Reality Quest: Strike Back

I slid the key into the door with a ching! as the lock clicked open.

The warmth inside hit me like a truck as I kicked off my shoes and walked inside. 

The smell of sesame oil and garlic wafted from the kitchen, but the sharp clatter of pots and pans told me my mum wasn't in the best mood.

"Dae," her voice called, sharp and firm. "You're late. What did I tell you about staying out after school?"

I sighed, bracing myself as I stepped into the living room. My mum was at the stove, her back to me as she stirred something in a pot. The apron she wore was spotless, as always… she wasn't the type to let even cooking get messy.

"Sorry," I muttered, dropping my bag onto the couch.

She turned to face me, her eyes narrowing as they scanned me from head to toe. "What were you doing?"

"Just hanging out with Minseok," I said, keeping my voice casual.

Her eyes lingered on the PC cafe ID hanging off the hem of my shirt and the faint smudge of snacks on my trousers. "And by 'hanging out,' you mean wasting time at one of those internet cafes again?"

I hesitated, caught. "...It's not like that. We were—"

"Dae," she cut me off, her tone firm but not raised. "Do you think I work every day for you to waste your time and my money on games? If you spent half as much energy on your schoolwork as you do on whatever nonsense you and Minseok get up to, maybe I wouldn't have to keep reminding you about your future."

"I know, Mum," I said quickly, raising my hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not slacking, I swear. We're just...unwinding after exams."

"Exams you haven't even gotten your grades back for yet," she shot back. "And judging by that face, I don't think I need to ask how you did."

I winced. "Can we not do this right now? I'll eat, shower, and start studying, okay?"

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and for a moment, I thought she might launch into another lecture. But instead, she turned back to the stove, giving the pot one last stir before turning off the heat.

"Go wash up," she said curtly. "Dinner's almost ready."

Dinner was a quiet affair, as it usually was. My mum wasn't the type to fill silence with small talk, and I wasn't in the mood to try.

"Eat more vegetables," she said, nodding toward the untouched pile of cabbage on my side dish.

"I'm eating them," I mumbled, shoving a forkful into my mouth to prove it.

She watched me for a moment, her gaze sharp. "You've been coming home late a lot recently. Are you in trouble?"

The question caught me off guard. "Trouble? No. Why would you even think that?"

Her eyes narrowed, and I could tell she didn't entirely believe me. "You're my son, Daehyun. But even then, you can't expect me to know everything. Am I supposed to immediately jump to the right conclusion?"

"But you already know I've just been going outside to play games. What's that got to do with trouble?"

"You didn't do this before."

I stayed silent. She pressed her lips together and then changed the subject.

"So, are you and Minseok still planning to go to university together?" my mum asked, setting aside a plate of steaming ox bone soup in front of me.

"Yeah," I said absentmindedly, poking at the rice in my bowl. "We've got it all figured out. Same school, same dorms. Easy."

"Hmm," she said. "You make it sound simple, but you know it's not, right? Getting into a good university isn't something you can just wing."

"I know, I know," I said, forcing a smile. "We'll be fine. Trust me."

She gave me a look like she wasn't entirely convinced but decided not to press the issue. Instead, she changed the subject, telling me about her day at work and gossip she'd overheard from the neighborhood ajummas.

After dinner, I helped clear the table, stacking dishes and carrying them to the sink. My mum washed while I dried, the quiet clinking of plates and running water the only sounds between us.

"You've got an hour to yourself before you start studying," she said, not looking up from scrubbing the pot. "No excuses."

"Got it," I replied quickly, grabbing the last plate to dry.

I headed to my room, shutting the door behind me. My room wasn't anything special, just a bed, a desk piled with books, and my trusty computer setup crammed into the corner. The faint glow of the monitor called to me like a siren.

I sat down, pulling out my textbooks and flipping to the pages we'd covered in class. The words blurred together as I tried to focus, my pen tapping against the desk in an uneven rhythm.

Complete the exercise. Don't play games. Don't open the launcher.

I managed about fifteen minutes before my resolve broke.

"Just five minutes," I muttered to myself, sliding my chair toward the PC. "Just need to test out that new sword."

The moment I logged into Quest of Mirina, the tension of the day melted away. My character, ApplePiePang, stood proudly in the center of the marketplace, the newly acquired Fire King Greatsword strapped to his back. The weapon practically glowed, its fiery aura casting flickering shadows on the cobblestone streets.

I opened the map, scanning for the Flaming Cavern. The mobs there were stupidly hard to farm, but with the new sword, they'd finally be manageable.

The cavern entrance loomed before me, jagged rocks and molten lava spilling down the walls. I grinned, gripping the mouse as I stepped inside. The first mob, a hulking fire golem, appeared almost immediately.

"Bitch," I muttered, clicking furiously.

The Greatsword was everything I'd hoped for. With each swing, flames erupted in dazzling arcs, cutting through the golem's health bar like butter. My inventory filled quickly with drops, Molten Cores, Fire Essence, even a few gemstones I could sell.

I lost track of time, immersed in the rhythm of combat. The crackling of the golems, the swoosh of my sword, and the satisfying chime of XP notifications drowned out the rest of the world.

"Just one more," I whispered as I spotted another mob in the distance.

A sudden knock on my door jolted me out of the game.

"Daehyun," my mum's voice called from the hallway. "Are you studying or wasting time?"

My hand shot to the mouse, minimizing the game in record time. "Studying!" I called back, frantically flipping open a book on my desk.

There was a pause, and I could feel her standing on the other side of the door, debating whether to come in.

"Alright," she said finally. "Don't stay up too late."

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding.

Once the sound of her footsteps faded, I maximized the game again. I had barely touched the keys when a notification popped up:

SYSTEM MESSAGE: Flaming Cavern cleared. Party leader 'The Creator' has sent you a friend request.

I blinked, glancing at the chat window. The Creator had been in the cavern too? I hadn't even noticed anyone else farming there.

Curious, I clicked on the request. Someone with a cringe name like that couldn't be that bad.

[The Creator]: Would you be looking for a Party Raid?

I hesitated before typing back.

[ApplePiePang]: Which Boss?

[The Creator]: Magmarose. I need someone to serve me and distract the monsters.

I frowned. He's even typing super cringe. Was he pretending to be a king? I clicked on his profile and then gulped. 

[Level 200]

Holy shit. He'd reached max level.

My fingers flew across the keyboard.

[ApplePiePang]: I prostrate myself before you in service my lord! Let me enter your servitude!

SYSTEM MESSAGE: You have joined the Party Raid led by 'The Creator.'

The chat window lit up with The Creator's messages.

[The Creator]: Good. Let's get this done quickly.

I rolled my eyes but didn't type anything back. The guy was clearly full of himself, but who was I to argue? A Level 200 player wasn't someone you ignored.

I followed his lead through the Flaming Cavern, the monsters barely registering as threats with The Creator in the party. His attacks were precise, devastating, and almost unfair. With one sweep of his Pure black sword, entire clusters of fire golems disintegrated into pixelated ash.

Meanwhile, I did my part, pulling mobs toward him, acting as bait, and chipping away at the enemies he missed. It wasn't glamorous, but it worked.

Finally, we reached the deepest part of the cavern. Magmarose stood in the center of the molten arena, his massive, demonic form glowing.

[The Creator]: I'll handle the accursed demon. You focus on the monsters.

I typed back a quick acknowledgment and readied myself.

The fight was chaos. Magmarose unleashed waves of molten petals, his attacks splintering the ground and summoning waves of smaller fire spirits. I darted around, kiting the spirits away from The Creator and taking potshots where I could.

The Creator, meanwhile, was a blur of destruction. His sword tore through Magmarose's health bar like it was nothing, his character dodging attacks with mechanical precision.

It took less than five minutes, but it felt like an eternity.

SYSTEM MESSAGE: Fire King Magmarose defeated! Rare loot dropped!

I exhaled, leaning back in my chair as the victory music played. My inventory screen lit up with the spoils:

Fire God Greatsword (Legendary)

Molten Staff of Ignition

Magmarose Core (Legendary)

My jaw dropped. The Fire God Greatsword was leagues above anything I'd dreamed of getting. Its stats were insane, and it looked even cooler than the Fire King Greatsword I'd farmed for earlier.

I hesitated, my cursor hovering over the Fire God Greatsword in my inventory. I didn't want to give it up. But… there was no way I'd have been able to get it without him.

With a sigh, I dragged the sword into the trade window.

[ApplePiePang]: Here. It's yours.

[The Creator]: You're really giving this to me?

[ApplePiePang]: Yep.

[The Creator]: I've been hunting for this till now!

I checked the clock and nearly had a heart attack. It was almost 1 a.m.

Quickly, I logged out and turned off the monitor. My mum would kill me if she found out I was still awake.

I tiptoed to the door and cracked it open, listening for any signs of life. The house was silent, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator.

Relieved, I crept back to my bed and slid under the covers. I could always brush my teeth tomorrow.

As I lay there, staring at the ceiling, my thoughts drifted back to The Creator and the fight with Magmarose. A part of me wanted to reach his level, to see what it was like to be the strongest player in the game.

But another part of me wondered if it was even worth it.

Eventually, exhaustion won out, and I drifted off to sleep, the image of the Fire God Greatsword still glowing in my mind.

***

The Destroyer: [You want to give it to him?]

The Creator: [Yes. He has proven himself worthy.]

The Destroyer: [Did we not agree to give it to The Son, when his time comes?]

The Creator: [He will get it too.]

The Destroyer: [You want to give it to them both?]

The Creator: [Precisely. I have given it much contemplation.]

The Creator: [This game shall be Single Player no longer.]

The pixelated characters left the screen, much as if they were never there in the beginning. 

Or maybe… that was never the beginning at all.