On the screen Nyua was watching, two people were clashing weapons and fighting fiercely.
Astonishingly realistic graphics.
Bodies that moved freely, like actual people, rather than standardized motions that seemed to have been strung together by something.
‘Is this… what they call a virtual reality game?’
Technology that had not existed in the world I came from.
And yet here, it had embedded itself deep into people’s everyday lives, as if it were only natural.
As I watched the screen with curiosity, the battle within it grew more and more intense.
They dug into each other’s openings, and sword tips flew in, cutting through the wind.
The speed and tension made it hard to believe this was virtual.
The moment one of them stepped forward, a blade came flying in.
But his opponent retreated half a beat faster, dodging the sword tip by the breadth of a sheet of paper.
At that, the tiny chat window on the screen erupted into chaos.
- Whoa, he dodged that?
- Kang Daehan is seriously insane
- Kyaa, now this is a final
- Kang Daehan Kang Daehan Kang Daehan Kang Daehan Kang Daehan Kang Daehan Kang Daehan
‘That guy who just dodged must be Kang Daehan.’
Still in the posture from narrowly avoiding the attack, Kang Daehan twisted his leg and launched a counterattack.
Unlike Kang Daehan, who had just evaded the previous attack, his opponent was being helplessly overwhelmed.
[Ah, player Kang Daehan is now rampaging across the field, driving his opponent back!!!!]
[As if he has no intention of even letting his opponent breathe, his attacks are pouring down like a raging storm! Player Fabri can’t do anything right now!!!]
- Is this it?
- Is he really gonna win this?
- Please please please please
- Please let our country win please let our country win
“Nyua!!!!”
The chat window moved like a single living creature, filled entirely with cheers for Kang Daehan.
Then a message saying “let our country win” caught my eye.
Wondering what it meant, I peered closer at the screen.
In the right corner, the title “World Championship” was stamped there.
What Nyua was watching right now was a world tournament.
Below it, the real-time viewer count was displayed.
And that number alone was a staggering 445,200.
With such an enormous number, it made sense that the chat had this much firepower.
I forcibly peeled Nyua off the phone screen, where he had been stuck to it like a piece of sticky rice cake in all the excitement, and focused on the match again.
[Player Kang Daehan!!!! His concentration is at its peak right now!!!!!]
[He just needs to keep this pace!!!!]
- Let’s gooooooooo!!!!!!!!
- He can win this!!!!!!!!!!!!
At a moment when everyone had no doubt about Kang Daehan’s victory.
I alone was sensing something else.
‘He’s lost.’
At that moment when everyone was cheering at Kang Daehan’s one-sided advantage.
I sensed fighting spirit in Fabri’s eyes.
He was clearly being pushed back, but his eyes had not died.
‘I’ve seen eyes like that plenty of times.’
Those were the eyes of someone waiting for a single opportunity.
A chance to reverse everything in one blow.
If Kang Daehan had been calm, even that chance would not have existed.
But perhaps because he had sensed his own victory, Kang Daehan was far too excited.
In the end, my hunch was not wrong.
Just as Kang Daehan’s attacks were pouring down fiercely.
Within them, for the briefest moment, an opening appeared—so small it was barely noticeable.
Fabri did not miss that instant.
The hilt of his sword struck Kang Daehan squarely in the jaw.
And taking advantage of that momentary flinch, Fabri’s counterattack surged in like a violent wave.
[Emergency!!! This is an emergency! Player Fabri has succeeded in an incredible counterattack!!]
[Player Kang Daehan needs to get out of there!!! If he doesn’t escape now, he’s in danger!!]
- Ah, no...
- Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease
- Please get out of there
- Counterattack already!!
The chat window, which had been filled with cheers just moments ago, was now covered in desperate cries.
There was only one thing everyone wished for.
For Kang Daehan to somehow escape Fabri’s fierce assault.
But Fabri did not allow him even a single moment’s chance.
As if refusing to give him even time to catch his breath, the sword tip drove Kang Daehan back again and again without pause.
And in the end.
At the end of that brilliant swordsmanship, Kang Daehan fell.
[Fabri win]
A screen appeared, announcing the opposing player’s victory.
Even the casters, who had been shouting until their throats seemed ready to tear, soon lost strength, their voices growing quieter.
[Ah… Player Kang Daehan has fallen in the end.]
[He fought back without giving up until the very end, but it seems he wasn’t quite able to withstand Player Fabri’s counterattack.]
[It was a magnificent match that made it hard to take your eyes off until the very last moment. Truly, it was a great bout where both players gave their all.]
[Player Kang Daehan in particular—the fierce offensive he showed in the early phase was truly impressive. And Player Fabri’s composure in seeking a reversal even under that pressure was remarkable as well.]
[The audience seems to be immersed in the lingering afterglow now too. The fighting spirit Player Kang Daehan showed us… will absolutely not disappear just because of today’s defeat.]
[You worked hard, Player Kang Daehan.]
The casters’ voices had noticeably lost their energy,
but I could feel that they were still trying somehow to pull the sunken mood back up.
However, the chat window already had the atmosphere of a funeral house.
- Lingering afterglow my ass, we’re just fucking empty
- Sigh... I knew this would happen. As if Korea would win
- Still, he did well. No one besides Kang Daehan even made it to the semifinals
- Fuck...
- It was still fun to watch
- Honestly, his physicals alone are the best in the world
- So what, he didn’t win
Everyone was unable to hide their disappointment, but within it, there was a certain heavy acknowledgment.
Consolations along the lines of “He lost, but he fought well.”
That sort of atmosphere spread through the chat from one person to another.
It was certainly disappointing that he had lost.
But his superhuman physical abilities were real.
Watching that flow, I slowly rubbed my chin.
‘Hmm… was it really that much?’
Even if I played with my feet, I think I’d do better than that.
After watching the broadcast, I searched around for this and that and was able to find all sorts of information.
Fire Fist.
A fighting game that had once enjoyed popularity that blazed like fire.
These days, it no longer received as much attention as it had in its heyday, but it was still a title with a thick fanbase.
In that game, Kang Daehan was the player who represented Korea.
To the point that he was called the “best.”
In particular, he was famous for his unusually overwhelming physical abilities.
Reaction speed and senses that could not even be compared to other pro players.
Thanks to that, for years, no one had been able to threaten his position.
Although he had not managed to win the world tournament, every pro player unanimously acknowledged his physical abilities.
After the match ended, Nyua even went and started watching the post-match stream Kang Daehan had turned on.
I did wonder why he was going that far to watch him, but that guy was also a veteran who had gone through all sorts of battles with me.
Perhaps, in this peaceful world, he was roaming around in search of the dopamine he had somehow forgotten.
‘Hmm… judging from the graphics, it looked incredibly realistic.’
After a quick search,
I found that full-dive virtual reality games provided an immersive experience close to reality.
Perhaps thanks to that sensation, they had rapidly become popular.
And now, it was an era where most people enjoyed virtual reality games.
‘But… why didn’t I know about this until now?’
Even though I had been lazing around for a full year, it felt like I should have heard of it at least once, but this was the first time I’d heard of it entirely.
Well, it wasn’t like I spent all day with my face buried in my phone like Nyua did.
‘Still.’
When I turned my head, Nyua was already flipping through other broadcasts, his eyes sparkling.
“Nyua!”
Judging by the tone of his voice, he seemed very excited.
Hmm.
If it was enjoyable enough for him, then I felt like I could enjoy it too.
Now that I’d thought of it, there was no reason to hesitate.
Using the money I had left, I bought a capsule, and while eating cup noodles, I waited for it to arrive.
‘That aside, isn’t it way too expensive? I never imagined the price would be over forty million won...’
I did hesitate because of the price, but what I needed right now was dopamine.
Without even taking the time to waver, I pressed the purchase button, and thanks to that, the money I had saved was almost completely drained.
At this rate, I would have to live off cup noodles for a while.
‘Looks like I’ll have to do some work too...’
At the words, “I’ll have to live off only cup noodles for a while,” Nyua, enraged, had at some point climbed onto my head and started yanking my hair.
“Nyuaaaat!!”
My long hair was caught in Nyua’s mouth and fluttering around, but my steel-strong hair did not lose even a single strand.
Still, just in case, I wished he would go easy.
“Nyuuhhhh.”
Leaving Nyua alone as he diligently worked his mouth, I sank into thought again.
‘That aside, how should I earn money?’
I did not particularly want to work.
If possible, I wanted to relax comfortably in this peaceful world.
Of course, I did need dopamine.
“Nyua...”
When I showed no reaction, Nyua had at some point gone off into a corner and was watching a broadcast on the phone.
On the phone, a streamer was playing a virtual reality game while carrying on the broadcast.
---
[Byuriburi has donated 1,000 won.]
Please, just do it properly!!
----
“Thank you for the 1,000 won donation, Byuriburi!! But I am doing it properly, aren’t I?”
- Agh!!
- You call that doing well?
----
[Byuriburi has donated 1,000 won.]
Can’t you hear everyone grinding their teeth right now?
----
“But all of this is the fault of you people who came into a spicy broadcast!! If you don’t like it, you should’ve gone to a skilled gameplay stream.”
- But she’s kind of right lololol
- Ah, I’m craving spicy
- If you only eat sweet stuff, you get sick of it lolol
----
[Byuriburi has donated 1,000 won.]
The streamer was the troll all along, fuck
----
“It’s a shame you only realized that now. But you know swearing is grounds for a ban, right? I’ll just ban you for ten minutes!!”
- Lololololol
- Bye-bye
----
[Byuriburi has donated 1,000 won.]
Kraaaaaaagh!!
----
“Byuriburi, is today the day you’re donating money?”
- He’s getting toyed with lololol
- Nothing but being toyed with
The streamer was playing a virtual reality game and chattering away as if commentating, and even earning money with it.
Watching that, my eyes lit up.
‘I found it. A way to make money.’