“Where am I? Am I no longer on Earth? No, no—goblins don’t and have never existed on Earth. So what are they? Did I teleport to another planet? Or time travel? This is a different reality from my world. It’s not virtual reality...more like an isekai world. But I was playing an FPS, not a VRMMO.”
I loved games, anime, novels, and light novels. My favorite genre was FPS, but I also enjoyed VRMMO games that resembled the isekai worlds in light novels. VRMMO were not virtual reality shooter games like VMB, but rather a virtual reality RPGs, sometimes set in a Western fantasy world, where the protagonist was transported to a fantasy world that became their reality. Recently, the trend in light novels involved such stories, and the transfer was often triggered by the VRMMO game genre.
“I was playing an FPS, right? Then I was somehow transferred to a world of swords, sorcery, and firearms? Well, I don’t know if there’s magic here, but I should assume there is and be prepared for any opponents using some form of ranged weapons I’ve never seen before.”
Half an hour passed as I continued to track the goblins and mutter to myself. Suddenly, I heard water flowing, or rather falling, from the depths of the forest. I saw a waterfall through the gaps in the trees. It was about thirty feet high and had a visible cliff. The three goblins headed towards the waterfall and entered a cave neighboring it.
“What am I doing?” Watching them disappear into the cave, I suddenly came to my senses. They were merely returning to their den. In that case, where was I to return to? I was stuck. I didn’t know what to do now, or what my purpose was.
Can I return to my original world? But how?
Do I live in this world, now? But where do I go?
I remained fixated on the goblin’s den. For how long, I don’t know, but eventually the sky turned red as the sun began setting. On the map, multiple moving red dots appeared.
My goggles were on a retractable head-mounted display and provided eye protection. When you transitioned them to VRFPS, you could view various kinds of information difficult to view on TV screens or monitors. The goggles displayed detailed intel, including map data, weapon ammunition count, and enemy and ally positions. It could also switch to FLIR mode for infrared thermography and night vision mode for combat in various environments. All this made it one of VMB’s most important pieces of equipment.
The map display was circular and with a radius that extended up to a hundred and fifty yards. The sound sensor collected audio within the same range. When dynamic objects appeared, the map displaying them as dots of light—enemies were shown as red, and allies as blue.
In VMB, enemies were automatically displayed as red dots upon visual confirmation or hostile actions, but I wasn’t in the game anymore. The three goblins I pursued earlier displayed as red dots, but for all I knew, they were peaceful, indigenous inhabitants of this world. Even so, I couldn’t assume they were allies yet.
“They’re coming from across the river.”
I moved to a better position where the dots were more visible while maintaining my cover. I verified the identity of the light dots on the map.
“Those are also goblins.”
These multiple red points of light were similar in stature to the previous creatures. Upon closer inspection, however, I saw one of them wore different clothing. It wore a jacket resembling a padded half-coat with a long, ceremonial sash hung around its neck. It also held a club, but it was longer, like the staff of a magician or shaman.
More goblins trailed behind it. Each carried what appeared to be livestock—pigs, most likely. Among them, one goblin held something large and wrapped in a mat-like cloth.
“Is that a person?”
Thin, feminine legs stuck out from the edge of the cloth. These goblins were proudly displaying the spoils of their hunt, and carried the pigs and woman all while screeching to each other in a language that was clearly not human. They disappeared into the den.
What the hell was going on?
I stared at the den again, trying to make sense of it all. Hours ago, I had been playing a virtual reality shooter called VMB, and yet, somehow, now I found myself in what seemed to be a completely different world. The beings I just saw could only be described as goblins. They were humanoids, and clearly not human. But there were human legs in what they carried. It must be someone they abducted. Was she still alive? Was this why I was brought here? Was I meant to save her?
My grip tightened unconsciously around the cold weight of my MP5A4—a steel mass and deadly weapon. My stance was exactly as it was in VMB, but I was unsure if the gun would fire. The TSS confirmed that I could still use the Shop and spend Crystal Points, but I hadn’t tried purchasing anything. There was no guarantee, then, that I could restock ammunition or equipment. Even if I could shoot and reload without issue, would this weapon be enough to take down a goblin? Would a 9 × 19mm Parabellum round actually work?
My mind was flooded with anxiety and questions. Before I knew it, the sun had completely set, and the forest was now shrouded in full darkness.
“I’m going for it. At the very least, I need to check if that person is alive. I can help her if my gun works. If it doesn’t, I’ll have to run. Sucks for her, but that’s the reality of the situation.”
I maintained a firm tone with myself and switched my goggles to night vision mode. I started moving through the trees and toward the goblins’ den.