Two years later, at the age of 12, Cha Kwan became a middle schooler without a commotion.

His continuing ordinary life gave him a sense of fulfillment that he never felt before.

Life was good.

Most of the time.

“How could I not get a girlfriend for 7 years?” Ma Yong complained to Cha Kwan as they walked towards home after school. “Why?! I work out. I have muscles. I’m good at sports…”

Every year, the first day of school, Ma Yong gathered his courage and asked out the prettiest girl of the class. He did so despite everyone’s warnings. And was rejected every time!

During the second grade Cha Kwan thought about seriously intervening, but he found out he could not relate to Ma Yong at all. After the third grade, the thought of acting as a matchmaker to children somehow didn’t feel right.

Once they were in 5th grade, Cha Kwan decided not to interfere other than occasionally giving advice. In the end, his brain chemistry was also that of a 5th grader at the time. In fact, he somehow convinced himself that this was good for a child’s development. Probably.

Ma Yong sighed with emotion, soon his confused emotions settled into the familiar comfort of sadness.

Seeing the visible change in his friend’s gait, Cha Kwan couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. “You could try to get to know them before asking them out. Why do you always try in the first day?”

Ma Yong sighed once more. “Because girls talk, you know. I have the highest chance at the first day because they won’t know me. After the second day all the girls stay away…”

“They stay away from you because you loudly confess to someone in the middle of the class! First day of school!” He lightly punched Ma Yong’s shoulder.

Cha Kwan respected Ma Yong’s persistence, even if its application was wrong. Despite getting utterly rejected every time, this boy hadn’t given up. After every rejection, he would go back to his old self after moping around a few days at most.

Perhaps this time wouldn’t be an exception either, but Cha Kwan had a problem with seeing his friend like this!

“Let’s go to that new VR café.” He said to distract Ma Yong. “I heard they have the newest gear, close to that Whiteleaf stuff they say.” Unfortunately, Ma Yong didn’t respond. After a moment of consideration, Cha Kwan decided to raise the stakes. “Come on, it’s on me. And hey, maybe they’ll have some newer stuff. I heard there’s a dating advice app, maybe they’ll have that…”

No such thing existed. But anything was better than fishing!

Still, that was enough to perk Ma Yong’s ears. “Really?” He asked with renewed hope.

Cha Kwan seriously nodded. “It’s not a full dive app or anything, but it should be better than nothing, right?” Seeing Ma Yong’s thoughtful nod, he decided to knock some sense into him later.

Once they found the out-of-sight VR café, Cha Kwan felt some doubt. The place looked clean enough, but their entrance was inside an alleyway.

As they went down the stairs Ma Yong’s eyes started shining. “This place looks legit… They might even have full-dive…!” He whispered.

Cha Kwan glanced at the sexy fox-idol graffiti meeting them at the basement floor, then back at Ma Yong. “Dream on.”

“Oh ho, we have some youngsters today…” A man’s voice came from a hidden speaker. “You boys came here to have some fun?”

‘…’ While Cha Kwan was hesitating, Ma Yong answered with a resounding “Yes!”

“… Now that’s jolly…” The double doors opened and revealed a hazy environment.

“Whoa…” Ma Yong seemed to have forgotten about getting rejected already, even if temporarily.

Inside, the entrance hall seemed to serve as a bar. From the size of the open space, Cha Kwan determined that this wasn’t just a normal basement, but a shelter. Most likely a decommissioned one that was later opened to commercial use.

Though the fog machine inside was working, the place was empty. Ma Yong and Cha Kwan stood in the middle due to feeling out of place. A minute later they heard the same voice from behind, but not from a speaker this time.

“Students... Not bad. Well, normally we’re closed at this hour, but…” He smiled and nodded at both of them. “It’s always good to meet the people from our new neighborhood! Come on!” Ma Yong immediately followed the beckoning man.

‘… No way they’ll kidnap us or something, right? This is in the middle of the Old Seoul, and this place is newly opened…’ Cha Kwan followed them, even though he was still a bit concerned!

“This beauty here is the Soul Dragon Mk. IV from the Long factories. Brand new, complete with series 67 permissions.” The man explained proudly. “This hallway has 16 units, and the other one over there have 14.”

“Series 67?!” Exclaimed Ma Yong as if he couldn’t believe it.

Cha Kwan had no idea what that meant, but if he could trust anyone about VR and Cheon Ma trivia, that would be Ma Yong.

“Sir...” Ma Yong hesitantly asked. “Do you have an app to help with dating?”

‘… I should’ve seen that coming…’

The man seemed surprised at first, but a second later he smiled. “Of course…” He licked his lips. “This way, I’ll show you something Good…”

They followed him through the long hallway with private rooms. Unlike the regular VR, the Soul Dragon Mk. IV seemed to require an entire suite to operate. Even from an amateur’s perspective, the electronics inside wasn’t a joke.

‘Man those look expensive. How much money did they put in here…’

Cha Kwan’s teenager mind had already thrown the suspect expression of the proprietor away. Clearly, this was a legit, state of the art VR business. So what if the owner had some peculiar quirks?!

The man knocked a door at the end of the hall. A few seconds later the door opened without a word and revealed a hallway in black.

The man looked back with an eager smile. “These are the VIP rooms. No one has ever used them yet; the gear still needs calibration. I’ll let you boys play for free if you help, how bout that?”

Seeing neither of them answered, the man continued. “Did I… mentioned that the VIP gear is magitech?...”

Cha Kwan heard Ma Yong gasp, then realized he was also holding his breath. Both of them nodded in a hurry!

“Good… Enter one each, any room will do. I will be at the mainframe.”

Ma Yong and Cha Kwan looked at each other and made a silent agreement, then entered separate rooms.

Inside, just a glance of the VIP suite interior was enough to impress Cha Kwan!

‘Whoa, this is magitech?! It’s a f*cking full dive capsule! Holy sh*t!!’

VR cafés were fun, but none of them could approach the mythical full dive experience. Such devices were only available to people rich beyond measure.

The sleek black capsule opened up without a sound. Cha Kwan threw his bag and jacket on the side and immediately sat inside.

Unfortunately, he was too excited to notice the small text on the upper right side of the capsule!

In the opposite room, Ma Yong, being a VR aficionado, naturally noticed the “Whiteleaf” label immediately.

“Wait, this is Whiteleaf, AND it has slanted glass with shock absorbent reinforcement?!”

Didn’t this mean this was a ranker unit?! A Whiteleaf ranker unit?! The ones that even mid-sized countries couldn’t afford?!?!

Ma Yong fell into dilemma. Obviously, there was something very, very wrong about this picture! The sensible thing to do… was obviously to call the authorities!

But then again…

A brochure caught Ma Yong’s eye. He picked it up and saw a woman in a red dress on front, with “The Councilor” written just underneath.

What did Ma Yong need? He needed dating advice! If he wanted to awaken, that was the best way he could think of!

Perhaps… he could try the cabin… Just a little bit?

The backside of the brochure listed the rules and guarantees. Specific one that caught his attention was the no recording guarantee.

“What happens in this capsule, stays in this capsule…”

Suddenly, Ma Yong found himself inside the capsule, watching the glass cover descend…

* * *

Inside the mainframe room…

The man that greeted the boys was speaking to another. “You really can’t connect their feed? Even with your tech skills?”

“No.” Answered the technician. “I’m not a tech wizard. I mean I am a tech wizard, but not a Tech Wizard, you know what I mean? This stuff works with magic; I’m not a magician. It’s already good that we can see what program they’re running.”

“Good. Good.” The man lit up a cigarette. “We should make a grand opening for this sh*t. I mean invite all the bigshots and stuff. That hunter guy what’s-his-name and, and the vice executive… This is our big break man, we’re going to print money with this gear…”

The technician though, seemed a bit concerned. “… We could’ve made money by selling them too…” He grumbled.

“Selling them? Selling them?! Where are we going to sell them? Huh? What, you have the black-market representative’s email or something? Are they buying a nuclear missile too?! Oh gee, then I guess we could sell’em a few of our spare hellfire nukes too!!”

The technician waved his hand. “Fine. Fine. Who are these guys anyway? Where’d you find’em?”

“They’re students.” The man blew smoke. “They came on their own, I didn’t do nothing.”

“Uh… We won’t fry their brains, right?” Asked the technician with worry.

“Hey, stop doubting yourself. See, this is why I’m the boss. Didn’t you tell me that younger brains are more… elastic…”

“Young brains have higher plasticity…”

“Right…” Smiled the man. “And didn’t you tell me that this is Whiteleaf stuff? Extra-extra-extra safe? Relax man, trust me. Once the people in the know learn we have it, they’ll be knocking our door 24/7. And besides…” The man blew more smoke. “They are just kids. Who’s gonna believe them? They could knock on the association door and tell’em we have ranker grade cabins and that’ll only get them a big spanking. No. We took the gear. No one saw us. That’s that.”

The technician sighed and nodded. Then saw something on his screen. “They’re just kids, right?”

“Yeah, that’s what I said. They were wearing them little uniforms. Maybe 12 or 13, who cares?”

The technician spoke without taking his eyes off the monitor. “Well, one of them booted up the cabin. And selected hardcore porn without even thinking… Yes… I think that should be porn...”

“…”

“His vitals hold steady, time dilation is at 0.10, no warning lights of any kind…”

The man frowned. “0.10? What? Wasn’t time supposed to be faster?”

“It means time flows 10 times faster in the cabin. Relax. It’s working. Nice, the other one booted up too.”

“Which, which program did he choose?” Asked the man while trying to sound nonchalant.

“…”

“Can we change the program from here? You can do that right?”

“… The other one chose the makeover program.”

“Because if we can chang-… Makeover program?”

Technician looked at his ambitious colleague with an unsure gaze. “I’ll try to find a way to change programs remotely…”

* * *

A few minutes ago, inside the cabin.

Cha Kwan found himself in a space filled with gray fog, with a red panel made of light right in front of him.

[Calibrating…]
[Brain wave analysis complete.]
[Please select a program:]
[…]
[…]
[…]

Cha Kwan had watched many episodes of the Legend of the Saint, he knew what to do! Without thinking he gave a voice command.

“Filter by species: Elf. Gender: Female. Occupation: … Doctor, no, school nurse. List scenarios.”

[Processing…]
[13 programs found.]

* * *

Meanwhile, Ma Yong was also inside the cabin, and received the same prompt.

[Calibrating…]

[Please select a program:]
[…]
[…]
[…]

“Hmm… Filter by… dating advice…”

[Processing…]
[0 programs found.]

“F*ck!” Though he was inside a full-dive cabin, Ma Yong still nervously looked around, it wasn’t common for him to audibly curse after all. But of course, he was inside a full-dive cabin right now!

“Hahaha, wait, no one can hear me! F*CK!!! SH*T! P*SS! F*CK!”

After screaming for a while but feeling still a bit guilty about it, Ma Yong’s attention returned to the red panel.

“Ok. Ok. Filter by… Dating sims!”

[Processing…]
[0 programs found.]

Ma Yong’s mouth dropped. “… You really don’t even have dating sims?!”

No response came since it wasn’t a proper order to the interface.

“Ok… I need… a way to… get a girlfriend. To make me more… likeable? More handsome? But I am handsome, even my big aunt says so…”

The more Ma Yong thought about it, the more he wanted to play a dating sim. A full-dive dating sim would surely up his “game” to a whole other level!

But how could a VR cabin lack dating sims?!

It was then, Ma Yong gasped!

“List all recreational games!”

[Processing…]
[0 programs found.]

His mouth dropped once more.

“This is really ranker tech! Whoa…”

Ranker cabins famously only included training programs. By Ma Yong’s reckoning, developing full-dive apps was as expensive as the cabin itself! Of course they would only include the essentials!

In reality, the price of the cabin was insignificant next to the cost of developing a simulation, but Ma Yong was only a middle school VR enthusiast, not an industry insider.

He gave it some thought and started browsing the catalogue without filtering. Hundreds of combat exercises sounded appealing, but this was a full-dive ranker cabin. And he wasn’t a ranker, nor an awakener.

At least not yet!

“Filter by… nonviolent apps.”

[Processing…]
[751 programs found.]

“Whoa…” The first one on the list, was a makeover app. Once he gave it some thought, it made sense that this would be included in the cabin defaults.

In this age of information and social media, rankers needed to pay special attention to their image! Of course a make-over app was essential!

Ma Yong believed his own explanation immediately and his eyes started shining.

“… Maybe this will help?!”

* * *

“Lay down and let me have a look at you.” Said the blonde, voluptuous elven nurse. Cha Kwan though, couldn’t do anything but stare at her beauty!

Everything was so real, he had to remind himself that this was only a fantasy. A simulation within the full-dive cabin.

The nurse got closer and whispered. “Little Kwan, you need to lay down first. Be a good boy.” She led him with her hands. As Cha Kwan felt her touch on his bare skin, once again realized he was almost naked, save for his underwear. “Just like that. Now we may begin… the examination…”

* * *

Nearly half an hour later in the real world, technician shouted. “Finally!!”

The boss man woke up from his nap. “… What happened? What?”

“I found a way to influence the program.” The technician said proudly.

“Influence? That’s good. Change that first kid’s program.” Though they were “kind of” test subjects, it wasn’t a good thing for a middle schooler to experience that, that early, right?

But the technician shook his head. “I can’t change the program.”

“Didn’t you just say…”

“I said influence.” Interjected the technician. “I found the setting for difficulty. We can increase or decrease it. I don’t think any more is possible, not without locking up the entire cabin.”

That gave the man a pause. “Locking up? No, no, no. That’s not good. Then change the difficulty. Right, he’s inside a porn program, right? Increase the difficulty.”

“Increase?”

“Yeah, so it’ll be harder to get laid.” The man said matter-of-factly.

The technician paused for a moment. “Yeah, that makes sense. Alright, the difficulty was at 1, so…”

“10. No, make it 11.”

“I can’t make it 11… But I increased it to 10.”

The man breathed a sigh of relief. “Ok, good. Even though little, a man should be a man. He won’t tell anyone…” He smiled. “Shieeet, he might even come back to taste more.” The man was familiar with dangling the carrot, so his smile soon turned sly, the kind of smile he displayed when he dealt with his subordinates.

“Are you sure we can’t disconnect them?” The man asked just to make sure. Upon seeing the technician shake his head with horror he remembered. “Right, brain explosion, got it. Not good for business…”

* * *

Cha Kwan had never experienced something like this before.

Right when he would feel tired and spent, something would rekindle his vigor. And the pleasure would start all over again!

In this realm, he was beyond the limits of mortal flesh.

How much time had passed? He had no idea. Whenever some part of his brain started to think about concepts such as being late for dinner, the elf would start to moan, and an intoxicating scent would make Cha Kwan lose all reason.

But then, just as they were changing positions with ragged breaths, the elf disappeared into thin air. The surroundings changed from a school infirmary, to a huge cavern supported by enormous columns.

Once his eyes got used to the indistinct light source, a throne surrounded by spikes, chains, and arcane runes became barely visible.

The flowery scent was long gone, replaced by a vague metallic stench. Comfortable silence of the infirmary was taken over by faint cries in the distance.

A sense of wrongness awakened in Cha Kwan. Whatever this place was, it was truly not meant for a human. He tried to access the system, but the red panel did not appear!

Suddenly, he felt someone’s touch on his shoulders.

“What a sumptuous meal you are…” A voice beautiful beyond reason whispered to his ear. Just the feeling of her breath froze Cha Kwan in his place. Then, something wrapped around his waist and turned him around.

Despite the dim surroundings, everything about her was clear. But the only thing Cha Kwan could concentrate on, was those playful red eyes.

The demoness seductively licked her lips. The fact that she had an abnormally long tongue, or big canines didn’t bother Cha Kwan at all. Neither her bat wings, nor the thin and long tail mattered. Somehow, even her horns looked breathtaking.

The moment their lips touched together, and Cha Kwan became aware of that indescribable taste, every other thought disappeared.

Nothing else but her mattered.

Time became an abstract concept as Cha Kwan and the demoness explored the unknown depths of human experience.

…

Then suddenly…

[Program Complete…]
[Calculating Grade...]

“W-What?...” All around Cha Kwan, was the endless gray fog from before…

[Grade: - ]
[Error Code: 8000971x0009]

[Notes: Cannot establish emergency contact with the supervisor. Please ensure dimensional connectivity of the cabin and seek immediate psychological attention.]
[Error Code: 144]

Cha Kwan blinked and found himself sitting inside the full-dive cabin.

* * *

This was the most profound experience Ma Yong had in the 13 years of his life!

No wonder the rankers were always popular. No wonder people went wild for idols. Even that short experience had opened Ma Yong’s eyes to the sheer effort these people put into their image!

He exited the VIP room in deep thought and saw the owner of the VR café waiting for them.

“How was it?” The man asked with a smile. The boy in front of him was older and looked slightly frustrated. Clearly, this boy was the one that chosen the hardcore porn!

Ma Yong couldn’t give an immediate answer. After thinking for a while, only one word came to his mind. “Intense.”

The man nodded to himself. This was also how he was during his school days; big and talkative guys liked to challenge their limits! And this boy was just like himself, or so he thought!

But more importantly, the fact that these kids were fine, meant the gear was working correctly! What a tremendous relief that was! But then, the man noticed only one kid was in the hall. Sudden fear took his breath away.

What if the other boy tried to leave before the program was complete and had suffered an aneurism? What if his mind turned into mush? What if he died? Just as he was about to break into the suite, the door unlocked, and a listless boy appeared from the darkness.

Cha Kwan looked at Ma Yong, then at the proprietor. This… This was his reality. She wasn’t real. What happened wasn’t real. What he felt… wasn’t real.

And yet, he couldn’t help but glance at the cabin. All he needed to do was to re-enter… It was that easy!

Ma Yong thought his friend had seen the Whiteleaf logo and maybe was about to ask about it! That wouldn’t do! The Whiteleaf logo was probably a fake anyway. There was no way for a normal VR Café to get Whiteleaf gear, let alone fill 6 VIP rooms with them! Right? Right?!

Still, at times like this it was better to play dumb!

“Uh, mister, you said it was free, right?” Asked Ma Yong before Cha Kwan could say anything.

The man nodded sincerely. “We saved time thanks to you, otherwise we would’ve had to test the gear one by one!” He beamed and added unnecessary detail to make himself appear more genuine. “It is free, as long as you keep this to yourself!” He gave an exaggerated wink to the bigger student.

“Yes! Of course! Kwan we’re going to be late. Let’s. Go.”

The man watched the two leave and breathed a sigh of relief once they left the basement floor. He was at least 99.992% sure that the boy wouldn’t say anything to his parents.

And in just a few more days, they would be able to print money!

The man chuckled and tidied up the VIP rooms. For a moment he got curious about the porn program, but immediately shook his head in refusal.

One should never get high on their own supply! He had learned that from an old movie!