I think Rain was peaceful today.
‘Rain’ just needs to live enjoying the thrilling adventures in the Astria continent, and the body that moves freely and vivid sensations.
Because I can’t burden Rain together, Lee Seulbi decided to take on all the worries and concerns.
I’ll take care of it.
It will be fine.
Rain, don’t think about anything.
I raised my body from the capsule and wiped off cold sweat.
Today, Rain ran buses to her heart’s content with Chris and explored mountain ranges that might have paths leading to the next region.
A major expansion pack update is scheduled for ‘Astria Online’ soon.
As it’s a game modeled after the Astria continent, the next region itself exists even at this point. But an update is needed to adjust the instance dungeons or content that users will face there.
Now that I’ve logged out and returned to this world, it was already time for dinner.
I blankly looked at my smartphone while sitting up.
[Direct Message]
[Hana Corp. Team Leader Han]
[To ‘Drizzle Rain’]
I haven’t checked the message content yet.
I wonder what’s written.
There are a few expected scenarios.
I don’t know how much the administrators can know with their authority, but they wouldn’t look into each and every user’s information.
But there must also be systems that detect hacks or hacking in packets transmitted from users to the server.
In a way, it could be considered a very lucky case that I’ve been using the cheat key of 100% synchronization rate without issues until now.
Then, there are largely two cases to consider.
Either the packets transmitted from my capsule to the game company didn’t show problems for some reason, or they discovered problems but ignored them to some extent.
If it’s the former, I’m lucky, if it’s the latter, the game company has given me special treatment.
But what if my body caused big problems due to the load from high synchronization rate?
Last time I was fortunately discovered by Chris and survived.
Luckily it was concluded as being related to the nutritional state of my weak body and mental issues, not related to playing ‘Astria Online’.
If I had lost my life or become irreversible at that time?
In that case, it goes beyond the stage of turning the arrow to an individual user’s problem of hacking the capsule. The game company couldn’t have avoided responsibility either.
They neglected it?
Even knowing my abnormal synchronization rate?
Is there any reason to neglect my synchronization rate while taking such risks that could lead to legal responsibility, potentially unable to service the game as a whole?
“Hmm…”
No matter how I think about it, that doesn’t seem to be the case.
For some reason I don’t know, it’s highly likely that either abnormal packets weren’t transmitted from my play data until now, or the game company didn’t discover them.
And now that I’ve revealed myself in front of numerous users, you could say they sent a message to directly investigate my character’s status and capsule.
After all, Rain is doing play that can’t be easily explained without having a high synchronization rate.
Still.
I can’t not face it.
To keep living in the Astria continent I found again.
To protect ‘Rain’.
Just as I steeled my heart and was about to check the message from the game company.
Knock knock.
“Ah!?”
I was startled and looked towards the door where the knocking sound came from.
“…Rain? Can I come in?”
It’s Chris unnie.
I relaxed my stiffened body, sighed deeply, and answered.
“Come in.”
Chris entered my room hesitantly. She looked at me with a slightly worried expression.
“…Why does unnie look like that?”
I tilted my head.
Chris carefully supported my body to sit on the bed, then sat next to me.
“While running buses today, Rain seemed to have a lot on her mind.”
“…”
I thought Rain didn’t show any signs today.
Chris read ‘Lee Seulbi’s’ worries from deep inside ‘Rain’s’ heart.
Chris’s eyes were looking into my heart.
I felt a small sense of relief at her kind heart.
I didn’t need to worry alone.
I opened my mouth.
“I’m anxious.”
“What are you anxious about?”
“I’m afraid Rain will disappear.”
“Synchronization rate.”
I looked at Chris with a slightly surprised expression.
I vaguely guessed, but as expected, she knew about my abnormal synchronization rate too.
I nodded.
“Yes. My synchronization rate is high.”
“…It hurt a lot, right?”
My chest warmed at her gentle tone.
Of course it hurts, but it’s something I have to endure. Pain is also one of the sensations that makes you feel alive.
It’s just uncomfortable that Lee Seulbi’s body takes a load from the pain Rain feels.
Hug.
Chris pulled my body and held my head to her chest.
It’s soft. It’s warm.
“Yesterday, a message came from the game company. I haven’t checked the content yet though.”
“Measures or sanctions regarding synchronization rate could be imposed.”
“Yes. …But, I.”
“I know. You don’t want to give it up, right?”
I nodded slightly.
Legs that move freely.
The vivid sensations felt through them.
The refreshing air of the Astria continent.
The realistic adventures experienced there.
I didn’t want to give up any of it.
If ‘Rain’ is taken away, it felt like I would lose myself again in this colorless world.
Although some color has returned to this world with Chris’s presence here.
Until now, I was fulfilling most of the meaning of living through ‘Rain’ of the Astria continent.
Chris hugged my head once more tightly, then separated my body and met my eyes.
There was determination in her eyes.
“Don’t worry. Unnie will do something somehow.”
“…Unnie will?”
“Yes. Though unnie may not look like it, I have quite a lot of power in the virtual reality industry?”
Chris grinned.
At that confident smile, I could feel my anxiety slowly dissipating.
“You don’t know the cause, but your synchronization rate was high from the beginning, right?”
“Yes. But from the game company’s standpoint, they have to take measures, don’t they?”
“That’s certainly true. Whether it’s a bug or hacking, it’s not something the game company can leave alone.”
Chris nodded.
After all, I who was enduring the pain from high synchronization rate as it was had been in a dangerous situation.
“But Rain can’t give up the synchronization rate.”
“I know it’s just my stubbornness. But.”
Chris respected my opinion while looking very worried.
Of course, if I receive measures regarding synchronization rate, my body becomes safe.
But at the same time, I return to being the past Lee Seulbi who was no different from a corpse that just moved.
For me, I absolutely couldn’t give up the synchronization rate.
“It won’t be easy. I wonder if it’s not enough to persuade them by saying we’ll always watch to take immediate measures if necessary while caring to prevent major load on the real body. Haah, if we had more time.”
“…?”
Before I could think deeply about Chris’s last words, Chris pointed at my smartphone.
“First, we should check the message.”
“Yes.”
Fortunately, I could muster courage because Chris was beside me.
I looked at the smartphone with Chris and opened the message.
[Direct Message]
[Hana Corp. Team Leader Han]
[To ‘Drizzle Rain’]
[Content]
Hello. This is Team Leader Han Yeoreum from Hana Games’ Marketing Department.
…
…
Chris’s expression became strange as she read down the message.
“…This is an offer to be an advertising model?”
“Huh!”
* * *
“Indeed a rapidly growing game company. Aggressive marketing.”
“Um, this is my first time with things like advertising contracts.”
“Since you’re a celebrity affiliated with unnie’s company, if it goes towards making an advertising contract, unnie will take care of it.”
“…Celebrity?”
Today, I came to Chris’s company for the first time.
Where we are now is the headquarters of ‘Klaus Capsule Corporation’ located in Gangnam.
Klaus Capsule Corporation is an enormously large company. It’s also the company that made the capsule I’m using now.
So Chris unnie was working at such an amazing place.
I was waiting with Chris in this building’s meeting room for a person called ‘Team Leader Han Yeoreum’ from ‘Hana Games’.
“Is advertising contract really the only purpose?”
“Well, I don’t know. We’ll have to see what they say when they come. Still, if it’s someone in charge of marketing, they probably won’t nitpick about your gameplay?”
“I-I guess so?”
As I heard from Chris before, in this future world, metaverse avatars are individually owned.
Even if you’re using the appearance of your new avatar created according to the International Metaverse Avatar Standard Common Program in-game, it doesn’t mean it’s owned by the game company.
If they want to use an individual’s avatar as a game advertisement model, they have to make an advertising contract directly with the person.
“Since Rain’s play is really cool and her face is pretty too, it’s not unreasonable for the game company to want to use her as an advertising model.”
Chris nodded her head.
I squirmed unnecessarily embarrassed at that praise.
I’m still not used to compliments about my appearance.
“We’re meeting because Rain said she wanted to meet first, but will it be okay? If you become an advertising model, your face will be exposed through various media.”
“I’ll listen to what they say and decide.”
This is the first case of the game company attempting to contact me directly.
Though I don’t know if advertising model offer is really the only purpose.
Still, there is one good thing if I become an advertising model.
They’ll probably pay a lot of money too?
To repay the gold I owe unnie, I can endure my face being sold to this extent.
“Team Leader Han Yeoreum has arrived.”
“Yes. Please tell her to come in.”
A voice was heard from outside, and Team Leader Han Yeoreum entered.
“Oh.”
I let out an exclamation without realizing.
Tall stature, bright blonde straight hair falling below her shoulders.
A beauty who looks to be in her early to mid 20s.
Her figure was amazing too. Large breasts asserted their presence even over her office look.
Looking just at the chest, beyond Chris.
I pulled on Chris’s collar and said.
“Wow, she’s a pretty person.”
“Ugh.”
Chris looked down at her own chest with a frustrated expression.
Chris, who somehow became sulky, fiddled with her fingers and said.
“Does Rain prefer bigger chests?”
“Huh?”
I tilted my head.
What does that mean?
I answered honestly.
“Unnie’s size is the prettiest.”
“He-hehe. Is that so?”
Chris’s face brightened again.
While we were chatting, the woman called Han Yeoreum sat on the sofa across the meeting room table.
I looked at her with tense eyes.
Though it’s the marketing department, she’s clearly someone from the game company that made Astria Online.
She might bring up the topic of synchronization rate.
This is a problem that I, who am in this world now, must overcome.
It’s Lee Seulbi’s battle.