The task was simple. In the cozy, pastel-toned "Game Testing Chamber," participants donned their chosen gear and immersed themselves in the game, evaluating the quality of their experience.
[Analyzing brainwaves...]
Yeri opted for the headband-type equipment, while Yeojin selected the capsule-type gear to connect to the game. Their mission: penetrate through the extraterrestrial races that conquered Earth and enter the terrestrial paradise known as 'IDYPIA.'
Failure loomed if the extraterrestrial races drained them of all energy. Conversely, eliminating them or completing the mission would grant evolution points, along with various weapons. Achieving 100,000 evolution points unlocked emotional evolution, known as 'Emotion Evolution,' granting access to 'IDYPIA.'
With the sensor-cum-headset securely on her head, Yeri reclined in the plush, elongated chair, resembling a cloud. A serene voice echoed:
[The Emotion Evolution begins.]
Suddenly, a gentle piano melody filled the air, evoking a nostalgic sensation that lingered somewhere in the depths of her memory.
The waves were crashing. At sunset, in the distance, she could see the lights of the fishing boats her grandfather must be on, off the coast of Cheongsapo, where she grew up..
The sound of the wind, the chatter of her grandparents and neighbors from afar, and even the solitary TV noise in the living room... It all felt just like she remembered it.
- Ding
Lost in reverie, Yeri was startled by the appearance of a mission prompt before them.
[Move to the parking lot to acquire transportation.]
Yeri searched her memories but found nothing concrete.
"The parking lot... It feels like it was nearby..."
While Yeri sought the parking lot, something emerged from the breakwater.
"Huh?"
Skin as blue and smooth as the night sea. Large, sparkling eyes. Despite being unfamiliar, the mysterious appearance stirred a strange sense of longing.
Above that face, a red status bar appeared.
Sea Sprite
Type: Longing
A hybrid of water spirits and fairies,
the Sea Sprite embodies
a mixture of sadness and happiness in its longing nature.
Contact: Energy -1
Removal: Energy +1
A warning sound blared.
[In front: 22 Sea Sprites, 15 Water Fairies.]
As the Sea Sprite in front of Yeri reveals itself, other Sea Sprites and Water Fairies emerge from the waves behind it. Their hair-covered heads glistened like polished furniture under the darkened glow of the jet-black breakwater.
Water Fairy
Type: Sadness
It delves into the sadness and despair of its opponent.
Contact: -5 Energy
Removal: +3 Energy
The gentle sound of waves accompanied the serene and mystical appearance of the approaching entities.
"Ah..."
Caught off guard by the sudden appearance of the swarm of water creatures, Yeri hesitated. One of the creatures, with its dark and translucent eyes, approached Yeri, causing images of her hometown in Busan to flicker within its gaze.
Although they're called 'creatures,' why do they evoke such a sense of longing?
As Yeri reached out her hand, the creature mirrored her gesture. At that moment,
[Remove the Sea Sprites and Water Fairies to gain energy.]
A small weapon icon appeared between Yeri and the creature, revealing a dagger inside.
"Is it telling me to grab this?"
As Yeri reached for the floating object,
"Kieeeek!!"
The Sea Sprite emitted a strange sound.
"What, what's happening? Why are you like this?"
And as a result, the other Sea Sprites and Water Fairies behind it surged forward, encircling Yeri in an instant. Unlike the humanoid Sea Sprites, the Water Fairies resembled clumps of seaweed or kelp. Overwhelmed with fear at the sight, Yeri retreated, brandishing the dagger in front of her.
"Ugh, please, don't come any closer."
But the sea creatures showed no signs of backing off. Instead, they continued to press closer to Yeri.
"I told you to stay away!"
Yeri clenched her eyes shut and swung the dagger.
"Kieeeek-!"
As Yeri's swinging dagger struck a Water Fairy's body, it burst like a water balloon, releasing a splash of seawater onto the ground with a thud.
- Ding! Ding!
The energy bar displayed on the knife handle increased by three bars.
So, this is what they meant by energy filling up. Does this mean if I fill this up, I'll get the ticket to IDYPIA as mentioned in the explanation earlier?
As the Water Fairies and Sea Sprites hesitated and wavered, a path opened up. Yeri seized the opportunity and dashed towards the main road.
"Haaa!"
Feeling empowered by capturing one of the creatures, Yeri continued to wield her dagger primarily against the Water Fairies, knowing that removing them would yield more energy.
- Wheeeeng!
As the energy in the knife handle reached its maximum capacity, light burst forth from the blade.
The light reached the sky's edge, forming an arrow pointing to the destination.
[Parking lot, 70 yards ahead.]
"If I keep going like this... Huh?"
Yeri paused. On the other side of the street, she saw a gathering of Zombies. These creatures had decaying flesh, with eyeballs and teeth exposed.
"Grrrrr..."
Zombie
Type: Disgust
It has the most repulsive appearance.
Contact: Energy +1 (zombification)
Removal: Energy +3
The Zombies, though granting energy upon contact, turned those touched into Zombies themselves.
So, does that mean I could end up like them if I'm not careful?
Growling like dogs, the Zombies lunged at Yeri, but she swung her knife without hesitation. She didn't want to become a Zombie in the game.
- Thud!
The first Zombie fell before her unwavering blade. But...
"Huh? Wha... What?"
Approaching to get a better look at the Zombie's face, Yeri recoiled in horror. It was her own face staring back at her.
"What in the...?"
While Yeri hesitated, the Zombies swarmed around her, ready to tear her apart.
"Get back!"
Yeri couldn't bring herself to swing the knife at the Zombies bearing her own face, so she dodged past them and ran to the end of the parking lot.
"Aaaargh!"
However, behind the buildings, a giant Hulk was tossing people around as if they were toys.
The Hulk
Type: Rage
This rage is directed towards you.
Contact: Energy -50
Removal: Energy +100
[The Hulk has spotted you.]
The Hulk slowly strode towards Yeri, turning his body in her direction.
'Is this a dead end?'
Just then, a red sports car pulled up right in front of Yeri in the parking lot and the door swung open.
"Masuk ke dalam mobil!!"
"Masuk ke dalam mobil!!"
"?? What?"
[Language mode switched: Indonesian → Korean]
"Get in the car, quickly!"
It was a woman with a 'Princess Leia' hairstyle. As Yeri looked at her, a window popped up above her head.
[A stranger invites you to join. Will you accept the company?]
There's no way Yeri could take down the Hulk with just one knife. She hopped into the car.
[Level 1 mission cleared. You have acquired a vehicle with the help of a scientist.]
Then, a new mission appeared.
[Level 2 mission: Proceed to the nearby airport.]
"Hold on tight!" the scientist said, as she stepped on the accelerator forcefully.
"Waaaah!"
She maneuvered the car, dodging the Hulk's attacks left and right, and they managed to slip through between the Hulk's legs. The Hulk tries tried to chase after them, but the car didn't stop, racing down the road. Yeri was amazed by the scientist's driving skills.
Is she an NPC? Or a player?
Feeling safe now that she had escaped from the Hulk's grasp, Yeri greeted her new companion.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Where are you headed?"
A window popped up above her head, displaying her types.
NPC Scientist
Attribute: Information
Provides information for mission completion when needed.
Increasing her affection towards her companion results in item provision.
The "scientist" was an NPC that assists the game player.
The local broadcast came through the car radio. It mentioned refugees gathering at Gimhae Airport.
"First, I want to head to a safe zone."
"That works for me. I'm heading there too. Right now, there... Huh?"
The scientist paused mid-sentence.
"What's wrong?"
"There are Fairies following us from behind."
"Fairies?"
As Yeri checks the rearview mirror, she sees seven Fairies trailing the car.
Fairy
Type: Happiness
Becomes corrupted into desire when clustered.
Contact: Desire Energy +3
Removal: Energy -3
With delicate wings resembling those of dragonflies and a cute appearance like that of little boys and girls, their types were indeed unique.
If contact and removal both yield energy, perhaps it's fine to leave them be? 'Desire' doesn't seem too harmful after all.
However, the scientist reached into her pocket and handed Yeri a handgun.
"Open the window and shoot them. There are a few more coming from ahead."
"They don't seem particularly dangerous though?"
"They become dangerous when they cluster. Hurry!"
"Um... okay..."
Yeri hesitantly accepted the handgun.
[Obtained a firearm.]
However, before she could roll down the window and shoot, some of the fairies had already clustered together, forming sparkling blobs of slime.
"Kwee-ek!!"
Mara
Type: Desire
Contact: Desire Energy +100
Removal: Energy +100
"W-What is that?!"
The thing called 'Mara' swelled larger, engulfing not only other fairies but also zombies and the Hulk, resembling a massive mushroom.
The scientist accelerated as the Mara mass expanded, moments away from engulfing the vehicle. Amidst the slime, the heads of fairies holding mushroom-like caps emerged. The fairies had already transformed into wide-eyed monsters.
"Shoot!"
"Ugh!"
- Bang! Bang! Bang!
Yeri fired bullets towards them. One hit its mark, causing chunks of slime to rain down. The scientist maneuvered the vehicle to avoid them, urging Yeri to continue shooting.
"Keep shooting!"
But the Mara was catching up. Yeri tried to aim at the monsters hiding under the caps, but with a single-shot handgun, she could only hit a few.
"...Ah, it's not stopping?"
"Then try this."
The scientist retrieved a machine gun from under her seat and handed it over.
[Obtained 'Trust' from the scientist.]
As the Mara closed in on the vehicle, Yeri leaned out of the window and unleashed a barrage of bullets at the monsters within the mass.
- Tuddaddadda!!
The Mara's slime, which had been trailing the car, bounced off the hood as it was hit by bullets.
"Watch out!"
The scientist grabbed Yeri's shoulder and pulled her back into the car. Through the rearview mirror, the writhing mass of the Mara could be seen not far behind.
"Phew, we barely got away."
The car was speeding past the hillsides. As the view of Haeundae Beach unfolded before them, Yeri visibly relaxed her shoulders.
"I thought fairies were just cute, but when they bunch up like that, they're terrifying. They're devouring other species too."
"People can end up like that if they're ensnared by a Mara. They devour others to amplify their own power."
"What does 'Mara' mean? I've never heard of it before."
"It's similar to what the Westerners call a demon. It's the ruler of desire."
The scientist answered smoothly, as if she knew what questions would come next.
"What happens when someone becomes a Mara?"
"They get what they desire most. If it's physical pleasure, they indulge in it. If it's fame, they bask in the adoration of those they've swallowed... Desire itself grants immense power."
"Huh? So isn't that a good thing?"
"Well, maybe. You might enjoy pleasure here, but you won't be able to enter IDYPIA. We don't let slime monsters in."
Despite being presumably an NPC, her answers felt oddly human.
"?"
"Nice to meet you, I'm Yeri. Thank you for helping me."
"Oh..."
"?"
As the scientist hesitated to respond, Yeri tilted her head in confusion. Then, the scientist flashed a gentle smile.
"It's my first time exchanging names with someone like this here. I'm Yuna. Kang Yuna."
"Kang... Yuna?"
The name sounded familiar to Yeri.
'That's right, Kang Yuna... like AG Entertainment's President, Kang Hae-na. They have similar names, though their faces are obviously different. There's this strange sense of familiarity...' Yeri though to herself.
As Yeri pondered about Kang Hae-na, Yuna observed her reaction.
"...Is my name strange?"
"Oh, no. It's actually a beautiful name. Hehe."
"Thank you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask anytime, Yeri."
"Sure thing."
Realizing the similarity between their names, Yeri felt a sudden stiffness.
But wait, her reaction earlier... It didn't feel like an NPC's response. Could it be that we're not supposed to give out our names here?'
***