her rental limit.

Her selections were one experimental new-model plasma pistol, and a peculiar lifestyle-assist device called a "VR Virtual Reality Stress Management Unit."

She had picked it primarily because it was expensive, but according to the catalog description, the device was a cutting-edge exercise apparatus that used full-dive virtual reality technology to effectively relieve a hero's mental stress.

In particular, the phrase "complete mental liberation" had caught Sonia's eye.

"You are applying as a corporate partnership product tester for product numbers 043 and 145. Is that correct, Sonia?"

"Yes…? Ah, yes! The product numbers. That's right."

"If you agree to the delivery and installation terms for the tester products, please sign in this section, Sonia."

"Yes, like this?"

Sonia scrawled her name roughly across the hologram document. It was a formal contract agreeing to immediate delivery and home installation of the products, and promising to submit diligent tester reports.

"Is that everything now? There's nothing else I need to do here, right?"

"If you wish, Sonia, you may receive the physical-ability enhancement training service provided by the Association. Unfortunately, the related facility equipment has not yet arrived, so it is currently unavailable. My apologies, Sonia. Is there anything else I can assist you with?"

"Uh… no, I'm fine…"

Sonia walked out through the Association's cold interior corridors. Along that path lined entirely in pure white metal, stretching up from deep underground, she was already walking with the same regular, measured strides as the staff member guiding her once more.

(Inside the Association, moving efficiently is only natural!)

Sonia's brain had already completed a perfect rationalization of her own strange behavior.

Wh… what… why is that hero walking like an Association staff member…? Weird… and the staff uniforms too… bodysuits that show all the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠way down to the navel…

A young hero who had only just been invited to the Association — still not free of the E-class look — swallowed that puzzled thought as she watched.

To her eyes, the two figures advancing down the corridor with identical, regular footsteps looked nothing short of bizarre. One was an Association staff member sheathed head to toe in black latex; the other, a D-class hero in an ordinary blouse and skirt.

Their footsteps matched so perfectly it was as if, from the very beginning, there had never been any other way to move.

"Here, please. Sky City Apartment Complex 32."

"Yes. Destination set. Commencing operation."

Even with a body tougher than an ordinary person's, walking these dark night streets was not a wise choice. Step into a dim alley and you might find yourself surrounded by the brainwashed combatants of some mad organization, forced into a fight you never wanted.

Of course, simple laziness was the bigger reason — but either way, Sonia climbed without hesitation into a twenty-four-hour autonomous taxi driven by a Humanoid.

Leaning back into the comfortable seat, Sonia quietly headed toward her own little nest, replaying the chaotic events of the day. And then…

"Sonia unnie, you're home? You worked so~ hard again today! Come on, sit down — how about your favorite potato chips and a glass of ice-cold cola with every last bubble still in it? Wrap a chip in cola and try it! This is zero-calorie cola, the kind you love, you know?"

Sky City Apartment Complex No. 32. Unit 102 — Sonia's small sanctuary, permanently leased to her by the city for no reason other than being a hero. The front-door passcode was known only to Sonia herself, of course.

What greeted her was a wide-open front door, potato chips and cola laid out on the living-room table — and one uninvited guest.

A girl sitting in a dining chair, smiling brightly. With teal hair tinged emerald green, tied in twin tails, and a still-youthful face, the girl was calling Sonia "unnie" and acting all familiar. Sonia had never invited her even once.

"Sonia unnie~ at this rate, my cola is going to go flat!"

"…Luce. What is it this time…"

Sonia let out a deep sigh and asked. Since the cola itself was innocent, she sat down at the table and took a cool sip of carbonation. The sharp, refreshing fizz slid down her throat.

"Ahaaang… how mean, Sonia unnie~ Can't your best friend Luce just come over to hang out? Come on, come on! First, take a bite of these crispy chips!"

"Could you stop calling me unnie only when you've got a problem?"

"But Sonia un… fine, Sonia…"

When Sonia fixed her with a cold stare, Luce immediately lowered her tail and hung her head. This immature adventurer girl from a fantasy world had clearly gone and caused some kind of major trouble again.