Chapter 6 : The Saint Plays Games (1)

“…What should we do with the leftovers?”

At her words, I looked at the table. Pizza, chicken, fries, cola. There was even an untouched hamburger.

I had ordered a bit too much.

“…Should we throw it away?”

The option of eating it later also crossed my mind, but my appetite was limited. Food was just a button press away.

A few hours later, would I rather have cold leftovers or freshly made food? The answer was obvious.

For a moment, I wondered if it was extravagant, but then I thought about my ever-increasing bank balance and shook my head.

“Um… could I take it home?”

Huh?

I must have looked quite puzzled.

“It’s… well…”

She mumbled, her cheeks flushed.

It sounded familiar.

A single room in a studio apartment. The image of a poor college student.

“Thank you for today.”

I opened the door to see her off.

“…I should be the one saying that.”

She looked incredibly cute, leaving with her arms full of food like a squirrel.

After she left, I returned to the capsule. Following the advice I was given, I pressed the button, and the capsule closed.

I just had to imagine myself connecting.

“Link Start!”

<Hehe.>

“Huh?”

I heard a woman’s laughter, as if it had burst from my mind.

But my consciousness faded.

[New Player Detected.]

A cheerful chime brought me back to consciousness.

[Welcome!]

I was in a completely white, empty space.

I wasn’t surprised. Seoyeon had told me a lot.

This was the foundation, the base camp.

She had said I could decorate it like a room or do various things when I had time, but…

“Is that you?”

I spoke without hesitation.

I had a strange certainty that Lilith, a high-ranking deity, was watching me.

[A new world.]

The system message stopped. Then, I heard the Goddess’s voice.

<Hehe, you caught me.>

“…What’s your purpose?”

<Purpose… hmm. Let’s see. Perhaps I was curious if you liked my gift? I was just watching to see how the child who received the gift would react.>

“…I liked it. And I want to thank you.”

<I’m glad. I wouldn’t take back a gift, even if I am a Goddess. But I couldn’t just give it to you as is. There were various problems, so I converted it.>

I see.

“…By any chance…”

<Stop. I can’t give you any more information. I compensated you with material wealth instead of information.>

“…”

<Would you have preferred information?>

I was speechless.

Those words alone told me everything.

Perhaps because I had briefly touched the philosopher’s stone, even though that knowledge was gone now, I had a gut feeling that I shouldn’t know more. If I wanted to know, I had to find out on my own.

“No.”

We had a brief conversation. Whether I liked my current life.

That kind of small talk.

It had only been a day, yet I could answer without hesitation.

I liked it.

This life.

<But! I hate cliffhangers, so I’ll tell you one thing. You are Seol Hayun. The Seol Hayun of this body, of this world, is only you. From the beginning, and even now.>

What did she mean…?

<Farewell.>

It seemed this was truly the end.

She, that deity, knew. The hardships I had endured in that world.

Somehow, that fact comforted me.

I could figure out the details of this body later. Perhaps thanks to the deity’s consideration, my abilities remained. The abilities that allowed me to go toe-to-toe with the Demon King.

<It was short, but enjoyable. I’m satisfied just having witnessed you say ‘Link Start!’ in person.>

“…No, that’s…”

I tried to explain, but the Goddess’s voice was gone.

[Enjoy.]

“…”

As if time had resumed, a half-formed message appeared.

Probably…

“Enjoy your new world.” Something like that.

Even though I was in VR, my cheeks felt hot.

“W-Why…”

It was a line I really wanted to say, since it was my first time playing a VR game.

Still, the embarrassment was unavoidable.

I nodded vaguely and skipped the message.

Then, a window popped up that wouldn’t go away.

[Please register a nickname.]

“A nickname…”

Once I chose a nickname, I couldn’t easily change it. I had to go to VR headquarters, verify my identity, and so on.

Essentially, it was impossible to change.

“Seolhwa.”

Similar to my name, yet different, a nickname that contained both my names from that world and this one.

Lutecia, from that other world, was the name of a flower and also meant happiness.

Perhaps the flower of happiness was finally blooming now.

[You can now set up your My Room.]

“…Huh?”

With the message, a dazzling screen appeared.

On the right was a list of games, conveniently arranged by ranking.

But what caught my eye was the list of pink, white, and colorful furniture on the left.

And it was shocking enough to shatter my sentimental mood.

With slightly trembling hands, I clicked on a beige piece of furniture.

Sofa: ₩46,000
[Guaranteed cloud-like comfort.]

“…”

Strangely realistic pricing.

TV: ₩67,000
[Provides the same broadcasts as a real TV.]

It seemed like about a tenth of the real-world prices.

“Haha.”

Without even realizing it, I had spent hundreds of thousands of won.

Payment was completed with just two clicks.

“…Where’s the refund button?”

I didn’t know. I should at least try sitting on it.

‘Oh…?’

The sofa was truly comfortable.

The advertisement about cloud-like comfort wasn’t a lie. The moment I sat down, it softly enveloped my body.

I bought an additional cushion. The most expensive one, at 37,000 won.

“I shouldn’t be doing this…”

Had I always had such poor self-control?

I curled up on the sofa with the cushion, browsing through the game list for a few minutes.

“Hmm…”

The top-ranked game was “Last Ragnarok,” priced at 380,000 won.

379,999 won to be exact, but let’s just call it 380,000.

I thought, “What kind of game is this expensive?” But then again, it was ranked number one, and who was I to talk, after having spent hundreds of thousands of won on furniture and accessories?

‘I’ll buy it…’

Click.
Click.

With a cheerful chime like coins dropping, more games on the list became available.

Then, one game caught my eye.

[Demon King]
–Diavolo

This was…

According to the description, it was a remastered VR version of a classic game.

Probably the game I enjoyed playing as a child.

[Do you want to start the game?]

“Yes!”

I didn’t hesitate.

[Demon King]

With the fiery title card, my vision transformed.

[Marius… I’ve finally found you.]

A deep voice, like that of an old man. A man whose face was hidden by a dark robe.

Was this a PV?

The setting looked like a prison.

The man sat on a worn chair, as if it had been prepared for him.

Sunlight streamed in through a window behind him.

The flickering light was intensely dramatic.

I shifted my perspective. From the old man Marius’s point of view to that of an observer.

“Tyrael. Yes, now…”

The old man rambled.

[I’ve been searching for you for a very long time, Marius.]

“Forgive me, Tyrael. Please…”

Hmm. They were trying to build up a grand narrative.

But honestly, it was boring.

Come to think of it, I had always been a serious skipper.

That’s why I didn’t know the original story of this game.
The developers would probably cry if they knew, but what could I do?

Besides, I was a customer who had paid a hefty amount for this game.

“Skip.”

The magic word. The screen quickly transitioned to the character creation screen.

There were seven classes in total.

[Warrior]
[Priest]
[Archer]
[Necromancer]
[Sorceress]
[Druid]
[Assassin]

“Ooh.”

I selected Sorceress, and my outfit changed.

It was like the tribal attire of a woman from Pocahontas.

My skin also darkened to a bronze hue.

“Interesting.”

Simple customizations were possible. Like skin tone, eye shape, and dramatic eye makeup like an Amazonian warrior.

But anything more drastic would take time.

I wasn’t even sure how to make it better.

‘Basic is best.’

Maybe just a little eye makeup?

After browsing through the characters, I chose the Assassin class and pressed “Start Game.”

Partly because it seemed to fit my style best, but the deciding factor was the outfit.

While other characters mostly wore tribal-style, revealing clothing, the Assassin class had a stylish, mostly black outfit befitting its name.

And through this process, I realized I quite liked my face.

The dark screen gradually brightened, revealing a shape.

It was the gate of a castle.

The moment I recognized it, the gate creaked open with a rusty sound.