Chapter 2
Several days passed after I had that strange dream.
But today was the day I finally turned on the game.
That day, I had listened to a so-called ultra-short strategy lecture and even finished more than half of the account creation process, but it couldn’t be helped.
Wooyeoning♥: I just have to finish this
Wooyeoning♥: I’m seriously almost done
Wooyeoning♥: like really
: Take your time
: I’ll start first haha
Wooyeoning♥: ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠ
Wooyeoning♥: seriously
Wooyeoning♥: that professor is a total psycho
: It’s fine
…That was the reason.
While I handled other things as well, several days passed before I could actually start.
Wooyeoning♥: When you finish the tutorial you have to add me
Wooyeoning♥: You know my nickname, right????
: Got it haha
After doing a final check to make sure I hadn’t missed anything, I sent one last reply and finally put my phone down.
Now it was really time to start the game.
I picked up the game device that had been sitting in the corner.
‘Even though it’s my second time, it still feels awkward.’
The Second World Light device was smaller than a capsule, but the startup process was a bit of a hassle.
After attaching patches all over my body, I put on the headgear last.
Only after following the manual exactly did the game turn on.
[Welcome, Traveler!]
Just like that.
When I came to my senses, my surroundings had changed from my home to the virtual reality space I’d seen before.
[Please continue creating your avatar.]
Tiny lights sparkled like stars in all directions.
At the center stood a body that looked exactly like me.
I’d only tried it briefly before, but it was still a fascinating experience.
‘They’ve got all my personal data.’
It was the first time in my life I’d seen technology that could scan my entire body just by turning on a device.
That small game machine had taken everything, from my face to my physique.
I suddenly felt the urge to change it quickly.
[Race: Human (※ Cannot be changed)]
Of course, there wasn’t much I could change anyway.
Ding!
[Some features are restricted due to device specifications.]
One of the Light device’s biggest downsides: limited customization.
But I’d already prepared myself for that, so it was fine.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
“……”
…Maybe not.
‘…Is it cheap because they’re selling my personal info?’
I almost started suspecting that, but when I saw my face change normally, I dropped the thought.
“Ooh.”
After countless rejections, I finally found an option that worked.
I couldn’t change much, but it was better than nothing.
Brightened, I did my best to make my face as different from reality as possible.
“…Huh?”
Maybe I tried too hard.
The result was a bit excessive.
‘Is this… me?’
Honestly, it really was.
Red eyes that barely existed in real life, and blond hair that looked like it took serious effort to bleach.
With sharp eyes to match the image, I looked like a straight-up princess.
‘…Was this my taste?’
More than that, the face felt familiar.
Like I’d seen it somewhere before…
“Ah.”
I remembered.
This was the face I’d seen in my dream.
‘Did it leave that strong an impression…?’
I thought I’d done it randomly, yet this was the result.
It felt strangely fascinating.
‘Well, whatever.’
[Would you like to confirm this avatar?]
[Confirmation complete!]
I figured it must be fate and confirmed it.
[Please set your avatar’s name.]
“Libera.”
[Would you like to use ‘Libera’?]
“Yes.”
[Confirmed.]
After that, everything went smoothly.
Choose a name, press confirm a few more times, and that was it.
Since I’d studied beforehand during the lecture, it all felt familiar.
[Welcome, Libera!]
But the final moment was different.
The space around me shattered, revealing the scenery outside.
‘Oh.’
The first thing that caught my eye was the large clock tower I’d seen so often in trailers.
Next was a colorful town built around it, spreading across the hill below.
“Welcome, Traveler.”
As I lowered my gaze toward the town…
Someone came into view.
A boy wearing white priest robes.
Standing under the sunlight, he smiled brightly at me.
“I’ve been eagerly awaiting your arrival!”
It truly felt like the refreshing beginning of an adventure.
The world was astonishingly realistic.
‘Wow.’
The warmth of sunlight pouring down on me.
The clothes that had somehow been changed now felt natural against my body.
And the village I’d glimpsed earlier felt overwhelmingly vast.
“Libera!”
“Huh? Oh.”
I only snapped out of it when my nickname was called.
‘Right, this isn’t the time.’
“Please hold on a little, even if you’d like to explore the village.”
I scratched my cheek and looked at the boy clasping his hands in front of me.
“Once the tutorial is finished, you’ll have plenty of time to sightsee! If you’d like, I, Ban, can guide you in detail.”
“Thanks.”
“It’s my duty.”
The boy introduced himself as Ban.
‘Right… he’s the support NPC?’
According to Wooyeon, he was a personal NPC designed to support a player’s overall gameplay.
‘He feels like a real person.’
I’d heard about it, but he really did.
Using this level of technology just for a game felt almost extravagant.
“The tutorial can be skipped depending on your knowledge.”
“Okay.”
“Have you played games before?”
That slight guilt vanished the moment we arrived at the Temple of the Falling Star.
A place equivalent to an in-game customer center.
As the tutorial began in earnest, my heart fluttered faintly.
‘I’m actually playing DW.’
Was I a real gamer now?
With that thought, I shook my head at Ban, who was waiting for my answer.
“No.”
“I see. Then we’ll start from the beginning.”
Ban brought up a blue window in front of me.
‘Whoa!’
My expectations rose at the sight straight out of a game.
Seeing my reaction, Ban smiled and pointed at the window.
“Now… this is called the status window.”
“!”
…We’re starting from here?
The tutorial started from an even more basic level than I’d expected.
It would’ve been slow for someone impatient, but not for me.
‘…This is fun!’
Honestly, it was fascinating.
A world where you could store and retrieve items with a gesture, and a scanner automatically appeared in your vision.
My heart raced, wondering if this was what fantasy felt like.
“That concludes the basic lesson. You did a great job.”
‘I didn’t expect it to be this thorough.’
Half-listening to Ban, I recalled the past.
Not even that long ago.
Just a few days earlier, I’d been skeptical about playing games.
‘It looked too hard. I thought I wouldn’t adapt.’
But now it was different.
I could do this.
After completing the tutorial and even taking a special lecture, confidence surged through me.
‘Except for job hunting!’
“Then, next—”
Naturally, I thought the next tutorial would be easy.
“Shall we look for Libera’s job?”
[Sudden Quest Appears!]
…Wait.
“…Huh?”
“A job.”
I blinked in disbelief, but Ban kindly explained again.
“…Seriously?”
“Yes.”
No matter how many times I asked, his answer stayed firm.
My brain froze like it had been paralyzed.
‘So you’re telling me to… look for a job?’
I replayed his words in my head.
For a moment, I wondered if he was participating in society’s grand scam where everyone claims anyone can succeed if they try.
Then I realized the truth.
“…!?!!??”
I screamed silently.
Facing sudden trauma, I nearly panicked and tried to escape.
But thankfully, that didn’t happen.
<Tutorial Quest – The Beginning of Adventure>
You have arrived in a new world! Though you’ve safely settled in the Antiano Continent, you need a job to establish yourself. Learn from an NPC in town, then return to Priest Ban.
- Successfully change jobs (0/1)
◇ Reward: Wooden ID Card, 10 Gold
***
“Have your misunderstandings been cleared up?”
“…Yeah.”
“That’s a relief.”
Seeing me bow my head, Ban nodded.
“To say it again, your first job is important.”
As he walked with me, Ban explained job changes.
In Second World, you could have multiple jobs, but not before level 50.
Until then, you had to stick with your first job, so you needed to choose carefully.
I already knew that.
‘Though I forgot in the middle…’
“But forcing a beginner to make such an important choice right away is unreasonable.”
Ban stopped abruptly.
“So we prepared this to help with your decision.”
“Hello, Traveler.”
We arrived at a large tower.
Ban dramatically gestured to a mage sitting inside.
‘…Am I supposed to clap?’
“From now on, you can request instruction from anyone you like in the village.”
Luckily, I didn’t have to play along.
Smiling, Ban continued.
“This is a rare opportunity to hear explanations about jobs from talents chosen by the gods.”
“If you like it, you can change jobs right away. Of course, you still need to pass the quest we give.”
‘…Is this Ki*nia?’
The mage burst into laughter at my speechlessness.
“Scared because it’s a quest? Just think of it as checking your aptitude.”
“Oh.”
A job fair on top of that.
The capital of a major corporation was terrifying.
“Take your time. This space will remain until you change jobs.”
“!”
Seriously… incredible.
“…How?”
“It’s simple. This is a kind of instance space. We’re copies of the original space and personalities—”
How incredible?
So much so that the “simple” explanation completely overwhelmed my brain.
“So time flows differently here. Slower. But you can’t meet other travelers.”
“I seeee…”
That was all I could understand.
“So what will you do?”
“I, I…”
I tried to act like a functional adult, but it was too late.
“If you’re unsure, would you like my recommendation?”
Ban nodded knowingly.
“I’ll recommend based on the fact that you’re not familiar with combat.”
“No. It’s okay.”
Unexpectedly, Ban looked surprised.
“I want to choose for myself.”
I didn’t change my mind.
‘When will I ever get a chance like this?’
At first, it felt excessive.
But thinking back, this kind of experience didn’t exist anywhere else.
A fantasy job theme park for one person.
For just 728,000 won.
I had to enjoy it.
‘…It’s been a long time since I felt this excited.’
I wanted this feeling to last.
That meant choosing my first job carefully.
‘Wooyeon told me to pick what I like too.’
As I thought that, Ban tilted his head and spoke cautiously.
“May I ask what kind of job you prefer?”
“Well…”
I glanced around and whispered carefully.
“Something that goes pow and whoosh… you know, fantasy-like.”
“……”
The longer I spoke, the wider Ban’s smile became.
The mage too.
‘Why?’
As the mage blinked, Ban tightly held my hand.
“Then I’ll respect your wishes.”
“Okay.”
“But my offer still stands. If you want, come back to the temple anytime.”
“Okay.”
“If you get lost, ask any villager.”
“…?”
“And also…”
That was too much concern.
‘How old do you think I am…’
It sounded like I was completely helpless.
Sure, I was new to games, but not that clueless.
‘This’ll take, like, an hour tops anyway.’
Four hours passed.
***
Thud!
I collapsed weakly onto the roadside.
And thought,
‘I should’ve just taken the recommendation.’
Ban’s prediction that I’d get lost was spot-on.
What he didn’t predict was just how much dumber I’d be.
“Where am I…?”
Lost in an alley with no one to help me, I crouched down.
No matter how I looked around, all I saw were streetlights.
I gave up finding my way quickly.
‘How did this happen?’
I’d imagined leisurely sightseeing, a fateful meeting, and then a job change.
Reality was four hours of wandering, seeing less than half the town, and NPCs that appeared instantly.
Plus some mysterious “job inclination” system I didn’t understand.
It was overwhelming.
“Haa…”
The excitement from earlier had turned into sheer emptiness.
‘I still need to choose a job…’
And I hadn’t even picked one.
I wanted the best job, but at this rate, that was impossible.
Unless I planned to stay here for days, I had to choose something.
‘I’ll just pick anything…’
Not a satisfying conclusion after four hours of suffering, but I had no choice.
The problem was that even compromising didn’t help when I was lost.
“……”
As I wondered why life without a smartphone felt so powerless, I heard something.
A faint acoustic guitar.
“…!”
A sign of people.
‘Where is it?’
I couldn’t miss this chance.
I jumped up and ran toward the sound.
I followed the growing clarity of the melody without stopping.
At the end of the skilled performance, there was someone.
“……”
A middle-aged man with messy hair, worn clothes, and a well-maintained guitar.
It seemed his busking had just ended, and he looked at me.
He felt real.
‘I can get out!’
Brightening instantly, I approached the NPC.
“Haah.”
If he hadn’t sighed heavily, I would have.
‘…What?’
I stopped instinctively.
The NPC strode toward me.
‘What is happening?’
I was too flustered to ask for directions.
Our eyes met.
Cynical green eyes.
Then he shoved the guitar into my arms…?
“???”
“You.”
I could only gape as he tilted his head.
“If you’re interested in being a bard, try playing.”
What was this?
The rude tone. The sudden guitar.
None of it made sense.
But the most incomprehensible thing was this—
‘Why… am I fine?’
I was holding the guitar.
And nothing was wrong.
