Chapter 1
For anyone who plays games, I believe there is always a game that leaves a lasting impression.
The favorite game, the most enjoyable game, the game with beloved characters.
The reasons may vary, and of course, they differ even more when considering genres and release years. But I think it's the combination of these various reasons that makes a game memorable.
As someone who is about to turn 30, standing on the borderline between youth and middle age, a game enthusiast who, due to a busy job, has accumulated a backlog of games and is gradually drifting away from gaming, I sometimes find myself reminiscing about a game.
"Free Build Online"
Commonly known as FBO.
A classic sword-and-sorcery fantasy world where, from a multitude of skills, you can configure a limited range of skills and equipment—timeless and never fading.
Though marketed as a VRMMO, its online elements are limited to cooperating with other players on quests and trading items, essentially promoting solo play.
The default is to adventure with NPC companions in the game.
Yet, it was the game that captivated me the most at the time, remains vivid in my memory, and represents the peak of my gaming life.
If I were to talk about memorable games, this would be the one.
Thanks to a breakthrough in the visual industry at a certain period, the game incorporated the essence of VR technology, offering a sense of realism that immersed players in its world.
The game's content, such as conquering dungeons prepared by the operators or gathering materials in the field for crafting, might seem quite ordinary now, but back then, it was undoubtedly fresh and full of enjoyable elements for me.
It's also true that the stories, thoughtfully crafted by the writers, were to my liking.
The game was a commercial success, ranking high and becoming a topic of discussion at the time.
It was once hailed as a divine game, though some also called it a crappy game during certain periods.
Even as I speak of it now, it's a title that has joined the ranks of retro games, nostalgically remembered by enthusiasts like me.
It's a game for which core fans like me still hope for a sequel.
So, why am I talking about this nostalgic game now?
"No way"
Probably because I am now in the world of FBO.
If I told someone else, they might think I'm crazy.
But
"This is the parade from the opening movie, right?"
The excitement I felt when I first played the game is now right before my eyes.
The difference is that instead of VR technology, it's real people walking, with sensory elements that VR couldn't replicate now more vivid.
But no matter how real the atmosphere becomes, I've seen it so many times that I can't be mistaken.
Seeing such a scene as a skinny, disheveled, and slightly dirty child might seem unreal, but the hunger I've been feeling and the cheers of the people tell me this is not a dream but reality.
In the past, I had dreamed of entering the world of a game.
If it were the world of FBO that I loved, I would have wished for it countless times.
But in recent years, I don't recall having such wishes .
Work is tough, but it's rewarding and the pay is satisfying.
My relationships with colleagues, superiors, and subordinates are good.
If I had to complain, it would be that I haven't had a girlfriend in several years, but otherwise, there are no issues.
I don't remember being in an accident; there was a novel I read where the protagonist died in an accident and went to another world.
But my last memory is of being tired from work, taking a bath, and going to bed.
I don't remember dying.
So, is this a dream?
That's not it either.
The texture of the bricks I feel as I walk along the wall, the deafening cheers, the faint smell of life, and the dazzling parade—it's all too vivid to be a dream.
"If it's a dream, then it's a very realistic one."
And in my mind, I'm considering whether this being a dream or illusion is a problem.
The conclusion is that my mind is fine.
I have attachments to the real world.
But the value of being able to come to the game world I admired in my youth is very important to me.
Even though my body is in tatters, standing on the ground of this world is a joy.
I don't know what happened to my original body, but I hope I haven't done anything unfilial, and for now, I must face this reality that has become my aspiration.
"Now, the problem is"
Is everything good just because I've come to the world I admired? Not quite.
"Was there such a character? Seriously, who is this?"
The first issue is that I am not the protagonist.
The protagonist, or the player's avatar, can be set with various appearances.
So, it's possible to create a character like me—a dirty, brown-haired, average-looking mob character, a skinny boy.
But no matter the protagonist's appearance, there's an absolutely unchangeable commonality.
That is, the protagonist is a noble from the frontier.
The story begins with the protagonist leaving home after the death of his mother, a concubine, making it difficult to stay in the noble house, and setting off from their local territory.
The region of birth can change based on the initial divine question at the start of the game, but the part about being from a noble house never changes.
And before leaving home, the protagonist, led by his deceased mother, admired the parade I'm now seeing and spoke of aiming to become an adventurer.
In other words, up to that point, the protagonist was a member of the nobility.
I, on the other hand, look nothing like a noble, more like a vagrant or a street child.
Moreover, when watching the parade, the protagonist was with their mother, viewing it from the window of an inn.
It's not a situation where a child on the verge of collapse in an alley is watching from a distance.
So, seriously, who am I?
I remember the faces and names of the main characters, even from old games.
This is a game I played thoroughly.
I can recall the appearances and personalities of even the named mob characters and the information I gained from reading the official guidebook.
But even in my memory, there's no recollection of a character like the one reflected in the window glass, who might grow and change in the future, possibly becoming handsome.
Therefore, it seems I've been reincarnated as an original character, essentially a mob.
"In that case, it's a start without any blessings."
If I had been reincarnated as some character in FBO, I could have received help from someone, unless I drew a few unlucky characters.
But this body doesn't even have parents.
When I just woke up, I was starting in an alley, crouching from hunger.
No, that was a real countdown to starving to death.
"Well, first, I need to fill my stomach."
I don't know who or where I am.
I have no acquaintances.
I feel guilty for taking over the body of a boy who must have lived a lonely life.
So, after the parade passes and the place quiets down, I'll pay my respects before moving on to the next action. What's particularly needed is an effort to alleviate the hunger.
"If that doesn't work, I'll really have to cross a dangerous bridge."
It's my first time experiencing a body on the verge of starvation, and I really have no strength.
Tracing the faint memories of this body, there are recollections of scavenging through garbage bins for leftovers, and it really brings tears to my eyes.
Staggering along the wall, I walk relying on my memories of playing the game.
If this is where the opening parade is held, I can figure out which city this is.
"Ah, the detailed graphics are a bit vague, but seeing it like this, it's really a beautiful city. Yeah, just like this."
I need to hum something, or I might lose consciousness.
Why did they reincarnate me in such a precarious body?
I don't seek status, but I would have liked a healthier body.
On top of an already weak body, I'm now a child with small steps.
You can imagine the walking speed.
If I misremember and end up in a dead end, I'm really in trouble.
"It's the royal capital, after all. If it's a city under the king's direct control, they should provide better care for orphans like me."
Moreover, this is the royal capital of the southern continent's country, Rendel, with many similar streets.
There are shops here and there that I don't remember.
Are there many areas different from the game?
So, if I get the direction wrong, I'm really done for.
If I end my second life like this, I wouldn't be able to rest in peace even after death.
The people I occasionally pass by don't even glance at me, thanks to my shabby appearance and the fact that I'm a muttering, small orphan.
Well, really, how cold.
Along the way, the smell from food stalls tickles my nostrils, making me even hungrier.
If I stop, it's really bad; my instincts might pull me towards them, but thanks to the intimidating gaze of the stall owner, I woke up and could continue towards my destination.
"Compared to when I was playing the game, there are so many more people. It's really hard to walk in a child's body."
Even though it's an alley, it's right after the parade, so some people use it as a shortcut.
Even on usually quiet streets, there are people passing by, chatting and laughing.
I've used it as a shortcut in the game, but even in cooperative play, there was a limit to the number of people, so seeing the streets crowded like this is fresh.
It feels fresh, but the sense of crisis is stronger.
"...There are a lot of adventurers."
Unlike soldiers, their clothing varies, but the commonality is that most carry some kind of weapon.
They're not carrying large weapons, but seeing people with real swords passing by is quite scary.
I'm literally a child with zero combat ability.
If I get involved with them, it's really the end.
But it's no wonder there are many adventurers.
The royal family ruling this city, Rendel, were originally adventurers, so following that tradition, they support adventurers.
In this game's world, the royal families of all countries trace back to adventurers.
There's even a legend about them pioneering and cultivating the land to establish the country, a famous story in the game.
The Adventurer's Guild, as an organization, continues to operate under this long history, a remnant of the pioneering era.
Hence, the influence of the Adventurer's Guild in this world is not to be underestimated.
That's why so many people openly carry weapons.
"The reality of the world I admired, there's still a gap, huh."
And even in the world I admired, there are terrifying aspects.
FBO, as the title suggests, was fun because you could freely build your strength.
Especially in combat, the effort put into building strength was significant.
Conversely, this is a world where you can freely gain power.
The reason lies in the stats, abilities gained by defeating monsters, the common enemies of the human race in this world.
Leveling up and using the points gained to acquire abilities and become stronger.
The process is simple, but the breadth has continued to expand with updates.
Thanks to this, strength in this world is a status comparable to wealth and power.
Even in the game, the culture of stat supremacy is spoken of favorably.
It's a meritocracy, but there are also a certain number of people troubled by it.
Even now, a parent and child are quietly waiting for an adventurer to pass by, yielding the path.
In this enjoyable world view, there's a dark side. This body doesn't have strength yet, but if my knowledge is applicable in this world, I should be able to handle that trouble .
Believing that, I somehow keep moving, not stopping.
"Good, my memory wasn't wrong."
I finally reached my destination.
In any case, with a weak and penniless body, I can't survive in this world.
To fill my stomach or to become stronger, I need money either way.
A water place, or rather, a washing area.
Because many people went to see the parade, the place is empty and I can monopolize it.
Here, there was a certain quest in the game era.
It was more about testing the player's creativity than providing beginner relief.
A method of raising funds that players joked about as choosing between practical benefits or pride.
"Well then, let's start the bald fundraising."
To begin the so-called bald quest, I first start washing my dull and dirty hair in this washing area.