A Basement-Dwelling Loser, the Inquisitor – Chapter 2

Seok-ho, a 20-year-old unemployed layabout.

Honestly, isn’t it a bit harsh to call someone who just turned 20 a deadbeat? Seok-ho thought, but in truth, he had no other way to describe his situation.

Anyhow, through the introduction of an acquaintance, he started a night shift part-time job at a convenience store.

Though he was worried since it was his first job, after two days of experience, his instincts screamed at him.

‘This is a sweet gig.’

With few customers and minimal stock to manage, this part-time job felt more like a paid vacation where he just had to scroll on his phone for nine hours before leaving. Was he actually getting paid for doing nothing?

Of course, it was a bit dull, but compared to the perks, it felt like there were no downsides.

Grateful in his heart to the big bro who introduced this job, Seok-ho began watching OnTube on his phone today too.

Ding!

“Hello!”

With the sound of a customer entering, Seok-ho immediately stood up and greeted them.

“Oh, uh….”

He lost his words at the same moment.

Wearing a black short-sleeve t-shirt and pure white jeans, it was a very common outfit you’d easily spot outside.

But it was precisely this ordinary style that made it all the more impressive in comparison.

Her snow-white skin looked clear and smooth, free of blemishes.

Her large eyes sparkled red, like they contained gems, rubies shining within them.

That alone was enough to draw attention, but her silver-white hair cascading down to her hips had an even greater effect.

Even Seok-ho, who didn’t know much about women, could tell at a glance that managing that hair must be a hassle, yet it flowed with a shine that mocked such worries.

And the natural part that caught a man’s eye was… there was no way to describe it other than “it’s big.”

Seok-ho tried to avoid staring, hoping to dodge any awkward situations.

‘Is she an actress? An idol? With that height, maybe a model?’

Even with her hat pushed down, her looks were impossible to conceal.

“1,950 won, please.”

“Ah… T-thank you….”

After ringing up a 2-liter bottle of water, as the customer left, Seok-ho thought to himself.

‘This is a sweet gig.’

He imagined all sorts of fantasies in his head, vowing to keep this part-time job at the convenience store until he enlisted, but sadly, that encounter was just the beginning and end.

Considering she was a hikikomori who was extremely reluctant to step outside, it made sense, but Seok-ho had no way of knowing that.

It was a fleeting dream.

★

“Haah….”

Going out is indeed tough.

Even if it’s early morning with fewer people, there are still some around.

Is it the hair that’s the problem?

The silver-white hair that flows down to his shoulders was undeniably eye-catching, even in a different world; in Earth, especially South Korea, it naturally drew more gazes.

Plus, it’s terribly long.

The convenience store worker from earlier probably cursed inside, wondering why anyone would dye their hair to stand out like that.

But going to a salon to dye it was too scary, and doing it myself seemed like a recipe for disaster….

Would they even consider this an attempt at grooming?

Grooming usually means wanting to draw attention, doesn’t it?

But what I want to do is avoid drawing attention, so shouldn’t I avoid using the word ‘grooming’ altogether?

…Ah, I don’t know.

It’s not like going out is a frequent occurrence anyway.

I should make sure to order what I need right away, so this doesn’t happen again.

And if there ends up being another occasion to step outside, I’ll definitely wear sunglasses next time.

Swallowing that resolution silently, I quietly closed my eyes.

★

Half a year since returning to Earth.

My days repeat the same routine, dull yet peaceful.

Fortunately, my bank account had enough money to sustain this lifestyle for another year, making it possible to enjoy this monotonous, peaceful daily life.

…Well, up until yesterday.

“I went and did it….”

My head is pounding.

What on Earth did I do?

In my living room, right in front of me, stood a giant capsule.

The Reverse Capsule.

A capsule-shaped gaming device that lets you enjoy virtual reality games.

The unbelievable price for such a simple gaming device was recorded on my phone.

…I never intended to do this.

The current games on Earth are divided into three categories.

First: Of course, computer and console games, which I’m most familiar with.

Second: The typical VR games that were slowly gaining popularity even in my past life.

Lastly, the third: Fully immersive virtual reality games developed just before I returned to Earth. Shortened to virtual reality games.

…VR means virtual reality, so doesn’t that overlap with the second one?

I had that question when I first heard about it, but… well, that’s what it’s called.

Anyhow, among those, the most popular ones among serious gamers are undoubtedly virtual reality games.

The chance to directly experience a new world.

Just this one aspect of virtual reality gaming was enough to shatter people’s common sense.

And the virtual reality game New Dimension, set to release in two days.

An open-world RPG genre.

From the game teaser videos to beta testers’ testimonies.

And the PV released last month.

Everything hinted at a new world that surpassed all the virtual reality games I had ever seen.

I, too, was captivated by the PV and before I knew it, I had bought the Reverse Capsule and secured my pre-order for New Dimension.

The price I paid was more than what I’d need to live for half a year.

An unbelievable price to call a game ‘ordinary.’

Most of it was the price of the Reverse Capsule.

Should I initiate a refund process now?

The thought briefly crossed my mind, but when I shut my eyes, the world I saw in the PV flashed before me.

Vast plains. Knights battling monsters. A sea of flames. Frozen mountain ranges.

That fantastical scene, even more fantastical than a fantasy world, was unforgettable.

“…Well. I’ll figure it out somehow.”

Right. Using up my living expenses means I still have living expenses left for another six months.

So let’s leave the future to my future self.

I’ll figure it out, somehow.

★

〔Welcome to New Dimension!〕

A strange woman’s voice greeted me.

Today was finally the day the servers for New Dimension would open.

In virtual reality games, accounts are created automatically using physical information instead of a username and password, so since I had created my account yesterday, I could log in to the game right away.

〔New Dimension offers you a new….〕

After skipping the lengthy yet boring intro, I moved straight to character creation.

Customization? Let’s skip it. My handiwork isn’t that great, so let’s just pass.

Following the appearance of reality might get me attention, but this is a game set in a fantasy world where customization is possible.

No one would pay much attention to this silver-white hair, right?

…Or maybe not?

I did attract attention in a fantasy world too.

Whatever. It’s too late to regret it now.

〔Job Selection〕

Next up was selecting a job.

There were various options.

Traveler. Swordsman. Spear Master. Sorcerer. Martial Artist. Assassin, etc.

The ones that piqued my interest were the Traveler, described as the most free, and the Swordsman, who would fight on the front lines.

But just in case, should I think a bit longer?

While I was pondering and scrolling down, I spotted an intriguing entry.

〔Priest – A devout servant of the Elun God who blesses allies.〕

〔Paladin – Receives the Elun God’s grace while shielding against enemy attacks on the front lines.〕

〔Inquisition Officer – Judges heretics who do not believe in the Elun God.〕

“Hmm….”

These were obviously fitting job titles.

In a fantasy world, it’s rather strange not to have a Priest who invokes miracles from a god.

But one issue remained… Who the heck is this Elun God?

I’m someone who lived in a so-called fantasy world.

In that world, Tetra the god and Iya the goddess truly existed, and my role there was that of an Inquisition Officer who judged heretics.

In other words, these guys are fakes.

They’re heretics for believing in a god that doesn’t even exist, and for judging those who don’t believe in a non-existent god.

As a true Inquisition Officer, I can say this for certain.

“Haah….”

Of course, there are various religions on Earth, including cults and heresies.

But I ignore them because I know they’ll never receive any answers, no matter how much faith they show.

However, this world is different. By sending false faith to a false god, they receive false power.

What a blasphemous act.

I never expected to be doing this again after returning to Earth, but… it can’t be helped.

I should hope the heretics repent, so I’ll take action.

Thus, the job I chose was Traveler.

And my nickname is…

〔Inquisition Officer〕

★

【New Dimension Gallery】

【Title: Successful Conversation】

【Author: Head-Broken Priest】

(Crazy bastard.jpg)

I’ll talk in another character so I’m chatting with you lol

[Head-Broken Priest: Hey, what sin did the Priest commit to keep getting their head smashed every time?]

[Inquisition Officer: Because they’re a heretic.]

[Head-Broken Priest: What the heck, but the game system calls me a devout Priest, so what heresy are you talking about?]

[Inquisition Officer: Still a heretic, though.]

[Head-Broken Priest: But you’re a Traveler, how can you call yourself an Inquisition Officer? You’ve got your own job and everything.]

[Inquisition Officer: That’s irrelevant to judging heretics.]

[Head-Broken Priest: This is driving me crazy.]

[Head-Broken Priest: So how do I stop being a heretic?]

[Inquisition Officer: I wouldn’t know, would I?]

[Inquisition Officer: But are you a Priest user?]

[Head-Broken Priest: Yep, that’s me. But because of your nonsense, I switched to another character.]

[Inquisition Officer: Have you quit being a Priest?]

[Head-Broken Priest: Do you think I would?]

〔Death〕

This lunatic.

【Recommends: 308 / Disapproves: 15】

Yep: I wouldn’t know, what do you mean? lol

New Dimension Gallery: A crazy bastard with a firm belief…

Yep: So did you type all that out in chat?

└Head-Broken Priest: Yep, but they never spoke at all?

└Yep: Talk about a lame concept.

New Dimension Gallery 2: This guy just really hates Priests lol

Yep: But this guy seems like a seasoned player.

└Yep: When you meet in PVP or AOS mode, their skill use is insane.

└Head-Broken Priest: Even when I tried to counter before dying, I couldn’t do it, damn it…