Chapter 5: Return to Six: A Game Too Real

A few days after ordering the VR device, a delivery box was sitting at my doorstep.

I knew instinctively it was the VR gear, after all, it’s the only thing I’ve ordered online recently.

My place already has all the essential appliances and necessities, and food or other supplies can be picked up at the convenience store.

Just to be safe, I checked my debit card balance and nearly choked—2 billion won.

An amount most people wouldn’t see in a lifetime was sitting in my account.

Stunned by the absurd sum, I traced the source of the deposit. The account holder? Potato.

“Ha, this is starting to stink even worse.”

Potato obviously points to Potato Soft.

Why they sent me this fortune, I don’t know. But I can guess one thing.

Back when I was trapped in the game, I ran countless dangerous ops.

Taking down terrorist bases, slitting the throats of their leaders—you name it.

Missions where survival was never guaranteed.

Looking back, I never got paid for those ops. I was too busy training and being deployed to notice.

Headquarters covered basics like food and shelter, so I didn’t think about it much.

“Well, whatever.”

I push the thought of the 2 billion aside for now.

What matters is the VR device I’ve been dying to get my hands on has arrived, and it’s time to dive into Force of Six.

“Not bad, huh?”

I pull the VR gear out of the box.

It looks a bit like goggles, painted in sleek black with a tangle of wires.

I read the manual and start setting it up.

In just a few minutes, the VR device is ready to go.

“Here we go.”

I put on the headset and lie on the bed.

The soft mattress cushions my back, and I let myself sink into the comfort, closing my eyes.

With that, my consciousness slips into darkness.

As I’m swallowed by complete darkness, I raise my right arm.

In my vision, it’s translucent, like wobbly gelatin.

“Holy sht, the quality’s insane.”

Pure awe hits me.

They called it virtual reality, but it feels more real than reality itself.

The sensation of moving my arm, the weightless floating feeling.

I’ve never been on a spaceship, but I can’t help thinking, “Is this what zero gravity feels like?”

Then, a bright light creeps into my vision, accompanied by the faint sound of gunfire growing louder.

As the gunfire intensifies, a white background appears with bold brown text welcoming me.

“Our director used to say that all the time.”

The phrase feels familiar, like I’ve heard it a million times.

After thinking it over, I remember—it was the director’s catchphrase.

He’d say it to each of us before every mission.

Back then, I thought he was telling us to go die or something.

But now, I get it. He meant, “Don’t stick out your tongue and die in the mission. Learn from the fear of death.”

Roughly translated, it’s something like, “Life’s lessons come from death.”

Badass line.

I’ll have to use it someday.

My gelatin-like body starts filling with vibrant colors.

Countless cubes, shimmering in every hue, assemble inside me, piece by piece.

Finally, my body is complete—a strange sensation, like something’s been filled.

Another small window pops up.

I pause to think.

In Force of Six, you can’t change your nickname later.

Pick a dumb one, and you’re stuck with it.

After some deliberation, I settle on what seems like the best option.

“NoobSlayer420.”

“Don’t care.”

With the mechanical voice’s final words, my body starts plummeting downward.

I open my eyes.

The acrid smell of gunpowder, familiar from the battlefield, stings my nose.

It’s so familiar it feels like coming home.

“Been a while.”

The first thing I see is a cityscape.

It’s got a dark, gritty vibe.

I look up at the sky.

The sun, usually blazing, is hidden behind clouds, and it looks like rain could pour any second.

“To think this realistic scenery is all graphics…”

I’m genuinely impressed.

For someone from 2021, this technological leap is unimaginable.

As a VR holdout, I’m thrilled.

“Let’s see.”

I test my body.

I raise my arms and legs, shake my head, and spin my arms around.

It moves as naturally as my real body.

Some nearby users glance at my antics, but I don’t care.

My head’s buzzing with excitement and curiosity—other people’s stares don’t faze me.

I look around.

Tons of users roam the streets.

Some in military gear, others in casual clothes.

But the one who stands out most?

“Yo, brothers! I made a Force of Six smurf account for content! Time to wreck some noobs~”

A guy pulling all kinds of aggro.

‘Nickname… DarkMarkChan?’

What a stupid name.

He’s definitely a streamer.

No normal person would wear weird clothes and act like such an attention hog otherwise.

“What the…?”

“So damn loud.”

People passing by start grumbling.

Despite the complaints, the guy’s unfazed, continuing his stream like he’s wearing a mask of pure shamelessness.

Is thick skin a requirement for streamers?

“Tch.”

Sure, streaming’s a way to get famous.

But I don’t want to be on some low-tier broadcast like that.

More importantly, I’m curious about how my skills stack up in this Force of Six world.

“Menu.”

I mutter the word, and a menu window pops up instantly.

I click the option labeled “Casual Match.”

Warning! The recommended level for the user is AI Bot Match.

Red text flashes in my vision.

I ignore it. Why play against AI?

Killing real players is way more satisfying.

Without hesitation, I hit the “Continue?” button below the warning.

A moment later, a voice rings in my ears.

My vision goes dark again.

The match is found in seconds.

I’m hit with just how popular Force of Six is.

Matched in mere seconds after hitting the button?

How big is this game?

As soon as I enter the pick screen, the team chat starts lighting up.

—

ForceSixNoob: Yo, what we picking?

OperatorMaster: Casual, so anything goes.

ForceSixNoob: Don’t care about comp?

ILoveMe: Comp? Save that for ranked.

ForceSixNoob: Aight.

—

Everyone picks their operators.

From first to fourth pick:

Sledge, Gulag, RaiQ, Mesh.

“Hmm, what to pick?”

All the decent operators are taken.

Left with no choice, I pick the Reserve Operator.

The chat explodes.

—

ForceSixNoob: Reserve Operator? You nuts?

OperatorMaster: Lmao what?

ILoveMe: Just play, it’s casual, go go.

ForceSixNoob: Bro, that thing can only reinforce one wall, it’s pure griefing. You serious?

OperatorMaster: Yo, you’re more of a master than me, want my name?

BrurStar: Let them play. Looks like a noob based on their level, so cut some slack. No noob hate.

—

The insults and criticism come fast.

What’s their problem?

Reserve Operator is awesome.

Sure, you can’t attach anything to the gun!

Sure, you can only reinforce one wall!

But Reserve Operator is the truth.

Sunglasses on, loyal vibe—impressive.

Reserve Operator can’t equip attachments and can only reinforce one wall, making it the ultimate trash-tier operator.

Pick it in casual or ranked, and you’re begging to get flamed.

But Reserve Operator has its own flavor.

And I’m about to show my team that flavor.

The pick phase ends, and the map is chosen.

Each map has its quirks—some favor defenders, others attackers.

In ranked, you’d ban one of three maps depending on your team’s role.

Casual just picks a map randomly.

A lively tune plays as the mansion appears.

It’s got that Western movie vibe, with endless fields stretching outside.

West Virginia Mansion.

I remember this map.

It was the director’s vacation home, lent to the Six team for training.

After we were done, the director saw his mansion turned into a doghouse.

‘He cried tears of blood in the end.’

Just another memory now.

Seeing this mansion again hits me with nostalgia.

The voice chimes again.

After map selection, you get time to pick your weapons and attachments before the game starts.

I choose my loadout.

“Let’s go with something standard.”

After some thought, I pick the L85A2 assault rifle, used by the UK SAS.

For my secondary, the MAC-11 submachine pistol.

I’d love to add attachments, but Reserve Operator can’t, so I make do.

For spawn point, I pick position 3, farthest from my team.

Normally, sticking with teammates boosts win rates, but I’m not in the mood to roll with the jerk who flamed me earlier.

ForceSixNoob: Ugh, fck, we’re playing 4v5. Look at this guy spawning solo.

I swear I’m gonna shut that guy’s mouth.

What’s he acting all high and mighty for?

The long prep phase ends, and the real game starts.

“Here we go.”

Force of Six, the game I was trapped in for years.

I never wanted to relive that experience, but here I am, back in it.

This time, as a player.