In a quiet countryside PC café.
It was filled with outdated computers so old that even second-hand dealers would refuse to take them, waving them off. Unlike other PC cafés, this one was completely empty, steeped in silence.
Inside, there were only two people: the owner dozing off at the counter and a boy wearing a nearby high school uniform.
"Jaeyoung! It's 10 minutes until 10 o'clock. You need to head home."
The owner, having woken up suddenly, glanced at the clock and spoke, but Jaeyoung didn't hear him. His eyes were fixed on the monitor, intensely focused, his hands flying over the mouse and keyboard as he immersed himself in the game.
Dudududu-
Boom!
It was an AOS game that took the world by storm, becoming incredibly popular.
The League of Legends.
He was playing the game in this obscure countryside PC café, dominating the battlefield with controls that would leave players around the world in awe.
-First Kill!
-Double Kill!
-Triple Kill
Without any help from his teammates, Jaeyoung single-handedly eliminated three enemy heroes. The chat exploded with shocked comments from viewers who were watching his gameplay.
- "Holy... did he just take down all three by himself?"
- "Is that even possible? His HP was almost gone, and he dodged all the enemy's skills!"
- "Is this guy even human? His reflexes are unreal!"
- "As expected, God is... a God."
- "KTS, the number one ranked team in the world, is really being humiliated today."
People were in a frenzy watching Jaeyoung lead his team to victory.
The skill gap was overwhelming.
The fact that his opponent was none other than Team KTS, the number one ranked team in Korea—and the world—made the audience even more excited.
- "But why hasn't Dex debuted as a pro?"
- "Yeah... with that level of physical skill, he'd easily earn a multi-million salary."
- "Dex, show your face once! I'll send a donation."
- "At least teach us some strategies on stream. I swear I'll subscribe."
Three years ago, Dex had appeared like a comet, boasting an unbelievable win rate of 98%, reigning as the strongest player in The League of Legends.
His gameplay set the meta for the game, giving him immense influence, but no one knew his real identity.
Despite being bombarded with offers from countless teams desperate to recruit him as a pro gamer, Dex remained mysterious, never once responding, focusing solely on playing the game.
"Damn it! Are you guys even trying? If we lose, we're going to be a laughingstock!"
KTS team leader Sungjin cursed angrily, shouting in frustration as he scolded his teammates.
"Dex is the only one on their team! The rest are just random players, total nobodies! If we lose because of him, what do you think people will say about us? Get your heads in the game!"
His enraged voice made his teammates flinch, but there was no way to turn around the game that had already swung against them.
"S-Sungjin! The gap is too wide... even if we keep fighting, the best we can do is hold on for a little longer..."
"Shut up! Can you stop saying crap like that when the game's not even over yet?"
Annoyed by his teammate's words, Sungjin slammed his keyboard and glared at him with fury in his eyes.
"I dragged you useless lot all the way to the top, and this is how you repay me? Can't even pull your own weight for one damn match?"
"What did you just say? Hey, Lee Sungjin, you want to run that by me again?"
Another teammate, clearly offended, threw off his headset and shouted.
"If you hadn't picked a fight with Dex to decide who's the best in the world, we wouldn't even be in this situation! You caused this mess and now you're blaming us?"
"You son of a...!"
"Hey, guys, calm down! The game's not over yet."
The KTS team descended into chaos, with Sungjin grabbing his teammate by the collar and others trying to break up the fight. Meanwhile, Jaeyoung, completely unaware of their meltdown, silently continued to tap away at the keyboard, leading his team to a flawless victory.
[The Nexus has been destroyed.]
[Blue Team, Victory!]
- "Wow... he really won."
- "That was insane."
- "The other four must have felt like they were just along for the ride."
- "Certified bus driver status, 100%."
As the KTS team's Nexus was destroyed, viewers watching the live stream were shocked by their defeat, and reactions quickly split.
- "As expected of Dex! I knew he would win."
- The upset happened. Forget analysis—if you just bet on DEX, you'll always win.
- I love you, DEX hyung.
People were praising DEX, who had practically carried the entire game on his own to victory.
- KTS must be so embarrassed. Can they still call themselves the world's number one team after that?
- Sungjin kept challenging DEX in every broadcast interview, but he got destroyed in the end, huh?
- LOL, now he'll have to stay quiet. Just hearing DEX's name must give him chills.
People were mocking Team KTS, who couldn't defeat DEX and suffered a humiliating loss. However, Jaeyoung, with an expression that showed no emotion, left a message in the game lobby:
[That was a pretty fun last game. Thanks for the fun, everyone.]
- ???
- Last game? Does that mean you're done for today?
People were momentarily confused after seeing Jaeyoung's message, but before anyone could ask him further, he said his piece and logged off.
[As of today, I'm quitting Legendary League. Enjoy the game, everyone. I'm heading out now.]
- Wait, are you seriously quitting?
- What's this sudden talk about quitting?
- DEX hyung, what do you mean... Are you joking?
As viewers flooded the chat with frantic comments, Jaeyoung calmly stood up from his seat.
"I'm leaving now, sir. Thank you for everything."
The owner of the PC room glanced at Jaeyoung and gave him a slight nod.
"So, this is your last day?"
"Yes, I'm heading to Seoul tomorrow," Jaeyoung replied.
The PC room owner, slightly surprised, murmured, "You used to come here every day after school, but now you're heading off to Seoul for college. Congratulations, kid."
"I'll come visit during breaks from time to time," Jaeyoung said.
Having spent three years together and developed a sense of familiarity, the PC room owner looked at Jaeyoung with a bit of wistfulness and offered him some heartfelt advice.
"Now that you're off to college, try to ease up on gaming. Study hard and succeed, alright?"
"Of course."
Just as Jaeyoung was about to open the door and leave, the owner suddenly called out, as if curious.
"Ah, by the way, what's your major?"
Jaeyoung stopped, turned around, and smiled as he answered, "Computer science."
The owner stood still for a moment, staring blankly at the entrance where Jaeyoung had left. Eventually, he let out a deep sigh and muttered,
"Wow... That kid's seriously addicted to games. In the end, he just can't keep his hands off computers."
As the PC room owner worried about Jaeyoung's future, he looked around the now-empty PC room and clicked his tongue in frustration.
"Tsk... I'm not really in a position to worry about others. My own business is on the verge of collapse."
He then turned his attention back to the TV near the counter, where an ad for the world's first virtual reality game, which had been making waves recently, was playing.
[Tired of the mundane routine of your daily life?]
The ad displayed stunningly beautiful, almost lifelike natural landscapes that flashed across the screen. A dreamlike voice whispered enticingly,
[Would you like to explore a world of limitless possibilities and seize a new opportunity?]
It was an ad he had seen dozens of times before, but every time he watched it, an indescribable sense of excitement and curiosity stirred within him, making him shiver.
[We invite you to the fantasy world of Arcadia.]
Arcadia, the world's first virtual reality game, had been developed in secret through a collaboration between global giants like A-Jin Electronics, Corporation Argos, and Silicoff. It was drawing massive attention worldwide.
"Come to think of it, the release date is just around the corner," the owner muttered to himself.
Though the game had already launched in the United States, the release in Korea had been delayed due to a shortage of the necessary VR equipment, called Dreamer. The demand for the game in Korea was overwhelming, with people eagerly awaiting its release. Meanwhile, rave reviews from American players had flooded the internet:
- Holy Shit. This isn't just a game, it's a new reality!
- I'm grateful to be alive in this era.
- This is insanely fun. I can't imagine a world without this game anymore.
Reading these reviews had only fueled the anticipation among Korean players, who had been waiting impatiently for the official launch.
"Maybe I should close the PC room and open a virtual reality center instead?"
Even running a small internet café in the countryside, he could easily predict that Arcadia would dominate the gaming industry. A revolution was on the horizon, not just for internet cafés, but for the entire gaming world. The owner was now at a crossroads, needing to decide how to adapt to this rapidly changing era.
"Ugh, never mind. It costs a fortune to bring in all that new equipment," he mumbled to himself.
With fewer than a thousand students in this small rural town, even if he took out a loan to buy the new equipment, it seemed unlikely that he'd make his money back. Shaking his head at the thought, the owner sighed again.
He drifted back into watching the TV, the only sound in the empty PC room being the low hum of the TV's audio.
Meanwhile, in Seoul...
After arriving in Seoul, Jaeyoung immediately went to the apartment he had rented near the university, which he had arranged in advance. There, he began a conversation with a stern-looking elderly woman.
"Let's see... Your name is Yoon Jaeyoung, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"You're a handsome young man. Are you attending the university nearby?"
"Yes. I just got into Seomin University this year."
Upon hearing that, the elderly landlady stared at him and said,
"You must not have studied much, huh? I've heard that school isn't that good..."
It was a comment that could have been taken as offensive, but Jaeyoung nodded calmly and replied,
"I wasn't very interested in studying, so I just did the minimum."
The landlady, not caring much, nodded back.
"Well… they say it's not a world where you can make a living by just studying anymore. Anyway, the rent here is 300,000 won, but to be honest, the facilities aren't that great."
"I don't mind. I'll take it."
Compared to the other studio apartments crowded around the university, this place was significantly cheaper. However, considering the state of the facilities—clearly decades old and nothing in good condition—the price was still relatively high. Perhaps that was why the elderly landlady, who hadn't been able to find a tenant for a long time, smiled brightly when Jaeyoung nodded in agreement.
"You're a straightforward young man. Alright then, I'll leave now. If you have any questions, just give me a call."
After the landlady closed the door, Jaeyoung sat down in the cramped room and looked around for a moment. He kept fiddling with his phone, as if waiting for something. Not long after, someone knocked on the door.
"We're here from Arcadia. Is Mr. Yoon Jaeyoung home?"
At those words, Jaeyoung opened the door eagerly. He was met by two men struggling to carry a massive box.
"Yes, I'm Yoon Jaeyoung."
"We're here to install the equipment you ordered. Where should we set it up?"
Sweating profusely, one of the workers, clearly struggling under the weight, asked with a grimace. Jaeyoung pointed to an empty spot in the room.
"Please set it up over there."
"Alright, got it. While we're working, could you fill out these forms?"
As the employees busily worked on setting up the equipment with heavy thuds, Jaeyoung began filling out the paperwork they handed him.
[Virtual Reality Access Equipment, Deluxe Capsule Dreamer Installment Agreement.]
Unlike the standard model, this deluxe equipment came with a staggering price tag of 30 million won. Despite the daunting cost, Jaeyoung had taken the plunge without hesitation.
As he was finishing the paperwork, one of the workers approached him to go over the details.
"You're purchasing the equipment on a 36-month installment plan, and early termination is allowed up to 3 months in advance. Refunds for simple change of mind are not possible, and the maximum warranty period is 2 years."
"How much will I need to pay each month?"
"Hmm… for your case, it'll be around 920,000 won per month."
Hearing this, Jaeyoung paused for a moment, thinking to himself before muttering softly,
"Hmm… I should be able to manage for up to six months."
"Sorry, what was that?"
"Nothing. Is the installation done?"
"Oh! Yes, everything's set up now and ready to go."
"Thank you."
Jaeyoung handed the completed paperwork to the workers, but his eyes remained glued to the luxurious capsule now set up in the room.
"For customers who purchase the deluxe model, we offer 3 months of free access to the virtual reality game Arcadia. Please keep that in mind, and we hope you enjoy your experience. Have a great day!"
As the employees left, feeling slightly proud of their work, Jaeyoung stared at the capsule in a trance. Then, as if drawn by an invisible force, he stepped inside and activated the machine.
A whirring sound filled his ears, and as he felt a sudden sensation of drifting into sleep, a dreamy voice spoke to him.
[Welcome, to the world of fantasy, Arcadia.]
A genius with monstrous situational awareness and physical ability.
An unstoppable one-man army.
The mysterious recluse.
The unofficial number one ranked player in the legendary League—Dex.
Having dominated the online gaming world with countless admirers and curious onlookers, Jaeyoung now set foot into a new world.
The world's first virtual reality game, Arcadia.