Chapter 1: Prologue

『The long-awaited new virtual reality game, Paradise, is being a hit! In just one week of release, the number of players exceeds 700 million!』

『The beginning of a new era? Paradise breaks any experts' predictions and has exorbitant growth.』

It was a room in a hospital. A huge TV was on the wall, the channel changing frequently. That is, until a man with a hood resembling a bear's head on his head and with only a cape covering his body, appeared on the screen.

He had a bright smile as he looked at the screen.

『Listen to me, Paradise is about to become a second world! Where else have you seen a game with 100% immersion? In Paradise, you practically get a second life! Blind people can see, wheelchair users can walk, and much more!』

This time, the TV screen changed again; however, unlike the other times, it turned entirely black.

"....."

Paradise. Paradise. Paradise. It didn't matter which channel, whether it was news or comedy, everyone was talking about just that - the new virtual reality game, Paradise.

It was unprecedented.

In just one week since it was released, Paradise had taken over the whole world. Thousands, millions were currently playing this game.

The young man lying on the bed in the hospital room, raised his eyebrows slightly looking at the TV.

It had been two months since he had been lying in this same hospital bed almost every day, this was because of an accident in which his legs had become useless. As one of his only distractions was the internet, he followed the release of Paradise which was a week ago, and was aware of how viral this game had become worldwide.

'100% immersion.'

He placed the controller on the bed, and let out a quiet laugh.

Even though he had never played a virtual reality game, he was aware of how absurd a game 100% equal to reality was. It was enough to shock the whole world as soon as it was announced by Sky Company.

Because of its unbelievable immersion, Paradise started with absurd numbers of 70 million on its first day available. And that number grew quickly and continues to grow larger and larger with each passing second.

"It's really quite popular," he murmured.

At that moment, two people entered the room. The one in front was an ordinary-looking old man wearing a white lab coat. And the second person was a nurse carrying a medium-sized box in her hands.

The old man walked through the doors, and when he saw the young man, he smiled, shaking out the wrinkles on his face.

"Good morning, Litch. How are you feeling?"

"...Good," Litch replied as he leaned his head against the pillow on the bed.

"You don't look very excited."

"How would I be cheerful being in a hospital bed? Besides, for two whole months."

"...Well, I can't help you with that, but I have something that might distract you in that time you'll be around."

"Spit it out."

Feeling Litch's curious gaze staring at him, the old man smiled and nodded to the nurse beside him.

The nurse smiled and opened the box in hand, pulling something out of it. It was a large helmet that looked like it came straight out of a futuristic movie.

"That's...!" Litch, who recognized the helmet, widened his eyes.

"Haha. Yeah, it's a virtual reality helmet for the game, Paradise."

Without leaving room for Litch to speak, the old man continued, "Your brother sent it. He said that even if you were... well... in this condition, it would be possible for you to play."

"....."

"Try it. It is something that will turn the world upside down. He said."

"The brother, huh?"

Litch lowered his gaze and looked directly at the virtual reality helmet. The videos and streamings he watched while he was stuck here in the hospital bed flashed through his mind.

'Try it on...'

He smiled and held out his hand.

'Then give it to me. The virtual reality helmet."

"Fufu. You're anxious, aren't you?"

The old man laughed and took the virtual reality helmet from the nurse's hand, handing it to Litch.

Watching Litch grab the helmet, he turned around with the nurse at his side.

"I'll leave you alone. Good fun playing Paradise."

Litch did not answer him, his attention focused entirely on the virtual reality helmet in hand. The old man took a second look at it, and then immediately left the room with the nurse following behind him.

'...I should thank the brother later.'

Litch smiled bitterly. His brother had always taken care of him, but he could never help his brother with anything; the least he could do was thank him.

"Right! Let's play!"

Raising the virtual reality helmet with his hands, Litch placed it on his head.

At the same time, his vision went entirely dark, before countless colored lines filled his entire field of vision. He felt like he was floating on water, it was a calming and cool sensation.

Suddenly, a feeling similar to that of something running through his body came over him.

[Setting the player's information]

A metallic, feminine voice resounded in his ears and the landscape in front of him changed again.

"W-What...?"

It would be an understatement to say that he was shocked.

His two eyes shone with admiration.

Above his head, a bluish sky covered with various clouds could be seen. And this same sky could be seen below his feet; as if the sky was being reflected in a clear sea.

It was a beautiful and mesmerizing sight.

Also...

"....To think that I could actually walk in this game..."

His two feet touched the ground firmly. Not only that, he could move them!

The corner of his lips lifted.

His breathing was becoming rough, and the pale white skin of his cheeks was turning red with excitement.

He remembered - the reason he had been locked up in the hospital for two months.

And he sighed.

'Calm down, Litch... calm down...'

His uncontrollably beating heart slowly slowed down, and he sobered up again.

What was the point of being euphoric at this point? He hadn't even really entered Paradise.

[Choose a name]

As soon as Litch calmed down, the female voice resounded again and a translucent blue screen appeared in front of him.

'Name?'

A nickname to be used in the game...

'Litch,' he said without much thought.

His real-life name. Why waste time thinking of another name when he could use his real name?

[Litch... name available]

[Shifting Player Litch to a random starting zone]

The female voice rang out in succession and Litch felt his vision blur.

'Keuk?!'

He felt as if something was poking him and the whole world in front of him seemed to distort as if he were in a washing machine.

He closed his eyes by reflex.

Shuaa!

The loud sound of wind whipping against his face was heard, which woke him up and made him open his eyes again.

"Heok, heok..."

The moment he opened them, he choked a few times before stabilizing his breathing.

Litch raised his eyes and looked up at the completely clear blue sky, without any sign of pollution or impurities. He could feel the surrounding air getting fresher and purer, and there was something else in the air - something he couldn't see, but he could feel. Whenever he breathed, this something seemed to enter his nostrils along with the air and made his body more energetic.

People walked in front of him from one side to the other. Some were wearing strange medieval leather or silver armor, others wore light clothing; a great variety could be seen.

Wagons were pulled by strong horses and some people radiated an unfathomable feeling.

A smile broke out on Litch's face.

'Let's get started.'

Since he had followed Paradise since its internet launch, he knew some of the most basic things. So he did the most basic thing that every player should do as soon as he started playing.

Open his "status window".

"Status," he uttered those words and a semi-transparent blue window floated in front of him.

[Name: Litch

Level: 1 Exp: 0/2

Health: 36/36

Mana: 100/100

Race: Human

Class: No Class

Title: No Title

Statistics

Strength: 8 Stamina: 6

Speed: 8 Intelligence: 20

Stats Points: 5]