NoveLight ™
On the surface, Seong seemed calm, but he was genuinely pleased with the rewards he’d earned. The elderly ghost let out a hearty laugh, much like a grandfather giving his grandson a cherished gift.
“Ha-ha-ha, you seem to like it! That’s a relief! See you again next time!”
“Thank you.”
“No need to thank me! I’m the one who should be grateful! Ha-ha-ha!”
The ghost vanished the same way it had first appeared, teleporting a short distance away before disappearing entirely, reappearing far off in the distance, then fading like a phantom from a horror movie.
With the elderly ghost gone, Seong immediately checked his new rewards.
『Explorer』
→《Normal》
→A title awarded to users who discover hidden treasures.
→Increases the chance of receiving additional rewards upon clearing a dungeon by 5%.
『Green Stag Leather Gloves』
→《Rare+》
→Gloves made from the durable and lightweight hide of the green stag, dyed a distinct green.
→Increases attack speed by 5%.
『Forest Hunter Set (4/4)』
→Increases movement speed by 10%.
→Increases attack speed by 5%.
→Increases evasion rate by 5%.
“Oh.”
While the Explorer title seemed a bit lackluster, the Green Stag Leather Gloves and the Forest Hunter Set were undeniably useful.
The set bonuses alone provided significant boosts: 10% increased movement speed, 5% increased attack speed, and a 5% boost to evasion. These were critical stats in a game like this.
Including the individual item effects, Seong now had a total of:
Every single bonus was valuable.
“I really hit the jackpot.”
Seong silently acknowledged that none of this would have been possible without the ghosts’ guidance. Without the elderly ghost, he wouldn’t have known about this hidden dungeon. Without Hunter Apik, he wouldn’t have been able to hunt beast-type monsters so efficiently. Without the sword instructor’s memories, his swordsmanship would still be lacking.
It was all thanks to the collective efforts of those ghosts.
“Let’s see how these bonuses play out.”
2.
Seong returned to the rabbit hunting grounds, where several players immediately recognized him.
“Hey, isn’t that the guy from earlier?”
“That guy?”
“The one who found a hidden piece in the training grounds.”
“What? He got something at the training grounds too? I saw him get a title from the butcher shop!”
“Damn, no wonder he was one-shotting rabbits like it was nothing.”
“He’s insane. Is he some new recruit from a top-tier guild?”
The players chatted amongst themselves, but Seong didn’t pay them any attention. He was already fully focused.
The chatter of others was irrelevant.
Drawing upon the memories of the sword instructor, Seong set his mind on replicating the same conditions he’d had when he first hunted rabbits, aiming to assess just how much the new bonuses improved his performance.
As his concentration deepened, Seong moved.
Bang!
The sound of his feet hitting the ground was accompanied by a burst of dirt and debris.
Seong’s increased agility had noticeably heightened his speed, far surpassing what it had been when he hunted the green stags. The boost felt much more significant than the 20% movement speed increase he expected—it felt closer to 40%.
“What the hell?!”
“Wha-what kind of speed is that?!”
“I thought we all had the same beginner stats!”
“How is he the same level 1 as us?!”
Some players watched in awe, others in disbelief, and a few trembled with envy as Seong dashed across the hunting grounds at blinding speed.
Completely ignoring their reactions, Seong gripped the Tiger’s Fang, its shorter length compared to the steel sword requiring a different approach. Rather than slashing, he opted for swift thrusts—exactly what the sword instructor’s memories advised.
Thunk!
The rabbit didn’t even have time to react before the blade pierced its throat, severing its head in a clean, instantaneous motion.
The rabbit’s head rolled across the ground, the body falling lifelessly.
Seong pivoted, darting toward another rabbit.
Thud! Thud! Thwack!
In a matter of seconds, Seong pierced the heads of five rabbits. The improved piercing power was palpable, making it easier to penetrate their defenses.
Messages flooded his interface, notifying him of the critical hits and ‘One Strike!’ effects. He dismissed them all and sheathed the Tiger’s Fang with a smooth motion.
It was said that people become speechless when truly shocked.
That was exactly the state of the players watching Seong.
‘What the hell did I just see?’
‘Was that real?’
‘Damn…’
‘How do you even compete with that? It’s not jealousy if it’s outright impossible.’
Their reactions reflected the overwhelming gap between Seong and the average beginner player. While they struggled to catch a single rabbit, he had taken down five in an instant.
Faced with such overwhelming skill, the other players stopped gawking and returned to chasing rabbits with renewed vigor.
“Let’s goooo!”
“Get over here, you dumb rabbit!”
“I’m not giving up!”
“I’ll get you this time!”
Unbothered by the commotion, Seong focused on analyzing the effects of his gear.
“The bonuses are better than expected.”
While the boosts were officially listed as 20% movement speed and 10% attack speed, they felt far greater in practice. Perhaps the synergy between the two stats amplified their effectiveness.
Satisfied with his findings, Seong calmly sat down and butchered the five rabbits, storing their meat and hides in his inventory.
With his tasks complete, Seong decided it was time to leave the beginner village.
Without any pending quests, the next logical step was to move on, gain experience, and level up.
However, as he thought about leaving Hindel Village, a small sense of anticipation stirred within him.
“Hero Hindel.”
Seong couldn’t shake the feeling that there was one more ghost to find before leaving—the ghost of the Hero himself. If he didn’t find it, he’d leave immediately, but if it was there…
“The Hero’s memories and experiences…”
The sword instructor and Hunter Apik’s guidance had already elevated Seong beyond what a beginner should be capable of. If he could gain the Hero’s memories, what heights could he reach?
It was just a possibility, but the thought was exhilarating.
With these hopes in mind, Seong headed back to the village.
As he arrived, a notification pinged in his capsule.
[You have received a voice message from outside.]
[Seong-hyun, make sure you eat something!]
It was the voice of his mother, Lee Na-gyeong.
“Is it lunchtime already?”
Seong smiled faintly and decided to grab something to eat before continuing his search.
0.
[Eternal World awaits your return.]
As the disconnection message appeared, Seong emerged from the capsule.
Stretching lightly, he felt the stiffness in his body from staying inside for so long. It felt like waking up after a long sleep, but instead of being refreshed, it was akin to feeling drained after an intense dream.
He realized something new.
“You need stamina to play games like this.”
Seong recalled his sister Mina once saying the same thing: gaming professionals often included exercise in their routines. Maybe he should start doing the same.
Lost in thought about exercising, Seong walked into the living room, where a delicious aroma greeted him.
Sniff, sniff.
It was the rich, earthy scent of doenjang jjigae (soybean paste stew). Alongside it were fried eggs and his favorite side dish—sausages. The table also featured quintessentially Korean sides like napa cabbage kimchi and green onion kimchi.
Though it was a simple meal, the sight of homemade food made Seong’s mouth water.
He had eaten breakfast earlier, but he now felt as if he had worked out, his hunger driving him to sit at the table without hesitation.
“Oh my, Seong! What a rare sight! Sitting down to eat right away?”
“I guess playing games made me hungry.”
“Oh dear, Mina said the same thing. I thought she was just making excuses.”
“Mom! I wasn’t lying! Right, Seong?”
Mina, who had been talking to their mother, Lee Na-gyeong, suddenly shouted in protest.
Seong simply nodded, unbothered by the exchange. After all, this wasn’t the first time they acted this way.
While he waited for the meal, his mother casually mentioned:
“Well, I have to go out, so you two will have to eat by yourselves. I have an appointment.”
“Oh, alright. Be careful on your way!”
“You could’ve told us earlier, Mom. We could’ve prepared the meal ourselves.”
“Hey! Don’t say that—it makes me sound like a bad daughter!”
“Oh, weren’t you always like that?”
“Mom!!!”
Mina squealed in frustration as her mother and Seong ganged up on her, both laughing at her reaction.
“But really, I just wanted to make sure my son eats well while he’s here! We ate out the first day, remember?”
“Well, next time, let us know in advance, and we’ll handle the cooking.”
“How dependable. Such a good boy.”
“Wait, why are you looking at me when you say that?”
“Oh, nothing. Anyway, I’m off now—don’t fight, you two!”
With that, Na-gyeong left in a hurry. Unlike her usual calm and relaxed demeanor, she moved briskly, clearly running late.
Watching her go, Seong felt a twinge of concern and clicked his tongue softly.
“Let’s make sure to cook for ourselves next time.”
“...Alright.”
Feeling a little guilty, Mina responded meekly. Seong chuckled inwardly at her sulky demeanor and scooped a large spoonful of warm rice into his mouth.
Mina, apparently just as hungry, started eating as well.
While they ate in silence, Seong suddenly remembered something. Swallowing his bite, he spoke.
“Oh, you were right about one thing.”
“What? Oh! It’s fun, isn’t it?”
“No, not that.”
“Wait, what? You didn’t find it fun?”
Mina, looking tense, stared at him, but Seong quickly reassured her.
“No, it’s really fun. Super fun.”
“Phew! That’s a relief. I mean, no one’s ever said Eternal World isn’t fun! So, what was I right about?”
As Mina sipped a spoonful of the stew, Seong dropped the bombshell.
“I can see ghosts in the game.”
“PFFFT!!!”
The doenjang jjigae she had just swallowed sprayed out at lightning speed. Seong instinctively channeled Hunter Apik’s reflexes, diving under the table to avoid the onslaught.
“What the—?”
Why did this work in real life too? It wasn’t as quick as in the game, but the movements were undeniably influenced by his in-game skills.
Meanwhile, Mina coughed violently, choking a little before gulping down some water.
“Phew! Sorry about that. Wait—what was that just now? How were you so fast?! That was insane!”
She sounded astonished, almost as though she were seeing a completely different person. The Seong she knew had always been ordinary—except for his ability to see ghosts.
Now, witnessing his lightning-quick movements, it was natural for her to be shocked.
Seong stood up, brushing off his clothes, and frowned at the splattered stew. Mina, noticing his irritation, let out an awkward laugh and grabbed some wet wipes to clean the mess.
“So, what do you mean by seeing ghosts in the game?”
“Well, there are actual ghosts in the game. Like NPCs who died and left behind spirits—junk data, maybe? Something like that.”
“Whoa.”
“But that’s not the important part.”
“What?! How is that not important? They probably help you find hidden pieces and stuff, right?!”
Mina, well-versed in Eternal World, couldn’t contain her excitement. She knew how valuable hidden pieces were in the game.
If ghosts held clues about hidden pieces, that information could allow someone to monopolize them.
Yet, Seong didn’t seem to grasp the significance.
“I can absorb the ghosts’ memories and experiences.”
“WHAT?!”
Suddenly, seeing the ghosts didn’t seem as important anymore.