Chapter 2

"Ah, and it's funny that I'm only telling you this now, but for the time being, you'll be staying at our house. The dojo in the mountains has already... been cleaned up while you were sleeping. But I do feel a bit cruel. At the very least, you should have been the one to clean it up."

After completing the discharge procedures and returning, Uncle spoke while helping Chanseong pack his belongings.

"No, in this state, even if I went there, it would only make me more miserable... I guess they knew that."

"Is that so? Anyway, I've already had your things from there sent to our house and they're being stored for you."

"Yes. Hmmm..."

Even as he answered, the emptiness in his legs still felt awkward, and Chanseong's sighs did not easily stop.

Thinking about living without legs for the rest of his life made him feel lost, and he was also curious about what preparations Uncle had made. If he was disappointed, what would happen next? Many thoughts were swirling in his mind.

***

"Here, this is our house. Come in quickly. I've even set up a wheelchair ramp for you to enter more easily."

"..."

There was no inconvenience because Uncle had already made various arrangements for him, even before he was discharged from the hospital.

However, the reality he didn't want to face hit him even harder, and Chanseong's expression was not bright.

"This will be your room now, and this is a gift for you. It's the latest virtual reality capsule, the limited edition 'Phantom Drive-2.' It's a high-performance model that even money can't buy, with superior body scanning speed and operational capabilities, and an upgraded function for managing the user's physical condition..."

"Without the cross, it would look like a coffin, wouldn't it?"

"Should I have chosen a different color?"

The 'Phantom Drive-2' capsule, with its sleek glossy black finish and elegant curved body, and advanced features with lights in various places, looked like a high-end device. Despite the continuous, unfunny comments, Uncle continued to praise the latest device.

"Anyway! Ahem! If you're going to listen, listen until the end and then react! Do you know what the best feature of this latest model is? It's the automatic cleaning function!"

"...Automatic cleaning function? So, if you need to go, you can just go comfortably? Ah, no, that's not it. I guess you're saying it's okay to go if it's urgent."

"Well, to put it directly, yes. Anyway... come on, let's get inside and see it."

Chanseong entered the Phantom Drive under Uncle's guidance.

The feeling of lying down was more comfortable than he had imagined.

"...It feels like a movie I've seen on TV. Oh my..."

As soon as he said the link would start, it was as if a switch had been turned off and on, and Chanseong's consciousness momentarily disappeared and then recovered.

The ordinary apartment room he had been in a moment ago was gone, and now he saw a very white and endless space.

Curious, he looked at himself and found himself floating in a hazy, ghost-like state.

"Aaaa! What... is this? Aaaa!"

For someone as IT-averse as Chanseong, who found even smartphones difficult, the numerous floating guide windows in front of him were dazzling and overwhelming.

"...What is all this? Explain it in simpler terms!"

But he soon regained his composure and began to examine them one by one.

"The first one that appeared... was about the missing body part? Ah...?"

His legs, which were already translucent like a ghost, did not even show a translucent shape.

Thus, he quickly understood the meaning and touched the message 'Creating a temporary body.'

"O... I can stand!"

As the message appeared, Chanseong realized that his body was fully colored and he was standing on two legs.

"Hmm..."

The legs had no hair, and they felt a bit strange, but they were definitely there.

He was standing on two feet.

"Ooooh..."

A great sense of emotion washed over him.

He couldn't believe it, so he tried jumping around, but when he felt no strangeness, he couldn't help but marvel at the technology.

"Uncle wasn't just talking... Hmm?"

Chanseong thought he should apologize to Uncle and started to look at other settings when a new window appeared in front of him.

"External device? Ah... is it Uncle? If I press this..."

Whoosh! Click!

"I just created an avatar. Having legs... is definitely good. There's no strangeness... Technology is really amazing."

"Ah, yes. Uncle."

Actually experiencing it, he realized it was even better than he had imagined and began to proceed step by step through the next window.

"I've created an account, and the game is installing... and next... is it a tutorial?"

"Wait, you're entering? Where are you entering? Inside this device? Isn't this a single-user device?"

"Ah, you only did mountain training, but this is too much. Grr... Everything has a first time, you know."

Taking his first step into a new field, Chanseong grumbled but waited a moment, and as expected, a message from Uncle to add him as a friend appeared.

'I don't know what this is, but I'll just press 'Yes.' And I don't even understand why he's calling me...'

Not knowing what he was inviting him for, Chanseong accepted Uncle's invitation.

Suddenly, the empty, white room transformed into a cool, sci-fi base. Shocked by the sudden change, Chanseong sat down.

"Uncle, what is this?"

"What do you mean... I have to explain. This is... blah blah... a 'lobby' concept that you stay in before entering. It's like the Windows desktop that usually appears when you turn on a computer."

"Ah, so you mean..."

Although Uncle was explaining kindly, Chanseong still had a confused look on his face.

"You're a kid these days, so you use smartphones more and aren't even familiar with PCs."

"...I don't use smartphones much either."

"Then I'll have to explain even more in detail, but I have to go to work tomorrow, so I'll tell you the important things before the installation is complete."

"Ah, yes."

As soon as Chanseong answered, Uncle began to explain the detailed usage of the application and how to handle issues with the device, as well as all the features and advice for using the virtual reality device.

"Alright, that's it. Any questions?"

"Um, well, Uncle, thinking about it... can I just decorate the lobby set up for my account and swing my sword there without playing that 'Another World Archive' game?"

"Indeed, you could think that, but these things are just for decoration. Look."

Uncle picked up a cup from the table in the room and threw it with all his might, but instead of breaking, it just faded away as if it had never existed.

A moment later, the cup reappeared next to Uncle.

"Ah...? Huh?"

"On the other hand, 'games' are different. Depending on what you pursue inside, you can fully utilize your abilities and make it happen. The installation is almost complete, so you can experience the rest yourself. Hahaha!"

As soon as Uncle finished speaking, a 'installation complete' message appeared in front of Chanseong like a ghost.

Without hesitation, he pressed the game launch button, and just like when the device was activated, his vision turned completely white again.