Chapter 1

When he lost consciousness in the game and opened his eyes again, the world had become reality.

“Hey, I’m quitting soon.”

Namgung Woo couldn’t immediately understand what he had just heard. For a moment, he blankly pondered the meaning, then looked at the person in front of him as if to confirm if they had really said it.

The other person noticed the intent in Namgung Woo’s gaze and smiled bitterly, as if regretting it themselves.

“Sorry.”

“Ah, no. It’s… understandable.”

Though he said it was fine, it was clear to anyone that Namgung Woo was disheartened.

“It’s been a long time, after all.”

Quitting.

In the game, those words meant giving up on the game.

Chasing Deer Murim.

It was a game with a long history, dating back to the very early days when virtual reality became mainstream and various concept games sprouted like mushrooms, only to disappear shortly after.

As the name suggested, Chasing Deer Murim was based on a martial arts worldview. At its launch, it received attention for its sensational open world and detailed martial arts implementation, but now, five years later, it had long since become an outdated game.

So quitting wasn’t particularly strange. Even if it wasn’t Chasing Deer Murim, there were now various martial arts-themed virtual reality games.

But the fact that they had stayed until now suggested that quitting wasn’t for that reason. If it were, they would have quit long ago.

Namgung Woo asked with lingering attachment.

“But why are you quitting, Mae-nim?”

Perhaps if there was something he could do to help, he wanted to hold on, even with a faint hope. But that hope shattered with the answer he received.

“I’m going abroad to study. To Australia.”

“Ah…”

“I could still log in from there, but… I want to give it my all.”

There was nothing more to say.

Namgung Woo felt a sigh rising from his gloomy heart.

Many of the acquaintances Namgung Woo had known had quit the game and left, but this time it hurt even more.

Each and every in-game acquaintance was a precious connection to Namgung Woo. Some might dismiss it as just a game, where you don’t even know their real names or faces. But Namgung Woo didn’t see them as any different from friends he made in real life.

And Mae was especially special among them.

Namgung Woo was a latecomer.

He started Chasing Deer Murim as a latecomer, around the time the game had been open for three years, when the peak levels were already open.

It was a time when the game’s management was faltering, new players were dwindling, and even existing players were leaving one by one. As a new player, it wasn’t easy for Namgung Woo to adapt.

That’s when she helped him.

She approached him, saying they shared the same Namgung surname, and kindly taught him about Chasing Deer Murim.

Where to hunt for fast growth, which events were efficient, which items were good, which martial arts to learn for which effects—over 90% of Namgung Woo’s knowledge about Chasing Deer Murim came from Namgung Mae.

Their relationship didn’t stop at just a brief early help.

Namgung Woo grew quickly with her help, and since Namgung Mae enjoyed the game at a leisurely pace, their levels soon became similar.

From then on, the two stuck together like best friends. Even within the ‘Namgung Family,’ a group of players with Namgung in their nicknames, the two stood out for always being together.

All the dungeon time attacks they did together, the beautiful scenery they admired while chatting at dawn, the sparring where she mercilessly beat him to teach him how to fight—all became cherished memories.

Even though Namgung Woo started as a latecomer, he rose to become one of the top rankers, all to repay Namgung Mae for her help. To Namgung Woo, Namgung Mae was the driving force and reason for playing Chasing Deer Murim.

Thinking that Namgung Mae would no longer be there, a corner of Namgung Woo’s heart ached.

“It’s going to be lonely.”

But he couldn’t hold her back.

It would be too selfish to keep her for his own enjoyment when she was dedicating herself to finding her dreams in real life.

Perhaps Namgung Woo looked too pitiful.

Smiling bitterly, Namgung Mae consoled him.

“Hmm… it might end in a year.”

“A year?”

Namgung Woo knew her age. If she was going abroad to study, it would likely be for a master’s degree. Could it really be done in a year?

“Overseas programs are often shorter than in our country. At most, it might take two years, but usually, it’s about a year and a half.”

“Ah, I see.”

“By then, Woo-nim, you’ll be riding the bus.”

“I’m already on the bus.”

“Eh. In a year, you’ll probably have reached the Transcendent Peak.”

“Whenever you come back, I’ll give you a ride. You will come back, right?”

“Pfft, what if Woo-nim quits before then?”

“Hmm? As long as the servers don’t shut down?”

“Ah… I think they really might shut down.”

Namgung Mae said with genuine concern.

Even now, the number of concurrent players had drastically dropped, making large raids nearly impossible.

Back in Namgung Woo’s time, beginners could still grow with the help of veterans. There were many veterans leveling alt characters. But now, even those veterans were leaving, and beginners were quitting before they could even properly start.

“But it should last another year. There’s still a lot of unreleased content.”

“Right?”

“Don’t worry about me. I’m the family head, after all. I’ll wait here until the servers shut down.”

He meant it.

If he hadn’t met Namgung Mae, Namgung Woo wouldn’t have played Chasing Deer Murim so passionately all this time.

Feeling embarrassed by his own words, Namgung Woo quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, have you talked to Pung-nim?”

Namgung Woo and Namgung Mae were closest, but the three of them—including Namgung Pung—had spent much more time together. They were famously known as the Namgung Trio, but that was now a thing of the past.

“Hmm… I plan to say my final goodbyes next week when he comes online. It’s a bit sudden, but that’s Pung-nim’s fault for not logging in often.”

Trying to lighten the solemn mood with a joke, as they usually did.

Seeing Namgung Mae like that, Namgung Woo couldn’t stay down any longer.

“Then, since this is the last time, shall we do a tour?”

“Oh! Sounds good!”

§

After Namgung Mae left to prepare for her studies.

Left alone, Namgung Woo sat in silence, staring at the empty Namgung Family management window.

【Namgung Family】

─Online

○Namgung Woo [Family Head]

─Offline

●Namgung Mae [Elder]

●Namgung Pung [Elder]

●Namgung Hyeong-eun-geul-eo-jji [Senior Member]

●Namgung Eun-wae-an-gung [Direct Member]

●Namgung Cheol [Elder]

●Namgung Gay-gay-ya [Direct Member]

.

.

.

“The game’s really dead.”

Out of a full guild of 50 members, only Namgung Woo was online. He muttered in despair.

The reason Namgung Woo had taken on the role of family head, known as the ‘Family Head’ within the Namgung Family, was clear at a glance.

“Shall I try the Chaos Origin Tower?”

Chaos Origin Tower.

A typical endgame achievement content.

A tower filled with ridiculously strong mobs, challenging players to see how many floors they could clear. The Chaos Origin Tower, designed to stimulate the spirit of challenge, still had no one who had surpassed the 10th floor.

Namgung Woo’s personal best was the 9th floor.

But today, he felt like he could break through the 9th floor and set foot on the 10th.

If he could reach the 10th floor, where no one had gone before, even Namgung Mae would be amazed. As a farewell gift, he would reveal the unknown realm of Chasing Deer Murim.

With that thought, his depressed mood seemed to regain some vitality.

As they say, if you think it, act on it. Namgung Woo, embodying the spirit of unity in thought and action, immediately put it into practice.

‘Since buffs and potions don’t work in the Chaos Origin Tower, let’s go straight in.’

The Chaos Origin Tower was a special map accessible from any village with an entry ticket. Namgung Woo used his ticket and began the climb.

Demons, monsters, ancient masters… as he cleared each floor of the Chaos Origin Tower, the vague sensation Namgung Woo felt gradually turned into certainty.

Today was different. Perhaps because his sense of purpose was firmer than ever. It seemed possible to conquer the 9th floor of the Chaos Origin Tower, which no one in Chasing Deer Murim had ever defeated.

The moment he defeated the Blood Control Duke, the ruler of the 9th floor, Namgung Woo rushed up to the 10th floor with unparalleled joy.

And the moment his foot finally touched the uncharted 10th floor.

A voice, resonating not in his ears but in his soul, shook Namgung Woo’s consciousness.

[At last]

It was strange.

Chasing Deer Murim had mystical voice transmission techniques like Whispering Secret Transmission and Radiant Mind Speech. But ultimately, they couldn’t transcend the limits of hearing.

Yet, the voice Namgung Woo heard now truly surpassed that.

[The chosen one has arrived]

Feeling the strangeness, Namgung Woo’s consciousness was engulfed in darkness.

As his consciousness blurred and sank.

The last thought that crossed Namgung Woo’s mind was remarkably consistent.

‘I have to go see her off…’