Kajima Ryu had his revenge, and it was brutal. He tracked down his uncle first, the mastermind behind his misery. In a dark alley, he cornered the man, smashing his legs with a steel pipe until the bones cracked like dry twigs.
His uncle screamed, begging for mercy, but Kajima didn't stop until the man's legs were useless, twisted heaps of flesh and blood.
Next, he found the girl who lured him into the trap. She tried to run, but he grabbed her, pinning her against a wall. With a shard of broken glass, he carved deep, jagged lines across her face, ruining her beauty forever as she sobbed and bled.
Finally, the boys who beat him—they didn't stand a chance. He ambushed them one by one, a knife in hand, slashing and mutilating their groins until they were left howling in agony, no longer men, just like he had been. Blood stained his hands, but his heart felt lighter.
After that, the redhead woman named Zeper stepped in. She told him he needed to experience the world before he could join her virtual reality project. "You've tasted revenge," she said, "Now taste life." So, Kajima was sent out to wander, to see and feel everything he'd missed.
His journey was a blur of new sensations. In a bustling Tokyo market, he ate sizzling yakitori—juicy chicken skewers dripping with soy sauce and char—straight from the grill, the smoky flavor waking up his senses.
He traveled to a quiet seaside village, where he tried fresh sushi, the raw fish melting on his tongue with a hint of salty ocean.
In a dusty roadside stall in Thailand, he devoured spicy pad thai, the heat of chilies making his eyes water as peanuts crunched between his teeth.
He visited ancient temples in Kyoto, and stood on the edge of a cliff in New Zealand.
He learned how people laughed in different languages, how they danced under neon lights in Seoul clubs, and how they mourned at candlelit vigils in small European towns. Every bite, every sight, every sound carved itself into his brain.
Zeper had warned him about the project. It was dangerous. The virtual reality world wasn't just a game—once he entered, he'd be trapped forever, unable to return to reality.
Before him, others had tried. They were death row criminals, their brains fried by the system, leaving them drooling husks before they died. But Kajima was different. The team had records of every criminal—fingerprints, blood, DNA—and they'd tested compatibility with the virtual world. Kajima's results were off the charts, the highest they'd ever seen. That's why Zeper, the head of the project, came to him herself.
After a few tests, they confirmed one thing: Kajima wouldn't die. His mind could handle it. But he'd likely be stuck in the virtual reality world, cut off from reality unless they invented new tech to pull him out.
And there was a catch—Zeper and her team would monitor everything. Every move, every breath, every thought he had in that world would be under their watchful eyes.
Even after his revenge, Zeper gave him a choice. "You don't have to do this, Walk away if you want."
But Kajima didn't hesitate. "Yes," he told her. "I want in."
It sounded thrilling, like a leap into the unknown. He had no one left in the real world worth staying for—no family, no friends. But in the virtual reality world? There was a chance for something incredible. In some way, he'd be a god there, shaping a life he could never have here. That's why he wanted it. That's why he said yes.