IP Address

"I'm still in my lame apartment in Japan, so why did that android insist I was in America?" Hiro muttered to himself, perplexed. After parting ways with Liberty, he immediately logged off to check if his body actually got transported to America or the sort. The IP address the Asdroid detected really bothered him.

'This is definitely his doing. No doubt about it.'

The LSO VR equipment he was using was a gift from his brother, so whose doing could it be if not his?

"Just you wait, Yuujin!"

But even after concluding that it was Yuujin's doing, he still couldn't get it off his mind.

Hiro checked every inch of the VR equipment and the box that came along with it, but he couldn't find any valuable information.

'Maybe Yuujin activated the equipment while he was in America?'

With that guess in mind, Hiro decided to stop searching and directly set the IP address according to his actual location.

He checked the LSO app on his android bracelet. There, he found that the IP address registered for NightFall was indeed [Washington, District of Columbia, USA]. Fortunately, there was an option to [Set IP Address] on the game settings, so Hiro picked the option that corresponded to his correct location.

However, every time Hiro changed his IP address to his current location, it would quickly revert to America just a second after.

It was as if it was set to be unchangeable.

"What the hell? Why can't I…?" Hiro kept trying to change it. "When did you learn to hack, Yuujin?"

Two hours passed, but nothing worked.

All his efforts were in vain. Despite even utilizing the help of a third-party application, the IP address set for his account kept switching back to its initial address, [Washington, District of Columbia, USA].

Annoyed, Hiro decided to go outside and buy a cold drink to cool his head.

It was still early morning in Tokyo when he walked out of his apartment. As the distance to the supermarket was not that far, Hiro opted to run instead of walk.

'Might as well get a short jog while I'm out.'

…

"You, Yamaguchi! You didn't come for so many days, I thought you moved, kid."

Kira unusually greeted Hiro as soon as he entered the supermarket.

This man had never greeted him when he came here before and only did so when he put something on the counter to pay, so Hiro immediately felt that something was going on.

"Did something big happen?"

This man was definitely hiding something.

As if he was ready to flaunt something grand, Kira had a wide grin on his face.

"Are you looking for something to eat? Pick whatever you like, it's my treat today."

"What? Why? Are you celebrating something?"

"I got my hands on Last Shelter Online's VR gear!" Kira happily announced. "It's on its way with a super fast express courier."

So he guessed right. Hiro thought that might've been the case considering the last thing he saw the man obsessed with was the sale for LSO's full-dive VR equipment.

"From America? Looks like it'll only arrive next month or so."

"Don't underestimate super fast couriers nowadays, kid. Just an hour ago, I received a call saying my package is already in Tokyo."

Hiro could see that Kira was telling the truth, but that wasn't what surprised him.

'Are international couriers nowadays really that fast? If so, how come the VR equipment Yuujin sent for my birthday came so late?

'Did Yuujin not have any money and opted for the package to be sent with the cheapest option with the subsidy from the government?'

Hiro quickly brushed off the suspicions in his mind and hurried to the frozen food section to choose the food he would get for free.

Pretty good.

He very much loved free food.

Hiro returned home with his hands full of food and several packs of snacks, all gotten for free.

Even though Kira threw him a reluctant gaze when he saw Hiro basically rob his store, the man still allowed him to bring everything home free of charge.

As soon as he arrived home, Hiro went to clean himself. He shaved the thin hair that had begun to grow below his nose before brushing his teeth and bathing until he was completely clean.

He felt that it had been so long since his skin last touched water.

Even though the first snow usually fell in early January in Tokyo, winter had arrived. Well, at least his extremely cheap room had a warmer. For the electricity bill he would have to pay at the end of every month, Hiro hoped that he could liquidate the money he had in-game as soon as possible.

After eating breakfast, he put on his full-dive VR equipment to immerse himself in the game again.

[Checking connection…]

[Synchronizing player information, please wait…]

[All set]

[System linked]

[Welcome to Last Shelter Online: Closed Beta Test Version]

Evening was already beginning to fall in the game. The sun was already setting, changing the color of the sky above Beginner Town into a mesmerizing reddish shade. Even so, he still passed by people still wandering around the town.

Today, Hiro was planning to try out the legendary weapon he obtained just a few hours ago.

He tried his best to brush off the IP address problem and decided to think about the server selection for the regular plot he would buy when he had enough LSC.

[Balance 8,970 LSC]

Just a little more.

Through the system, Hiro took some time to check the number of players who had obtained a legendary weapon or armor.

Upon seeing his name on the special page, his mouth subconsciously curved into a satisfied smile.

[Signature: NightFall]

As of this day, a total of 351 players had obtained legendary items. As he was reading, Hiro tried to keep in mind the names of the players on the list in case he would have to compete against them when the game's official version is finally released.

There were over 300 players to compete against, and he had to be in the top 100 to get the 60,000 USD he had been aiming for.

Having more competition didn't make him cower at all. Instead, he became even more fired up from the challenge.

"Hey, Hiro! What are you doing there?"

Liberty happened to be passing by the stone wall Hiro was leaning on and came to greet him.

"All set."

Hiro smiled when he saw how elegant and beautiful Liberty dressed today. The girl really paid attention to her fashion here as she probably would in real life.

"Nothing in particular, just chilling. Where were you from? You look really beautiful today."

Liberty blushed hearing Hiro's words of praise. Instantly, she changed her attire into the [Night Ocean Dress] by ordering her system so it would match the [Night Ocean Cloak] Hiro was wearing.

"I was just from the church to confess my sins and ask for God's forgiveness."

Hiro blinked after hearing her words. He didn't expect the girl to be a believer of God. So far, he never noticed any signs hinting she was a religious person.

"Your sins? What kind of sins?"

He was only trying to make the conversation last longer, but to his surprise, Liberty's face suddenly reddened and her fluffy ears tensed up.

"Why should I tell you, Hiro? You're not God! I won't tell you even if you force me to! Hmph!"

Liberty's flustered look always managed to make him find her even more lovable.

One of the things that made him comfortable playing LSO was this girl's unique behavior. Her reactions truly never ceased to entertain him.

Hiro told Liberty that he was just about to try out the ability of the new greatsword he recently got near the forest. As always, even though she would only be a spectator this time, Liberty was excited to get involved in his plans.

And with that, the two headed to the forest area west of Beginner Town.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance of the forest, Hiro began looking for an area with dense trees, one with not enough gaps for humans to pass through.

After finding the right one for him, Hiro touched the trees one by one to check their type and durability.

'What is he planning to do?'

Liberty couldn't wait to find out.