If you asked what the biggest issue of 21st-century society is, the hottest topic would undoubtedly be the deepening ‘individualism’.
In a society where individualism is rampant, forming a one-person household and eating alone had become commonplace.
Of course, someone else might interject, saying the real issue is the gap between rich and poor.
However, the moment someone mentioned a ‘Single person household’, everyone would just nod in agreement without exception.
Even after working for a month as a wage slave, the most you’d have left in your account was a little over 3 million won.
That wasn’t enough to even think of buying a house, let alone take care of your own body.
This was both a reason why society was becoming more harsh, and at the same time, the harsh society only encouraged further individualization.
In the end, by the mid-21st century, the proportion of ‘Single person household’ reached an unprecedented 68%.
Being so busy with work that you ate alone was now a given, and coming home after work only to collapse in exhaustion and fall asleep had become the norm—so much so that sharing a meal with someone else was considered absurd.
Having lived such a life, the Cheon Family’s dinner table felt unbearably awkward to Yeo-hyeon.
Yeo-hyeon covered his face with both hands, deep in thought.
‘Dinner already?’
It wasn’t an uncomfortable seat where heirs glared at each other, vying for the successor’s position, like in a drama.
The Cheon Family members were all unfailingly kind and affectionate.
To the point it was almost burdensome.
And that was the problem.
“I don’t even know what to say, or how I’m supposed to respond…”
As Yeo-hyeon was agonizing over it, creak—the sound of the door was followed by the eldest daughter, Cheon Yeo-wol, poking her head in.
“Yeo-hyeon?”
Yeo-wol, seeing Yeo-hyeon sitting on the bed with his head down, let out a startled cry and rushed over.
“Hey, what’s wrong! You look pale! Don’t tell me it’s aftereffects from the accident? No, wait, quick, the hospi—!”
Yeo-hyeon hurriedly clamped Yeo-wol’s mouth shut and whispered softly.
“It’s not that. I’m fine, see? I’m perfectly healthy.”
“Are you really okay?”
Yeo-hyeon raised and lowered his arms to show off his health, but Yeo-wol still looked unconvinced.
The last time he’d answered in a slightly gloomy tone, it had nearly sent him straight to the Hospital, so he put on the brightest expression he could manage.
“Really. I was just thinking about something. I didn’t hear you knock. Anyway, everyone’s waiting. We should get going.”
He quickly changed the subject before anything else could come up, then hurried out the door.
Yeo-wol stuck close behind, speaking in a worried tone.
“If you feel sick at all, you have to tell us, okay?”
“Yeah, I promise I will.”
As they chatted, they soon arrived at the entrance to the first-floor dining hall.
Creak.
He opened the door and stepped inside, where his family greeted him with bright, smiling faces.
“Our adorable youngest! How are you feeling? Doing a little better today?”
“We’re just so relieved you woke up. Without you, Yeo-hyeon, it doesn’t even feel like we’ve eaten, and we’re gloomy all day long.”
“Of course! I can’t get any energy unless I see my youngest son’s face!”
His parents, as always, greeted him warmly without fail.
“Ha ha… I’m glad to see you both looking healthy too. And you as well, hyung-nim.”
“Yes, it’s such a relief to see our youngest active again. You must be hungry, let’s eat.”
As Cheon Jeongseok lifted his spoon, the family meal began.
As soon as they started eating, Cheon Yeo-wol, as usual, steered the conversation toward gossip.
“This time, I heard Pro Boxer Alexei is dating Nara Enterprise’s granddaughter, Na Jisu.”
“Really? I thought the head of Nara Enterprise was notoriously old-fashioned. But he approved of the relationship?”
“What else would a conglomerate care about? As long as there’s money, anything goes. Don’t you know how popular ASA is these days? Even top stars are dying to be with them. I heard they’re making a big deal out of it at home just to use it to their advantage.”
“Is that so? So you can get a girlfriend just by being good at a Game? The world’s so unfair. I wish I had at least ASA of that talent.”
Cheon Yeo-wol teased Cheon Yeo-il.
“Oppa, you used to be pretty good at ASA, right? Why not just jump in now?”
“Hey, can’t you take a joke? And no matter how good I am, I’m only a little above average. I once faced off with a Pro in an Event Match, and the difference was just overwhelming.”
“Is the wall that high for Pros?”
“You have no idea, those guys are just born different.”
Yeo-hyeon chimed in.
“Still… hyung-nim, you’re a Pro in management, aren’t you?”
“Sure, but! Does that mean I have a girlfriend?”
As far as Cheon Yeo-hyeon could remember, Cheon Yeo-il still didn’t have a girlfriend.
“If you look at it that way, that’s true…”
The parents looked on at their children’s playful banter with warm, satisfied smiles.
The clatter of spoons and dishes filled the Dinner Table, and then mother Han Myeong-hoe spoke up.
“Yeo-hyeon, try some of this too. Flower Shrimp are in season now. You love Flower Shrimp, don’t you?”
Having grown used to eating alone, being showered with this much kindness left him at a loss for words, and he couldn’t help but freeze in embarrassment.
‘Should I be serving them too?’
He thought about all sorts of things, but in the end, he simply acted according to Cheon Yeo-hyeon’s memories.
“Really? Looks delicious.”
“How is it? Does it suit your taste?”
“It’s really good!”
A bright smile bloomed on Han Myeong-hoe’s face.
“Oh my, our youngest eats so well. Here, try some egg roll too. You like this as well, right?”
“Yes.”
He was just eating as usual, but Han Myeong-hoe asked cautiously.
“Yeo-hyeon, you’re not feeling sick anywhere, are you?”
“No way, I’m perfectly fine.”
“Alright… You just looked a little gloomy. You’re not hiding anything from mom, right?”
There really wasn’t a single problem.
It was just that he was so unfamiliar with receiving this much kindness and love, he didn’t know how to respond.
But his family’s concern wouldn’t easily be calmed.
“You know, aftereffects from the accident are a real thing. I’ll call the Hospital now, so go get checked up again.”
“No, hyung-nim. I’m really fine.”
His father set down his spoon and spoke.
“Listen, youngest. We’re family. Sharing your burdens is what family is for.”
“That’s right. Father’s right. If our youngest is down, what am I supposed to look at to cheer myself up?”
Yeo-hyeon just couldn’t bring himself to say it was all a burden.
“Thanks to you all, I’m completely healthy and I have nothing to worry about. At this rate, I might end up in the Guinness Book as the happiest person alive. Haha…”
He tried to laugh it off and move on, but for a moment, everyone’s eyes met in silence.
‘I should’ve just stayed quiet like usual…’
As he was scolding himself internally, a smile appeared on Han Myeong-hoe’s face.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you smile since the accident. It’s been so long, seeing you laugh, son.”
“Now I can finally relax. Our youngest has been sitting on pins and needles lately, but now you’re even making jokes.”
“Exactly. You used to laugh so much and be such a mischievous kid, but for a whole week your face didn’t change at all, I thought you were still sick. I’m so relieved.”
“Haha! If our youngest son is happy, then as a dad, I’m happy too!”
Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by his family’s relief and joy.
“Mom just wants all her children to be happy. That’s the only thing I wish for. Still, I’m so glad our youngest has perked up.”
“Mother…”
His father and sister nodded in agreement instead of speaking.
‘How foolish I was.’
Watching the smiles and relief of his family, emotions hidden deep in Cheon Yeo-hyeon’s memories welled up inside his chest.
They didn’t want him to flatter them or react in any special way.
They just wanted to share a meal face-to-face, to talk about happiness, worries, sadness, anger, or even silly jokes.
To know each other, to share emotions.
All of those things were precious memories and happiness.
And this was what ‘family’ truly meant.
Yeo-hyeon felt his eyes growing moist and quickly lifted his head to hide it.
“Sorry for making you all worry… Thank you, truly, for caring for me and looking out for me.”
“Yeo-hyeon, you don’t need to say that to family. Now, let’s eat before the food gets cold.”
Barely holding back his tears, Yeo-hyeon picked up his spoon again, showing a bright smile he’d never shown before.
***
Even at a glance, the Furniture filling the room looked far from cheap, and huge stuffed Bears and Tigers hung on the wall.
Beyond the curtains, the dazzling lights and the fountain show connecting the River and Bridge, with endless Skyscrapers lined up, made this place look like an island in the sky.
And in this space overflowing with leisure and dignity, there was one man who looked completely out of place, sitting with his lips pursed in boredom.
It was none other than Yeo-hyeon.
Yeo-hyeon slouched as if he were a dried squid, yawning so hard his jaw ached.
“Haaam…”
He was bored.
Unbelievably bored.
The carefree, money-worry-free life he’d dreamed of was indeed happy.
He stayed up late watching TV, slept as much as he wanted without worrying about work.
There was never a shortage of money, with allowance sums so large they made your jaw drop being deposited into his account every month, and if you added up all the land, stocks, and assets under Cheon Yeo-hyeon’s name, the total wealth could only be described as astronomical.
No matter how many toys or clothes he bought, or how much he ate, the money never ran out.
At first, he was excited and thrilled to buy things like toys and clothes with his own money, but as he got used to this lifestyle, he eventually grew tired of it.
“I need a turning point in my life.”
Eventually, he fell into deep thought.
“I’ve traveled, I’ve been to social gatherings…”
Suddenly, one thing popped into his mind.
“ASA.”
He’d never had the time or, as Baek Jun-su, the money for a Connector or Capsule, so he’d never been able to try the Game.
But now, as Cheon Yeo-hyeon, he had all the time in the world, and it was pointless to even mention how much money he had.
After all, there was a dedicated playroom at home called the Capsule Room.
Having made up his mind, Yeo-hyeon got up from the sofa and headed straight for the Capsule Room.
“Doing this myself… I’m really looking forward to it.”
Everyone has goals in life.
Whether it’s owning a luxury foreign car, dressing in designer brands, or buying your own house.
And for Jun-su in the past, that was 44 itself.
Magic that couldn’t exist in reality, blood-pumping battles, massive Raids and Sieges, even exploring the New Continent by sea—everything about it made his heart race.
“But why didn’t I ever think of ASA before?”
The answer was simple.
Because his real life was already as fantastical as ASA.
As he nodded to his own conclusion, he arrived at the entrance to the Capsule Room.
Wooong—
The door opened automatically, and as the inside of the Capsule Room came into view, Yeo-hyeon couldn’t help but gasp.
The room was lined with six ‘Perfect Column’ Capsules, each boasting a Replay Rate of 98.9%, widely acclaimed as masterpieces.
“Each one probably costs at least 50 billion…”
The sight was so overwhelming his eyes blurred, but he quickly regained his composure.
“Come to think of it, the paintings and ceramics on the walls are worth billions too, so I guess it’s nothing to be surprised about.”
But he couldn’t hide the pounding of his heart.
With a flutter of anticipation, he leaned back in the Capsule and pressed the power button.
***
Darkness.
There was nothing to see.
Just swirling blackness.
Soon, a thin beam of light appeared in the darkness.
The light spread out like ripples on water, stopping at the center of the waves, and then became a dazzling white radiance.
The burst of light pushed back the darkness, and when Yeo-hyeon opened his eyes again, his vision was filled with the sight of The Continent.
Even knowing it was all virtual, the sensations were so real he couldn’t help but be amazed.
“Wow… Now I see why ASA is called another life.”
As Yeo-hyeon gazed in awe, a cluster of lights approached.
[To verify an existing Account, please scan your iris.]
[No registered Account found.]
[Welcome to Astray Astrea!]
[To enjoy the Game, you must create a Character.]
[Would you like to create a Character?]
“Yes.”
In response to Yeo-hyeon’s answer, a new window popped up.
[Creating Character. Please choose a cool name for your Player!]
Names like Reverse came to mind, but then one name flashed powerfully through his brain.
“…Dahav.”
Soon, a new window appeared before Yeo-hyeon’s eyes.
[Dahav]
- Level: 1
- Race: Human
- Class: None
- Stats: Strength 10 / Agility 10 / Stamina 10 / Spirit 10
- HP: 100
- MP: 100
[Are you sure you want to use the name Dahav?]
He nodded to indicate his decision, and countless cards appeared in front of him.
They all looked identical, even the symbols on the back, so there was no way of knowing what was written or drawn on the front.
[Choose your Fate.]
Yeo-hyeon reached out without hesitation.
The card he touched flipped over.
[Congratulations! Dahav, you will walk the Fate of the normal-class, Archer.]
Just as I thought.
It was an ordinary class, but Yeo-hyeon wasn’t fazed.
In fact, a smile appeared on his lips.
“I refuse this Fate.”