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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 1
0.
The year is 20XX.
For the first time in history, virtual reality was invented.
And at the same time, the first game based on that virtual reality was created.
Eternal World.
Living up to its title of "Eternal World," it became a game enjoyed and loved by 2 billion people worldwide.
The brilliant developer who pioneered virtual reality and used it to create this game, Park Won, left these words at the launch of Eternal World:
"Eternal World is another reality, an eternal world. Anything the brain can do in reality can be replicated in Eternal World. Even superpowers, if you have them."
He boasted that users could recreate anything they could do in reality within the game.
And all the users agreed.
Or perhaps, they even praised it as something more.
Anything that could be done with the brain could be done in the game.
That was the greatest advantage Eternal World boasted.
1.
Yoo Seonghyun had been able to see ghosts since he was a child.
He didn't remember when it started.
He'd been able to see them for as long as he could remember.
Moreover, they never harmed him.
- Child, if you go over there, there's a 500 won coin on the ground!
- Oh my! Seonghyun! If you go that way, there's a cute kitty!
- Haha! Seonghyun has grown so much! Keep growing strong.
The ghosts were all friendly to Seonghyun.
So there was no reason to be afraid.
In fact, they were much more helpful than anything.
Seeing ghosts was so natural to him that at first, he thought everyone could see them.
But as he grew older, he gradually realized that he was special.
However, like any parents, Seonghyun's parents couldn't help but worry.
So, as soon as they realized their child could see ghosts, they first took Seonghyun to a psychiatrist.
They didn't believe in ghosts, after all.
But all they heard was that there was nothing wrong.
“Looking at his brain and everything else, he's perfectly normal.”
When the psychiatrist proved useless, they then sought out renowned shamans.
That's how desperate his parents were.
But most of them were frauds.
“Ah! It's above the child's head!!!”
“Huh? It's not on my head, it's on your shoulder, lady.”
“Eeeeeek!”
No one could see the ghosts except Seonghyun.
Perhaps because of this?
As one might expect, Seonghyun was a famous child in the neighborhood from an early age.
The ghost-seeing kid.
Seonghyun didn't particularly care.
Because it was true.
So he didn't think much of it.
He thought lying was worse.
But as he grew older, he realized that sometimes lies were necessary.
At first, he didn't know.
He didn't know about the stinging gazes of people and how those arrows were directed at his family.
Seonghyun was too young to understand.
Too young to understand how much his family was suffering because of him.
So Seonghyun told a lie for the first time.
"Mom, I can't see them anymore."
He wished his dad, mom, and older sister wouldn't suffer anymore.
After that, they moved far away, and the family was always happy.
A sister who cherished her younger brother, and parents who devoted themselves to their two children.
They were the kind of family that was praised for their close bond wherever they went.
Even when ghosts spoke to him, Seonghyun only responded and acknowledged them when he was alone.
Thanks to this, there were many times he benefited, but he lived his life thoroughly hiding his ability.
Only his older sister, Yoo Mina, knew the truth.
Perhaps because of all this?
Having seen ghosts and received their help so often, Seonghyun developed an indifferent personality.
He rarely got surprised and always remained calm.
Thanks to this, he was quite popular with his friends.
"Hey, Seonghyun. Did you know?"
"Yeah."
"Huh? How did you know?"
"Are you talking about the 10,000 won bill you found this morning?"
"Gasp?! How did you know!?"
The mystical aura of a prophet also played a part.
Anyway, he grew up well, enough to not worry his parents.
He grew up so well that he even served in the military as a first-class soldier, which was a flaw if anything.
When he was discharged and returned home, the indifferent and always calm Seonghyun looked at his older sister, Yoo Mina, with a somewhat perplexed expression.
He had heard stories about his family moving after he enlisted, and about his sister selling his old computer, but he didn't recall hearing anything about his sister installing a giant capsule in his room.
"What's that?"
"Ohhh! You saw it! Seonghyun!"
"If I couldn't see that, wouldn't I have been exempt from military service due to poor eyesight?"
"Don't say things like that! Look, behold! This is the latest capsule!"
Ignoring Seonghyun's reaction, his sister was so excited that Seonghyun tilted his head in wonder.
"Hmm. A capsule?"
Even in the military, he had ears, and it was still a place where people lived.
Seonghyun already knew that virtual reality had been invented and a game had been released based on it while he was in the military.
But why was this in his room?
That was the important question.
At least his room wasn't small, so it could be installed in the space next to his bed.
Still, he couldn't help but feel like his room had gotten a bit smaller with the capsule in it.
As he looked at his sister with a slightly resentful gaze, she said,
"Hehehe! No need to thank me!!! My brother is back from the military, I had to get you a present like this!!!"
"But I don't need it?"
"Huh? Why not!? Other people are dying to get their hands on one!???"
It would be understandable to feel discouraged giving a gift and receiving this kind of reaction, but his sister, Yoo Mina, knew Seonghyun well, so she was fine.
Seonghyun also knew his sister, so he couldn't help but smile.
He shouldn't complain about a gift she bought for him with him in mind.
It was just that the price was so high, he felt sorry, but she had good intentions.
"Well, since it's a gift, I'll gratefully accept it. Thank you."
"Hehe, and look at this!"
"Hmm?"
Mina held out her smartphone and showed him a video, one that Seonghyun had already seen.
It was an interview video of Park Won, the developer of Eternal World and the century's genius who created the first virtual reality.
And those famous words flowed out.
- "...Even superpowers, if you have them."
Why was she showing him this?
As Seonghyun looked at his sister Mina with that expression, Mina glanced at their parents in the living room and whispered to Seonghyun.
"...Then, wouldn't you be able to see ghosts in the game too?"
"..."
At those words, Seonghyun looked at his sister with a truly pathetic expression and said,
"Noona... there are no cyber ghosts."
"...I-I know that!!!"
Mina, having been blatantly ignored after asking a question just in case, screamed as if embarrassed and went back to her room.
Seeing his sister's door close with a bang, Seonghyun shook his head as if nothing had changed.
His sister, who used to be bullied instead of him when he was young for seeing ghosts, had now become a ghost and paranormal enthusiast.
Honestly, it was surprising, but well, it could happen.
He had to respect her tastes, but there really was no such thing as a cyber ghost.
'I already looked into it before when she begged me to, and there weren't any.'
Whenever she saw ghost stories about cyber phantoms, she always brought them to him, so Seonghyun had been tormented for a while.
Even though he had clearly confirmed it back then, she was still like this.
Well, if her younger brother said he could see ghosts, she might be really curious and ask.
From what Seonghyun had experienced, ghost stories and paranormal stories were all fiction.
"Oh my? What's wrong with Mina?"
"Ahem, isn't she sulking because Seonghyun didn't respond to her again?"
Seonghyun's mother, Lee Nakyeong, who was sitting in the living room, tilted her head as if she was puzzled.
And next to her, Seonghyun's father, Yoo Gwangjin, said it was no big deal.
Seeing his parents still the same, Seonghyun nodded.
"Yes, it's similar."
"See? I told you Mina always bothers Seonghyun."
"Oh my? It's all because the kids are close, isn't it?"
"Well, I'll go wash up then."
When Seonghyun said this, changing into his military uniform, his father, Yoo Gwangjin, nodded and said,
"Okay, good work coming all the way here."
"No, Father drove, so you must be more tired."
"Ahem, why are you saying that over such a small thing?"
"Oh my? You too~ Mina and you are the same~"
"Ahem, ahem."
Seeing his father, who quickly turned his head in embarrassment when thanked, Seonghyun smiled and went into the bathroom.
Home is the best after all.
2.
After being discharged from the military, he returned home and had a harmonious dinner out.
It had been a while since the whole family had gathered for a meal.
Everyone seemed to be in a good mood, especially with Seonghyun back, and they returned home excitedly.
The evening grew late.
As soon as Seonghyun returned home, he washed up and lay down on his bed, where the capsule installed next to it caught his eye.
It was too big to miss.
'A discharge gift, huh.'
What a grateful older sister.
Usually, even if they had the money, it's certainly not common for an older sister to buy this kind of thing for her younger brother.
Besides.
'This makes money?'
He had heard a lot about it.
Even his juniors would talk about playing Eternal World in capsule rooms after returning from vacation or leave.
Seonghyun wasn't really interested in games, so he didn't pay much attention to it.
To think his sister would buy him a capsule.
Moreover, the game makes an enormous amount of money.
If his sister Mina hadn't told him about this during dinner, he wouldn't have paid much attention to it.
He would have just thought, 'It's just a game, isn't it?'
'Since my sister makes money from this too.'
Connecting right away wasn't Seonghyun's style.
Whatever he does, he has to look into it properly.
He was the type to tap even a stone bridge before crossing it, so to speak?
It was a habit he had since childhood.
There's nothing wrong with being cautious.
It's more efficient to look up information and start tomorrow morning rather than connecting late at night.
Seonghyun got up from his bed and sat in front of the computer.
What should he search first?
His sister had already told him a lot.
Which beginner village to choose, what to do first in the beginner village.
Even the hidden pieces that can only be obtained in certain beginner villages.
He wasn't particularly interested in how his older sister knew all that.
She had been an amazing older sister since they were young.
He just accepted it.
'Hindel Village, was it?'
He searched for the village first.
Various results appeared, making Seonghyun's eyes dizzy.
A wave of information rushed in.
As he read through them one by one.
'The village of the Demon King and the Hero...'
His sister had explained it to him, but seeing the actual background of the village made it even more plausible.
A statue of the hero's party was erected, and many people mourned the hero there.
Hero Hindel.
The village where he grew up and eventually killed the Demon King.
It was quite interesting.
Not just the village.
'To think a game like this would come out.'
He seemed calm, but he was more amazed than ever.
Seonghyun scrolled down with an expressionless, calm face, watching various videos.
It was just a video of beginners active in Hindel Village, but it was more lively than any other video.
The vividness and realism were incomparable to movie CG.
It was so realistic that he could believe it was completely real.
Even Seonghyun was fascinated by the scenery and appearance.
'It's awesome.'
Eternal World.
Another reality, an eternal world.
He thought the name really suited it.
He became more and more interested.
If his sister hadn't told him to do it, he wouldn't have bothered to look it up, but if Seonghyun had known about this first, wouldn't he have done it first even if his sister, Yoo Mina, hadn't recommended it?
That's what he felt.
He wasn't the type to like games, but this was something beyond a game.
It felt like he would really be missing out if he didn't do this.
He smiled faintly, feeling the thrill of excitement for the first time in a long time.
Just as he was about to browse other videos with more interest, Seonghyun blinked his eyes and tilted his head.
'That's strange.'
Is it because he's sleepy?
Just in case, Seonghyun rubbed his eyes and looked at the screen again.
But it was still the same.
A human figure in the video, with parts that looked like broken pixels, appearing like smoke that could scatter at any moment.
It was a figure Seonghyun knew very well.
'Why do I see a ghost in the game?'
It was the shape of a ghost.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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