The Eyeball. A part of the brain. An organ that receives and processes visual information. The retina takes in an enormous amount of data. Colors. Light and shadow. Movement. Objects. Space. More than the human optic nerve can handle.

So, it filters, selects, and compresses only what is necessary. When quantified, it amounts to a mere 10Mb/s.

Even that is deleted, altered, and supplemented by the brain. In the end, the world humans see is not reality… it is merely a processed and edited product of the brain.

But I am different.

I see the unedited world. A raw, unfiltered reality. That is why I have to hide my eyes. The moment I open them… information floods in.

The minute tremors in the air, the trajectory of dust particles.

The biochemical reactions of organic life, the metabolic activities within cells.

The flow of heat in objects, the traces left on surfaces, the movements of microorganisms.

The invisible waves crossing through space.

Energy spreading beyond the electromagnetic spectrum.

And even the status window that only I can see.

I see what others cannot.

My retina absorbs billions of pieces of information per second. The boundary between what I should and should not see collapses. My brain overloads, making normal perception impossible.

Just a few minutes. That is my limit.

Even after leveling up, acquiring [Heavenly Demon’s Body] and my upper dantian, things have only slightly improved.

I am still as good as disabled.

Yet, because I can see everything, I can be certain of one thing.

In this world filled with information… Ghosts do not exist.

But that belief crumbled in an instant.

Right before my eyes.

A ghost.

“N-No way…!”

I flailed my hands in panic. But it did not disappear.

Ghosts actually exist?

The global population is about seven billion. The total number of people who have lived on Earth is roughly between one hundred and one hundred twenty billion.

If every single one of them became a ghost, the Korean peninsula alone would be so crowded with ghosts that visibility would be impossible.

They would be floating in the air, covering the ground, filling the skies, buried in the earth, even on my bed.

I had never seen a ghost before.

Never until now!

“You… Are you really a ghost?!”

[I am a spirit.]

I opened my mouth slightly. Then blinked.

Upon closer inspection, it was more delicate than I initially thought.

Large, round eyes. A tiny nose. Plump, circular cheeks. Small hands glistening with moisture. A silhouette that swayed softly like flowing water.

Its form was faint and transparent, yet its presence was undeniable.

“…A spirit?”

What is that?

It was a concept I had never encountered before. Instinctively, I widened my eyes even further. To see deeper. To examine more closely.

In that instant, the space between us shrank significantly.

My eyes met the spirit’s.

Deep, clear, pure.

A gaze like the center of an infinite universe.

[Interesting eyes. You can see me.]

The spirit spoke.

And then, it clasped its small hands together politely and made a request.

[Help me.]

Every school has ghost stories.

The academy was no exception.

But these were not trivial tales like Admiral Yi Sun-shin's statue crying tears of blood at midnight or a skull roaming the science lab.

This was the legend of a book that no one could read.

A book that, if read, meant certain death.

Rumors of its existence had circulated for a long time. Some claimed it was hidden somewhere in an old library.

A professor once admitted he had searched for it in his youth.

Someone’s friend’s friend had allegedly seen it.

A senior insisted it had already been burned.

The rumors were vague. Many spoke of it, but no one had actually seen it.

That was how urban legends worked.

Truth and lies mixed, facts and fiction blurred. Stories changed over time until no one knew what was real anymore.

The Book of the Dead.

Did it truly exist?

Or was it just another urban myth?

Kouma Haruki.

She let out a quiet sigh.

The winter light shimmered faintly.

Silky white hair, delicate wrists, pale skin, slow and graceful movements. She looked as if she might collapse with the slightest breeze. A sickly girl.

But… her eyes held a piercing intensity.

[Spiritual Vision].

Haruki had always been different. From birth. Before she even awakened.

She saw things others could not.

The flow of spirits, the trajectory of souls, the movements of the unseen.

She had a strong affinity for the occult.

"Japan's academy is excellent, but..."

Korea had the higher standing.

A superpower acknowledged even by the strongest Hunter nations. The best Hunters, the best technology, the best academic institutions.

And the best academy.

There had been much concern in Japan.

Resistance to sending talented individuals abroad.

Especially among the upper ranks of the Hunter Association.

“The shrine maiden loved by spirits is going to Korea?”

“Why Korea?”

“Our academy is excellent, too!”

“The association provided her with everything! The best education, top-tier facilities!”

Japan had a globally recognized Hunter education system, national support, and systematic training programs.

But the opportunity in Korea was irresistible.

Because she had to find that book.

She turned the pages with her fingertips. The faint scent of ink brushed past her nose. After a long moment of contemplation, she lifted her gaze again.

Reading all day had strained her eyes.

“Not this one either.”

The empty library. Endless bookshelves. Such a vast space… how could she possibly find the book she was searching for?

This place had once been filled with people, but now, it was nothing more than a sealed-off space. The books had lost their owners, left abandoned and covered in dust.

"Is it really here in the academy?"

The Unidentified Paranormal Phenomenon Research Society.

Just an occult club. A trivial group babbling about hunting ghosts.

There was only one reason she had joined.

The probability that a place like this might just be where it would be hidden.

She couldn't afford to be discouraged without checking. The truth might be hiding in the most absurd of places.

“Yes, I’ll keep looking. Just wait. I’m doing my best.”

She soothed the impatient spirit and was about to pick up another book when a small shadow flickered in her peripheral vision.

A childlike frame.

An underdeveloped physique, down to the delicate fingers.

Yet there was an inherent grace in her movements. A refinement etched into her very blood, built over generations. The natural nobility of a conglomerate family.

Loran Esperance.

One of the prodigies admitted to the academy alongside her.

'A member of the prestigious European Esperance family. Fourth-generation chaebol.'

The family itself was a brand.

The Esperance lineage traced back to the European aristocracy of the 18th century.

It had built its name on the craftsmanship and dignity valued by the royal court and nobility. The family had gained renown through the creation of high-end artisanal goods.

That legacy evolved into a luxury brand, and now, they wielded influence over the global economy.

But was that the end?

No. They had soared even higher.

The Great Cataclysm. The emergence of the Tower and the System. The rise of Hunter society.

A new era where wealth and power were reshaped.

The craftsmanship once devoted to nobility had now turned toward the superhumans of the world.

The Hunter equipment they crafted was worth waiting decades for.

Top guilds, corporations, and even associations paid close attention to her every word. She had been born into a life where knowing how to spend money was an inherent skill.

Her expression carried a natural ease.

"Oh? A commoner in a place like this. I joined this club to avoid dealing with people of lower standards."

Her relaxed surroundings molded her words. So did her subconscious sense of hierarchy.

'Commoner?'

Haruki blanked for a moment.

Well, it was true that she wasn’t wealthy.

In front of a chaebol, anyone could be considered a commoner.

But… wasn't she also a Hunter prospect representing an entire nation?

Most people would have snapped back, but Haruki wasn’t the type to waste energy on such things.

'Is she a voluntary loner?'

One thing was certain. She didn’t seem to have any friends.

When Haruki didn’t react, Loran picked up a book with a bored expression.

The texture of the cover, the thickness of the paper, the method of binding… Even just by touch, she could tell this was no ordinary book.

“Strange. When you see a lot of luxury goods, you develop a sense for these things. This one is unusual.”

That was when Haruki's eyes widened.

[Spiritual Vision] activated instinctively.

Death clung to that book.

The Book of the Dead.

A forbidden tome said to bring death upon those who read it.

'Why does she have that?!'

And that wasn’t all.

Loran absentmindedly ran her fingers over the leather binding, about to turn a page.

Haruki sprang to her feet.

“No, stop! If you read that, you’ll die!”

She lunged to snatch the book, but Loran effortlessly twisted away.

Her movements were unhurried and graceful, yet precise. Her footwork was impeccable.

A student specializing in Spirit Studies wouldn’t even be able to touch her.

"Why are you overreacting?"

“You can’t read that! It’s seriously dangerous!”

Haruki's voice sharpened with urgency.

But warnings were always ignored.

Loran’s small face showed only innocent curiosity.

Like someone who had found an amusing toy.

Like a third-rate horror movie extra.

Ignoring every warning, stubbornly pushing forward.

“Really? But hearing you say that just makes me more curious.”

Haruki gritted her teeth.

Do you know why safety rules exist?

Because they are written in blood.

People don’t just warn others for no reason.

“Someone, somewhere, must have died, been hurt, or gone mad, that’s why this legend exists!”

“That won’t be me.”

Ugh.

Haruki pounded her chest in frustration.

And yet Loran still crossed the line.

She deliberately turned the page.

Rustle—

The heavy paper shifted.

At that moment, the air screamed.

Dust scattered violently from the floor, swirling in all directions.

BOOM—!!

The very fabric of the air split apart.

A dark blue flash exploded outward.

A cold, suffocating hue of death.

In the overwhelming darkness, something breathed.

The abyss had been crouching in silence, now exhaling for the first time in eons.

[...Who. Reads. Me?]

Its mere existence tore a rift into the world.

Haruki didn’t even need to try to understand.

Her instincts screamed with immediate, unquestionable clarity.

Danger.

Her hair stood on end.

Goosebumps pricked her skin like blades.

A high-ranking spirit? No, it was beyond that.

Her mouth went dry.

Her tongue felt paralyzed.

'Is this… what they call a Spirit King?'

Everything blurred.

Even her [Spiritual Vision] could not fully perceive it.

To an ordinary person, it wouldn’t even be visible.

Loran still hadn’t grasped the gravity of the situation.

That ignorance was about to lead to disaster.

“Close the book!!!”

But it was already too late.

The spirit's eyes gleamed a crimson red.

Ominous. Frenzied. Terrifying.