* * *

That day was the 99th VFA siege battle.

The more accustomed I became to using powers in the game, the duller real life seemed—because I couldn’t use such superpowers in reality.

I selected a skill from the skill window.

[Lightning lv99]

The true charm of VFA lies in mental power.

Even basic skills with low attack power become amplified when mental power is applied.

This intangible force, which can never be fully understood without experiencing it firsthand, varies for each player and adds a layer of mystery and realism—a third transcendent sense.

Zzzap—

As I focused my nerves on my fingertips, an electric current crackled.

Soon, a high-voltage bolt of lightning struck forward, capable of incinerating the cave walls of the dungeon.

BAM BAM BAM BAM—!

“Whoa.”

“The Guildmaster is at it again with another massacre of noobs—no, noob monsters.”

The monsters ahead were annihilated. I was in the southern dungeon, preparing the equipment sets for our top guild members just before the siege battle.

In truth, dungeons are boring for a ranker like me. The main content of this game isn’t monster hunting, but siege battles. Fighting other players is far more exciting and thrilling than hunting monsters.

Mino and Enker. I turned to our guild’s youngest members.

“Did you get the items?”

“Yay! Finally dropped!!”

Though they are rankers who can handle dungeons on their own, I joined to save time since the siege battle was imminent. Mino and Enker chatted away.

“Lately, VFA isn’t hosting many events.”

“Maybe because the siege battle is nearing its end?”

“That’s part of it, but the veterans are being nudged to head to Lowgard. It offers the highest experience points.”

“That makes sense. They push us there for the story’s clarity.”

“Ugh. Lowgard is tough, with all those demons and fiends packed in.”

“The monster density is insane.”

“And the reward items suck. Are they encouraging us to raid it or not?”

Both are college students. Our guild has an even younger member, but I can’t reveal anything about them. I told Mino and Enker.

“If we’re done, let’s head out.”

“Yep.”

Enker scanned the dungeon.

“No matter how easy a dungeon is, you’re the only one who can clear it with basic skills at the lowest level, Guildmaster.”

I replied.

“Well, maybe not the only one, but as a top ranker, I should do at least this much.”

“You’re not just a top ranker, you’re the top in VFA.”

“If we only consider pure mental power, our Guildmaster ranks higher than Darts.”

I humbly acknowledged.

“That’s true.”

“Everything is beneath our Guildmaster’s feet.”

“We respect you, Guildmaster.”

They’re adorable. It’s no accident they joined and stayed as my close aides in our guild, which is considered one of the top two in VFA. They’re skilled, diligent, and have good social skills.

Thanks to that last trait, when I tested them as siege battle members, they diligently learned and improved their skills, making me proud. Thus, these promising young men became gaming recluses with me.

Just then, a notification popped up in the chat window. Our guild’s vice leader, Kali, called me for a one-on-one voice chat.

[Did you get the items?]

“Just now.”

[Then come straight to the Defronta Imperial Castle without logging out.]

“I’ll stop by the guild first.”

[Alright.]

* * *

VFA. The game’s realism is insane.

It’s almost like traveling to another world through a game console.

Some users feel discomfort at this alternate reality, but rankers find it laughable.

VFA is an addiction to power.

Once you taste its thrill, you can never let it go.

The joy of using magic and superpowers freely, reigning over NPCs as a god—it’s the top game for creating game addicts.

For those obsessed with the game, it’s a stimulating reputation that sparks curiosity.

“Guildmaster, check out the free board when you’re bored. It’s hilarious.”

“Today, too, the board is full of crazies.”

After a quick stop at the guild to store items we wouldn’t need immediately, we headed to the forefront, the Defronta Empire, with the youngest members.

Glancing at the chat windows, I saw multiple tabs open.

“Reality glitch?”

It’s a topic that surfaces quite regularly on VFA’s free board.

“Yes. It seems more people are seeing status windows in real life. But users, feeling embarrassed, tell them to shut up and beat them up.”

“Reading the posts makes you wonder if there’s something wrong with the game.”

“Why? Do you see something too?”

“Not really, but there are so many.”

“Hey, the world is big and full of crazies.”

Mino and Enker chatted away.

It’s unclear what strange things the developers did to enhance the game’s realism, but some users experienced hallucinations related to VFA due to unknown brain issues.

This is called a ‘reality glitch.’

Fortunately, none of our guild members had experienced it yet. I spoke up.

“If playing a game causes mental problems, you should quit. What if VFA gets banned legally?”

“Exactly!”

Mino and Enker agreed, laughing at the sensible notion. This is the general sentiment among users.

I’m a hardcore player of this game, yet even I don’t see status windows in real life.

Seeing game illusions in real life would be pretty serious.

“Is this the first time there’s been a bug in the game affecting reality? People have been warned it could mess up their brains, but the die-hard gamers just keep playing.”

Everyone laughed at Mino’s comment.

For the record, we all included ourselves in those crazy die-hard gamers who don’t listen and just keep playing.

This was a mix of self-deprecating humor and a bit of truth among VFA players.

I laughed and added without much thought, “But I’m curious what it would feel like to see a status or skill window in real life. Even if it’s an illusion, it would be thrilling.”

Enker and Mino quickly agreed.

“Ah, it would be so much fun.”

“Like, the game becoming reality, and it turns out Midgard is another world or something.”

“Yeah, the theory about Midgard being another world is famous.”

Way to switch gears quickly. You guys are really good at socializing.

“If the game became real, our Guildmaster would be the top.”

“Of course. When your brain power goes beyond a certain point, it just shows as infinite. What’s the point of Dart being number one in the rankings?”

Honestly, I don’t think that’s quite right.

VFA rankings consider overall abilities, individual combat win rates, and both maximum and average outputs when using skills.

I’m not sure how exactly the data is compiled, but it’s a pretty meaningful metric.

Though there are clearly exceptions and loopholes.

“It’s all because our guild was a latecomer and our Guildmaster is a pacifist. Especially in this upcoming siege, we’re planning to crush Space King as our hidden card.”

“We need to shake up the rankings big time.”

“Of course we should.”

I agreed cheerfully and kept walking.

For now, Dart and Space King still firmly hold the top spots in the rankings.

Dart, the number one player on the Korean server, and his guild Space King, the number one guild.

Our guild, Full Minak, is currently their only real rival.

We all stood in front of the gate.

“Defronta.”

The warp gate lit up as I said the country name.

The three of us stepped onto the large light, and after a short loading time, the scene changed.

A massive castle appeared before our eyes.

As a shadow fell on the ground, the NPC gatekeepers below us flinched and saluted.

The central entrance, like an airport, was a passage exclusively for players.

Thud. Thud.

The three of us landed lightly.

[Notice!]

[Kaisha has entered.]

[Mino has entered.]

[Enker has entered.]

[Full Minak’s Divine Order has arrived in the Grand Defronta Empire. Would you like to announce the arrival of the gods? (Range selectable)]

A brief information window about the Grand Defronta Empire appeared in the air, but I turned it off immediately.

We headed to the operations room.

The Imperial Castle of Defronta was bustling with activity in preparation for the siege.

Every NPC we passed bowed their heads in respect.

The castle interior was decorated with Full Minak’s banners and symbols.

These indicated that Full Minak, or more specifically, Full Minak’s guild members, were worshipped as gods in this empire.

The game system of VFA roughly goes like this:

It’s a world where players are gods and NPCs are humans. The gods rule human civilization.

The lands where players, called gods by NPCs, mainly reside and operate are known as Highgard, and the lands of the human NPCs are called Midgard.

Beyond the sea to the east lies the homeland of monsters, Lowgard.

High, Mid, Low.

The continents of gods, humans, and monsters.

Players form guilds and engage in sieges to capture land in Midgard.

They protect and govern the captured land from invading forces and monsters to revive human civilization.

When we arrived at the operations room, Kali was waiting for me.

“Oh, you’re here?”

Kali, the vice Guildmaster of Full Minak.

[Name] Kali (lv99)

—Korean server ranking 14th

Affiliation: Full Minak

Position: Vice Guildmaster

[[View Details]]

With her long purple hair tied up high and striking golden eyes.

‘Kali’ is a Hindu goddess symbolizing death and destruction, very warlike and powerful.

True to her name, Kali has a fierce and intense warrior vibe, but in reality, this character’s actual gender is male.

For the record, among the three of us who met and became friends early on in the guild’s creation—Kali, Maya, and me—only Kali was a guy.

He once pretended to be a girl when we first hung out and almost got cut off when the truth came out, but at some point, he surpassed Maya and became my best friend.

Probably because, unlike Maya, who plays the game moderately, Kali and I practically live in the game.

Kali spoke up.

“Something happened while you were away.”

“Right before the siege?”

The highlight of VFA, the Midgard siege, was about to enter the final land-grabbing phase.

With only the last piece of land, Wichen, left.

In VFA, it’s become almost a sport and a festival, with players betting and causing quite a stir.

“Prince Hiron has defected to Kalba. Upon further investigation, it seems he’s been colluding with them for months.”

“!”

Prince Hiron is an NPC we govern in the Defronta Empire.

Kalba is the territory of the rival guild, Space King, so Hiron defecting to Kalba is a complete betrayal to us.

“According to witnesses, he was with Serentia.”

Whistle continued as he appeared.

A male NPC emerged as the curtain of the planning room lifted.

[Pyun Whistle]

Rank: SSS+

Affiliation: Defronta/Full Minak

Position: General

Primary Allegiance: Kaisha (Full Minak)

Secondary Allegiance: Enker (Full Minak)

[Would you like to train him?]

[[View Skills]]

He is my loyal hero.

The game VFA features a system where players can govern NPCs and train specific ones as their supporters.

An S-rank NPC hero is on par with average players.

However, only a Triple S-rank hero can even attempt to withstand the veteran rankers in siege battles.

To participate in siege battles, NPC heroes must be at max level.

With only one unclaimed territory left in Midgard, the current VFA siege battles are not just for average veteran parties but a full-blown war among top rankers.

* * *