The living room was quiet and nearly empty. Though the air conditioner was running, it struggled against the sweltering heat of the summer evening. Sitting on the sofa for just a short while was enough to make someone break into a sweat.
Kiriya leaned back against the sofa, drenched and restless, frustration written all over his face.
In the bedroom, the girl—Lina, the beautiful stranger—was still fast asleep. She didn't seem like she would be waking up anytime soon. Kiriya didn't want to risk disturbing her, so he stayed in the living room, sulking in silence, too listless even to get himself a glass of cold water.
His eyes drifted toward the headset on the coffee table—the Mind Gear.
And then, suddenly, a thought struck him.
Of course!
Months ago, he had installed a game interface port in the corner of the living room, originally just to test some older gaming equipment. But now, it might serve a real purpose.
Was this "Mind Gear" the legendary device designed for [Eternal Art Online]?
Only one way to find out.
Kiriya immediately pulled the data cables out of the tote bag Lina had brought, then followed the instruction manual to connect everything piece by piece. Once the setup was complete, he sat down beside the sofa and placed the" Mind Gear" on his head.
Instantly, his mind cleared—completely calm, as if his thoughts had been wiped clean.
A synthesized voice rang out in his mind:
"Scanning iris... Player identity confirmed. Locking in. Do you wish to enter the game?"
Without hesitation, Kiriya sent the mental command—Confirm!
"Welcome. Your user ID is 000000002. Iris scan complete. Identity successfully bound."
Kiriya froze for a second, his expression shifting.
What the—? It locked just from putting it on?!
Did that mean the system had already registered this "Mind Gear" as his personal device?
He felt a little awkward but quickly shrugged it off.
Well, she's the one occupying my bed. Guess that makes us even. I'll find a way to make it up to her later.
Then the system voice returned:
"The game has not officially launched yet. Please wait 23 hours and 42 minutes to enter. You may proceed with character creation."
Kiriya selected Create Character, and in a flash, his surroundings shifted.
A cool breeze swept past him.
He now stood in the middle of a vast, open plain, the sky stretching endlessly above.
In front of him, three-character options floated in midair—
Human, Elf, and Beastkin.
Some rumors [ EAO] included hidden races and special classes, but their appearance rates were said to be less than one in ten million.
Kiriya glanced through the options and sighed inwardly.
Looks like I'm not that lucky today.
He selected Human.
"Scanning facial features... Please wait."
A beam of soft blue light slowly swept across his field of vision.
The character creation process had officially begun.
Before long, a character that looked exactly like Kiriya appeared before him, dressed in simple leather armor, clearly a freshly created newbie.
However, there was no story cutscene or introductory dialogue.
Only a flat system message:
"The game has not yet begun. Please wait patiently."
The next moment, the scenery shifted dramatically.
Kiriya's perspective was suddenly swept into a battlefield drenched in blood and chaos.
In a vast canyon, war raged.
A coalition of humans, elves, and beastkin fought desperately against the overwhelming forces of darkness.
Robed mages swung their staffs as enormous fireballs tore through the sky; lithe female archers in sleek armor fired volley after volley of glowing arrows with deadly precision.
On the front lines, berserkers charged in headfirst, their massive weapons cleaving through ranks of skeleton soldiers, their bodies glowing with a red aura like wrathful war gods.
On the other side of the battlefield, dark-robed warlocks roared incantations, unleashing black meteors from the heavens, which crashed down in flaming destruction.
The warriors of the light were engulfed in fire, their armor turning red-hot as screams echoed through the smoke.
Suddenly, beams of radiant white light descended—healing magic.
Priests began chanting, their voices weaving protective spells into the carnage.
At the same time, a few shadowy figures slipped silently across the front line.
Blades flashed.
Several dark warlocks collapsed instantly, their skeletal remains shattered in mid-air by merciless assassins.
Then, snowflakes began to fall.
In the blink of an eye, a frigid blizzard swept the canyon.
Massive chunks of ice crashed down from above, crushing hundreds on the battlefield.
The allied forces were thrown into chaos and despair.
All eyes turned to the sky.
A massive four-winged demon hovered in the air, arms outstretched, chanting a dark incantation in an ancient tongue.
His power froze the entire canyon in an instant, locking thousands in a frozen death.
But then—
A brilliant flash of light sliced through the sky.
A devastating arc of sword energy surged across the battlefield.
The demon shrieked in agony as his wings were severed clean off.
His forbidden spell was interrupted.
The demon crashed into the canyon below, where enraged berserkers tore him apart in a frenzy.
The camera panned upward.
Standing atop the cliff was a lone figure.
A young man with striking silver hair, calm yet piercing eyes, and a long sword held loosely at his side.
He stood in silence, watching over the battlefield like a solitary god of war—his gaze not of arrogance, but of quiet sorrow.
Thunder rumbled across the horizon.
A storm was coming.
And just then, letters formed in glowing blue light high above the world:
[Eternal Art Online]
Kiriya was speechless.
He had been stunned into silence by what he had just witnessed. The sheer realism of the game was breathtaking—so immersive it made him forget this wasn't real.
There was no doubt now—this Mind Gear was indeed the real thing.
The official device for [EAO].
Which only made the mystery of the girl in his room—Lina—all the more suspicious.
How had she gotten her hands on a "Mind Gear" before the official release?
More importantly…
Her device was registered with the ID number: 000000002.
That meant the "Mind Gear" Kiriya was now using was likely the second unit ever released, directly from the developers themselves.
The game still had nearly a full day before its official launch, so Kiriya logged out and removed the Mind Gear. Sweat clung to his back from the heat, and he sat there for a moment, catching his breath.
Even after just a brief glimpse, he was deeply impressed. This game, the one touted as the product of a decade's work by the world's top developers, lived up to every word of its hype. The realism, the immersion, the detail—every aspect ignited the blood and stirred the imagination.
He recalled the promotional scene he'd just witnessed: a lone, dashing swordsman cleaving through a four-winged demon with a single brilliant strike.
Was it merely a cinematic teaser, or did it hint at what players could truly achieve? Could one, through skill and persistence, rise to such heights?
The thought brought a smile to his lips. If he could reach that level within the game, wouldn't that mean carving out his legend, commanding respect, power, even romance?
Just then, a sharp burnt smell hit his nose. Kiriya's eyes widened. The porridge! He had left it cooking on the stove. He bolted into the kitchen, quickly shut off the power, and lifted the lid. The sight inside was... tragic. Completely ruined.
He sighed, appetite gone. In the bedroom, Lina was still asleep, drunk and unconscious. There was no way she was going to open the door for him anytime soon.
So, with nothing else to do, Kiriya tugged the yellow tablecloth from the dining table, draped it over himself, and lay down on the couch to make it through the night.
Others got lucky breaks, he thought. He ends up with a stunning girl passed out in his room, and somehow still feels like the universe is playing tricks on him.
At some point during the night, Kiriya slipped into a restless sleep. He didn't know how long he had been out when he was startled awake by a sudden light in his face.
A flashlight.
Kiriya blinked and found himself staring up at a round-faced man—his landlord.
Annoyed and groggy, Kiriya sat up, just about to say something when the landlord gave him a look of pure disdain.
"Kiriya, next month's rent is due. Don't make me evict you. And what are you doing sleeping out here at this hour?"
Kiriya looked toward the clock on the wall. It was well past 2 AM. He rubbed his eyes and asked, "Why are you here so late, sir?"
"Someone complained about the power going out. I came to check the fuse box. But forget that. When are you paying your rent?"
Kiriya's stomach tightened. The money he had set aside had been stolen a few days ago. And now, he had nothing to pay with.
Just as he was about to try explaining, the bedroom door creaked open.
Lina stepped out.
The landlord froze, eyes wide.
Lina, still half-asleep and disheveled, leaned against the doorway in a loose-fitting shirt that did little to hide her graceful figure. She looked utterly unaware of the situation as she muttered, "Water... I need water..."
For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then the landlord cleared his throat awkwardly.
"So... you have a girlfriend that pretty, huh? Fine, I'll come back another day. But you better find a job soon, or next time I won't be so forgiving."
Without another word, he pulled the door closed behind him and left.
Kiriya let out a sigh of relief, then looked toward Lina, who had already shuffled back into the bedroom. He smiled, despite everything.
Maybe today hadn't been a total disaster after all.
By now, Lina had been asleep for nearly eight hours. The effects of the alcohol had worn off, and she slowly stirred awake. Blinking her eyes a few times, she looked around, then turned to Kiriya and murmured, "I'm thirsty..."
Without thinking, Kiriya rose to his feet and poured her a cup of warm water. Maybe it was the natural magnetism of a beautiful woman that moved people to action—he didn't question it.
Lina took the cup, downed it in one go, and gave him another glance. A small smile tugged at her lips. "Your name's Kiriya, right?"
He nodded. "Kiriya. Kiriya Jin."
She brushed her hair behind her ear and said lightly, "Names aren't that important. What matters is that right now... I'm starving. Can you get me something to eat?"
Kiriya blinked. "At this hour? Everything's closed. Even the convenience stores."
Lina pouted ever so slightly. "I drank a lot. If I don't eat something, it will hurt my stomach."
He sighed inwardly. Truthfully, food or not, her stomach was probably already suffering from the alcohol.
"Why does a girl like you even drink so much?" he asked, not unkindly.
"That's none of your business!" she replied sharply, but then turned her face away and added softly, "You wouldn't understand why someone like me would..."
Kiriya let it slide. Without another word, he walked into the kitchen and ladled out the barely salvageable vegetable porridge into a bowl. With a soft "clack," he set it down on the dining table.
"This is all I have. If you want it, eat it. If not, you can go find something else. Your car's still downstairs."
Lina blinked, momentarily stunned. Her eyes flicked toward the bowl of porridge, her expression unreadable.
"This... is what you're eating?" she asked carefully.
He nodded with a touch of honesty. "Yeah. It's all I can afford these days."
At that very moment, Kiriya's stomach growled loudly. Lina glanced at him, surprised, then smiled in a way that seemed both amused and touched.
"You haven't eaten either, have you? Is there more? If not, let's share this bowl."
Kiriya hesitated. That was all the porridge he had left.
Lina must have read his thoughts. With a warm smile, she walked into the kitchen, grabbed another bowl, and carefully divided the small portion of porridge into two. She pushed one of them toward him and said with quiet cheer, "Here. Don't be shy."
Kiriya stared, almost disbelieving. This girl—who drove a BMW and wore designer brands—was willing to share a bowl of watery vegetable porridge with him?
In that moment, the night no longer felt so heavy.