Year: 2028
Gunslinger Graveyard.
A single-player VR game that took over the world.
Set in an alternate 19th-century America destroyed by a zombie outbreak, it was brutal, dark, and deadly—and insanely popular.
Lee Ji-hoon was one of the millions addicted to it.
He wasn't just a fan. He lived for the game.
"Ugh... I'm bored." Ji-hoon stared at his desk full of homework.
"Should I play...?"
His phone buzzed. His friend was on the call.
"Yo, forget studying! Let's play all day. You said it yourself, didn't you?"
Ji-hoon sighed. "I know, but..."
He glanced at the clock. "Alright. Just one hour."
He stepped into his VR capsule and lay back. The lid closed with a soft hiss.
"Let's co-op this time," said his friend.
"Yeah. Sure," Ji-hoon replied.
Then everything went dark.
His eyes opened.
He was standing in the middle of a dusty, broken-down town.
Old wooden buildings lined the street. The sky was orange. The wind blew gently, carrying the scent of smoke and blood.
He looked around.
"This... this is the game?"
It looked exactly like the starting town.
But something felt off.
Too real.
He could smell the air.
He could feel the heat.
He touched a nearby wall—it was rough, solid. Real.
"This isn't right..."
He opened his menu.
Inventory: Empty.
Weapons: None.
"What? Where are my guns? And my items" Jihoon was confused"Did I forgot to save my game files?"
He tried to log out.
No button.
"...Huh?"
He checked again. Still nothing. His heartbeat sped up.
"Where's the logout?!"
He opened his status.
[Status]
Name: Klein Arkwood
Age: 17
Traits: None
Powers: None
Money: 0
He stared at the screen.
Nothing. No weapons. No powers. No escape.
"...I'm f*cked."
And for the first time…
The game felt like real life.