Year 3122.

  Earth was nothing like it had been a thousand years ago. The concept of nations had long become a relic of history, and all of humanity now lived under a single authority: the Unified Earth Government.

  To manage life and administration efficiently, the world was divided into massive self-sustaining structures called “pnts,” a concept inherited from early Martian colonization pns. These closed systems housed all human activity within them.

  While the idea of living entirely inside such structures might seem suffocating, this was naturally resolved with the advent of fully developed AI and virtual reality. By the 24th century, humanity had collectively chosen virtual reality over the physical world—for its greater efficiency, limitless potential, and striking resembnce to real life.

  In this new digital age—referred to as the “Era of Virtual Reality”—nearly every aspect of daily life occurred in the virtual domain. Every sight, sound, touch, and feeling was perfectly replicated. The only exceptions were bodily necessities like sleep and biological maintenance.

  However, one major challenge emerged: the staggering volume of data and traffic generated by an entire species living digitally. This rapidly expanding system required high-level maintenance and ongoing development. To handle this, the Unified Earth Government introduced a singur exception to its otherwise egalitarian society: the creation of “Researchers.”

  These genetically modified individuals were born through precision-edited DNA, endowed with superior intelligence, cognition, and perception. Granted full access to the virtual infrastructure, they were assigned special AI assistants equipped for high-performance computing and had top priority in system resource allocation.

  Han was one of these Researchers.

  “Unified Earth – Eurasian Continent, Korea Division, Seoul Pnt. Citizen Code: K-3083729. Researcher: Han.”

  Today was his seventeenth birthday.

  [AM 06:59 → 07:00]

  In the penthouse of Seoul Pnt, the only light in the darkness came from the smartwatch wrapped around Han’s wrist. As the clock struck 7:00, the room came alive.

  The head of the bed slowly inclined by 15 degrees, activating a gentle wake-up feature. The smart gss walls and ceiling turned transparent, letting in soft morning sunlight. The orange glow filled the room, and automated transparency controls adjusted the brightness to a comfortable level. Cssical music echoed across the room with rich spatial resonance, and a low-caffeine coffee began to brew, filling the air with its warm aroma.

  Han’s smartwatch flickered and spoke—his personal AI assistant, REA.

  “Han, it is time to wake up.”

  The voice wasn’t loud, but it resonated directly inside his ear through the virtual interface node attached to his temple. Han frowned slightly and slowly opened his eyes.

  “Ugh… what time is it, REA?”

  “Exactly 7:00 AM.”

  “Mmm… just five more minutes…”

  The smartwatch blinked again. REA was recalcuting his schedule.

  Then, a familiar voice called out from downstairs.

  “Han~! Time to get up! It's your birthday today! I made you birthday breakfast! Make sure you eat before you leave! I’m off to work!”

  The sound of the front door closing echoed faintly.

  Han suddenly kicked off his bnket and sat up.

  “Oh right—my birthday!”

  Still humming a cheerful tune, he skipped down to the kitchen, where a neatly arranged traditional Korean breakfast awaited him. A small note beside the bowl of seaweed soup caught his eye.

  "Happy adulthood, my son. You know how much I love you, right? Sorry I couldn’t stay to eat with you!"

  Han stared at the note in silence for a moment, then carefully folded it and slipped it into his pocket.

  “Still… it would've been nice to eat together, just for today.”

  Han’s mother was a well-regarded figure in the Unified Earth system—a systems engineer managing the real-world virtual infrastructure. It was said that thanks to her contribution to the continuity of this world, Han had been selected as a Researcher.

  But the servers that contained the global VR network demanded constant oversight—from traffic control and system errors to hacking attempts and hardware maintenance. She had little choice but to dedicate herself fully to her work. From a young age, Han was raised almost entirely by AI. During his early years, he had spent some time with her thanks to a government policy, but after he entered school, their encounters became rare.

  Even so, Han never doubted his mother’s love. She woke him up every day, made him breakfast, and wrote heartfelt notes for him every single morning—without fail.

  Setting aside his lingering disappointment, he brought a spoonful of the warm soup to his mouth.

  “Ahh~ This is what keeps me going—Mom’s cooking!”

  Mimicking a middle-aged man, Han chuckled. He activated his smart lenses, and a holographic figure appeared—REA, now rendered as a refined, sharp-featured East Asian woman in a formal suit.

  “Happy seventeenth birthday, Han.”

  “Thanks, REA. But hey, do you know what this is?”

  Han pointed at the bowl of soup.

  “Seaweed soup.”

  “Tsk. Not just seaweed soup! This is the official mark of adulthood.”

  “…Ah, I see. Congratutions.”

  “Heh. Thanks.”

  “But Han, your css starts soon.”

  “Wait, already?! Alright—I’m going!”

  He quickly wrapped up breakfast. The time on the lens dispy was nearing 7:30.

  In a different pnt, inside a penthouse identical to Han’s, a middle-aged man stared at a screen in silence.

  On the screen was Han, finishing his breakfast. His personal data hovered beside him:

  Citizen Code: K-3083729

  Name: Han

  Date of Birth: April 14, 3104

  Cssification: Researcher

  Genetic Origin: Researcher UA-29082245, Technician K-2993125

  Assessment: Exceptionally high intelligence and perceptive capability. Comprehensive understanding of both hardware and software systems.

  Note: Highest academic evaluation score across humanity. Caution: potential emotional interference in judgment.

  The man silently watched as Han left his home, then walked to the window.

  Outside the transparent wall was a dense forest surrounding the pnt—a stark contrast to Seoul’s ndscape.

  “At st…”

  He closed his eyes. The day his wish would come true was near. A faint smile spread across his lips—part joy, part sorrow.

  His smartwatch flickered softly but said nothing.

  “Heading out~!”

  As if by habit, Han called to the empty house and stepped outside, still humming.

  The journey to the education center took about an hour. Even in an age of advanced VR, education was still conducted in person. The rumor was that it was the stubborn decision of the government’s education bureau. Han once thought it inefficient, but he looked forward to meeting his friends.

  Each pnt housed its educational facility at the central first level, with all other structures built in concentric rings around it. From the outside, it resembled a cylindrical pyramid. Some joked that it looked like a new kind of tomb—but it was simply the most efficient use of space inside the pnt’s domed structure.

  The design ensured that even in a pnt-wide catastrophe, the education facility would remain intact—serving as the primary emergency shelter if necessary.

  Although there were high-speed elevators that could travel from the top to the first level in under five minutes, Han always chose to walk down along the outer rings, enjoying the view.

  The streets were quiet.

  Since the 24th century, all commerce and enterprise had moved to VR, with even deliveries handled by drones. Only students heading to school and rare specialists like Han’s mother left their homes physically.

  That made Han the only person who walked the pnt's perimeter at this hour.

  But he loved it—the view of forests beyond the dome, the green fields, the rare glimpses of rocket unches in the distance. These were sensations he could only feel in the real world.

  “Maybe… that’s why education still happens in reality?”

  He smiled faintly and leaned against the railing, closing his eyes to imagine the breeze brushing against his skin.

  “So good…”

  Just then, REA spoke.

  “Apologies for interrupting, Han. You are almost te.”

  “Ah—right! Thanks, REA!”

  Han broke into a run.

  Even then, instead of heading for the elevator, he made his way to the escator.

  His smartwatch flickered quietly—almost like a sigh.