Chapter 172
Do-Jin had already planned to strip the entire Floating Continent clean someday. Every part of this place counted as a hidden zone or a first-clear zone, so any new kill or discovery spat out bonuses like a broken slot machine. Leaving a region like this untouched felt like a waste of humanity’s potential. If he waited until his level skyrocketed and only then toured the Floating Continent like he was finishing homework, all the low-level zones would become wasted opportunities.
I may as well hit Level 150 before I head back.
Do-Jin decided to explore at least a few fields and dungeons here before returning to the Central Continent. The Floating Continent housed high-level monsters everywhere, so even wandering around the places considered “low-level” in this region would shoot him up to Level 150 in no time.
I’m five levels away right now... so with random variables thrown in, how long’s it going to take?
He’d spent his wish on the Star of Creation, and that meant no extra loot, no bonus rewards, not even the quest completion EXP. But when he thought about what he’d gained from that wish, Do-Jin decided to let it go.
He looked at the new Fate Class, Apostle of the Star, sitting beneath his level and tried to soothe the bitter sting in his chest. Whatever happened was already done, so he needed to stop clinging to the loss. He had to recover all the time and EXP that had evaporated.
“I should start preparing right awa—”
His voice died in his throat as a horrible thought hit him so fast that he froze. When did he last log out?
A cold wave ran down his spine as he couldn’t remember how many days he’d been playing nonstop since stepping onto the Floating Continent. Every thought he’d had for days was about Lostania, the Floating Continent, dungeons, levels, Bella, and the Cult of Ruin.
If I keep doing this, I’m gonna turn into a full-fledged hermit.
Even calling himself a hermit felt generous. He was already a hermit, and one step further would turn him into actual trash. Do-Jin decided to log out before he lost the last of his sanity.
I can handle the prep outside anyway.
He still clung to the game like he always did, but compared to before, this counted as real progress.
***
“Starting today, you’re not getting into that capsule for a day. No, two days. Actually, make it three days. Don’t even think about being in the same room as the capsule. Got it?” Chun Ji-Hyun said while glaring at him.
“Three days?”
“Tsk...!”
Do-Jin shut his mouth before he could try negotiating again. There was only one reason this was happening: a health issue. He logged out for the first time in a while, climbed out of the capsule, and ran into Chun Ji-Hyun the moment he stepped out of his room. That was where it started.
As he tried to greet her, a wave of dizziness hit and nearly knocked him over. He stumbled, caught himself against the wall, and didn’t think much of it. That kind of nausea was common after staying in a capsule for too long.
Chun Ji-Hyun, however, reacted very differently. “You... you! I already said you spend way too many hours gaming. I was seriously about to drag you out myself if you didn’t come out today!”
She’d been worried about how he never left the capsule, and the moment she saw him wobble after getting out, she completely lost it. She shoved some food into him and forced him to take a nap.
“Wash up and get ready. We’re going to the hospital.”
She dragged him straight there. He hadn’t forgotten how recently he’d had a health check, yet he still got pushed into a VIP-tier comprehensive check-up that was even more thorough than the last one.
“Hey... I’m seriously fine.”
“Prove it then.”
He helplessly changed into the hospital gown and sat in a soft, fancy chair. Watching Chun Ji-Hyun talk to the nurse with that worried look on her face actually put him in a weirdly good mood.
Back then, no one even noticed when I passed out on my floor for two days.
In his previous life, the person who found him had been a social worker who visited because he wasn’t answering calls and wasn’t logging into VR either. Now he had someone who dragged him to the hospital because he wobbled a little after gaming too long. It was certainly a step up.
Eventually, after being dragged by Chun Ji-Hyun from one exam to another, he received a clean bill of health.
“Young people tend to have good numbers. We’ll know the exact details once the final lab results come in, but nothing looks concerning for now. Still, staying inside a VR capsule for too many hours isn’t good for your body. Even if the capsule’s healthcare systems have improved, you still need to move on your own regularly.”
The doctor said he was fine. But doctors never just said, “You’re completely okay.” They always tacked on something like “for now” or “still.” And because of that, Do-Jin could never claim complete freedom.
“Three days...”
“Yep,” Chun Ji-Hyun replied immediately. “It’s not that long.”
“Hmm... But it’s not like me gaming for a week straight is anything new.”
“That’s exactly why I worry. I can only relax after seeing you wake up, eat something, and actually go to sleep in your real bed.”
So this was what it felt like when someone cared. It felt good and awkward at the same time, and Do-Jin realized it all over again. Chun Ji-Hyun must have been embarrassed about how she’d freaked out earlier, because she looked away and wrinkled her nose.
Trying to break the awkward mood, Do-Jin searched for something to say and decided to bring up work. “Right, I’ve got a video I’m uploading soon. Can you send it to the office for me? There are a lot of parts that need trimming this time, but I’ll tell you about that later.”
Chun Ji-Hyun’s eyes widened. Do-Jin didn’t always cause trouble just because he gamed for so long. Most of the time, it was just endless grinding, but whenever he said something like this, it almost always meant a major incident was on the way.
Chun Ji-Hyun immediately pulled out her phone. “Wait here. I’ll send it right now and make a quick call!”
Few things made an office worker feel as proud or delighted as reporting good news to the company. The older sister who’d been worrying about her little brother had already slipped back into office-worker mode.
***
Do-Jin ended up serving a three-day exile from gaming in the real world, and the first thing he did was contact Theresa.
“Hey, I’m planning to run dungeons on the Floating Continent. Do you want to come with me?”
The moment the question came out, Theresa answered like she had been waiting for it.
—Of course I’m coming! But how am I supposed to get there? I’d probably die on the way.
“I’ll show you the route to the Floating Continent, so just come.”
—What? Go there? Are you already up there?
She sounded like she thought they would be going together from the start.
Do-Jin laughed under his breath and continued. “I’ll send you the video. Follow everything exactly as you see it. It’s safe enough, but there are some risky parts, so keep your guard up.”
—That doesn’t sound safe at all...
Do-Jin sent her the recording he had taken on his trip up to the Floating Continent. It was the kind of footage that would never see the light of day on his channel.
“You’re bringing Soso too, right?”
—Obviously. She will actually murder me if I leave her behind.
“I’m thinking of inviting Tanto as well. Do you want him to come if he’s down? I feel like the trip would be a whole lot safer with him in the group.”
Levelling didn’t make a party strong on its own. Proper growth required proper balance, which meant gear levels needed to keep up too. That was why he planned to gather a tank like Theresa, a potion supplier like Soso, and a physical damage dealer like Tanto.
“I can’t log in until after Friday because of some stuff I need to deal with, so just plan to arrive sometime after that.”
—Alright. We’ll talk it over on our end and message you back.
“Sounds good.”
After the call ended, Do-Jin wondered how he was supposed to survive a day without gaming, let alone three.
Maybe I should go for a walk.
The idea of stepping outside his front door and standing under actual sunlight while planning his next move felt almost luxurious after everything.
***
By the time Do-Jin, Theresa, Soso, and Tanto regrouped for their upcoming run through the Floating Continent, the new video had already gone up.
[Rediscovering the Floating Continent]
[Premieres in 3 hours]
The Floating Continent had been a massive topic once, but everyone had eventually accepted the same truth. There was no realistic way for a normal player to get up there, so interest slowly died off. That forgotten land was suddenly back in the spotlight.
└ Three hours... are you fucking insane?
└ His upload schedule is a mess. The gaps are long as hell. The videos are stupidly good. The only thing that works on this asshole is a smack to the head. That’s my conclusion.
└ Bro, do you want to see me lose my mind? Bro, do you want to see me go insane? Bro, do you want to witness psychosis live on stream?
└ Every other player tried every deranged trick in existence and not a single one got anywhere near that place. He just goes when he feels like it. Did he bring the vampire girl and ride her up there?
└ Goddamn, this bastard plays on easy mode. While everyone else breaks their spine trying to reach that zone, he gets free loot and first clears. This balance is peak RNG trash. Great game.
└ Then go seduce a vampire, max your affinity, and have them fly your crybaby ass up there too.
└ People like you always forget one tiny detail. Every quest that guy cleared would’ve snapped your spine in half. You can’t even handle tutorial dungeons, clown.
The video hadn’t even premiered yet and the comments were already burning like a wildfire. Some waited patiently with quiet excitement. Some threw tantrums, screaming about why the video wasn’t releasing immediately. Some threw insults out of pure jealousy before even watching it, while fans berated them.
The flood of comments grew into something that looked like modern-day purgatory. Over in the mage forums, a post just dropped announcing Do-Jin’s new video.
[Title: Breaking News!]
[I am busy so I can’t write much.]
└ ?? You lazy piece of shit... At least write what the breaking news is.
└ Fine, I will write it for him. God, King of All Mages, has graced us with more content!
The replies on the forums and in every other gaming community exploded right alongside it. Watching those reactions pile up, the content team lead of Rael Entertainment smiled like he’d just won the lottery.
“Honestly, Do-Jin’s videos are incredible. We barely need to market them at all,” the editor said, sounding pleased.
The team lead nodded. “We don’t even need to exaggerate the thumbnail or the title. The content itself naturally draws people in. It’s actually absurd. He somehow only produces stuff that makes people lose their minds. No wonder the marketing team adores him.”
“Of course they do. They don’t even need to negotiate sponsorships or chase advertisers. He attracts them automatically.”
Back then, no one had the slightest idea. They had no clue that this particular video was about to drag the entire gaming world into a massive storm.