Chapter 10
[EC 02] Thump Thump! Unknown Error
“This can’t go on.”
Had he stayed on that path, Kang Seung-eon would have easily risen to an executive position at his grandmother’s company, HG. But at the age of 27, he left it behind and took over Lukin, the company once run by his late father.
‘This is tough.’
He knew his father had cherished the company deeply and that it belonged to the information and communications field—essentially IT. Still, actually running it himself was far from easy.
Especially since Seung-eon was a liberal arts major who had never even been interested in computers.
“What do you know? Just give up and go back to your grandmother’s company.”
“Why go out of your way to take the hard route? The easy path’s right in front of you.”
“CEO Kang really is a strange guy.”
These were the kinds of sneering remarks people threw at Seung-eon as he desperately tried to revive Lukin.
But Seung-eon, who let those complaints go in one ear and out the other, never gave up. With the help of his friends like Jung Hee-do and Yoo Hyun-joon, he transformed Lukin into a gaming company and finally got it back on track.
However, the problem was—
“It’s not going to work?”
Staring at the company’s sales report, which had just barely escaped the red, Seung-eon tossed out the comment. Jung Hee-do tilted his head in confusion.
“Just buying up failing or indie games and keeping them running isn’t sustainable.”
Seung-eon said firmly,
“We need a flagship title.”
He didn’t know the ins and outs of the gaming industry, but he was confident in his management abilities.
He wasn’t a technician. So to save the company, he needed to hire talent—whatever it took.
“I’ll help you make the game you want.”
That’s how Seung-eon ended up scouting Seo I-soo.
Seo I-soo, a researcher in the still-niche VR industry, wasn’t quite mainstream yet, though he was gaining attention. He had been preparing a project for a long time.
But the project required a massive investment to develop and launch. Lukin’s planning team was skeptical about bringing him on board, but Seung-eon had faith in the future of VR.
In the end, he took full responsibility and recruited Seo I-soo into Lukin, even creating a new Development Team 3 and granting him full control.
The project that began from all this was—
<ERROR CODE; FIND LOVE>
Also known as “ECO.”
“You might have to stake your entire fortune on this. Are you really okay with that?”
Jung Hee-do couldn’t help but look worried as he watched Seung-eon pour himself into the VR project, despite having another game ready to launch.
But every time, Seung-eon would just smile and say:
“Life is a gamble, Hee-do.”
“But I don’t make losing bets. So how about it—want to follow me this time?”
If it succeeded, it would bring fame to Lukin. If it failed, it could lead to bankruptcy. With everything riding on ECO, Seung-eon remained confident.
The Seung-eon of the past never stopped running toward the development and launch of ECO.
But now—
‘This can’t be real.’
You’re telling me I met a secret boyfriend—one who stays completely hidden, not even a strand of hair visible—inside a game that hasn’t even been released yet?
“Please just tell me this is a prank.”
“There have been times I fooled you for fun, sir, but this isn’t one of them.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s confirm it first.”
Secretary Chu handed him a thick bundle of papers that seemed to come out of nowhere.
“What’s this?”
“These are the game logs from the beta test you participated in.”
Game logs?
Logs track and analyze user behavior—when and what they did—and can be used to trace past actions.
“You never believe anything without evidence.”
As Seung-eon stared at the first page with a baffled expression, Chu explained.
‘Well…’
He couldn’t deny it.
Kang Seung-eon was naturally skeptical, and Chu had a habit of laying things out with a poker face and a snake-like tongue.
“Secretary Chu… you’re meticulous.”
“Please say ‘thorough.’”
Chu answered smoothly while Seung-eon clicked his tongue.
“How’d you get these logs?”
Chu shrugged.
“There were few beta testers, and since sensitive data could be leaked, your logs were stored in a secure DB. No one could access them without your permission. As you know, you were…”
“In a coma.”
Seung-eon cut him off.
Chu stared quietly at him, saying nothing more.
‘So I can finally check it now.’
Seung-eon hadn’t been the only one affected by the time lost due to his accident.
Yeong-eun, who had helped with his work, and other developers under her had all suffered.
ECO had been put on hold for a long time due to his absence. The losses must have been significant.
Taking a deep breath, Seung-eon lowered his gaze.
The logs from when he participated as a beta tester came into view.
[20XX-10-18 20:02:15] PlayerID:11221111 Login
[20XX-10-18 20:03:02] PlayerID:11221111 Entered ‘Random Situation 1: the Middle Ages’
[20XX-10-19 06:06:45] PlayerID:11221111 Forced ‘Escape from Prison’
[20XX-10-19 07:04:10] PlayerID:11221111 Accompanied ‘Hidden Character no. 928’
[20XX-10-19 10:02:11] PlayerID:11221111 Kissed ‘Hidden Character no. 928’
⦙
A strange word caught his eye.
Kissed?
Sure, ECO was a VR romance game—but kissing?
[20XX-10-20 11:11:03] PlayerID:11221111 Entered ‘Random Situation 2: the Joseon Dynasty’
[20XX-10-20 13:08:11] PlayerID:11221111 Accompanied ‘Hidden Character no. 928’
[20XX-10-20 21:04:10] PlayerID:11221111 Marriage Vows and Sleep Agreement with ‘Hidden Character no. 928’
⦙
Meeting the same hidden character again in a different scenario was probably rare enough—but marriage?
‘What the heck is a “sleep agreement” now?’
Letting out a bewildered chuckle, Seung-eon kept reading.
[20XX-10-21 07:13:43] PlayerID:11221111 Entered ‘Random Situation 3: the Modern Era’
[20XX-10-21 14:06:12] PlayerID:11221111 Reunited with ‘Hidden Character no. 928’
[20XX-10-21 16:58:09] PlayerID:11221111 Moved to ‘Hotel’
[20XX-10-21 19:22:37] PlayerID:11221111 Campfire on the bed with ‘Hidden Character no. 928’
[20XX-10-21 20:12:33] PlayerID:11221111 Activity tracking and logging unavailable
[20XX-10-21 21:32:35] PlayerID:11221111 Activity tracking and logging unavailable
[20XX-10-21 22:11:09] PlayerID:11221111 Sudden rise in blanket temperature
[20XX-10-21 24:33:21] PlayerID:11221111 Activity tracking and logging unavailable
⦙
[20XX-10-22 09:08:14] PlayerID:11221111 Game Clear!
“Hm.”
Kang Seung-eon…
Just what the hell did you do?
