Chapter 3 With Mother on a Deserted Island (2)

”No, Mother, it’s not like that. Haha, how could this be? Hahahaha.”

In my panic, I unconsciously started to defend myself.

That would only make it seem stranger.

The mother, embarrassed, pulled down the hem of her nightgown, her face flushing red.

”No, Mom, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect to meet Changjae dressed like this.”

She probably felt the nightgown was too short.

Her bra was barely visible beneath the thin nightgown, and her panties were clearly visible below. Even if they were family, she shouldn’t dress like this in front of her adopted son.

—Just as I was thinking this.

『Ding-a-ling♪』

The ominous warning sounded again.

Could it be…?

Successfully peeked at your partner’s underwear. Received 2 coins.

I immediately pulled my phone out of my pocket and threw it against the wall.

-Bang!

The phone made a piercing sound as it crashed into the cave wall.

Ugh! My phone! I spent a fortune on it…!

But there’s no other way. If we let it go unchecked, who knows what strange things they’ll say. Although our meager military salaries will be squeezed again, this is a necessary sacrifice.

Just as I was grappling with the pain of forced requisition, my phone, which I thought was ruined, beeped with a suspicious message again.

This terminal is indestructible. It will respawn at its original location if the user moves beyond a certain distance. Please be aware.

The phone slowly disappeared from the spot.

It’s like polygons disappearing in a game.

”Well…….”

That’s a really unrealistic scenario.

The issue of waking up to find one’s mother in her pajamas is completely outside our dimensional realm. Because something that was perfectly fine suddenly disappears. Such a thing is physically impossible.

”What’s going on??”

—Then, without me noticing, the missing phone reappeared in my pocket.

This goes beyond mere chaos.

It was terrifying. I got goosebumps all over my body.

”Changjae?”

The mother tilted her head, puzzled.

In my attempt to understand the situation, I ultimately chose to give up thinking.

”…It’s truly amazing, Mom.”

Even so, I still forced a calm smile in front of my mother.

With trembling hands, he took out his phone again.

Even when thrown at full force against the stone wall, the phone’s surface showed no scratches.

The phone with the military-grade security sticker is clearly the one I’ve always used.

But now it seems to be something completely different. Some kind of alien technology beyond human comprehension.

As I stared blankly at my phone, it beeped again.

『Ding-a-ling♪』

”Huh?!”

I barely managed to grab the phone, which I nearly dropped in fright.

This sound is comparable to the sound effects in a horror movie to me.

”Want to start the tutorial?”

(whether)”

The following message appeared on the phone screen.

”…Tutorial?”

Under these circumstances, I wouldn’t be foolish enough to ignore such a dubious message.

Perhaps watching some tutorials will help me understand something.

I clicked the ‘Yes’ option on the screen.

Let’s begin the tutorial.

”Mom, it would be better if you came and take a look with us.”

”Ah, um.”

Just in case, I decided to watch it with my mother.

My mother seemed a little nervous, and she stood beside me, curled up in a small huddle.

Only now did I notice that my mother was barefoot and not wearing shoes.

Is it really okay for a stone slab floor to be uneven? It could cause injury if you’re not careful.

No. Let’s think about that later.

The most important thing now is to confirm the so-called new user guide content.

The phone started playing a video that looked like the opening animation of a third-rate mobile game.

”An island of dreams and fantasies! A world of freedom and joy! A warm welcome to all participants of the official metaverse utopia, *Metautopia: Island of Miracles*, Beta Test!”

…What beta test?

I don’t recall ever agreeing to participate in something like this.

Although I really wanted to protest, I decided to remain silent for now.

Perhaps we can glean important information from it. We must write it down word for word.

”Metautopia: Miracle Island” is an authentic metaverse deserted island survival game. From now on, you and your companions will survive on this mysterious deserted island until you successfully escape.

Every word transmitted through the phone is clearly imprinted in my mind.

Metaverse Utopia. Metaverse Desert Island Survival Game.

These words mean that this is not reality, but a virtual space similar to a VR game.

The surreal phenomenon of a phone suddenly disappearing and then reappearing in one’s pocket could be explained by virtual space. However, it’s precisely this surreality that makes it so perplexing.

But… can current VR technology really create such a realistic and vivid environment?

It’s not just about sight or hearing. Even the warmth, scent, and breathing of the mother beside you feel so real and tangible.

Although I’ve experienced the latest VR games, none have felt this realistic. This is probably a level of realism that will take generations of technology to achieve. Just imagining it is breathtaking.

’Items needed for survival can be obtained through hunting or raiding. Tokens can also be earned by completing achievement quests and used to purchase items in the shop.’

Hunting and plundering. Achievements and quests. Tokens and shops.

What these words have in common is that they can only be heard in games.

Could this be some kind of game world?

But the realism is too intense. Calling it VR is like dreaming.

”Metautopia: Island of Miracles” pursues ultimate freedom. In the world of Metautopia, there are no laws binding you in the real world. Robbery, murder, rape, and other heinous crimes can be committed at will. But please remember: while you are unrestrained, others are equally unrestrained.”

In a typical VR game, sexual harassment would not only result in immediate system sanctions but could also lead to real-world penalties. However, it seems even this basic rule doesn’t exist here.

But how could that be?

Human society is able to maintain order precisely because of the legal framework.

Without a cure, it would be no different from the animal kingdom. The strong would possess everything, and the weak would ultimately be stripped of everything.

Is this the concept behind the world called Metapia?

”All participants in ‘Metapia: Isle of Miracles’ are clones. Your original selves are still living peacefully in the real world, so please rest assured.”

My phone kept pushing new messages, giving me no time to organize my thoughts.

This time, the footage showed me handing over to the next shift worker.

…My ‘original body’ is living peacefully and unharmed?

So now I’m just a virtual persona in a virtual world?

Am I, in the common sense, an electronic brain?

Just as I was stunned by the absurd remarks, the scene changed again.

This time, it wasn’t me who appeared on the screen, but my mother getting out of bed to change into her pajamas.

”ah!”

My mother hurriedly covered my eyes with her hands.

Mom, if you’re going to cover something, don’t cover my eyes, cover the phone screen instead.

On the contrary… uh.

Oh no, I can’t concentrate on the beginner’s tutorial at all.

”Those of you in ‘Metapia: Isle of Miracles’ are completely separate from your original selves. But wouldn’t that lack tension? Therefore, we have prepared a revolutionary system! When you die in ‘Metapia: Isle of Miracles,’ your real-world self will also die.”

”What?”

The scene showed me returning to my post after completing my shift.

As I was walking normally toward the barracks, I suddenly clutched my chest and collapsed.

It’s like having a sudden heart attack.

Perhaps because the person in the video was myself, the scene was chillingly real. I even subconsciously checked to see if my heart was still beating, and my whole body was covered in goosebumps.

”Waaaaah…!”

The mother seemed to empathize, covering her mouth and gasping for breath.

The scene then switches to the mother, who has changed her clothes.

Just like the scene where I collapsed, the mother in the picture also suddenly pressed her forehead and fell to the ground.

He looked as if he had suddenly suffered a cerebral hemorrhage.

That was by no means a poorly made deepfake video, but a real record of my mother and me falling down.

Its realism is so striking that it’s impossible not to believe it’s real.

”If you die in ‘Metapia: Isle of Miracles,’ you in the real world will also die. But don’t despair. If you survive to the end, you in the real world will also receive generous rewards. Please work together with your partner to survive!”

Survive.

This means that death could be faced at any time.

What kind of environment is this ‘Miracle Island’ that would lead someone to say something like that?

The fact that robbery, murder, and rape are unrestricted suggests that there are other survivors on the island.

If people were suddenly thrown into such a lawless zone, how would they act? Would they try to cooperate to survive? Or would they start a deadly game of mutual slaughter?

The video said that even killing someone to steal resources wouldn’t be punished. I’m not naive enough to unconditionally believe in the inherent goodness of humanity.

But now that there’s practically nothing to steal, people shouldn’t have any reason to kill each other—that’s when I suddenly realized.

I also have the fact that I can have things taken away from me.

”Changjae, what should we do now…?”

My mother grabbed my arm where I was holding the phone.

Her hand was trembling slightly. She was leaning on me to dispel her fear.

That’s right.

I am not without anything. I also have things that can be taken away from me.

Kill the men and steal the women.

In primitive societies without laws, this was the natural order of things.

As the video states, if nothing goes unpunished on this island, it means that other survivors could easily kill me and take my mother away.

Seeing my mother on the verge of tears, I gritted my teeth and forced a smile.

”Mother, it should be very interesting, right? It’s supposed to be a survival game.”

We must protect our mother no matter what.

This is the first rule I set out on this crazy deserted island.