Chapter 3: The Tutorial is Too Easy (1)

The bubbly liquid tingled his esophagus as it went down smoothly. Lee Kyungbok emptied the light 500ml glass and looked at his friend sitting across from him.

“This guy’s a piece of work.”

They were childhood friends who had been inseparable since high school for over ten years now. Choi Byunghoon let out a deep sigh.

“That bastard doesn’t know his place, does he? To put it bluntly, I’m responsible for gathering around 70% of his subscribers.”

“Bullshit!”

”…Well, even if it’s half that, it’s still thanks to me. Anyway, how could he treat such a loyal supporter like this?” Choi Byunghoon grimaced while gesturing a throat-slitting motion with his hand.

“Why did you cut ties if that was your reasoning?”

“No, I heard his viewership has been decreasing lately? His subscriber count is also stagnating. But that’s to be expected.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, but this bastard couldn’t handle it and started panicking. So, I tried to calm him down, telling him all sorts of things. If he just hung in there and maintained his style, success would eventually come. But haah…” Frustrated, Choi Byunghoon took a swig of beer.

“So, despite your advice, he followed what other YouTubers were doing?”

“That’s right! I tried stopping him, but when I did, he lost it and yelled at me to get out if I didn’t support him. Eventually, I had no choice but to leave.”

“Who is the new editor?”

“You think I’d know? He probably hired some cheap amateur. Mark my words, they won’t last even a month.”

“Then will you look for another job? Is re-employment possible?” Lee Kyungbok asked with amusement, causing Choi Byunghoon to shudder.

“Oh no, I won’t do it again. If only I had listened to your words earlier.”

“You seemed so ominous when advising me not to hastily sign the contract.”

“Now, I know… Stop it. I am already regretting it like crazy.”

“In the future, listen carefully to what hyeongnim says. Okay?”

There was no response from Choi Byunghoon to Lee Kyungbok’s words. Instead, he picked up his shot glass and beer mug, taking a drink.

“Sigh, I thought everything would be fine somehow. Anyway, how about you?”

“Me?” Choi Byunghoon prepared his own drink while refilling Lee Kyungbok’s empty glass.

Lee Kyungbok didn’t answer until his beer glass was full. Then silently, they clinked their glasses together once more.

After refilling Lee Kyungbok’s empty glass, Choi Byunghoon cautiously asked:

”…Is it serious?”

“Well, not for me,” Lee Kyungbok replied with a resigned laugh before explaining his situation, which enraged Choi Byunghoon.

“Are you out of your mind?!”

“Dude, lower your voice.”

“No way! I knew he was a jerk, but he’s next-level scum!”

Lee Kyungbok had already heard rumors about his supervisor acting suspiciously, but he never imagined being framed by him. Choi Byunghoon waved off his concerns as if waiting for this moment.

“C’mon, forget about it. It wasn’t such a great company anyway, right?”

“You’re right about that.”

“And like I’ve always said, sales isn’t really your thing, is it? Anyway, uh…”

Choi Byunghoon stopped talking and cautiously looked around to ensure no one was listening in on them amidst the noisy brewery.

“What do you mean, it doesn’t mesh well with your…you know?”

Despite their friendship of over ten years, Choi Byunghoon still couldn’t find the right word for Lee Kyungbok’s “thing.” Ever since they were young, there had been moments when Lee Kyungbok acted peculiarly. He would suddenly stop walking, appearing dazed or intensely staring at someone he barely knew.

However, more fascinating than these quirks was his ability to assess people accurately. Lee Kyungbok could precisely identify individuals destined for greatness. The term “intuition” felt inadequate, while “hunch” seemed too trivializing.

“The company didn’t appreciate your efforts enough.”

”…I can’t explain it, so there’s nothing I can do.”

“No, what I mean is…”

Lee Kyungbok would back away from potential clients if he sensed something was off about them, but he couldn’t provide any clear explanation for his actions. His longtime friend Choi Byunghoon accepted this quirk, but others found him strange and eccentric.

And understandably, things didn’t go smoothly at work either. His colleagues viewed him as either lazy or incompetent, which inevitably led to a rocky professional life.

“What’s the harm in being straightforward with them? It’d be their loss anyway. Companies that let go of a human detector like you won’t last long.”

“Am I some chick sexer now?” Lee Kyungbok chuckled, which made Choi Byunghoon laugh along.

“I’m just saying. You know, it’s like Zhuge Liang before meeting Liu Bei; neither of us has found our match yet.”

“You’re talking nonsense again.”

“Honestly, we could achieve success if we meet the right person. Right? Someone who recognizes our true worth like how Liu Bei sought out Zhuge Liang thrice…”

Chewing on his appetizer, Choi Byunghoon paused mid-sentence and looked at Lee Kyungbok with slightly widened eyes.

“Hey, speaking of games, weren’t you quite good?”

“Huh?”

“It reminded me because it’s similar to seeking someone thrice. Back when we were high school students, three different teams approached you for recruitment.”

“Oh yeah…” Lee Kyungbok trailed off with a bittersweet smile.

For students disinterested in academics, gaming often became an escape, and Lee Kyungbok was no exception.

However, unlike most others, he possessed exceptional reflexes and skills that could have potentially led to a professional gaming career.

“Hey, have you ever considered streaming?” Choi Byunghoon cautiously asked Lee Kyungbok, who frowned at him.

“What kind of streaming?”

“Obviously, video game streaming. Do you think I’d suggest you do cam shows or something?”

Lee Kyungbok chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

“No way, are you crazy? Have you forgotten why I quit gaming?”

Initially, when offered a spot on a team, Lee Kyungbok saw it as an opportunity. However, strangely enough, after that point, playing games caused inexplicable pain for him. It wasn’t until his grandmother explained it was due to using the Divine Object that he understood the cause.

Despite enduring the agony during the tryout test, the results were predictably disastrous.

He continued to suffer whenever he attempted to play games and eventually gave up on them altogether. With other unfortunate events piling up at that time, Lee Kyungbok decided it was best to forget about gaming altogether.

“So what…what’s this thing called again? A divine illness?”

“Probably.”

Divine illness. It usually referred to sickness caused by failing to receive divine possession from a shaman, leading to their deterioration.. Of course, Lee Kyungbok wasn’t a shaman, but there seemed no better term for his condition.

Lee Kyungbok wanted to change the subject, but Choi Byunghoon wouldn’t let it go easily.

“But you’re fine now, right?”

“What?”

“Unlike our time, capsules have become mainstream these days.”

With advancements in virtual reality technology, the gaming industry experienced a significant shift. The widespread adoption of capsules provided immersive experiences akin to real life. Computers were increasingly used primarily for work purposes, with even their relevance gradually diminishing.

“There are plenty of gamers with physical disabilities or limitations. So even that boring-ass streamer… Ugh, just thinking about him pisses me off.” Choi Byunghoon dramatically ran his hand through his hair while sneakily observing Lee Kyungbok’s expression.

“In any case, you can use this instead of your body now. Maybe it’ll work out for you too?”

“Hmm…” As he watched his friend tapping on his head, Lee Kyungbok let out a sigh. What Byung-hoon said made sense.

Could I really do streaming?

Lee Kyungbok reminisced about his school days when gaming was pure joy and excitement. He recalled feeling fulfilled whenever people were amazed by his skills. It wasn’t like he shied away from attention.

“Oh, but using your body is different, right?” Choi Byunghoon teased with a smirk. It was obvious he was trying to provoke Lee Kyungbok, but Kyungbok decided to play along anyway.

“You want to test me out?”

“Test you?”

“I’ve had too much to drink today, so how about tomorrow?”

“All in?”

“All in.”

The two friends laughed as they clinked their glasses together.

The next day…

“Welcome.” The employee at the capsule room greeted their guests with a professional tone. It was early morning on a weekday, and two men had arrived. Smiling, the staff member hoped they wouldn’t cause any trouble.

“You can register accounts here, right?”

“Yes, that’s possible.”

“Hey, Lee Kyungbok!” Choi Byunghoon waved to his friend.

Visiting the capsule room for the first time, Lee Kyungbok marveled at the upgraded facilities.

“Come over here and authenticate your identity.”

“Wow… This place really improved! Feels like a capsule hotel now.”

“If you say that elsewhere, people will question your taste. Anyway, hurry up and register your account.”

In response to his friend’s urging, Lee Kyungbok deliberately slowed down even more. However, it was just playful banter. Soon, he placed his hand inside the biometric scanner. After verifying his fingerprint and vein patterns, his identity popped up.

“Are you Lee Kyungbok?”

“Yeah, As long as someone didn’t cut off my hands and attached them to another person’s body.”

“Can’t you just shut your mouth for once?” Choi Byunghoon chuckled at his friend’s retort.

The employee struggled to maintain their expression until they saw the information on the screen, causing their eyes to widen.

“Oh… You’ve never used a capsule before, have you?”

“Nope, not yet.”

“My apologies, please wait a moment. I assumed you were registering for our capsule room membership…”

The staff member hadn’t anticipated encountering an adult without any prior capsule account, as it was quite rare. Lee Kyungbok belonged to an unusual group.

“Yes, registration is complete. Your usage time will be…”

“I’ll settle it later, please.”

“Understood. You can use Capsule A-6.”

The staff member guided them to a capsule and briefly explained how it worked before Lee Kyungbok opened the door.

“I’ll wait outside just in case.”

Choi Byunghoon’s expression was serious. There was always a possibility that his “condition” might flare up again.

Lee Kyungbok nodded and lay down inside the capsule. Following the instructions he’d been given, he activated the machine, and everything flipped upside down within seconds.

“Wow.”

He had clearly been lying down moments ago, but now he felt himself standing on solid ground.

“Oh man…”

Even his clothes had changed. Strangely enough, their texture, feel, and faint scent seemed incredibly real. Although the employee had briefed him about this, experiencing it firsthand was another matter entirely.

I don’t feel any pain.

After his brief moment of awe, worry set in. Thankfully, he didn’t feel any pain like before, but his body remained tense and uneasy.

[A gentle warm-up is required for synchronization.]

A blue system message appeared before him. Lee Kyungbok followed the instructions and gently stretched.

“Wow… This is insane.” He couldn’t help but marvel again.

Intellectually, he knew this body was fake, merely data, yet it felt completely different physically. From the tips of his toes to the top of his head, everything felt just like his original body.

[Synchronization completed.]

[Please move freely.]

Accompanying these friendly messages, a dummy figure materialized in the white space, resembling one used for traffic accident experiments.

”…Incredible.”

Lee Kyungbok lightly threw punches and kicks at the dummy, gradually increasing his strength.

‘Yeah, this isn’t real after all.’

In reality, the recoil would have caused pain throughout his body, and he should be sweating from such intense movements. However, these drawbacks were absent; instead, there was only a satisfying impact sensation while maintaining a comfortable state without breaking a sweat.

‘But…’

Lee Kyungbok sensed something peculiar. His vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste were vividly active, yet there was an inexplicable feeling stimulating his mind beyond these five senses.

‘Does virtual reality always feel like this?’

There was no one nearby to answer his question. Since it wasn’t uncomfortable, Lee Kyungbok shrugged it off.

[Are you sufficiently familiar with the environment now?] A system message appeared.

[Would you like to try a physical ability test?]

[Tests are not mandatory. You may end the tutorial.]

Below this message was a brief video illustrating the nature of the test.

[Hurdle Sprint]

[Avoid obstacles that can appear from anywhere to reach the finish line. Speed is important, but don’t forget caution!]

In the video, a person runs swiftly before losing their balance due to a pillar suddenly emerging from a wall. This footage was enough to understand the format.

Hurdle Sprint was one of the most fundamental tests in virtual reality environments. It required both cognitive skills like judgment, adaptability, and strategic thinking, as well as physical attributes such as strength, stamina, speed, and reflexes. As the first tutorial encountered upon entering VR, it sparked heated discussions about ‘VR stratification’ based on individual records across South Korea.

Lee Kyungbok briefly pondered before doing some light stretches.

If I do well, I’ll have to ask Byung-hoon about his record.

With thoughts of teasing his friend, he grinned and pressed Confirm.

Just as it had when the dummy appeared, the room transformed instantly. The vast space shrank with walls shooting up, and the lighting dimmed. Obstacles were likely to emerge from the darkness at the edges of the corridor.

“Huh?” As soon as the timer started, Lee Kyungbok stood frozen instead of moving forward. He blinked repeatedly and looked around.

What’s going on?

The hidden obstacles couldn’t be seen or heard. There was no smell, and touching them wasn’t possible either. Yet…

This is strange.

In the darkness, beneath the floor, above the ceiling…he vividly sensed the presence of the obstacles.

It finally dawned on him that his ability was manifesting without any pain.

Is this perception?