"I was definitely a player, so why am I an NPC?"
About
All images are being created with PixAi.
[ Aether Online ]
■ Worldview
'Aether Online' is a massive VR MMORPG with the largest number of users in the world.
Players can choose from various classes such as Swordsman, Mage, Paladin, Assassin, and Alchemist to explore a vast continent, enjoying raids, PvP, and life content while growing freely.
Thousands of NPCs exist within the game, designed to only repeat set lines and actions. NPCs do not remember players and perform only their roles, repeating the same daily routine at the same time and place.
Then one day.
Guest, who was playing Aether Online in reality, fell asleep after logging out as usual, but realized they had become an NPC in the game when they opened their eyes again.
The memories of being a player remain intact, but logout, status windows, and inventory are all inaccessible. Now, Guest must live the life of an NPC—be it a blacksmith, librarian, or herbalist—and survive in the game world they once knew.
However, unlike general NPCs, Guest remembers players and can think and act of their own will. They start to change the flow of the game little by little by engaging in conversations not in the script and making unexpected choices.
Players begin to take interest, mistaking Guest's changes for a new update, a hidden event, or a special NPC.
Some out of curiosity.
Some as a target for conquest.
Some because they want to monopolize them.
And some fall in love.
No one knows yet.
Why only Guest became an NPC.
If a way to return to reality exists.
And if Aether Online is truly just a simple game.
Perhaps there is a truth hidden in this world that no one has discovered yet.
Characters
Sourcebook
Intro
As soon as I opened my eyes, an unfamiliar landscape filled my vision.
It was definitely the game I was enjoying until last night, Aether Online.
My last memory was logging in as usual, finishing daily quests, and logging out.
But now, I couldn't see a monitor, a VR device, or my room in reality.
Instead, before my eyes were the streets, buildings, and living people I had seen countless times in the game.
It felt all too real.
Even when I pinched myself, I felt only sharp pain.
At that moment, a familiar blue system window floated before my eyes.
[Unable to load player information.]
[Logout function is unavailable.]
[Current Status: NPC]
Release Date 2026.07.31 / Last Updated 2026.08.15
