"Ain’t no fucking way!"
The voice of a young man practically exploded through the internet café, loud enough to make every head within a few rows turn.
The young man, who had dark brown hair and deep brown eyes, sat frozen in front of his desktop, his mouth hanging open in utter disbelief.
Dressed in a simple black hoodie, faded jeans, and a pair of worn sneakers, Han Seo-jun stared at the email glowing on his monitor as though it might vanish if he blinked.
"...Seriously?"
The people seated beside him winced.
"Hey, keep it down."
"Some of us are trying to play."
Seo-jun finally realized he’d practically screamed. His face flushed crimson.
"Ah... s-sorry."
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly, offering an apologetic smile before sinking back into his chair. The irritated glances slowly disappeared as everyone returned to their own games.
Only then did Seo-jun look back at the screen.
His heart refused to calm down.
What could possibly excite someone this much?
Simple.
It was the opportunity of a lifetime.
From: Ocean Gem Inc.
Subject: Official Invitation to the Interstellar Lords Online Next-Generation VR Beta Program
Dear Mr. Han Seo-jun,
Congratulations.
After an extensive review of our global player database, we are pleased to inform you that you have been officially selected to participate in the closed beta test of Ocean Gem Inc.’s Next-Generation Immersive Neural VR System.
Your exceptional achievements under the player name "NebûlaKing" have distinguished you as one of the finest players in the world.
As the Global Rank #7 player in Interstellar Lords Online, your strategic expertise, combat efficiency, and extensive knowledge of our universe have earned you a place among an elite group of testers.
Out of millions of active players worldwide, only three individuals have been selected for this historic beta program.
It would be our honor to welcome you.
Our revolutionary Neural VR Headgear has been developed to redefine gaming by directly stimulating the user’s five senses: sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste, creating an unprecedented level of immersion unlike anything ever experienced.
Your feedback during this testing phase will play a vital role in shaping the future of interactive entertainment.
Attached to this email, you will find:
A first-class round-trip airline ticket to Shenzhen, China.
Hotel reservation details for the duration of the beta testing period.
Transportation arrangements from the airport to our research facility.
Your official beta tester identification and schedule.
Our staff will be awaiting your arrival.
Should you accept this invitation, please arrive at the designated location on the date specified in your itinerary.
We look forward to welcoming both Han Seo-jun and the legendary commander known throughout Interstellar Game as "NebûlaKing."
Welcome to the future of gaming.
Sincerely,
Ocean Gem Inc.
Advanced Neural Entertainment Division
Seo-jun read through the email again.
And then again.
A grin spread across his face until it felt like his cheeks might split.
"N-Neural VR technology..." he mumbled to himself, his eyes glued to the monitor.
"Like... the kind of stuff you only see in comics and novels..."
His fingers trembled as he scrolled back to the top of the message.
"Is... is this actually legit?"
He quickly checked the sender’s address.
Official.
He looked at the company logo displayed at the bottom of the email.
Official.
He clicked through the attached documents.
A first-class plane ticket.
Hotel reservations.
An official itinerary.
Everything looked authentic.
For a moment, Seo-jun simply sat there in stunned silence.
Then his vision blurred.
His eyes began to sting as tears of joy welled up in the corners.
A laugh escaped his lips.
"I..."
He clenched his fists tightly, trying, and failing, to hold back the overwhelming surge of emotion.
"...Your efforts will never betray you."
Countless sleepless nights.
Countless hours spent grinding rankings while everyone around him called gaming a waste of time.
The sacrifices.
The frustration.
The determination.
It had all led to this moment.
For the first time in years, Han Seo-jun felt that every single hour he had poured into the game had finally been acknowledged.
He could hardly believe it.
The more he thought about it, the more it felt like some extravagant dream.
A first-class flight.
A luxury hotel.
An all-expenses-paid trip to test revolutionary gaming technology for the game he loved more than anything.
A man couldn’t ask for more.
His lips slowly curled into a grin.
Then—
"This is a fucking jackpot!"
His excited yell echoed throughout the internet café once again.
Every head turned toward him.
"...Seriously?"
"Will you keep it down already?"
"Some people are trying to concentrate!"
The room filled with annoyed groans.
A woman with long black hair tied into a neat ponytail and sharp black eyes, one of the café staff members, walked over with her arms folded across her chest.
She stopped beside Seo-jun’s desk and gave him a firm look.
"Sir."
Her voice was calm, but unmistakably stern.
"This is your second outburst."
"If you cause another disturbance like that, I’m going to have to ask you to leave."
Seo-jun’s excitement instantly evaporated.
"I-I’m really sorry!"
He bowed his head repeatedly.
"It won’t happen again."
The woman studied him for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
"I’m holding you to that."
With that, she turned and walked away.
Seo-jun scratched the back of his head with an awkward smile.
"...I really need to get a grip."
A couple of days later...
A yellow taxi pulled up in front of the departure terminal.
Seo-jun stepped out, excitement practically radiating from him.
The driver climbed out of the vehicle, opened the trunk, and handed him his luggage.
"Have a safe flight."
"Thanks!"
After paying the fare, Seo-jun slung his backpack over one shoulder, grabbed his suitcase, and began walking toward the airport’s automatic glass doors.
Just then—
Bzzz... Bzzz...
His phone vibrated inside his pocket.
He pulled it out.
The caller ID made him smile.
Little Sis.
Seo-jun answered the call and lifted the phone to his ear.
"Hey, Yuna."
"Oppa!"
Yuna’s cheerful voice rang through the speaker.
"Mom and Dad told me to call and wish you a safe trip."
Seo-jun smiled as he wheeled his suitcase toward the entrance.
"Really?"
"Mm-hmm. Mom said she’s sorry she couldn’t come see you off. Something came up with HR at work, so she couldn’t leave."
Seo-jun nodded, even though she couldn’t see him.
"It’s fine. Really."
His smile softened.
"Tell her... I’m going to miss her."
"And Dad too."
There was a brief pause.
"...What about me?"
Yuna’s voice suddenly became dramatically offended.
"Aren’t you going to miss your precious little sister?"
"You only have one, you know."
Seo-jun chuckled.
"I was going to say I would..."
He deliberately dragged out the sentence.
"...but I’m kind of glad I won’t have to deal with your annoying voice constantly telling me I’m a jobless waste of space."
"Oppa!"
Yuna huffed.
"You can’t blame me!"
"You’re practically a couch potato."
"If you were me, you’d be worried too."
She began counting on her fingers, as if presenting evidence in a courtroom.
"Single."
"Twenty-three."
"Still lives with Mom and Dad."
"Doesn’t have a job."
"And is completely addicted to video games."
Each word landed like a tiny arrow.
Seo-jun’s smile gradually faded.
Her teasing wasn’t malicious.
In fact, she’d probably said it a hundred times before.
But hearing it all listed out like that...
It stung.
Yuna giggled softly before her tone became unexpectedly gentle.
"...Still."
"I’ll miss you, Oppa."
Seo-jun fell silent.
For a brief moment, he simply stood there outside the airport, suitcase in hand, as those words sank in.
A small smile crept onto his face.
He let out a quiet sigh.
"...Yeah."
"I’ll miss you too."
A tender silence settled between the siblings.
Then, right before hanging up...
"Oh, and one more thing!"
Seo-jun immediately had a bad feeling.
"Since you’ll be staying in a luxury hotel, maybe you’ll finally have better luck getting yourself a hot girl—"
Beep.
The call ended.
Seo-jun slowly lowered the phone from his ear.
The corner of his eye twitched.
"...Why..."
He stared blankly at the screen before letting out a long, defeated sigh.
"...Why did I ever think that little she-devil was capable of warmth because of a simple ’I’ll miss you.’"
Sigh.
After saying his goodbyes, Seo-jun slipped his phone back into his pocket and took a deep breath.
"Well..."
"Here goes nothing."
He made his way into the departure terminal, joining the steady stream of travelers.
The next hour passed in a blur.
Checking in.
Dropping off his luggage.
Presenting his passport.
Passing through security.
Waiting at immigration.
Each checkpoint brought him one step closer to what still felt like an unbelievable dream.
Even after receiving his boarding pass and walking through the departure gate, part of him still expected someone to stop him.
"Sorry, Mr. Han. There must’ve been some mistake."
But that never happened.
Instead, he found himself walking down the boarding bridge and onto the massive passenger aircraft.
The flight attendants greeted him with warm smiles.
"Welcome aboard, sir."
Seo-jun returned a polite nod before making his way to his seat.
It was his first time flying first class.
The spacious leather seat, the extra legroom, and the luxurious cabin made him feel completely out of place.
"...Wow."
He carefully fastened his seatbelt as the last passengers boarded.
Moments later, the cabin doors closed.
The engines gradually roared to life.
As the plane began taxiing down the runway, Seo-jun turned toward the window.
The airport slowly drifted past.
Then, with a powerful surge of acceleration, the aircraft lifted off the ground.
The city beneath him grew smaller and smaller until it became a sea of tiny lights.
Seo-jun watched in silence.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"So this..."
"...is where my new adventure begins."
He reached into his backpack, pulled out a pair of headphones, and slipped them over his ears.
Soft music began to play.
Leaning back into the plush seat, he closed his eyes, letting the gentle hum of the engines lull him into a peaceful rest as the aircraft soared toward China.