CHAPTER
The moment my words ended, that cheerful notification sound rang again, and I squeezed my eyes shut.
The warm, comforting atmosphere of my room that had wrapped around me after a tiring day was gone. Only fear quietly settled in.
Maybe it was because my eyes were closed… the ticking of the clock and the pounding of my heart sounded louder than usual.
If I exaggerated a bit, it felt like my heart was thumping right next to my ears.
Honestly, I wanted to run to the living room and call out to my mom, but if I did, she’d definitely tease me the next day, saying I was still a kid.
“Embarrassment or fear…”
After a moment of thought, I chose fear over embarrassment. Fear would pass quickly, but Mom’s teasing would last a lot longer.
My hand holding the phone moved up slowly, creaking like an unoiled machine. Then, I forced my eyes open, little by little.
Through my blurry vision, I could faintly see…
“…A text?”
It was almost ridiculous that I had been so tense—the screen just showed an ordinary text message.
Relieved by the familiar sight, I fully opened my eyes and let my body relax.
But then…
[GM ■Az&]
The sender looked… odd. No, really odd.
I had no clue what it meant, but maybe it was just some random spam message.
“Why did the notification sound so different though… scared me for nothing.”
Still, how on earth was I supposed to read that name?
“Gee… M, box? No, filled square? Black square? And then A…”
I sounded it out slowly, but even saying it aloud didn’t help me make sense of it. I gave up trying.
“But that word GM feels familiar.”
Maybe because I’d been so into Dereso lately, my thoughts often veered toward games. Right now, for instance—I suddenly remembered the announcements on game sites that always started with ‘Hello, this is GM so-and-so.’
At first, I thought GM stood for Guild Master. I even asked if the person posting announcements was like our guild leader, Jangyeong-nim, which made everyone laugh at how much of a newbie I was.
Obviously, no guild master writes official game notices… Later, I learned GM meant Game Master. For someone like me, who wasn’t much of a gamer, “admin” was an easier word.
Come to think of it, even the invisible quest window I saw gave rewards from… the operator…
“Huh?”
Wait a second.
Operator?
A chill of déjà vu ran through me.
I tried to brush it off as just a natural train of thought—any gamer might connect GM to “operator.” But…
It felt far creepier than before.
That cheerful notification sound I’d never heard on my phone, the sender name with GM in it, and…
Most of all, that system message earlier at the bus stop saying the quest had been completed.
Was all of this really just coincidence?
Maybe… but human intuition is scarily accurate sometimes. And my gut was screaming this was not coincidence.
With my nerves on edge, I turned the quest window back ON. I hadn’t opened it since that day at the PC café with Hwansung-nim. The window that appeared was…
[Quest Completion List]
[What’s with this guy]
It was a different phrase from before.
[Reward has been given.]
At those final words, I gulped and glanced nervously at the phone in my hand.
“No way… seriously? Can’t be, right?”
No… impossible.
My trembling hand tapped on the message from “GM ■Az&.”
**[GM ■Az&: Hello, chosen adventurer. I am GM ■Az&, who will help you experience dreams and love.
I’ve been watching over your adventure closely. Are you using the status window—something only chosen adventurers can see—well?]**
“…”
The chill I’d felt before was nothing compared to now. I wondered if I was actually dreaming.
Every time the status window appeared, I had brushed it off. But to see a direct text like this on my phone…
“This is real…”
Another message popped up, even though I hadn’t replied. That must’ve been why the notification had chimed twice earlier.
**[GM ■Az&: Since your ‘perception’ stat is low, we’ve decided to unlock additional functions beyond the status window to help with your journey.
As much as I’d love to assist you directly, that would violate causality. I can only aid you through quests. However, communication is possible, so please feel free to send questions here anytime.]**
At that moment, I finally understood.
The system windows I’d been seeing weren’t illusions—they were real.
How… how is this even possible?
From the very beginning, it hadn’t made sense. System windows only existed in games.
But I had dismissed it. They didn’t really disrupt my daily life, and besides, I hadn’t even managed to read Hwansung-nim’s status correctly.
Still… no matter how optimistic a person might be, faced with this kind of situation, who could just shrug it off?
I doubted anyone could.
Before, I could at least ask questions anonymously online. But this? I couldn’t tell anyone—not even under anonymity.
People would think I’ve lost it, not just addicted to games…
I stared at the operator’s messages on my phone for what felt like forever. Fear and curiosity swirled inside me until I finally began typing, cautiously.
[…Is this real life?]
After all that hesitation, that was all I managed to ask.
[GM ■Az&: Yes.]
A short reply, but it was enough to drive home the reality of it all. Once the dam broke, my questions came flooding out.
[Then… the status window above Hwansung-nim’s head—does it really show his actual emotions? And why only him? Why is this happening only to me… ㅠㅠ;; Also, is there a way to make the status window disappear completely…?]
…Maybe I asked too much at once. The reply would probably take a while, right?
But no—answers came immediately.
[GM ■Az&: 1. The status window depends on your own interpretation.]
[GM ■Az&: 2. That question violates causality. Answer not possible.]
[GM ■Az&: 3. Every game has an ending. Once you reach your ending, the system window will disappear.]
The operator responded kindly, but the answers weren’t satisfying at all. Except the last one, they were basically useless.
If anything, my unease only deepened.
And to think I could only get rid of this system window by reaching an ending?
[Then… how do I reach the ending?]
[GM ■Az&: Endings aren’t something you spoil…]
…
Was this a joke?
And those three little dots at the end, like they were rolling their eyes? My fear was fading—annoyance was bubbling up instead.
Are they even really an operator? They’re not telling me anything useful…
Still, maybe sensing my frustration, another message arrived quickly.
[GM ■Az&: Normally, an ending depends on how the player acts. Depending on your choices, you may reach the true ending—or a bad ending.]
A bad ending? That just ruined my mood.
I didn’t know much about games, but “bad ending” sounded exactly like what it implied: a miserable outcome.
[GM ■Az&: And that ending may not be yours.]
…?
What did that even mean? My choices determine the ending, but it might not be my ending?
I squinted at the phone. Was my comprehension failing me lately?
Unable to resist, I sent another message.
[If it’s not my ending… then whose is it?]
Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much. Probably another “violates causality” answer.
Instead—
[GM ■Az&: Lee Hwansung.]
“…”
Lee Hwansung?
Wait… our guild’s Hwansung-nim?
