I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 38: Easter Egg!

Crack!

The moment the item shattered, an ominous ripple spread outward.

It was so faint that even I, the one affected, failed to notice it.

[Status Effect: Confusion]

"Huh?"

I looked down at the shattered item.

And immediately regretted it.

Why had I destroyed it?

The M.P. series was more like an Easter egg—a hidden detail intentionally placed by the developers.

It could have been a clue about this world, but I had mindlessly crushed it.

"......"

Why?

Before possessing this body, I had always been a rational person.

Unless faced with an extreme situation, I remained calm.

But ever since I entered this body—

I had changed.

I had become more emotional, sometimes to the point of being unable to control it.

I had always assumed I was simply being influenced by the original personality of Ella, this body’s rightful owner.

I had come to terms with it, and over time, my emotional instability had improved.

But now?

I tried to tell myself it was an impulsive mistake, but the decision had still been mine.

I had been adapting, and my reckless behavior had gradually lessened.

I was still me.

And yet... I had done something like this?

It felt as if I was becoming Ella.

"...!"

The moment that thought crossed my mind, I reflexively began making excuses, as if pricked by a needle.

My identity felt threatened.

No, no. I just haven’t fully adjusted yet.

See? I still can’t resist candy!

Even though I eat less of it, I’m still impulsive!

I must still be struggling against the body’s influence!

—Even as I desperately tried to reason with myself, the unease wouldn’t go away.

In my life, any unsettling thoughts that crossed my mind had almost always turned out to be correct.

‘Judgment’ is formed through ‘thought.’

Even if it was impulsive, the decision had still been mine.

My way of thinking shouldn’t have changed.

I knew myself.

I had fully adapted to this body.

I was no longer being swayed by its instincts.

That impulse had been mine.

...When had I changed?

When had my personality and thought process shifted like this?

The more I compared my past self to my present actions, the more I felt an overwhelming sense of detachment.

Cold sweat ran down my back.

People don’t change so easily.

What had made me change?

What had altered me?

—Ghosts are influenced by people’s thoughts.

"......No."

And the people closest to me—

Don’t think about it.

But the moment I told myself not to think about it—

My mind immediately did.

‘If I show weakness to tickling, I’ll become more susceptible to it.’

‘If I openly like candy, I’ll grow obsessed with it.’

‘If the others think of me as their friend, I will start thinking of them as friends, too.’

The nature of ghosts affected not only my body, but also my soul and mind.

—Then, were my feelings toward them truly my own?

"...."

A shiver ran through me.

I had to see the others.

I had been too busy lately—we hadn’t spent time together in a while!

But my steps—

My steps were too fast.

For someone merely wanting to spend time with friends, I was too desperate.

I didn’t know why I felt such an urgency.

It would be easier to just accept it!

If I resigned myself to the situation, there would be no cracks forming in my mind!

But this...

This, I couldn’t accept!

Clutching my head, I set off to find them.

I was supposed to meet with James for a meeting around this time—

But right now, I didn’t care about that.

Click!

I flung the clubroom door open!

But the others weren’t there.

Were they in another classroom?

I hurried to check.

"Why... Why aren’t they here?"

I started running.

I was so frantic that I didn’t even think to travel through the mirrors.

Should I look for James and Maria?

They might know.

I rushed to where James’s unit usually rested.

They looked a little startled to see me without their leader present.

"Where are James and Maria?"

They exchanged glances before telling me where he had gone.

"The school storage room?"

I nodded and immediately headed there.

Since his unit was resting, it probably wasn’t an emergency.

I arrived in front of the storage room.

A faint light seeped from beneath the door.

I could hear rustling.

And voices—

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The others were inside.

They were preparing something.

Cautiously, I opened the door.

The sight before me—

A table covered with delicious snacks.

Walls decorated with balloons and paper crafts.

Small, weak firework sparklers—the kind you’d find at a children’s festival.

Everything had a warm, handmade feel to it.

"Ah!"

Ha-rim gasped when she saw me.

She had been caught in the middle of their secret preparations.

Of course.

They had planned this... without me.

I had been so desperate to find them.

"...."

I couldn’t bring myself to get angry.

Just seeing them was enough to make me forget my frustration.

The joy of simply being with them outweighed my resentment.

I blankly stared at Ha-rim.

She sighed, then smiled sheepishly.

"Hehe... We wanted to surprise you, but I guess we got caught."

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Ha-rim held a white cloth in her hands and dramatically unfolded it.

On it, bold letters were written:

[Ella! Congratulations on joining the Mystery Exploration Club!]

"This is..."

Soo-ho, who had been carrying something heavy, momentarily set it down and spoke.

"We weren’t sure if you’d like it, but we all wanted to get closer to you. So we figured—why not just make you an official club member?"

Kyung-min scratched his head, looking a little sheepish.

"We wanted it to feel like a proper celebration, but, well... trying to set it up on our own was harder than we thought. So we got some help from James and Sister Maria."

Eun-jung suddenly appeared from behind and wrapped her arms around me.

"Ugh... I’m exhausted! I kept folding paper decorations forever!"

"I see... I mean... it’s a bit sudden."

"That’s the point! If we don’t make time for stuff like this, we’ll just keep fighting all the time—like with that ghost that appeared out of nowhere."

A surprise party, huh...

Still, something about it didn’t quite sit right with me.

Maybe I just wasn’t used to gestures like this.

In my entire life, I had never once been the main character of a party.

Hesitantly, I asked:

"Is it really okay for me to accept this?"

Ha-rim beamed at me.

"Ella! Do you remember what we talked about after that quiz game? When we said we wanted to properly express our gratitude, you told us to prepare a gift from the heart."

"..."

"Well, this is that gift. It’s both our feelings and a well-deserved reward!"

Ha-rim rummaged through a box and pulled something out.

Inside were five necklaces.

Each one was handmade, featuring an embroidered rose on a soft thread.

"We made them ourselves! It was a real pain threading the needles. Getting pricked hurts!"

"Here, take it!"

I accepted the necklace. It was soft to the touch.

"There are five of them. If you wear one, you’re officially a club member."

One by one, the others put on their necklaces.

Ha-rim grinned.

"I get two!"

When my turn came, I hesitated for a moment, staring at the necklace before slowly placing it around my neck.

A warm satisfaction filled me.

It was a gift from the others—

A token of friendship.

"Ella, how is it? Do you like it?"

For a moment, the confusion that had been clouding my mind faded away.

Peacefully, just peacefully—

"Thank you. I love it. I’ll never forget this."

I gently clasped the rose pendant in my hand.

[Condition met: Status effect has been lifted.]

A man walked through an unusually clean and polished corridor.

Though he had the appearance of a delinquent, his consistent diligence had earned people’s trust.

As he passed by, he exchanged brief greetings with a few acquaintances before pressing his ID against a thick automatic door.

Beep.

[Access granted. Welcome.]

"Director, I hope you’ve been well?"

"Ah, it’s you, Mephi."

Inside the office, the research director was meticulously reviewing reports.

His name was Brian—a man who had no patience for complacency.

To investigate a recent incident within the institution’s research division, he had personally selected a new recruit—Mephi.

Brian motioned for his new subordinate to take a seat.

Mephi, without hesitation, sat beside him.

"I’m glad to have you on board."

"There’s nothing more satisfying for a subordinate than having their superior’s trust. I’ll repay it with results."

A well-rehearsed response, but Brian was still pleased with the answer.

"I like that attitude. So, have you uncovered anything regarding this {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} incident? Of course, I’m not expecting immediate results from someone who hasn’t even begun research yet."

Mephi responded smoothly.

"Apologies, but I’ll need more time to provide anything substantial. Even the organization is struggling with this case. But if I were to summarize...

A specific region has been overlaid with a duplicate version of itself—another world, superimposed over the real one.

That world was intentionally hidden and could only be revealed through a ritual.

The demonic reaction is marked as M.P.

Residents were evacuated, and James’ special forces, along with Maria from the Cross Association, were deployed as agents.

We’ve lost communication with them, meaning contact is impossible from within. There’s also the possibility they’re... deceased."

Brian sighed.

"I was asking for your opinion, not a summary. Have you noticed anything odd about this case?"

Mephi tilted his head.

"Hmm... ever since the incident, there’s been a noticeable increase in minor accidents."

"Minor accidents?"

"Yes. Things like absentmindedly riding a bicycle into a wall, forgetting to turn off the gas and burning a pot... Even my colleagues have been showing up with small injuries and bandages.

If it were just a few cases, I wouldn’t think much of it, but the numbers are unusually high."

Brian frowned.

"Isn’t that just carelessness?"

"Ah, well, if you put it that way, then sure."

"...I see. Young people these days..."

Brian was about to launch into a long-winded lecture, but Mephi quickly picked up on it and changed the subject.

"Ahem. By the way, Director, what’s that photograph?"

He pointed to a picture on Brian’s desk, showing a young child.

"Oh, this? Just a picture of my son. He’s a smart kid, but he has his quirks. The other day, after watching some children’s cartoon, he came to me and declared that ‘everyone in the world is friends’—then started talking to me informally!"

Brian chuckled fondly as he recalled the moment.

"Hahaha! That’s adorable. Some cultures don’t use formal speech at all, after all!"

"Indeed. But tell me, do you think adults and children can truly be friends? Maybe I’m just too old-fashioned."

Brian expected Mephi, a younger man, to give a positive answer.

But instead, Mephi’s response was unexpectedly firm.

"No. Adults and children cannot be friends."

"...Why not?"

Mephi took a deep breath before answering.

"Because their souls are fundamentally different.

True friendship requires a connection between souls.

Without altering one's soul, an adult and a child can never be true friends.

Even if they both believe they are."

Brian suddenly felt uneasy.

For a moment, he wondered if Mephi had fallen into some strange cult.

Uncomfortable with the topic, Brian decided to change the subject.

"...I see. An interesting perspective. But enough of my personal ramblings. What’s that stack of papers you have?"

"Oh, this? It’s a setting book for a small game I made as a hobby. Honestly, it’s a bit embarrassing to show it in detail."

[Conditions of Alice.]

Alice is a girl.

Alice is a child.

Alice has blonde hair. (Actually, her hair is black!)

Alice is emotional.

Alice wanders through a strange world.

Alice’s adventure is (erased).

"How did you get into making games?"

"I made a few before, but I really put effort into it when I promised a friend I’d make one for them."

"A friend, huh."

"Yeah. Though I probably caused them a lot of trouble by messing around too much."

Mephi pulled a photo from his pocket.

It showed him standing beside another man—one with a deeply troubled expression, as if carrying the weight of every misfortune in existence.

Quietly, Mephi muttered:

"Sorry. You’ll have to suffer a little longer.

But hey, isn’t it more fun now? You’re way more emotional, after all."

Heh. Heh.