TRAPPED IN GREAT HERO ONLINE

"Thank you for shopping at O-Market!"

The greeting from a person in a bright blue uniform at the cashier's counter seemed genuinely heartfelt to every customer. He had just thanked a customer who had completed their shopping and payment. This was his job as a convenience store employee. His demeanor made him an ideal candidate for Employee of the Month.

"Haaa… Finally, I can take a little break. I didn’t expect that there would be so many customers," said the short-haired, bespectacled young man with a tired expression.

He had lost his exemplary employee aura with the words that left his dry lips. The young man sat for a moment on a small stool near the register, letting out a deep sigh. His thoughts were a bit scrambled, but he wasn’t about to give up. His reasons for working there went beyond just a paycheck. He was after something more. He was after…

“Eldric, here’s your pay…”

“Paydaaaaay!!” The young man named Eldric shouted, startling the person approaching him.

Eldric immediately froze, his face going pale as he realized he’d jumped up from the small stool he’d just sat on. He turned around to see a heavyset man in the same blue uniform and black pants standing still, shocked by Eldric’s sudden shout.

“S-Sorry, Boss…”

“Eh, no problem. I know you’ve been looking forward to this,” said Eldric’s boss, not minding the outburst.

“B-But…”

“No need to worry, Eldric. I’m well aware of your payday habits. Are you planning to use this month’s salary to buy something you’ve been wanting again?” his boss asked, a bit amused.

“Oh, right. I want to buy that new game that just came out today. Rylan pre-ordered it for me a few weeks ago,” Eldric replied, his face lighting up.

“A game? You mean… Great Hero Online? GHO, right?”

“That’s right!” Eldric replied with complete confidence.

“I’m a bit surprised. I didn’t think you’d like games like that,” his boss remarked, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

“It’s not that I like just any game. I’ve always been a fan of heroic characters. A few years ago, some TV channels showed good hero series, but kids these days are so influenced by uneducational TV shows. It’s quite sad, really,” Eldric said, feeling both nostalgic and a bit melancholic about the past.

Eldric stared at the ceiling, reminiscing about times that had shown him the true meaning of heroes. What makes a hero? Do they really exist? Can we become like them—saving the world and giving hope to humanity? It was extraordinary, yet it wasn’t a task just anyone could take on.

The reason Eldric wanted to play GHO was simple. He was a huge fan of heroes, both fictional and real. He felt he could finally live his dream of becoming a superhero in this new game.

"Well, I understand your excitement to play GHO, but don’t lose track of time while you’re at it," his boss advised firmly, not wanting his employee's performance to be affected by gaming.

“Yes, Boss!”

"Here’s your salary. Spend it as you like."

Eldric received his paycheck in a thick brown envelope with his name written in the middle. His eyes sparkled, his face full of excitement that he couldn’t contain.

“Thank you, Boss! Alright, I’ll be heading out!” Eldric said, bowing politely.

"Take care on your way home."

“Yes, Boss!” Eldric replied enthusiastically, then ran toward the convenience store’s exit, still beaming with excitement and barely able to wait to play GHO.

He vanished from the store, heading home with his heart singing, while the night sky began to greet him. The stars and moon shone down upon him. He was sure that his copy of GHO would be waiting at his doorstep that very night.

After a short journey, he reached the front door of his modest home. Eldric looked down, seeing a small package by his doorstep. With a joyful expression, he picked it up.

“Here it is! Finally!” he exclaimed with excitement.

Eldric quickly unlocked his front door, kicked off his shoes, and eagerly opened the small white package. He dashed toward the red door in the middle of his home. Barely able to contain himself, he quickly opened the red door, switching on the light inside. The room contained a blue bed, a wardrobe, and a desk with his computer—his bedroom. He tore open the white packaging with excitement.

"Great Hero Online... This is really… the game I’ve been waiting for…!! Aha!!" Eldric shouted, spinning around in his bedroom in excitement. But then, he noticed something peculiar—a small note slipped into the left side of the package.

“What’s this? A note?” Eldric picked up the paper and placed the game disc next to his computer. He carefully unfolded the note, sensing it was important. Sitting down on his bed, he faced the open door.

"A note from Rylan, huh? Let’s see.”

{Hey, Eldric! You got GHO, right? I’ve already installed it on my computer. It’s an MMORPG and requires a good internet connection, so make sure everything’s ready. Also, the GHO server opens tonight at 8 PM. Install it on your computer as soon as you can! See you there! —Rylan :)}

“Oh man, he’s always so serious about gaming. Alright, I’d better install GHO right away.”

He stood up, heading to his computer, which was still off. Eldric powered it on and waited for the monitor to display the desktop.

"Okay, here we go. Now, let’s insert this GHO CD.”

With a decent grasp on what he was doing, Eldric removed the game disc from its case, mesmerized by the artwork on it, growing more interested in the game he was about to play. He inserted the disc into his computer’s CPU.

The installation process began, and Eldric tried to handle it without any outside help. He moved the mouse and tapped on the keyboard a bit awkwardly.

“Oh, this is pretty similar to installing a regular app. Just a bit simpler. After pressing ╠ACCEPT╣, I’ll pick the storage location… I’ll save it in Disk D. Then, click ╠INSTALL╣. All done!”

Confident in his basic gaming skills, Eldric smiled, glancing at the monitor’s light.

"Wow, it’s taking a while, huh? GHO needs 30 minutes to install manually on a computer. Haaa,” Eldric sighed, sounding disappointed.

He didn’t expect it to take half an hour to install GHO, more than he’d anticipated, but he tried not to let it bring him down. Eldric decided not to stare at his monitor too long, standing up from his chair.

"I guess… I’ll grab some snacks from the kitchen. Hm?”

He paused, noticing his phone vibrating on the table near his computer. Curious, he walked over and picked it up.

"A call? Oh, Rylan!” Eldric answered the call quickly, smiling.

(“Hey, Eldric! Got my package? How’s it going? Installed it yet? Oh, and don’t forget to pay me back for the game—I’m broke…”)

"Yeah, I’ve got it. Just waiting for the installation to finish. Of course, I’ll pay you back tomorrow. By the way, why’d you leave it at my place before I got home?” Eldric asked, eager to chat about the game Rylan had sent him.

(“Oh, I knew you’d ask. I had things to do at home, so I just left it there. I just finished installing mine, too. Remember, the server goes live at 8 PM tonight, so I’ve already prepped my snacks!”)

"Perfect timing. I was about to grab snacks, too. Have you decided on a name for your hero yet?”

(“Oh-ho! Nope! I’m not telling! You’ll find out once we’re in-game together!”) Rylan’s excitement was clear.

"Alright then, I won’t tell you my hero’s name until we meet in GHO, too,” Eldric replied, matching Rylan’s enthusiasm.

(“Now that’s fair! Go get your snacks ready! The server’s opening soon. See you in GHO!”)

"Yeah. See you there."

The call ended. Eldric and Rylan had agreed to meet in GHO later that night. Eldric’s excitement grew. He placed his phone back on the small table.

"Sorry, Rylan. You’re a thousand years too early to beat me."

He turned from the table and glanced at his computer, where GHO was still installing. All the necessary components were almost ready.

"Internet connection’s good. Power’s stable. Installation’s running smoothly. Alright, time to get those snacks from the kitchen."

Eldric left his bedroom, heading to the back door and turning on the lights to illuminate his path. His house was modest inside, arranged based on his tastes and what he found enjoyable. He’d probably chosen this home for its simplicity.

Eldric wasn’t one to overthink things; he just wanted to start playing GHO. As he entered the kitchen—a tidy room with clean tables, chairs, and a fridge—he had no idea that a great disaster was about to unfold once the game began.