Game 30: Ghost Bride's Secret Power
The courtyard was alive with motion.
Dust floated lazily through slanted beams of afternoon sunlight, insects hummed around the edges of the yard, and the faint smell of frying oil from a neighbor's kitchen wafted over the fence like a taunt. The Han family's backyard wasn't much, patchy grass, a broken laundry line, and one stubborn potted cactus leaning like a drunk uncle, but today it had transformed into a private training ground.
Han Tae-yang stretched his shoulders and gave the scene a satisfied nod.
"Not bad," he muttered under his breath. "From 'backyard of shame' to 'dojo of legends' in under ten seconds. Truly, I'm a man of vision."
Across from him, his younger sister Han Ha-neul stood with her arms folded, her chin raised with smug pride. Behind her, hovering like a ghost caught between cosplay convention and funeral march, was her familiar, the Ghost Bride.
The apparition was pale, draped in a torn crimson hanbok that fluttered as though a phantom wind constantly passed through it. Her eyes glowed faintly blue, her hair floating as if underwater. When she moved, the air chilled just enough to raise goosebumps.
Tae-yang had to admit: she looked like a discount horror movie poster. Yet the aura she carried was no joke.
He clapped once, loudly, shaking his head.
"Alright, Ha-neul. Let's see what level your new pet has reached. Last I checked, she was a weakling at level two. Don't tell me she actually got stronger while I was busy wrestling with barriers and angry old men?"
Ha-neul's smirk widened, like a kid hiding candy behind her back.
"She's not weak anymore. She's level five."
The words hit Tae-yang like a frying pan to the skull. He blinked once. Twice. Then flailed his arms dramatically.
"LEVEL FIVE?!" His voice cracked, echoing off the rusty backyard fence. "Meanwhile, I, her older brother, the self-proclaimed protagonist of destiny, am still stuck at level ONE?!"
Ha-neul shrugged casually, her ponytail swaying.
"Maybe you're just trash, oppa. Or maybe you don't grind enough. Don't be salty."
The Ghost Bride twirled midair, silent, eerie, but smug in her own way.
Tae-yang clutched his chest like she'd stabbed him there.
"Oh, betrayal most foul. Even my little sister calls me trash now. Truly, I am living in a webnovel."
Still, his eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Level five? That was no joke. Numbers didn't always equal true strength, but he couldn't underestimate it either.
He straightened, adopting his best detective-mentor tone.
"Fine. Level's just a number. What matters is mastery. Tell me, have you at least learned how to control her skills? Or are you still phasing halfway through walls and scaring the neighbors' cats?"
Ha-neul puffed out her cheeks but nodded. "Of course. Watch."
She glanced at the Ghost Bride, who responded instantly by gliding forward. Then, with a shimmer of cold air, both of them slipped forward through the wooden fence like it wasn't there.
From the other side came Ha-neul's voice, muffled but triumphant:
"See? Totally mastered it!"
Seconds later, they popped back out of the wrong side, straight through the cactus pot. The Ghost Bride was fine, of course, but Ha-neul yelped as the cactus snagged her sleeve.
Tae-yang slapped his knee, roaring with laughter.
"Ahahaha! Truly, mastery! Nothing screams 'greatness' like being defeated by a houseplant!"
Ha-neul hurled the cactus pot at him. He dodged, still wheezing from laughter.
But before she could stomp off in embarrassment, she remembered something. Her eyes lit up.
"Wait, there's more. We gained new skills too!"
The Ghost Bride raised her pale hand. Four small whirlwinds of spectral blue light materialized, spiraling around like tiny sprites. They darted through the air, slicing a few weeds from the ground with sharp gusts.
Ha-neul pointed dramatically.
"Behold! [Ghostly Wind Spirits]!"
System text blinked into existence before Tae-yang's eyes:
[System Message]
You have witnessed a new skill.
Skill: Ghostly Wind Spirits (Active)
Description: Summon up to four mischievous wind phantoms. They slice through air, shred papers, and knock over cups of tea at inconvenient times. Effective against weak enemies or overly neat neighbors.
Tae-yang whistled low.
"Not bad. Basically haunted air conditioners with knives. I approve."
Ha-neul puffed up with pride.
"And that's not all. We got another skill, watch this."
She snapped her fingers. The Ghost Bride lifted her hand and a splash of ectoplasmic water shot forward, hitting Tae-yang square in the face.
He sputtered, soaked, his shirt plastered against his chest.
"WHAT THE?!"
System text blinked again, cheerfully trolling him:
[System Message]
You have been hit by: [Ghost Splash]
Skill: Ghost Splash (Active)
Description: Launch a burst of eerie water. Cold, sticky, and smells faintly of incense. Deals minor spirit damage, but excellent for ruining someone's hairstyle.
Ha-neul doubled over laughing.
"Oppa, your face! You look like a drowned rat!"
The Ghost Bride tilted her head, lips curving in a faint, unsettling grin, as if enjoying the prank.
Tae-yang wiped his face with his sleeve, glaring at the two of them.
"You dare…? You DARE soak the future Tower Conqueror?!"
Inside, though, he was impressed. The Ghost Bride wasn't just creepy decoration anymore, she was a genuine support powerhouse.
Still dripping, he muttered,
"Alright then. Time for me to test my own toy."
His pupils shifted as he invoked his trump card.
"Eye of Truth, activate."
The world seemed to ripple. His irises glowed faintly gold, data streams overlaying reality. He blinked at Ha-neul and the Ghost Bride. Their stat sheets unfolded in midair like glowing scrolls.
[System Message: Eye of Truth Activated]
Target: Ghost Bride
Strength: 5
Stamina: 5
Vitality: 3
Speed: 7
Skills:
• [Sippy-Soul Straw] – drain the life force of weaklings to recharge mana. (Warning: does not work on tax collectors or landlords.)
• [Oops, Wrong Wall] – phase through non-magical walls, but may exit in embarrassing positions.
• [Tiptoe-of-Regret] – half-baked phantom steps that make you look mysterious but mostly just squeak. Good for confusing pigeons.
• [Ghostly Wind Spirits] – summon four spectral air sprites for slicing attacks and minor havoc.
• [Ghost Splash] – release ectoplasmic water splash. May ruin reputations.
Target: Han Ha-neul
Strength: 7
Stamina: 7
Vitality: 5
Speed: 9
Shared Skills:
• [Sippy-Soul Straw]
• [Oops, Wrong Wall]
• [Tiptoe-of-Regret]
• [Ghostly Wind Spirits]
• [Ghost Splash]
Tae-yang's mouth fell open. He rubbed his eyes and looked again, but the numbers didn't change.
"Wait. Hold on. Your stats… are almost as high as mine?"
Ha-neul folded her arms, smirking.
"Guess I'm the main character now."
Tae-yang froze, then pointed dramatically at the Ghost Bride.
"You traitor spirit! How dare you share your stats with her! I gave you to her as a pet, not as a co-op cheat code!"
The Ghost Bride tilted her head, expression unreadable. Then, with deliberate slowness, she raised a ghostly hand and gave him what could only be interpreted as the spectral equivalent of a thumbs-up.
Tae-yang staggered back as if stabbed.
"NOOO! Even my ghost has abandoned me!"
The faint wind picked up, scattering dry leaves through the yard. Tae-yang's mind raced, calculating, scheming, and panicking all at once. His sister's stats outclassed his. Her familiar kept evolving. If she kept this up, she'd surpass him before the Tower Trials even started.
He clenched his fists, teeth bared, eyes locked on her stat sheet glowing before him.
This couldn't stand.
And yet, what he saw next inside the Eye of Truth system message made his breath hitch in his throat.
The text shifted. A new line began to form under Ha-neul's stat panel.
It wasn't supposed to be there.
Not for her.
[Eye of Truth – Hidden Notification Detected]
Warning: The host Han Ha-neul carries a latent ability…
The words flickered, glitching like corrupted data.
Tae-yang's heart pounded in his chest.
The message cut off mid-sentence.
And then the glowing stat sheet shattered into fragments of golden light.