The world underwent a drastic change overnight.
This was the conclusion I reached after browsing through the news and the Our World forum while munching on a chicken drumstick.
Everyone had turned into their VR characters, and the catalyst was a biochip implanted in their wrists.
The VR company most familiar with this phenomenon had disappeared, leaving global organizations to investigate.
The data in the biochip had apparently synchronized with the individuals.
On the news, an expert with a long beard and a robe explained the situation.
Holding a staff, he looked oddly convincing.
Was this superficial judgment?
No, perhaps in this case, it was more of a “species supremacy.”
Amused by such pointless thoughts, I opened the forum again.
[We worship you, unknown GOAT…]
(A meme of a meteorite falling)
(A meme of the meteorite splitting in two)
(A meme of the split meteor being compressed into a tiny stone in the darkened surroundings)”
While the swordswoman and swordsman who split the meteor were impressive, the last image was even more astonishing.
Wouldn’t a compressor fail to reduce it to that size?
“Wow!”
“No matter how many times I see it, it’s incredible.”
“How did they even take that photo?”
“My species is a fairy, so I flew up and took it.”
“What are you, a war correspondent?”
“Wait, is it even possible to compress a rock like that?”
[Current Association-Ranked Members]
(A screenshot of registered association members)
The newly established association included the world’s 6th-ranked swordswoman, Lee Seul, the 5th-ranked warp mage, Helena, and even the 2nd-ranked mothership captain, Baek Ayun, as the association leader.
They seemed ready to go all out.
“Wow, they’ve gathered all the Korean rankers!”
“Isn’t this like 99% of the power?”
“What are you talking about? ‘That person’ isn’t here.”
“So, is the ‘Star Destroyer’ there?”
“What’s with that nickname?”
“I worship you, as always…”
“Ugh…”
I grimaced reflexively and covered my face.
Even I wasn’t foolish enough to not understand who they were referring to.
That little hand gesture I made yesterday as a joke.
Then, as I lowered my hand, the sky brightened.
Of course, such a coincidence could be dismissed, but the reflection in the mirror left little room for doubt.
Amber eyes, pitch-black hair, and a flowing gothic-lolita dress as dark as midnight.
And, most importantly, the familiar appearance of a boss I had encountered countless times as a raid target in the VR game.
The heinous boss that could obliterate players with a single gesture was now standing in front of me.
“If I go out like this… I’ll be attacked immediately, right?”
Although I wouldn’t lose, getting attacked wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience.
Besides, this was my sweet home.
I didn’t want it to get destroyed in a fight.
As I pondered, an idea came to mind, and I opened a search engine.
“Are there other bosses around?”
I typed in the seven bosses from the game.
[Comprehensive Guide to Another World’s Seven Bosses and Strategies]
“First of all, curse the meteor-splitting SOB.”
Given that the Seven Calamities had become a reality, I thought the seven bosses from Another World might appear too, so I decided to check.
The company seemed oddly obsessed with the number seven, hence the seven bosses.
Each boss had an attribute: Wood (木), Fire (火), Earth (土), Metal (金), Water (水), and Light (陽) and Darkness (陰).
(A meme combining the bosses and their attributes)
All but the seventh boss had been defeated in the game, but now that they had become reality, their patterns would surely become more varied.
The strategy?
Just run away.
Good luck to everyone.
Conclusion: “SOB.”
“The last line is so annoying.”
“So, what’s the strategy?”
“It’s written below.”
“Seriously, let me hit you once.”
“Summarize how to run away too. For Earth, just fly away; for Wood, burn it?”
“Flying users can dodge Earth, huh? Being a knight is such a crime…”
“You split the meteor, have a drink!”
“What about Light and Darkness?”
“Just die, lol.”
Aria Eclipse.
The face in the mirror matched the one in the image attached to the post.
Additionally, when I spread my hand, black mist swirled and condensed into various shapes, as if mirroring my will.
The darkness was as black as my hair.
“Hmm… no denying it now.”
I had hoped that some differences in facial features might allow me to venture outside, but…
[Breaking News: Brazil Destroyed]
The Wood-attribute boss, Corrupted World Tree Evil Drasil, had appeared and was wreaking havoc in Brazil.
(A photo of rotting roots sucking the life out of people)
Apparently, the crazy boss had made Amazon its domain.
With no way to burn it, Brazil was left helpless and eventually destroyed.
Was this monstrosity really the first of the seven bosses?
“Is this balance even sane?”
“Oh wow, disgusting crap, damn.”
“It can be burned, but…”
“Burn the Amazon? It’s the lungs of the Earth.”
“The lungs are rotten.”
“It looks like terminal cancer…”
“There are no rankers in Brazil, right? If there were rankers, wouldn’t it have been different?”
Hmm… Approaching casually is out.
The first of the Seven Bosses causes this much chaos; would they even believe what I, the final boss, say?
I can’t even hope for proper communication.
If I don’t get sucker-punched, that would already be lucky.
“What should I do?”
Ding-dong—
At that moment, the doorbell rang.
Reflexively, I looked at the door.
Knock-knock—
A knocking sound followed.
[Hello? We’re from the Awakener Association. We’re here for an identity verification. Could you please cooperate with a brief investigation?]
Ah, shit, I’m screwed.
***
Lee Minhyuk, a top-ranked VR martial arts character in Another World, now works as a civil servant for the Awakener Association.
Currently, society is so desperate for talent that he was fast-tracked from a newbie to a high-ranking civil servant.
Exhaustion was etched under his eyes as he knocked on the door in front of him.
‘Is this really the job of a high-ranking official?’
Normally, a high-ranking civil servant would sit back with tea and snacks, leisurely processing paperwork.
Although he had eagerly signed the agreement for promotion without asking questions, he hadn’t expected this kind of work and felt unjustly treated.
The words he’d heard in the association director’s office after his rapid promotion echoed in his mind:
“Hmm, it might be tough, sure. But right now, every single Awakener is critical—especially the high-level ones.”
“With America and China throwing money to recruit rankers, even if we can’t match that, shouldn’t we at least give the impression that important appointments are being closely monitored?”
It made sense—except for the fact that the association was only established yesterday, and he hadn’t even been on the job for a full day.
According to the information gathered from Brazil, which had been decimated by the Seven Bosses, modern weapons like missiles were ineffective.
Additionally, internal investigations revealed that firearms no longer worked on those who had transformed into VR characters.
Given this, it was obvious that Awakeners would become the new measure of power.
Moreover, it was clear that handling the remaining six disasters would require their abilities.
Thus, the “identity verification” was just a pretense.
In reality, it was a strategy to recruit high-ranking Awakeners first.
Minhyuk, tasked with this prestigious mission, scowled as he reviewed the documents.
‘Let’s see. A pair of siblings, one male and one female, both high-ranking Awakeners. But the younger sister left for the U.S. a few months ago.’
It was unfortunate to lose one, but at least the other remained.
With a professional smile plastered on his face, Minhyuk opened the door.
“What’s the matter?”
“Ah, I’m Lee Minhyuk, dispatched from the association for identity verification. Do you have a moment?”
Not a man, but a certain young girl appeared before him.
In a pitch-black room.
In contrast to the darkness, her amber eyes shone brightly, and her jet-black hair cascaded down.
Although the lower half of her face was obscured by a mask, and her clothing was hidden by the shadows of the room, even the visible features were enough to reveal her striking beauty.
Minhyuk was momentarily speechless, stunned by her beauty and the fact that a woman, not a man, had appeared. However, he quickly recovered and spoke with the composure of someone with a day’s worth of government work experience.
“Excuse me, but could you tell me who you are? According to the documents, it says only one man lives in this house.”
The man who was supposed to live here was nowhere to be seen, and the girl was alone.
Could there be some circumstances he wasn’t aware of? Minhyuk waited for her response.
In a voice barely above a whisper, the girl replied, “I’m his younger sister…”
“Sorry?”
“I said I’m the younger sister of the man who lives here!” she shouted, her face flushed red.
Minhyuk tilted his head in confusion for a moment before realizing the meaning behind her words.
‘But I heard he went to the U.S…?’
As if to answer his doubt, the girl muttered in a crawling voice,
“When I heard news about the meteor, I rushed back from America…”
“Oh, then your brother…?”
“I don’t know. When I got home, no one was here…”
Ah, I’ve stepped on a landmine.
Minhyuk hurriedly shut his mouth and busied himself tapping the stack of documents in his hands.
Silence stretched between them.
After observing the girl’s expression for a moment, Minhyuk cautiously asked,
“Would it be possible for you to show me your face?”
“…My face?”
“Oh! I don’t mean anything suspicious! I just need to compare it with the records.”
Although he didn’t want to, he had to verify her identity, officially to avoid suspicion from other organizations.
The girl hesitated, clearly reluctant.
Feeling a pang of guilt from earlier, Minhyuk offered an alternative.
“If you have an item that can prove your identity, you can show me that instead. According to the records, you’re a high-ranking martial arts player with a sword specialization. Do you have anything related to that?”
In VR games with diverse genres like martial arts, fantasy, and sci-fi, each person was granted a unique weapon, making forgery nearly impossible.
Martial arts players often carried unique swords, while sci-fi players had spacecraft or gadgets.
If she showed her unique sword, her identity would be confirmed.
As a martial arts player himself, Minhyuk could quickly detect a forgery.
Perhaps finding the suggestion agreeable, the girl rushed into the dark room, making a clattering noise.
Soon, she handed him a jet-black sword, which Minhyuk admired.
“Wow, as expected of a high-ranking martial arts player. This craftsmanship… Even the blade is as sharp as if it were just forged.”
“T-Thank you,” she stammered.
Handing the sword back to her, Minhyuk continued,
“By the way, you seem shorter than what’s written in the documents…”
He alternated between the papers and the girl, scrutinizing.
Her face visibly darkened.
‘Ah, another landmine.’
Despite her youthful appearance, she was still a woman. Height could be a sensitive topic.
Relying on his martial artist instincts, Minhyuk swiftly changed the subject.
“Well, since your VR character is different, minor changes like this can happen. Thank you for cooperating with the investigation. I’ll be in touch later.”
He decided to delay suggesting she join the association.
In this atmosphere, even a promising deal would fall through.
Throughout the conversation, her ears seemed to redden oddly.
Was she that worried about her brother?
Better not to prod further next time.
Promising himself to handle it better in the future, Minhyuk hurriedly left her house.
Outside the closed door, he leaned against the doorknob and let out a sigh of relief.
Phew, I made it out alive.
Sorry, little brother.
I’ll be impersonating you for a bit.