The Immersion Mode
Kyle squinted as the dazzling light from the magic scroll stung his eyes. Then, the world around him twisted and spun at an unnatural speed, like a painting being violently stirred.
In the next instant, everything was swallowed by an impenetrable darkness, as though a heavy, suffocating veil had draped over reality. It was as if all light had been devoured by an unknown force.
A sudden and overwhelming sensation of weightlessness swept over him, and unease surged in his chest. His only remaining tether to reality was the soft, delicate hand he clutched tightly in his own.
Instinctively, he tightened his grip.
And sure enough, that hand pulled him forward—through the darkness.
It felt like only a second had passed. Or maybe an entire century.
Then, abruptly, light flooded his vision.
Kyle stumbled, barely managing to steady himself. Only then did he realize—he and his master were now standing hand in hand at the base of a mountain. His master's gaze was fixed on the grand city in the distance.
Lowering his eyes, Kyle looked at their still-clasped hands. A quiet, secret sense of happiness bloomed in his heart. He knew his master had simply forgotten to let go, yet a selfish part of him wished this moment would last just a little longer.
"Kyle, look. Is that the gate of Ironrock Fortress?"
Only then did Kyle shift his attention to the towering stronghold.
With his keen eyesight, he instantly recognized it—Ironrock Fortress, the very place his mother had once shown him in illustrations. The capital of the Ironrock Duchy.
Ironrock was unlike any other city on the continent of Nolan.
It was a deep-gray fortress, utterly devoid of grandeur.
The city walls were thick and imposing, the battlements lined with banners bearing a black field and a silver axe. The gates were enormous slabs of black iron, looming over the wide moat that guarded the entrance.
Flanking the gate stood eight Ironrock guards—each one broad-shouldered and clad in half-plate armor forged from black iron. Embedded in their shoulder plates were dark red minerals—Ironrock's infamous "Blood Iron Ore," known to slightly enhance the wearer's strength.
Each guard wielded a long-handled battle-axe, their sharp gazes unwavering.
One of them, presumably the captain, bore a vicious scar running from his brow to his chin, giving him a look as menacing as humanly possible.
Ava hesitated at the sight of the guards' fearsome demeanor.
"On second thought, Kyle… maybe we should head somewhere farther away. This place is still too close to the Rhine Principality."
"What if they have some kind of instant messenger?"
"And what if they capture us the moment we step inside?"
Even as these thoughts flashed through her mind, a familiar dialogue box popped up before her:
**"Want to fully immerse yourself in this game? Want to experience 100% participation? See this magical world with your own eyes? Taste the meat of magical beasts with your own tongue?
[System Announcement]
[Limited-Time Immersion Mode Offer!]
Not $99,999.
Not $9,999.
But for just $999!!!
You can replace your puppet with a real, sensory-enabled body!
And don't worry—players are fully immune to all in-game damage.
For only $999, unlock:
◆ Real body replacement for your in-game avatar
◆ 100% pain suppression
◆ Complete immersive interaction"**
Hmmm, tempting.
But Ava stared at the flashing $999 on the screen and curled her lips into a smirk. "Same old pay-to-win tactics..."
Without hesitation, she clicked [Decline].
It seemed the game hadn't anticipated a player rejecting such a tempting offer—there was a full ten-second lag.
Then, at last, a new message slowly appeared on the screen.
[Achievement Unlocked!]
Congratulations, Player Ava!
You have completed one big quest: "Escape from the Rhine Principality"!
Special Reward: [Immersion Mode – Free Trial Version]
The word "FREE" was bolded, enlarged, and flashing enticingly.
Below it, a lone [Confirm] button stood out, while the grayed-out [Cancel] option was suspiciously unclickable.
"Huh, forced marketing, huh?" Ava narrowed her eyes.
"…Fine. Since it's free…"
Her finger hovered over [Confirm] for a second before pressing it.
Something was definitely off about this game.
Any other player might have hesitated at this moment.
But for Ava...
… what was there to be afraid of?
Confirm!
[System Prompt]
Loading Immersion Mode…3…2…1…
The world twisted.
Ava felt exactly what Kyle had moments ago.
A dizzying sensation.
The world breaking into fragments, dissolving into dust—only to be rebuilt in the blink of an eye.
Then, she opened her eyes.
Beneath her feet—solid ground.
In her nose—the crisp scent of fresh air.
In her hand—something soft.
She immediately let go.
The sensation was surreal.
Seated in front of her screen, Ava's real-world self widened her eyes in shock.
A strange, impossible thought surfaced in her mind.
Had her in-game puppet—the gray-robed mage—actually… become her?
And then, something even more shocking happened.
She hadn't pressed any button. She hadn't moved the mouse.
Yet the hooded figure in the game—the one she had been controlling all this time—slowly raised its hands…
And pulled down the hood.
Two sharp intakes of breath echoed through the air.
One came from Kyle, standing right beside Ava.
The other … came from behind her.
Ava turned toward the sound.