I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 32: Merge

James led the special forces unit dispatched by the organization, guiding them toward the school.

It was surprising that the soldiers followed me without a single word of doubt.

I had expected at least some murmured expressions of unease.

Yet, they seemed to trust their leader's decisions completely.

The man leading them—he was clearly a veteran.

Still, that was one thing, and this was another.

Even after being fully warned of the dangers, they only sent a small team. I couldn't hide my disappointment.

The organization I knew wasn’t one to be so complacent.

Hmm...

As I shot him a questioning look, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Quick on the uptake, I see.

“Do you have something to say?”

“Well, yeah. You... Hmm, what should I call you?”

“Call me James.”

“Alright, James. Call me Ella. And I have a question for you.”

“A question, huh... I can’t answer what I don’t have permission to disclose.”

“Is that so? Does that include the level of your unit’s combat capability?”

A hint of curiosity flickered across James’s face at my question. It wasn’t an odd one to ask.

“What do you mean?”

“There are too few of you. You’re walking into a place crawling with monsters, yet you only bring a handful of people? Bringing an entire battalion would have been the smarter move.”

“...I could answer that, but it would take a while. I think it’d be wiser to talk after we arrive.”

Concise and to the point. I liked this guy.

He must have his reasons.

“Fine. When we get there—Ah!”

“?”

In the middle of our conversation, I spotted Ha-rim rummaging through a bag on the ground.

Not again!

“Shin Ha-rim! How many times have I told you not to investigate random bags lying around?!”

The world was changing. The monsters were getting stronger, and the environment was shifting.

In the past, I might have let her check it out freely, but not anymore.

She had the [Shining Will] artifact, so there was no need to be overly worried, but still...

“Sorry! It’s just instinct, I guess... But if there’s a bag lying around, we have to investigate it!”

This brat... talking back to me?!

I flicked her forehead, making her sulk.

“And you too, Kim Eun-jung. Stop right there.”

“Ugh... okay.”

“Eun-jung, I know you love the scent of flowers, but do you really want to sniff a flower with eyeballs growing out of it?”

“...Hehe, surprisingly, it’s not that bad.”

“How many times have I told you not to do reckless things? And now you’re trying to brush it off again. You’ve been acting spoiled lately. Just try cuddling up to me while sleeping tonight!”

“Gasp!”

Leaving behind the whining Eun-jung, I turned my attention to my next targets.

The guys.

The moment my gaze landed on them, their shoulders stiffened.

Guilty of passive bystanding.

“Soo-ho! Just because you’re watching over everyone doesn’t mean you can afford to be careless! That shield of yours isn’t invincible. And Kyung-min, you were so focused on your notes that you didn’t even stop them.”

The two hesitated, struggling to find an excuse.

They had definitely grown closer and improved their individual skills, but now that they were comfortable with each other, their flaws were becoming more apparent.

Yet, whenever I wasn’t around, they managed just fine on their own.

Maybe my presence was making them a little too relaxed.

I sighed, and they immediately straightened up, falling into a single-file line as they walked.

The nun in black robes gave them an odd look.

James’s lips curled slightly in what seemed like amusement.

I had no idea what was on their minds.

Not that it mattered.

We were almost there.

“Is this place secure?”

“Step inside and see for yourself.”

I phased into the mirror at the school’s front gate and then stepped back out.

Since I was a ghost, physical barriers were a problem, so I had to use these kinds of tricks.

The others followed my lead and entered the school.

James, without much suspicion, led his team inside. Then, he gave a slight nod.

“I see. It does feel different inside. No strange plants growing around either.”

“That’s because this school is surrounded by a barrier that physically repels supernatural entities.”

“A barrier?”

“I’ll explain once we’re inside.”

I guided them to a suitable room where they could stay.

After showing them a usable classroom, I also pointed out the convenience store near the back entrance.

“We brought our own supplies.”

“Still, snacking once in a while isn’t a bad idea.”

“Oh?”

James gave me an intrigued look.

Then, he asked about the salt placed around the room.

I explained that it was [Purifying Salt], and when he asked for permission to collect some, I allowed it.

After everyone settled in, James approached me.

“We should talk.”

A conversation between leaders, huh?

I told the others to rest while I stepped out for a moment.

Inside an empty classroom, we sat across from each other.

It was just me on one side.

On the other, James and the woman in black nun robes.

“And she is?”

“This is Maria, one of our top operatives.”

She was the one who spoke with James the most.

“Doesn’t matter to me. At least you didn’t gather all your troops in here like an interrogation.”

“I appreciate that. In that case, I’ll be even ruder.”

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

James pulled out a recorder. It was the kind of device I had only seen in espionage films, and seeing it in real life felt strangely fascinating.

“For convenience, I will refer to you as D-888 instead of your name. Do you agree?”

“No reason not to.”

“Good. I like how quickly you answer.”

With a press of the button, the recorder started capturing our conversation in complete silence.

As we spoke, I locked eyes with James, finally realizing just how sharp his gaze was.

I once heard that the eyes of a detective were different from those of ordinary people.

If I had to describe it... A snake’s eyes. It felt like he was piercing straight through me.

But there was no need to be tense unless I had something to hide.

I met his gaze head-on and spoke confidently.

“But keep in mind, this isn’t a one-sided interrogation. Ella has questions for you as well.”

James seemed to approve of my stance.

Visit ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com for the 𝑏est n𝘰vel reading experience.

“Of course. I’ll ask first. D-888, are you a resident of this place?”

“That’s right. That’s why I know it so well. I’m well-versed in how to deal with the anomalies here. Now it’s Ella’s turn. Why are there so few of you? You mentioned a massive demon at the end, didn’t you? This amount of manpower won’t be enough.”

“That part is strange.”

“Hm?”

“When we entered this place, we were restricted by the world itself. As if it couldn’t allow things to be too easy. The weapons and military equipment we tried to bring were blocked.”

I’d never heard of anything like that before. A demon’s doing? No, it couldn’t be. There was no way a single entity could manipulate the world’s rules on that level... Wait. The system?

This was a horror game. Steamrolling through with overwhelming firepower simply wasn’t allowed.

Thinking about it, it made perfect sense.

James’ unit had been affected by that rule.

“Hm... it’s just the nature of this world.”

“What do you mean?”

I couldn’t outright say it was a game, so I adjusted my explanation.

“Exactly what it sounds like. This world won’t allow anomalies to be completely overpowered by humans. If Ella wasn’t here, both the kids and your team would’ve been forced into a desperate fight.”

“That’s an interesting theory. Next question. You call those creatures outside ‘anomalies.’ What exactly are they?”

“They’re physical manifestations of abstract fears, concepts, and stories about horror. Some exist purely as phenomena, while others take tangible form. I’m one of them. Now, it’s my turn. You came here with such a small team, which means you have something, don’t you?”

“A way to defeat the demon.”

“...”

James didn’t answer.

I stared at him.

Was he seriously planning to withhold that information? That would be incredibly disappointing.

If I was going to help them properly, I needed to at least know their goal.

Since the demon was already interfering in this world, we had no choice but to work together.

Fortunately, my concern was unnecessary. James finally spoke.

“There is a way.”

“Wait, Agent James. Are you planning to reveal everything?”

Maria tried to stop him, covering his mouth with her hand.

So this was classified information.

Honestly, it was strange that he even considered telling me so easily.

From their perspective, I was an enigma. A mysterious entity that had pulled them into this world.

James removed Maria’s hand from his mouth.

“You’re being dramatic. What’s the problem?”

“The problem? If you tell the demon our entire plan—”

...Wait.

Did I just hear something ridiculous?

“Hold on.”

Both James and Maria turned their heads toward me.

Judging by their expressions, my face probably showed genuine shock.

“...Did you just call me a demon? Why would I be a demon? Do you classify all anomalies as demons?”

James looked intrigued.

Maria, on the other hand, seemed stunned.

It was as if I had just said something completely unexpected.

“Judging by your reaction, you really don’t know. When I said ‘D-888,’ it meant ‘Devil 888.’ The organization has already registered you as a demon.”

James then pulled out a strange, analog-looking device covered in mechanical attachments.

It was something completely detached from modern technology, yet its crude, archaic design only made it seem more credible.

A faint beeping sound emanated from it.

“A demon detector. The official designation is different, but when we met you, it immediately reacted. It didn’t respond to the other anomalies outside.”

I... am a demon?

Could this be some hidden lore of the game?

No matter how long I’d played, if the developers never documented it, even I wouldn’t know.

So there was a setting where Ella was actually classified as a demon... It would explain why the bosses acted differently from the lesser anomalies.

“...I didn’t know.”

But at this point, did it really matter if I was an anomaly or a demon? I wasn’t human anymore.

“It’s not a complete classification. There’s a demon signal, but only about a quarter of it registers. I wanted to ask you about it, but judging by your reaction, you’re just as clueless.”

Maria’s expression turned complicated as she observed me.

Curiosity. Shock. Doubt. Hesitation. A mixture of emotions.

With nothing holding him back, James finally explained their plan.

Six artifacts.

They were divided into two sets of three.

One set, shaped like angels, was meant to repel demonic power and act as instruments of judgment.

The other set, a fusion of computers and surrealist modern art, had the power to alter reality.

By placing these artifacts at six predetermined locations in a hexagonal formation, they could collapse this world and integrate it into the real one.

If the world itself was destroyed, the demon’s power would disperse, eliminating it in the process.

A flawless method for taking down the great demon.

Bringing them here had been the right decision.

However, while the procedure was simple, placing the artifacts in their designated spots wouldn’t be easy.

“...Some of these locations are going to be a problem.”

The placement sites included boss stages.

My mansion was a free pass.

Piero might be persuadable, but would Mary allow it? She literally called her boss room her “home.”

The worst one was Lady Spider’s domain.

With how aggressive the spider anomalies were, they were definitely not in a cooperative state.

We might have to fight our way through.

So much for an easy solution.

One thing still didn’t add up.

Why were they telling me all this?

Placing the artifacts was a straightforward task. The risk ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) of exposure was high, but there was no reason to share the entire plan with me.

They could have just asked me to lead them to the sites.

Noticing my skepticism, James answered.

“I’ve been in this field for a long time. What I mean is, I’ve learned to let go of some biases. Maria hates demons, but I have acquaintances who are demons themselves.”

Maria’s expression hardened.

“...I’ve never heard of that before.”

“Because I wouldn’t say it around your people. Your organization is too extreme.”

“...”

“If you trust me—or rather, if you trust Ella—I appreciate it. Ella will help with the operation.”

“Good. That concludes this ‘meeting.’ Can I send Maria over to your side?”

“...To keep an eye on me?”

“That’s part of it.”

“I don’t mind.”

It was just a formality.

From the way this conversation had gone, the recording hadn’t felt like an interrogation, but a discussion. They wouldn’t resort to coercion.

Just before turning off the recorder, James suddenly remembered something.

“Oh, I nearly forgot the most important part. D-888, where exactly is this demon you mentioned?”

Maria stood inside the women’s restroom, sorting through her thoughts.

Most of them revolved around D-888. Was this entity, the so-called ‘Ella,’ really trustworthy?

Every demon she had encountered before had attacked humans in monstrous, grotesque forms.

But Ella... was neither monstrous nor grotesque. In fact, she looked like an innocent, almost bewitchingly cute young girl.

Were there any demons resembling children in the succubus class?

If anything, the creatures outside seemed far more demonic than Ella did.

She had heard before that high-ranking demons often took on human-like appearances.

But even then, Ella’s demonic signature didn’t even reach the level of a low-tier demon.

More than anything, her behavior was... far too human.

Even the most cunning demons always had some tells.

Self-serving, malevolent thinking.

Unless they were extremely ancient, demons had a hard time fully imitating human nature.

Maria and James had identified countless demons in the past just from a few words exchanged.

But Ella? She looked after the children too naturally.

...No. It had only been a day. It was too soon to draw conclusions.

“Maybe I should thank James...”

There were two likely reasons why he sent her to stay with Ella and the children.

First, surveillance.

Observing their behavior in private spaces.

Among the unit, Maria was the most experienced in dealing with demons, so it made sense that she was assigned the role.

The second reason was acceptance.

James seemed to think that Ella was a demon they could trust.

If it were anyone else, she might have smacked them over the head, assuming they had been hypnotized.

But James had an exceptional eye for these things.

And he knew Maria’s distrust. This was his way of telling her to see for herself.

‘He could have just ordered me to comply, but James has a strangely soft side sometimes.’

With that thought, Maria stepped out of the restroom, heading toward the clubroom.

As she neared the door, a bespectacled boy suddenly burst out of the room, spotted her, and ran straight toward her.

“Sister! Help!”

“...S-Sister?”

Sister. That had a nice ring to it.

Though Maria spent her time hunting demons now, she had always entertained the idea of becoming a teacher after retirement.

After all, innocent children were adorable.

Being called “Sister” by kids was actually on her bucket list.

Suppressing the smile that threatened to rise, she cleared her throat.

“Ahem... What’s the issue?”

“Can you help calm Ella down?”

“!”

Demons were unpredictable. Their moods could shift at any moment.

And right now, the reason why Ella was protecting the children was still unclear.

This could be a serious situation.

“Hurry, let’s go!”

Maria rushed in with Kyung-min, flinging the clubroom door open.

Clatter!

“I brought the Sister!”

Maria had braced herself for the sight of a raging demon terrorizing the children.

After all, demons were demons.

But the scene before her was far more... pathetic.

“Give back my candy! Where did you hide it?!”

Ella was threatening the children.

But she hadn’t even noticed Maria’s arrival.

“But Ella, that’s been sitting in your locker for two weeks! It’s probably covered in bacteria and mold!”

“...Ha-rim, it’s you, isn’t it?!”

“A-Ah, I didn’t say that—!”

As the girls struggled to reason with Ella, a large-built boy approached with a gentle smile, attempting to calm her down.

“Come on now, let’s all relax.”

“...Soo-ho, is that you?”

But at Ella’s sharp gaze, Soo-ho flinched and blurted out a panicked defense.

“I didn’t do it!”

“You guys seriously! I told you, Ella isn’t human, so it’s fine! I was saving it, but you took advantage of my absence—!”

“...Wait, this is about candy?”

Only now did Ella realize Maria was there.

And just like that, she froze.

She looked like a child caught red-handed doing something embarrassingly immature.

After a brief silence, she mumbled without even looking at Maria.

“...I could throw it away. But, um...”

Ella fumbled for words before hanging her head low and phasing into the mirror, vanishing completely.

Gone was the composed, mature tone she had used when speaking to James.

Instead... was she embarrassed?

Had she run away just because she got mad over something as trivial as candy?

“...What a strange demon.”

And yet, it was that very human response that left Maria feeling strangely unsettled.