Chapter 1

*Thank you.*

Jae-Wook let out a sigh as the customer left, settling into his chair.

“Haa…”

It had already been three months since  Jae-Wook, a university student, started his part-time job at this convenience store.

In an era filled with unmanned stores and discussions about singularities and technological advancements, there were still places like this—traditional, manned convenience stores, even in modern South Korea. Specifically, this one was located in a neighborhood still referred to as a “dal-dongnae” (a poor hillside neighborhood).

“Well, at least the pay’s decent, otherwise, I wouldn’t stay.”

The convenience store in this run-down area still used the old method of being staffed by people, mostly for theft prevention. They even gave proper night shift bonuses, even though there weren’t many customers during the late hours.

If it wasn’t profitable, they wouldn’t keep running it, right?

As  Jae-Wook absentmindedly fiddled with his smartphone while watching over the quiet, late-night convenience store, the doorbell jingled to announce the arrival of a new customer.

Ding-ding.

“Welcome.”

The bell above the door rang as someone entered the store.  Jae-Wook instinctively switched back into his customer service mindset.

But as he stood up and looked around the store, there was no customer in sight.

Ah, it’s *that* customer.

Whirr.

A faint mechanical sound reached his ears.

Turning around the corner of the shelves,  Jae-Wook caught a glimpse of the customer’s side profile.

Pale white skin, and equally white hair.

An albino, perhaps? Though she didn’t look sickly.

In today's South Korea, which had seen a mix of different races thanks to immigration policies aimed at addressing low birth rates, it was still rare to see someone with hair so white it gleamed silver.

She was small.

Beautiful, but rather than being “pretty,” she was more on the cute side.

Even during  Jae-Wook's otherwise boring part-time shifts, she was a ray of light.

“But still…”

On campus,  Jae-Wook was quick to approach any pretty girls, eager to strike up a conversation. But for some reason, even though this girl was stunning, the thought of asking for her number didn’t even cross his mind.

For one thing, she looked way too young.

Jae-Wook’s ideal type was older women, not kids like her.

Maybe she was in middle school? Fourteen, fifteen at most? Or maybe, if generous, she could be a high schooler?

If  Jae-Wook, a university student, made a move on her, that would be a crime.

She didn’t even seem to be 150cm tall.

Jaewook’s hesitation came from the fact that the girl was in an electric wheelchair.

Korea’s welfare system was pretty decent, globally speaking.

Even in neighborhoods like this, the government likely provided support for something like an electric wheelchair.

“Tsk.”

Jae-Wook clicked his tongue.

What had happened to her to end up like that?

Her physical disability was obvious, and since he’d never seen her accompanied by a guardian, it was easy to assume that she lived alone.

That petite frame triggered a protective instinct, and more than anything, he just felt sorry for her.

Over the three months  Jae-Wook had worked here, the girl in the wheelchair had come by regularly. Not that  Jae-Wook hadn’t tried talking to her a few times.

But he had never heard her voice.

She would only nod or shake her head slightly in response to questions.

Jae-Wook, too, was just a university student struggling to take care of himself. He didn’t know her situation, and he certainly wasn’t in a position to take responsibility for it. Any further involvement would just be meddling where it wasn’t his business.

Click.

It seemed the girl had finished her shopping.

She placed her usual items on the counter: a triangular kimbap and a cup of instant noodles. And her welfare card.

But there was something new this time.

A can of beer.

“...?”

Jae-Wook stared at her, puzzled.

The girl avoided his gaze.

He was about to simply process the transaction but couldn’t help asking.

“Uh, excuse me, miss… Minors aren’t allowed to purchase alcohol…”

Zap.

Her black eyes, sharp as obsidian, glinted from beneath her silver hair, partially covering one eye.

Jae-Wook flinched under her gaze.

In the three months he had seen her, this was the first time he’d ever seen her show any real emotion.

Despite her cute appearance, her eyes had the fierce glint of a seasoned warrior who had survived many battles.

Tap.

Without a word, she pulled out another card.

“Huh…!”

What she placed on the counter was her identification card, with her photo on it.

[Lee Seulbi]

24xxxx-4xxxxxx

“Born in 2004...!”

According to the birth year, the girl was clearly nineteen years old.

She was fully entitled to purchase alcohol.

“I-I'm so sorry! You just look so young…”

Realizing that this small girl was the same age as him, Jaewook hurriedly finished ringing up her items, flustered.

With a slight nod, the girl, back to her usual emotionless expression, lowered her head in a small gesture of thanks.

Whirr.

Ding-ding.

“Phew!”

As the sound of the door closing echoed through the store,  Jae-Wook let out a deep breath and slumped back into his chair.

“Haha, she’s really an adult?”

The world was full of unbelievable things, but today  Jae-Wook had truly been shocked.

Sure,  Jae-Wook had seen adult women shorter than 150cm before, but never someone who looked as young as her.

Still, his feeling of pity returned.

That she hadn’t grown properly even at her age must have been due to years of malnutrition.

“How cruel.”

Though he didn’t know her situation in detail, Jaewook couldn’t help but blame society.

If you’re going to provide welfare support, at least make sure it’s done properly.

Left alone again,  Jae-Wook absentmindedly reflected, before pulling out his phone to watch a video.

[Full Dive Virtual Reality: 'Astra Online' Official Service Launch Imminent.]

In this era of technological breakthroughs, the game was receiving rave reviews for how perfectly it integrated the virtual reality systems that had already become a core part of daily life around the world.

'Astra Online.'

The final promotional video for the game had just been released.

The hype around this game was so intense that during the beta phase, the servers had to be divided by country due to the flood of users.

Seulbi’s image faded from Jaewook’s mind as he watched the PV with a smile.

“I’m about to own a capsule myself soon.”

That was the motivation that had kept  Jae-Wook working this part-time job at the convenience store for three long months.

Sure, nearly every household had at least one capsule by now, but  Jae-Wook, who had moved out and was covering his own living and tuition expenses, had to make a big commitment to purchase his own.

Imagining himself going on adventures across the continent of Astra,  Jae-Wook endured the long, tedious hours of his shift.

“Pfft! Ugh! Yuck, yuck!”

What the hell is this?

I’m sure the beer didn’t taste like this when I drank it in my old body.

Could it be that I can’t even drink alcohol properly now that I’m in this body?

Come to think of it, back in the days on the continent of Astra, I never really got along with the dwarven warrior Ain, who was a notorious drunkard.@@novelbin@@

I smiled, recalling the dwarf holding his mug of beer, happily bellowing in the tavern.

Ain always stopped me from drinking, saying I was too young for it.

When I was summoned to another world by the gods and given this new body, it wasn’t that of an adult from the start.

I was seven years old.

When I first fell into that other world, after my death on Earth, the new body I received was about seven years old.

A frail, delicate body—so weak I couldn’t even properly lift a spoon.

My gender had changed, but by now, that didn’t matter at all.

This fragile body only functioned as it did because of the holy sword that was forced upon me and the environment I was thrust into.

I was dropped in front of a church, clutching nothing but the holy sword, and raised as a hero by the priests who believed in the divine order of the gods.

Then, when I turned twelve, the demons attacked and burned the church to the ground.

I shook my head vigorously.

Even now, when I stay still, old memories flood back to me.

This is Earth.

Not the continent of Astra.

I’ve completed my mission as a hero and returned to Earth.

But is that really true?

Were the adventures I experienced on Astra all real?

Or was I just a poor girl who suffered a tragic accident, and now I’m hallucinating, lost in a delusion?

I was a man in my previous life, died on Earth, received a new body in another world, and spent years fighting to defeat the Demon King, only to eventually return to Earth.

If they were really going to send me back, they should have at least provided some proper aftercare.

How am I supposed to live with a body that was wrecked from fighting the Demon King?

I poured the rest of the beer down the drain.

What a waste, but there was no other choice.

Drip.

As I watched the beer flow away, my gaze landed on my slender wrist and pale forearm.

“Heh.”

For some reason, it made me laugh.

This delicate, feminine voice—I've grown used to it by now.

It doesn’t feel real.

But this is my voice.

Whirr.

I operated the electric wheelchair, carrying the food I bought from the convenience store, and headed back to my little dwelling.

Legs that no longer moved at my will.

That didn’t feel real either.

But these were my legs now.

Yes.

In this moment, there was a distinct lack of reality for me.

An overwhelming absence of it.