Chapter 84

The loud music and the voices of people that can still be heard over it. Even though we’re in the waiting room, the atmosphere of the tournament is palpable.

*Squeak.*

“We’re heading out now.”

At the staff’s words, we left the waiting room and followed their guidance to the tournament venue.

The venue was packed with people who had come to watch the tournament.

There were so many people that it was impossible to count them all, and every single one of them was eagerly anticipating the match between me and pro player Kim Gi-hyung.

People were loudly chanting my name and Kim Gi-hyung’s name.

The cheers for me made me feel like I could jump up and run out there right now.

[“Next up, Kim Gi-hyung’s opponent is none other than user Arang!”]

“Shall we go?”

At Anna’s question, I nodded.

“Arang, fighting!!!”

Pinkubelly and Sunchoo clenched their fists and raised them towards me.

“Yeah… I’ll win and come back…”

I smiled slightly.

I lost disappointingly to pro player Jeong Jin last time, but this time is different.

Today, my opponent is Kim Gi-hyung, who is currently called the strongest in Korea. Even though it’s an event match, I’m serious.

No one wants to lose in a 1v1 on such a big stage. Even though the goal is limited to a two-person mount and a title, the match itself is a different matter.

First, I have to win. That’s what makes it fun.

A game where the outcome is decided is obviously more fun for the winning side.

As soon as I entered the venue, the noise in the venue halved.

‘What? Keep cheering. A beautiful girl is challenging the strongest in Korea right now, what if there’s no cheering!’

The atmosphere of Kim Gi-hyung in front of me, the casters and commentators, and the people watching me.

No matter how I look at it, they’re looking at me sadly.

No, I’m healthy. There’s no problem with me playing games.

In this state, it seems like Kim Gi-hyung will go easy on me, so when we greeted each other, I said firmly with a determined look.

“I will… definitely… win…”

Seeing my words and expression, Kim Gi-hyung’s face had the look of a pro player who plays to kill his opponent, not the look of someone seeing a kitten abandoned on the street.

Yes. This is the situation I wanted.

Countless spectators. The cheers coming from all around. The players giving their all to win on such a stage.

The scenario that used to come up in my daydreams before bed is now being recreated magnificently in this very place.

I must win this match. Of course, it will be tough.

Even though I could feel pro player Jeong Jin going easy on me, I still couldn’t win, and the one who beat Jeong Jin this year is none other than Kim Gi-hyung.

But I have no intention of losing.

Even though it’s an event tournament, the actual Korean Leore Colosseum tournament is also held here, so there’s no difference from a real tournament.

A big stage. A majestic screen. And on that screen, me and Kim Gi-hyung are being shown.

I look even prettier on the big screen.

Anyway, all that’s left now is the match.

Following the words of the casters and commentators, I approached the access device.

It’s a different form from the usual access device and the MDB I use.

‘It feels like a capsule you’d see in manga or anime, right?’

It feels like a capsule, but there’s no ceiling to cover it. Well, it’s more like a single-person massage chair.

The massage chair has various machines attached to it. That part is probably the collar part that goes around the neck.

Anna carefully picked me up and gently sat me down on the massage chair access device.

After putting the collar around my neck and removing the prosthetic arm and leg to avoid signal interference with the access device—

“Unnie…?”

Anna stopped, holding my right prosthetic arm.

“Arang…”

“Yeah…”

“You have to win and come back… okay?”

“Yeah…!”

Anna removed my prosthetic arm and leg so I could be active in the virtual world.

Why do I have to remove my prosthetic arm and leg when accessing? It’s simple. Because it’s uncomfortable.

I always say this, but prosthetic arms and legs are really uncomfortable.

Even though they say prosthetic arms and legs are light, supporting four of them—two arms and two legs—with a delicate body is quite a burden.

I’ve lived as a man with limbs for a long time, but after living as Arang and merging with Arang’s memories, the situation has changed.

The amputation was so shocking to Arang, and the mental breakdown from living without limbs was so intense compared to the memories I’ve lived with, that now living without limbs feels more familiar.

To adapt to the prosthetic arms and legs, I tried entering the virtual world with them on, but even though all my senses were cut off, my body rejects it.

In the virtual world, my body feels creaky. It’s not a problem with the access device or the virtual world, but Arang’s emotions themselves are the problem.

Especially after the last seizure incident, my body rejects the prosthetic arms and legs even more, so I have to remove them when entering the virtual world.

After removing all the prosthetic arms and legs, Anna activated the access device for me.

My vision turned pitch black, and as I was told before, I entered the tournament’s dedicated virtual space.

The waiting room was designed like a Colosseum, fitting the arena concept—?

My vision tilted, and for a moment, I saw the ceiling before falling face down on the floor.

“Huh?”

I tried to get up using my arms—

‘They’re gone?’

I turned my head to look at my right arm.

‘It’s not here either?’

I looked at the left. It wasn’t there either.

Even though it’s the virtual world, my limbs weren’t intact like in reality; they were missing, just like me in real life.

Fortunately, after a while, my limbs started to appear like holograms and then appeared as usual in the virtual world.

It seems like the problem occurred because the access device changed and there’s a separate server for the tournament.

Since it’s a tournament-dedicated server, there was no information about my fake limbs, so it took time to create them.

I moved my newly created limbs.

‘Huh?’

My limbs feel strange. No, not strange, but better.

It’s a very small difference, but they’re definitely smoother and more comfortable than before.

‘Could it be that the muscles I gained from exercising are reflected…? This feels like an upgrade. Nice. I’ll have to update it when I get home.’

==

[“Wait, hold on…?”]

[“Ah, no, um… that is…”]

With Anna’s help, as the prosthetic arms and legs were removed, Arang’s usual limbless appearance was displayed on the huge screen filling the tournament venue.

The starkly visible amputated limbs. It wasn’t just that the limbs were missing, but the scars and burn marks on the amputated areas showed how much pain she had endured.

Everyone who saw Arang’s appearance was speechless.

– Uh…

– No…

– What’s wrong with my eyes?

– Why does this dream feel so real?

– Is the broadcasting station doing hidden camera?

– Huh?

– ???

– ?????

– Is it CG?

– What’s going on?

The quiet venue. The casters and commentators couldn’t say anything and just watched Arang, who was wriggling on the floor trying to use the access device without limbs.

‘This is bad…’

Seeing the venue, which should be full of excitement, as quiet as a library, tournament manager Ucheol couldn’t think of how to bring back the excitement.

– So the limb boundary line was really because she has no limbs?

– My heart hurts…

– Wow… I’m about to cry. Is this for real?

– Didn’t they say Arang is 15? That’s too much.

– At 15, she has a deadly disease and no limbs?

– They should have told us about this beforehand, my heart almost stopped.

– That’s so sad.

– Is this even real?

==

[Leore Gallery]

[Arang’s Red Pill Emergency] [1642]

I won’t post the picture for Arang’s sake.

I had no idea the boundary line I thought was just a concept was actually because she has no limbs…

I was so shocked when I saw it on the broadcast…

If there’s a god, isn’t this too much?

A 15-year-old girl with a dangerous disease who needs medical equipment even when going out, and now she’s lost her limbs? If there’s a god, just die.

[Comments]

I thought she was just a bright and lively young girl, but seeing her like that in reality was a bit, no, a lot shocking.

ㄴNo wonder Arang’s eyes look so dead.

ㄴThere was a reason she looks like a corpse…

Isn’t it too much for a 15-year-old girl to endure such a situation?

ㄴIf it were me, I would have wanted to die.

ㄴWith that body, even living would be impossible.

ㄴYou’re really…

Even an ordinary adult couldn’t handle this…

ㄴIf I lost my limbs now, I would want to die.

ㄴYou can’t even live without limbs.

ㄴㄷㄷ Scary, scary.

[Now I know why gallery owner’s information is banned] [923]

Now I know why all the gallery owner’s red pills are banned.

Wow… I was really shocked when she first appeared on the broadcast, but when she took off her limbs to access the device, my brain froze;;;

There was a reason why the 15-year-old girl doesn’t go to school and only plays Leore all day;;;

Thinking about it now, when she got the WFK, even though she’s 15, she played almost 16 hours a day for over a week, and I wondered if she even goes to school, but it turns out she can’t go;;;

And just looking at the amputated areas makes me hurt…

In Leore, she seems so bright and lively, but is she a split personality? It feels like she’s denying reality and becoming herself in the virtual world.

[Comments]

We didn’t know about the limb thing either;;;

ㄴAh, really?

ㄴYeah, we only knew she had a painful disease, but we didn’t know she had no limbs.

For such a young girl to go through such trials at that age…

ㄴIs that even real? That’s too much.

ㄴShe’s only 15…

The split personality vibe is strong. The atmosphere is so different.

ㄴPlus, this time, they skipped the interview and went straight to the match.

ㄴHer facial expression alone makes her a different person. We’ve been watching Arang for a long time, so we can tell, but people seeing her for the first time wouldn’t recognize her.

ㄴShe’s literally a different person.

==

[“Everyone, calm down!”]

[“The caster is the least calm.”]

[“Uh, how can I calm down! Ahem. First, both players have perfectly accessed the device.”]

[“Yes. Before we proceed with job and strategy adjustments in the waiting room, shouldn’t we learn more about the two players? Yes. Their information is starting to appear on the screen.”]

[“Wow… Kim Gi-hyung is amazing, but user Arang is no slouch either? She’s a Grandmaster with a 95% win rate so far.”]

[“The one who cut that 5% was none other than pro player Jeong Jin. Ah, Kim Gi-hyung’s waiting room screen is up. So far, Arang’s arena has only been [Assassin].”]

[“Is that why they prepared a mage-type job to give her a handicap?”]

[“Now, let’s see user Arang’s waiting room—”]

The sight of Arang wriggling on the floor without limbs was starkly displayed before everyone’s eyes.

[“Uh… is, is there a problem with the virtual world waiting, waiting room…?”]

The caster and commentator couldn’t even think of how to explain this and just opened their mouths, gaping.

Fortunately, after a while, the limbs appeared, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

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