Chapter 2

【Demons World Online】

Commonly known as DWO, this is the latest VRMMO (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Game) that was released just a week ago, set in the land of "Hell Gaia," where demons live. The first batch has already sold out, and the next production run is reportedly fully booked.

Players enter the game world, the demon realm "Demons World," as "demons." While the demon realm is often associated with violence, gloom, and grotesqueness, the world of DWO is not that different from other VRMMOs... or so it seems.

The reason I say "so it seems" is that I, Inaba Shirato, have never played DWO, or any VRMMO for that matter.

A VRMMO, or Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Game, is essentially a multiplayer game played in a virtual space that feels as real as the real world. I understand this much. It's famous enough to be featured on TV.

Using a VR drive, a device for diving into virtual space (which comes in various forms such as bed-type, seat-type, helmet-type, and headgear-type depending on the purpose), one can travel into the digital world.

In recent years, VR technology has seen remarkable innovation, and one of the highly anticipated new titles is "Demons World Online." However, my knowledge of this is limited to what I've seen on TV and in magazines.

To be honest, I don't play many games. But I do know that VR games are becoming more widespread.

Popular games like "Fantasy Sword Online" and "Starbringer Online" are well-known in the gaming community. "Demons World Online" is a new game developed by a new game company, but it's rumored to be a promising title. I'm not quite sure why.

The place I used to live was a remote island, where there were no game centers nearby. I had a few friends who owned game consoles, but most of them were portable game devices, and none of them had VR technology. They are quite expensive for a child to own.

I could have played online games, but the PC at my home (technically my uncle's home, my maternal grandparents' house) had low performance and was not suitable for a comfortable gaming experience.

Now, I have the latest VR drive (a reclining seat type) and the "DWO" package in my hands. I received these as a thank-you gift from someone, purely by chance. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to afford such a high-end VR drive and a popular game.

"This must mean I should play it, right..."

The new house I moved into has a better internet connection than my uncle's house, so there should be no problem playing. Incidentally, when I checked the price of the VR drive I received online, it was nearly five times the cost of a regular reclining seat type. It's the latest model, after all. Or, is it really okay to accept such an expensive gift...

The reason I received such an expensive gift goes back to the first day of high school.

On that day, I finished the entrance ceremony and was hurrying home, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety about the new life that was about to begin.

The new house I moved into is currently occupied only by me. It's an old Western-style mansion that originally belonged to my paternal grandfather.

My father, who often worked overseas, raised me with my uncle, my mother's brother, after my mother passed away.

However, my father started working domestically this year, and we moved here to coincide with my middle school graduation.

My father is still traveling between overseas and domestic locations, but he will settle down in a few months.

Moving from the island to the city (though it's just a regional city) was honestly a pleasant change. I was sad to leave my friends, but I was excited about the move. I was particularly impressed when I went to a convenience store late at night, as the stores on the island close by 7 PM.

On that day, I was rushing home to unpack the moving boxes. After all, I had to do it all by myself, and there were still many unopened boxes.

I bought a few books I had forgotten to buy at a large bookstore in the neighboring town and headed to the station to go home.

I decided to take a narrow back road instead of the main street, as it was a shorter route. At least that's what my smartphone map showed.

As I was about to cross a small park, I saw something unbelievable. Two men, who appeared to be foreigners, jumped out of a van parked by the park and tried to kidnap a small girl walking on the road.

The small girl, though shocked, managed to cling to the park's fence and resist, but she was no match for the men's strength. Just as she was about to be dragged away, I threw my bag at one of the men with all my might. The bag hit the man's face perfectly.

"Ugh!?"

The bag contained newly bought English-Japanese, Japanese, and Chinese-Japanese dictionaries. The other man, surprised by his companion's fall, let go of the girl's hand.

At that moment, the girl ran towards me and clung to me tightly.

"Police, over here! The kidnappers are here!"

Considering the men might have knives, I loudly called for the police, even though there were none around. It seemed to work, as the men hurriedly ran back to the van and sped away.

I memorized the license plate of the fleeing car.

"Are you okay?"

I asked the girl, who was clinging to me, but she wouldn't let go of my uniform. She seemed very scared. She looked like a foreign child, with fair skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, wearing expensive-looking black Gothic clothing. She looked about ten years old.

"What's your name? Where do you live?"

"...Scared..."

Scared? Ah, she must have been very scared. Hmm, maybe she doesn't speak Japanese very well. To calm her down, I lowered my gaze to her level.

"Can you tell me your name? I'm Shirato. Inaba Shirato."

I ended up speaking in broken Japanese.

"Hakuto... I'm Lencia."

She timidly spoke and told me her name. Lencia, huh.

She is indeed a foreigner. Her golden hair was tied in twin tails with black ribbons, and she looked up at me with blue eyes.

This was my first encounter with the girl, Lencia Renfield.

Afterward, I reported the incident to the police, and the criminals were eventually caught. Lencia turned out to be the daughter of a wealthy family, visiting a friend's house with her parents. She had left the house without her parents' knowledge, and the incident occurred.

It was later revealed that the kidnappers were hired by someone else to kidnap Lencia.

On that day, the kidnappers saw an opportunity when Lencia was alone and acted impulsively. I interfered, and they were caught before they could escape overseas.

Lencia didn't leave my side during the police questioning. She must have been very anxious in an unfamiliar place, so I tried to distract her by talking to her. Thanks to that, we got along quite well.

Eventually, her parents arrived, and Lencia ran into their arms.

Relieved, I was approached by Lencia's father, who firmly shook my hands. He was repeating something in a foreign language, which I assume was a thank you. Probably.

I initially declined, but the police interpreter said he really wanted to thank me, so I gave him my phone number and address and left the police station. I was surprised when Lencia ran up to me and kissed my cheek as we parted.

Later, I received a call from Lencia, who expressed her gratitude in broken Japanese. The message was clear.

Her secretary then took over the call and said they would send a thank-you gift to my house. I expected something like gift cards or New Year's gifts, but...

"I didn't expect to receive something like this..."

I placed the VR drive in the center of an empty room and examined it again.

The high-quality, black leather seat had a semi-cylindrical monitor attached to the headrest. This can be used as a regular PC monitor even without VR diving. In other words, this reclining seat is also a high-performance PC. It also looked very comfortable.

Receiving such a gift makes me feel like there's a different sense of money compared to ordinary people. But why the game too?

I did want it, but... well, there's no point in worrying about it.

I feel a bit hesitant, but I'm interested in games, so I'll gratefully accept it.

Along with the VR drive and "DWO," there was a letter from Lencia, written in not-so-good Japanese, saying, "If possible, please start in 'Taida.'"

Taida? "Kaisieria" must mean "starting area," the starting point, right?

After looking up "DWO" online, I found out that "Demons World" has seven territories, and players choose one from [Pride], [Envy], [Greed], [Lust], [Sloth], [Wrath], and [Gluttony] and start as a summoned being in that territory.

So, Lencia is probably playing this game too. If we choose the same territory, we might meet in the game.

We've only communicated a few times over the phone and email, and I haven't seen her since then. It might be fun to play together. I might be a beginner in the game, though.

I read the thick manual of the VR drive and went through the setup. It's quite multifunctional, being the latest model.

It seems I need to register my age with proof. I took out my student ID card from my wallet and scanned it with the VR drive. This should register my correct data and iris recognition.

Finally, I installed "DWO," and the game should be ready to start.

It's Sunday morning, and I have no plans. Maybe I'll give it a try.

I reclined the seat and put my head into the semi-cylindrical monitor, lying down on the VR drive.

When I turned on the power, the setup screen of the VR drive appeared on the monitor in front of me. It made a small clicking sound and the red light blinked.

[You have been identified as Inaba Shirato. Please set your personal preferences.]

I must have been identified by the iris recognition I registered. Wow, impressive. The cursor moves where I think it should. Is it reading my thoughts and gaze?

I operated the setup screen, registered my ID, DMO user registration, password, and phone number, and used the help function for anything I didn't understand. ...Okay, setup complete.

[Do you want to start Demons World Online?]

Using visual recognition, I confidently chose [Yes] and instantly fell into a deep darkness.

【DWO Brief Explanation】

■【Demons World Online】. Commonly known as DWO, this is a VRMMO (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Game) released by Renfield Corporation. The world where players land is the land of "Hell Gaia" in the demon realm "Demons World," where demons, monsters, and magical creatures exist.