Seong had been able to see ghosts since he was a child.

He couldn’t remember when it started.

Because, for as long as he could recall, it had always been that way.

And the ghosts never tried to harm him.

— “Kid, if you head over there, you’ll find a 500-won coin!”

— “Oh my! Seong! If you go that way, there’s a cute cat waiting for you!”

— “Haha! Seong, you’ve grown so much! Keep growing strong!”

The ghosts were always friendly to Seong.

So there was no reason to be afraid of them.

In fact, they were often far more helpful than harmful.

Seeing ghosts felt so natural to him that, at first, he assumed everyone else could see them too.

But as he grew older, he gradually began to realize—

He was the only one who could.

Still, like any parents would, Seong’s mother and father couldn’t help but worry.

The moment they learned their child could see ghosts, they took him to a psychiatrist.

They didn’t believe in ghosts, after all.

But all they heard was:

"His brain and all other functions appear perfectly normal.”

When psychiatry didn’t help, they turned to shamans who were rumored to have supernatural abilities.

That’s how desperate they were.

But most of them turned out to be frauds.

"Aah! There’s a spirit floating above the child’s head!"

"Huh? Not above my head—it’s on your shoulder, ma’am."

"Eeeek!"

No one but Seong could actually see ghosts.

Maybe it was because of that?

Naturally, Seong became a well-known figure in the neighborhood from a young age.

The boy who could see ghosts.

But Seong didn’t mind.

Because it was the truth.

He didn’t think it was worth hiding.

Lying about it seemed worse.

Still, as he grew older, he came to understand—

Sometimes, lies were necessary.

At first, he didn’t know.

He was too young to notice the judgmental stares—or the fact that those stares eventually turned toward his family.

Seong was too little to grasp how much his family suffered because of him.

And so, for the first time, he lied.

"Mom, I don’t see them anymore."

He just wanted his mom, dad, and sister to stop worrying about him.

After they moved far away, their home was always filled with harmony.

A doting older sister who cherished her younger brother, and parents who showered their children with love.

Wherever they went, people always said what a happy family they were.

Even when ghosts spoke to him, Seong only responded when he was alone.

There were many times when their help came in handy, but he made sure to keep it hidden.

Only his sister, Yu Mina, knew the truth.

Maybe because of all this—

Having seen ghosts and received their help since childhood—Seong developed a calm and unshakable personality.

It took a lot to surprise him. He was always composed.

That demeanor made him quite popular among his peers.

"Hey, Seong, did you hear about this?"

"Yeah."

"Huh? How’d you know?”

"You’re talking about the 10,000-won bill you found this morning, right?”

"What the—?! How did you know?!"

Seong’s mysterious aura, almost like that of a prophet, certainly added to his appeal.

Still, he had grown up well—so well that his parents no longer had to worry about him.

In fact, he even served as a first-class soldier during his mandatory military service.

When Seong finally returned home after being discharged, his usual calm expression shifted to one of mild confusion as he looked at his sister, Yu Mina.

He had heard about the family moving to a new house.

He had even heard that Mina sold his old computer.

But no one had mentioned the massive capsule that was now sitting in his room.

"What is that?"

"Oh! You noticed it, Seong!"

"How could I not? If I’d missed something that big, they probably would’ve exempted me from service for poor eyesight.”

"Don’t be like that! Feast your eyes—behold the latest model of a VR capsule!”

Mina was practically buzzing with excitement, completely ignoring Seong’s bewildered reaction.

Seong tilted his head.

"A capsule?"

Even while serving in the military, he’d kept up with the news.

He already knew that virtual reality had been invented and that a game based on it had taken the world by storm.

But why was this thing in his room?

That was the real question.

Thankfully, his room wasn’t too small, so the capsule fit snugly in the corner next to his bed.

Still, it made the space feel noticeably more cramped.

Seong glanced at Mina with a slight hint of irritation.

"Hehehe! No need to thank me! My little brother just finished his service—I had to get you a proper gift!"

"I didn’t need one, though."

"What?! Why not?! People are dying to get their hands on these, you know!"

Normally, such a reaction might’ve been disheartening, but Mina knew her brother too well to be upset.

And Seong knew his sister just as well.

She had gone out of her way to get him a gift, so he decided not to complain.

Sure, it probably cost a fortune, which made him feel a little guilty.

But it was the thought that counted.

"Well, since it’s a gift, I’ll accept it. Thanks, Mina."

"Hehe! Now, check this out!"

"What is it?"

Mina pulled out her phone and showed him a video.

It was an interview with Park Won, the genius who had invented virtual reality and developed Eternal World.

And then came the famous line:

"…Even supernatural powers, if you possess them."

Why was she showing him this?

Seong gave her a puzzled look, but Mina only leaned closer, glancing nervously toward their parents in the living room.

"…Doesn’t that mean you could see ghosts in the game too?"

"…"

Seong stared at her with a look of absolute disbelief.

"Mina… Cyber ghosts aren’t a thing."

"…I-I know that!"

Embarrassed by his blunt response, Mina let out a frustrated yell and stormed back to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Seong shook his head.

His sister, who used to get bullied because her little brother could see ghosts, had somehow grown into a full-blown paranormal enthusiast.

Honestly, it was a bit surprising—but not entirely unreasonable.

Personal tastes had to be respected.

That said, cyber ghosts? Those definitely didn’t exist.

‘She used to pester me to check for them, but there was never a single one.’

Mina had been obsessed with ghost stories and urban legends about digital spirits for as long as he could remember, and Seong had humored her more times than he cared to admit.

But even after confirming there was nothing, she hadn’t let it go.

Well, he couldn’t exactly blame her.

If your little brother could see ghosts, it was only natural to ask questions.

As far as Seong had experienced, though, every ghost story and horror tale he’d ever investigated had turned out to be fake.

"Oh my, what’s gotten into Mina?"

"Hmph. Probably sulking because Seong wouldn’t humor her."

Seong’s mother, Lee Nakyung, tilted her head in confusion as she looked toward Mina’s room.

Meanwhile, his father, Yoo Gwangjin, spoke without taking his eyes off the TV.

Seong looked at his parents and nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"See? That girl always pesters Seong too much."

"Oh, come on! She’s just being affectionate with her brother!"

"I’m gonna go wash up."

As Seong grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom, his father nodded.

"Good job today, son."

"Not at all, Dad. You drove me home—you’re the one who should be tired."

"Ahem. Don’t worry about it."

"Oh, come on! You and Mina are exactly the same!"

"Ahem."

Seong smiled as his father, clearly flustered by the compliment, quickly turned his head.

Yep. Nothing beat being home.

*****

After returning home from his discharge and enjoying a warm family dinner, Seong stretched out on his bed, his gaze inevitably drawn to the massive capsule installed beside it.

It was far too large to ignore.

A discharge gift, huh?

His sister really was something.

Not many sisters would spend this much money on their younger brother, even if they could afford it.

And yet—

Wait, this thing can make money?

He’d heard the rumors.

Even during his service, his juniors often talked about playing Eternal World at capsule cafés during leave.

Seong had never paid much attention, though, since he wasn’t particularly interested in games.

Who would’ve thought his sister would go so far as to buy him one?

And apparently, this game wasn’t just for fun—it could make absurd amounts of money.

If Mina hadn’t mentioned that during dinner, Seong probably wouldn’t have given it a second thought.

After all, wasn’t it just a game?

But—

Mina said she’s making money with it too.

Jumping in right away wasn’t Seong’s style.

No matter what he did, he preferred to research and prepare first.

He had always been the type to test the waters before crossing, even as a child.

Caution never hurt anyone.

Rather than logging in late at night, it made more sense to gather information and start fresh in the morning.

Seong sat up from his bed and settled in front of his computer.

Where should he start?

Mina had already given him plenty of advice.

Which beginner town to choose, what to focus on first, and even where to find hidden items that only spawned in certain areas.

He wasn’t particularly curious about how she knew all this.

She had always been sharp, even as a kid, so it wasn’t surprising.

"Hindel Village, right?"

Seong started by looking it up.

An overwhelming flood of information filled his screen, making his eyes dart back and forth.

The deeper he read, the clearer the picture became.

"A village of heroes and demons, huh?"

Mina had explained it to him, but seeing the visuals made it all the more convincing.

A statue of the Hero’s party stood in the center of the village, where countless players gathered to pay their respects.

The Hero of Hindel.

The place where he grew up and ultimately defeated the Demon King.

It was fascinating.

And it wasn’t just the village—

"I can’t believe a game like this exists."

Seong might have looked calm, but deep down, he was stunned.

Without changing his expression, he kept scrolling through videos, absorbing every detail.

Even though they were just clips of beginners exploring Hindel Village, the scenes felt more alive than any footage he’d ever seen.

CG from movies couldn’t even come close to this level of realism.

It was so vivid that it felt like reality itself.

Seong couldn’t help but be drawn in.

"Incredible."

Eternal World.

Another reality—an eternal world.

The name suited it perfectly.

The more he watched, the more intrigued he became.

If Mina hadn’t pushed him to try it, he might not have bothered.

But now, Seong was certain.

Even if his sister hadn’t suggested it, he would’ve ended up diving into this world sooner or later.

He wasn’t a huge fan of games, but this felt like something more.

Something far beyond a simple game.

Not playing it almost felt like a loss.

For the first time in a long while, Seong felt an excited thrill bubbling inside him.

He even smiled without realizing it.

As he was about to search for more videos, Seong suddenly blinked and tilted his head.

“Weird.”

Was he just tired?

He rubbed his eyes and looked back at the screen.

But it was still there.

In one of the videos, among the bustling crowds, was a faint, smoke-like figure that looked as if it might dissolve at any moment.

Its outline flickered like broken pixels.

Seong knew exactly what it was.

"Why do I see a ghost in the game?"

It was the shape of a ghost.