TL:SWAN
PR: Freak_Guy
Episode 2.
“Something feels empty.”
Starting at 18 and now already 21 years old.
For a short time or a long time, Donghyun spent his days playing games like crazy. While others were drinking and enjoying college life, Donghyun locked himself in his room and played games.
He said it was because of money, but that wasn’t the grand reason.
Because it was fun.
Even though he cursed while playing, he enjoyed chatting with fellow enthusiasts and getting excited when a lucky item dropped after struggling through a raid.
Everything was just enjoyable.
But in the end, all that remains is subjugation.
Did he really dedicate three years of his life to a game that easily failed?
He had some talent, so if he had played a different game, he probably would have made some money… If he had become a top-ranked player in the VR version of Lineage, he would have been envied by building owners, right?
Thinking like that, he felt unjust.
“I’m ranked number one, so why don’t I have any money?”
The money in his account was at most 500,000 won (approx. $440).
Achieving first place in a failed game like Damerock wouldn’t bring him any money.
Even if good items appeared, someone had to be willing to buy them. The money he had now was what he managed to save bit by bit by being frugal when it could be considered pocket money.
If his first game hadn’t been this crappy and instead something like Lineage in VR… No, at least a normal VR game, things would have been different.
Sigh…
Those thoughts were momentarily interrupted as Donghyun raised his head.
“This is what it is. It’s my fault for not quitting this crappy game.”
Now he had to start making money.
Even though it was a crappy game, he knew he had talent in gaming, and he wanted to explore that talent in a VR game that was close to virtual reality.
Considering that VR games were more profitable than PC games, there was no need to give up and die.
“I’m not in urgent need of money right now… Let’s take it slowly and see.”
Since he was still living with his parents, he didn’t have any immediate financial pressure.
With 500,000 won, he could easily enjoy himself for a month.
Donghyun didn’t want to entertain complicated thoughts, so he plopped back down on his computer chair.
He intended to look into new games. But when he actually turned on the computer, the first place he went was the Damerock homepage.
“Ah.”
It was a habit that could be frightening.
Whenever he turned on the computer, he would either post strategy guides on the homepage or browse through the posts that were uploaded.
Click.
[When will this X-shitty game die? – Borasaek Mat (username)]
Even though the service had ended, he wondered if there were any posts from hidden users.
It seemed like Damerock was even more of a failure than Donghyun had thought.
The last post was by Borasaek Mat, who posted a month ago.
Sigh… Let’s turn it off and check for information.
Just as he was about to exit the homepage…
“…Huh? A new post?”
A new post appeared at the uncanny timing.
Moreover, it wasn’t just any user who posted it, but the game operators themselves.
[We would like to express our gratitude to all the users who have enjoyed Damerock… Thanks to you, we were able to end on a happy note… And…]
He wondered what it was, so he took a look. It turned out to be a simple expression of gratitude.
Like how reviews are posted at the end of a webtoon, it was a long review expressing gratitude for staying with them until the end.
“Why am I reading this so thoroughly?”
He muttered with a bitter smile while scrolling down.
But when he saw the last sentence, he paused.
[Demrock, which was a test version and season 1 has ended its service and will soon return as season 2, the official version. The official version has been conceived with the utmost consideration for the data you’ve left and the feedback you’ve provided while playing. We are confident that it will be a free world full of adventure. We invite you to the paradise of adventure.]
“Season 2 is coming?”
Donghyun’s face twisted in disbelief.
He didn’t expect that. Perhaps they were ambitiously preparing for Season 2.
However, he was skeptical.
“Feedback from the users… It’s probably just a bunch of curses and insults about this damn shit game.”
Damerock’s reputation for gacha was widely known among gamers.
Even users who played Damerock would have sent their sincere feedback in letters filled with curses.
They would have expressed their anger quite strongly.
And more than half of those inquiries would probably be my fault, right?
Most people may not know, but Donghyun prided himself on being one of the victims who suffered the most from Damerock’s bad luck.
From skill gacha to item drops to item enhancements.
The list would be endless.
Considering that, it’s hard to imagine how much things would change by reflecting on feedback given to such a shit game.
That’s when he stopped.
Pause.
As Donghyun scrolled down, his gaze was captured by a certain word on the screen.
“Virtual reality game?”
His face contorted with surprise as he read those words.
If you ask any 21st-century gamer, they all have one dream in their hearts.
A virtual reality game.
A game that only appeared in novels and comics, resembling the games in those stories. It was a fantasy game because the thing done there couldn’t be achieved in reality.
However, since 2020, the world has come one step closer to virtual reality games.
VR 3rd generation.
A device worn on the head like a helmet that allows you to experience games with not just your eyes only, going beyond the 1st generation, which was purely visual.
At first glance, the device resembled something from a novel or a comic.
But in reality, it was completely different.
“It’s far from the elaborate scenes depicted in novels. The graphics and patterns were made up of artificial intelligence that lacked any sense of emotion… There were no sensations to be felt…”
One could say that everything about it was a severely degraded version.
Perhaps even the experts said that it would take at least several decades for a proper virtual reality game to emerge.
People were satisfied with the current VR for a reason.
[Breaking News: Damerock shuts down. We can’t post memes anymore.]
– Did that shitty game finally die? I’ve been wondering when it would happen.
– Yeah, but a notice came up on their website saying they’re releasing a virtual reality game.
– What does that mean?
– They said Damerock was a test version. The official version, Season 2, will be a virtual reality game called “God of Savior” or something.
Due to the small VR market, news spread quickly among avid users. It was a more reasonable assumption that it was spread by fast users who were looking at the homepage.
Seeing how quickly it spread for such a failed game, it seemed like a plausibility.
The reaction were as expected
– Virtual reality game, lol, do you believe in that?
– Well, logically, if a real virtual reality game were coming out, rumors should have spread throughout the world by now. There should be articles everywhere, but they’re barely even posting announcements on their website. Sigh…
– Seriously, haha. But hey, their technology is good, so maybe they’ll make the VR game well.
– So, are you going to play it?
– Nah, I’ll never touch a luck-based crap game. Wanna try Bone dragon’s mountain Brick?
– LOL, Brick Wall? Hahaha, that’s really hilarious. That game was my first and last.
“It was dirty, and let’s never see it again for real. ;;”
Of course.
The idea of a virtual reality game coming out was just too unbelievable.
That’s why Dohyun immediately turned off the community without any regrets.
“To make money with a game, you’d have to invest at least two months into leveling up, and it’s too late to start now, Linny. Is there any decent game out there?”
Linny just sighed deeply.
Even if they were to establish themselves from now on, they would inevitably have to invest a lot of time to reach the top tier.
However, it wouldn’t be profitable to play games that are too obscure.
“An average game with a reasonable level of popularity…”
However, they didn’t want to play just any game, but…
“Even if it’s like gambling, should I look for a new VR game?”
They were confident that if it was a new release, they could definitely rank high. They also wanted to have fun while making money with an enjoyable game.
As they contemplated, clicking their mouse…
Suddenly,
“Hey, Mom asked me to give you this.”
“Oh, it startled me. Can’t you knock?”
“Knock? What…”
The door opened with a creak, revealing a short-haired, still somewhat immature-looking girl.
She was about 160cm tall with fair and delicate skin. Her round, big eyes and closely clustered facial features would be considered cute by most guys, but in Dohyun’s eyes, she looked like a wild boar.
“Hey ‘oppa’ why do I have to keep telling you this?”
“Ugh, it’s gross. And wash up a bit. Don’t just sit in your room playing games all day. It’s embarrassing to call friends over when you’re like this.”
“………… It’s not like I’m embarrassed, though?”
With a look that seemed to genuinely express incomprehension, Dohyun’s sister, Hyuna, frowned as she examined herself in the mirror placed next to her. It was as if she had seen something she couldn’t bear to look at, like a wild boar… no, something even more unpleasant.
One might wonder if a sense of disgust appears in the eyes when one is young.
“Ah………… I have to go for a drink, but I already don’t feel well. I’m leaving…”
Hyuna, who had coolly placed the mail on the shelf next to the door without coming close, left.
Watching her get further away, Dohyun scratched his head.
“Hmm, I think I’m handsome like this.”
Objectively speaking, he didn’t seem bad at all, but it didn’t appear that way to Hyuna.
After all, that’s how it is between siblings.
Anyway, he was curious about what Hyuna had left behind.
As he got up from his chair and quickly went to the shelf out of curiosity, he tore open the mail.
“…”
“Do Hyun’s eyes widened.
His trembling hands grasped ‘it,’ as if unable to believe it. It was far from excitement.
Rather, it was a reaction closer to fear.
It was unimaginable for Do Hyun, who never felt nervous even when facing any raid boss, to show such a reaction, but there was no other choice.
Even if Ma Bong-seok came, he wouldn’t be able to control his trembling.
[Enlistment Notice]
– Name: Kang Do Hyun
… According to the provisions of Article 16 of the Military Service Act, we hereby inform you of your enlistment as an active-duty soldier.”
If you’re a healthy young man in South Korea,
you can’t escape the nation’s calling that comes to everyone.
Even he, who was once called a god in Demrock, couldn’t avoid the nation’s calling.
“It’s all over…….”
And so, Dohyun went from being a trainee to becoming a proud member of the 51st Army Division’s Mobile Battalion.
And around that time,
Demrock’s official version, ‘God of Savior,’ was released.
With the title of a virtual reality game,
[The First Virtual Reality Game ‘God of Savior’ Released!]
[The Arrival of a Massive VR MMORPG. Will it truly become a virtual reality game? Ambitions revealed….]
[Is it a glimmer of hope or despair that emerged amid concerns and expectations?]
Virtual reality, which was once dismissed as a hollow promise, had truly revealed itself to the world.”
NOVELFREAK.COM
