Chapter 2: CH 2

It was a trivial dream.

A dream that would make many laugh because of its ridiculousness.

Because it’s nothing but delusion.

A dream of kids who were influenced by anime and games.

However, for Tooru Aikawa, that dream was his reality.

‘Why?’ do you ask?

Because for him, waking up early, study at school, take part-time jobs, then going home. That kind of unchanging daily life is the ‘dream’ instead.

“Real World Online.”

That was Tooru’s reality.

He likes the game that was labeled as a loved sh*tty game.

No, he is among those who love it, earning loved part for the label.

Real World Online was never reputed as a good game or even an epic game. It ranked lower below mid-rank, and could only survive due to a few highly paid players. There were a lot of players who quit due to the extreme difficulty and enormous labor needed, and it was even labeled as sh*tty game. Conversely, once you fall in love with it, it was like a bottomless swap that would never able to escape from.

For better or worse, although the players are scarce, all of them were heavy spender.

From when he was in high school and even after entered university, Tooru always took part-time jobs, reduce food expense, and even throw away his youth, just for the sake of whaling in this game. A few hundred dollars a month, and sometimes even passed a thousand.

Sacrificing real life for the sake of microtransaction, he used the game as his weapon to fight against loneliness and boredom, that was Tooru’s life.

Real World.

Just like the title, the game has a magnificent display that would not shame the ‘real world’ part from the title.

It was its beauty, but also its defect.

But the game that deviated from common sense ‘you could retry even after you die’ ‘you could try, fail, and challenge again’ has actually attracted Tooru who had become feed up with real life.

Tooru thought.

They must be the same.

Those who attracted to this game must be similar to him, they just wanted to run away from a boring real life.

Other parts that greatly want to mimic reality also exist.

For example, in the initial state of the character, the time needed to move between villages, towns, and countries need really a lot of time, just like real travel. The map also extremely wide, not even the player could grasp the end of it. Additionally, the NPC sometimes changed or moved, as if imitating the movement of real people. And many more, there would be no end if you wanted to talk about it.

But of course if only that, then this game would just become a sh*tty game.

It would not enough to let the game that received so many harsh criticisms could obtain preface ‘loved’.

The reason this game that has a lot of demerits could stay afloat for a long time is actually pretty simple. It has a depth that could offset those demerits.

The thing that fascinates Tooru the most was its freedom. Races and Jobs, those two were the most important component in Real World Online Character creation, and it has tens of thousand combinations that even Tooru could not grasp it all. Tooru’s main character was the warrior’s derivation, the race is a half Evila (demon). The second job is a special derivation twin-swordman and finally obtained a legendary job. In other words, it was a very powerful character.

Demon type character was a very strong late game, but very hard to raise the early game. There were cases where it was revealed that the character is a demon during a quest, they would be chased out from the village, or worse, sometimes an absurd flag would be raised and the character would be hunted and caused game over. Imagine, the NPC that you just chatted happily with a second ago, turned bloodshot and start to fight you to death, that’s no joke.

For one type of job, for example, a warrior, it has a lot of derivation, including common derivation and special derivation. Remembering the derivation from warrior alone is an arduous task. Adding the combination with races, there were almost infinite possibilities of combination.

Character’s appearance also could be modified freely. Hair and eyebrow color of course were included, but even the color of pubic hair that not actually could be seen also could be edited. What stupid management. Of course, those were made with microtransaction as a basis, but to make a perfect second self it’s pretty good.

One more foundation that ensures the freedom of players is the massive amount of data used. Computer with low spec might not able to run it properly, and even a recommended computer just to play this game also exist. Just imagining how big the server used by the management to maintain the game makes people dizzy. It’s a pretty common saying among the core players that Argus (the management) calculation ability is a monster.

The PC game with plus and minus on one side, the world it represents was another reality for Tooru. No, it might go beyond that, for him, that world is his reality. He studied hard for his future, to earn more money, but in the end, it is so he could pour more money into the game. And even his current part-time job in the convenience store was for the sake of throwing more money to the game.

(It’s boring…)

He did not feel like part of the gear that moves society. The time that flowed meaninglessly could not help but become boring for him.

“……Welcome.”

Serving with a flat voice.

How many times it has today? He uttered the same words over and over again.

Do you have a discount card today?

Your total comes to $7.50.

Thank you. See you again.

What’s the point of saying those words filled with nothing? Not knowing what, he finished his job.

“Good work for today.”

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When he said those words, Tooru’s expression clearly brighter than usual.

That’s right, today a new patch would be implemented in Real World Online.

That’s the reason he took an earlier shift today, and could not wait patiently for his shift to end.

And when his shift finally over, he quickly grab some drink and food from the convenience store he worked at, paid it, and rush back home.

When he left through the door for the employee it was already dark outside.

The streetlight illuminates the deserted road and the building with a greenish light. Adding the light from the moon and create a faint shade. When walked near the roadway, the emission from the car brought a slight warm air that uncomfortable in the skin.

Tooru walked faster than usual in a familiar crosswalk. After a few more crossing, he would reach his single room apartment, when that thought flashed in his mind he quickens his pace even more. And when he crossed the first intersection in front of the karaoke parlor, it happened.

It appeared suddenly–

A bus that clearly breaks the speed limit and has a broken side mirror. It also has various scratches on its body, proof of how many times it has bump with another car or wall in its way here.

“What!? Ooooh–So close!”

The bus did not slow down at all, because the person in the driver’s seat has actually fallen asleep.

If not, there is no way it would run past the red light and rush headfirst toward the intersection where a lot of people still crossing right?

“Dammit! F*ck–!”

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Even while cursing, Tooru did not stop running.

Fortunately, there is still some distance between them, so as long he runs calmly he still is able to avoid it.

That was–what in his mind a few moments ago.

Until he saw it.

“Oii, run, you dolt! Evade it!”

He saw one girl that late to run. From her clothes, she should be in high school.

Looking at her figure that rooted in the spot, tear in her eyes, and trembling body, Tooru could not help but clicking his tongue.

(Should I save her? Huh? Wait. Why should I do something dangerous–)

That was what in his mind, but his body already moved.

“Tsk.”

He rushed with good momentum, and quickly grab the still confused young girl’s arm.

(Dammit, dammit, dammit! What the h*ll I am doing!)

The light that comes from the bus was really bright.

From that alone, he could guess that the bus already near and he’s out of time.

(Dammit, it’s too late–!)

Once again, Tooru’s body moved by itself.

He turned around and stopped his feet. He grabbed the girl with his two hands, and using his body as an axis, he throws her.

Using the centrifugal force, he successfully launches the girl away.

However the next moment,

“Ah–”

An unbelievable force assault his body.

Luckily he did not have time to feel the pain.

As half his body was crushed and then thrown to the air, what comes to his mind was,

(Ah…the patch I was waiting for…)

That’s how–his dream ended.

///

TL notes:

In the race name, I translate イヴィラ as Evila, but in reality, I’m not sure. It was used in Maken Densetsu but I couldn’t find the English equivalent. Google only gave me Yvyra which I don’t think it’s the correct one content-wise. If you have any idea, please tell me.

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