I Became A Ghost In A Horror Game-Chapter 44: Mary, the Telephone Spirit Who Found Her Path

The shattered mirrors gave way to sunflowers blooming in their place.

But the change was only temporary—soon, the sunflowers withered, and the mirrors reclaimed their spots.

Then, the cycle repeated.

This was a battle for dominance between two bosses.

I was no longer in a position where I had to constantly dodge and strategize to defeat Mary.

“Why don’t we stop the power struggle here?”

“What happened to you, Ella?”

Mary narrowed her eyes, puzzled by my sudden transformation.

“Oh, I just had a little music appreciation time. That aside, I’m finally warmed up.”

Her voice was cold.

“Lies.”

I chuckled.

“Caught me~?”

The moment she lashed out with her vines, I slipped behind her—into a mirror.

Mary immediately whirled around, but she was too late.

From within the mirror, I slashed at her.

My ability allowed me to deal physical damage simply by cutting a reflected enemy.

Its speed was unmatched.

The only reason I hadn’t used it before was because I couldn’t create my own mirrors.

CLANG!

Mary barely managed to block.

But she was surrounded.

Mirrors upon mirrors lined the area, making it impossible to track my movements.

I weaved between reflections, striking from her blind spots—a simple yet overwhelming tactic.

Just like when I first fought Slender Man, I cornered her.

Ahahahahaha!

Seeing her struggle to keep up, I couldn’t hold back my laughter.

She’d given me so much trouble before.

It was about time she suffered, too.

Mary was reaching her limit.

She needed a different strategy.

“Ugh... Help me!”

Riiiiiiiiiiing—!

The few remaining phone booths blared their signals.

A receiver fell with a dull clunk, and a little girl’s voice seeped through.

She was summoning another entity.

[Hello? It’s Rika! I’m right behind yo—?]

Rika abruptly stopped speaking.

She had successfully positioned herself behind me.

But there was one small problem.

I wasn’t really there.

I was inside the mirror.

And before she could react, I had already teleported away to another reflection.

“What now?”

[...!]

Left alone inside the mirror, Rika could do nothing.

Unlike Mary, she lacked the ability to summon new phone booths.

She was completely reliant on them.

A low-tier entity.

“How unfortunate! Looks like you’re stuck there forever! Guess you’re a mirror ghost now, huh?”

[....]

Oh.

I got a little too excited there.

It was just so satisfying.

“My bad. Got carried away. That wasn’t very ‘me,’ was it?”

Mary looked at me with sheer exhaustion.

“No.

That was exactly you.”

“Oh? Well, I don’t mind. That is me, after all.”

Even if I’d taken on parts of Ella’s personality—

I was still me.

Now that I had separated my identity, there was no need for restraint.

Ah.

This felt good.

“To be honest, all this weirdness about spirit traits and turning into Ella was really stressing me out.

But now that I’ve had time to process it—

Turns out, I’m still me, even if I resemble Ella.”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

Ahahahaha!

“This is the first time I’ve ever felt so happy about being wrong!”

Mary launched another wild swing at me.

I stepped out of the mirror and dodged with ease.

“Too slow.”

“...Tch.”

Behind her, a massive telephone materialized.

This time, she wasn’t relying on a curse—

It was a physical attack.

A powerful vibration rippled through the air.

One by one, the delicate mirrors around her began to crack.

Even as I watched my precious mirrors shatter, I couldn’t stop smiling.

“...Wanna see something cool?”

I created a new mirror.

This time, from far away.

A reflection of Mary appeared within it.

I reached toward her reflection—

And pressed my blade against her throat.

“That little trick of yours—

I bet it takes a lot of energy.”

“!!!”

Mary realized what I was doing.

She felt the cold steel against her neck.

Panicking, she immediately canceled her attack and bolted.

“Since ancient times, reflections have been considered extensions of the self.

That’s why mirrors are seen as both mystical and ominous.”

My abilities had evolved.

Just like Mary could summon phone-based entities—

I could now call upon those tied to mirror legends.

Hehehe...

“Stop playing with Mary!”

She charged at me in frustration.

A brat like her was easy to rile up.

...Wait.

Why did that make me feel guilty?

“Don’t worry. I was planning on ending this soon anyway.”

I met her head-on.

Our blades screeched as they clashed, vibrating with raw energy.

“Mary. You control telephone ghosts.

Like Satoru-kun and Rika.

Stories about mysterious beings lurking beyond the receiver.

You summon entities similar to yourself.”

“Shut up!”

“Well, guess what?

Mirror ghosts have their own set of legends, too.

Especially ones where a girl’s spirit appears inside a mirror.

And there’s one in particular that’s very well known.

Wanna guess?”

“...!”

Mary’s eyes widened in shock.

A murderous aura surged from behind her.

Inside one of the mirrors—

A girl wielding a terrifying axe loomed over her.

She swung it straight at Mary.

Mary had no time to react.

She was too focused on blocking my attack.

Time’s up.

The answer is—

“Bloody Mary.

A fitting name, don’t you think?”

A wet, sickening splatter erupted from Mary’s back.

Suspended in midair for a brief moment—

She then collapsed onto the ground.

Bloody Mary.

A spirit often depicted in popular media as a violent entity.

Just like Mary had used telephone-based ghosts,

I had used a mirror-based legend.

And it worked beautifully.

“All right. You can go now.”

Bloody Mary obeyed and faded from existence.

I approached Mary’s fallen body.

A normal person would’ve died instantly.

But she was still breathing.

Raggedly.

And healing—slowly but surely.

‘If I’m going to finish her, it has to be now.’

As I stepped closer, the vines and sunflowers covering the school rotted away.

Even the massive stalks in the schoolyard crumbled.

“If the stage is collapsing even though the boss is still alive...

That means James succeeded in setting up the artifact.

Which means—

You can’t beat me anymore.”

“...Ugh... Ugh...”

Mary crawled pathetically along the ground.

She wasn’t trying to run away.

She was still... searching for something.

Or someone.

“Ella!”

Kyung-min, Soo-ho, and Eun-jung rushed toward me.

They were unharmed.

Not a single wound.

Even while I fought Mary, they had done everything they could to support me.

I was proud.

And grateful.

“...”

Without a word, I pulled them into a tight embrace.

They stiffened, clearly flustered.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Especially Kyung-min—he had no idea how to react.

I knew this was embarrassing, but sometimes, things like this were necessary.

...Probably.

“Squishy~”

“Eun-jung...”

Why the hell was she burying her face in my chest at a time like this...?

“I didn’t mean to...”

The mood was completely ruined.

Well, since things had already gone off track, I might as well finish this.

I turned away and walked toward Mary.

Gripping my sword tightly.

I couldn’t just leave her. If I did, she’d recover.

“I have to find them... Mary... still... hasn’t found them... Just once... just once would be enough...”

Mary muttered weakly, her voice filled with sorrow.

A wish.

Even Ella had a wish.

And strangely enough, I felt like I had one too.

“Why...? No matter how much Mary searches, they never appear... Why is Mary the only one who has to feel lost and sad?”

She had tried to kill us.

At this point, her wish didn’t matter.

I had never thought wishes were important in the first place.

The game never mentioned them.

But what if every boss had one?

Did the Spider Madam?

Did Piero?

“...I hate this... I hate everything! No matter how many calls I make, no one ever picks up! Who are you?! Why aren’t you coming to find Mary?! Answer me!”

Mary began trembling.

“Mary... can’t die yet...”

Her desperation to live was different.

Unlike the other entities, she wasn’t just a mindless monster attacking until the end.

Any other creature would have thrown itself at me, even if its legs were cut off.

But Mary—

“...Hmm.”

“...This is... different.”

The others must have felt it too.

They looked hesitant.

“She’s... pitiful.”

The atmosphere shifted.

As if killing her now would be... wrong.

But I had to.

Mary would come after us again.

The only way she’d find what she was searching for—

Was by killing people.

A child like her could never suppress that kind of desperate longing.

That was my judgment.

But still—

Something inside me screamed that this wasn’t the way.

That I shouldn’t kill Mary like this.

But what choice did I have?

She had to die.

I tightened my grip on my sword.

“Goodbye, Mary.”

“Wait, Ella!”

I stopped.

“Ha-rim just called.”

Now?

At this moment?

Was this a coincidence...?

Or—

“Answer it.”

From Kyung-min’s phone, Ha-rim’s voice came through.

[Hello? Ella! Judging by the fact that all the plants have vanished, I’m guessing it’s almost over.]

Despite having to dismantle the entire stage corruption by herself, she sounded energetic.

Hearing her voice, my mood lifted slightly.

“Yeah. All that’s left is killing Mary, who’s lying on the ground.”

[...Before you do, there’s something weird.]

“?”

“There’s one white phone booth still standing.”

“...A white phone booth?”

Every object that appeared in the school was part of Mary’s stage.

But a white phone booth?

That was new.

Another unknown factor.

What kind of mechanic was this?

The white phone booth only appeared after Mary was incapacitated.

In games, things like this usually indicated an alternative solution.

“....”

An alternative solution...?

At this point?

I wasn’t even sure if that was its purpose.

Even if it was, what difference did it make?

Wasn’t killing Mary outright the right choice?

In a game sense, taking another route would be more interesting.

But—

‘This is real for the kids. Shouldn’t I just kill her and be done with it?’

I hesitated.

What should I do?

Ella: I’m giving you all my power—so go show them an adventure.

Let them see that this strange world isn’t just terrifying.

That it has meetings and farewells, emotions, joy, and sadness.

Let them understand.

I made my decision.

“Ha-rim, use the phone booth.

If anyone can figure it out, it’s you.”

The protagonist should handle the main event.

[Got it! I’ll give it a try!]

Ha-rim stepped into the phone booth.

A phone booth was a place to call someone.

She thought.

Who should she call?

At this moment, only one name came to mind.

Mary.

But how did one call Mary?

She considered it like a puzzle.

A simple answer came to mind.

She dialed a number.

(666-6666-6666)

The call connected.

Riiiiiiiing... Riiiiiiiing...

Mary flinched.

She had always been the one making the calls.

R𝑒ad lat𝒆st chapt𝒆rs at free𝑤ebnovel.com Only.

This was the first time someone had called her.

An unfamiliar yet inexplicable expectation swelled in her chest.

For some reason—

She felt like, if she answered, she might finally meet the one she had been searching for.

Before the third ring, Mary snatched up the receiver.

She forced herself to stand, despite her injuries.

Ella watched her cautiously, but Mary paid her no mind.

She only had eyes for the call.

“...Hello? Who is this?

Are you the one Mary was looking for?”

“...Uh... Um... Hi?”

Ha-rim hadn’t actually planned what to say.

She needed to keep the conversation going.

So she lied.

“Yes.

I’m the one Mary has been searching for.”

“...Really?...”

“Yes.”

“Liar.”

“...Huh?”

"Lies. Lies. Lies! Mary knows! The person Mary is looking for doesn’t sound like this!!"

Oh crap. Did she see through it?!

Ha-rim tensed up.

Stay calm! This isn’t over yet!

Like a true protagonist, she responded as if selecting a dialogue option in a game—smoothly and naturally.

"Cough! Cough! I caught a cold. Sorry, Mary. I didn’t mean to startle you."

"...! Really? It’s because of a cold?"

"Of course."

"Then... who are you?

Mary has always been looking for you.

I wanted to give up so many times, but my chest felt tight, and I was so lonely I couldn’t stop.

I miss you.

And I hate you so much.

So tell me—who are you?"

A set of choices appeared in Ha-rim’s mind.

This wasn’t part of the game’s system—

It was purely her own thoughts forming options.

[Ella]

Ella and Mary seemed to have some kind of connection, but... that wasn’t it.

[Friend]

Too vague. She couldn’t keep up the act for long without a name.

What kind of relationship could identify someone without mentioning their name?

Who was Mary so desperately searching for?

If Ha-rim were in Mary’s place, who would she long for with such desperation?

Ha-rim thought of the person she missed the most from her own memories.

Feeling the raw emotion in Mary’s voice, she made her choice.

"...It’s me, your mother."

Silence.

For almost a full minute, Mary didn’t speak.

"...Mom?

Are you really my mom?"

"Yes, Mary."

"...I see..."

An unexpectedly weak reaction.

Had she chosen the wrong answer?

For a brief moment, Ha-rim doubted herself.

But then—

Mary’s emotions surged.

"I see! I see!

Mary has always been looking for Mom!

Now I remember—Mary always...!"

"Ca-Calm down, Mary!"

"...."

A brief pause.

Then—

"Mom."

"Yes, Mary?"

"Then why did you leave me?"

Ha-rim’s breath caught in her throat.

"I hate you!

Mom abandoned Mary!"

"One morning, Mom was gone.

Mary went outside, searching for Mom in a place she had never seen before.

I got lost and had to find my way home at dawn."

"Mary didn’t have a phone,

so I went to the payphone every day and called Mom."

"Mom only picked up once."

"And the moment she heard my voice—

She hung up."

"Why?!

Did you hate me that much?!

Mary always missed you...!

I was always like a sunflower, watching only Mom!"

Ha-rim felt her chest tighten.

Ghost stories often carried tragic backstories, but hearing it firsthand made it unbearably real.

The weight of Mary’s sorrow crushed her.

And—

She had her own memories of loss.

She had to bite her lip to keep from drowning in Mary’s emotions.

But Mary wasn’t finished.

"Since you wouldn’t answer, I kept searching for more payphones.

Further and further.

I thought that maybe if I called from a number you didn’t recognize, you’d pick up.

I made a decision.

I would call from every phone booth.

And then—

I got completely lost."

"I stayed out all night.

It rained.

I was exhausted and collapsed."

"Mom—was that enough?

I suffered and starved—

Are you satisfied?"

"Answer me!"

"Mom..."

"ANSWER ME!!!"

Even through the phone, Ha-rim felt the sheer force of Mary’s rage.

A heavy, suffocating aura seeped through the receiver.

She had to say the right thing.

What was Mary really asking for?

A child who resented their parent—

What was the one thing they wanted to hear the most?

The answer was—

"I’m sorry."

"..."

"I’m sorry, Mary.

I won’t make excuses.

Mom is sorry."

"..."

"I love you, Mary.

I’m coming back to you.

So please... forgive me."

"...sniff... Waaahhh!"

Mary burst into tears.

A child abandoned by their parent—

What they truly wished for wasn’t for their parent to die.

They wanted their parent to come back.

"Mary is the one ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ who should be sorry.

I’m sorry, Mom.

I was so angry, so hurt, that I made a wish to Mr. Goat."

"I should’ve wished to see Mom again...

But instead—

I wished for revenge."

"Mary is such a bad child...

Will you still come for me?"

"Of course.

Mary—where are you?"

Mary whispered her answer.

"...Mary is at school.

A long, clean hallway in an old building.

Waiting for Mom."

She stared at the end of the hallway, truly believing her mother would appear there.

Ella, watching in silence, finally spoke.

—Now it’s my turn.

Ella raised a mirror at the end of the hallway.

The legend she would use—

A ghost story about one’s destined person appearing in the mirror.

Only Mary knew what her mother looked like.

This had to work.

The mirror shimmered.

And then—

A woman who looked exactly like Mary appeared.

An adult version of her—

Wearing a warm, gentle smile.

Mary didn’t even bother wiping her tears.

She just grinned brightly—

And ran toward the mirror.

Crap...! If she touches it, she’ll know it’s fake!

But—

The moment never came.

Because Mary and her mother—

Embraced.

This act...

Completely surpassed the boundaries of using a mere ghost story.

And the one who had done it—

Ella—

Didn’t even seem to realize what she had just accomplished.

"Ella!"

"Hm?"

"Thank you!

I hope you get your wish, too!

And that you’ll be happy!"

Mary waved at me—

And then disappeared into shimmering green light.

With a soft clang,

A white telephone and a black seed dropped onto the floor.

Before Ella could even react,

The black seed was absorbed into her body.

[Chapter 2 Cleared.]

[Demon’s Seed x1 obtained. (Current Total: 2)]

[MP’s Note: Well done! Keep going just like that!]