A Falling Meteorite.
A meteorite descends.
However, unless it is of a size large enough to obliterate the entire Earth, the outcomes will inevitably differ for those near the impact site and those on the opposite side of the planet.
The impact zone will be reduced to scorched earth, but regions on the opposite side of the world will remain relatively safe.
Thus began Earth’s ultimate lottery, a game of “As long as it’s not me.”
Our World – KR Server
[Today, I’m officially logging off Earth.]
Just when it seemed like magic and a happy life were within reach—
(News predicting the meteor will crash into the West Sea.)
(Simulation video showing East Asia being devastated by the meteor’s impact.)
Why, oh heavens, did you birth me only to hurl a stone at me?
Farewell, a life filled with endless regrets.
– God… this rock is kinda big.
– Not kinda big—it’s freaking enormous. F*ck.
– China, North Korea, South Korea, Japan, all kill. Lol.
– The meteor’s on god-tier mode.
– Can we survive if we jump into the sea?
– You think that’ll work?
[Live Updates: Fleeing Korea]
(Video from the middle of the sea, showing the meteor growing closer.)
Wow, I thought I escaped pretty far on my VR character’s flying ship, but I can still see it.
Turns out maxing out my character in the tech tree was a divine move.
Who knew I’d escape Hell Peninsula like this?
– Wow, that’s breathtaking.
– Yeah, and it’s about to drop right on our heads. LOL.
– We’re so screwed.
– F*ck. Who the hell are you kidding! You better get intercepted mid-flight.
– Don’t curse me, damn it.
– What about the fantasy and martial arts players?
– What can they do? Go to the airport and catch a flight.
– Sword-wielding, who are losing everytime. LOL.
– At this point, it’s a guaranteed loss.
– Hey, got room for one more? Take me with you~
As the meteorite’s impact range was predicted, airports in the affected countries became overcrowded.
No one could have foreseen this natural disaster.
Death loomed closer. People rushed out of their homes, and chaos on the roads only intensified.
The government declared a state of emergency.
[Breaking News: President Declares Martial Law]
Not only martial law but also a national emergency seemed to have been announced.
– Martial law’s been declared a lot lately. Didn’t they just do this a few weeks ago?
– Welcome to the 9th season of Martial Law. LOL.
– What a democratic country we live in.
– Dude, this is a legit national crisis.
– So, how are they gonna stop the meteorite?
– Dunno.
– These crazy idiots. LOL.
– I’ve already reached enlightenment.
– I found myself discovering the truths of Buddhism.
But not everyone had given up.
Amidst the chaos, one piece of news spread:
Breaking: Korea’s top-ranked players are waiting in Yeouido Square to intercept the meteor.
The top-tier players had gathered to destroy the meteorite before it could hit the ground and obliterate everything.
***
In the VR game “Another World,” rankings existed.
As an MMORPG, it had stats and levels, and player rankings naturally followed.
Combining elements of martial arts, fantasy, and sci-fi, the game offered high autonomy but also clear disparities among players.
In this VR world, characters served as a form of identification, so no one raised their character half-heartedly.
At Yeouido Square, countless top-tier players had assembled.
While their weapons varied, their goal was the same: destroy the meteor before it reached the Earth.
Despite the short time since the emergency call, a significant number had already gathered.
“This might actually work.”
Korea, an early adopter of VR gaming, had consistently produced top-tier players, even if their overall numbers were lower.
The country’s elite players were on par with the best in the world.
Among them was Isul, ranked 6th globally and 2nd with a sword.
Her blue hair fluttered as she stared at the meteor.
Beside her approached a blonde woman wearing a conical hat, busy teleporting others.
She paused momentarily and walked over to Isul, who continued gazing at the meteor.
“I’ve brought everyone who responded. About half refused, though.”
“Well, considering failure means death, that’s a lot.”
Through the top-tier players’ network, calls had gone out.
While half declined, no one blamed them for their decision.
Though disappointing, it wasn’t surprising—forcing someone into a likely-suicidal mission was unreasonable.
Most of those gathered were knights or martial artists, who might have fled if they had any other options.
It’s unusual to face a disaster head-on when one could avoid it.
“Helena, aren’t you going to run? You’re not even a Korean citizen.”
“Because you asked me to. Don’t worry, though—I’ll use a portal to escape if things go south.”
Helena winked at Isul, who responded with a faint smile as she gazed at the descending meteor.
Then came the rallying cry:
“Everyone, attack!”
Simultaneously, a barrage of attacks materialized—ones that had only existed in the realm of VR games until now.
Whirlwinds surged, countless slashes flew, and fireballs and lasers painted the air in dazzling colors.
Yet most attacks fizzled out before reaching the meteor, and those that did barely left a scratch.
Just as despair began to set in—
Boom! Boom!
Faint echoes of skill activations shimmered on the distant northwest horizon.
“Who’s that?”
“Were there other fools besides us?”
“That’s the ocean… Looks like it’s coming from the direction of China.”
Soon, explosions could be heard from the north and southeast as well.
From the southeast, cherry blossoms fluttered, slowing the meteor’s descent, while in the north, missiles, rather than skills, filled the skies.
“Cherry blossoms… that must be Japan. And the missiles are from North Korea?”
“If it falls, we’re all doomed.”
For China, the shockwave wouldn’t devastate the entire country, but their capital would be obliterated.
Korea was guaranteed to be wiped out, and Japan’s central and southern regions would face certain destruction.
Their decisions were understandable under the circumstances.
Even North Korea, which hadn’t widely adopted VR, was firing missiles en masse as a desperate alternative.
The sheer destructive force could obliterate a nation.
And yet, the meteor didn’t stop.
The massive rock from space neutralized every incoming attack with its overwhelming mass.
Was it truly impossible to stop the meteorite?
Even in the setting of Another World, countless heroes had tried and failed to prevent such a catastrophe.
Still…
Isul gripped her sword tightly.
“To live, one must be ready to die.”
Having come this far, failure meant death.
The world’s second-ranked swordswoman, Isul, imbued her blade with a radiant blue aura.
The sword radiated an edge so sharp it seemed to cut the air around it.
She swung—a single slash from above.
Shwick!
At the same time, a white slash from the direction of China merged with hers, amplifying the attack.
‘Sword Sovereign!’
The top-ranked swordsman from China.
With this…!
The combined slash struck the meteorite.
***
And the meteorite split.
Of course, it worked!
Upload the clip, damn it!
“That’s our Sword Maiden! And the Sword Sovereign nailed it too!”
“Amazing!”
“The number one and number two swordsmen overcoming adversity together? Legendary.”
“Swordsman is officially the top-tier class now. Everything else is mid.”
“Korea is safe! Someone cancel the martial law already!”
“Mom, when I grow up, I want to be like Isul!”
“I can’t believe I lived to see this moment.”
“Technically, you saw it right before dying.”
“Almost had a heart attack before the meteor even landed.”
“Truly epic.”
Posts flooded the internet at lightning speed, accompanied by the incessant of notifications.
Ding.
The noise was relentless.
In a small, dimly lit room, a girl stirred awake, annoyed.
“Ugh, I should’ve turned it off. I forgot since it’s been a while.”
She had grown accustomed to living without a biochip and had completely forgotten about the notifications.
Reflexively waving her hand to clear the screen, she suddenly realized something was off.
“Huh? What’s with my voice? Did I catch a cold?”
Her voice was unusually high and melodic.
Something soft brushed against her face.
Touching it, she realized it was long hair—far longer than hers had ever been.
“Hmm…?”
In her groggy state, the unfamiliar sensations felt alien.
“And why is the room so dark?”
She was sure she’d left the window open, yet it felt like night had fallen.
Fumbling in the dim room, she got out of bed, feeling oddly short.
Her long hair cascaded down, brushing against a pair of unfamiliar, rounded shapes on her chest.
The sensation was strange, as was the size of the objects she picked up—they all seemed slightly larger than before.
“Light. I need light.”
Why was it so dark outside?
It had been midday before she went to sleep.
And all the while, ‘ding‘ sound of notifications continued to echo.
Our World – KR Server
<..falling?>
Falling, split into two pieces.
“Huh?”
“Ah?”
“F*ck.”
I’m screwed.
Uh…f*cked
The posts that were rapidly flooding in have stopped coming up, as if the commotion is over.
I skim through the last bits and close it.
What’s more important right now is this strange feeling in my body.
I turn off the alarm for now.
There’s plenty of time, so I can read it thoroughly later.
“What exactly is split into two… and what’s falling?”
The lights… aren’t working.
I’ve been behind on payments for a few days, but would they cut it off this fast?
Did the chicken arrive?
I slept until night, so it’s probably cold by now.
Ah, life.
I suddenly wanted to feel the breeze.
Opening the window, I looked out to see the sky dyed in black.
A particularly dark night with no moon in sight.
Still, the wind pressure was strong and refreshing.
As I stared blankly at the sky like that—
“Huh?”
I saw a crack in the dark sky.
Light was streaming through the gap in the blackness, like curtains parting on a stage, pouring light into the void.
Thunk.
It was a strange phenomenon, something I’d never seen before.
Like when I was a kid, playing a game where I’d cover distant objects with my hand.
I lifted my now smaller hands and covered the split, dark sky with my palms.
Though light poured through the black sky, my surroundings remained strangely dim.
However, my vision became clearer than before.
A peculiar sensation washed over me.
As I slowly closed my hands, I felt stone-like chunks forming in my grip.
Hmm… how should I describe this?
Ah, like the clay I used to play with as a child.
That soft, malleable texture made me unconsciously squeeze my hands tightly.
Crunch.
And then I let go.
When I lowered my hands, the sky I saw was clear and cloudless, bright and sunny.
“…What the hell? Was that a hallucination?”
And the next day—
[In the West Sea, a 15km-wide meteorite was discovered compressed to a size of 10 meters. The other split fragment of the meteorite is still under search, and awakened individuals have formed an ad-hoc association…]
It seemed a lot had happened while I was asleep.