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Chapter 3
At Heyeon’s impatient cry of “Skip!”, the little star narrowed its eyes at her for a moment.
Then it immediately plastered on another dazzling smile and continued its explanation.
It looked like the very embodiment of capitalism.
“Please create your game character! Once you’ve decided on an appearance, you won’t be able to change it except under special circumstances, so please choose carefully!”
The little star with the capitalist smile chirped enthusiastically.
Following its instructions, Heyeon carefully examined her reflection in the mirror that appeared before her.
The girl staring back at her expressionlessly was exactly as she was in reality.
Ash-pink dyed hair.
Since she’d neglected it for a while, her roots had already grown out black.
After a moment’s consideration, she simply changed her hair color back to black and finished creating her character.
She wasn’t confident in customization, anyway.
The little star bounced its sparkling stardust excitedly as it looked at Heyeon, whose eyes shone with anticipation.
“Please choose a nickname! Please note that nicknames containing the names of NPCs existing in the game or certain prohibited words cannot be used!”
“A nickname?”
“That nickname cannot be used!”
“…I wasn’t trying to use ‘nickname’ as my nickname.”
She had only asked a question.
Apparently, the system had interpreted it as an actual attempt.
She’d have to watch what she said.
Eventually, curiosity got the better of her.
“What kinds of nicknames can’t I use?”
“You can’t use that!”
“…Then what can I use?”
“You can’t use that!”
Unless the little star had malfunctioned, that meant someone, somewhere, had actually tried using those exact phrases as their nickname.
Who?
Who on earth made nicknames like that?
Even as Heyeon stared at it in disbelief, the little star scrunched up its tiny yellow face and hurried her along.
Various words drifted through her mind.
She tried simple two- and three-syllable words she knew.
Every single one was rejected.
Eventually, she changed tactics and started blurting out longer phrases.
“Java Chip Frappuccino.”
“You can’t use that!”
“Red Velvet Cake.”
“You can’t use that!”
“Here’s today’s weather forecast.”
“Wrong!”
“…Cold wave across the central region?”
“Would you like to use ‘Cold Wave Across the Central Region’?”
“No! Absolutely not!”
That was out of the question.
No matter what, she refused to use a nickname that sounded like a news ticker.
Watching the stardust drifting from the little star, Heyeon finally made her decision.
The phrase that had left the biggest impression on her before coming here.
“Snow Duck Charge!”
Her adorable little snow ducks.
The cute friends she’d made while waiting for her game capsule to arrive—
only for them to be thrown at unsuspecting children moments after being gifted away.
“Would you like to use ‘Snow Duck Charge’?”
Heyeon nodded in satisfaction.
Soon after, the little star announced that character creation had been completed, and the dark world around her gradually brightened.
“Wooow… huh?”
Where was this?
Contrary to her expectations of immediately entering the game world, Heyeon found herself transported into a pure white space.
It was silent.
Empty.
In a way, it resembled the black void she’d seen before the little star first appeared.
Just as she wondered if the game had lagged and considered trying something—
a black line suddenly scratched itself across the white expanse.
The line continued.
Extending.
Connecting.
Until it formed part of a drawing.
Heyeon stared blankly.
Then…
The completed drawing began to move.
It depicted a boy in his early teens hugging a puppy.
The picture moved slowly at first.
Then, as if beckoning her to follow, the boy glanced back and started walking forward.
Feeling strangely entranced, Heyeon followed him.
As he ran, the boy reached out and tapped the white space around him.
Tap.
Tap.
Each touch became a signal.
New drawings emerged.
Then gained life.
Trees sprouted.
Dense leaves rustled overhead.
The lines composing each leaf were so vivid that they seemed almost unsettling.
Beneath them, an elderly couple waved cheerfully in greeting.
A steaming bowl of soup appeared.
A flock of black birds drawn in ink swept across the sky above her head.
Eventually, the boy stopped.
Lowering himself to the ground, he began drawing something with his own hands.
Only now did Heyeon notice what he held.
A dull chunk of graphite.
It had been wedged between small pieces of wood and tied together with thin string.
A crude, handmade pencil.
Unlike before, he carefully drew each individual line.
What emerged was…
An old, shabby birdcage.
Words appeared beside him.
‘What is the one thing you would place inside and carry with you?’
“The one thing I’d carry?”
At her question, the boy raised his hand and pointed behind her.
The drawings they’d passed slowly moved in the distance.
The elderly couple.
The steaming soup.
The trees.
The black birds.
“…”
Was this some sort of psychological test?
Like asking what you’d abandon first while wandering through the desert?
Heyeon carefully considered each example.
She couldn’t guess what any of them symbolized.
Logically speaking…
A birdcage should hold birds.
But…
Her gaze shifted.
To the boy.
To the birdcage.
And finally—
to the graphite in his hand.
She wasn’t sure whether this kind of answer was allowed.
But if not, so what?
“I’d take the graphite you’re holding.”
Everything in this place had been drawn using that graphite.
If she had that…
Wouldn’t it be the same as carrying all of them?
At her answer, the boy smiled faintly.
Almost like a grimace.
‘I can’t give you this. It’s far too precious to me.’
“Ah…”
She hadn’t expected her answer to be rejected.
Flustered, Heyeon glanced around again.
Nothing else particularly caught her interest.
“Then… could you recommend something?”
‘You’re asking me?’
“Am I not supposed to…? I’ve never done anything like this before.”
At her awkward reply, the boy blinked.
‘What if I recommend something strange?’
“…That’s true.”
Still…
Even if he recommended something strange, Heyeon probably wouldn’t notice.
As far as she could tell, putting anything into that birdcage was equally bizarre.
So she smiled.
As if to say she didn’t mind.
‘You’re the type who accepts things easily.’
‘You don’t stubbornly insist on your own way.’
‘I wish my younger sibling had been like that.’
The boy rolled the graphite between his fingers.
His eyes looked sorrowful.
Then…
The graphite he’d refused to part with earlier—
he held it out to her.
‘I’ve waited a very long time.’
‘I’ve met many people.’
‘There were others similar to you.’
‘But I couldn’t trust any of them enough to choose.’
“Are you sure you can give this to me?”
‘I can’t wait any longer.’
‘I’ve waited far too long.’
Heyeon didn’t really understand what was happening.
But…
She’d gotten what she’d wanted.
That was good enough.
‘You are one who wanders.’
[Your Trait has been determined.]
[Your Trait is <Wanderer>.]
[Traits affect your future gameplay.]
[Wanderer: “What is it that we truly desire?”]
[Traits will greatly influence the path you walk.]
The sudden notification startled Heyeon so badly that her shoulders jerked.
The white world, like a blank canvas, began dissolving as though soaked in water.
The graphite drawings faded as if someone were smudging them away by hand.
Even then…
The boy waved until the very end.
Cradled in his arms, the puppy wagged its tail enthusiastically, copying him.
‘The Land of Memories isn’t a place for the living.’
“What?”
Before she could understand those words—
the white canvas world collapsed.
[Welcome to Märchen Horizon!]
[Extended gameplay may be harmful to your health. Please remember to eat regular meals and get sufficient rest!]
[(If you experience headaches or dizziness, we recommend stopping the game and consulting a nearby physician.)]
The very first sensation Heyeon noticed was smell.
It was a fresh, verdant scent—
something impossible to encounter in the cities of twenty-first-century society.
That alone made her feel as though her chest had opened up.
Taking a deep breath, Heyeon slowly opened her eyes.
The world spread before her.
The breeze stirred her hair.
Below the cliff, forests stretched endlessly.
Heyeon looked around in amazement.
Her first thought was simple.
Money really was wonderful.
This quality couldn’t even be compared to the trial version.
This…
was the power of modern capitalist technology.
Enjoying the taste of luxury, Heyeon surveyed her surroundings.
The starting area perched at the edge of the cliff showcased Märchen Horizon’s breathtaking scenery.
The horizon.
Beyond forests.
Across oceans.
The horizon truly existed there.
Clouds drifted lazily overhead.
Simply watching them brought an inexplicable peace.
After admiring the view for some time, Heyeon finally turned around.
And saw—
“…”
The awe she’d just felt toward the vast world collapsed instantly.
People.
Lots of people.
Standing in perfectly straight lines like fans waiting to enter a concert venue.
All of them were staring directly at her.
Each held flags covered in different slogans.
[✨Märchen Horizon✨ Guild: Join us and receive ✧weapons and equipment support✧! Reliable high-level players! Fun guild life! OMG ㄴ0ㅇ0ㄱ A chance you’ll never get again!]
[When I started this game, I reached Level 100 in one day, became a master craftsman, dominated hunting grounds—]
[⋆Guild: Pure Love Manga Lover⋆ You gave me that electric feeling! You’ll never get another chance like this! ☂ Even on rainy days ☃ Even on snowy days we’ll be together ዽ ጿ ኈ ቼ We’ll stop you from doing hip-hop dances ዽ ጿ ኈ ቼ]
…Let’s pretend I didn’t see that.
Heyeon immediately turned away and sprinted toward the tutorial NPC waiting for her.
The desert fox from the trial version—
the one who had said it would wait for her—
came trotting over while carrying a red rose in its mouth.
“…Cute.”
She still had no idea why a desert fox was here.
But it was cute, so who cared?
Carrying a rose nearly as large as its own face, the fox set it down at her feet and smiled sweetly.
Just seeing it made the exhaustion accumulated from life feel soothed.
Lowering herself, Heyeon picked up the rose.
[Character Creation Celebration Rose (Welcome to Märchen Horizon)]
A rose cultivated by the Little Prince and stolen by the desert fox, who became jealous of the rose the Little Prince loved.
“…?”
Wasn’t that item description a little weird?
Confused, Heyeon stood awkwardly holding the rose.
The desert fox tapped her leg with its paw.
“Nice to meet you!”
A voice like that of a young child emerged from the fox’s mouth.
Glancing at the rose in her hand, Heyeon asked,
“…Um, why did you give me this rose?”
“Because I’m happy about meeting you!”
“It says you stole it from the Little Prince…”
At her words, the fox squinted its eyes and smiled adorably.
“The important things aren’t what can be seen with the eyes.”
“You will become someone unique in all the world to me.”
“And I will become someone unique in all the world to you.”
“…Wow. That’s really touching.”
What was with this fox?
It stole someone else’s precious rose, yet somehow it was still delivering famous quotes flawlessly.
Swishing its fluffy tail, the fox offered her a quest.
True to a game that had distributed free trials ever since its release three years ago…
There were basically no explanations.
Fortunately, Heyeon already possessed trial-version knowledge.
[Desert Fox’s Sorrow]
The Little Prince is a fool who loves only one rose.
The desert fox loves such a prince, yet cannot hide the sadness that occasionally visits it.
‘You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed.’
Quest Objective: Go into the forest and tame an animal!
Reward: The Desert Fox’s Favor, ???
(Failure: The Desert Fox will never seek you out again.)
According to reviews she’d seen online, this quest didn’t really matter.
Skipping it.
Failing it.
Either was supposedly fine.
It was difficult for beginners with no skills to complete anyway.
Moreover…
Among those who had succeeded…
not a single player had ever reported the desert fox appearing again.
For three whole years.
Because of that, veteran players universally advised:
Unless you’re absolutely confident in taming animals, don’t waste your time.
Go straight to town and pick your class instead.
Heyeon hesitated.
Then she looked at the desert fox.
Standing on two feet.
Gazing up at her with its adorable face.
She made her decision.
Following the majority opinion…
She’d skip it.
Heyeon had never been particularly good with animals.
She raised her hand to refuse the quest.
At that moment—
“Excuse me.”
“…?”
“You’re a newbie, right? It looks like you’re about to reject the desert fox quest, but it’s actually worth doing.”
The speaker was a man wearing a pitch-black cloak completely unsuited to the peaceful forest scenery.
Silver embroidery decorated the black fabric, giving it an elegant yet imposing appearance.
He was also one of the people who had broken away from the crowd she’d deliberately ignored.
Heyeon offered him an awkward smile.
His eyes sparkled so brightly they were almost burdensome.
The determination to help her radiated from him so intensely that pretending not to notice felt impossible.
Reluctantly, she asked,
“Is the desert fox quest really good?”
“Yes! It’s difficult to succeed, but if you clear it, you get special bonuses! At first glance the rewards don’t seem that amazing, but the desert fox’s affection increases depending on how quickly you tame an animal and how rare that animal is! The higher its affection, the better the rewards it gives!”
“…”
“Most people skip it because they trust what they read online, but anyway, nearby you’ve got Canary Forest and the Forest of Echteh, and among the rare animals that can be found around here—”
He was kind.
Far too kind.
As the man enthusiastically continued explaining, Heyeon nodded vaguely and slowly edged away.
Canary Forest.
Echteh Forest.
Wherever.
She was planning to head out anyway.
If there were special rewards, there was no downside.
As she walked away, the man casually fell into step behind her.
“…Why are you following me?”
