Chapter 44

“Huh!? Never mind inheritance money, it was only filled with Yuujin’s junk!” Hiro responded with displeasure. When he heard the woman’s voice, he lost all control of himself.

At least he could let his annoyance out.

“This unreasonable child. Who taught you to talk like that to your aunt? Where are you living now anyway?”

Aunt Yuma had always been like this. She used to have a harmonious family with a wealthy husband and a handsome son, but after her husband’s act of infidelity, she was divorced and was denied child custody for not having a permanent job.

Now, she only worked as a factory laborer and became a drunkard in her everyday life.

When Yuujin was still alive and Hiro hadn’t been of age to manage his finances yet, Yuujin sent money for him through Aunt Yuma. Even though this resulted in a huge loss as he only received 50% of his rightful amount, he felt bad seeing his aunt’s pitiful condition and decided not to tell Yuujin about it.

In truth, Hiro deeply cared about the people around him. It was just that he never openly showed it as he didn’t like blatantly expressing it for people to see.

Yet despite his “attitude” of only caring about himself, his brother noticed and became the only one, and this made the two brothers’ bond special and unique.

“Aunt Yuma, are you still drinking alcohol these days?”

“Wait, what? Are you poking your nose in my business now?”

“You’re getting older, Aunt Yuma, you should stop drinking alcohol before it’s too late. Don’t you want to see your son grow up?”

Beep!

The woman hung up when Hiro mentioned the taboo word she didn’t want to hear.

Hiro sighed before checking the LSO app on his android bracelet. Still nothing.

The air outside was getting colder, and he couldn’t endure it any longer. Hiro went back into his room and locked the door.

He then lied down on the bed and stared at the skinscreen on his left again, waiting.

Time felt so slow, and he hated it.

Ding!

[You received a new message from Anonymous]

This time, he was more than interested in Anonymous’s message. He even sat up to read its content.

[Anonymous: Hey! Bored waiting? I have free time at the moment, so how about telling me something interesting about the game?]

Hiro still couldn’t tell how Anonymous knew he could access LSO’s CBT version. It was as if several CCTVs were installed in his room without his knowledge and Anonymous was behind it.

He felt observed and unsafe. Nevertheless, through the file Anonymous sent, he managed to obtain new information that answered his question regarding the CBT players’ identities, albeit only a little.

They were real players and not NPCs.

Moreover, Hiro was sure that Anonymous was very clever. This man could bring him harm from the beginning if he truly wanted to, yet he did nothing bad apart from bothering him with absurd messages.

Ding!

[You received a new message from Anonymous]

[Anonymous: I almost forgot you can’t directly reply to me, lol. Why not download this app and tell me interesting things about the game there? ^^]

Of course, Hiro didn’t immediately download the app Anonymous sent through the message. He still felt suspicious and wary of this unknown man and his motives, after all.

However, the same thing happened again. As if it had a will of its own, his android bracelet downloaded the app and installed it without his instruction.

‘I can’t beat this one.’

He yielded with a sigh. At least the app smoothly went through the three antivirus layers installed on his android bracelet.

[New application has been installed successfully]

[Program Name: Love Room]

[Type: Online Dating]

“Is he crazy?” Hiro blurted out before stiffening at a thought.

‘…Could he actually be a she?’

He felt as if he just got a hard slap on the face after reading the name and type of the program Anonymous sent.

Upon opening the app, let alone finding an option to sign up, he was immediately logged into an account he never made. Despite that, the account had the same profile picture as his email, along with some details usually present in online dating apps.

[Yamaguchi Hiro, 18+]

[Male]

[Single, looking for a casual relationship.]

[I prefer a blonde girl with big boobies for a romantic dinner date.]

“Damn it! Again!?”

He felt as if he was being toyed with, repeatedly, by the same person.

Ding!

[A new match!]

Hiro received a notification before he even did a thing on the strange app. He looked at the other party’s profile picture to see who he just got matched to, only to be disappointed right after.

The account had no profile picture, just the default silhouette of a person without hair.

[Anonymous: OK, we’re safe here!]

[Anonymous: So, is there anything you want to tell me, handsome?]

[You: FUCK YOU]

Hiro irritatedly typed without hesitation.

[Anonymous: Aww!]

[Anonymous: That’s an unusual way to express love, but fuck you too!]

Hiro silently glared at the message before lying back down and staring at the ceiling.

He didn’t want to deal with this person.

[Anonymous: Are you sure you have nothing to tell me?]

[Anonymous: I don’t have much time, you know]

[Anonymous: Are you sure?]

[Anonymous: Nothing at all??]

His android bracelet was set to vibrate every time a message came in, so the incoming notifications really annoyed him.

However, just as he moved his hand to silence his notifications, Anonymous’s last message made him blank out and forget.

[Nothing about WynterRain?]

WynterRain.

Hiro almost forgot again.

He had been staring at Liberty’s stunning photo for so long that he forgot he still had an extremely important matter to keep in mind.

‘Does he know something? Does he know that the name appeared and disappeared in-game?’

Hiro didn’t want to waste time asking himself.

[You: Did you know that WynterRain plays that game?]

Anonymous is typing…

He subconsciously moved his thumb to bite but ultimately stopped his hand mid-way when a reply came.

[Anonymous: No]

[Anonymous: How are you so sure he’s the real one?]

Hiro fell into thought for a moment. It was true that the name was commonly widespread in the world of games and many copied it, but he had a feeling this one was the real WynterRain.

The WynterRain he knew, Yuujin.

[You: I think he’s the real one, I saw his name on the leaderboard]

[Anonymous: Do you have a reason?]

Hiro thought about it. A reason? He didn’t want to say it was just based on his intuition and be labeled as a fool, so he needed a strong reason.

At that moment, he remembered a detail.

901,459.

[You: His battle rating was crazy! No doubt, it was him!]

Hiro quickly typed before pausing.

[You: But he’s supposedly dead]

Anonymous is typing…

[Anonymous: Great, so you believe it’s actually him too!]

[Anonymous: BTW, I have a job for you!]

‘A job?’

Hiro waited for Anonymous to continue.

[Anonymous: You’ve read my post on the dark web, right? I’m investigating your brother’s strange death, and you’ll be helping me with a few things]

He was shocked to read this unknown person’s message.

“How does he know I’m WynterRain’s brother?” Hiro muttered in confusion and disbelief.

[Anonymous: Of course I know, you can’t fool me]

[Anonymous: I can even see that stupid look on your face right now lol]

Hiro suspected the camera on his android bracelet and immediately covered it with his hand.

[Anonymous: Nice try, you covered my vision]

[Anonymous: But I’m serious. I need you to uncover the truth behind WynterRain’s death.]

Hiro was still covering the camera while thinking. If the WynterRain in LSO was indeed his brother as Anonymous suspected…

But wasn’t his brother dead? And his nightmare of Yuujin telling him he was killed…

Chills ran down his spine as he remembered the scene quite vividly.

‘What does it mean?’

He suddenly felt his body heat up and his heart beating rapidly. Now that he thought about it, the game was unusual from the start. Its sudden release with its own cryptocurrency, the CBT version with no information available anywhere, the CBT players’ strange behaviors…

And his deceased brother’s appearance?!

Ding!

Hiro snapped out of his thoughts.

[You received a new message from Anonymous]

[Downloading in progress]

Hiro stared at his skinscreen changing under Anonymous’s control.

[Download completed]

[New application has been installed successfully]

[Program Name: LAST SHELTER ONLINE]

[Initial Release Date: December 8, 2028]

[Developer: Ninecent Holdings Ltd.]

[Engine: Real Engine 10 – New Generation Full-Dive VR Gen. 10]

[Publishers: Ninecent Games, Famous Virtual Limited, Global Interaction Entertainment]

[Genres: Action, Adventure, Multiplayer, Role-Playing, Simulation]

[Platform: Virtual Reality]