Chapter 2
Chapter 1: Entering the Virtual Reality
As I executed the virtual reality and closed my eyes, I felt a slight dreamy yet thrilling sensation.
They say that when you connect to virtual reality, information is transmitted directly…
“Well, I don’t really know the details either.”
1…2…3….
I watched the loading gauge fill up slowly, lost in my thoughts with my eyes still shut.
In the quiet room, only the faint hum of the powered devices echoed.
In the past, I would have been preparing strategies for the game, gathering all sorts of info.
Now, waiting with just one screen in front of me felt strangely unfamiliar, as if I were exhausted by everything.
Hmm, what is it? A surreal feeling? A moment of clarity?
I guess my body couldn’t adapt to this sudden peace after the harsh life of a hero.
“So, being a hero… I guess that makes sense.”
Battling demons wasn’t just physical brawling.
While swinging my sword in a frenzy, I also had to resist the constant whispers of corruption haunting my mind.
After a long time where I almost forgot what it was like to breathe, all I did was hunt demons around the clock…
I suppose it’s been a while since I last experienced such tranquility.
Yeah, I can convince myself of that.
It isn’t like I’m going back to that world, anyway.
As I got lost in various other thoughts, the loading gauge hit 100%.
[Welcome to the Moses World.]
As the mechanical echo of the electronic guide mixed in, I felt a unique sensation of being sucked through time and space.
My physical sensations in the device faded away as I was being transplanted into a new body.
And around me… what can I say, it felt like I was underwater?
No, rather, it felt closer to the weightless state of outer space.
[Scanning user’s body. Estimated time: 1 minute.]
Scanning my body, huh…
I wonder what it feels like.
[Scanning completed.]
Finally feeling that my body and limbs existed, I moved my hands and feet.
“As expected…”
Even with all my strength, the Hero’s Power wasn’t activated.
This is the first time since arriving on Earth.
The sensation of a pure physical body, without the Hero’s Power.
I mean, if the Hero’s Power could be used in virtual reality, it would be a complete disaster.
Right now, I’m just floating around in a space where nothing can be grasped, but it’s a truly strange feeling that makes my body tremble slightly.
I command my body to move, but it wasn’t my real body lying inside the device.
The new body generated within the virtual reality moves precisely and delicately according to my will.
This is really…
“Awesome.”
There were VR games before, but this realism couldn’t even be compared. My body quaked.
Even a hero can feel like a newbie in this unfamiliarity.
What the hell happened in thirteen years?
While I was astonished, moving my body, the electronic guide notified me of the next step.
[Please set your user ID.]
A holographic keypad popped up in front of me. I just need to type it in.
“An ID, huh…”
Another name I’ll use in virtual reality.
The first hurdle everyone thinks about when starting a game.
Easy if it’s easy, hard if it’s hard.
Various names flashed through my head, but they all felt a bit off. You know that feeling.
It seems like a good choice while thinking, but then it looks bad when actually written in the nickname box.
After a brief moment of thought, I decided and wrote down the ID.
「Light Hero Friede」
Friede.
That was the name given to me in that other world.
I thought that should be good enough.
[Settings completed. Entering MS (Main Space) Room.]
As the screen flickered, the weightless space vanished.
And the sensation of reality pressed on my body.
The new space revealed before my eyes was splendid, like that of the Palace of Versailles.
The MS Room is the core space for users utilizing virtual reality.
Streaming and game connection for enjoying games takes place here.
“By the way… isn’t this starting off way too good?”
Checking an alert, it seemed to be thanks to the virtual reality device I was using.
The splendid space before my eyes felt like some kind of limited edition bonus.
“Well, it’s nice.”
Since I only intended to enjoy the game a bit, I immediately connected to Soul Warfare.
The sensation of being sucked back into time and space.
When I briefly closed my eyes and opened them again, I didn’t find the splendid room of the MS Room, but the dark wasteland unique to Soul Warfare.
[Please set the character and name to use in the game.]
Not feeling the need to create a new character, I decided to just pull up the existing avatar information.
I transformed into a shabby suit of armor, with a visor that only covered my eyes, and wielded a direct sword.
“So this is the Soul Warfare space?”
The scene of the main lobby of Soul Warfare that came into view was remarkably dreary.
In the lobby, crowds of users flooded in from each channel.
Repeatedly jumping and performing bizarre movements rarely seen in typical PC games created an unexpectedly comical scene contrasted with the serious atmosphere.
Right now, like this, Soul Warfare is an action RPG game.
It feels designed to reflect the maximum degree of players’ action freedom aimed at virtual reality, allowing for such a variety of postures.
Looking around, even though it was just a lobby screen, the overwhelming scale of the view gave a true rush.
“I heard it’s possible to observe in third-person perspective using the spectator settings…”
I can completely understand why pro teams and international leagues have flourished.
It’s hardly surprising that it has been recognized as the next mainstream e-sports title.
The giant monument visible in the lobby was dizzyingly cluttered with numerous IDs participating in the channel.
I quite liked how the chat and connected users melded into the ambiance like this.
[Looking for duo partners.]
[1:1 duel only for beginners.]
[Hey, damn it! Spent coins again today!]
[I put Kim Il-sung on this one.]
[Those losers are finding self-comfort in virtual reality without girlfriends, right? Gross?]
[Swish, swish, hey you brat!]
[Uh… Do you know that’s a blatant defamation, you bad guy?]
This chaotic noise of text would likely be welcomed by gamers.
Compared to being treated as a total failure and emptied out, it feels very lively.
I’m not usually picky about games, but indeed that sense of belonging is what makes a national game enjoyable.
Playing alone has its charm, but when you’re enjoying it with many others, that’s when it really shines.
Alright, shall we go?
* * *
“Damn it, this sucks for real!”
My pride, hardened in the diamond tier of ranks, was shattered long ago by an unranked player that appeared on the battlefield.
Team score: 11 kills, 33 deaths, 16 assists.
The scoreboard displayed an absolute catastrophe.
And that was just for my team…
Thanks to all teammates dying equally, I’m not identified as the culprit, which is a small mercy in this misfortune.
“What the hell is this unranked player?”
Light Hero Friede.
The unranked player who recorded 18 kills without any achievements or records.
But the truth is, he was the main culprit leading his team to destruction.
New users starting Soul Warfare are recommended to begin with story mode rather than PVP battles.
That way, you can somewhat get used to the game and unlock various weapons and equipment, making it easier to adapt in PVP.
“Ah, I need to quickly rank up.”
If I lose like this, I’ll waste time, and a sigh escaped my lips in frustration.
The waiting time after dying and respawning.
Looking at the screen that faded to black and white makes one ponder why they’re in such a situation.
The true appeal of Soul Warfare is indeed the team battle mode.
However, this team battle has a penalty whereby if you repeatedly dodge excessively, you need to win three standard games to reclaim what you lost.
It was a system that stirred controversy at the time of its release, similar to communist restaurant games.
A while back, I encountered a known trolling user, dodged repeatedly and got penalized, leaving him with no option but to participate in the team match.
After all, in a regular game, most players are unranked or beginners, so I joined a room without much pressure.
Each picked the weapons suited for them and while waiting that boring time until the game started, I ended up watching some girl streamer videos, never imagining such a ridiculous massacre would unfold.
When the black-and-white screen ended and I respawned, I pulled myself free from my thoughts, clutching a mid-sized shield and the knight’s direct sword, a top-tier weapon, heading towards the objective.
Next to me, my revived teammate was preparing to face the enemy with the Blade of Treachery, which is praised for its zero-cooldown power.
“Let’s stay focused.”
We just need to take down that goddamn monster.
Since he probably racked up a lot of kill points, the penalty for his bounty must be high as well.
Killing him would mean the respawn time would double, so there’s still a chance to turn it around.
[The Garlic Knight is coming!]
No need to say it, I know!
Internally grumbling, I looked ahead and spotted the approaching enemies.
There he is.
With hair flowing like a golden waterfall, despite the visor covering his eyes, I could sense he was locking onto me.
“That creep put in some effort on the skin design, huh.”
The spear-wielder moved first, initiating his attacks.
With the characteristic range of the spear and swift jabs.
He didn’t use any special techniques or skills, just a tenacious attempt to keep me at bay.
It was a good judgment considering team cooperation, which is rare in regular games.
Typically, in a standard game, they’d recklessly unleash combat skills.
The opponent, having lost the initiative, halted and measured the distance with careful steps.
At this moment, he’d try to thrust the spear while I would retaliate after he made his move.
Blocking with the shield while using high-damage moves, I could even aim for a parry that’s notoriously difficult in this game.
Even if every weapon can parry every action in this game, it’s set as a technique with a very high success difficulty.
“This is going to hurt him.”
Up until now, I might have devastated them thanks to one-on-one experiences or team support, but this time it will be different.
Grinding my teeth, I focused and watched intently when suddenly my opponent attempted a dash into my ally with the spear.
“Now!”
As the enemy dodged the spear, moving to my left, I silently cheered and swung my sword for a heavy attack.
However….
“Gasp!”
Before I knew it, the opponent who disappeared from my view struck out with his sword, cutting into nothingness as I inadvertently inhaled the empty air.
Boom!
The screen turned red with blood.
Evading the spear with a sidestep, the enemy’s long sword pierced through my chest in an instant.
Even though it’s virtual reality, knowing that my own blood was exploding from within felt pretty disgusting.
My teammate, in a panic, kept attacking to save me, but I already knew it was futile.
As he slid past the spear’s thrust, the enemy’s long sword quickly struck with a light attack.
Watching the spear-wielder desperately attempt to just escape, I smirked.
“It’s over.”
As the spear-user executed a just evade, following the tempo of his escape, he quickly dove forward to unleash a heavy attack.
At the point where his invincible timing ended, my attack precisely caught him as he stood.
Predicted with a movement executed as if it were scripted, the spear-player fell into a groggy state just like I had.
While the spear-user collapsed, I became free of my own grogginess, but did it even matter now?
If I force a one-on-one scenario like this, I’ll just be devoured by that monster’s combat power.
In the end, I could only watch helplessly as my character was beheaded in a finish motion without being able to resist at all.
“I feel cheated.”
In the transition back to the black-and-white screen, what appeared was….
“Damn.”
The unranked player, having dispatched the spear-user, deftly deflected all arrows from our archers who respawned late, crushing their heads effortlessly.
In a 7 vs 7 team battle, that single player annihilated three of my teammates, leaving no chance for the team to fight back.
Consequently, all lanes were breached, resulting in an 17-minute cut ending.
“Damn it. Created skins that are absolute garbage…”
He toyed around with players while only clad in basic equipment: the direct sword and long sword, plus basic armor.
No matter how much it’s a physical game, one cannot completely disregard the advantages of equipment…
No, overlooking mere numbers and overcoming a one-versus-many situation is usually an impossible stunt.
To show such skill with a freshly created unranked character?
There’s only one explanation.
“Must be a proxy. I’m reporting immediately.”
Proxy play is a long-standing tradition in the gaming world, lasting nearly 30 years.
As someone wronged, I cannot let this slide.
Quickly drafting a 5,700-character report, I initiated another standard game match.
Boom!
The notification for matching.
Was it due to the shock from the previous match?
Once I entered the waiting room, I swiftly checked the usernames of my teammates.
Amidst them, seeing the name Light Hero Friede proudly listed brought a cheer from me.
“Manager! I had faith in you!”
Having him as a teammate is always a welcome surprise.
