Morning came.

Hanbyeol let out a sigh as she stood before the capsule once more.

Normally, she logged in daily to maintain her ranking, but today she truly didn’t want to.

She could already picture what she’d see when she entered.

“…Hoo.”

After a brief moment of hesitation, she took a deep breath and connected to the game. She had to go in if she wanted to do anything at all.

Squeeeak…

The familiar, stifling sensation greeted her as soon as she logged in. Perhaps the ropes were chafing her skin because she felt a faint sting, even through the …