“Even though my name wasn’t mentioned in the news.”
“I only heard ‘a sudden lightning strike pierced the city’s shield, destroying an overpass.'”
“Quite a few people figured out it was my doing.”
“Just look at the flood of messages that arrived.”
Sender: ‘Natasha Petrova’
– I heard the news, saw it on TV.
– (Net Space news link)
– Seems like you’re famous on the net too.
– Seriously, get some sleep. (Angry emoji)
– I’ll look into Smile John info separately.
– And Smith will give you a proper scolding.
– Next time, definitely go back with our employee.
– See you later.
Sender: ‘Andrea Rose, Red Horn’
– Hey! Hey! Hey!
– What’s going on with the news?!
– Did you get involved in another incident?
– Reply before you come find me!
– You have to!
Sender: ‘Friendly Cyberware Shop, 24/7 Consultation’
– Oh, did you get into trouble again?
– Hey Siwoon, we are friends, right?
– Make sure to contact us if you need help.
– Or else, I might have to come pick you up like last time.
– That’s how I’ll repay the favor.
– Reply, okay?
Sender: ‘White Rabbit’
– News, it’s you, Siwoon, right?
– Is there something going on?
– I may not be much help.
– If anything comes up, just let me know…
– Oh, and about what you said last time─.
This isn’t the end.
Several other acquaintances also sent messages.
I hastily replied to the incoming messages. Ignoring them would only lead to a backlash later.
By the way, there was no message from Catherine.
She had come over ready to break down my door, so I explained things to her adequately.
So many people worry about me.
Yet here I am.
“Ugh… seriously. This game is just terrible.”
Relaxing.
—
8. Unexpected Connection (1)
Of course, normally.
I had no intention of enjoying the game for the time being.
I’m serious.
Given the urgent situation where Smile John might attack Eve again.
Thinking about how Smith would be handling it if he let me go drunk made it worse.
Since he cleaned up afterward.
I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him.
I’m only human, after all, so I reflected a bit.
But I had a valid reason I had no choice but to play the game.
It was triggered by a message from Julia.
– Oh, and about what we talked about last time.
– You mentioned playing another game together.
– If there’s a chance, can we do it now?
I definitely made a promise like that.
But that was when I didn’t know her identity.
If I had known that Julia was a wanted criminal registered in the NCPD database earlier.
I probably wouldn’t have made such a suggestion.
Well, at this point, it was an unavoidable situation.
A promise is a promise.
Playing a game together wasn’t a difficult commitment.
It was definitely not because my opponent was a knife-wielding fugitive (important).
I just genuinely wanted to keep the promise.
I rationalized, picking up the phone to call Julia.
The unchanged basic ringtone played on.
After a bit, Julia’s hologram appeared.
“Hello?”
[Ah, hi… Siwoon-san.]
Her innocent-looking appearance came through the hologram.
Don’t be fooled by her innocent looks.
At a glance, she could even be mistaken for a little one, making it hard to remain on guard.
Julia was in a room somewhere.
The interior design looked strangely familiar. It seemed similar to my place.
I didn’t think much of it and immediately asked Julia about her business.
“Have you played any games?”
If she had been playing something, I could just follow along.
That was the intention behind my question.
[Uhm, the last game I played… was that one we did together, so I’ve finished it….]
“Whoa.”
I let out a gasp without realizing it.
Mmm, this fresh newbie scent.
I can’t resist.
Great.
From now on, our relationship would change from fugitive and wizard to novice and master.
I licked my lips, thinking.
What kind of game would be best?
What does Julia like?
It had to be a game that suits her taste (probably) while also something I could enjoy.
After a brief contemplation, I concluded.
“I’ll send you a net link via message, so after you pay for the game… no, I’ll gift it to you. Do you have VR Dive Goggles?”
[…Yes.]
While augmented reality games are possible with just the neural computer chip inside,
somehow, it’s hard to run a virtual reality game solely with the neural computer chip.
For virtual reality games, a machine shaped like goggles is needed.
Hmm, that’s a bit disappointing.
If she didn’t have the device, I’d use that as an excuse to suggest playing later.
Her readiness was beyond my expectations.
“Then I’ll give you the code, and once you’re in, send a friend request first.”
[…Yes!]
I conveyed the registration code for the game to Julia and then ended the call.
Hehe, I get to enjoy myself after a long time.
[……I question why you’re smiling wickedly.]
“Wicked? No, it’s the smile of a master considering the novice.”
[I use the phrase ‘speaking untruths without even salivating.’]
“……”
I flipped the goggles and put them on my eyes.
I connected the signal and turned it on.
With a familiar beep, a white world unfolded before me.
An endless horizon appeared in the virtual reality.
The virtual reality game I was about to enjoy with this newbie, Julia, was none other than this.
『IRON FIST – XII』
A fighting game.
Many people think that fighting games in virtual reality are only for those who can move well.
Surprisingly, the adjustments are so strong that beginners can enjoy the game smoothly.
Even someone physically weak and clumsy like me.
With excellent techniques and strategies, you can climb to a high tier.
In my opinion, it would fit Julia’s taste.
She looked like she enjoyed moving her body when I saw her last time.
There was no malicious intent behind it.
Julia’s voice came through.
【I’m connected!】
【Got it, do you want to join my invite?】
I smoothly skipped her tutorial.
Typically, games are meant to be learned by playing them.
Julia’s avatar appeared, displaying ‘RabbitGangDude’ above her head.
For reference, mine would have ‘ImARealWizard’ above it.
This wasn’t a revenge on my warrior character.
I definitely wasn’t holding on to that PK incident from the classic game when I first met her character.
Simply put.
There wasn’t any other game that fit her taste and could be enjoyed together.
I rationalized that way.
【Hehe.】
I let out a laugh unknowingly.
Let’s see how lightly we can play, shall we?
—
*
I lost.
【So this is the kind of game…! It’s definitely fun!】
I found it boring.
I must have played about ten rounds.
And not once did I win.
Not only did I not win, but as the rounds progressed, the gap in our health became wider.
By the end, I couldn’t even land a single blow.
【This is… ridiculous!】
I shouted.
My virtual avatar expressed my anger and actions perfectly.
【……Yeah, it’s because my dive goggles are outdated. That’s because it’s slow in response.】
Eve, who was watching my actions, calmly remarked.
[I learn that this is the feeling of ‘ugliness.’]
Gah!
Her words struck hard.
But I wasn’t wrong.
If I had a faster, more up-to-date device, things would have been different.
The moment I turned off the game, I made a deep resolution to buy the latest equipment.
I cannot lose to a newbie.
In my confusion, Julia spoke.
【Do you need… a more recent unit?】
【……Let’s order it, and when it arrives at my place, we’ll battle again then.】
【Ah…….】
Julia’s character avatar tilted its expressionless head.
【Then, can you step out of the game for a bit?】
【Huh?】
Why out of the game all of a sudden?
Well, I was originally thinking of quitting.
After confirming that Julia had exited the game, I also quit and took off the goggles.
– Ding Dong.
The intercom rang.
Who is it?
Could it be Bill again?
Or maybe Smile John is attacking.
I cautiously checked the intercom.
On the screen, Julia’s face appeared.
“?”
I opened the door.
Julia smiled and handed me something.
It was the latest virtual reality goggles.
With no signs of being opened, it was definitely an unused product.
“…Well, I just happened to move to this floor… I meant to greet you but missed the chance…”
“……Where do you live?”
“Over there.”
Julia pointed to another front door at the end of the hallway on the same floor.
“……”
As I recalled.
That place had a neighbor who was sensitive to noise.
How on earth did she know my apartment number?
And where did the previous tenant get off to?
Before I could ask, Julia replied.
“……So, shall we play again?”
“……”
Yeah.
Honestly, it’s not a big deal how that previous tenant did.
Surely she didn’t go killing them or something.
And it’s also not important how she found out about my place.
What matters is just one thing now.
“Yeah, let’s connect again.”
“……Yes!”
Black and white.
Light and darkness.
Winners and losers.
It was crucial to settle that.
Now, I had no more excuses left.
I vowed to show her my true skill. Maybe she thought my skills earlier were genuine as a newbie.
Once I exert my true power…….
—
*
Determined to quit the fighting game.
No, perhaps it is more appropriate for a trash like me to just quit the virtual reality game altogether.
The mindset of a loser distracted me.
I weakly reached for the power button on the outdated monitor.
I got so beaten by Julia that it wasn’t about fleeing back to the classic game I used to play.
After being beaten down, it made me think once.
I had a way to gather information on Smile John.
If Smile John is a terrorist.
It was clear he was involved with the underworld.
Then in this classic game,
I could probably find some information.
With familiar hand movements, I hit the Jump Key rapidly.
My character jumped in place several times.
The feeling, different from virtual reality.
This cool and heavy sensation.
I missed it more than I thought.
I need to find another classic game to play soon, but it’s proving to be a problem.
But at that moment.
From the corner of the screen, someone’s character ran towards mine.
[P2034871140 (Warrior): Hey! You’re that guy from before, right?]
…….
Who was that?
The ID is so strange I couldn’t remember well.
I didn’t talk to many people while playing this game.
It must have been one of the few.
Hmm….
I checked the person’s ID again.
Looking at the ID, I checked their profession.
(Warrior).
“Ah.”
I remembered.
I was contemplating whether to exit the game right away.
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.