Chapter 29: Underestimating Black Tech
The shop was calm and quiet as usual from midday to evening.
Irene and her two friends went back after finishing their therapeutic method by playing a VR game. In its current state, nothing was interesting about Origins VR Cafe when the maximum playtime was over.
Outside, Baek Si-Jin’s bodyguards were still on guard, making the shop look like a gangster’s den. However, they didn’t interfere with Donape’s business by preventing anyone from entering.
But in the end, no one dared to enter.
Even Jae-Woong and Kennedy decided against entering when they saw the imposing line of bodyguards.
Not only two of them. But pedestrians passing by also felt restless and uncomfortable with the group of bodyguards.
Meanwhile, Donape watched the situation outside resignedly.
Roughly speaking, the bodyguards didn’t prevent anyone from entering his shop, or harassing neighbors, or passing people. Truly, they simply stood there without malice or hostility.
Therefore, the System didn’t consider them troublemakers. Donape also didn’t mind that since the System didn’t make any noise.
Don’t judge a book by its cover.
This adage has been around for thousands of years, but most people still judge by its cover first.
Inside the shop, Donape several times noticed how professional the guard standing, waiting for Si-Jin and Si-Yeon inside the VR capsule, was.
No matter how awkward the atmosphere, the bodyguard didn’t turn around. He didn’t talk to Donape or ask anything.
He just stayed still, motionless like an unyielding statue waiting for his master’s command.
’Should I also have a bodyguard? That looks cool. But it must not be cheap. And my budget is very tight.’ Donape then shook his head at the thought.
Not long after, Si-Jin and Si-Yeon stepped out of the capsules for the second time, after another four hours. They felt dazed from the tutorial, but bewildered and annoyed.
Si-Jin approached the counter, his brow furrowed. "Hey, kid. Are you really sure you can’t extend our playtime?!"
"Huhu. Elder, please don’t squeeze me for extra time. The rules in this shop are absolute," Donape replied, giving a helpless shrug. "Besides, you’ve already seen what this place is capable of. If you think you can handle that lightning, then by all means, feel free to wreak havoc. I’m no match for that stuff."
"What do you mean? How can the owner not control his own shop’s defenses?!" Si-Jin asked, frowning in utter confusion. "As the boss, bending a few minor rules should be as easy as flipping your hand!"
Donape sighed inwardly. ’This old man still doesn’t get it, even after spending five hours inside the capsule.’
"Elder... I’m not the owner of this shop," Donape explained patiently. "I’m just a simple shopkeeper. How could a normal human like me possibly possess the power to turn virtual reality into true reality?"
"Tsk! What a flimsy excuse," Si-Jin scoffed, though a low chuckle escaped his lips as he shook his head in lingering disbelief. "Still, I have to admit... this VR technology is truly groundbreaking. To make everything feel that real is unimaginable. Calling it a ’game’ feels like an insult—this is the kind of military-grade tech used to train elite personnel."
Stepping up beside her grandfather, Si-Yeon leaned over the counter with a sharp, eager look in her eyes.
"How about selling one of those machines to us instead?" she proposed, pointing directly toward the VR Capsules. "Name any price, and we’ll write the check on the spot."
"She’s right, kid," Si-Jin chimed in, crossing his arms with full confidence. "Name your price—or ask whoever is pulling the strings behind you. I’ll match whatever number it takes to buy one of those capsules."
"I’m sorry, but the VR Capsules are strictly not for sale—no matter what price is offered," Donape declined politely. "Even if you put a private island on the table, I couldn’t sell one to you. The only products available are the ones listed on the menu. Thank you, Elder and Young Miss, for your understanding."
In the future, as he progressed through System quests, Donape would gain more authority over shop operations in various ways. But selling the VR Capsules outright wasn’t one of them.
So, their extravagant offer was completely useless from the start.
Si-Yeon clicked her tongue, feeling that Donape was being foolishly stubborn for turning down astronomical wealth.
Then, a sudden thought struck her.
"Is it possible for someone with a severe physical disability to use this VR Capsule?" she asked, her gaze sharpening. "Say... someone who can’t even perform light exercise?"
"More or less," Donape answered. "Basically, even if someone is completely paralyzed, stepping into that VR Capsule will make them feel brand new. They’ll be able to stand, move, and live on their own two feet inside the virtual realm."
Si-Yeon immediately glanced over at her grandfather.
Si-Jin instantly understood her unspoken gesture—she was thinking of Ji-Hong’s condition.
From Si-Yeon’s perspective, this visit had already proven immensely worthwhile. Even if it was just a temporary illusion, giving Ji-Hong a chance to experience realistic movement and martial arts inside the virtual world would be a miracle for his spirit.
However, Si-Jin shook his head at his granddaughter, his expression darkening slightly. He knew that even if Ji-Hong could practice martial arts inside a game, his real-world body wouldn’t change.
Chronic physical ruin couldn’t be cured by a simulation.
Yet, both grandfather and granddaughter were making a massive mistake in their assessment of the Origins VR Cafe.
They viewed it merely as the greatest virtual technology on the planet for training in safe conditions—completely unaware that the System’s synchronization feature allowed virtual gains to directly transfer into the real world.
The stat points Ji-Hong had accumulated and the effects of the Elixirs he consumed in-game were already actively transforming his weak, crippled constitution into a healthy, martial-ready body.
Simply put, they weren’t just underestimating the technology behind the VR Capsules...
They were underestimating it by a monumental margin.
It was a fatal blind spot—a misstep born from lingering skepticism that clouded their judgment, even after experiencing the miracle with their own eyes.
"Elder, it’s time for you to accept that the supernatural, superpowers, mysticism, and fantasy are real—especially when it comes to this shop. Soon enough, the world will transform into a new era. If you continue to deny it and fail to adapt, you’ll simply be left behind," Donape advised smoothly.
They were profound words carrying a dark, prophetic weight.
Yet neither Donape who spoke them, nor those who heard them, truly realized just how chaotic the world would become—or how completely the global order would collapse—when the upcoming awakening finally arrived.
Si-Jin remained silent for a long moment before finally signaling his bodyguards to withdraw. Respecting the shop’s absolute rules, he chose not to act rashly, especially after witnessing just how bizarre and untouchable Donape’s establishment truly was.
As soon as the suited men filed out and disappeared down the alley, the shop door opened once more, its chime ringing out.
"Ah! We finally found your place!" called out Jong-Kook, the middle-aged man Donape had soundly defeated at the One Bullet shooting range the night before.
Walking in right beside him was Director Stygan Zerke.
Donape raised an eyebrow in genuine surprise. He hadn’t given either of them his shop’s name or address when saying goodbye last night.
"Hello, gentlemen. How on earth did you manage to find this place?" Donape asked.
"Hehe. To be honest, it wasn’t easy," Jong-Kook admitted with a grin. "Director Zerke had his employees dig around. Luckily, someone had posted about this place on social media. Following that lead took a lot of effort, but we eventually managed to navigate these maze-like streets."
"Kid, how could you even think of opening a shop in a neighborhood this isolated?" Zerke grunted, looking around the alley. "Even the college students near the campus main road don’t know a place like this exists!"
Donape simply offered a business-like smile and gestured toward the counter stools. As first-time customers, these two middle-aged men would definitely need his personal guidance.
Before they could sit, however, the front door swung open again.
In walked Jae-Woong and Kennedy.
"Boss! Boss! Who were all those men in black suits outside before?!" Jae-Woong asked instantly, leaning over the counter like a neighborhood gossip. "Did you get involved with the mafia or something?!"
Donape’s face went completely deadpan. He stared blankly for a second.
Quickly regaining his composure, Donape offered a polite nod to Zerke and Jong-Kook before turning his attention to the loud duo.
"If you two are here to play, go hop in the VR Capsules. If you need anything else, talk to me after."
"That’s a trivial matter, we can play anytime! Are you sure you don’t know those men in black suits, Boss?" Jae-Woong pressed, his eyes practically sparkling with curiosity.
"This shop is strictly for fun and entertainment," Donape replied, waving his hand dismissively. "I don’t need to check anyone’s identity, nor do I care. It has zero bearing here. Now, if you’re going to play, go play. I have other customers to attend to."
Jae-Woong and Kennedy exchanged bewildered glances before shrugging it off and heading straight toward the VR Capsules.
Watching the exchange, Jong-Kook and Zerke traded glances of their own.
"So... basically, this place of yours is a VR game rental shop?" Jong-Kook asked, examining the sleek capsules.
"More or less," Donape replied. "Think of it as a high-end internet cafe."
"Then how can you guarantee that playing a game here will fix our aim in real life?" Zerke interrupted, cutting straight to the point.
Donape’s lips curled into his signature capitalist smile.
"With money," He said smoothly. "Trust me, gentlemen... by the end of the week, you’ll become the gods of shooting."