Vol 1 Chapter 3
"Ah, I'm Kang Mu-heon."
"Good. Then I'll connect you. 2, 1."
With a pop and a feeling of an invisible flash, a man standing on the other side of the room came into view.
"Hello."
Suddenly, a handsome face appeared, and the room seemed to brighten.
He thought for a moment about where he had seen this man's face before, and then realized it was Yoon Seok-ho, the Korean branch manager who had just been on the broadcast. He didn't feel like making a fuss about seeing someone from the broadcast again here.
"Hello."
As he greeted back, Yoon Seok-ho raised his eyebrows slightly and made an interested expression.
"I heard it was about THE MIST, and I was curious about what personal business you might have with a game that hasn't even opened yet, so I asked to be connected."
"Well. I came to ask a question."
"A question?"
Yoon Seok-ho, who had his hair slightly disheveled in a slicked-back style, answered as if he were the owner of the room. Well, from his perspective, it was better to get an answer from a higher-up than a subordinate for credibility, but this way, that Ahn Ho person who suddenly got buried seemed a bit pitiful.
"Is it true that THE MIST has implemented a virtual reality where even people with physical disabilities can play with healthy bodies?"
Not wanting to waste time unnecessarily, he asked directly. Yoon Seok-ho looked at him with eyes that were even more burdensome in person. He quietly met those eyes.
"...Mr. Kang Mu-heon. Your eyes are dead."
After staring at each other for a while, Yoon Seok-ho suddenly said something irrelevant.
"There's no hope at all. Your expression is like ice. ...Are you always like this?"
"Um, Branch Manager..."
Ahn Ho called out to Yoon Seok-ho with a flustered expression as he spoke off-topic, but Yoon Seok-ho raised his hand to stop him. Not understanding why Yoon Seok-ho was saying such things, he answered with a slightly unpleasant feeling.
"I don't understand why you're saying such things to a stranger you've just met. Are you not going to answer?"
Seeming to notice the blade hidden in his low voice, Yoon Seok-ho soon showed a faint smile.
"Don't take it too unpleasantly. The answer to that question is, 'Yes. It's true.'"
It's true...
For a moment, he felt deflated by the answer that came so easily, but at the same time, he felt his heart racing.
"Branch Manager?!"
Ahn Ho also shouted in panic at the answer that might be considered an internal secret, but Yoon Seok-ho's reaction was relaxed.
"Now, now. It's okay, it's fine. We were planning to properly disclose that information soon anyway."
Ahn Ho's face grew even paler. But whatever he was saying, he was only interested in the previous words, so he wasn't even listening to the rest.
"Really... Have you developed such an advanced VT?"
"Yes."
After a while, when he finally calmed the storm-like feeling in his chest and spoke, Yoon Seok-ho nodded.
"I see... So that's how it was... Yes. That's enough. Thank you for answering."
Now that he had confirmed it, his business was done. As he was about to turn away without any lingering feelings, Yoon Seok-ho suddenly stopped him.
"Wait a moment. Are you just going to leave after hearing that?"
"...Then?"
He was just an ordinary person, so what did they expect him to do? Wondering if they were trying to extort money, he looked at Yoon Seok-ho, who spoke with eyes full of fire.
"Isn't Mr. Kang Mu-heon here because you're interested in THE MIST?"
"No."
Yoon Seok-ho's face changed strangely for a moment, as if it was a completely unexpected answer. He smirked at that expression. It seemed he needed to explain the reason.
"What I wanted was to confirm whether virtual reality technology had advanced enough to overcome offline physical defects. THE MIST... well, I'm not interested in games. Well, now that I've confirmed it, I guess I should cheer three times that the world has become easier to live in for people like me."
They would have realized from the earlier conversation that he was one of those people with physical disabilities. Thinking he had said enough, he was about to call the port number again to escape, but this time Ahn Ho reached out his hand to stop him.
"Wait a moment. So, Mr. Kang Mu-heon, you've been longing for this so desperately, but you haven't thought about experiencing it first through THE MIST?"
"No."
"Why?"
He asked as if he really couldn't understand.
"As I said before, games are nothing but a waste of time and money to me. It's enough to know that I can escape this discomfort, even if only in VT. If I wait, everyday VTs will eventually reach that level, so is there really a need to play an expensive game?"
"No, to say such things here..."
Ahn Ho muttered with an even more dumbfounded expression than before.
"Ah, that's enough."
Yoon Seok-ho stopped Ahn Ho and stepped forward again. He was grinning, having thought of something.
"Mr. Kang Mu-heon, you're certainly a unique person."
It seemed to mean that his personality was unpleasant, but he didn't feel particularly affected.
"A normal person would want to play the game right away after hearing that, you know. Certainly, what you say is also correct. Technology keeps advancing after all. ...But, Mr. Kang Mu-heon?"
"Go on."
"If you were to experience THE MIST even once, you wouldn't be able to help but be drawn in. I guarantee it. I think it would take 50 years for other places to catch up to THE MIST's technology level. That's how outstanding this VT is."
Yoon Seok-ho spoke in a tone like a passionate salesman for THE MIST, but he was concerned about the phrase '50 years away.'
"50 years?"
"That's even being generous. A genius of the century participated in THE MIST's development team. And technology doesn't develop that quickly unless there are spies, you know."
He winked and smiled.
"Have you heard the saying that one genius is responsible for 100 years?"
He was taken aback. If the '50 years away' statement was true, his future life would be just as frustrating. He really didn't want to play the game. The desire to break the chains binding his legs was greater than anything else. But...
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Jin Soram, the top-ranked hunter representing South Korea's Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters, is stronger than anyone else and lazier than anyone else. As soon as he arrives at the office, he buries himself under a blanket and falls asleep. When he goes out on a mission, he causes accidents and returns to the office, often shirking his duties.
"Do you know how it feels to play a game that's already messed up? ...Anyway, the next round will come, so this time, I'm just going to play it recklessly."
In fact, his true identity is someone who has regressed through three lives, trying to save the world from the Great Rift but failing each time. After repeating a life where he couldn't sleep peacefully even for a day, he became completely exhausted before this life even began.
"I know. You worked hard, Jin Soram."
And then there's Han Tae-un, the man who saved Soram and died in all three previous lives. As he did in every life, he comes to Soram's side once again. The Great Rift is approaching soon. It's impossible to resolve it in this life without any preparation. Soram vows to save Tae-un in this life and die himself. At least, he won't let Tae-un save a failure like himself again.
"For now, until then, let's sleep..."
As Soram sluggishly lives his life waiting for that moment, a gradual change occurs in his heart.
'I thought this was a messed-up round... but I want to live a little longer here.'
Leonardo Blaine, the true war hero of the Raina Logia Empire and the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, is dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders during the final battle that could have led the Empire to victory in the territorial war. People criticize and point fingers at him, and after being released on parole from prison, he disappears without a trace.
Three years later, his name has been forgotten by the world. The Council has been persistently pursuing him, but he has proven difficult to capture. Frustrated by this, Hugo Agrizendro, the commander of the Council's army, decides to personally apprehend him.
"Since when have you been watching me?"
Leonardo was calculative and astute, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had been observing Hugo for some time now. However, Leonardo's answer was something that even Hugo had not anticipated.
"From the very beginning."
Graduate student Yi-han finds himself reborn in another world as the youngest child of a mage family.
– I’m never attending school, ever again!
‘What do you wish to achieve in life?’
‘I wish to play around and live comforta-‘
‘You must be aware of your talent. Now go attend Einroguard!’
‘Patriarch!’
My future would be guaranteed once I graduate. For my future!
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