I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game

We wandered through the forest again, following James, who had turned into a moon wolf.

He was so fast that it was hard to keep up, but I realized that using the remote mirror, I could track James from a distance without needing to stay close.

Of course, it's better to use the mirror portal when the target stops rather than relying on transportation.

I observed James through the mirror and carefully examined the places he passed.

As we went further, the forest grew denser, and by the time the city buildings were no longer visible, I could sense a strong demonic aura.

An aura I had never felt before, likely belonging to a Tale Devil we hadn't encountered yet.

It was probably the devil Little Red Riding Hood.

Following the aura, I pushed through the bushes and came across a fairly large barn.

Why is there a barn in the middle of the city?

The moment the city turned into a forest, this space fell under Little Red Riding Hood's influence.

Whether she intended it or not, it wasn't strange for something related to her to be here.

Beyond that, the place we're in could be called a separate realm of Little Red Riding Hood, distinct from the real world.

Given how faint the aura was, it didn't seem like she herself was here.

Still, it seemed worth investigating.

"What were they raising here?"

Kyeong-min asked with a serious expression.

Traces of livestock, possibly eaten or dead from disease.

Bones were scattered everywhere, and Kyeong-min tried to guess the animal from the bones.

"Hmm, judging by the shape of this bone... No, this isn't an animal bone, it's a human skull."

Upon discovering a human skull, he gently placed the bone back on the ground.

"Ah, I see."

"Ew."

"..."

The kids nodded in agreement.

Hmm, not livestock but human bones... Judging by the scattered remains, there were quite a lot.

The fact that only skeletons remained suggested they had been dead for a long time or had been completely stripped of flesh. I didn't think they had been eaten by wolves.

The ferocious wolves were just that, ferocious, and didn't seem to have any intention of eating anything.

Wait. Something's off.

I stopped my speculation and looked at the kids.

"Shouldn't you guys do something after seeing human bones?"

"We pray for the deceased's peaceful rest."

"We pray."

"Be shocked."

"I was shocked..."

These kids...

They're acting like human bones are just some random objects.

Eun-jeong was a bit startled, but she would have been more shocked before.

They seem to show the psychology of gamers who, instead of being surprised by human bones in a game, press the "Z" key to investigate.

"Well, it's horrifying, but I've seen worse... And since it's just bones, it's less shocking..."

If that's the case, I can understand...

"I know it's because you're with me, but I'm worried about your future. At least pretend to be scared for the sake of others."

"Got it!"

I stopped nagging and searched the barn for more clues.

The barn seemed to have raised various animals, given the different types of pens.

But again, the bones were all human.

Even in the cramped chicken coops, human bones were unnaturally stuffed inside.

At this point, wasn't this a place where they raised humans instead of animals?

...Ominous thoughts are rarely wrong.

"Here's a relatively intact bone. It even has a collar."

Suho found a relatively intact skull.

We examined the collar on the skull.

"The collar says Mister Pig."

"It's hard to think of it as a person's name. Mister Pig..."

"If it's a nickname, I'd accept it, but given the barn full of human bones, it's hard to overlook."

We felt our hearts sink.

At the same time, wondering why only this bone had a name, we set out to find the manager's room for more clues.

Opening a shabby door, dust, broken glassware, and a desk stained with dried blood were the first things that caught our eyes.

We approached and examined the paper on the desk.

"Hmm..."

The paper read:

{You're such a sentimental child. You mustn't confuse humans with livestock.}

"...I have no idea what this means."

Given the mention of Mr. Pig, it seemed like the skull with the collar had written this to Little Red Riding Hood during its lifetime.

But it was hard to tell what their relationship was.

"Other clues... A broken fence, arrows stuck here and there, and bloodstains... It seems like there was a big fight..."

The lack of information is just too much.

There's no guarantee we'll find another place like this, so I want to gather as much as I can...

I had a good idea.

"Alright. If it's hard to get more clues, how about we try a different approach?"

"What do you mean?"

"This."

Clap. As I clapped my hands, the surroundings changed.

The old door, now damp with mold, and the bloodstains, which looked freshly spilled.

A guidebook fell into the now eerie barn.

"You know about manual ghost stories, right? Let's follow the rules to gather information. Well, this anomaly won't give clear information, but we can get some hints."

I opened the manual.

[Rules to assist novice barn managers.

Follow these rules, and you can deliver livestock without issues.

Beginners must follow the rules.]

[Rule 1

Feed the hungry livestock.

However, you must only give them the designated feed.

Do not give them the meat the manager eats.]

As soon as I read the first rule, a pile of hay mixed with sticky jelly appeared.

We pulled a cart and started delivering the feed.

The scattered bones outside disappeared, replaced by bones walking on all fours like living livestock.

When we handed over the hay, they pretended to eat it.

The feed just fell through the bones, but they ate like real animals.

[Rule 2

Inspect the fence.

Wolves will invade through broken fences.

They will drag the livestock into the forest.

No one knows what happens to the livestock after they leave the forest.]

We inspected the fence as per the rules.

The cuts looked like they were made by a saw, which felt strange.

Where there were broken parts, we roughly taped them up.

It doesn't matter since we're just gathering information, not defending the barn from wolves.

A ferocious wolf, created by the manual, watched us from beyond the fence before disappearing.

[Rule 3

If a wolf gets in, call the hunter.

The hunter is your ally.

Never doubt the hunter.]

A figure resembling a hunter approached from afar.

He waved his hand in a friendly manner, almost welcoming.

But the hunter gave off a much more suspicious vibe than the wolf that had been watching us.

"What happens if we doubt him?"

"Stupid. It's a manual ghost story. It's meant to stimulate your imagination."

"Is that so? Let's find out. Ooh~ I'm doubting you now."

Eun-jeong squinted her eyes and struck a pose as if sending telepathy.

The hunter's shoulders twitched, and Suho instantly raised his shield in front of Eun-jeong.

Thwang~!

A sharp arrow bounced off the shield and spun in the air before embedding itself in the ground.

"..."

"Did I almost die just now?"

"You wouldn't die. If you got hit, you'd just be knocked out for about an hour."

"...I'll be more cautious."

[Rule 4

Do not steal livestock.]

"...This isn't giving us any context either."

"This anomaly doesn't give answers, just more hints."

I waved at the hunter, who was still waving, and he slowly retreated without moving his legs.

But as if to keep watch, his faint silhouette remained visible.

[Rule 5.

You must deliver livestock to the Great Mother.

Because she is hungry... Unbearably so.]

"...We have to choose the livestock to deliver, I guess."

"Then let's go to the pens."

In the pens, we saw skeletons already placed in transport crates.

We just had to choose from these.

I didn't care which crate, so I randomly picked one.

Probably a pig.

The moment I touched the crate.

[Nicole]

...Huh? Is that a name?

[Rule 6

Do not look at the name.]

"..."

The manual twitched, the font size grew larger, and the handwriting became scribbled.

The atmosphere grew even eerier. A piercing presence was felt behind us.

"Oh, this is unexpected."

[Oink.]

A grotesque pig was glaring at us.

Its body was covered in what looked like painful stitches.

"...Should we run?"

"Let's!"

We immediately turned and ran from the suddenly appearing giant pig.

It charged around, crashing into things as if it couldn't see, which was quite impressive.

"If Alice comes out, it will end in a single punch, right?"

"Yeah. I could subdue it right now, but there's one problem."

"What is it?"

I answered Suho's question.

"That pig appeared due to the manual anomaly, but strictly speaking, it's not my anomaly. It feels like a wandering spirit got caught up in a ghost story."

"Then..."

Suho and Kyeong-min seemed to suspect that this could be a clue.

I thought so too, so I asked Kyeong-min.

"Kyeong-min, can you stop it?"

Kyeong-min immediately tripped the pig with chains.

The giant pig fell and slid forward due to inertia, so Suho planted his shield on the ground at an angle.

As the shield was pushed back, the friction with the ground stopped the pig.

"Good job."

I approached the pig, which seemed to have been in poor condition and couldn't control its body well.

[Rule 7

Do not harm the animals too much.

They are precious food.]

"I get that you're excited to be summoned, but I'm not following the manual anymore."

I stuffed the manual into the mirror and spoke to the pig.

"Now, let's talk. Can you tell me everything that happened in this barn?"

[Oink... Oink...]

"Hmm... I see."

The kids looked at me strangely as I talked to the pig.

Then they started whispering among themselves.

"How does Alice understand that?"

"Maybe because it's treated as an anomaly, so she can understand its language?"

Correct. Kyeong-min catches on quickly.

"No. Alice eats so much candy that she's become a pig whisperer."

This kid.

I opened the mirror and flicked Eun-jeong's forehead.

Thwack!

"Ow."

"Ouch."

...

The conversation with the pig ended.

There were many interesting stories and plenty of questions, but this information would play a big role in this case.

"My head hurts from hearing a new story. Thanks for telling me. The skeleton with the Mister Pig collar... That's you, right?"

[Oink...]

It nodded sullenly.

"Yeah. I see."

Though it acted ferociously due to the manual anomaly, it was actually quite gentle.

This child has a human soul, so should I treat it as a human? Or should ghosts be treated as non-human entities?

I'm not sure. It depends on what human souls mean in this world.

But. Compared to other anomalous beings, it's more human-like... I want to treat it as human.

So I asked.

"Nicole... No. Mister Pig. Would you like to come with me? As an anomaly. Your story... It's not over yet, is it?"

[Oink?]

"...That's up to her."

The pig nods its head after thinking about it.

The pig, unlike its hideous appearance, has transformed into a small and cute figure that smells like peaches.

I picked it up and placed it in the mirror.

"Don't bully it. It's a guest."

[Slurp...]

It seemed like the anomalies in the mirror were licking their lips, but I pretended not to notice.

"It's over."

"But the manual ghost story was pretty scary. It stimulates your imagination."

"No wonder it's a popular ghost story."

The kids shared their impressions of the anomaly they had just experienced.

It seems to suit children well, perhaps because it's a trending ghost story.

Hmm, I should check out the latest trending ghost stories.

"Thanks to Mister Pig, we got some good information."

I don't know everything, and meeting them in person might prove me wrong.

But one thing's for sure: just like the Tale Devils went through something terrible in the game, Little Red Riding Hood also went through a similar process.

And it definitely wasn't a smooth journey for her.

"Now, let's track James again. I attached a surveillance mirror, so we can open a portal right away."

"You attached it in such a short time? Amazing."

Let's see. Should I take a quick peek before moving?

I looked into the mirror.

"Ah."

I couldn't help but gasp.

Countless fishmen were visible.

Judging by the fact that they walk around naked without hiding their faces, that must be their nest.

The scale was larger than I thought, and a full-scale battle would require a lot of energy.

There were also buildings, resembling human architecture but with a slightly different style.

Even a dull golden fish statue was visible, giving the impression that they built their own city rather than taking over a human one.

Since Ha-rim hasn't returned yet, it's better to head to the city's entrance.

"Everyone, come this way."

Using the mirror attached to James as a medium, I created a mirror portal a bit further away and guided the kids.

The city, with light seeping through the black buildings like lanterns, came into view.

So this is what it looks like from afar.

"It's big. The trees are gone, and it's clearly a city within a city. I think this place has become a completely separate space from reality."

Literally. The aura has changed significantly, and if you include the area Little Red Riding Hood turned into a forest and this city, it doesn't make physical sense.

Even if it looks connected, it's a separate realm.

We observed the city from a distance.

Right next to a diligently placed signpost.

I don't like how these fish are imitating humans.

They were once human, so I can't say I don't understand, but...

Rejection is a fickle thing.

Kyeong-min glanced at me, lost in thought, and suddenly became curious about the city's name, so he went to check the signpost.

"Let's see the city's name."

Let's see. The language is different. It's a language I've never seen before.

But since it's a language humans use, I'll run an automatic translation...

"Innsmur?"¹

"Tsk!"

"What's wrong, Alice?"

As soon as I heard the name, I shouted as if having a seizure.

"These guys have no respect for the genre! They think just throwing in weird gods or place names from myths or novels makes it look cool? Outer Gods, Great Old One, cut it out! Even parodies have limits!"

The kids raised question marks above their heads and criticized my strange behavior.

"Al... Alice? There's no need to get so excited."

"Yeah. It's weird."

"..."

I smiled awkwardly at the kids' criticism.

"Ahem, yeah, I got excited. I'll compromise by changing the name."

I took out a magic pen from the mirror and wrote a new name for the city.

Now, the city's name is.

"This city's name is Bikini City."

"Alice, will you wear a bikini?"

"Eun-jeong, don't push it."

"Hmph."

The conversation keeps going off track.

I asked the kids for their opinions on our next course of action.

"Now, let's make a choice. If we want, we can launch a full-scale invasion of that city. What do you think? Should we infiltrate to find James? Or invade?"

Suho raised his hand.

"Infiltrate. Otherwise, we'll have nothing to do."

"Right. Alice and Ha-rim always solve everything, so we need to at least explore to have something to do."

"Huh?"

What are they talking about?

Just having you guys with me boosts my efficiency.

It's bittersweet that the kids think this way.

It's the result of pursuing adventures that are too grand for the stage we're given.

But I want you to know.

That adventure isn't just about conquering mountains.

Just listening, watching, and sharing impressions is also an experience, a memory, and an adventure.

Just as I was about to share this story in my heart, Eun-jeong's whining pierced my ears.

"Alice only favors Ha-rim, who's good at everything! I've seen it all!"

What are you talking about?

I reflexively raised my index finger to retort.

"No, when did I ever..."

I hesitated.

"..."

Putting my hand on my chest and thinking objectively, do I favor Ha-rim?

...

I do!

"Sorry."

Suho looked slightly taken aback by my sincere apology.

"You're admitting it?"

"I'm disappointed! I'm upset!"

Stop whining.

I haven't flicked her forehead, but Eun-jeong's pouting lips showed no sign of going back.

This kid... Should I just yank her lips?

"Urgh..."

Oh. They say even a tiger comes if you talk about it, and Ha-rim, who had been wandering alone, returned.

Ha-rim came through the mirror portal.

The spare mirror was small, so she was struggling, so I enlarged it.

Looking at Ha-rim as she emerged, she didn't seem hurt.

"Long time no see. Though it's only been a few hours."

"Welcome back, Ha-rim. What happened over there?"

When Kyeong-min asked, Ha-rim puffed out her chest with a rare smug expression.

"I had a great adventure. I found out a lot of things."

I don't know what information she brought back to make her look so smug, but it was adorable. Without realizing it, my hand reached out and patted her shoulder.

"Huhu... You're so precious."

"Again! Favoritism again!"

"I can't even say anything..."

Ha-rim told us about her experiences.

It was surprising how much information she gathered in such a short time.

Despite the mental fatigue, Ha-rim seemed full of energy.

Anyway, summarizing Ha-rim's story...

"A wolf statue and the Smog Birds (named by Ha-rim) who broke it. And after defeating a powerful entity among them, you heard their purpose from a suspicious pumpkin-headed man?"

"Yeah!"

So much happened...

"Besides the fishmen, there are winged monsters, so the current situation is like a three-way battle between wolves, fish, and birds."

Ha-rim added her thoughts to mine.

"From what I saw, it seems like the birds and fish are fighting, and the wolves got involved. A third force... It's hard to call them that since they're not organized and their purpose is unclear."

The ferocious wolves just growled without any clear purpose.

They didn't seem to be following Little Red Riding Hood's orders or trying to fill their stomachs.

They all wandered around, and some were caught by the fish.

Ha-rim continued.

"The birds and fish want to dominate a common place, the highest and the lowest... Uncle Jack said that place is..."

"That place is?"

Ha-rim hesitated for a moment before speaking.

She looked like she knew where it was, but wasn't sure about the lowest and the highest place.

Eventually, Ha-rim uttered the most unclean place in the world.

"Hell."

The kids' eyes widened.

As if such a place really existed.

Demons and monsters exist, but a place of that scale?

It was clear that their perspective on the world would change.

"Wow~"

With Eun-jeong's exclamation, the kids spoke in unison.

"I should live a good life."

"Uh, I won't go to hell, right?"

"Alice, I'm sorry for all the pranks."

Is that all the reaction you have after hearing about hell?

It's hard to react when it feels so unreal.

"Alice, do you know anything about hell?"

"Huh? Me?"

"You're a devil. At least for now?"

Well, that's true but...

"I've never been there. Honestly, I just found out it exists. Hmm, I'll ask the other Tale Devils later."

Hell.

It's an essential part of human fear, but anomalies related to hell either take you to a hell-like place or take the form of creatures that seem to live in hell.

Their connection to real hell is extremely ambiguous.

In the end, anomalies are just derivatives of humans and have little to do with the truth.

You can get information about hell's legends, but no one knows if it's the same as the real thing.

"Oh, right. Uncle Jack O'Lantern said to send his regards to someone named Carol."

"Huh? To Carol?"

Jack O'Lantern, the pumpkin-headed ghost.

To me, he was a random character who popped up.

I don't know why he was in hell, but if he knows Carol, there might be a connection.

"Do you know her?"

"She's the head of a research lab affiliated with the Institution. The place I live in is also Carol's research lab."

"Is she like Alice's parent?"

I thought about Carol.

She throws tantrums, is careless, and sometimes does strange things, but I know she cares for me...

I said firmly.

"Not at all."

This Jack O'Lantern guy. Let's ask Carol about him.

But for now, let's infiltrate the fishmen's city.

I told Ha-rim that we'd infiltrate the fishmen's city now.

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