Chapter 2: Virtual reality was also real…

Sok-ho Kang, a 20-year-old unemployed slacker.

In fact, Sok-ho thought that calling someone who had just turned 20 a “slacker” or “unemployed” was too harsh… but it was true that there was no better way to describe his situation.

Anyway, he had just started a night shift at a convenience store, thanks to a recommendation from an older friend.

Sok-ho, who had been worried about his first-ever part-time job, found himself thinking otherwise after two days of experience. His instincts were screaming at him.

“This job is a goldmine.”

There were few customers, and the stock delivery was light.

All he had to do was spend nine hours on his phone before clocking out. As he worked, he couldn’t help but think, “Am I stealing a paycheck?”

Of course, the downside was the boredom… but compared to the advantages, it was practically nonexistent.

With that in mind, Sok-ho inwardly thanked the older friend who had introduced him to this job and started watching OnTube on his phone.

*Ding!*

“Hello.”

Hearing the sound of a customer entering, Sok-ho immediately stood up to greet them.

“Ah, yes…”

At the same time, he lost his words.

It was an outfit so common it could be seen anywhere: a black short-sleeved t-shirt and crisp white jeans. But perhaps because of its very ordinariness, it only served to highlight her striking appearance.

Her white skin was flawless and smooth.

Her large eyes gleamed with a ruby-like red glow, as if they contained jewels.

Even just that was enough to catch people’s attention, but her silvery-white hair, flowing down to her hips, had an even greater impact.

Even Sok-ho, who didn’t know much about women, could tell at a glance that maintaining such hair would be difficult. However, her hair shimmered, as if mocking any concerns about upkeep.

And, naturally, Sok-ho’s gaze went to that particular part… “big” was the only word that came to mind.

He quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to cause any awkward problems.

“An actress? An idol? Judging by her height, maybe a model?”

Regardless, even though she wore a cap pulled down low, her appearance was far too stunning to be concealed by something so simple.

“That’ll be 1,950 won.”

“Ah… thank you…”

After she paid for the 2-liter bottle of water and left, Sok-ho thought to himself.

“This job is a goldmine.”

With various fantasies swirling in his mind, Sok-ho vowed to keep working at this convenience store until he enlisted. Unfortunately, that encounter would be the first and last.

It was no surprise, though, considering she was a hikikomori who strongly avoided going outside. But Sok-ho had no way of knowing that.

It was a fleeting dream.

*Sigh…*

Going out really is tough.

Even though it was the middle of the night and there were fewer people, that didn’t mean there were none at all.

Was it because of this hair?

Her silvery-white hair flowed down her shoulders.

Even in the other world, it was quite an eye-catching color, but on Earth—and in Korea, no less—it was only natural that it drew even more attention.

It’s ridiculously long.

The convenience store clerk earlier probably cursed me inwardly too, wondering why I dyed my hair so conspicuously.

But I’m too scared to go to a salon to dye it, and I don’t want to dye it myself for fear of messing it up…

Would this even be considered ‘dressing up’ in the first place?

Isn’t dressing up something you do to attract attention?

What I’m trying to do is avoid attention, so isn’t it wrong to use the word ‘dressing up’?

…I don’t know.

It’s not like I go outside often anyway.

To avoid this kind of thing from happening again, I’ll just order what I need online right away.

And next time, if I do have to go out again, I’ll make sure to wear sunglasses.

Swallowing that resolution quietly, I closed my eyes.

It’s been half a year since I returned to Earth.

Every day is the same, monotonous, and peaceful.

Luckily, I still had enough money in my account to keep up this monotonous and peaceful life for about another year, so I could enjoy this tranquility.

…Until yesterday.

“I splurged…”

My head throbbed.

What have I done?

In the living room, right in front of me, was a huge capsule.

A Reverse Capsule.

A capsule-type gaming device for enjoying virtual reality games.

For a simple gaming device, the ridiculously high price was recorded on my phone.

…I had no intention of doing this.

Games on Earth, in the present time I’ve returned to, are divided into three categories.

First, the computer and console games I’m most familiar with.

Second, the typical VR games that were slowly gaining recognition even in my previous life.

And lastly, third, the fully immersive virtual reality games that were developed right before I returned to Earth. Shortened to virtual reality games.

……Wait, VR already means virtual reality, so doesn’t shortening it to virtual reality overlap with the second category?

That thought crossed my mind when I first heard about it. But, well, that’s what they call it.

Anyway, out of the three, the most popular among hardcore gamers is, by far, the virtual reality games.

The fact that you can directly experience a new world.

That alone was enough to shatter people’s expectations.

And the virtual reality game *New Dimension*, which is set to be released in two days.

It’s an open-world RPG.

From the teaser trailer to the testimonies of beta testers, and even the PV (promotional video) released last month.

All of it showed a new world that surpassed every virtual reality game I’ve seen before.

I, too, was instantly captivated by the PV… and before I knew it, I had already purchased the Reverse Capsule and pre-ordered *New Dimension*.

The cost for this? The money I was supposed to live on for the next six months.

For a game that’s supposed to be “just a game,” the price was unbelievable.

Most of it was the cost of the Reverse Capsule, though.

Should I start the refund process right now?

That thought crossed my mind for a moment, but when I closed my eyes, the world from the PV came to mind.

The vast grasslands. A knight fighting monsters. A sea of fire. The frozen mountain ranges.

The sight before me was more fantastical than any fantasy world… It was something I couldn’t easily forget.

“…Well, it’ll work out somehow.”

Yeah. The fact that I’ve spent the money I had for half a year’s living expenses just means I still have enough for another half a year. So, I’ll leave the future to my future self. Somehow, things will work out.

〔Welcome to a new dimension. Welcome to New Dimension!〕

A strange woman’s voice greeted me.

Today was finally the day the New Dimension server opened. In this virtual reality game, you don’t need an ID or password. Instead, an account is automatically generated using your biometric information. Since I had created my account in advance yesterday, I was able to log in right away.

(New Dimension offers you a new….)

Skipping the long and boring introduction, I went straight to character creation. Customization? Skipped. I’m not exactly skilled in that area, so let’s move on.

My real-world appearance might stand out, but since this is a fantasy world with customizable options, my silver-white hair shouldn’t draw too much attention… or would it?

It really stood out in the real fantasy world too.

Oh well. It’s too late for regrets now.

[Choose your class]

Next was class selection. There were several options: Traveler, Swordsman, Spearman, Mage, Martial Artist, Assassin, and more.

The one that caught my eye the most was the Traveler, described as the most free-spirited class, and the Swordsman, fighting at the front lines.

Still, just to be safe, I kept scrolling down to think a bit more.

Then, that name caught my attention.

[Priest – A devout follower of the god Elune, who blesses allies.]

[Paladin – Blessed by the god Elune, defends the front lines against enemy attacks.]

[Inquisitor – Judges heretics who do not believe in the god Elune.]

“Hmm…”

They were predictable classes. It would be strange if a fantasy world didn’t have priests who perform miracles from a god. But there was one problem… Who the hell is this Elune, you nerds?

I come from a so-called fantasy world. And in that world, the gods Tetra and the goddess Iara actually existed, and my job there was to judge heretics as an Inquisitor.

In other words, these people are fakes.

They believe in a god that doesn’t even exist, and they say they’ll judge you if you don’t believe in that god? That’s heresy.

I’m speaking as a real Inquisitor, so you can trust me on this.

“Sigh…”

Of course, even on Earth, there are all kinds of religions. There are cults and heretics, too. But the reason I don’t care about them is because no matter how much faith they send out, there’s never any answer.

But this world is different. If you send faith to a fake god, you get fake power in return.

How blasphemous.

I never thought I’d be doing this again after coming back to Earth… but it can’t be helped.

**[New Dimension Gallery]**

**[Title: Conversation Success]**

**[Posted by: Priest with Smashed Head]**

(Crazy bastard.jpg)

They talked to me when I used a different character, lol.

**[Smashed Head Priest: Hey, why do you keep smashing my priest’s head and killing me every time we meet? What did the priest even do wrong?]**

**[Inquisitor: Because you’re a heretic.]**

**[Smashed Head Priest: What the hell? The game system says I’m a devout priest. How am I a heretic?]**

**[Inquisitor: You’re still a heretic.]**

**[Smashed Head Priest: Dude, your job is a traveler, not an inquisitor. You have a different role.]**

**[Inquisitor: That has nothing to do with judging heretics.]**

**[Smashed Head Priest: This is driving me insane.]**

**[Smashed Head Priest: So, what do I need to do to not be a heretic?]**

**[Inquisitor: How would I know?]**

**[Inquisitor: By the way, are you a priest player?]**

**[Smashed Head Priest: Yup. But I switched characters because you kept harassing me.]**

**[Inquisitor: Did you give up playing as a priest?]**

**[Smashed Head Priest: Would I quit?]**

*(Dies)*

Crazy bastard.

**[Upvotes: 308 / Downvotes: 15]**

**[Anonymous: “How would I know?” LOL]**

**[New Dimension Gallery User: This guy’s conviction is insane…**

**Anonymous: Did he actually type all of that out?]**

**[Priest with Smashed Head: He never talks. He just… (silence)]**

**[Loo: His concept is wild.]**

**[New Dimension Gallery User 2: This guy just really hates priests, lol.]**

**[Anonymous: But he seems like an extreme veteran.]**

**[Loo: In PVP or AOS mode, his skill usage is unreal.]**

**[Priest with Smashed Head: Even when I try to fight back before dying, I can’t. Damn…]**