I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 26: What I want to convey

The last stop was Ha-rim’s house.

Her home felt... desolate.

There were almost no traces of daily life.

Normally, when families live together, there are always little signs—leftover trash, misplaced items... but aside from Ha-rim’s room, there was nothing.

And Ha-rim was watching me.

She looked uneasy in her own house.

Well, technically, this was more like a parallel world version of her home, so it wasn’t really her house.

Maybe that was why it felt so unsettling—being in a place that should be familiar but wasn’t.

While she quietly packed her things, I decided to ask the question that had been on my mind.

"Why did you create the club?"

"Huh? Uh..."

Ha-rim looked caught off guard.

She hesitated, her eyes shifting upward to the right before answering.

"Um... I just like scary things. You know, the thrill? I love it when characters in horror movies barely escape by the skin of their teeth. Exploring haunted places kind of gives me that feeling. I mean, I wouldn’t want to actually get chased, but..."

She was sweating bullets—clearly hiding something.

But since her answer was detailed, it probably wasn’t entirely a lie.

I could understand.

Fear is stimulation.

Fear can turn into entertainment.

I enjoyed that same thrill when I played horror games.

In that sense, Ha-rim and I were alike.

Meeting someone who understands you is always nice.

But that didn’t change the fact that she was hiding something.

And...

I felt strangely hurt by that.

"Why won’t she tell me?"

The thought crossed my mind before I could stop it.

And then, I immediately realized—

"Wait... what am I thinking?"

To Ha-rim, I was just a ghost.

We weren’t even that close.

Why was I feeling hurt over this?

Still, I had to press her a little more.

"Is that really all?"

Since it was obvious she was hiding something, I decided to tease her a little.

Ha-rim avoided my gaze, pretending to be distracted.

...But I couldn’t force her to talk.

So we just stared at each other in silence.

"......"

From the way she reacted, I could tell—she thought I was angry.

Her voice was full of guilt when she spoke again.

"I’m sorry! It’s just something I don’t want to talk about... Are you mad?"

She practically admitted she was hiding something.

She really was too honest sometimes.

My curiosity wasn’t just personal.

These four kids were the starting point of the game.

And Ha-rim was considered the leader of the group.

Could she really be just another ordinary person?

The way she acted resembled a player’s actions.

Randomly scouring maps for items, finding things just when they’re needed...

Her mental fortitude was also unusual for a kid.

At first, I thought it was just because she was a playable character.

But after the demon started interfering with us directly, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

Did you know?

If she had never created this club, the children wouldn’t have ended up here.

Can we really be sure the demon didn’t influence that?

I knew I was making baseless assumptions.

But Ha-rim hiding the reason made it even more suspicious.

Ha-rim.

Were your extraordinary actions just natural talent?

Or were you being controlled by the demon?

I wanted to ask.

But I didn’t.

Interrogating someone who was also a victim left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"...Ella?"

Ah.

I had let the conversation die.

"I’m not mad. I was just... thinking. Anyway, why are you bringing that?"

Among the things she packed, she was holding carrots, potatoes, and a cooking pot.

"I wanted to mix up our meals a little... Convenience store food gets boring."

A kid who knows how to cook?

Well, if it was a hobby, that wasn’t too strange.

I decided I was being too suspicious and let it go.

"Ella, you shouldn’t eat too many sweets."

"..."

What does she take me for?

I smirked confidently.

"Understood."

"No way."

-----

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

After returning to school, the children looked much better after having some personal time.

Their clothes were fresh, and their moods were noticeably improved.

Good.

Sometimes, they needed a break.

People weren’t game characters—they needed ways to relieve stress to keep going.

But now... they were gathered in the home economics room.

Seemed like they were about to eat.

By now, I had naturally blended into their routines, so I emerged from the mirror.

The kids greeted me warmly.

Bubble, bubble.

Water was boiling in a large pot.

Ha-rim picked up the pot and poured in instant soup mix from a convenience store.

After letting it simmer for a moment, she chopped up some vegetables, added them in, and adjusted the flavor with seasonings.

"Whoa, Ha-rim, you can cook?"

"I just added some seasoning, that’s all."

A rich aroma filled the room.

Ha-rim poured the soup into plates she had brought from home.

Then, she handed me a bowl.

"Ella, you’re used to soup, right?"

"...Yeah."

Oh, right.

I was supposed to be a Western ghost.

I had almost forgotten.

Even when I was alive, I mostly ate instant ramen, not soup.

But now I was curious.

I took a spoonful and brought it to my lips.

The flavor was rich.

Surprisingly good.

But...

It was missing sweetness.

I glanced at the kids before discreetly dropping some chocolate into my soup.

Unfortunately, Ha-rim and Soo-ho caught me.

"NO!"

"Ella, what are you doing?!"

"Wait, hold on—"

SWIPE!

"Confiscated!"

They snatched my chocolate from me, horrified.

They don’t understand!

At least they promised to give it back later, so I reluctantly continued eating my soup.

After finishing the warm meal, everyone looked drowsy.

Even in a world that was hostile to humans, it was amazing how moments like these could still happen.

Maybe I should let them enjoy it a little more.

"Come here for a second."

The kids gathered by the window as I opened it.

I picked up a ball from the classroom and threw it as hard as I could.

It flew through the air with a whooshing sound, landing somewhere nearby.

"What was that for?"

I just smirked and pointed.

At the spot where the ball had landed, a kaleidoscope of lights began to dance.

"Whoa!"

That place...

It was a hotspot for a certain type of ghost.

The Light Phobia Entity.

A ghost born from the fear of bright lights.

When it senses prey, it erupts in dazzling flashes, rushing toward its victim.

A terrifying sight if you’re being hunted.

But from a safe distance—it was a beautiful light show.

Fear is just another form of stimulation.

And stimulation can turn into entertainment.

Like those ghosts, which captivated our senses with their otherworldly beauty.

The kids watched, entranced.

And I stood among them, watching too.

I felt... satisfied.

"What do you think?"

"It’s amazing!"

Eun-jung’s answer came instantly.

A far cry from the fear she used to show toward ghosts.

I smiled.

For a moment, they forgot that this world was not friendly to humans.

For a moment, they etched this sight into their memories.

Even if this place left them with scars, I wanted them to carry at least one good memory.

Please.

Afterward, we played poker, a game the kids had taught me.

And then, it was time for bed.

I placed Dream Catcher items beside each of them.

They looked like badminton rackets but with dangling feathers and intricate designs.

Dream Catchers were anti-nightmare artifacts.

We had no idea how the demon would attack, so I made sure to get them just in case.

The chances of encountering a Nightmare Ghost were low, but it was better to be cautious.

I had to pry Eun-jung off me before I could settle down.

Then, I turned to look at Ha-rim, who was already asleep.

I still didn’t know what she was hiding.

But I did know that she was a good person.

I could only hope that whatever she was keeping secret wasn’t anything dangerous.

"...?"

Something felt off.

Ha-rim’s expression...

She didn’t look peaceful.

I shook her gently.

She didn’t wake up.

The bells weren’t reacting.

A dream-invading ghost?

No way.

The Dream Catcher was working—it shouldn’t have been possible.

I checked the Dream Catcher.

It was broken.

-----

Clatter, clatter.

When Ha-rim came to her senses, she found herself on a train.

She was standing in line, waiting for her turn, without knowing how she got there.

Even in her dazed state, she tried to assess the situation by looking at the faces of the people around her.

And that’s when she realized—

This is a dream.

The "people" weren’t actually people.

Their faces looked like crude crayon drawings, as if a child had scribbled them on.

They were just meat sacks, breathing mindlessly.

Ha-rim felt sickened by the sight.

Then, an announcement played over the speakers.

[Next stop: Sashimi Station~ Sashimi Station.]

Sashimi?

Were they going to slice up fish?

She glanced around but saw no fish.

Instead, a group of monkeys suddenly appeared, each holding butcher knives.

The thing at the front of the line—which was pretending to be a man—was suddenly butchered alive.

The air filled with the stench of blood.

Chunks of flesh twitched.

Muscles convulsed.

Ugh.

Ha-rim fought the urge to vomit.

She barely managed to hold it in.

[Next stop: Ground Meat Station~ Ground Meat Station.]

The monkeys moved on to the next victim, now wielding hammers.

With brutal force, they bludgeoned their target into a bloody pulp.

Despite being several feet away, bone fragments and blood splattered onto her.

Now, Ha-rim understood.

This isn’t just a dream. This is a ghost attack.

And once it was her turn, she would be next.

There was a similar urban legend about this, but she couldn’t fully recall it.

Right now, she needed to escape.

But her body wouldn’t move.

"Move...!"

[Survival.]

Her necklace glowed, and she regained control of her body.

The moment she stepped out of line, the monkeys yelped in shock, dropping their hammers.

Then, with angry screeches, they picked up their weapons again and chased after her.

They were just as fast as she was.

She dodged between the train cars, but then—

A sharp pain flared behind her head.

She ducked instinctively.

A spearhead whistled past, barely missing her skull.

They brought a spear?!

The other monkeys mocked the one who missed.

Enraged, the spear-wielding monkey began stabbing wildly.

Swish! Swish!

"Hyaah!"

Ha-rim dodged, barely avoiding the relentless thrusts.

Where is this train going?

She tried to look out the window, but—

There were no windows.

Just an endless repetition of doors and passenger seats.

[Passengers, please return to your designated lines.]

Swish!

"Ah!"

Now the monkeys were throwing daggers.

Ha-rim dodged them all, even without the help of her necklace.

This pattern of attacks and evasion could have gone on forever.

But the train had an end.

And when Ha-rim reached the last car, she was trapped.

The monkeys surrounded her.

Was this... the end?

She squeezed her eyes shut.

[Next stop: Cursed Kid Dismemberment Station~ Cursed Kid Dismemb—]

Screeeeech—

"?"

The announcement cut off.

A faint, pained noise came from the speakers.

Then—silence.

The monkeys looked confused.

So did Ha-rim.

Before she could react, a curtain suddenly fell over her, wrapping her in darkness.

When she opened her eyes, she was somewhere else.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

The train’s conductor’s cabin.

She had escaped the monkeys.

I’m alive... I survived!

But—

Who is that?

In front of her stood a man.

"Ah, good evening, Miss Ha-rim!"

The man greeted her cheerfully.

In his hand was the corpse of the train conductor, limp and lifeless.

He was dressed like a clown, but his right arm was mangled—barely hanging on.

His face was hidden behind a mask, painted with a wide, eerie smile.

Who... is he?

And how does he know my name?

"Who are you...?"

"Ah, you may call me Mr. Clown! Ella really did a fine job with those Dream Catchers... It took me quite some time to break through them, even in this condition."

"Ella? You know Ella?!"

"Of course! She’s one of us. Didn’t she ever mention me?"

Mr. Clown.

Wait.

Wasn’t he one of the powerful ghosts Ella mentioned?

Ha-rim staggered backward in shock.

"No need to be so wary! Don’t frown like that—it’s such a shame when kids don’t die laughing! Ah... Ignore that last part. Just a little impulse of mine."

Seeing Ha-rim tense up, the clown scratched his head as if he had made a mistake.

Then, he pointed to the window.

Ha-rim had no idea what he meant.

She was too focused on her fear.

Why was she the only one trapped in this nightmare?

Why was she alone?

That feeling...

The loneliness hurt more than the fear itself.

"I assure you, I’m just here to deliver a message. And show you something spectacular! What a pity I can’t meet Ella in person... Ah, here. A mirror. I found a leftover one from the mansion."

He gently placed a note and a mirror ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) beside her.

But Ha-rim couldn’t even process them.

She was too fixated on what she saw outside the window.

"Dreams are fascinating, aren’t they? They connect the past and the future. They are this world, and they are another world. That’s why, for a brief moment, I can hide from him."

Mr. Clown muttered "tsk, tsk" to himself.

He didn’t seem offended that she was ignoring him.

If anything, he looked amused.

"Regardless, take it all in. It’s part of what the demon is after."

With that, he knocked on the mirror.

"I’ve given you your hint."

And then, he vanished completely.