*Clack.*

With my stomach growling, I started my meal right away.

With a familiar hand movement, I unwrapped the triangular kimbap, taking a bite from the pointed tip.

*Chomp.*

“Mm...!”

The sharp spiciness of the red pepper flakes hit my nose, making me shiver slightly before taking another bite.

*Chomp, chomp, chomp.*

Today's pick was stir-fried kimchi kimbap.

No regrets—definitely the right choice.

I quickly devoured the small kimbap with small bites and turned on the electric kettle.

*Bubble, bubble.*

The water I had already filled began boiling in no time.

Even though a lot of time had passed in the world I knew, convenient things like this were still in use.

When I lived in the other world, I craved such simple, convenient foods so much.

Of course, what I wanted most after returning to Earth was something else entirely, but in my current circumstances, this small indulgence was all I could afford.

The simple meal lifted my mood a little.

I looked around at my little one-room apartment, my dwelling.

Yeah, it's pretty small.

Earth, decades after the time I had once lived in it.

When I first returned, I felt an overwhelming sense of disconnection from everything around me.

Thankfully, South Korea’s welfare system, even in this era, made sure that even someone like me, with a disabled body, wouldn’t end up on the streets.

Financial support, access to assistive devices, regular visits from social workers, and employment assistance programs were all in place.

In many ways, this society had developed a lot differently than the continent of Astra, where the state’s care didn’t reach the most vulnerable. This was modern society for you.

Although I had declined the visits and job assistance from the social workers.

Maybe I should be grateful to Astra’s deity for providing some cognitive intervention service so I could quietly blend into this society without connections.

As I absentmindedly scanned my tiny one-room apartment, my gaze landed on a newly added, foreign piece of furniture.

“So, it’s finally here.”

I let out a long sigh.

The reason I’d wanted to drink today, despite rarely doing so, was because of this piece of furniture.

A virtual reality capsule.

I had scraped together every last penny, even taking advantage of welfare discounts that I normally wouldn’t have bothered to look into, to buy this thing.

No matter how advanced the technology of this era was, it couldn’t fix the dead nerves in my legs below the thighs.

Still, in this era, virtual reality capsules also doubled as therapeutic devices for mental health.

For someone who has never been able to use their legs or arms their entire life, being able to move freely in a world that felt just as real as reality was probably the happiest thing they could experience.

Of course, that wasn’t why I bought the capsule.

“Astra Online.”

A world I had fled from, scarred by endless pain.

A game with the same title as the continent I had once adventured across.

Was it just a coincidence?

But after watching the scenery in the promotional video, I couldn’t deny it any longer.

“Astra Online” was a game modeled after the continent of Astra, where I had lived for so many years.

I curled up slightly and chuckled.

“Is this supposed to be aftercare?”

They could have at least fixed my body.

The gods of that world, or maybe even the gods of Earth, were definitely playing a cruel joke on me.

Or perhaps it was both.

Still, in the end, I couldn’t help but decide to play the game.

I lowered my gaze and stared at my legs.

Legs that no longer moved.

Would they move freely once I was inside the game?

The reality that I had lost.

Could I find it again in there?

*Tick-tock, tick-tock.*

Even as I sat there lost in thought, the time approached.

Midnight.

The official launch of *Astra Online*.

It doesn’t matter anymore.

Whatever happens, I’ll face it head-on.

*Vroom.*

[Welcome to the full-dive virtual reality game, the Continent of Swords and Magic, ‘Astra Online.’]

The screen went dark, and an announcement sounded as my body was enveloped in a strange sensation of floating.

The title OST played in the background, and soon the screen brightened.

The continent spread out before my eyes, as if I were looking down from above. The very same continent I once hated, but also missed deeply.

“The Astra Continent…”

There wasn’t time to get lost in nostalgia, as the announcement quickly prompted me to create my character.

[Would you like to customize your character's appearance?]

“Hmm…”

The character model that appeared before me looked just like me, as if it had scanned my body directly.

A truly beautiful young girl.

Her silver-white hair, which slightly covered one eye, fell to her shoulders. Her eyes gleamed, dark like onyx. 

She was barely 150 cm tall, with a petite frame, and a figure that was barely noticeable. Her face was small yet defined, and her features distinct—beautiful enough to rival any celebrity.

I fiddled a bit with the customization options.

“Race: Human. Everything else… let’s keep it as is.”

[The current user's body type and race customization may limit strength stats. Would you still like to proceed?]

“I don’t care.”

I puffed out my chest.

It had been over a decade since I became this way, and I had long since gotten over the awkwardness of being in a female body.

My comrades on the Astra Continent always praised me and called me cute, so I’d even grown a bit proud of my appearance.

Even if I spent hours customizing, I probably couldn’t create a character this pretty anyway.

From what I found during the beta test, people who were confident in their looks usually only made small changes to things like hair and eye color, leaving the rest as it was.

Since I hadn’t made any new connections since returning to Earth, it’s not like anyone here would recognize me.

[Character appearance customization complete. Please enter your final nickname.]

As I hadn’t yet fully registered the game environment, an interface popped up before my eyes.

Without hesitation, I typed:

‘Drizzle Rain.’

[Is ‘Drizzle Rain’ the nickname you would like to use?]

“Yes.”

Drizzle Rain.

That was my name on the continent.

A name I had received on a rainy day when I fell in front of a church in Astra.

More familiar to me now than either my old name or the one I was given on Earth.

“Rain is really pretty, with that silver hair of hers.”

“Hahaha! Dwarves are a race that loves jewels! Rain, your eyes are like onyx. One day, let me have them!”

“Gosh, Uncle Ain! Don’t say such scary things!”

“Hehe, I might end up hating Uncle Ain.”

“Heh, don’t worry. Dwarves tend to blurt out whatever they’re thinking when it comes to gems.”

I could almost hear the laughter of my comrades.

Lost in memories for a moment, a faint crackling sound broke through the interface.

[...crackle. Error code AAECA...crackle.]

[Are you sure you want to use the name ‘Drizzle Rain’?]

“...?”

I had confirmed this already, so why was it asking again?

“Yeah, use that name.”

I brushed aside my confusion and confirmed once more.

[Character creation complete. We wish you a fun and exciting adventure on the Astra Continent.]

And the screen went dark again.

---

*Splash, splash.*

The sound of waves.

Is the beginner's starting location in this game by the sea?

Feeling the salty breeze against my skin, I slowly opened my eyes.

“...”

I raised my small hands and checked my body.

Since I hadn’t made many changes during customization, nothing felt out of place.

It was just like my real body.

I slowly sat up, planted my hands on the sand of the beach, and then…

My legs.

“Ah.”

My legs. I planted them firmly.

And stood up.

“My legs.”

They moved.

*Shuffle, shuffle.*

I could walk.

How long had it been since I couldn’t move my legs?

A year, since I came back to Earth?

After one long year, I was walking on my own two legs again.

*Step, step.*

I didn’t think about anything.

I just wandered the beach, aimlessly moving my small feet.

“Hmm.”

After walking around like that for a while, I absentmindedly touched my chin and pondered.

Should this be an emotional moment?

Isn’t regaining the ability to walk after losing it supposed to be a huge deal?

Yet somehow, I didn’t feel overwhelmed or overjoyed.

It felt like something I should have been able to do all along.

And then, I became acutely aware of a sensation I had forgotten.

“Reality…”

That strange feeling, like I had become an irregularity in a well-functioning world after returning to Earth—it was gone here.

Ironically, I felt more grounded and real in this virtual reality than I ever did in the real world.

The harsh sea breeze striking my skin.

The smell of salt in the air.

Is virtual reality technology really this impressive?

You live long enough, and you see all sorts of things.

I chuckled to myself, feeling like an old person who had lived through it all.

But this is just a game.

I wanted to confirm it by using the universal command for virtual reality games.

“Status window!”

*Beep.*

An interface popped up in front of me.

[Drizzle Rain]  
[Beginner Adventurer]  

It displayed stats like HP, strength, intelligence, agility—all starting values.

And at the very bottom:

[Sync Rate: 100%]

“Huh?”

I tilted my head.

Before starting this game, I had researched the beta testers’ information thoroughly.

Although details were scarce because of people racing to make an early start, I had at least familiarized myself with the basic status window interface.

But there had been no mention of a ‘sync rate’ stat.

In fact, even with my limited knowledge of virtual reality, I knew that the sync rate referred to how much the game’s sensory feedback aligned with the brain's perception.

The higher the sync rate, the stronger the sensation of reality, making things like pain and other sensations feel more intense.

But in combat-oriented games like this, the sync rate was supposed to be kept low by law, to prevent players from feeling too much pain.

But 100%?

A sense of unease crept up inside me.

Isn’t this dangerous?