Chapter 6. In Reality
It had already been three days since the beta testers began living together at Super Real.
By now, groups of their own had naturally formed among them.
Since one day in reality was equivalent to several days inside the game, even though only three days had passed in reality, they had already spent many days together.
Even the most introverted people would inevitably become friendly after spending that much time together.
Except for exactly one person.
What is going on?
Why does everyone seem so close?
Am I imagining things?
Until yesterday, that chubby guy was awkward with that skinny guy, wasn't he?
Why were they smiling at each other now and saying things like, “Thanks for saving me”?
On the first day, didn't that woman look at that square-faced guy as if she absolutely hated him?
Why were they so close now?
While everyone else was happily enjoying their otherworldly life, the man who was alone on a deserted island and talked to his campfire lived in a world that no one could understand.
“…It's none of my business.”
It was enough for him to be alone only inside the game.
But Kim In-gwang, who was living alone on a beach, was also practicing social distancing in reality.
He ate alone.
He went to the gym alone.
He researched materials in the library alone.
Even the employee assigned to him rarely came to see him.
So when the other testers met with employees and chatted with them, he was alone even then.
In-gwang already knew that he had made an unusual choice.
He also knew that he might become somewhat isolated because of it.
But he had never imagined that he would become this isolated, so he was feeling a little depressed.
And because he was so depressed, he failed to notice that he was actually attracting quite a bit of attention from the people around him.
“Hey, have you ever seen that guy?”
“No?”
“I don't think anyone here knows where he started.”
“Yeah.”
“He looks kind of sad, so I can't bring myself to talk to him.”
Among all the testers playing the game, there was one person whom no one seemed to know anything about.
Yet strangely, he was frequently noticed, and he was spending every single day with incredible diligence.
Most of the testers looked at him with an expression that basically said,
Is he really investing this much just to play a game?
Wow, he's crazy.
The other testers also understood the strange sense of discomfort and nausea that came from increasing their physical abilities through stat upgrades in the game while their real bodies remained the same.
But no one trained their body like In-gwang to reduce that difference.
They simply thought they would eventually get used to it.
They also knew that knowledge from reality could make playing the game a little easier.
But that was all.
No one was willing to sacrifice their game time to collect information.
After all, such knowledge wasn't particularly effective in a fantasy game world.
Perhaps, in their eyes, In-gwang looked just like the protagonist of a fantasy game novel.
However, his appearance made it strangely difficult to casually approach him, and the gloomy aura radiating from his entire body didn't help either.
“Aigoo, member! You're here again today!”
Fortunately, he wasn't completely alone.
There was a huge trainer who welcomed him every time he went to the gym.
“Ah, yes.”
“Hahahaha!”
“Everyone else just takes a quick look around and leaves, but you've got potential, don't you?”
The only person in the entire dormitory facility who welcomed him was this trainer with an enormous height and incredible muscles.
Even then, the only reason they could have conversations like this was because the trainer was extremely friendly.
If he hadn't been like that, In-gwang would have been completely alone even here.
And strangely enough, the trainer's warmth made things even harder for him.
“Member, I can't help you with that test of yours, but I can help you build some muscles here!”
“Let's work hard!”
“Yes.”
“I'll work hard.”
“First, member!”
“Ah, yes.”
“This one is…”
“Yes…”
“Come on!”
“Just one more!”
“…Yes!”
Like the story of Icarus, In-gwang felt that if he got too close to this trainer who was as warm and radiant as the sun, he might suddenly fall one day.
So he kept his answers short and tried to maintain some distance.
When you remain alone for a long time, the feeling of loneliness gradually becomes dull.
But if you remember the warmth of being together even for a single moment, you realize just how lonely you've been.
And then you begin to crave being together.
That was what he believed.
If he was going to be alone anyway, then it was more comfortable to remain alone consistently.
After having several relationships fall apart, he had become afraid of human relationships.
He was being extremely careful because he feared that if he became accustomed to his relationship with the trainer, he might suddenly get carried away one day and make a mistake.
But from the trainer's perspective, In-gwang was simply a diligent student who followed every instruction without complaining and always worked hard through gritted teeth.
