3

As I started the virtual reality and closed my eyes, I felt a slightly dreamlike and thrilling sensation.

It was said that once connected to virtual reality, information would be delivered directly…

'I don't know the details myself.'

1.2.3.

Watching the loading gauge fill up step-by-step, I closed my eyes and drifted off in a daze.

The quiet room was filled only with the subtle hum of the powered-up device.

In the past, I would have prepared by studying strategies and guides for the game, but now, I found myself just staring at the screen, waiting like I had grown weary of everything.

Hmm, how should I put it? This feels like a floating, unrealistic emotion… A sort of sage time?

It seems my body hasn't yet adjusted to the sudden drift into peace, a stark contrast from the usual warrior's rigorous lifestyle.

'A warrior's life… I suppose that makes sense.'

The battles against demons weren't just physical skirmishes.

While swinging my sword without rest, I also had to resist the relentless whispers of corruption that haunted my mind.

For an endless stretch of time, I repeated the task of defeating demons, round the clock…

Perhaps it's been a while since I last felt this kind of silence.

Yeah, I could understand that.

It's not like I'm homesick or longing to return to that world.

As I got lost in various thoughts, the loading gauge finally hit 100%.

[Welcome to the World of Moses.]

Along with the guiding voice of the electronic speaker mixed with a mechanical echo, I felt a strange sensation as though I was being sucked into a different dimension.

My sense of the body lying in the device faded, as if it were being transplanted into a new form.

And around me… 'How should I describe it? It felt like being underwater?'

'No, perhaps closer to a zero-gravity space in the universe.'

[Scanning the user's body. Estimated time: 1 minute.]

'Scanning my body… I wonder how it'll turn out.'

[Scan completed.]

At last, I felt the presence of limbs, and I moved my hands and feet.

'As expected…'

Even when I put all my strength into it, the warrior's power didn't activate.

For the first time since arriving on Earth, I was experiencing the sensation of a purely physical body, without the warrior's power.

If the warrior's power were usable in virtual reality, that would be chaotic indeed.

For now, I was just floating in a space where I couldn't grasp onto anything, yet this bizarre feeling made my body tremble slightly.

I was giving commands to my body, moving it, but it wasn't my actual body lying inside the device that I was moving.

The body generated within the virtual reality moved precisely and delicately according to my will.

This is really…

"Amazing."

There were VR games before, but this realism was incomparable, and my body trembled at the lifelike sensation.

Even a warrior like me felt like a newbie, captivated by the unfamiliarity.

'What on earth happened in the past 13 years?'

As I moved my body, marveling, the electronic voice guided me to the next step.

[Please set up your user ID.]

A hologram keypad appeared in front of me.

I just needed to tap this to enter it.

"An ID…"

Another name for myself to use in virtual reality.

The first hurdle everyone faces when starting a game.

It's easy if it's easy, difficult if it's difficult.

Several names came to mind, but none felt quite right.

It happens sometimes.

It seems appropriate in my mind, but when I actually see it on the nickname field, it just doesn't look good.

After a bit of thinking, I made up my mind and entered an ID.

"Hero of Light, Friedé."

Friedé.

It was the name given to me in the other world.

This should do.

[Setup complete. Entering the MS (Main Space) Room.]

The screen flickered, and the zero-gravity space vanished.

And a sense of pressure identical to reality weighed down on my body.

The new space that appeared before my eyes was lavish, like the palace of Versailles.

The MS Room is the central space for users who utilize virtual reality.

Streaming and VR game connections happen here.

"Isn't this a bit too luxurious to start with?"

When I checked an alert that popped up, it seemed this grand space was a kind of limited-edition perk due to the VR device I was using.

'Well, that's nice.'

Since I only intended to enjoy the game a bit, I immediately connected to Soul Warfare.

The sensation of being sucked into another dimension returned.

When I opened my eyes again, the splendid room of the MS Room had transformed into the characteristic dark wasteland of Soul Warfare.

[Set the character and name to use in the game.]

I didn't feel the need to create something new, so I decided to load my existing avatar information for both ID and character.

I transformed into a figure clad in shabby armor, wearing a visor that only covered my eyes, and holding a longsword.

'So this is the Soul Warfare space?'

The main lobby view of Soul Warfare that appeared before me was desolate, to say the least.

The lobby was crowded with users in each channel.

The bizarre movements they were doing—like repeated jumping—were quite amusing, despite the otherwise serious atmosphere.

As it appeared, Soul Warfare was an action RPG game.

It seemed designed to allow maximum freedom of action, making such diverse postures possible.

Even though it was only the main lobby screen, the overwhelming scenery made me feel what they call "exhilaration."

'They say if you use the spectator settings, you can observe in third person…'

I could understand why the game's popularity spurred the creation of pro teams and the activation of international leagues.

It seemed it was rightly recognized as the next big thing in e-sports.

The massive monument in the lobby was inscribed with countless IDs of users participating in the channels, blending with the ambiance impressively.

***

[Looking for duo partners.]

[Beginner-only 1:1 duel]

[Damn it, I lost money on coins again today!]

[I just saw this and voted for Kim Il-sung.]

[So, those without girlfriends comfort themselves in virtual reality, right? Disgusting, isn't it?]

[Swish, swish, you damn jerk!]

[You know that's defamation by stating the facts, you bastard.]

Such chaotic chatter in text was probably a welcome sight for any gamer.

Compared to games that are treated like failures and empty of players, this one felt full of life.

I'm not overly picky with games, but having this sense of community in a national favorite game was nice.

Playing alone in solitude has its charm, but if I'm going to enjoy it, sharing a space with many others gives it a brighter shine.

Alright, let's go.

"Shit, this sucks for real!"

My pride, forged in the Diamond tier of ranked matches, was shattered long ago because of one unranked player in the field.

Team stats: 11 kills, 33 deaths, 16 assists.

Our scoreboard was a total disaster—only for my team, though…

Maybe it was a small blessing that since everyone died equally, I wasn't singled out as the culprit.

"Who is this unranked player?"

Hero of Light, Friedé.

An unranked player with no achievements or records, who managed to rack up 18 kills on their own.

But they were actually the very person leading my team to ruin.

For players starting Soul Warfare, it's recommended to begin with Story Mode before jumping into PVP.

It helps get accustomed to the game and unlocks various weapons and equipment, making it much easier to adapt in PVP.

"Ugh, I need to grind my rank fast."

If we lost like this, it'd be a waste of time, and a sigh escaped me in frustration.

Waiting for the respawn time after dying.

Staring at the dark, black-and-white screen, I pondered how I ended up in this mess.

The real thrill of Soul Warfare is the team mode.

However, if you repeatedly dodge this team mode, there's a penalty where you have to win three regular games to remove it.

Similar to some communistic restaurant game, this system caused quite a stir when it first launched.

Having faced a troll player he was familiar with and repeatedly dodging, he eventually got penalized, forcing him into regular team games out of frustration.

Since it was a regular game, most players were unranked or beginners, so he joined without much pressure.

During the boring waiting time while everyone picked their weapons and the game was about to start, he never imagined the absurd slaughter that would ensue…

When the black-and-white screen ended and he respawned, he snapped out of his thoughts, gripping his knight's longsword, a high-grade weapon of the longsword class, and headed toward the objective.

Beside him, another teammate, wielding the Rebellion Greatsword—known as a notorious overpowered weapon—prepared to face the enemy.

"Stay focused."

"I just need to kill that damn monster."

Since they've racked up all the kills alone, the bounty penalty should be high.

If I kill them, their respawn time will double, so it's not entirely impossible to make a comeback.

***

[MosesKnight: Incoming!]

No need to say it—I already know!

As I muttered under my breath, I spotted the enemy charging toward us.

That's the one.

Blonde hair flowing like a golden waterfall, their eyes covered by a visor, but I could sense their gaze targeting us.

'Look at this otaku, putting so much care into their skin.'

The spearman made the first move, going for a thrust to keep the enemy in check.

The spear's unique range and quick thrusts for a fast attack.

With no special techniques or skills, they seemed intent on persistently harassing with pure tactics.

This was good teamwork, rare for a regular game, clearly aimed at cooperation.

Usually, in regular games, people would recklessly spam combat skills without thinking.

The enemy, having lost the initiative, paused to measure the distance with quick footwork.

Next, they'd dodge an attack and drive a sword into the spearman.

That'd be the moment to counter.

By blocking with a shield and setting up a heavy attack move, it was possible to even aim for a parry, which was notoriously difficult in this game.

While technically, every weapon can parry any action in this game, it's a skill set with a very high success difficulty.

'I'm definitely going to hit them back.'

They might have dominated one-on-one fights or massacred with support from teammates, but this time would be different.

With gritted teeth and narrowed eyes, he watched as the enemy suddenly dashed at the spearman, finding an opening.

'Now!'

The enemy dodged the spear and veered left, and he swung his sword in a heavy attack, rejoicing inwardly.

But…

"Gasp!"

As the enemy disappeared from his view, his sword swung through the air, and he inhaled in shock.

Splat!

The screen turned red, splattered with blood.

The enemy, who had dodged the spear with a quick dash, managed to get behind him, thrusting their longsword into his chest.

Though there was no real pain, the thought of blood bursting from his chest was disgusting.

While he was briefly stunned and powerless, the spearman desperately attacked to save him, but it was clearly a futile effort.

The enemy deftly dodged the spear's attacks, quickly thrusting with a light strike.

As the spearman hurriedly executed a perfect dodge, he bit his lip.

'It's over.'

The spearman's tempo, which had been set up to perform a perfect dodge, matched the enemy's, who advanced one step and thrust as they rolled to escape.

At the end of the invincibility frame for the dodge, a pre-planned attack was waiting in the space where the spearman rose.

As if predicting the moves, the spearman fell into a groggy state from the flawless catch, just like he did.

Once the spearman fell, he was released from his groggy state, but would it mean anything now?

When forced into a one-on-one situation like this, that monster's power would devour them.

In the end, he could only helplessly watch his character get finished off, head sliced clean, feeling a sense of resignation.

"I feel scammed."

As his view returned to black and white…

"Shit."

The sight of the unranked player who had just defeated the spearman was there, deflecting every arrow shot by the recently revived archer, breaking their headgear.

In a 7 vs. 7 team match, they had taken down three of his teammates alone, making it impossible for the team to hold up.

With holes appearing in every line, they were overrun, meeting a 17-minute cut ending.

"Son of a… They even customized that skin to be as annoying as their brain…"

With basic equipment, just a longsword and standard armor, the unranked player toyed with every teammate.

No matter how much skill is involved, equipment advantages can't simply be ignored…

No, regardless of equipment, managing such intense dribbling against multiple opponents is no ordinary feat.

'Showing this level of skill with a freshly created unranked character?'

There's only one answer.

"A booster, no doubt. Reporting immediately."

Boosting has been a long-standing tradition in the gaming world for nearly 30 years.

As the victim, I couldn't just stand by.

He quickly drafted a 5,700-character report and queued for the next regular match.

Boom!

A sound signal for matching.

Maybe it was the lingering shock from the last game.

As he entered the waiting room, he quickly checked the teammate names.

When he saw "Hero of Light, Friedé" boldly on the list, he couldn't help but cheer.

"Perfect! I knew I could count on this!"

If they're on my team, I'll always welcome a booster.