Chapter 1: The Cost of Obsession.
"I can't believe I finally got it! The limited edition of Crash Course to the Apocalypse is actually in my hands," Jacob muttered to himself, a manic little grin spreading across his face as he walked down the sidewalk.
He let out a quiet, triumphant chuckle, thinking about the grueling months he'd spent scrubbing tables and serving coffee at a certain Aunt's cafe, every cent of which had been funneled toward this single purchase.
His eyes were practically glued to the glossy game case, completely oblivious to the world moving around him.
Jacob's appearance told the story of his lifestyle better than any introduction ever could, as his complexion was a tad pale and accented by the faint, purplish shadows beneath his eyes.
Those dark bags were the result of countless late-night gaming raids and marathons that stretched well into the dawn, yet his short dark hair and matching dark eyes still held a sharp, albeit exhausted, spark of life.
While he might have looked like a stereotypical deadbeat shut-in while draped in his oversized black hooded tracksuit, he was actually a functioning college student, even if his priorities were heavily skewed toward the digital realm.
"Hey, are you blind or something!" a sharp voice snapped, breaking his concentration.
Jacob, who had been far too focused on the fine print of the game's back cover, realized too late that he had drifted off course and accidentally bumped into someone.
Upon raising his head, a wave of cold nervousness washed over him when he realized he hadn't just walked into a pedestrian, but had stumbled into a group of three girls.
They stood in a loose semi-circle, looking like they had stepped straight out of a fashion magazine, which only served to make Jacob's heart hammer harder against his ribs.
The trio was led by a girl named Bella, a striking blonde with her hair pulled back into a perfectly styled ponytail, flanked by a girl with flowing brunette locks and another with a chic, short black bob.
All three were dressed in expensive-looking attire that complimented their figures.
"My bad, I really didn't mean to... sorry," Jacob stammered, hurriedly tucking the game case behind his back as if trying to hide the evidence of his nerdiness while offering a clumsy apology.
Rather than accepting his words or offering a polite nod, the blonde merely rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh, her expression one of annoyance.
She let out a sharp, dismissive scoff before sauntering forward, her heels clicking on the pavement as she moved past him as if she couldn't bear to waste another second on someone like him who she clearly considered to be trash.
The girl with the short black hair followed closely behind without a second glance, but the brunette lingered for a heartbeat, her eyes glanced at Jacob's face as if she were on the verge of saying something, though she ultimately turned and hurried after her friends.
"That was a close call," Jacob muttered beneath his breath, watching their retreating backs until they disappeared into the crowd.
He let out a long, ragged breath of relief, having been genuinely worried that they were the type to cause a scene over a simple stumble.
He tucked his chin into his hoodie, thinking to himself that it was a stroke of luck they seemed to be in such a hurry to get somewhere.
Regarding the blatant rudeness they'd shown him, he didn't actually mind it much because he had long since grown accustomed to that specific brand of judgment.
He knew that most people he encountered chose to evaluate him based on his disheveled, "NEET-like" exterior rather than taking a single moment to actually get to know him.
As for the idea of giving up his gaming passion or adopting a more conventional, healthy lifestyle to avoid such social friction, that was completely out of the question; he never planned to change his ways.
No matter how many judgmental glares he received.
******
After a long, winding walk through the bustling streets of Seoul, Jacob finally arrived at the building that housed his lodge. His parents were high-flying business people who were rarely ever in the country, meaning his interactions with them were few and far between, usually consisting of brief video calls and wire transfers.
While they were certainly well-off and provided him with a very nice, modern studio apartment, they were staunchly against his gaming hobbies, which was why he was forced to fund his expensive collection through part-time labor rather than their allowance.
The instant he stepped through the threshold of his apartment, he didn't even consider the idea of taking a shower or changing his clothes.
Instead, he kicked his shoes off, locked the door with a satisfying click, and made a beeline for his high-end gaming setup to finally test out the new arrival.
The moment the title screen flickered to life and illuminated the darkened room, Jacob's eyes began to shimmer with happiness, looking like an infatuated child opening a long-awaited gift.
Without a second thought or a moment of hesitation, he sank into his chair and began to play. Minutes bled into hours, and hours gradually turned into days as he lost himself.
Each time his body began to fail him from exhaustion, he only allowed himself a short nap or a quick bowl of instant noodles before diving back into the glow of the monitor, using the restroom only when it became a dire necessity.
Meanwhile, not long after Jacob had started his marathon session, a heavy, banging sound began to echo from his front door.
Normally the noise would've been enough to alert someone that something was wrong, but Jacob's headphone was cranked up far too high for the sound to penetrate.
He remained completely oblivious to the world outside his walls, his mind entirely occupied by the virtual world on his screen.
Eventually, the persistent banging sound vanished, fading away as if whatever had been causing the ruckus had decided to give up and move on to a different target.
If someone had been standing in the hallway and decided to look through his small door peephole, they would have seen a nightmare manifesting in the corridor.
A strange, small creature with bulging, beady yellow eyes and ears that tapered into sharp points was walking away from the door, its gre
en skin slick with grime and its needle-like teeth stained crimson as blood dripped steadily from its open maw.