Streamer Crazy About Slaughter - Chapter 5

As I settled my body into the black sphere capsule, it soon enveloped me gently.

The first impression was that it seemed designed to facilitate my entry into Another World as soon as I sat down.

Suddenly, my vision faded to black, and a strange sensation wrapped around me.

At the same time, a lavish golden font embroidered on a white background obscured my sight.

[To a wider world of adventure]

It looked like a screen that usually decorates the opening of a game, and for a moment, the brilliantly colorful background of a world I had never seen before consumed my view.

Just as I felt a touch of warm sunlight, I was already in an incomprehensible place.

“…”

Everything was more natural than I expected.

Even if I felt a strange sense of otherness, the realism was hard to believe, even as I experienced it firsthand, knowing this was virtual reality.

“Is this… virtual reality?”

I muttered blankly. A woman’s voice, strikingly similar yet distinctly different from my own in reality, responded.

I tried flapping my hands or moving my feet.

An unfamiliar, peculiar sensation flowed through my entire body that felt nothing like myself.

I didn’t know the detailed mechanics or systems, but the level of realism was intriguing, making it hard to simply label this as just a game.

There were quite a few people in what appeared to be a bustling urban area besides me.

Each one was full of personality, perfectly fitting the genre of an RPG titled “Another World.” From massive great swords that could cover their bodies to one-handed swords, bows, crossbows, spears, axes, katanas, maces, and various magical staffs—many colorful armaments were on display.

As I gazed at the people, I wondered what my weapon might be.

At that thought, I felt a familiar sensation in my hand.

Uh!

I suddenly held my breath.

As I slowly raised my hand, a weapon with a shape I was all too familiar with swung from my arm.

‘…Does this make sense?’

It was the Crescent Moon Blade.

Could this really be a coincidence?

The original “Han Serin,” who would have enjoyed this game… might I actually be a version of myself from a parallel world? It was such an absurd coincidence that it almost made me think.

There didn’t seem to be anyone around, even among the many people I saw walking the streets, wielding a Crescent Moon Blade.

It was undoubtedly a less popular weapon even here.

Yet, the being that was once “Han Serin” chose the same weapon as “I” did.

Even the color of the strap connecting it to my right arm was gold.

“……”

I let out a hollow laugh as I turned to look at the people passing through the city.

I also spotted some fairly ordinary-looking individuals who weren’t armed at all.

Among them, there were some ordinary faces, but most of them shared a strikingly beautiful appearance that dominated the majority. If I encountered them in real life, their faces would surely capture attention, yet somehow they all looked quite similar.

It made me wonder if they all followed a famous customization trend.

Well, since it’s a game, perhaps it was only natural to decorate a character’s appearance to be like a clone.

“…”

I had some information when I accessed this Another World. However, I still knew nothing about my character.

As I strolled through the city, I searched for something like a mirror. I needed to understand more about my character.

When I looked at the mirror in a shop that was entirely made of glass, a hollow laugh escaped before I knew it.

In the mirror, a woman with white-streaked skin stared back at me.

She had a skin so pale it appeared ghostly.

A beautiful woman with long silver hair.

The expression on her face, set against her finely featured beauty, looked almost emotionless.

Depending on how you looked at her, the seemingly indifferent expression reflected various aspects.

And those images were all too familiar to me.

The original “Han Serin” had been confident in her appearance. Even my character in this virtual reality seemed to represent me.

The reflection in the mirror bore no significant differences from my true self.

‘Lin’

My favorite character, now a form that had become my very essence.

She was undoubtedly a real human but possessed an unrealistic appearance far from what one might consider human.

While the character was designed with Eastern beauty in mind, I had put considerable effort into customizing her.

To incorporate Western features, I switched her originally dark ebony hair to silver and altered her facial features to look mixed-race.

In this strange virtual reality, perhaps those unusual traits didn’t draw attention as much. Still, my appearance outside this gaming system was undeniably outlandish.

That was likely why I hadn’t even thought about stepping outside for days.

In the game world, the ability to ignore the countless gazes of others was founded on a sense of omnipotence.

Because I had power.

I didn’t care about the looks directed at me.

Within that realm, I had a strength that could quite literally overlook all others.

But…

Could the frail body I had now, which felt utterly powerless, truly handle the gaze of others as casually as I once did?

I was afraid of that reality.

I still needed more time to accept it.

As I cautiously touched my cheek reflected in the mirror, a smirk escaped.

The woman with silver hair reflected in the mirror was also wearing a sardonic smile.

Her gaze was so cold it almost sent chills down my spine.

Yet, I didn’t find that expression unpleasant at all.

— Black Ark.

The name of the world where I had spent years. In other words, the original name of the game.

My appearance within the world of Black Ark had always been thus.

Wearing a cold smile, I wandered alone, refusing the company of those who approached.

‘Do I really… not need to remake my character?’

By the time I started the Another World, my earlier thoughts of deleting and remaking my character were gone.

This character was essentially no different from the true me.

It was as if they had simply transferred my form from the world of Black Ark.

The familiar weight on my right arm.

I began to spin the Crescent Moon Blade as I moved forward.

Clearly, in this RPG game, there would be various hunting grounds.

It was undoubtedly different from the vivid sensations I had previously experienced.

Nonetheless, I felt it might somewhat quench the thick craving that had been building up inside me.

……

“…There’s no portal?”

When I searched for something like a portal but confirmed that such a thing didn’t exist in this game, I could only let out a hollow laugh.

Opening the world map and looking at the vast terrain and cities positioned all around, their sizes were nothing short of enormous.

‘How am I supposed to get around, exactly?’

I couldn’t understand what the game’s creators were thinking.

As I manipulated something akin to a holographic settings menu in the virtual world, I soon found my means of transportation.

—Hiiiin!

Even when standing still, a creature nuzzled its head affectionately against my hand.

Without realizing it, I stroked its pure white mane and blinked blankly.

A mount. Therefore, the appearance of the means of transportation was all too familiar.

It was reminiscent of a steed from the world of “Black Ark.”

Furthermore, it took the form of a unicorn.

It looked like a regular white horse, but its wings folded like those of a pegasus.

‘Ariane?’

A flying horse.

Its speed far surpassed that of ordinary horses, but more importantly, it could soar over various terrains, shortening travel distances—that was the advantage of Ariane.

Though it was known to be a rare mount in the world of “Black Ark,” for some reason, I found a creature similar to it in this virtual reality.

As I gazed blankly at the horse that continued to nuzzle my hand, a thought suddenly struck me.

Isn’t this world of the virtual reality game ‘Black Ark’ far too similar?

But the thought was momentary. As I naturally mounted the horse, I opened the world map and designated a nearby hunting ground.

I selected the ‘Darkly Stained Elf’s Forest.’

—Hiiiin!!

The horse let out a cry and began to move at an astonishing speed.

Designating coordinates allowed the mount to move there automatically.

Everything was reminiscent of “Black Ark.”

Then, at that moment, the horse seemed to increase its speed, and instinctively I grabbed the saddle to steady myself.

—!!

In the last moment as the speed intensified, its beautiful white wings spread wide, and began to fly into the sky.

Toward the vast world. I quickly soared through the sky, feeling the refreshing wind rush past me, and a smile escaped my lips.

“…This seems fun.”

It slipped out from my heart, and before I realized it, I exclaimed in awe.

But that feeling vanished just as quickly.

Swiinng!!

Something sharp shot through the air, slicing the wind, and I turned my gaze blankly toward it.

And at that moment, instinctively whipping my head, something grazed my cheek.

“…”

As I blankly touched my cheek, I felt no significant pain.

Just then, bright red bl**d stained my hand.

Ding!

Ding!

An alarm rang out, notifying me of danger.

[Outlaw. ‘Ashibal Jukdeunga’ is approaching you.]