Chapter 3 - The Tutorial is Too Easy (1)

A fizzy liquid tingles as it slides down his throat. After easily finishing the 500cc glass, Lee Kyung-bok looked at his friend in front of him.

"This is just like a dog."

Childhood friend.

Choi Byung-hoon, a decade-long friend since high school, exhaled deeply.

"Doesn't that guy even know his own limits? To be honest, 70% of his subscribers are thanks to me."

"Shut up."

"......Just nod along. Still, half of them are honestly because of me. Anyway, can you just casually betray such a founding hero like this?"

Choi Byung-hoon frowned and made a gesture of slicing his neck with his hand.

"What did you say to him that made him cut ties?"

"Well, the number of viewers has started to drop recently, and the subscriber growth has slowed down. But that's to be expected, you know."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. But that guy can't stand it and gets incredibly anxious. I tried to calm him down and did all sorts of things. I told him to just hold on and maintain his style, and it would eventually pay off. But..."

Choi Byung-hoon took a big gulp of beer, as if his heart was burning.

"Did he not listen to you and follow another YouTuber instead?"

"Yeah, that's right. I tried to stop him, but he got all worked up and told me to get lost, so I ended up leaving."

"Who's the new editor?"

"Would he tell you? He probably just brought in some nobody for cheap. I bet he won't last a month before he runs away."

"Then will you be called back? Is rehiring possible?"

Lee Kyung-bok chuckled, and Choi Byung-hoon shuddered.

"Ugh, no way. I should have listened to you earlier."

"When I told you it was ominous and not to sign the contract so hastily, you ignored me."

"Yeah, I get it now... Stop it. I'm regretting it like I'm seeing my life flash before my eyes."

"Listen to your senior from now on, okay?"

Lee Kyung-bok's teasing left Choi Byung-hoon speechless. Instead, he picked up his soju and beer glasses and drank them dry.

"Phew, I thought everything would be fine. Anyway, what about you?"

"Me?"

Choi Byung-hoon, who had prepared his own drink, refilled Lee Kyung-bok's empty glass.

Lee Kyung-bok didn't answer until the beer was poured. Then, he silently clinked glasses again.

After the glass was empty, Choi Byung-hoon glanced at him.

"......Is it serious?"

"Well, it's not serious for me."

Lee Kyung-bok let out a bitter laugh. As he explained, Choi Byung-hoon became furious.

"Is he completely crazy?!"

"Hey, lower your voice."

"No, seriously. He's not just a jerk, he's a great jerk?"

Choi Byung-hoon had heard several times that his boss was strange, but he never imagined he would frame him.

Choi Byung-hoon waved his hand as if he had been waiting for this.

"Hey, it's not like it was a good company, right?"

"That's true."

"And as I always say, sales don't suit you, right? Anyway, that......"

Choi Byung-hoon stopped talking and cautiously looked around, as if someone might overhear.

But in the noisy pub, no one was eavesdropping on their conversation.

"What? Your 'that' doesn't match well with you."

They had been friends for over ten years, but Choi Byung-hoon couldn't find the right words to describe Lee Kyung-bok's 'that'.

Lee Kyung-bok had always shown unusual behavior at times.

He would suddenly stop and stand still, or stare intently at someone he wasn't particularly close to.

But what was even more remarkable was his ability to read people. Lee Kyung-bok could accurately pick out those who would cause trouble.

It was more than just 'intuition', and 'instinct' seemed too light a term.

"The company doesn't appreciate your efforts."

"......There's no way to explain it, so there's nothing I can do."

"No, that's not what I mean."

When Lee Kyung-bok sensed a problem with a sales prospect, he would back off. But he couldn't clearly explain why.

A long-time friend like Choi Byung-hoon might understand, but to others, he would seem eccentric.

And what about the company?

He would inevitably be seen as a lazy or incompetent employee, and it was only natural that his career would be rocky.

"To be honest, are you the one who's losing out? The company is the one that's losing. They've lost a human detector, so they won't last long."

"Am I some kind of chick detector?"

Lee Kyung-bok chuckled, and Choi Byung-hoon laughed along.

"That's just a figure of speech. Ah, but neither of us has a true understanding. Is this how Zhuge Liang felt before meeting Liu Bei?"

"You're talking nonsense again."

"To be honest, we can succeed if we just meet the right people, right? Someone who recognizes our true worth, to the point of visiting us three times......"

Choi Byung-hoon, munching on the basic side dish, stopped talking and looked at Lee Kyung-bok with slightly widened eyes.

"Hey, now that I think about it, you used to play a lot of games, right?"

"Huh?"

"Thinking about the three visits, I remember. When we were in high school, you got offers to join three different teams, right?"

"Oh, that......"

Lee Kyung-bok smiled bitterly and trailed off.

For students who weren't interested in studying, gaming was one of the common paths, and Lee Kyung-bok was one of them.

The difference was that he had exceptional physical abilities, enough to aim for a professional career.

"Hey, have you ever thought about streaming?"

Choi Byung-hoon asked subtly, and Lee Kyung-bok frowned.

"What kind of streaming?"

"Obviously, game streaming. Would I ask you to do a face cam?"

Lee Kyung-bok chuckled but shook his head.

"No, are you crazy? Don't you remember why I quit gaming?"

When he received the offers, Lee Kyung-bok thought it was an opportunity. But strangely, after that, he suffered from inexplicable pain whenever he played games.

It was only after listening to his grandmother that he realized it was the price of using his supernatural ability.

He tried to endure and take the entry test, but the results were predictably terrible.

After that, whenever he tried to play, he would fall ill, so he eventually gave up. Moreover, a series of bad events followed, and he forgot about gaming altogether.

"What was it......? That's called 'shinbyeong', right?"

"Probably."

Shinbyeong.

It's a term used to describe a condition that shamans develop when they don't receive divine possession.

Of course, Lee Kyung-bok wasn't a shaman, but there was no better term to describe it.

Lee Kyung-bok wanted to change the subject, but Choi Byung-hoon didn't give up easily.

"But you're fine now, right?"

"Huh?"

"Unlike our time, capsules are the norm these days, right?"

The advancement of virtual reality technology had brought a new turning point in gaming history.

The widespread use of capsules, which provide a virtual reality experience as realistic as the real world. Now, computers are mostly used for work and are gradually disappearing.

"Even people with physical disabilities or impairments play games. So, even a boring streamer like that guy...... Ah, I'm suddenly getting angry."

Choi Byung-hoon dramatically ran his hand through his hair and subtly observed Lee Kyung-bok's expression.

"Anyway, it's not about the body, but the mind. Maybe you're fine now?"

"Hmm......"

Lee Kyung-bok hummed as he watched his friend tapping his head. On second thought, it might be true.

'Me, streaming?'

Lee Kyung-bok recalled his school days.

A time when he was naive and just enjoyed himself, the people who were amazed by his gaming skills, and the satisfaction he felt from their reactions.

Lee Kyung-bok wasn't someone who shied away from attention.

"Ah, but using the body is a bit different, right?"

In the meantime, Choi Byung-hoon smirked and provoked him. It was an obvious move, but Lee Kyung-bok decided to go along with it.

"Want to try it out?"

"Try?"

"I'm a bit tipsy today, so maybe tomorrow?"

"Deal?"

"Deal."

The two friends laughed and clinked their glasses.

* * *

The next day.

"Welcome."

The capsule room staff greeted the customers in a businesslike tone. Two men had come early on a weekday morning.

The staff smiled, hoping they weren't troublemakers.

"Can we register an account here?"

"Yes, it's possible."

"Hey, Kyung-bok."

Choi Byung-hoon gestured to Lee Kyung-bok.

Lee Kyung-bok, who had never been to a capsule room before, was looking around at the changed facilities.

"Come here and do a body scan."

"Wow... It really has improved. It's like a capsule hotel."

"If you say that somewhere, you'll get a lecture about your spine. Anyway, hurry up and register your account."

Encouraged by his friend, Lee Kyung-bok moved more slowly. But the joke was short-lived.

Lee Kyung-bok inserted his hand into the authentication device. After fingerprint and vein recognition, his identity appeared.

"Is this Lee Kyung-bok?"

"Unless someone transplanted my hand, it's me."

"Can't you keep your mouth shut?"

Choi Byung-hoon chuckled, and Lee Kyung-bok shot back. The staff, trying to maintain a professional demeanor, widened his eyes when he saw the information on the screen.

"Ah... You don't have any capsule usage history?"

"Oh, yes."

"I'm sorry, please wait a moment. I thought you were a member of our capsule room......"

The staff hadn't expected an adult to have no capsule account at all.

That made Lee Kyung-bok a rare case.

"Your account is registered. The usage time is......"

"Can we pay after?"

"Sure, A-6 capsule is available."

The two followed the staff to the capsule. After receiving a brief explanation on how to use the capsule, Lee Kyung-bok opened it.

"I'll wait outside just in case."

Choi Byung-hoon's expression turned serious. There was a possibility that the 'shinbyeong' might return.

Lee Kyung-bok nodded and lay down in the capsule.

Following the instructions, he activated the capsule, and his vision instantly changed.

"Whoa."

Despite lying down a moment ago, Lee Kyung-bok now felt himself standing on the ground.

"Wow......"

Even his clothes had changed.

Surprisingly, the texture, feel, and faint smell of the fabric were as real as in the real world.

Although he had been briefed by the staff, experiencing it was a different matter.

'It doesn't hurt.'

After a brief moment of amazement, worry set in.

Fortunately, he didn't feel the pain he used to. However, his tense body didn't relax easily.

[Please move your body lightly to sync.]

A blue system message appeared in front of him. Lee Kyung-bok followed the instructions and loosened up.

"Wow... This is insane."

Another exclamation of amazement.

Logically, he knew this body was fake, just data, but the sensation was completely different.

From his toes to the top of his head, it felt like his real body.

[Sync complete.]

[Feel free to move around.]

A friendly message appeared, and a mannequin-like figure appeared in the white space. It resembled a dummy used in car crash tests.

"......This is amazing."

Lee Kyung-bok lightly punched and kicked the dummy. He gradually increased the intensity.

'So, this part is still not real.'

In the real world, his body would be numb from the recoil, and he would be sweating from the intense movements.

However, the realistic impact sensation remained, and he stayed comfortable without a drop of sweat.

'But......'

Lee Kyung-bok felt something strange.

All five senses—sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste—were vividly experienced. Yet, there was a peculiar feeling that couldn't be explained by these senses, stimulating his mind.

'Is this normal in virtual reality?'

There was no one to answer his immediate question. Since it wasn't uncomfortable, Lee Kyung-bok shrugged it off.

[Are you familiar enough?]

The next system message appeared.

[Would you like to take a physical ability test?]

[The test is not mandatory. You can end the tutorial if you wish.]

A short video below the message showed the type of test.

[Obstacle Run]

[Avoid obstacles that appear unexpectedly and reach the goal. Speed is important, but caution is also necessary!]

In the video, a person lost balance when a pillar suddenly emerged from the wall.

This was enough to understand the format.

The obstacle run was a fundamental element in virtual reality, testing judgment, adaptability, and the design of the game board, as well as mental and physical abilities such as intelligence, strength, stamina, speed, and reflexes.

It was the first tutorial encountered upon entering virtual reality, and the 'VR spoon theory' based on the results had heated up South Korea.

After a moment of thought, Lee Kyung-bok loosened up.

'If I do well, I should ask Byung-hoon about his record.'

With the idea of teasing his friend, Lee Kyung-bok smiled and confirmed the test.

The space changed instantly, just like when the dummy appeared.

A vast space was immediately replaced by walls, and the lighting dimmed. Obstacles would appear from the edges of the corridor, in the deep darkness.

"Huh?"

The timer started, but Lee Kyung-bok didn't move.

He simply blinked and looked around.

'What is it?'

The hidden obstacles were invisible and made no sound. They wouldn't smell, and touching them was out of the question.

Yet, somehow......

'It's strange.'

In the darkness, on the floor, on the ceiling.

The presence of the obstacles was vividly felt.

Only then did Lee Kyung-bok realize.

His supernatural ability was manifesting without any pain.

'Is this a bug?'