Chapter 80: Chapter 80

Luce. Gah-Yoon had a persistent side to her.

It wasn’t as if there was anything wrong with my left foot, I just tripped once. But she insisted on returning to the hospital’s sanitization room to personally tend to the injury.

A moist cotton swab touched my skin. It felt like a jolt of electricity shot through my body, causing me to flinch. A strange moan escaped from my mouth.

“Aah…!”

“Sorry. You have such smooth skin, and now it’s scraped. This might sting a bit again.”

“I told you, I’m fine... Ow!”

Falling is a common thing, and minor wounds usually heal by themselves. Still, Gah-Yoon was acting as if something major had happened.

The cold, damp cotton swab gently cleaned the area around the wound again. It wasn’t too painful. I couldn’t see what she was doing, but it felt like she was applying something.

“I’ll give you a spare one. Just apply it again after you shower,” she said.

“Thank you…”

“No need to thank me. It’s my dog’s fault you got hurt.”

Luce’s eyes briefly glanced at my neck. Her black pupils reflected my bare skin.

The weather had been getting warmer lately. Even I couldn’t stay bundled up all the time, so I wore clothes that exposed a little of my neck and collarbone. Fortunately, I hadn’t injured myself in any of those areas.

Still, she was staring for quite some time.

It wasn’t uncomfortable or anything that gave off a creepy vibe. But I’ve been a loner for so long that prolonged attention from others can feel overwhelming.

Especially since Luce is someone I admire. I felt like she was seeing right through me, leaving me feeling naked.

“Um, is there something on my neck?”

“Oh! Sorry. I just thought your neckline is really pretty. And your skin is so clear.”

“Thanks…”

Luce herself had great skin, by the way. Even with light makeup, she looked so clean. It was clear she took good care of herself.

Anyway, it was time to leave now that the treatment was done. As I lifted my backpack, I heard a rattling sound. A sense of unease crept into my mind.

Good thoughts always seem to miss, but bad worries tend to hit the mark with eerie precision. I opened my bag, and the expected disaster struck.

“Oh no.”

“What’s wrong?”

“The glass bottle… it broke.”

It was the bottle I got from the convenience store. I must’ve broken it when I fell. The bag was a mess, with shattered glass and leftover milk droplets everywhere.

I felt a bit down, like I had lost a precious souvenir. As for the bag… I could only shake out the glass shards here. Once I got home, I could clean it up properly.

I took out my wallet, important papers, and the prescription meds and turned the bag upside down. I’m not the type to carry a lot of things, so there wasn’t much to take out. Shaking the bag over the trash can, I poured out glittering glass shards.

Luce, who had been quietly helping me clean, paused with a start.

“Klonazepam?”

“Oh… it’s not something I take regularly. I just got it prescribed this time.”

“I see. You’re going to keep getting better, Da-eun. I’m rooting for you.”

It feels nice to be encouraged. I’ll do my best to become more like you.

“By the way, you really seem to like ‘Infinity Black,’” Luce commented, noticing the glass bottle.

“Yeah. It’s fun. Also, congratulations on your victory in the opening match.”

“Thank you. Which character do you play?”

“Uh, um, I’m a mage. I’m playing a fire sorcerer.”

Lying made me feel a bit guilty. But I had no choice. There was no way I could say “assassin.”

If I did, Luce might start connecting me with Ka-Wol. Our body shapes are almost identical, and our voices are very similar too. If the microphone on my VR headset weren’t slightly distorted, I probably would have been found out a long time ago.

To be honest… I wouldn’t mind being caught. But Luce is such an upright person that I’m a little scared. If that kind face of hers looked at me with contempt, it would hurt too much.

[You have received mail: Infinity…]

“By the way, thank you so much for the gift last time. I know I thanked you through text, but I really wanted to meet you in person to say thanks again.”

“Hmm. I was a bit worried I sent it too suddenly. I’m glad it helped!”

“You can pretend you didn’t hear this, but… when I’m feeling better, and when your league season is over and you have some free time…”

It was too embarrassing to make eye contact. I fiddled with my phone as a new email arrived, using it as an excuse to look down and hide my face.

The email was probably just an advertisement. Or one of those privacy policy updates that come at random times.

Honestly, most of South Korea’s personal information isn’t worth much. Names and ID numbers are traded in batches of hundreds of thousands or millions for dirt-cheap prices. I was planning to glance at it and dismiss it.

But then…

“What’s wrong?” Luce asked.

“It’s nothing, really.”

My hand slackened, and I dropped my phone. I quickly picked it up and turned off the screen.

“...?”

“I, uh, something urgent came up. Do you mind if I head back now?”

“I’ll give you a ride. Where are you going?”

“No, really, I’m fine… I want to go alone today.”

[Notice of Unregistered Device Usage]

Dear 'Ka-Wol' Customer, this is a security notice from Infinity Corporation.

Your account has been accessed using an unregistered device.

Your device has been identified as lacking an official identification code. While no illegal programs or abnormal activities were found in the server logs, it appears that an excessively high sensory synchronization rate was applied.

Under current law, virtual reality game providers are responsible for ensuring customer safety…

Our security team will be available to visit at your convenience to review your device logs. A detailed analysis may take 2 to 3 weeks. If any intentional log tampering or destruction is detected, you may be subject to penalties…

High sensory synchronization can lead to acute shock or other life-threatening risks. If we cannot guarantee your safety, your device may be disconnected from service.

Other devices will still be permitted for access…

Due to the length of time you’ve used this device and the impact of temporary measures, your access has not yet been revoked.

I felt my breath catch in my throat. I stared blankly at the screen, moving my phone from side to side. The words were complex, but in the end, my mind distilled them into one simple sentence.

‘I might not be able to play the game on this device anymore.’

The part about the logs didn’t concern me. I had simply been using a device that wasn’t commercially available. As long as there was no issue I wasn’t aware of, I had nothing to worry about.

The real problem was the sensory synchronization rate, which was approaching 70%. Some people believe that synchronization affects reaction time, but… that’s wrong.

If the character and brain communicate via electrical signals, the sensory synchronization rate represents the intensity of those signals. Reaction time, on the other hand, falls under the domain of signal transmission speed. Just like how a leg will jerk when the knee is tapped, as long as the intensity reaches a certain level, the reaction time remains largely unaffected.

A device with a high synchronization rate isn’t a special tool for me—it’s more like a torture device. So if the issue becomes one of ‘safety,’ things will turn bad.

"The test results show no significant issues with your neck. It’s a bit swollen, but is there anything you can think of that might have caused it?"

"Didn’t the guardian mention your neck was sore and painful? Is that correct?"

"Yes. When I came in, it was a real scene. I even saw her vomiting."

"The oral area is quite important and surprisingly fragile. Please avoid any aggressive actions or foreign objects."

The first time I died in the game, I ended up in the hospital in agonizing pain after leaving the VR system. Even though I died cleanly due to my low level.

As a result, I suffered through some embarrassing misunderstandings.

Logically speaking, there’s no way a device like this could be safe. What if one day I fail to protect my left leg? I’m not confident I could handle the consequences.

This is why neural devices have been practically abandoned in the current market. But… what choice do I have? It’s not like I use this thing because I enjoy it.

It’s because of this cursed leg. If I want to move the way I want to, this is the only method that works.

“Is… is anyone there?”

I scrolled through my phone in a daze. I had hysterically deleted most of my contacts at some point, so only a few names remained. Mom. Dad. Master. Luce. Soolbbang. Sanse. Elderen. Turkel.

I can’t call Luce. I didn’t want to unload these concerns on my idol. I wanted to stand before her when I could be proud of myself.

For similar reasons, I couldn’t call Master. That person had sacrificed enough for me, and I didn’t want to burden them further.

Two names were already off the list. I didn’t have many options left. Soolbbang was busy, and both Turkel and Sanse had their own work to do. Without thinking, I dialed Elderen’s number.@@novelbin@@

"Hello?"

“Hey, sis. I’m sorry to call suddenly. I didn’t know who else to turn to…”

"It’s okay. What’s going on?"

“Could we… meet up? I know it’s short notice… but… um, I’m sorry. I’ll just hang up…”

"Where should I come?"

Elderen’s calm voice on the other end gave me a bit of comfort. I hesitated, feeling my throat tighten, but finally gave her the location. I wasn’t entirely sure what I was feeling at the moment—panic, dread, or something else entirely—but I knew I needed someone to talk to, and Elderen was one of the few people I could trust with this.

As I waited for her, I couldn’t help but stare at my phone, the weight of the message from Infinity Corporation still pressing on me. It felt as though my whole world, the one place where I felt alive, was being threatened.

My game, my world… all of it could be taken away.