I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 21: A relationship where pranks are accepted

Mary.

One of the more famous urban legends. If you search for Mary’s phone number online, you’ll find the details.

There are several variations, but the common theme is this:

[Hi, I’m Mary. I’m at @@ right now.]

Mary calls the protagonist in the urban legend. After telling them where she is, she hangs up.

[Hi, I’m Mary. Now, I’m at **.]

Another phone call comes in. The protagonist, thinking it's just a prank, begins to realize that the location Mary mentions is getting closer and closer to where they are.

When the frightened protagonist receives the final phone call:

[Hi, I’m Mary. Now, I’m right behind you.]

It is said that whoever receives the last call will die.

What’s unexpected is that a murderous monster, who is supposed to be vicious, greets me.

The reactions from these monsters are different from the ones I’ve encountered. They don’t attack right away or follow a predictable pattern. Instead, they just ramble on about what they want to say. The atmosphere feels different, too.

She even knows my name.

There wasn’t any text conversation with Mary, so could it be that boss-level entities are somehow different?

Now that I think about it, Ella also had a normal conversation with me.

I casually spoke to Mary, who was staring at me in a daze.

“It’s been a while...”

I glanced at Mary, unsure of what to make of her unreadable expression. She seemed emotionless, which made it hard to gauge.

Thankfully, she nodded, acknowledging my words.

“Yeah. It’s been a while since we talked. But Ella... she came out of the mirror.”

It seems that Ella and Mary know each other.

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How did they become acquainted? The common thread between them is that both are the bosses in chapters 1 and 2.

Quite interesting.

“Hmm? Oh, now I can do it...”

“I see. That’s good. One of the things Ella wanted has been accomplished.”

“What, no—Ella wanted something?”

At my question, Mary’s face reflected some confusion. She wasn’t entirely emotionless.

“Ella forgets things sometimes. Did you forget what she wanted?”

The pressure from her gaze felt intense. This was a reaction to something that should never have happened.

This is a landmine. I quickly tried to smooth things over.

“Of course, I remember. I was just surprised that you remembered.”

“I see. Ella and I didn’t talk much, but I remember what we did talk about.”

Hmm? So, they aren’t that close? The more I dig, the more questions arise. Like a Sphinx.

“Why didn’t you talk much?”

At my question, Mary puffed out her cheeks in slight anger.

“Ella has a bad temper. She told me not to contact her anymore because I annoyed her. Don’t you remember that?”

Mary pointed to the telephone receiver in her hand.

Ella, that bad-tempered girl. She’s even been rude to the same kind of entity.

From the way she emphasizes the receiver, it seems like they weren’t meeting in person but communicating by phone.

“D-did she? Hmm, hmm... So, why are you out here, Mary?”

“I felt that the monsters were happy. So, I came out to check for a bit. It’s awkward leaving the ‘house,’ but I think it’s been okay lately. Ella’s the same, right?”

What is she talking about? Monsters are happy? I want to ask, but it’s probably best to leave it at that. I don’t want to risk more danger.

“Yeah... I guess... Will you stay here, Mary? Ella’s planning to leave soon. It feels awkward being away from the ‘house’ for so long.”

“I see. Then I’ll head back to the house too. I’ll contact you sometimes, so pick up if I call. But if you get mad at me again...”

“I got it, I won’t get mad.”

I’m relieved she’s going back to the house.

But how is she planning to contact me? I don’t even have a cell phone.

Never mind. I shouldn’t think about it. More mysteries just give me a headache.

I waved my hand to say goodbye to Mary.

She turned and returned to where she had been.

Chapter 2 boss, Mary... She’s a character to watch out for.

I looked around and signaled to the kids to come out quickly.

The kids ran out and moved beyond Mary’s detection range.

I finally took a deep breath and followed the kids.

I quietly told Ha-rim, who was looking at me as if asking, “Who’s that monster?” that I would explain at school. For now, we should just leave.

Ugh. This is exhausting.

I really need to get back to school and rest.

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This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Back at school, I explained to Kyung-min about the red-tinted notebook. It wasn’t yet a completed artifact, but it could still be useful.

If Eun-jung’s artifact deals with purification and buffs, Kyung-min’s artifact is responsible for debuffs.

Before obtaining [Eyes of the Evil Beast], he could use [Slow], the precursor to [Binding].

It should work well in conjunction with Eun-jung’s Speed.

Kyung-min didn’t seem too thrilled with the idea of using a book tainted with blood, but it was clear he was excited to be able to use some form of sorcery.

As we sat down for dinner, Ha-rim brought up the topic from earlier in the day.

“Ella. Who is that monster, Mary?”

“Hmm... Have you heard the story about Mary’s phone calls?”

At that moment, Kyung-min pulled out his notebook, flipping through the pages before speaking up. Most of the details he shared matched what I knew.

“The girl we saw earlier is the same Mary from that story.”

“Just as I thought,” Ha-rim replied. She must have guessed it, since it’s such a famous urban legend. But there was something else she was truly curious about.

“Is Ella close with Mary?”

Eun-jung asked me, clearly interested. The idea of monsters having friendships was an intriguing topic. But if I casually mentioned that they were close, it would put me in a rather awkward position...

“Well, I do know her. But we’re not exactly close. If I told her not to kill you guys, she’d probably try anyway.”

I looked pointedly at Soo-ho as I said that.

In each chapter, one of the kids dies, and by the final chapter, only Ha-rim is left to face the final boss.

Originally, Kyung-min was supposed to die in Chapter 1, but Soo-ho should be the one to die in Chapter 2.

He would have been stabbed while trying to protect Eun-jung from Mary, who appeared suddenly from behind.

But with Soo-ho’s shield and mine, things probably wouldn’t follow the original script.

Still, the danger was unavoidable.

“I’m warning you now—if Mary decides to attack, I can’t promise that even Ella can stop her.”

The kids tensed at my words. I had shown them my strength by effortlessly handling large monsters.

Even though my body is that of a delicate girl, no one would think of me as a weak monster.

That’s why my words carried more weight.

However, while I had barely been able to handle Mary in the prologue stage, the gap in power between us is too large.

Even though I absorb monsters and grow stronger bit by bit, I can’t guarantee I can protect everyone and still win.

The only choice we have is to avoid danger and endure until "they" arrive.

“If Mary attacks right now, don’t try to intervene. Run. We’re not ready to take her down. Things are different this time, so don’t think you’ll survive by fighting her. If you break this rule, I won’t help you.”

If they interfere like last time, someone will definitely die.

But if I fight alone, I might be able to stall for time and survive.

As long as there’s a mirror I can use to hide in, Mary won’t be able to harm me.

“So, what’s your answer?”

“...Got it.”

After hearing Ha-rim’s response, I finally popped the remaining macaron into my mouth. Mmm! This sweetness is incredible.

“Alright, everyone, don’t be too nervous. Mary didn’t notice us and went back. We’ve been doing fine so far!”

To lift the mood, Ha-rim brought something out. It was a round container with sticks similar to those used for drawing lots.

“Oh, that was in the faculty office?”

Soo-ho asked, and Ha-rim nodded.

“It’s used to pick a duty officer, and whoever gets the marked stick becomes the duty officer. But today’s game isn’t picking duty officers, it’s the King game!”

The King game. The person who draws the marked stick becomes the king and gives orders. The king doesn’t know the number of the stick they’ve picked.

I’ve heard they play it at drinking parties, but I was always left out, so I’ve never had a chance to play such drinking games.

I might actually be looking forward to this.

Ha-rim pushed the container toward everyone, signaling us to pick. We all drew a stick at the same time, and the one in my hand was the marked stick.

I couldn’t help but feel a sense of triumph. Me, the "unlucky ghost," drawing the marked stick! It was nothing short of a miracle. My misfortune seemed to have disappeared when my body switched.

Though, thinking about it, it might seem a bit funny that I’m so happy about it.

With a sense of pride, I waved the marked stick and made my command.

“Number 1, act like a dog.”

At that moment, Kyung-min sighed deeply and dropped to all fours.

“Woof, woof...”

Kyung-min lowered his head in embarrassment. I couldn’t hold back my laughter and teased him.

“Hahaha! You’re really good at it! You might have a talent for this!”

“......”

It seemed like he was shaking his hands. I wondered if he was upset, but hopefully not.

We put the sticks back into the container. Ha-rim closed her eyes and shuffled them around.

She drew again.

Another marked stick! I smiled confidently as I made my next command.

“Hmmm... Number 2, stand on your hands for one minute.”

“Ugh!”

This time, was it Eun-jung? I smiled, seeing her looking distressed as she leaned against the wall, struggling to stand on her hands.

She was breathing heavily after it ended.

“Hmmm... Eun-jung, you’ve done enough exercise today. I think you should be thanking me.”

“......”

After that, Ella continued drawing the marked stick. Even she started to feel the discomfort.

But it was purely coincidental, and the kids couldn’t say anything about it.

As the king, Ella had Soo-ho and Kyung-min hug each other, forced Eun-jung to do bunny hops, and made Ha-rim share an embarrassing story from her past.

Ella found out what the kids disliked the most and relentlessly ordered them to do those things.

And, as always, she couldn’t hold back the instinctual mockery at the end.

It was a situation where the body dominated the mind.

The kids, even though they’d gotten closer to Ella, still feared the monster that she was, and they considered giving only light punishments in case Ella got angry if she became the king.

"Hahaha! You guys are really unlucky. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t last a second in this world!"

"Hmm? How about the cause of death? Accidentally hit by an old chandelier? Sounds pretty plausible, right?"

However, the only thing filling the kids' hearts at that moment was a desire to get revenge on Ella, who was rampaging in excitement.

Ella, who had been rambling in accordance with her physical instincts, didn’t stop mocking until she put the stick back in place.

"Let’s see..."

I checked the stick. Tch, number 3. Not the king this time. Well, not being the king doesn’t mean I’m going to get punished. I smiled again, feeling relaxed.

The person who drew the marked stick was Ha-rim.

But Ha-rim’s expression was strange. I had never seen her look so cold. She was looking at me as though I were her enemy.

Did ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) I go too far with the prank? Reflecting on it, I might have gotten too carried away.

Getting excited over a game... I really was acting like a child.

I should have been more controlled.

But she didn’t know my number, so even if she wanted revenge, she couldn’t.

Realizing that, I couldn’t help but tease her.

"Planning revenge? But what can you do if you don’t know my number? You can’t give me a punishment, can you?"

Oops.

...But it probably doesn’t matter.

After all, those who are strong enjoy many things.

Today’s just a lucky day.

I won’t be punished by some prank.

I stood proudly!

[Luck]

That was until Ha-rim’s necklace started to glow.

"Number 3."

Her voice was colder than the breath of a snowwoman.

I shivered involuntarily. It seemed like revealing her embarrassing past had been quite the shock.

Was she that embarrassed by being scared by the monster that popped out from the haunted spot, considering her role as the club president?

I waited anxiously for my punishment.

"Everyone must tickle Ella."

"Pffft."

What? That’s it? Tickle? It’s not even that bothersome, and I don’t really feel it that much.

Is this really revenge? Kids really are just kids.

However, the way the kids looked at me as they approached sent a chill down my spine.

I swallowed hard and stepped out of the mirror.

I raised my arms, signaling them to tickle me.

Ha-rim came up behind me and reached for my armpit.

"Ahhh?!"

Wait, did I just make that sound? It was just a brush, and I already reacted like that?

"Wait..."

But Ha-rim didn’t stop. I realized for the first time that tickling could actually feel painful.

"Heeek! Ah! Ahahaha! Ugh! Hahaha!"

After I let out an embarrassing squeal, Ha-rim finally stopped tickling my armpits.

I was trembling. I never knew tickling could be this terrifying.

I’d never been tickled before, so I didn’t understand what it was like.

"Heh... Is it over?"

But this time, Soo-ho grabbed my shoulders from behind, and Eun-jung pulled my legs, forcing me to lie down.

Kyung-min was observing my body, probably trying to figure out where I was weakest.

Ah.

They were all going to do it.

"Wait. I admit Ella played a cruel prank. But I don’t think this way of doing things is all that fun."

"......"

"Even monsters can make mistakes. Originally, this was supposed to be a game for Ella, so as long as she had fun, that’s what matters, right?"

"....."

"Are you... angry? Are you going to get mad? Huh? You gonna grab a knife and start swinging it around? If you stop now, I won’t forgive you... Huh?!"

At that moment, I was struck on the head with a force strong enough to send my body flying. What?! Aren’t you all still afraid of me?

"Hahahahahaha! Ha! Ahahaha!"

My feet, waist, and armpits were mercilessly attacked. It felt even worse because they were kids.

These little devils! Devils! My chest hurts. Every second feels like a year. How could they be so cruel?!

Especially Kyung-min and Soo-ho! You guys are getting back at me for the last time, aren’t you?!

I just kept waiting for this hell to end.

"...Heh... Ha... Ahaha... Heh..."

In the end, after Ella had been tickled until the kids' anger was appeased, she collapsed, and Eun-jung stared at her with concern.

"Ha-rim, Ella's broken..."

Ella stared blankly into space with dead eyes.

Ha-rim was stunned, realizing that she had turned the terrifying Ella into this state. What if Ella got up and started swinging her knife?

But if she really hated it, she could have killed us all and escaped right away.

Ella must think of us as real friends if she’s letting us play these pranks on her.

Realizing this, Ha-rim smiled warmly and said.

"Well... let’s end the game here."

Ha-rim helped Ella regain her composure and guided her back toward the mirror, of course, handing her some apology chocolates.

From that day on, unbeknownst to them, Ella and the kids began exchanging pranks.

As a result, Ella now flinches whenever she sees someone curl their fingers in a mocking gesture, but she couldn’t bring herself to get mad at the kids.

And while she feared tickling, laughing so wildly like that for the first time in her life left her with a strange sense of relief—though it remains a secret.