Emperor of Solo Play Chapter 6:
Chapter 6 . Secret of the Expert (1)
“Gotta love the private loaners . They sure work fast if money is involved . ”
Drrk, drrrk!
An Jaehyun fiddled with the dial on his watch . He checked his bank account and saw the 10 million won he borrowed . Then, he fiddled with the dial again before lifting his watch towards his mouth .
“Peach Store . ”
Since the money was in, he knew where he had to go .
The Peach Store .
It controlled over 70% of the VR market, and contained the VR devices needed to access the virtual world . It was also where one could create his Warlord character . Peach Corp, of course, was in a partnership with Tobot Soft . Since Warlord’s launch, more than half of V-Gear buyers were looking to play Warlord . Since Warlord’s sales skyrocketed V-Gear sales, it was obvious that Peach Corp would give Warlord special treatment .
At the Peach Store, one could take care of everything needed to access Warlord .
‘Alright . ’
After looking up its location, An Jaehyun placed a small earphone over his left ear .
-Navigation started .
★★★
When the household virtual reality device, V-Gear Level 1 Model, appeared for the first time, the world called it a revolution .
But it wasn’t a revolution for most people .
“Who the **** would buy a gaming console for 20 million won?”
It was truly revolutionary for VR devices worth several hundreds of millions to be reduced to 20 million, but the price was still exorbitant . Instead of trying to lower the cost, Peach Corp took a different approach in solving this problem .
You aren’t paying for a new toy, but a new era!
That was Peach Corp’s slogan, and Peach Corp took great effort in creating the Peach Store .
It was different from an ordinary store . Its peach-shaped building and its sleek and fancy walls were unique to the Peach Store . Its interior was even more astounding .
Inside the Peach Store, one had unlimited access to any V-Gear related content .
Enjoy as much as you want, then buy it! This was their motto .
This unlimited access applied for all 24 hours of the day . They were open 24/7, and Peach Stores allowed their customers to freely try out the V-Gear . There were some who made their Warlord characters and played exclusively inside the Peach Stores!
When An Jaehyun visited the Peach Store for the first time in quite a while, he naturally found himself looking around for any changes . He saw other customers seated on comfy chairs, wearing huge gloves and thick helmets slightly bigger than motorcycle helmets . They were obviously customers enjoying the VR world .
At this time, an employee walked up to An Jaehyun .
“Can I help you?”
At the employee’s pleasant smile, An Jaehyun immediately replied,
“I’m here to buy the Level 1 model V-Gear . I’m ready to form the contract, so lead the way . ”
Because of An Jaehyun’s hasty reply, the employee thought he was the impatient type . The employee asked An Jaehyun a question according to his manual .
“Have you used a V-Gear before?”
An Jaehyun stopped to think .
‘Not at this point . ’
Before he returned to the past, An Jaehyun even showed symptoms of neck disc from wearing V-Gear too much, but all that has yet to happen in the current time . The An Jaehyun now had never used a V-Gear before .
“No, I haven’t . ”
“Then I recommend you try one out before purchasing it . As you know, some people feel dizzy or show signs of motion sickness with V-Gears . ”
“I’ll just buy it right away . ”
If An Jaehyun showed such symptoms, he wouldn’t have come back to the past in the first place .
The employee led An Jaehyun to buy a V-Gear . As he walked, An Jaehyun noticed something from the corner of his eyes, and he stopped .
“Wait . ”
“Yes?”
“Isn’t that a Level 6S? Is that on sale?”
An Jaehyun could see an emerald-colored V-Gear, unlike the normal white colored ones, as well as two programmers testing it .
‘That’s definitely a Level 6, and an S-Level to boot . Didn’t that go on sale around the end of 2036?’
Level 1 was the most basic model for V-Gears, and every subsequent level indicated a higher model . Higher models showed better VR performances, as better equipment showed better results . The difference wasn’t too big . The general consensus was that there was about a 2% difference for every 1 level .
But this 2% was nothing to scoff at, especially if it accumulated . A 2% difference in one’s stats was a huge difference . Between a Level 1 model and a Level 4 model, there was a whole 6% difference! One wouldn’t be able to find an in-game item that raised one’s stats by 6% no matter how much they paid .
Level 4 V-Gear were around 100 million won . These were used by professionals whose livelihoods depended on their performances in Warlord . The Level 5 models could only be custom ordered, and the price skyrocketed depending on what additional options the buyer ordered . As for the Level 6 model, they weren’t even on sale yet! The ones in existence should still be in there testing stage .
Plus, the emerald color indicated that it was an S-series . The ‘S’ stood for ‘special,’ and it was meant to be the one of Peach Store’s fanciest V-Gears . There were only 77 of them for each level, and they boasted an astronomical price . They weren’t meant for regular users or even professionals, but for rich millionaires and billionaires… the kind who bought yachts on a whim .
‘That thing is so good . ’
An Jaehyun had once used one of these . When An Jaehyun was making a name for himself in Warlord, he was chosen as a Level 7S tester, and he was genuinely awed . As he was still using a Level 3 model at this time, he felt as if he changed from a cheap bike to the best sports car . He could do whatever he wanted .
The programmers who received An Jaehyun’s VR testing data were equally surprised . They even claimed no one could so perfectly utilize the Level 7S’s capabilities as An Jaehyun .
In any case, the Level 6S was right in front of him .
An Jaehyun was naturally curious .
“Sorry, but that model is not on sale . ”
The employee immediately explained, to which An Jaehyun couldn’t help but to laugh inside .
‘Even if I had the money to buy that, I’d probably spend it on stocks instead . ’
The current An Jaehyun didn’t have the capital to buy such a thing even if it was on sale . Even so, he couldn’t understand why something that wasn’t on sale officially would be at the Peach Store . Usually, Peach Corp directly delivered such products to the buyer’s location . It wasn’t something that would be on display at a store, just like how a Lamborghini wouldn’t be on display at a local car store .
‘This could only mean there was a technical problem, and they hurriedly brought it here for a test . ’
It was obvious that there was a problem with the machine, and technicians were on the case because of its owner’s notice .
An Jaehyun was curious about its owner .
‘Someone in Korea who can buy a product that isn’t even on sale yet…’
Furthermore, it was highly likely that An Jaehyun knew this owner .
‘It’s her, isn’t it?’
This owner was also the person he despised the most in the whole world .
An Jaehyun frowned .
The employee misunderstood An Jaehyun’s change in expression . Thinking it was his fault, the employee bowed his head in apology .
“We’re very sorry, but that product is…”
“Hm?”
An Jaehyun was surprised, but soon realized what the employee was thinking .
‘Peach Store employees are way too kind . It’s almost too much . ’
An Jaehyun immediately relaxed his expression .
“No, I was squinting because I couldn’t see well . If you aren’t selling it, that’s that . Let’s go form the contract . Ah, I’m also making a Warlord character so take care of that as well . ”
At An Jaehyun’s words, the employee began walking . As he followed the employee, An Jaehyun turned his head once again .
‘Is this model really that bitch’s? Then I won’t feel satisfied until I spit on it or something…’