1.

I played a game, yet my qi increased.

It was not inferior compared to the bizarre and formidable knights of the martial world.

It felt like something out of an urban legend.

With the way things were, it wouldn’t be surprising if urban legends existed alongside the phenomenon of becoming possessed by a game.

At the very least, Hae Eung-eung held the belief that there are no results without a cause.

‘The martial world is, after all, a place where people live.’

Every bizarre occurrence has a reason befitting it.

If we trace the origins, there are noteworthy aspects to the qi enhancement phenomenon as well.

‘Surely, the qi cultivation technique worked.’

The real world and the virtual world.

These are clearly separate concepts.

Activities in the virtual world are conducted through brainwave recognition.

There, neither the physical body nor the lower dantian exists.

No qi exists either.

And yet, if the qi cultivation technique had an effect, it suggests a significant fact.

The game Banyogok, developed by the company Simiral,

“Recognizes qi.”

The martial world records she had been trapped in for 20 years, like a martial arts annal.

The existence of an otherworldly force known as qi does indeed exist.

The next problem is the accumulation of qi.

The fact that energy has gathered means that the virtual reality game is not merely a world composed of simple data,

but a reality where natural energies exist.

Martial arts annals.

The game she experienced wasn’t the only existing game world;

Banyogok and many other games might also exist like the real world.

However, that fact filled Hae Eung-eung with discomfort.

‘Why was the game I experienced different from the others?’

According to prior investigations, there hadn’t been a single gamer who had become possessed by or dimensionally shifted into Banyogok.

[Search: Martial Arts Annals]

[Search Results: None]

[Search: Banyogok]

[Search Results: About 12,500,000]

Compared to that game, which had not a single piece of information,

the game with a 100% probability of dragging players in was fundamentally different from one where only qi is applied.

‘It’s not bad news for me.’

The amount of qi gained from just one playthrough is roughly equivalent to a month’s worth.

If I maintain a pace where I can increase my qi by one month in just a day,

in a month, I would gather 2.5 years’ worth of qi.

 

1.

In one year, I could gather 30 years’ worth of qi (the first 30 years).

In six years, I could collect 180 years’ worth of qi (the third 60 years).

A path has opened where I can gather the qi needed for transformation within just six years.

‘Still, I can manage to do a little bit of research.’

It felt uncomfortable to immerse myself in the game mindlessly.

To put it bluntly, who knows when I might trigger a possession and get dragged into the world of Banyogok?

I needed to verify whether this phenomenon was unique to me.

Had anyone else ever felt discomfort in Banyogok?

It seemed necessary to check.

Hae Eung-eung: Is it a good time?

Joo Ah-young: Yes?

It was time to use the information network.

2.

The people who used to feed me had all vanished into the virtual world.

I had returned to the harsh ecosystem of the wild.

The vanished paradise of the pigeons.

On a park bench, Joo Ah-young sat excitedly, swinging her legs.

She was wearing skinny jeans, an oversized knit sweater, and sneakers—a simple date look that lifted her spirits.

Unable to hide her excitement, her thrilled appearance caught the attention of a few passersby.

“Excuse me, but I have to say, you really are my type.”

“Sorry, I have a prior engagement.”

“Oh. I see….”

In just 10 minutes, it was already the third time.

The number of times men had been turned down.

‘My sister, seriously. I never thought she would fall into a game so quickly.’

Hae Eung-eung, who had been asking various questions about the game for quite some time,

had suddenly posed an unexpected question after not hearing from her for days.

Hae Eung-eung: Has anyone gotten stronger while playing a game?

Joo Ah-young: Huh? If you level up, wouldn’t you get stronger? It’s a game, after all.

Hae Eung-eung: In reality.

This sister, who had supposedly never played a game and had only lived a life of secluded training,

must have truly caught the gaming bug.

I felt a little pity for her, but I didn’t show it and asked kindly.

Joo Ah-young: Why the sudden question?

Hae Eung-eung: Because I’ve felt some changes in reality.

Joo Ah-young: I’ll look into it separately and let you know!

Honestly, Joo Ah-young didn’t possess much in-depth knowledge about virtual reality games.

However, if it was the knowledge her sister desired,

she was willing to take the initiative to gather information.

Previously, the source of her information had been Namu Wiki.

This time, the research location was Google.

[Search: I got stronger in reality after playing a game]

[Search results: 352,000]

There were quite a few results from Google.

‘That’s surprising. I thought it was just my sister being overly immersed in the game.’

Many others shared the same serious concerns.

It wasn’t merely a matter of feeling.

There were overseas forums,

academic papers,

and even serious discussions from experts.

‘Who knew learning English at the Awakeners Academy would come in handy at a time like this?’

After six hours of research,

Joo Ah-young had accumulated considerable knowledge.

Joo Ah-young: It turns out that there are actually cases where people become stronger in reality after playing a game, just like you said, sis.

Hae Eung-eung: What kind of cases?

Joo Ah-young: Since it’s the weekend tomorrow, how about we have lunch together and I can give you more info?

Since the information I gathered was from Google anyway,

it would be enough to send you the attached file.

But Joo Ah-young wanted to make an excuse to meet her sister.

What if she said no?

Had she said something unnecessary?

The agonizing wait of one minute felt like an eternity.

Unable to withstand the anxiety, she began to type [I almost said…], just then a reply arrived.

Hae Eung-eung: Sounds good.

Joo Ah-young happily deleted her previous reply and set the time and place.

And so, the day arrived.

‘What kind of clothes will my sister wear when she goes out for the weekend?’

Even if she wore a strange hat and draped a cape over herself,

she’d still look great like a historical drama actor.

Surely, her casual clothes wouldn’t be anything less than impressive.

Joo Ah-young was filled with a peculiar sense of anticipation.

[Hae Eung-eung: I’m at the park entrance.]

There were three entrances to this park.

There was no need to ask which one she was at.

‘Ah, it’s my sister.’

Even from a distance, I could recognize her at a glance due to her bizarre outfit.

She was wearing the same attire she had at the convenience store.

In a historical drama-style outfit complete with a black robe and hood.

“Sis, you really love that outfit, don’t you?”

Even though she had finally dressed up for a date,

it would have been nice if she wore something a bit more cheerful.

Hiding her disappointment, Joo Ah-young tried to phrase her words positively.

The response she received was:

[It’s my combat outfit. You never know when something might happen.]

Joo Ah-young’s heart sank.

“Ah…”

It was not an outfit for show.

It was an extremely practical outfit.

She felt foolish for having impure thoughts.

If her sister hadn’t worn her sword at the convenience store,

she might have been in serious trouble.

Yet here she was, feeling disappointed at her sister’s ever-tense demeanor.

‘Her mindset was on a completely different level.’

Between her, an Awakened trainee,

and her sister, an active Awakened.

There was not just a simple difference in skill but also a significant gap in their mindsets.

As she shrank back, Hae Eung-eung’s gaze felt even colder.

Was she about to scold her, saying her attitude was all wrong?

Joo Ah-young, tense and anxious,

watched as Hae Eung-eung handed her a notebook.

[Let’s hurry and grab some food. You must have been cold waiting here.]

“Sis…!”

With a voice full of emotion, Joo Ah-young grasped her sister’s hand.

Though taken aback, Hae Eung-eung followed along.

It was a chilly autumn day,

with one person’s sincerity standing out.

It was a leisurely weekend date.

After finishing their meal, they arrived at a café.

Across from Joo Ah-young, who was enjoying coffee and donuts as dessert,

Hae Eung-eung read through finished documents while pondering.

‘Is this girl really on the right career path?’

She wanted to become an Awakened trainee, right?

No matter how you looked at it, an office job seemed like her true calling.

The quality of her documents was impressive.

‘The common traits in cases of skill improvement are becoming apparent.’

Whether they were physically gifted gamers,

had high assimilation rates,

or were seasoned veterans who had conquered the hardest levels.

The gamers who achieved great success in games were not ordinary players.

The more substantial achievements they gained in the game,

the more likely they were to see improvements in their health in reality,

such as increased strength or enhanced concentration.

‘There are even papers focused on this phenomenon.’

Of course, ordinary people or those writing papers did not acknowledge the existence of inner strength.

They simply believed that their brain interpreted the physical activities, stimuli, and pain they experienced as real events, leading to a perceived improvement.

When the assimilation rate was high,

the intensity of the illusion increased.

And when conquering higher difficulties,

the amount of exertion grew, enhancing the absolute quantity of stimuli.

If they were already physically gifted,

they could imagine virtual muscles more vividly, allowing for more accurate transmission of stimuli.

The interplay between the real world and the virtual world producing complementary effects was quite striking.

‘Above all, the responses of Awakened individuals rather than ordinary people are intriguing.’

Although not inner strength, the concept of mana dealt with by Awakened individuals.

They expressed this phenomenon.

They said that after playing the game, their mana increased.

Not all Awakened individuals experienced this.

Only a select few who excelled at the game,

those with a talent for high assimilation rates, experienced such effects.

‘At this point, I can be sure.’

This is not just a misunderstanding or coincidence.

Inner strength improvement occurs when one plays games with focus.

It’s not limited to just Banyogok.

It can be seen as a phenomenon that happens in most physical games.

Among those, particularly in Simiral’s games, there have been the most cases of mana enhancement.

‘There have also been no reports of those who received skill and mana improvements suddenly going missing.’

Safety had been confirmed.

Beyond that level,

there were unexpected analytical results.

<Studies show that Awakened individuals who play virtual reality games have a lower crime rate than those who don’t.>

<Is virtual reality gaming a form of therapy for Awakened individuals?>

<Common traits of Awakened individuals known for their good character – they all play virtual reality games.>

It was not the gamers who posed a danger; rather, it was the Awakened individuals who didn’t play games that were the threat.

This was something she could not comprehend at all.

[Can I see an Awakened individual in person?]

“An Awakened who plays games?”

Joo Ah-young couldn’t hide her confusion.

“As you know, it’s not common for Awakened individuals to play games. Moreover, I’m still a trainee…”

[Don’t worry too much. I just asked lightly.]

“If you really want to, there’s a chance to meet other Awakened individuals… but I don’t know if they’ll be playing games.”

[Where do I go?]

“To the academy I attend. If you come as a guest lecturer, you can meet other instructors. What do you think?”

Awakened individuals who serve as instructors at the Awakened Academy.

Using them as a sample to examine the correlation between gaming and character traits.

It was a rather interesting proposal.

[That sounds fine.]

Though tempting,

she was not a real Awakened individual.

Her status did not allow her to be invited as a guest lecturer at an academy requiring an official Awakened license.

Even if the status issue were resolved,

what she wanted to know was whether the improvement of inner strength was a safe phenomenon.

She wasn’t interested in understanding the causal relationship between gaming and the character of Awakened individuals.

‘I’ve achieved my goal.’

Then there was no reason to hesitate.

Hae Eung-eung steeled her resolve.

“Did the information help you?”

[It was sufficient.]

She was ready to continue playing Banyogok.