Klaus Capsule Corporation, one of the top three capsule manufacturing companies in the world, and the largest in Korea.

The company’s headquarters were located in Gangnam, and its president, a former American who married a Korean woman and settled here, had a daughter.

Korea, in an effort to address its population decline, had actively promoted a naturalization policy. However, despite the passage of many years, it was still rare for a former foreigner to successfully establish a foothold and build a leading company in Korea, where nationalism was deeply rooted.

And the daughter of the Klaus Capsule Corporation's president, Chris, was also a researcher at this very company.

Inside the virtual reality capsule testing room, located on the fifth floor of the headquarters...

Today, Chris observed one of the intern researchers and shook her head in disapproval.

"Sigh, here we go again..."

*Bzzzt!*

However, as Chris looked at the screen connected to the test room's capsule, she let out a gasp of admiration.

“As expected, former amateur boxer, huh?”

Displayed on the screen was a young man inside a virtual reality space, evading a barrage of iron balls flying toward him.

The young man was dodging the iron balls with quick movements.

*Whoosh!*

The young man tilted his head slightly, and a heavy iron ball whizzed past, narrowly missing his head.

He soon ducked, taking up a weaving stance. *Whoosh! Whoosh!* With the bare minimum of movement, he dodged every iron ball coming his way.

*Beep*—

The test ended with the sound of a beep, and the barrage of iron balls ceased.

The young man cracked his neck and clapped his fists together with a triumphant shout.

"Alright! Level 5!"

The young man’s voice came through the speakers connected to the screen.

Chris, startled, quickly grabbed the microphone to speak to him.

"Huh Joon-hyeok! What sync rate are you using right now? And why did you set the material of the balls to iron?"

"Hm? Chris? Just a moment. I think I can handle up to level 5 today."

*Bzzzt!*

Before he could even finish his sentence, the screen displayed another flurry of iron balls. The young man began dodging them in close calls.

His movements became erratic. The terrifying sound of the iron balls slicing through the air filled the room. It wasn't long before one of the iron balls slammed into his side, which he failed to avoid.

*Thud!*

"Ugh!"

With a groan, the young man collapsed to his knees, and the barrage of iron balls rained down on him. *Thud thud thud!*

Suddenly, the young man’s avatar in the virtual reality started flickering.

"This crazy—!"

Chris rushed over to the capsule where his body was lying.

*Whirrr.* 

At that moment, the capsule opened, revealing the young man drenched in sweat as he shook his head and got up.

Chris checked the sync rate of the reaction speed test program and made a face like she had a headache.

"Hey, Huh Joon, I knew you were nuts, but what’s with this 60% sync rate? Did you become a researcher just to pull stunts like this?"

"It's Huh Joon-hyeok."

"Shut up, Huh Joon. You’re banned from the test room for a while."

"...I'd rather be called ‘the crazy one’ at this point."

Chris sighed as she helped Joon-hyeok get up from the capsule.

"So, why did you do it?"

"If you don't think it’ll hurt when you get hit, you slack off. A bit of tension helps sharpen your reactions. It was an experiment, a sort of overload test. Don’t you want to know how much pain a human can endure in high-sync virtual reality?"

"If you keep doing experiments like that, you're going to end up with a mental illness. There’s a reason the sync rate in virtual reality is legally capped. You might be the only one crazy enough to volunteer for torture. It's a good thing there’s an automatic cut-off system detecting brain overload in the capsule."

"Hmm... automatic cut-off system, huh."

Joon-hyeok stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"When the avatar started flickering, I got forcibly kicked out of the program. But I held on for quite a while, didn’t I?"

"The pain can be endured, sure. I’ve been hit with strong body blows during my boxing days, so I thought I was used to it. But I guess the system decided I couldn’t handle the pain."

"If it weren’t for those safety features, you wouldn't be able to sell these capsules. 60% sync rate, though... that’s just reckless."

"Hmph, I get it. You can stop lecturing me now."

"You’re really sticking to your whole adventurer persona, aren’t you? Like some hero from the continent of Astra. Anyway, enough excuses. You’re doing this because of that *Deathmaster* guy, aren’t you?"

"W-what? I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"The swordsman from the *NoName* party, Rain."

Chris smirked and poked Joon-hyeok in the side. Joon-hyeok broke out in a nervous sweat and tried to change the subject.

"What, are you trying to compete as a tank or something? This isn’t some gravity room from a space warrior cartoon. Do you think it’s okay to mess around with company equipment and programs like this? You should probably stop by and see Dad while you’re here at the office."

"Ah, fine! I messed up, alright? Just please, not that!"

---

The rest of this chapter is a mix of dialogue between Jae-wook and his friend Da-yeon as they visit familiar places, and Jae-wook reminisces about how he saved up to buy his first capsule, hinting at his deep connection to the virtual world of *Astra Online*.

"Jae-wook, it’s been a while! What brings you here?"

"I was hanging out with a friend nearby and thought I’d stop by. I wanted to say hi to you if you were around."

"Oh my, it’s been tough finding part-timers these days. Ever since you quit, I haven’t been able to hire anyone for over three months, so I’m still working the night shifts. I should really turn this place into a self-service store."

"Haha..."

Jae-wook smiled awkwardly as he exchanged greetings with the middle-aged lady who managed the convenience store where he used to work.

Today, Jae-wook was out with Da-yeon, his university classmate and gaming friend, for dinner and a casual hangout. Since the store he used to work at was nearby, he decided to drop by. 

The store manager warmly welcomed Jae-wook, and he got caught up in a conversation with her, momentarily forgetting about Da-yeon.

As the conversation drifted off-topic, Da-yeon subtly gave him a nudge to remind him of her presence.

"Oh, I should get going. Take care!"

"Alright, take care, Jae-wook! Drop by again sometime!"

*Ding-ding.*

As they left the convenience store, Da-yeon shot Jae-wook an irritated glare.

"Seriously? This was the place you said you had to stop by? The convenience store you used to work at?"

Jae-wook, acting as if he were in a musical, exaggeratedly spread his arms wide.

"Oh, Beimerung! How could a mere mortal like you understand? This is where the grand adventure of the summoner Cherni in *Astra Online* began! The place where I earned the funds to buy my first capsule!"

"I just hope you’ve handled your business well enough before coming out to play. Don’t let Chris catch wind of this, or she’ll chew you out."

Despite Da-yeon’s scolding, Jae-wook continued to chuckle as they walked. She followed him, still curious.

"So, where to next?"

"There's one more place worth checking out. Have you heard of ‘Dal-dongne’?"

"Oh, you mean those old neighborhoods you see on TV, where celebrities do charity events, like delivering briquettes? I remember being surprised that some places still used coal briquettes back then. Is this one of those neighborhoods?"

"Well, even in places like this, they don’t use coal briquettes anymore."

Da-yeon looked up at the steep alley ahead of them and let out a soft exclamation.

The alley was narrow and uneven. Old houses crowded both sides, separated by a single wall, showing signs of wear from the years gone by.

The walls bore the clear marks of time: faded bricks, cracks in the cement, and hasty patches of repair here and there.

"Wow, I didn’t know places like this still existed in Seoul."

Da-yeon’s eyes wandered as she walked up the alley, taking in the sight around her.

"Most of them have disappeared with redevelopment, but some still remain. Usually, the residents are elderly or have disabilities, so there are some complicated circumstances. It’s not always just about compensation money. Some places were almost redeveloped but then canceled at the last minute."

As Jae-wook explained, Da-yeon nodded. Even in this modern era, there were many kinds of living situations. Though she had just entered adulthood, Da-yeon was mature enough to understand that much.

It was late at night. The dim streetlights sparsely lighting the alley added to the eerie atmosphere.

Da-yeon shivered and moved closer to Jae-wook.

"What’s the matter, Nam Da-yeon? Are you finally showing that you're a girl who gets scared? Haha. Come on, this is Seoul! What could happen? The great summoner Cherni is here, so relax."

Da-yeon kicked him in the shin.

"Shut up, Lee Jae-wook! I’m not scared, okay? We’ve seen enough, so let’s head back down!"

"Ouch, ouch! Haha... Wait, what’s that?"

*Bzzz.*

Just as Da-yeon kicked him, Jae-wook’s ears picked up a familiar mechanical sound.

"Wait a second."

"Huh? What is it?"

Jae-wook quickly grabbed Da-yeon and pulled her into a crouching position behind a corner of the wall, signaling for her to stay quiet.

*Bzzz.*

The sound drew nearer and nearer.

There was no mistaking it. Jae-wook had heard that sound many times during the three months he worked here.

He knew exactly who used the machine that made that sound.

And soon enough, a girl in a wheelchair came into view.

Under the faint glow of the streetlight, her silver hair shimmered, reflecting the light.

Her small frame rested on the motorized wheelchair, giving off a delicate and fragile impression.

Though her profile was youthful, it was obvious to anyone that she was a strikingly beautiful girl.

She passed by them, just on the other side of the wall. Fortunately, hidden in the shadow of the corner, neither Jae-wook nor Da-yeon were noticed.

Jae-wook wasn’t the only one who recognized the girl.

Da-yeon knew her name, too—though only her in-game name.

"Ra...!"

Da-yeon barely stopped herself from whispering the name, clapping her hand over her mouth just in time.