"Wow...!"
"This place!"
The 'Red-White' guild members who finished eating in the hall on the 1st floor all came up to the capsule experience room on the 2nd floor.
There, Klaus Capsule Corporation's latest model capsules that haven't been released for sale yet were placed, and hologram screens that could show real-time play status were attached above each capsule.
"There are virtual reality sports programs like bowling, golf, baseball batting, etc. The synchronization rate for each program is fixed at 60%... And for the reaction speed test program which has a risk of actual physical impact, only this is 40%. This program has a big difference from other companies' programs currently on sale."
Chris smiled and put her hand on one of the central capsules.
"Difficulty arrangement according to projectile speed and angle increasing by level up to 10 stages. Currently it's only being used for reaction speed level testing of athletes and virtual reality AOS pro gamers."
"What else is different?"
"Hmm... It's not a facility just for our guild members, and this much isn't really a big secret so I can tell you. Actually it's Klaus Capsule Corporation's sole development technology not yet revealed to the public."
Chris winked while putting her index finger on her lips, then continued explaining.
"Using this latest capsule, most senses can achieve efficiency close to 100% regardless of overall synchronization rate. It's an achievement of virtual reality researchers including myself. Though it's still difficult to raise body movements to reality level."
"Ohhh!"
Exclamations erupted among the guild members.
I was surprised too.
I heard Chris unnie was a researcher at Klaus Capsule Corporation, but I didn't know what subject she was researching, so she was researching senses in reality and virtual reality.
I heard human senses are organically connected and difficult to separate even with cutting-edge technology of the future era.
If you ask why not just directly connect to the brain? They say that itself isn't very difficult.
But feeling all senses as if real means feeling pain as if real too.
This is actually the biggest problem. That's why they can't raise the whole body's synchronization rate.
If the brain feels strong pain, it can overload the real body too.
The example of that is me right here.
"Well, we can do other things at home too, but we should try the reaction speed program."
"Kahah! Hopkins, want to compete?"
Hopkins and Gandal, the two lumps, stepped forward boldly. They each grabbed a capsule and went in.
The remaining guild members gathered in front of the capsules the two lumps entered to watch their competition.
Woong.
"Oh, it feels similar to Astria Online."
"Is it linked to the international standard avatar?"
They, with only their current clothes linked in real-time, soon appeared in a pure white cubic test room.
Beep-
[Test Program Level 1, Start]
Soon an alert sound was heard from the screen above the capsule everyone was watching, and balls started flying out towards Hopkins and Gandal from all directions of the test room except the floor.
Whoosh, whoosh!
"Huh!"
"Whoa!"
They staggered at first, letting out exclamations. But they soon adapted without difficulty and started dodging the spheres diligently.
A few spheres that flew in when they couldn't control their bodies at first hit them, but it seems they didn't fall below the fail cutline.
[Evasion rate 91.0%. Pass. Would you like to proceed to Level 2 test?]
[Evasion rate 89.0%. Pass. Would you like to proceed to Level 2 test?]
-Uhh, hey, Gandal. I'm a bit higher?
-What! The winner is the one who reaches the highest level in the end!
Their competition continued.
And finally they reached the Level 6 test.
Whack whack!
-Ugh!
-Uhh!
Hopkins and Gandal tried hard to move their bodies, but couldn't properly dodge the balls flying from blind spots at high speed. They couldn't help but be hit by many projectiles in the Level 6 test.
[Evasion rate 66.8%. Fail. Would you like to retry Level 6 test?]
[Evasion rate 64.1%. Fail. Would you like to retry Level 6 test?]
-It's really difficult from Level 6. But I think I won? Uhahah!
-Ugh, let's do it again!
Whirr.
Soon the capsules opened, and the two people came out with refreshed expressions.
Clap clap clap.
"You were dodging well! Is Level 6 good?"
"Since the highest record is Level 8, it's quite high for ordinary people's level."
Afterwards, Yeon Minah, Full Moon, Red Hot Chicken, and Top Fishing Catch also used the reaction speed test program. But none of them could pass the Level 6 wall.
And a competition between the two Rangers, Disappointing and Ko Seungwoo, unfolded.
Ohhh-!
"First time reaching Level 7!"
Whack, whoosh whoosh whoosh!
[Evasion rate 71.4%. Fail. Would you like to retry Level 7 test?]
[Evasion rate 70.9%. Fail. Would you like to retry Level 7 test?]
-Ugh...! It was a hair's breadth difference!
-Whew.
Ko Seungwoo who was disappointed and Disappointing who smiled in victory came out of the capsules.
Clap clap clap!
"First time reaching Level 7...! The Rangers are amazing. Did you say 80% is the pass line? I think they could reach Level 8 with practice?"
"As expected of Red-White guild's Rangers. With this level of record, their reaction speed is no less than decent athletes."
Chris smiled with a proud expression.
Bae Merong and Cherni couldn't pass the Level 6 wall either. Currently, only the Ranger duo had recorded Level 7.
And it was Deathly Death and my turn.
Whirr.
I moved my wheelchair in front of the capsule, then tried to move my body using only arm strength to lie down in the capsule.
"Hup. ...Ah."
Flash.
Chris's hands came under my armpits, and she lifted me up.
I blushed slightly.
Everyone is watching.
"I'm fine."
"Huhu."
Chris smiled brightly and laid me down in the capsule while lifting me.
Deathly Death went into the capsule next to mine.
"Hmph, I've practiced often with this test program. I know Rain has excellent adaptability in virtual reality, but it'll feel different from Astria Online."
"Hehe. Is that so?"
I smiled brightly at Deathly Death. Soon, the capsule lid closed.
Woong.
A pure white test room unfolded before my eyes.
"Hmm."
I moved my body slightly.
It felt like moving my body underwater.
As expected, 40% synchronization rate.
My 100% synchronization rate is limited to 'Astria Online'.
I've already tested this with Chris's capsule too.
My avatar's virtual reality synchronization rate follows the program-set synchronization rate in other metaverses.
But only for 'Astria Online', it's fixed at 100% no matter which capsule is used. I don't know what principle it is though.
In this reaction speed test program, it's the same condition as others after all.
But you know.
Beep-
[Test Program Level 1, Start]
I grinned looking at the walls on all sides slowly starting to open.
They said seeing and hearing are close to reality with the latest technology applied capsule.
It's not a program handling weapons or such, so being physically weak according to appearance isn't a problem.
The body's movement is just a bit slow.
If the body reacts slowly, I just need to move in advance.
The sound of air being cut heard by ears, the launch position of spheres seen by eyes.
Thought acceleration during a split moment of time.
These things can be used.
Even if it's a body without mana, as long as the legs move.
Whoosh, whoosh!
I lightly moved my body and darted between the projectiles that started flying towards me.
[Evasion rate 100%. Pass. Would you like to proceed to Level 8 test?]
[Evasion rate 100%. Pass. Would you like to proceed to Level 9 test?]
[Evasion rate 100%. Pass. Would you like to proceed to Level 10 test?]
[Evasion rate 100%. Pass. You have passed the final test]
Whirr.
"...?"
It's quiet around.
Everyone was blankly looking up at the final test pass screen above my capsule.
Even Chris was looking at me with a rare dumbfounded expression.
"78% at Level 8, breaking the highest record...!"
Deathly Death was clenching his fist with a very frustrated expression.
Chris smiled slightly and stroked my head as I got up from the capsule.
"We'll need to modify the theoretical maximum level of the reaction speed test program."
Today's offline meeting was entering late hours. But it seems no one was thinking of going home early. Since they said Klaus Hotel rooms could be used too, they could sleep there if drunk.
Everyone gathered in the hall was enjoying light desserts and wine.
As expected of an adult game's offline meeting, there's a lot of alcohol.
Beer, wine, soju and such. From high-class alcohol to light alcohol everyone enjoys.
"Hmmmm..."
I quietly glared at the glass of red wine placed in front of me.
Of course, I'm an adult according to this world's resident registration too.
In my faint past life memories, I seem to have drunk alcohol before.
But was it early this year? I remember spitting out beer right after taking one sip.
"This body doesn't take alcohol well."
Of course I've never drunk alcohol with this body in the Astria continent either. Though that's because it was clearly an underage body then.
There's no problem now, right?
Of course I'm just an adult by resident registration, not a complete adult body, but it's okay to drink with adults.
And there are adults all around.
I put the wine glass to my lips and tilted it slightly.
Sip.
And frowned.
"Ugh..."
It tastes bad.
I don't know if there's such a thing as sweet wine, but my body rejected even the astringent taste of wine.
I regretfully moved my wheelchair around looking for something else to drink.
And discovered a bottle with a fruit-shaped label.
"Oh."
Is it juice?
I poured it and filled my glass.
And, sip.
"Hiya!"
I exclaimed.
It's sweet.
Sip sip.
One of the few drinks I can drink in this hall.
Intoxicated by that sweetness, I kept sipping the juice non-stop.
Full Moon passed by my side and looked at the table with a puzzled expression.
"...Huh? I just brought fruit soju, why is the bottle empty?"
"Hmm...?"
Full Moon's face started rippling a bit.
At the same time I felt my body floating.
Somehow I felt good.
I smiled brightly.
"Heh."