Foxgas: “The wait is over. We’re finally open!”
The long-awaited online ga Monster Park by Foxgas was finally launching.
Though they called it a ga, it was more like a text-based simulation, and I didn’t expect sothing so rudintary to thrive.
Frankly, I thought it’d be more worthwhile to read a book or learn new farming techniques or construction thods on AntWiki.
A phrase from a pre-war psychiatrist ca to mind:
"Thinking that the world dislikes sothing just because you do is a common delusion among people who feel out of sync with society."
[Queue: 53,231 players]
"…"
That’s the ssage that greeted when I leisurely logged in after finishing my daily chores.
Over 50,000 people were waiting, endlessly refreshing their screens in an act of sheer patience, desperate to access a chunk of text.
Foxgas: “So sorry! We honestly didn’t expect this many players. Luckily, a board user who wants to remain anonymous offered to help with the servers. Just give us one day, and we’ll open the gates wide!”
The obsession with the lost joy of online gaming was intense.
It seed people longed for any ga, any dium that allowed them to "hunt together," level up, and experience camaraderie again.
"Just a form of escapism," I muttered.
I was chatting with Da-jeong over the comms.
"No matter how bleak reality is, seeing yourself level up and grow stronger in an online ga makes you feel good, doesn’t it? And if that strength in the ga can translate to real-world benefits, even better."
"Hm…"
"Skelton, I’m guessing you’ve never played online gas before, right?"
"Correct."
"Kinda figured. What did you do for fun before the war?"
"Not sure."
Looking back, the concept of "fun" barely existed for .
I understood the need for rest, but it was always frad as preparation for the next battle. Pure recreation, as others might define it, was almost nonexistent in my life.
"Beatboxing?"
"There it is again, the beatboxing."
Despite being friends, Da-jeong and I didn’t talk much.
Our conversations were rare, brief, and often focused on one topic before ending quickly.
Usually, this would’ve been the point where the conversation stopped.
But today, Da-jeong seed to want to talk more.
"Hah…"
Her sigh ca through the speaker, soft but heavy.
It seed like she wanted to ask sothing. Still, according to our unspoken rules, I stayed silent.
"Skelton."
"Yeah?"
"You don’t have a girlfriend, do you?"
"Should I?"
"No, let rephrase that. You’ve never had a girlfriend, right?"
"Correct."
"Never felt anything for ?"
"What answer are you looking for?"
"Sotis, I think…"
Her voice wavered, as if she were unnerved.
"Skelton, you’re kind of… different from normal people."
"I don’t think you’re in a position to say that."
"Fair point. But don’t you ever want to et soone and live happily ever after?"
"I guess everyone has that desire deep down."
"Then why don’t you have anyone you like?"
Soone I like.
For a fleeting mont, Na Hye-in’s face crossed my mind.
"No one."
"What about ?"
"Is sothing going on over there?"
When soone starts acting out of character, it’s usually a sign of unfavorable changes in their environnt.
"Sigh. You really are sharp, aren’t you?"
Da-jeong sighed again.
"My brother brought in Heo Jong-chul—that perverted freak."
"Heo Jong-chul? That walking nuke?"
"Even though I told him I hated the guy, he insisted. Now he’s here, babbling nonsense like, ‘Universal education ruined this country. The world’s broken because everyone gets educated!’ He’s unbearable."
"Sounds rough."
"Skelton, forget what I said earlier. Want to play a ga together later?"
"A ga?"
"The one by Foxgas."
"I’ll think about it."
As it happens, I’d been gifted a special account by Foxgas.
Although I hadn’t logged in yet due to server issues, the account was supposedly "unique," offering special perks unavailable to others.
A pearl necklace on a pig, perhaps.
The irony of soone like , who didn’t even like gas, receiving such an account wasn’t lost on .
anwhile, the person who arranged for this account was wreaking havoc on the boards.
Anonymous1523: “Hey, you filthy beggars. In Jeju, we’re living like it’s pre-war. Servers run smoothly, there’s fewer people, and everyone’s civilized. It’s great. But you mainland scum? Flocking to so text-based excuse for a ga, 50,000 of you? Pathetic. Makes sick.”
Anonymous1523: “Seriously, I want to go out and blow so of you up just to cut down on the population. Tonight, I’m taking my soldiers hunting for beggars. If you see a red Lamborghini, run. Or shoot, if you want, but it’s bulletproof. I’ll tear your families apart in front of you.”
"What’s his deal?"
Did he know his fate?
Maybe he was lashing out because he sensed his impending doom. Or maybe not.
Judging by how recklessly he acted, he probably didn’t.
Unexpectedly, change ca quickly.
Anonymous458: “Oh! It’s working!”
Anonymous1031: “For real!”
Dolsingman: “Let’s go!!”
Unicorn18: “Gogosing~”
ㅇㅇ : “Wahoo!”
Mmmmmmm: “Let’s get it~”
Monster Park was back online, thanks to the anonymous board user’s assistance.
While it was cruder, less polished, and regressed in every aspect compared to pre-war gas, none of that mattered to the players.
The simple joy of moving their avatars, embarking on adventures, and doing what they hadn’t been able to in reality brought them to life.
The Viva! Apocalypse! Korean board instantly morphed into a Monster Park hub.
ㅇㅇ : “How do you beat the zombie boss at Tapgol Park?”
Anonymous1031: “Anyone got spare mana drinks? Or so low-tier monster or mutation at?”
ㅇㅇ : “Who the hell broke into my hut and looted everything?”
Mmmmmmm: “Recruiting mbers for ‘The Hope Guild.’”
Anonymous411: “Aside from so lag, this ga’s aweso~ Super fun~”
TNTN_Orthopedics: “Stuck on the 5th basent floor of the Seoul Station Dungeon. Help!”
Unicorn18: “Can we get a better character customization for cute girls?”
A single refresh brought up an avalanche of posts, a massive torrent of activity.
In the midst of it all, Anonymous1523 beca irrelevant.
Anonymous1523: “Check out my dinner tonight! (feat. single malt whiskey)”
Anonymous1523: “Hot chick I found on the streets yesterday (huge boobs).jpg”
Anonymous1523: “Hey! Hey! Hey! You f***ers!!!!”
Anonymous1523: “I’ll destroy the ga servers! Shut them down!”
No matter how much he bragged, ranted, or lashed out, it was useless.
His posts were buried under the countless ga-related threads, fading into obscurity with zero views before being pushed further down the board.
Eventually, even he realized no one cared and vanished from the forum.
It was a surprisingly quiet exit for a notorious troll who had wreaked havoc on the board every single day since he appeared.
*
[Congratulations! You have been selected by sysop: Foxgas!]
[Sysop: Foxgas will contact you shortly.]
All I did was click the link in the ssage Foxgas sent .
And now, I was about to have a eting with the ga’s developer right at the start.
Sure enough, as soon as I entered the ga—its world consisting entirely of crude text on a black background—a familiar userna popped up.
Foxgas: Skelton!
"…"
One imdiate thought crossed my mind:
How is this any different from the board?
Sowhat taken aback, I replied the sa way I would on the forum.
SKELTON: Yeah, it’s . Foxgas, is that you?
Foxgas: Yep, it’s . So, what do you think of the ga?
SKELTON: Not sure. Just logged in because everyone’s talking about it lately.
Foxgas: Hold on a sec.
Foxgas requested a pause.
It took him quite so ti to return.
Foxgas: Sorry about that. Soone was being annoying.
SKELTON: Who?
Foxgas: That Yang Sang-gil’s son, you know? Have you blocked him yet?
SKELTON: No, haven’t blocked him. Why?
Foxgas: He’s been pestering , demanding a special account. Said if I don’t give him one, he’ll track down and send soldiers my way. Lol.
SKELTON: Sounds like him.
Foxgas: Eh, whatever. Ignoring him’s easy enough. Anyway, I’ve got a special account for you, but I have a favor to ask.
SKELTON: (Skelton surprised) A favor?!
The favor was oddly specific.
Just as Hong Gil-dong couldn’t call his father “father,” I wasn’t allowed to use "Skelton" as my account na.
There was a reason for this.
Foxgas: Your account is, well, kind of overpowered. You get 1.5x experience points, higher stat caps than everyone else, and even a 25% bonus to crafting success rates. In short, even if you grow at the sa pace as others, you’ll progress faster and surpass them. That’s bound to cause so complaints. Gars don’t miss anything.
SKELTON: Hm… it’s really that overpowered?
Foxgas: It really is, man. Anyway, enjoy the ga!
With that, I received my special account and logged into the ga.
The lobby of Monster Park was vast, dominated by a chandelier that seed to sparkle with thousands of gems.
From here, I could move:
(East) (West) (South) (North) (Lounge)
Tatatatak.
East.
Overgrown vines covered the iron sh surrounding crumbling ruins.
Below, a mutated cat, Street Angel, glared at .
From here, I could move:
(East) (West) (South) (North)
Tatatatak.
Attack the mutated cat.
You inflicted 10 damage with your military rifle!
Ammo -3! (27 remaining)
Street Angel retaliated with sharp claws, dealing 4 damage!
Additional 1 damage from Super Toxoplasma infection!
Tatatatak.
Check status.
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