"No matter what, you can't run, huh?"

From that sentence alone, I understood the impact: not only did it endanger me, but it also threatened my family. Why was that? Simple. If I could avoid whatever I couldn't run from, there'd be a shortcut to bringing someone down by targeting their loved ones. This was why most of the stories I watched or read had protagonists who didn't have families, so as not to appear weak and easy targets to be taken down. It was also why a "hero" could casually dive into trouble without familial obligations.

But the thing was, this wasn't a made-up story like that.

And I wasn't a main character or anything!

"To hell with this!"

I flung my hands, trying to get the paper out of my face, but... nope. This was the most crucial piece of evidence. Instead, I swung my hand and placed the letter next to the VR:Scanner on the table as I remained seated on the chair near it.

On a serious note, paper was a rare commodity. Accessing tree materials—the raw source for paper—required approval and went through strict surveillance. Even owning one branch required legal permission! It would be difficult for me if I did anything that involved making this letter "public" (or for people to know I kept this thing). I might deal with the Secret Police and Covert Operations myself.

'Means this not a problem that can be solved quickly!'

Ahhh, I needed a change of pace!

It was almost breakfast time, and my family would start worrying if I didn't come downstairs soon. Let's not make my other peaceful routines even more disorganized, shall we?

I stood up from my seat, straightened my clothes, and tidied my hair as I headed downstairs.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, the air felt lighter, with the usual family morning sounds filling the room: clattering utensils, casual conversation, and the aromatic scent of freshly brewed coffee mingling with the smell of eggs and toast.

My family had already taken their seats at the dining table.

As I approached them, my little sister, Chen Lin, was the first to notice me. Her brown eyes lit up, and she waved her arms high, causing her short beige hair to sway. She pulled up a chair next to her and patted it. "Big brother! Big brother!"

"Thanks." I sat down in the spot she had offered.

But then, Mother suddenly spoke. "Luo, is everything okay? You seem a bit... off."

Huh?

The question prompted me to look around, noticing the innocence on my sister's face, and my father was engrossed in his Helios bracelet while sipping his coffee. That meant my internal thoughts hadn't spilled over until my expression shifted. I began to consider how perceptive my mother was; she could sense even the slightest change in mood. If she'd read me this easily, I'd need to subtly steer this in a different direction, so I didn't raise suspicion. It was time to execute my escape plan.

'Brush it off and go with the flow.'

I kept eating my breakfast and, with a casual tone, said, "Am I?"

Great. From the worried look on Mother's face, it was clear my answer didn't satisfy her. Fortunately, my sister cut her off before she could ask any more questions.

"Come on, Mom, that is just how big brother looks!" Her head turned toward me. "By the way, Brother, what you explained yesterday was true! I finally got a good score on the surprise test! Hehe."

I wasn't sure if Chen Lin realized how offensive her words were—confirming that I looked distant, off, and unfriendly. But I didn't take it personally; it was how she saw me. At least she was consistent, and I appreciated that.

With her comment, I took the opportunity to steer the conversation toward something more neutral. "Good. I am glad you making Big Brother's wisdom worth it."

Chen Lin's face lit up. She was probably proud, not just of her test score, but of my acknowledgment. "Thanks! Then... can you help me study later?"

With a smile until my eyes closed, I replied, "Of course."

Instead of a simple thank you, Chen Lin clapped her hands repeatedly, her enthusiasm spilling over as she dug into her breakfast. Before long, she finished her meal—almost choking in her excitement—then got up, grabbed her bag from the sofa, and bolted out of the house like a thief.

"Bye, Mom, Dad, and Big brother!"

"Be careful on the road, Lin," Mother called after her, but it seemed pointless.

I meant, with that energy, sure, Chen Lin already sprinted far away from home. She might have already gone with our neighbors—her schoolmates—to leave together.

'Whether she is still in that habit or not.'

Without my sister, the atmosphere at home became quiet, like now, awkward even. So, I decided to continue my routine: finish breakfast, have a quick chat with Father before he left for work, help Mother clean up, and then sit back at the dining table to check my Helios.

Why did I act like nothing happened? To be honest, my reluctance to open up to my parents was frustrating. Like... humans were social creatures? Not opening up to anyone, even your closest one, would be as stressful as being alone in a crowd.

But part of me felt it was my role to shield them from any added stress, to keep things "normal." If I were to be honest with them right now, it would be like dropping a meteor into their world while they were busy working in the office.

Annoying, right?

Nah, I was joking. The real issue was my fear of being misunderstood. I'd opened up to my parents about my worries a while back, and what did I get for it?

You know...

Uh...

Anyway, I had reasons for not explaining the letter and my "forgotten memories" to them; I should be able to solve this problem in my own way, independently. Taking out the Helios' holographic display, I started scrolling to see what connections I could find—Oh, right.

'Him!'

Gosh, why hadn't I thought of him sooner? I hurried upstairs and went straight to my room.

Inside, I sat down at my computer desk and placed my hand on the biometric pad—a black rectangular box. Unlike the wall-activated commands I used for routine tasks, "my computer" required a scan for extra security; only I could access its full functionalities.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

After a moment, the room's AI sounded, "System activated. User authentication confirmed. Welcome back, Chen Luo."

The room subtly shifted in response to my computer's activation. The doors and windows were automatically locked, while the various electronics and panels were illuminated, diming this originally dark room. All of this happened not only because of the personalized options I had set but also to present a wide holographic screen floating freely in front of me. Navigating the options on the screen, I selected a communication application and searched for one contact.

Connecting call...

It had been a while since we last spoke. When the call finally connected, the image of an all-blue young man—his hair and eyes the same shade—who was the same age as me flashed into view. I braced myself for his reaction.

"Chen Luo! My man, my bro, my hero! I was starting to think you'd joined a secret society or something! Or are you...?"

I, of course, immediately went on the chase rather than reply to that nonsense. The sooner I got my hands on him, the sooner I could start putting things together.

"Help me pass the burning ship to catch a Holndrus."

The metaphor slipped out of my mouth just like that.

The burning ship illustrated my current situation: immediate, severe, deadly, and impossible to escape. If I jumped into the ocean to save myself (ignoring that VR:Scanner), I would face a more abstract problem: What was the distance to the nearest land? Were there predators around me? How could I keep myself afloat? How would I eat? And so on. But by staying still on a burning ship, I would die. "Die" that I was referring to could be metaphorical or literal.

That was why I needed to "capture" the Holndrus, as this creature perfectly illustrated the cause of my problem.

Giant.

Very hard to find.

Legendary compared to other sea beasts in this world.

In conclusion, whoever was messing with me was possibly highly influential, spreading chaos around them and setting off a series of chain events until one of them hit me. But their whereabouts were hard to find.

Looking back at Guo Dai, it appeared that he didn't understand what my metaphor meant. Let it be. I just told him to jump into action.

"Activate Omni-Display Mode."

"Oh, wow, immediately executing?" He grinned. "Kay, sir!"

Various holographic screens then appeared behind the main screen where I communicated with him, turning my dimly lit room into a blurred rainbow from the different colors of each one. They hovered and surrounded me in a semi-circle.

I liked that he obeyed right away.

I sat down on my computer chair, which I had moved slightly to the center of my room. Leaning back, I folded my arms and checked each screen to ensure it was up and a two-way tie.

Having had enough, my right hand extended and pointed at one of them. "Move screen Alpha-3 to coordinates X15, Y7."

"Aye!"

Following my instructions, the holographic screen glided through the air to its destination: the top of my computer desk. Nodding, I pointed at the other screen. "Now, shift Beta-2 to X10, Y12. Let's have a side view. What do you see?"

My words puzzled him, as evidenced by his expression. His face was wrinkled, particularly his brows and lips... um, why should I describe it in detail?

Most importantly, he still obeyed my orders without protest.

Guo Dai's expression eventually became solemn; his posture was straighter and more stable, meaning he began scanning. To which I gave additional directions, "Also do an internal scan, please."

His answer was just a nod. Good. I liked that he quieted down—

"BROOOOOO!!! SERIOUSLY?!"

—or not.

"No way. NO way!" He started to stand up and seemed to be walking in circles with his hands on his head; overacting, indeed. "Shit, you got that but me? MEEE?!!! Standby. Fuck with sleep. Using macro. But what? NONE!!! No matter, you have—"

"Check its serial code." I couldn't let this conversation get out of hand.

"What?"

"Check that VR:Scanner serial code, Guo Dai."

His frenzy of motion halted as abruptly as it began. And his face, too, with that trademark idiotic expression.

"Serial code? Oh, oh right, the serial code!" He stepped back, adjusting the angle of the holographic screen to get a better view, and sat back down. "Hang on, hang on..."

His gaze was intense, as the usual playfulness was replaced by concentration. Seriousness then faded away, becoming a slow mouth opening of surprise. He glanced at me, then at the other screen, then back to me again, and the other way.

'I know you are confused about this. So am I.'

"This... how come? VR:Scanner not available? NeoGen is very strict with their products, copied or illegal ones are burned. Hold on. If this is illegal, it shouldn't have a serial number, or the serial number isn't registered. Instead, it shows this [Not Available] message. Is yours a prototype? B-But then, where did you get it?"

"There." I snapped my fingers and ended by pointing at him. "Where did I get it? Find out."

His eyes blinked before returning to normal, as if processing what was happening. Eventually, that expression came out: a sense of challenge, insatiable curiosity, attraction, and falling down the rabbit hole until hitting bottom.

An evil grin, if I could say.

"Ha... HAHAHAHA!! I see, I see! Another deadly game you have caught in, Chen Luo! Okay, consider it done!"

The holographic screen from him disappeared, along with the other screens, and my room returned to its dimly lit state.

Connection terminated.

Hmm. At first, I thought it was "him," Guo Dai, who had secretly placed the VR:Scanner in my room. But it turned out to be me. Moreover, he was also surprised that this was indeed an unusual occurrence. No matter. Now that he had investigated the mystery of this VR:Scanner from the outside, it was my turn to do so from the inside.

Enter "World: The Origin," the only game inside VR:Scanner.