Klaus Capsule Corporation is one of the top three capsule sales companies worldwide, not just in Korea.
The CEO of this company, headquartered in Gangnam, is a former American who married a Korean woman and had a daughter here.
South Korea actively promoted naturalization policies to address the population cliff. However, although much time has passed since then, it was not common for a former foreigner to successfully establish themselves and raise a major corporation in Korea, where nationalism is prevalent.
And Chris, the daughter of Klaus Capsule Corporation’s CEO, was also a researcher at this company.
On the 5th floor of the headquarters, in the virtual reality capsule test room.
Today, Chris shook her head after checking the behavior of an intern researcher here.
“Haah, he was doing this here again today.”
Pitter-patter!
But Chris soon exclaimed in admiration while looking at the screen linked to the capsule in the test room.
“Still, as expected of a former amateur boxer.”
On that screen, numerous steel balls were visible, firing at a sharp-looking young man in a virtual reality space.
The young man was avoiding the steel balls through quick movements.
Whoosh!
The young man slightly turned his head. A steel ball with heavy weight brushed past near the young man’s head.
He soon lowered his head and took a weaving stance.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The young man avoided all the steel balls rushing at him with minimal movements.
Beep-
As the beep sound announcing the end of the test rang, the shower of steel balls stopped.
The young man cracked his neck once and then exclaimed proudly while bumping his fists together.
“Good, level 5!”
The young man’s voice flowed from the speaker attached to the screen.
Chris was shocked and spoke to the young man through the microphone.
“Heo Junhyuk! What synchronization rate are you doing this at now? Why did you set the ball material to steel?”
“Hm? Is that Chris? Wait a bit. I think I can go up to level 5 today.”
Pitter-patter!
As soon as the words ended, a spectacle of steel balls unfolded on the screen. The young man started avoiding them by a hair’s breadth.
The young man’s movements became erratic. The sound of balls cutting through the air was frighteningly heard. And not long after, a steel ball that the young man failed to avoid struck his side.
Thwack!
“Kugh!”
A shower of steel balls poured down on the young man, who had fallen to his knees with a groan.
Thwack thwack thwack!
Crackle, the young man’s virtual reality avatar, started to flicker.
“This crazy…!”
Chris hurriedly headed towards the capsule containing the young man’s body.
Whirr.
At that moment, the capsule opened, and the young man with sweat-soaked hair shook his head and raised his body from inside.
Chris checked the synchronization rate of the reaction speed test program and made an expression like she had a headache.
“Heo Jun! I knew you were crazy, but what’s with the 60% synchronization rate? Is this why you became a researcher?”
“It’s Heo Junhyuk.”
“Shut up, Heo Jun. You’re banned from the test room for a while.”
“…I’d rather be called Death at this point.”
Chris sighed and helped Junhyuk get up from the capsule.
“So, why did you do that?”
“If you think it doesn’t hurt even when hit, your movements become loose. Appropriate tension brings out reactions. It’s an experiment doubling as an overload test. Aren’t you curious how much pain humans can endure in high synchronization rate virtual reality?”
“You’ll soon get a mental illness if you keep doing such experiments. There’s a reason virtual reality synchronization rates are legally restricted. You’re the only one who voluntarily subjects yourself to torture. Haah, it’s fortunate there’s a self-blocking system that detects brain overload in the capsule.”
“Hmm… A self-blocking system.”
Junhyuk stroked his chin and fell into thought for a moment.
“The avatar flickering and forcibly kicking you out of the program. Still, I endured for quite a while, didn’t I?”
“Pain is just something to endure. I thought I was used to pain since I took strong body blows in my boxing days, but it seems the system judged that I couldn’t endure the pain.”
“We can’t sell capsules without such safety measures. 60% synchronization rate, there’s a limit to recklessness.”
“Ahem, I’ve understood enough, so I’d appreciate it if you stopped nagging.”
“Your speech pattern concept is consistent to the end, huh? The adventurer from the Astria continent has arrived. Anyway, put aside the excuses. You, Deathly Death, you did this because of her, right?”
“I-I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The Swordsman of the No Name party, Rain.”
Chris snickered and poked Junhyuk’s side. Junhyuk sweated profusely and tried to change the subject.
“What, did you feel some competitive spirit as a tank? It’s not like you’re training in a gravity room like some space warrior cartoon. Do you think you can do this with company equipment and programs? Since I’m at the company, I should go see Dad.”
“Ah, I got it! I was wrong, please, anything but that!”
* * *
“Jaewook, it’s been a while! What brings you here?”
“I was playing nearby with a friend and stopped by briefly. I wanted to greet you if you were here, auntie.”
“Aiyoo, it’s not easy to find part-timers these days. It’s been over three months since you quit, and I still haven’t found anyone, so I’m still doing night shifts, you know? I should quickly turn this into an unmanned store or something.”
“Haha…”
Jaewook exchanged greetings with the manager auntie at the convenience store near the poor neighborhood where he used to work.
Today, Jaewook came out to play in this area with Dayeon, his university classmate and game friend, along with an evening appointment. He stopped by because the convenience store where he used to work was nearby.
The manager auntie welcomed Jaewook gladly. Jaewook conversed with the auntie, momentarily forgetting about Dayeon, who had come with him.
As the conversation was about to go off on a tangent, Dayeon discreetly gave him a signal.
“Ah, I should get going. Take care then.”
“Alright, alright, go on in. Come visit often!”
Ding-a-ling.
Dayeon, who pulled Jaewook out of the convenience store, glared at him with a sulky expression.
“What’s this, you said you had somewhere to stop by nearby, was it here? The convenience store where you used to work?”
Jaewook spread both hands exaggeratedly as if performing in a musical.
“Oh Bae Merong! Would you, a mere commoner, understand? This is where the Elementalist Cherni’s ‘Astria Online’ journey began! The very place where I raised funds to buy a capsule!”
“I’m unsure if you came out to play after properly doing your inner work. Don’t get scolded by Chris unnie later.”
Jaewook moved his steps while snickering, regardless of Dayeon’s jabs. Dayeon followed Jaewook and asked.
“Where are we going now?”
“This is also a place worth looking around once. Do you know what a poor neighborhood is?”
“Isn’t it the kind of neighborhood that used to appear on TV when celebrities did charity coal briquette sharing events? I was amazed to see that there were still places using coal briquettes even then. …Aha, is this it?”
“Well, even in a place like this nowadays, it seems they don’t use coal briquettes anymore.”
Dayeon exclaimed while looking up at the sloping alley.
The alley was very narrow and bumpy. The old houses packed tightly on both sides of the street with just one wall between them seemed to starkly show the circumstances of the people living here.
The traces of time remained intact on the walls. Faded bricks, cracked cement here and there, and temporary repairs patched up all over were noticeable.
“I can’t believe there are still places like this in Seoul.”
Dayeon opened her mouth and kept looking around as she walked up the alley.
“They’ve mostly disappeared due to redevelopment and such, but they haven’t completely vanished. Usually, many elderly people or those with physical disabilities live here, so there must be complicated circumstances. It doesn’t seem to be just about compensation money. Some places even got to the brink of redevelopment before it was canceled.”
Dayeon nodded at Jaewook’s explanation. Even in such a developed era, there are various forms of places where people live. Even Dayeon, who had just become an adult, had enough maturity to understand that.
The time was late at night. The streetlight illuminating the alley sparsely created an even more desolate atmosphere.
Dayeon shrank her body and stuck close to Jaewook.
“…What’s this, Nam Dayeon? Are you scared because you’re a girl too? Kekek. No matter what, it’s still Seoul; what could happen? Don’t worry, the great Elementalist Cherni is with you.”
Dayeon kicked Jaewook’s shin.
“Shut up, Lee Jaewook! I’m not scared, okay? I’ve, I’ve seen enough, so let’s go down!”
“Ouch, ouch. Kekek. …Huh?”
Whirr.
A familiar mechanical sound reached Jaewook’s ears as he giggled while getting his leg kicked by Dayeon.
“Wait.”
“Uh, okay?”
Jaewook pulled Dayeon and crouched down under the wall at the corner of the alley, holding his breath.
Whirr.
That mechanical sound got closer and closer.
It was a sound he had heard constantly during the three months he worked here; there was no way Jaewook could have misheard it.
Jaewook knew someone who used a machine that made such a sound.
And not long after, a girl sitting in a wheelchair appeared.
Silver, reflected by the streetlight, settled on white hair.
The small body relying on just one electric wheelchair gave a somewhat precarious feeling.
Although there was still a youthful air in the briefly seen side profile, it was obvious to anyone that she was a rare beauty hard to find easily.
The girl passed by them with just one wall between them. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to notice Jaewook and Dayeon who had hidden their bodies in the shadow of the wall corner.
Not only Jaewook, but Dayeon also knew that girl’s name, although it was just a nickname in the game.
“Ra…!”
Dayeon barely covered that name, which leaked out like a moan, with her hand.